Yun Qian Meng was twenty-five years old when she got married. She was from a family of billionaires, but a conservative one where good daughters never said no to their parents. Her father wanted her to get married and she just said, "If that is what makes you happy, I will do it gladly."

It wasn't 'love'—wealthy heiresses were taught never to get caught in that mess. A business decision, her father, Yun Sui Bo, had called her marriage. She had come from a family that built a real estate empire under Yun Corporation.

The dream began.

The union had been a move made to win their struggle against Mo Building Solutions, their most prominent and hardest competitors. The Bai family owned a well-known building materials import company in the mainland, which helped cheapen the price of materials used for the operation of the Yun Corporation.

It had been a grand success. The Bai and Yun family came together to widen the prospects of their companies. She accepted her father's choice graciously. She truly came to appreciate the presence of the man, his serene and respectful behavior, his gentle words, and his respect for her private space.

And yes, it was never a happy marriage.

The Bai family had strict rules when it came to the conduct of the wives. They were only allowed clothes that hid their skin; they couldn't drink outside of the home, even with their husbands.

She loved her wine and beer. She loved to wear fashionable dresses and skirts. At first, she rebelled. She ate what she wanted, she wore what she wished to. But the screams grew louder and the words harsher.

Her husband, Bai Ye Qing, was a gentle man. He was a year older than her but he had been spoilt since young. Despite being in a prominent position within the company, he often made bad choices and couldn't clearly see the deals he should have invested in.

When his mother tormented her, he would stand up for her and lend her a shoulder to cry on.

"Help me take over," Bai Ye Qing announced one day, astonishing Yun Qian Meng. "You built your company with your own hands and you are an excellent investor. Teach me."

She didn't know what to say, at first. But since young, she had been taught that a good wife helps their husband at all times and paves the way for their success. She taught him everything she knew, helping him invest and judge. His position grew stronger, his authority in the family growing before her eyes. She had been so proud.

If it was love, she didn't know, but she felt like someone was finally listening to her. She even saw him as a friend. She had never received love from her family or the attention she deserved, maybe because she was a female. Bai Ye Qing's devotion had moved her heart. She finally felt wanted.

His father passed away within a year of their marriage. Yun Qian Meng hadn't been close to the man but knew him to be a hard worker who had single-handedly built the family business. She couldn't deny that she respected him.

After her father-in-law's passing her mother-in-law became a demon. The shouting and abuses from early on in their marriage reappeared. Qian Meng finally understood what an evil in-law was like.

It was no joke.

After a couple of weeks, Bai Ye Qing took charge of the family business. Qian Meng was happy and supported him but the abuses from home became unbearable. Most of the time, she couldn't go to work or keep track of her investments; she was too busy making her husband successful.

One day, Bai Ye Qing came home and announced that they would be moving to a penthouse close to his office. It shook her mother-in-law, but Qian Meng was ecstatic. On the day they moved to the new apartment, she stared at the vastly empty space and decided on how she would decorate it.

This would be her house. She would adorn it as she wished. And she did that. She filled the place with warmth and love.

Another year passed, they tried to have a baby. Bai Ye Qing grew busier every day. She was left in their mammoth apartment, staring at the ceiling, making sure his life was in order. Sometimes she would cry, sometimes she would wonder what she had done wrong to deserve this. She felt wretched. Two years of trying... two years of trying and she didn't conceive.

Those that hated her smirked and told her it was a pity. She didn't say much in return.

She had failed the duty of a good daughter and wife. Yun Sui Bo called her often to remind her. Deals with the Bai family were falling through. She needed to produce an heir to appease Bai Ye Qing. She didn't have the face to say no.

At that point, she had not seen her family for a year. Her father never called her. Her step-mother was happy to be rid of her. Her little step-brother was off to college in a foreign land and never had time away from studying.

She could only do one thing. She signed over shares of her companies to Bai Ye Qing, giving him the majority shareholder position and ensuring that he continued to work closely and to the advantage of the Yun Corporation.

Mo Building Solutions had gained market share rapidly, making the Yun Corporation lag behind. Under the hands of their new chairperson, Mo Qingchen, everything seemed to go about like a dream.

Another year passed. Bai Ye Qing had bought the apartment on the floor under them. He had transformed into his office. He had told Qian Meng that he needed a space of his own.

"Have I not decorated well enough?" she had asked him, showing disappointment.

"It's wonderful," he had said in a soft voice, caressing her face.

Four years into their marriage, she had gone out to buy some food. When she was coming back the security guard handed her a letter.

It was test results from an OBGYN clinic. She scrunched up her brows and saw the name on it. She went back to the apartment and kept the results away, but curiosity was eating at her. Had he been sick recently? As his wife, she had a right to know.

So she quickly tore the envelope open.

Pregnancy test results. Positive. The name of the patient was not hers.

She rushed downstairs, knowing he was in his office. She had never ventured downstairs, knowing that she hated when someone had entered her office without notice.

That time, it was different. She knew the password because he never remembered anything else and kept the same password for everything.

When the door opened, she saw a sight unsightly.

It all fell into place when she walked in on him thrusting into another woman's body, the loud moans leaving the air nauseous. She clutched her stomach as she stumbled back. She had let him use her body the same way he did another, and she felt bile rising in her throat. The little groan she produced made no difference.

They turned to her. There was no surprise. There was relief in Bai Ye Qing's eyes. Like he was relieved that he didn't have to act any longer.

It was disgusting.

"Do you want a picture?" she heard the other woman comment. She fled. She wouldn't let him touch her from that moment onwards. That didn't mean he didn't take it from her however and whenever he deemed her ready to fulfill her wifely duties.

She couldn't go back to her maternal home. None of them cared. They had sold her off so that their company could do better. They hadn't once called and asked her how she was after she got married. When they did, it was usually because they needed something from her.

A desolate and humiliating marriage.

She remained alone.

- - - - -

Qian Meng stood outside the door for a long time. She had not come down to his office since discovering him with his lover.

She wasn't pacing or lifting her hand to knock on the door before dropping her hand in painful indecision. She stared at the flaws in the wood. Blood pounded in her ears and she could feel her face flush and her palms sweat. But she remained very still.

'He won't do anything to you,' she told herself. His demeanor towards her had changed and she had often been scared of him.

She had no idea why he wanted to see her, but apart from taking from her and making her sign on papers after threatening to divorce her. They didn't speak about much else and she was sure that it would be a long time before Bai Ye Qing spoke to her again. She had gotten used to the long weeks of silence in the giant space she had decorated with her own two hands. She didn't feel welcome there anymore.

She hadn't expected to wake up to a note asking her to meet him in his office at a specific time. Nothing else was written on it.

Her life was not supposed to be this way.

Suddenly, she heard it: Bai Ye Qing's voice from behind the door. A single word was uttered to invite her in.

He had known all along that she was standing outside the door but he had not bothered to call her in earlier. Somehow, over the years, he had learned everything about her. He knew exactly which keys to strike to invoke a reaction in her. He saw every move she would make before she made it. Wasn't that how he duped her for so many years?

He knew how things would turn out but he had selfishly ruined her life to get what he wanted.

Everyone wanted to be happy. She had thought neither of them was happy, but now she knew that she had been the only one suffering.

Her fingers brushed along the metal of the round knob lightly, just barely feeling the cold against her skin. She gripped it in her hand, tight and full of confidence, nothing like she was currently feeling. She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

As she stepped in, her eyes instantly met his.

Bai Ye Qing was sitting behind the desk, leaning his elbows on the woo, his fingers twined in front of him. He looked at Qian Meng calmly, his expression completely unreadable.

"Close the door." His voice was quiet but steady. Filled with authority.

The door shut behind her with a click. They were alone and no one would have heard their conversation either way. He still made her lock it because he liked her better when he had her trapped.

The silence stretched between the two of them and she dropped her eyes from his face, staring down at the floor. She waited.

She glanced up when she heard him shift in his chair. He hadn't taken his eyes off her.

"I received a call from Yun Corporation," he said at last, his voice cutting the silence. "Your father passed away three days ago."

She could feel her mouth drop in shock. Of everything she had expected him to say, she had never expected that. She felt pain.

The tears welled up in her eyes and she desperately tried to quell them. She couldn't cry in front of him, even if for her father. Not in front of him. Not for the man who had done everything in his power to undermine her and make sure she lived a life devoid of affection and happiness.

A sob escaped her throat, and she clasped her hand over her mouth to stop it.

Bai Ye Qing's eyes narrowed and he waved his hand, asking her to stop with her theatrics. He had nothing to offer her neither sympathy nor comfort. She wouldn't have accepted them either.

"How did he pass?" she found herself asking. He didn't answer her question.

"I just wanted to inform you that you will be going to the Yun house." He shrugged. "I would have left you a note explaining the situation but I gave you a chance to prepare. I also thought it might have been unkind." He sneered the last word at her. She flinched back, not knowing what else to do.

"I will stay for a couple of days. You can fend for yourself," she said, unable to muster a louder volume. He sighed and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"You misunderstood," he said as he stood up, taking slow steps around the desk to come near her. When he reached her, he folded his arms in front of him.

She took an automatic step back, her shoulder blades brushing against the door behind her.

"I'm going with you," he said, his voice still calm. Her brows furrowed in confusion. She looked for some indication on his face to show that he was joking but there was none.

What?" her voice was louder than a whisper.

"Did you go deaf?" He demanded, his mouth twisting into an unfeeling grimace.

"You can't do this," she hissed. She hated his voice. She hated his intention. There had been nothing wrong with her father, not that she knew of. Now, this man was asking to accompany her to her maiden home. She could guess what he wanted. He wanted everything that she owned, even the Yun Corporation that her father had left for her.

His brows rose slightly and she watched as the corner of his mouth twitched. The beginning of an amused smirk. "I really, really can." He sounded almost entertained. Like he had orchestrated everything.

She couldn't take this. She couldn't stand him. He spoke to her as if her life was a joke. Like she was just a pawn to him and as if he viewed her as a possession and not a person.

But she was a person. Where had her voice gone? Where had her prowess as a businesswoman gone? What had happened to her?

You can't force me," she snapped back at him.

A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.

"You are my wife. You will do exactly as I say." In the years they had been married, this was the first time she saw his real face.

She crushed back the fear she felt. Bai Ye Qing was not the man she knew. No, she remembered that she had never known him.

"Not for much longer," she said, inhaling deeply.

"Look at you, thinking that you can do it," he taunted her.

The anger coursing through her body dissipated any fear she felt. "Why not?" she ground out harshly. "I don't love you. You don't love me. This marriage-" he cut her off.

"What will you do? Where will you go?" He demanded the answers. Without waiting for her, he told her himself. "Your companies are mine, your money is mine. Your father is dead. Your birth mother doesn't care. And your stepfamily would rather you be dead." He snickered.

"I..." she trailed off.

"You have no one." There was finality in Bai Ye Qing's voice.

She had no one. He was right.

She had given up everything for him, cut herself off from everyone, and dedicated every breath to him. He took advantage of her upbringing. He took advantage of the fact that no one really cared about her.

"You're right. I don't love you," he paused. She waited for the blow. "But neither does anyone else."

She felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She tried to brush them away but Bai Ye Qing had seen them. There was pride over victory in his eyes. As if breaking someone who had nothing in life could be considered that.

Everything she had done in her life seemed to lead up to that single moment. She found herself tied to a man she didn't love, trapped in a life she didn't want, unable to leave because she had nowhere to go. If she left him, she would be alone.

In spite of the monster he was, he had become the only thing she still had.

He followed her to her house that day. The lawyers read out the division of inheritance. Despite her father's follies, he left her quite a lot. Bai Ye Qing looked on silently, acting as the ideal man.

When they left the house, she saw the smile on his face. Something crept into a heart... a fear that she couldn't pinpoint. She didn't get much sleep that night.

Soon, her fears came to fruition.

- - - - -

"We will finally get married. I will get rid of you," the other woman sneered, her teeth showing. She was the one who wrote Qian Meng's fake suicide letter. Bai Ye Qing injected something into her veins.

Her consciousness slowly seeped out of her body.

She was twenty-nine. She had given her life for someone so inconsequential. It angered her.

It burned inside her soul with a fiery passion.

"Goodbye, Meng'er."

As she took her last breath, she uttered a silent vow.

She would get her revenge.

As her consciousness slipped out of her body, she felt a new sensation overtake her. It was like nothing she had experienced. It felt like she had been submerged underwater: everything looked distorted, she could hear nothing, feel nothing, but she was acutely aware of her surroundings. No sound escaped her mouth when she tried to speak. Slowly, she didn't even feel the need to breathe. She didn't need air.

Most astonishing was seeing her body lying on the sofa as her spirit hovered over it. Despite the flames of rage licking at her soul, she felt no compulsion to re-enter her body.