Chapter 1

A week before the wedding, Angela Spears receives an anonymous email in her inbox.

As soon as she clicks on the link in the email, the jarring imagery that pops out before her makes it hard for her to breathe.

The link leads to a porn website called "Animal World", and it is filled with videos of explicit sexual acts. All porn actors and actresses in the videos wear animal masks as they entwine their bodies in every way possible in front of a black backdrop.

The videos are all disgustingly explicit, and Angela quickly closes the window. Yet, a fleeting memory lingers in her mind, and when the realization dawns on her, she freezes.

The video trending under the livestream segment on the website features a man in a fox mask. His jawline, physique, and even the sound of his breathing are identical to those of her fiance, Daryl Carson.

Chapter 1

The conference room immediately turned deathly silent. The investor's face was as dark as thunder.

"Are you okay, Ms. Spears?"

Angela Spears tried her best to pull herself together and smiled weakly at the investor before continuing with her presentation. However, the unease and suspicion in her heart only grew stronger with each passing second.

Right after the meeting was over, she requested the rest of the day off and went straight home. Then, she opened the link again and shakily called her fiance, Daryl Carson, while clutching her three-month-pregnant belly.

A familiar ringtone rang out in the livestream video on "Animal World". The man in the fox mask glanced briefly at his phone before tossing it aside and plowing harder into the woman under him, who was wearing a rabbit mask. His aggressive movements made her squeal and moan even louder than before.

The livestream continued for another four hours before it finally ended.

Angela sat frozen as she watched it all. She didn't even have the energy to stand anymore.

However, when the camera panned down and showed a glimpse of the fox man's body, she suddenly heaved a sigh of relief.

There was no scar on his abdomen, so it couldn't have been Daryl. She would never fail to recognize that scar on his body.

A short while later, there was a sound at the doorway, and Daryl walked in. His expression was aloof, and his white shirt was impeccable, without a single wrinkle. He looked nothing like the crazed fox man in the video.

He walked over to Angela with a gentle smile.

"Sorry, Angie. I was so busy today that I didn't even have time to check my phone. Why were you calling earlier?"

She shut down her laptop, feeling a little sheepish and guilty. "Nothing. I just wanted to ask you what time you were coming home today."

She kept trying to reassure herself that the fox man wasn't Daryl. He loved her too much to ever cheat on her.

Years ago, she had been diagnosed with kidney failure. Without hesitation, Daryl went behind his family's back and did the crossmatching test with her. After donating one of his kidneys, the first thing he told her was, "All I want is for you to live, Angie."

That was the origin of the scar. It was also proof of his love for her.

Moreover, Daryl practiced abstinence, and he was also quite a germaphobe. When his last female secretary brushed her chest against his arm, he immediately blacklisted her from the entire industry and then soaked his arm in disinfectant for an hour afterward.

At times, he would also gently and somewhat helplessly push Angela away when she was slightly clingier than usual. "Darling, don't be so clingy with me, alright?"

He absolutely hated touching any woman besides her. So, how could a person like him possibly be having such wild sex with another woman on camera like that fox man?

"A penny for your thoughts, Angie."

Daryl walked up to her with a warm glass of milk while dressed simply in a bathrobe that revealed his muscular physique.

Angela recalled the scene she just watched earlier and suddenly felt another sense of unease rising in her.

The bed dipped behind her, and she felt Daryl wrapping his arms around her.

"Go to sleep, darling. It's good for the baby."

She reached back and felt for his scar in his lower abdomen. It was still there, and she felt her worries finally settling.

Daryl kissed her on the forehead. "Why are you touching my scar so much? Do you think it's ugly?"

"No," she replied, burrowing into his chest. "I love you, Daryl."

He was stunned for a second. Then, he chuckled softly and hugged her tightly in return. "I love you too, Angie. Only you.

"You're going to be my bride in just a week. Make sure you get plenty of rest so you'll be in your best and most beautiful condition when you put on the wedding dress."

Angela soon fell asleep with a smile on her face.

However, she suddenly woke up with a jolt in the middle of the night. Maybe it was because she kept thinking that the fox man in the video looked too much like Daryl. Maybe she was also imagining things just because of her pregnancy hormones.

But the space next to her on the bed was cold and empty.

Daryl's indoor slippers were at the doorway. It was obvious that he'd gone out.

Angela's heart began beating faster. She somehow found herself running to her laptop and turning on the live stream on that website.

The fox man was live streaming with the rabbit woman again. They were completely entangled, oblivious to everything else. The fox mask couldn't even hide the excitement showing in his eyes.

They tried all sorts of positions until they were both exhausted.

Angela kept her eyes trained on the fox man's lower abdomen and realized that there was a scar right there, clearly visible under the light.

This time, the audio had been altered with a voice changer, and the woman's voice sounded soft and coquettish as she spoke.

"I really hate this scar you got for another woman, but you just refused to have it removed. I always have to cover it up for you with concealer."

The fox man chuckled and leaned down to peck her on the lips. "I've already given this Weston villa to you, and you still don't think it's enough?"

"Never," the rabbit woman said with a pout. "Not unless you promise me that you'll rail me again seven days from now at your wedding. I'm the bridesmaid anyway. Nobody will ever get suspicious of us."

The fox man kept quiet. He didn't answer right away.

The rabbit woman then whined softly and tried to shove him off. However, he pinned her back down and said, "Okay. Anything you want."

Chapter 2

Angela felt her blood run cold.

The Weston villa was Daryl's wedding gift to her. It was going to be where they'd be moving to after the wedding.

Also, Angela only had one bridesmaid, and it was none other than her best friend whom she trusted with all her heart, Cathy Moore!

Cathy was the first ray of sunlight in Angela's life. Angela's parents had died when she was young. During lunch break, she would curl up in a corner nibbling on stale bread, and Cathy would drag her out to the school cafeteria, sharing her meals with her.

When the high school bully wouldn't stop picking on Angela and kept slinging rocks at her, Cathy was the one who protected her from a rock about to hit her in the face. As a result, Cathy got quite a nasty cut on her hand that day.

Those were just some of the reasons why Angela trusted Cathy with her life. They had such a close relationship that they were almost inseparable.

When Cathy met Daryl for the first time, she even playfully warned him, "Angela is practically a sister to me. You'd better treat her right, or I'll never forgive you!"

Daryl refused to back down and retorted, "Angela is the love of my life. Stop hanging out with her. I don't want you to corrupt her."

They glared at each other like sworn enemies. If it weren't for Angela stepping in, they might have come to blows.

Back then, Angela had felt incredibly blessed and lucky because both her best friend and boyfriend cared so much about her. But now, watching the video of Daryl and Cathy wildly entangled together felt like a slap in the face.

It now made sense why Cathy kept being vague about her new boyfriend and refused to show Angela any photos of him. It turned out that they were dating the same person.

Everything fell into place, and the truth wrapped around Angela's neck like a noose, making it hard for her to breathe.

A sudden gasp interrupted her thoughts. The rabbit woman couldn't stop trembling in the fox man's arms. She then kissed him deeply.

The viewers in the comments section were cheering for them.

"Mr. Fox is so energetic today! I can't believe he still has this much energy for his second livestream."

"He avoided Ms. Deer's kiss the last time she appeared with him! I thought he didn't do kisses. But it turns out he's just treating Ms. Rabbit differently."

"Ah, I love watching them together so much. Please fuck each other harder! I need to keep watching you do it!"

Angela slumped back in her chair. Her heart ached so badly that it felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing into her chest.

She shakily reached for her phone and called an international number.

"I agree to your proposal of starting a business overseas," she said. "I'll leave in seven days."

After hanging up, she contacted Joe McCoy, a private investigator.

Daryl returned two hours later, feeling cold and chilly. He hurriedly took a warm shower before proceeding to prepare breakfast and give Angela a good morning kiss as though nothing had happened last night.

Angela just couldn't wrap her head around it. Why would Daryl cheat on her with her best friend when they were always so hostile toward each other in the past?

…

Angela called Cathy and asked to meet up after Daryl went to work.

"You know that I purposely took a day off to meet up with you today, don't you, Angie?" Cathy asked, as soon as she saw Angela. "Do you even know how scary your fiance is at work?

"He's literally the Devil incarnate, always yelling at me if I did something wrong by accident. I'm so glad you asked me to come out today. Now, I have an excuse to take a breather."

Cathy looped her hand through Angela's while she continued complaining about Daryl's treatment toward her at the office.

Angela smelled the perfume on Cathy's body. It was the exact same one that Daryl was wearing. Her fingers turned icy almost at once.

She forced herself to appear calm as she said, "I think Daryl's cheating on me."

Cathy's reaction didn't look fake.

"That's impossible! Are you sure you're not just imagining things? You're pregnant, so it must be the hormones messing with your head. He loves you too much to cheat on you."

Angela didn't reply. Instead, she carefully observed Cathy's eyes.

While ordering their drinks, she ordered an iced black coffee for Cathy out of habit.

"I can't drink iced coffee anymore," Cathy said, gently caressing her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

Chapter 3

Cathy's words struck Angela's heart like a lightning bolt.

"You're pregnant?"

Cathy looked at Angela with feigned shyness. "It was an accident. I'm three months along."

Three months. Angela's baby was also three months along. Basically, Cathy had gotten pregnant around the same time as she did.

"Is the father your boyfriend?" Angela asked, feeling her heart drop with each word she said. "I don't think I've even met him ever since you told me you guys got together."

"Yeah. He's rarely home," Cathy replied with a wide grin as she grabbed her phone. "But it's alright. He might not be able to always keep me company, but he makes up for it every time we meet and does me in every position possible. I'm content with our arrangement now."

Daryl called Angela just then, asking her where she was and saying that he would drop by to pick her up. When he arrived and caught sight of Cathy next to her, his face darkened at once.

"So, this was the 'emergency' you told me you had?" he chided. "You were just coming here to slack off?"

Angela spoke up before Cathy could answer. "I asked her to keep me company. Just give her a ride home along the way."

"No, it's fine. I don't want to play third wheel," Cathy said quietly, holding a hand to her waist. "I'll just rent a bike and ride it home."

She then quickly rented a bicycle from a nearby bike-share dock and left without waiting for Angela or Daryl to say another word. Angela could see Daryl's grip tightening subtly around the steering wheel.

He drove home very slowly that day, cruising right behind Cathy the entire time as though he was worried that she would get into an accident.

Seconds later, Cathy tipped over and crashed onto the road.

Daryl slammed on the brakes immediately, and the sudden halt threw Angela forward with so much force she thought she was going to fly out of the windshield. However, he didn't seem to notice her panicked look as he immediately threw his door open and ran over to Cathy.

He crouched next to her and spoke in a low, chiding tone, "Are you dumb or what? How could you just fall off a bike in the middle of the road? Get in the car now!"

"Why do you care?" Cathy retorted, her eyes turning red with tears. Her voice turned nasal too. "You should be sending Angela home! Stop bothering me!"

Daryl clicked his tongue in frustration. Without another word, he picked Cathy up from the road and shoved her into the backseat. It wasn't until he was done settling her down that he finally looked at Angela in the front passenger seat.

Angela's face was pale, her lips drained of all color. She clutched her stomach in pain as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

A hint of panic crossed Daryl's face. He reached out to hold her arm. "I'm sorry, Angie. Did I scare you? It's just that she's your best friend, and I was worried that you'd insist on getting down to help her up and hurt yourself instead, so I—"

"I'm sorry, Angie," Cathy piped up from the back. "It's my fault for making you worry."

Daryl and Cathy kept covering for each other so seamlessly that Angela just found it all ironic. It was obvious that they only had each other's interests in mind, but they still tried to make it sound as though they were doing it for Angela's own good.

She closed her eyes and put her arms protectively around her belly. "I'm fine. Hurry up and send her home."

Daryl was noticeably distracted for the rest of the drive. The look on his face also grew more and more grim as time passed.

After dropping Cathy off at her apartment, he finally heaved a sigh of relief and drove home with Angela.

They didn't speak a word in the car. After stepping through the door, Daryl suddenly hugged Angela from behind.

"Are you still mad at me, Angie? I'm sorry. I'll admit that I was a little too rash earlier. You once told me that Cathy was the only family you had left, and I didn't want you to feel upset because she got hurt. That's the reason why I instinctively went to help her."

Angela felt another blow to her chest, the numbing pain slowly spreading through her body.

Daryl had obviously seen how uncomfortable she'd been after he braked so hard in the middle of the road. Yet throughout the drive to Cathy's home, she saw just how often his eyes would flick to the rearview mirror to check on her friend's condition instead.

It was pretty obvious whom he cared about more.

"Daryl, let's break—"

Before she could finish, Daryl suddenly got a call on his phone. After answering it, his face drained of all color.

"Angie, something urgent just came up at work. I must go back to the office to deal with it. Wait for me at home!"

He then ran out of the door without another glance.

Angela's chest tightened. She then went to check on the surveillance cameras installed inside the Weston villa.

Just as she suspected, Daryl had gone straight to Cathy. The moment he stepped in through the front door, he asked in a worried tone, "You said that your stomach hurts? Let me take a look. Was it because you fell from the bike earlier?"

He then gently massaged Cathy's belly as she snuggled into his arms and whispered, "You were way too obvious today. Do you think Angie's going to find out about us?"

Daryl's face hardened at once. He pulled away slightly from her and said, "She will never find out. And you're forbidden from ever hanging out with her alone again!"

"Why not? Angie is still my best friend. Why shouldn't I hang out with her again just because of you?"

"Because she's pregnant!" Daryl retorted in a low voice. "I can't afford to risk you running your mouth and triggering her by accident."

"But I'm pregnant too!" Cathy shot back, her voice cracking, sounding like she was about to cry. "Are you saying that my baby isn't half as important as hers? Then why did you still come looking for me knowing that I was pregnant? Don't you care the least bit about my feelings at all?"

The tension in the air thickened as silence filled the room once again. A long while later, Daryl replied, "This baby was a mistake to begin with."

"You're such a jerk!" Cathy cried, tears falling from her eyes as she pummeled him in the chest. However, seconds later, it was replaced by loud kissing noises and the sound of clothes being hastily torn off.

"Be good and abort the baby. I promise that I'll take good care of you for the rest of your life if you just listen to me."

Cathy hesitated for a while. Then, she hooked her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.

"But I hate the thought of going under the knife for an abortion. I'd rather you help me abort the baby instead. I heard that lots of intense sex will eventually lead to a miscarriage…"

Daryl cursed softly under his breath before picking her up bridal-style and rushing into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

A few seconds later, Angela received a text message on her phone.

"I'll be spending the night at the company, Angie. Sleep early tonight. Love you!"

The last two words jumped out at Angela and pierced into her eyes as though it was a glaring red color even if it was black just like the rest of the message.

Angela felt her stomach churning. Suddenly, she bent over and retched hard.

What a joke. As it turned out, the place where Daryl and Cathy had been filming their explicit affair turned out to be the exact same place where Angela and Daryl were moving into right after their wedding.

Angela felt an excruciating pain in her chest, like her heart had been torn right out. She also realized that she could taste the salty tears on her tongue.

Just then, Joe sent her a text message.

"Ms, Spears, I've found an online account that might contain the information you're looking for."

Chapter 4

Joe sent Angela a link to a burner X account.

Angela felt her blood freeze in her veins when she read the contents that the account had posted over the years.

This burner account was Cathy's personal venting space. It was filled with all sorts of her unfiltered confessions and innermost thoughts.

"March 12th. I'm now working as my best friend's boyfriend's personal assistant. Why is she so damn annoying and insisting that I work for her boyfriend? Does she not know that I like Daryl too? And yet, she still did this so that I'd be forced to watch them act lovey-dovey at the office all day. Ugh!"

"May 5th. I'd just broken up with my ex, and the first thing Angela did was to show off her oh-so-perfect relationship with Daryl by feeding him steak. They're so damn disgusting.

"She's always been like this since we were kids, acting so perfect in front of teachers and parents with me as her unpaid supporting character. She stole all the love and attention that should have been mine. She makes me so uncomfortable."

"June 2nd. It rained today, and her boyfriend offered to drive me home. I said I was cold, and he put his coat around my shoulders. I could see the desire in his eyes."

"July 4th. The power suddenly went off at the office, and I was so startled that I jumped right into his arms. But our lips met by accident when I looked up at him. He froze for a bit but didn't push me off."

"August 7th. We slept together. I knew he never really loved Angela that much. He just thinks she makes a suitable housewife. I guess my best friend is a little pitiful after all. I mean, we did grow up together…"

Angela only realized just how much Cathy had misunderstood her over the years after reading all her thoughts.

When Cathy lost her job, Angela had begged Daryl to give her a high-paying job at his office. When Cathy broke up with her ex, Angela offered to treat her to a big meal to distract her and get her mind off things.

She never thought that her patience, maturity, and forbearance would be taken maliciously by Cathy like this.

She held a hand to her stomach, feeling the tears pooling in her eyes once again.

She suffered from extremely low progesterone levels, which made it very difficult for her to conceive. This baby was basically a miracle that she wanted to attribute to Daryl praying fervently at churches and temples for a long time.

But now, she suddenly didn't know what to do with the miracle growing inside her after having so eagerly anticipated its arrival for years.

A sudden sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen again.

Unable to get hold of Daryl, Angela had no choice but to drive herself to the hospital. However, the car had only just turned a corner in the neighborhood when a car suddenly lost control at the intersection and rammed right into her.

The deafening crash nearly shattered her eardrums. She instinctively shielded her belly with her arms and was nearly thrown out of the car.

An excruciating pain seared up her stomach. Then, the world turned black for her.

…

The first thing Angela saw when she opened her eyes was Daryl staring at her, his eyes bloodshot.

"Angie! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

The crash hadn't been fatal. Angela had only passed out from shock and not from the few bruises along her limbs. Fortunately, the baby wasn't harmed at all.

Daryl gripped her hands tightly. It was almost as though he was worried he'd lose her any second.

"Mr. Carson immediately rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard that you were in a car crash," his assistant, Wilfred Peterson, said in a quiet voice. "He got grazed by a motorbike on the way but didn't even stop to pursue the matter and continued rushing over to you."

Angela then realized that Daryl was covered in injuries. His right arm was bandaged, and his knee was also scraped.

"My injuries don't matter. They're just minor ones," Daryl said, waving his hand impatiently. His eyes still held the same concern and tenderness as they had during his first few years of courting Angela. "My fiancee and baby are more important to me than anything else in the world."

Angela dug her nails into her palms, using the pain to keep herself awake. "I remember the license plate on the car. I'm going to file a police report."

"Absolutely," Daryl agreed without hesitation. He then said in a domineering tone, "I don't care whether it was an accident or not. Whoever dares to lay a finger on my fiancee must pay the price for their actions!"

However, when Angela recited the plate number to him, his expression dropped, and panic flashed in his eyes.

"Just leave this to me, Angie. You don't have to bother about it anymore."

Angela's heart sank. "Why not? I'm going to report them to the police myself!"

"I said, leave this to me," Daryl said firmly, leaving no room for argument. When he saw Angela's face turning pale, he softened his tone and added, "You're pregnant, Angie. You shouldn't have to bother yourself with cumbersome tasks like this. Just leave it all to me."

Just then, his phone rang.

Daryl answered the call and spoke for a while. Then, he turned and looked at Angela apologetically. "Sorry, Angie. It's another work call. I need to go over and handle some things. I'll be right back."

Angela grabbed his wrist. "Can't you stay? I still feel very uncomfortable…"

Daryl frowned slightly as he firmly removed her hand from his wrist. "Don't be unreasonable, Angie. I have very important matters to tend to."

The moment he left the hospital room, Angie pulled out the IV needle from the back of her hand and silently went after him.

Cathy's figure suddenly whizzed past the emergency exit at the end of the hallway.

Daryl angrily pinned her against the wall. "Are you out of your mind? Who gave you permission to hire someone to crash into her?"

"You're the one who made me do this," Cathy wailed. "I was just jealous, okay? Why can Angie give birth to her baby, but mine can only be aborted? This isn't fair! If I'm forced to lose my baby, then she doesn't get to keep hers either!"

Daryl's face was cold and grim, but a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"I will settle things out of court with the driver, and that will be the end of this incident. But we can't see each other after this anymore."

"You're lying!" Cathy screamed, her tears dripping onto the floor as she sobbed pitifully. "You know you love me! Why can't you just admit it and tell her the truth? Break up with her and be with me instead!"

"That's enough, Cathy! Angela is my future wife, and it is my duty to marry her!"

Daryl tried to pull her away from him, but his tone was soft and weak, and it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself instead.

Cathy refused to let up and continued pressing. "Would you have married me if you met me first?"

Angela froze when she heard that. After what felt like an eternity, she saw Daryl's lips moving.

"I would."

His expression when he said it broke Angela's heart.

She had never seen him look so conflicted in her life. His eyes were filled with lust and passion for Cathy, but he simply let his arms hang down loosely by his side.

So, he cared about Cathy so much that he wouldn't hesitate to cover up for her even if she'd just committed a crime.

Angela suddenly remembered the time she had accidentally lost an unimportant document at home, and Daryl had given her the cold shoulder for an entire week. It wasn't until she broke down and signed an oath swearing she'd never do anything like that again that he finally stopped ignoring her.

The difference in Daryl's attitude toward someone he loved and someone he didn't was just too great.

Angela couldn't bear to listen to Cathy's incessant sobbing anymore. She turned on her heels and stumbled away.

…

Daryl didn't return home until very late that night. As soon as he returned, he went up to Angela and hugged her from behind.

"Why did you come straight home without telling me? You made me worry for nothing. You've been naughty."

Angela could smell Cathy's sweet perfume on his body and instinctively pushed him away.

"Let's break up, Daryl Carson."

Chapter 5

Daryl's smile froze on his face the moment those words left Angela's lips.

"Don't joke around like that, Angie. You know what my bottom line is."

When they first started dating, he'd once said that no matter how angry they got, they could never threaten each other with a breakup.

"I'm not joking," Angela said wearily. "I already know everything about you and Cathy."

The bedroom was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

A long while later, Daryl pulled himself away from her slightly, his eyes dark and stormy. "Did Cathy talk nonsense to you or something? Don't listen to her!"

Angela's fingertips turned white. "Why are you still trying to lie to me?"

She rushed over to her laptop, meaning to find the website where she saw those explicit videos of Daryl and Cathy together. However, when she typed in the website address, she was stunned.

The "Animal World" website was gone. There was nothing there except for the "Error 404: Page Not Found" message displayed in the center of the screen.

"What? No way! It was still there yesterday!"

Daryl looked at her with a calm, almost pitiful expression, as though he was watching a senile woman trying to make her point.

"I know pregnancy hormones can mess with your head, Angie, so I'm only going to treat what you said earlier as a joke. No matter what you think you saw or heard from other people, it wasn't me. I would never betray you."

Angela's face was pale as she stared at him in disbelief.

It had to be Daryl. He was the only one who had the power and authority to get someone to remove an entire porn webpage at a moment's notice.

"Why are you still lying to me?" Angela asked, her nose stinging. She felt as though someone was painfully squeezing her heart. "A car crashed into me. I nearly died with my baby, and you still don't care about me at all?

"I've already found out about Cathy hiring someone to crash into me. I will definitely report this to the police."

"You should never have suspected Cathy," Daryl said, his eyes turning cold, his voice tinged with suppressed anger. "Cathy might be a little wild at times, but she would never hurt you on purpose!

"I can't believe that you're slandering your own best friend like this, Angie. You've completely disappointed me."

Disappointed him?

While he was busy rolling in the sheets with Cathy, did he think about how disappointed and devastated she'd be?

Angela took a deep breath. "I'm definitely breaking up with you, Daryl. Let's just end things here."

Daryl's eyes were as cold as ice. He forcefully pinned her down onto the bed and tied her hands up with his necktie.

"You need to cool off for a few days, Angie. I'll stay home with you for the next two days."

He ignored all of Angela's screams and protests and locked her up in the bedroom for the rest of the night.

He didn't bother going to the office over the next few days and worked from home instead, keeping an eye on Angela around the clock. He even insisted on feeding her and accompanying her to the bathroom every time.

His phone wouldn't stop buzzing, making him feel even more frustrated. He decided to just toss it aside and head back into his study.

However, Angela quickly caught sight of the text message notifications on the screen. They were all from Cathy.

"Are you seriously going to be this heartless, Daryl Carson?

"Fine! If that's how it's going to be, then you don't have any right to care about who else I sleep with anymore!"

Then, another notification popped up on the screen. It was a push notification reminding Daryl about a new live stream on "Animal World".

Angela tapped on the notification at once and realized that the website hadn't been taken down after all. It had simply been moved to a new address.

Cathy was wearing her usual rabbit mask as she appeared before the camera in her sexy lingerie. Behind her stood a man in a wolf mask.

"Mr. Fox doesn't want me anymore, so I've decided to find myself another partner. I hope he can satisfy me tonight."

She then wrapped her arms around the man and kissed him firmly on the lips, letting him touch and explore every inch of her body.

Suddenly, there was the sound of something breaking in the study. A second later, Daryl rushed out of the door.

"Stay at home, Angie. I need to go out for a bit. It's really urgent!"

Angela watched him make a dash for the front door and disappear. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she was just about to run out after him when the two bodyguards at the door stopped her.

"Sorry, Ms. Spears, but Mr. Carson said that you were not allowed to leave."

"Get out of the way!"

She grabbed a nearby fruit knife and pressed the blade against her neck. "If you refuse to let me out, then I'll just kill myself right here!"

The two bodyguards exchanged glances and eventually let her go.

…

Angela sped right after Daryl, following the GPS tracker on him. Finally, she found herself at the Weston villa where they were supposed to move in after their wedding. Daryl had parked right at the entrance.

She walked in and heard angry roaring and punching coming from the living room. Daryl had grabbed the man in the wolf mask and was beating the living daylights out of him.

"How dare you touch her? I'll kill you!"

He had completely lost control. Gone was his usual cool and calm demeanor—every blow he delivered to the wolf man was critical, and he looked ready to tear the man apart for daring to lay a finger on Cathy.

Angela's heart squeezed in her chest. It hurt so badly that she couldn't even breathe anymore.

Even when Daryl loved her the most, he never got into any physical fights with anyone else for her. He condemned it and said that only barbarians fought with their fists, so he would never do anything of the sort if there was another way to solve the problem.

But as it turned out, it wasn't that he was above fighting. It was just that she was never the person he would get into a fight for from the start.

"Stop it! Don't hit him anymore!" Cathy cried, lunging at Daryl and throwing her arms around his waist. "That's enough, Daryl! Stop hitting him!"

Daryl finally calmed down with Cathy's intervention. He then growled at the wolf man and told him to get out before grabbing Cathy by the back of her neck and pulling her into a fierce, angry kiss.

"Didn't you say that you didn't want me anymore?" Cathy screamed, struggling against his arms. "Didn't you say that we weren't to see each other again anymore? So, what does it matter who I film with?"

"If I said no, that means no!" Daryl growled.

"Why not? You already have Angela! Why should I even listen to you?"

Daryl then bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

"I'm going to teach you what it means to defy my orders today!"

Then, he tore his shirt off and pinned her on the carpeted floor.

Angela's blood ran cold. She barely noticed when the wolf man bumped into her on his way out.

There was a clap of thunder, and soon, a heavy thunderstorm broke outside the door. Yet, Daryl and Cathy didn't seem to realize it as they were wrapped around each other on the floor.

Angela covered her ears with her hands. She'd been terrified of thunder since young and would shudder in fear every time she heard it.

Once, Daryl even postponed an international billion-dollar project and flew all the way home during a heavy thunderstorm just so that he could hold her from behind and soothe her through the night.

The thunderclaps this time were even more intense than in the past, and Angela could already feel goosebumps forming on every inch of her body. Yet, Daryl was still lost in Cathy's embrace, oblivious to everything.

Angela curled into a tight ball at the door, watching them silently as her heart turned increasingly cold and numb.

A long while later, she walked out of the villa with tears in her eyes. They mixed with the rainwater and streamed down her face.

"You should have told me that you liked Cathy, Daryl. I would have let you get together with her instead."

Cathy had saved Angela from being blinded by a rock when she was little. Meanwhile, Daryl had given her a kidney to save her life.

So, she decided that she was going to remove herself from the picture altogether as a way of paying them back.

Angela trudged through the rain and slowly made her way to the hospital.

"I'd like to schedule an abortion, please."

Chapter 6

The doctor reviewed Angela's medical report and tried to talk her out of the abortion.

"Ms. Spears, you have a thin uterine wall, and abortion is not without its risks. This baby will very likely be the only child you'll ever have."

Angela's knuckles turned white. She couldn't stop herself from trembling, but she still gave the doctor a firm nod.

"I want it aborted. Now."

She would rather never have a child again than give birth to one who would never be loved from the very start.

The procedure was quick. However, the dilation and curettage process was excruciating, and the feeling of a life slipping away from her body made Angela break down in tears and scream in a heartbroken manner.

When she finally left the operating room, Daryl and Cathy had only just ended their extremely thrilling and exhilarating live stream.

Cathy then posted a photo on her personal page on the website, showing their hands tightly intertwined as they lay peacefully in bed.

"Hey guys, remember to congratulate Mr. Fox for defeating Mr. Wolf and finally winning Ms. Rabbit's heart once again! Mr. Fox promised to take me on a trip to make it up to me, so watch out for our new updates then!"

The comments below her post all cheered in unison and wished them all the best.

However, Angela's heart was now hollow and numb. She dragged her weary self all the way back home to the equally empty house. Daryl still hadn't returned.

Another day passed. She saw the photos that Cathy posted on her social media as Daryl brought her sightseeing, lit up sky lanterns for her, bought her a diamond ring, and kissed her deeply at the highest point of a Ferris wheel.

At night, they continued fucking each other in various positions while live streaming with their animal masks on to please their viewers.

Angela pressed her hand against her flat tummy and felt her heart being torn into shreds. Yet, Daryl never noticed anything amiss and even sent her a couple of voice messages, his tone so gentle that it didn't make any sense.

"I'll be home right after this business trip, Angie. I even bought a lucky amulet from a famous fortune teller here for our baby."

Cathy happened to post her baby's ultrasound photos online the day Daryl sent that voice message. He'd also been the one accompanying her to the hospital that day.

Angela smiled bitterly. How ironic that Daryl still thought she was pregnant with his baby and that she didn't mean it when she said she wanted to break up with him.

Cathy then sent Angela a text message.

"We need to talk, Angie."

…

Angela went to the coffee shop as agreed and sat across from Cathy at the table.

Cathy's gaze was calm, but her tone carried a hint of resentment. "I'm pregnant, but the father of my child doesn't want it. What should I do?"

"I think you should talk to him instead of me," Angela replied calmly.

After a short pause, Cathy replied coldly, "Stop pretending. You saw everything at the villa entrance the other day, didn't you? I'm pregnant with Daryl's baby.

"I know that he's your fiance, and I'm your best friend, and I'm shameless for sleeping with him. But what can I do? There's no stopping true love when it comes knocking on your door."

Angela simply asked, "Why did you have to get someone to crash into me? You'd always been protecting me since we were young."

Cathy's eyes flashed with anger as though her tail had just been stepped on. She yelled hysterically in response. "I never wanted to hurt you! I just told the driver to scare you a little! What right do you have to give birth to his baby? It's not fair to me or my baby!

"Wanna make a bet? We'll see if he chooses you or me in the face of danger. If he chooses you, then I'll disappear from this relationship and get rid of the baby. But if he chooses me, then you will give us your blessings, Angie."

She held out her pinky toward Angela like how they used to when they were young.

Angela took a deep breath and said, "You don't have to do this, Cathy. He's already—"

Before she could finish, loud screams suddenly erupted behind them. There was a massive explosion in the cafe, and broken glass shards were sent flying everywhere.

Then, a huge fireball blasted from the kitchen, spewing dense, black smoke in the air. The customers in the cafe panicked and began rushing for the exit, trampling over one another in their haste.

"Are you insane?" Angela yelled as she stared at the crazed Cathy in horror. "Did you do this? How could you plant a bomb in the coffee shop? Were you trying to get us all killed?"

Cathy's eyes were cold and ruthless. "I had no other choice, Angela. I really want to know the answer to this riddle."

Everyone around them had already escaped the burning coffee shop, but Cathy grabbed onto Angela, refusing to let go. And since Cathy was taller and much stronger than her, Angela wasn't able to shove her off and run to safety.

The fire got bigger and bigger, and the smoke grew denser and more suffocating by the second.

Another explosion happened. This time, the broken glass shards rained down on them and cut into Cathy's arm.

Right at that moment, Daryl appeared at the scene. He immediately fixed his eyes on Cathy and rushed up to her, scooping her up in his arms without any hesitation.

"You idiot, who told you to run about like this?" he growled at her before sprinting out of the place.

Angela stood frozen, and her lips trembled as she called out to him. "Daryl Carson!"

"Angie?" Daryl froze, his legs suddenly rooted to the ground as he turned around to look at her with guilt in his eyes. "How did you get out of the house?"

The look on his face was familiar. He had the same expression when Angela caught him secretly smoking when he was supposed to have quit cold-turkey three years ago.

He couldn't possibly change a habit he was addicted to at the drop of a hat. This principle applied to him now, too.

However, a second later, Cathy began moaning painfully in his arms. "My stomach… It hurts…"

It snapped Daryl right out of his stupor as he rushed to bring Cathy out of the furnace. The only thing he said to Angela before he left was, "Take care of yourself, Angie. I'll get Wilfred to bring you home after I've sent Cathy to the hospital!"

His focus was entirely on Cathy's aching stomach. He completely missed the fact that Angela's entire back was covered in glass shards, staining her body crimson.

Angela staggered out of the burning coffee shop with much difficulty. The sun was supposed to be hot enough to give anyone a sunburn, but her heart was so cold and disappointed that it might as well be in the middle of winter.

"Oh my god… Her entire back is covered in glass! That's so scary!"

"Call the ambulance! She's going to pass out!"

Angela collapsed to the ground completely pale, surrounded by the crowds' gasps and screams of terror. She was like a broken and abandoned rag doll as she lay there, unable to move anymore.

Even as her consciousness faded away, the last thing she saw in her hazy vision was the sight of Daryl leaving with another woman in his arms.

Chapter 7

When Angela opened her eyes, she was lying in a hospital bed.

A nurse came in to change her dressings. When she saw Angela trying to sit up, she hurriedly went over to help her up.

"Your back is very badly injured and covered in tiny wounds. Your family members will need to help you apply the medication to them regularly, or they'll leave scars…"

Angela hesitated. Every move she made was extremely painful.

"I don't have a family anymore," she said softly.

Her parents had passed away 12 years ago. On their death anniversary, she would kneel before their grave and cry her eyes out, while Cathy would comfort her by her side and Daryl would hold a huge umbrella over them.

But now, even her found family was no longer by her side.

The door was pushed open, and Daryl rushed into the room, pulling her straight into his arms without another word.

"Those bodyguards are useless. I told them to keep an eye on you and not let you out of their sight. How could you be so disobedient, Angie?"

After a short pause, he explained, "Cathy has asthma and can't breathe in that smoke. You told me before that she was your family, so I had no choice but to save her first because of how dangerous the situation was. You're not hurt, are you?"

Angela had already given up all hope on him. She calmly pushed him off and said, "I'm fine. Go and take care of her."

"Wait, why are you so badly hurt?" Daryl finally saw all the cuts on her back, and his eyes widened in shock. He then demanded angrily, "Why didn't you tell me back there?"

Angela simply replied, "You already explained earlier that Cathy was injured worse than me. I understand."

Daryl panicked. Angela used to get jealous of other women in the past, but now, it seemed like she had put on an icy armor. She was so calm and collected to the point that it was making him feel uneasy.

"Angie," he said with a frown. "You didn't use to be like this."

A bitter smile appeared on Angela's lips. "You also didn't use to be like this, Daryl."

It was so tense and silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Daryl tried to rest a hand on her stomach, but she subtly avoided his touch. So, he awkwardly withdrew his hand and said, "Rest well for now. I'll go and make you your favorite stew. I can't let our baby go hungry. Remember, Angie, that no matter what happens, you're the only person I'll ever love.

"Oh, and by the way," he suddenly said, pausing at the door. "You might want to think of swapping out your bridesmaid for the wedding. Cathy's hurt. I've arranged for her to remain at the hospital."

Then, he turned to leave. At the same time, Cathy sent Angela a text message.

"You won. He got super pissed at me after learning that I was behind everything and threatened to send me abroad. I'll never appear in your lives again. Enjoy your life with him."

Angela's finger twitched numbly. She had never thought of winning anything from the very start. She'd already been eliminated from this three-person race before the game had even begun.

However, she just closed her eyes wearily and didn't bother replying.

…

When Angela was discharged, Daryl personally picked her up in his arms and took extremely good care of her.

The day before the wedding, Angela was brought to the wedding hall in the hotel ballroom for a final rehearsal. She knew what Daryl was capable of, and if she made a fuss about not attending it, he would bring her there against her will.

By the time they reached the hotel, Cathy was already waiting there for them in her bridesmaid dress.

Angela felt Daryl tightening his grip for just a split second when they saw her.

"What's the matter? Did I scare you?" Cathy asked, forcing a smile on her lips as she looked at them with reddened eyes. "I am your only bridesmaid, Angie. Of course I must witness your happy ending with my own eyes."

Daryl continued tightening his grip on Angela's hand until she gasped in pain.

The wedding planner went through with the wedding program with them and had Angela rehearse walking down the aisle. After everything was done, Daryl kissed her on the forehead with a tearful smile.

"I really can't wait to bring you home as my wife, Angie."

Cathy didn't say anything and trailed right behind them, her face pale. However, when she saw Daryl kissing Angie, she dropped the flower bouquet she was holding, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Sorry," she said, biting her lower lip as tears welled in her eyes. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to use the bathroom for a bit."

Daryl was distracted for the rest of the time as his phone buzzed incessantly in his pants pocket, threatening to shatter the peace.

He wouldn't stop frowning. Finally, he excused himself and answered the call from a faraway corner.

"What the hell do you want now? Are you done making a fuss?"

He cast an apologetic look at Angela and said, "Sorry, Angie. I need to take this work call. I'll be quick! Wait for me."

Angela nodded and waited for him to disappear before slowly making her way to the women's bathroom.

The flimsy door rattled hard against the lock, accompanied by suppressed moans and sobbing.

"You're driving me crazy, Cathy…"

"You're also driving me crazy, making me watch you both get married. Daryl, can you please not send me away? We can still go back to how things were. I promise I won't interfere in your lives again."

Daryl didn't reply. Instead, he just let out a low growl and answered her with his actions.

Angela felt the bile rising in her throat. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard a scream.

"Blood! I'm bleeding!"

Chapter 8

The door was hurriedly flung open, and it slammed hard against Angela's body. However, Daryl didn't even notice her collapsing to the floor in pain and rushed out with a bleeding Cathy in his arms.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor told them that Cathy's baby was gone. He chided them and said, "How could you have let yourselves loose like this during pregnancy? You should have had more restraint!"

Cathy wouldn't stop sobbing. Daryl lowered his head and said nothing, his eyes filled with guilt and self-blame.

When he turned and saw Angela standing at the door, his expression fell at once.

"Angela… I…"

Angela shook her head. "It's fine. I understand."

She turned to leave, but Daryl ran after her and grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry. She's your best friend, and I was worried that something terrible would happen to her. That's why I rushed her to the hospital as quickly as I could."

Angela couldn't be bothered to watch his pretense anymore. Even coming up with a response to his excuse was nothing but a waste of time.

"Then, please do me a favor and take care of my best friend for me. I'm going home now. Tomorrow… is going to be a long day."

Daryl was stunned for a moment. A complex emotion surfaced in his eyes as he replied, "You've always been so kind and understanding, Angie. Don't worry. I'll go home as soon as I settle the hospital bill."

However, he still hadn't come home even when it was late into the night.

Joe then sent Angela a video. Daryl had probably been too upset about losing Cathy's child and was now drinking with his best friend, Leon Finley, at a bar.

"What? You're thinking of giving Angie's baby to Cathy? Aren't you afraid that she'd get mad at you for that?"

"Angie will never know," Daryl said, rubbing his engagement ring on his finger. "After Angie gives birth to her baby, I'll just put Cathy down as the mother in the registration details. That way, I'll finally have a reason to sever all ties with Cathy. I just have to grant her this one last wish."

"You're out of your mind. I can't believe you'd actually film yourself having sex in front of a camera and posting it online just for that Cathy's sake."

Daryl smiled smugly like he was far superior compared to anyone else. "I thought that Cathy was just promiscuous, but I guess I really fell for her after tasting her just once."

"But you love Angie so much. Everyone knows how you risked your life to save her back then. I don't believe that you actually fell in love with Cathy," Leon countered.

Daryl took a swig of his beer and sighed.

"Actually, I used to look down on Cathy. If it weren't for Angie begging me to give her a job, I would've never given her the time of day. But she ended up being my secretary and willingly took shots on my behalf at networking events just to please our potential investors and business partners.

"She didn't even complain when they began manhandling her and convincing her to sleep with them before they signed our contracts…

"She looked like she was about to cry when she turned around and looked at me, but there was also something in her eyes that told me she would be strong and that I shouldn't worry about her. I could never forget the look she gave me.

"I couldn't hold back anymore that night and brought her to a hotel room. And I could never stop at just once after having her the first time. The rest is history."

Daryl then shook off his memories and said, "Cathy was willing to go that far for me because of how much she loved me, but I was already engaged to Angie. I couldn't give Cathy anything but a fake wedding. At least, it would give her some sort of comfort.

He sighed. "If only I'd met her sooner… Maybe things would never have turned out like this."

Leon didn't say anything more and cracked open another beer for him, saying that they would drink the night away and forget about all their worries.

Angela smiled bitterly. Daryl still didn't know that their baby was already gone. She wondered what he would offer to Cathy in exchange if he found out.

She felt a dull ache in her chest, reminding her that she was still alive, and this nightmare was about to finally end.

That night, she warmed up a glass of milk laced with sleeping pills for Daryl the same way he did for her in the past.

Daryl finished the milk and pulled Angela into his arms, saying quietly, "Thank you for being so understanding, Angie. I promise that I'll give you the grandest wedding tomorrow and make you the happiest bride of the century."

Angela just smiled faintly and pulled the covers over him. "Go to sleep. I promise you'll be very happy in the morning."

Once he was sound asleep, Angela packed up her suitcase and went into Cathy's hospital room.

Cathy immediately understood what was going on the moment she saw Angela with her suitcase.

"I've told the wedding planner to change all names and photos of the bride to yours. You'll be marrying Daryl tomorrow."

Cathy's eyes reddened. She felt a surge of triumph and excitement as she said, "Thank you for making my wish come true, Angie. This is the best outcome for all of us."

"Why did you film those kinds of videos?"

This was the only question Angela left unanswered. Even though she knew that Cathy was more open-minded and promiscuous than she was, she still didn't think that her friend would do something that would be so easily exposed.

Cathy was stunned momentarily. Then, she scoffed.

"Because Daryl and I are the same kind of people, Angie. Did you know? He told me that you were too reserved in bed, and he didn't have the heart to hurt you, so he took his frustration and worked off all of his energy on me.

"He loves making those kinds of videos. You'll never understand the thrill of it. You only got a head-start on him because you met him first. However, I will be a better Mrs. Carson than you'll ever be. At the very least, I know that he's truly happy when he's with me.

"Just admit it, Angie. You might have won the hearts of everyone else while growing up, but Daryl loves me, not you."

Angela felt the last of her hope die out in that instant.

Cathy's words were deeply humiliating. They plunged into her already bruised and battered heart like a sharp knife.

Angela turned to leave. She couldn't see her best friend beneath all the layers of makeup on Cathy's face anymore. However, she didn't feel any pain or resentment. She just felt relieved.

She no longer owed them anything.

As she walked out of the room, Cathy suddenly called out to her.

"We promised that we'd always be there to witness each other's milestones," she said smugly. "So, even if you're not coming tomorrow, I'll make sure to send you all the photos."

Angela scoffed lightly, a hint of pity in her eyes. "Forget about it. I hope you get everything you wish for, Mrs. Carson."

Then, she dragged her suitcase out of the room and left without a backward glance.