A Wedding That Leaves Me Breathless

On the eve of their wedding, he pins her against the wall and humiliates her in the cruelest way. She thinks it was just a fluke, never imagining that by the next day, she would become the laughingstock of the entire imperial capital at their wedding. Stubbornly clutching his black-and-white portrait, she walks through the wedding hall with a seductive smile on her lips. He watches the woman he has loved for seventeen years, growing ever colder and more ruthless. He loves her, but calls it hatred. He dotes on her so openly that everyone in the world knows, yet she takes it for nothing more than his gentle tactics. They were childhood sweethearts, but her betrayal turned her into a servant bound by a contract. He grips her chin, domineering and arrogant. “Since our marriage is a transaction, and I’ve paid you, show some professional integrity and play your part in this marriage to the end.” She presses a hand to her chest, where the pain is so fierce it feels as though her heart is tearing apart. The moment the truth comes out, his hand closes around her throat as he forces her back, step by step...