What Is a Moon Without a Star?

On the day Fiona Starr and Mark Zimmer tied the knot, his childhood friend jumped off the Starr family's thirty-story apartment and was reduced to pieces. The wedding wasn't called off, but in the ensuing three years, Mark's poker face became even more creepy, even though he would do everything Fiona asked. Then, when Fiona was three months pregnant, she was told that her father had gone missing. But instead of taking her to file a police report, Mark took her up the peak of the mountain, where Fiona saw her father. His whole body was swollen and bleeding everywhere, and he was barely alive as he lay on the ground. There were puddles of his blood everywhere, after someone tied him to a car trunk and dragged him up along the mountain road. That was when Mark gave Fiona the same treatment, even though she was pregnant with his child. As his car dragged her up and down the mountain, her legs were reduced to bloody stumps, but she didn't die there. So she locked her up in a basement in the company of rats that nibbled and devoured her legs. She despaired, her mind breaking until she eventually stopped breathing too… But she opened her eyes again and found herself returning to the day before she married Mark, whom everyone called the Starr family's live-in son-in-law. Smiling through her tears, she told herself that she wouldn't choose him again in this life. Chapter 1 In the bathroom, Mark Zimmer was pinching Fiona Starr's waist and quickly left her fair skin reddened. Seeing no reaction from her, he moved on top of her, biting her shoulder, his sharp canines breaking skin and soon drawing blood. Fiona jerked awake from the abrupt pain and shoved him away forcefully when she saw who it was. Caught off guard, Mark was sent slamming into the wall behind, his eyes flashing viciously when he looked up. It only lasted for a brief second, but Fiona still shuddered in fear. That was when he growled, "I've done as you said. Don't bother me for the next two weeks." Fiona's eyes widened in disbelief at the topless man—his voice remained familiar, but it was also strangely youthful. She looked around and realized that it was not a dark basement infested with bugs and rats! She quickly raised her hands as she remembered, her tears gushing when she saw that all her fingers were intact. Mark could see what she was doing and frowned in confusion, not to mention that he was still worried since she wasn't responding. Keeping a straight look, he put his long fingers on her nape, but she cringed as if afraid and pushed him away again. His patience at its limits, he scoffed, "You're the one who wanted to do it, and then you're pushing me away? What on earth do you want?" "Get out!" she snapped, doing her best not to let her voice crack. Mark's brow creased in surprise, staring at her wet shirt and shuddering form. Still, his phone was ringing the next instant, and a voice was yelling over the other end, "Mark! Get over here—Sue's in trouble!" Mark was out of the bathroom in a split second, not even stopping to close the door. Fiona watched as he left, unable to keep standing anymore. Dropping to the floor, she sat and wept, her tears covering her cheeks—never could she have expected that she had returned to the day before she married Mark. - Mark was taken into the Starr Household at fourteen. Fiona's father Norman Starr had a charitable heart, and always sponsored kids with good grades. He didn't spare any expense and would give them the best he could afford. However, there were those who would claim that he was grooming them, eventually choosing the best of them to be his future son-in-law since he didn't have a son. There was no question that Mark was the most successful and smartest of the children, and the one whom Fiona fell in love with. She chased him like stars chasing the moon, but it was hopeless. Since their youth, Fiona kept wooing him year after year, and he would reject her on every occasion, never once caving even though she was the daughter of his sponsor. That was until he suddenly proposed to her. Fiona agreed to it without hesitation. Her mind was at once consumed by bliss, and she presumed that her affection had finally warmed his heart. But on the day of their wedding, they were told that Sue Levine—Mark's childhood friend—had jumped off her family's thirty-story apartment, ending up in pieces. And the ring that should've been put on Fiona's finger fell off, rolling off the floor to who knows where. But the wedding was never called off, and in the ensuing three years, Mark would do everything Fiona asked. The wedding wasn't called off, but in the ensuing three years, Mark's poker face became even more creepy, even though he would do everything Fiona asked him to. Then, when Fiona was three months pregnant, she was told that her father had gone missing. But instead of taking her to file a police report, Mark took her up the peak of the mountain… where Fiona saw her father. His whole body was swollen and bleeding everywhere, and he was barely alive as he lay on the ground. There were puddles of his blood everywhere, after someone tied him to a car trunk and dragged him up along the mountain road. That was when Mark gave Fiona the same treatment, even though she was pregnant with his child. As his car dragged her up and down the mountain repeatedly, she bled from her crotch, both her legs covered in blood. The pain was unbearable—she couldn't stand, while the searing sun kept her from even opening her eyes… Suddenly, Fiona lifted her hand from her chest, gasping for air, her tears gushing even as she laughed, "This time, I'm not choosing Mark Zimmer." Chapter 2 As Fiona shambled out of the bathroom, her pale face made her look just like was terribly sick. She then heard a loud humming and was surprised to see that Mark had left his backup phone. Picking it up from the couch, she swiped it and was left staring at a passcode panel. She didn't hesitate and typed Sue's birthday, which surprisingly unlocked the phone. There were over ninety-nine notifications coming from a chat group, and Fiona recognized each of the thirtyish members in it—they were all elites whom her father had sponsored, labeled by everyone else as her sponsored suitors. Swiping through it, she found out that Mark had rushed out because someone was molesting Sue at the hotel where she worked part-time. Someone had a photo and even uploaded it to the work chat group by mistake. Still, Fiona kept swiping upward when she noticed a certain sticker made from her own face with distorted facial features to make her look monstrous. And the sender was Noris, who was always hovering around Mark. [Guys, don't you think it was Fiona?] [No way! She doesn't even know that Mark had used her father's position to get Sue a job.] [Actually, you never know. Y'all know how obsessed she is with Mark. Who knows, she might have people watching and found out about Sue. I mean, who else would hate Sue so much and want to humiliate her? Doesn't Fiona see that it's going too far for a fellow woman?] [The way I see it, it definitely was Fiona! Both she and her father are so full of themselves just because they're rich. What, do they think the world is theirs? How deluded are they, grooming us to be her suitors? Bleh, dream on! Not even a mongrel would want her!] [Hahaha…] As Fiona kept reading, shaking with rage as she stood, she discovered that the sponsored suitors had made many other stickers out of her or her father's faces. When they were younger, they were all going to starve to death, if not die from illness—survival was questionable for them without her father's sponsorship. And yet, here they were, mocking and slandering her without evidence, as if she was not a woman just like Sue. Never could she have expected Mark to throw all caution to the wind for Sue's sake, even having the balls to keep Sue right under her nose. Just thinking about his name left her feeling like she was being repeatedly stabbed with a blunt knife—it didn't kill, but each stab left her with utter agony! That was when her father called her—he was busy with a project abroad and couldn't make it home. As Fiona quietly wiped the tears away from her eyes, she vowed to herself that it was the last time she would cry over Mark. "What's wrong? Who hurt you?" her father's familiar voice asked over the phone. Just hearing his voice left Fiona firmly biting her own lip, as she seemed to see the way her father bled from head to toe—a well-dressed man reduced to a bloody pulp because of Mark's torture. Still, there was no hiding her pain from her father despite her silence, and she took a breath to calm down before speaking. "It's fine, Dad… the wedding will go on as scheduled, but I'll be marrying Yves Warren instead of Mark." "What? Yves?!" Norman exclaimed in shock on the other end. "I thought he left his family to volunteer as a Doctor Without Borders. Why would you suddenly want to marry him?" "Just trust me on this," Fiona replied, looking downward at Mark's phone screen where more insulting messages were popping up. "I know what I'm doing… Also, I'll start work at the headquarters." Though Norman had no idea what Fiona was planning, he had always loved his only daughter. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent a king's ransom grooming Mark, giving the latter special treatment and privileges he didn't afford the other sponsored suitors. And it was all because Fiona liked Mark. Still, Norman didn't dwell on it and sighed. "Just do whatever you want. Even if it's the wrong call, I'll see through it to the end with you!" Fiona's vision was clouded with tears even as she took another deep breath, sniffling as she said, "Yeah." As she hung up, another message popped up in the chat group—this time from Mark. [If it really was her, I'll make her suffer!] Chapter 3 Caught in a flood of memories, Fiona kept her eyes glued to Mark's backup phone screen even after it darkened. It was really hard to reach his heart—he never laughed, barely talked, and only sat in a quiet corner all day, reading books. The first time she celebrated his birthday, he didn't even look surprised, instead knocked the cake she had baked off her hands and threw away her present. "No one asked for it," he snorted, and left. Even so, she stayed by the cake and cried for the longest time—not just because of Mark's cold rejection, but because she knew her father would get upset with Mark if she went home crying. Still, after everyone went to bed very late into the night, Mark showed up again, quietly cheering her up with his little hand sewn dolls. Putting up a puppet show, he told her indirectly that because his parents had died in an accident on the same day, he had never celebrated his birthday ever since. Since then, Fiona learned that Mark wasn't cold—he just needed time to warm up to anyone. She just had to take her time to slowly overcome those obstacles in his heart, convincing him to trust her and fall for her. Never could she have expected that doing that would cost her everything. - Mark only found out that Fiona was starting work when he saw her at the office and was at once frowning. "Do you think this is a playground?" He snorted, clearly convinced that she was just a pretty face when she clearly wasn't. On the other hand, Fiona never looked at him at all, as her eyes remained fixed on his 'assistant'. Eventually, Mark turned toward her as well, twitching uncomfortably but only for a brief second. "A new employee?" Fiona eventually asked. "She's just an intern. You can go home now if you have no other business here," Mark replied shortly. Fiona snorted—he really couldn't wait to chase her away to protect the woman behind him. Still, she asked, "Why should I leave? The Starr family owns this company." Mark glowered right then, and Fiona knew she had hurt his swelling ego with her words. Labels like 'sponsored suitors' or 'one of Fiona Starr's husband candidates' were always a sore spot for him—he had already accomplished his own achievements, but all of it remained eclipsed under the Starr family's fame. However, hurting Mark was exactly what Fiona wanted to do, not to mention that wasn't even a fraction of how much he had hurt her in her past life! As Fiona turned, seemingly leaving, Sue was already reaching out, ready to pat Mark on the back. That was when Fiona turned around again, and Sue's hands were left hanging in the air. Even so, Fiona kept staring at her calmly, leaving her instantly pale and flustered in guilt, until Mark passed her a document folder and said, "You can go." Fiona felt as if a hand clenched around her heart. Mark's tone was so tender that even he probably didn't notice—it just went to show how protective he was toward Sue. Then why didn't he just reject Fiona for Sue, even going on to marry Fiona? It definitely wasn't the Starr family's fault that Sue killed herself, but ironically, Mark blamed Fiona and her father anyway. Soon after Sue left, Mark's phone jingled. Fiona was going to leave too when she felt a vice-like grip around her waist abruptly and frowned. When she turned, she cringed and shuddered when she saw Mark's sinister glare. It was as if he had shed his skin and revealed his true malicious nature, just as he did in her past life! Shoving his phone at her face, he growled, "Did you do this?" Fiona couldn't free herself and eventually gave in and looked at the phone and saw that it was the photo of Sue being molested. Seeing how calm she was, Mark immediately made up his mind that she was guilty, not bothered to listen to what she had to say. His hand clenched so hard around Fiona's wrist. Her tears welled up in her eyes, while the corner of her eyes reddened, but she gritted her teeth and fought against the impulse to cry out. Because she refused to cry for Mark ever again. "It! Wasn't! Me!" She snarled every syllable through her teeth! Chapter 4 Fiona then snapped, " Let go of me!" Mark released her, but she was left staring at her reddened wrist that felt so numb it was as if it wasn't hers. At the same time, Mark growled coolly above her, "It was your college friend who took that photo… how many times does this make it? Are you so jealous that you can't even stand a female around me?! "I told you—if you want me to marry you, leave me alone for two months, or dream on!" With that, he heard Sue sobbing outside and promptly knocked Fiona out of the way, storming out without looking behind. Fiona was wearing high heels and sprained her leg, and she turned to see the door opening. Sue crouched in a corner and sobbed loudly while three men were hovering around her, comforting her. The men were Noris, Boris, and Yannick, whose education and lifestyles were sponsored by her father. But as soon as they saw Fiona, they immediately surrounded Sue protectively, leaving Fiona smirking in wry amusement at how they didn't hesitate to take Sue's side. Considering how Mark quickly took control over everything, the trio must have helped a lot. As the stalemate lasted for a while, Yannick strode up to make peace. "She's like a sister to us. Mark knows how hard life has been for her, so he bent the rules to get her a job here. Blame me if you want, but don't get upset with Mark." "Sister?" Fiona smirked, refusing to play along. "Is Mark really that understanding?" She started to leave but felt her swollen wrist being grabbed again. She gasped in pain, and Mark eased his grip but still held on to her. "You haven't apologized." Fiona felt her heart grow cold, but she ignored her pain and shook him off with full strength. Straightening herself, she glared at everyone as she snapped, "Why should I apologize?! I never did a thing!" Sue quickly whispered, "I-It's alright, Mark." And with that, Fiona left unbothered this time, with Mark's eyes still glued to her. When she was out of sight, Noris couldn't help snorting, "What is her problem? Woke up on the wrong side of bed? She's never snapped at Mark like that before!" "Probably just some new tactic she read somewhere to get Mark's attention," Boris chuckled, walking up and clapping Mark on the shoulder. "Watch out. Don't fall for it now!" Mark nodded in understanding, as he was puzzled for a moment too. As he walked up and wrapped his arms around Sue's waist, Noris, Boris, and Yannick all tactfully left. "Do you really have to marry her?" she asked, still sobbing. It broke Mark's heart to see that, but he sighed. "I have no choice. Fiona loved him, and he owed the Starr family and had to work for them for the rest of his life. Sue sobbed even louder right then, as she refused to accept it—how could her beloved man marry someone else?! "You don't even love her!" she wailed. "You're just hurting yourself being with her! They don't get to do anything they like just because they're rich!" Mark never answered and quietly held her tighter as he kissed her hair. "Just wait for me!" Neither of them noticed that Fiona was hidden in a corner, recording everything and sneering as she turned off the screen. It went without saying what Mark was waiting for, but she refused to let him win in this life! Chapter 5 The company's annual general meeting was held a week after Fiona started work. Noris, Boris, and Yannick were already there when she arrived, and they flocked around her when they saw her. Noris, who had always lacked patience, immediately demanded, "Mark's already told you—just leave him alone for two weeks, and he'll marry you. Why do you have to keep following him around even in the office?" Boris was frowning at her too. "You were never involved with office work, but you keep screwing with him at every turn now. But we all know you just want his attention, or am I wrong?" Fiona scowled, not even looking at them as she retorted, "I'm not here because of him. And I'm not going to marry—" "Oh, just give up already," Noris snorted, cutting her short. "Do you think we don't know you? You're so crazy about Mark that you're literally losing your mind!" Fiona simply shrugged, pushed Noris out of the way, and strode off, not bothered to explain that she had already chosen a new fiance. However, that meant she didn't see them sharing a look behind her. - The annual general meeting proceeded as planned, but just as Fiona was about to give the closing speech in her father's stead, the screen suddenly turned black for a couple of seconds. When it lit up again, the hall was buzzing even before Fiona realized what was happening. When she finally turned toward the screen, she felt a rush of blood to her brain, speechless even as she shook with rage—the slideshow that should have been on the screen was replaced by racy photos of her! Fiona's assistant rushed on stage and snapped at the backstage workers, "Turn it off!" However, the screen stayed on, playing ninety-nine photos in front of everyone in the company on loop. Her lips trembling, Fiona turned toward Mark, who calmly returned her gaze from below the stage, in the middle of the buzzing crowd. She then remembered the last message he had sent in that chat group used solely to insult her and her father. [If it really was her, I'll make her suffer!] And this was how he did just that… - In the last life, when Fiona learned that Mark preferred delicate maidens, she tried to make herself one. Whenever they went out, she would wear stilettos that left her soles blistered, after which she would level her adorable puppy eyes at Mark, asking him to carry her. He would refuse but eventually sigh and pick her up since she was really in pain. Still, as she kept using the trick, he caught on and would bring sandals with flat soles along whenever they went out. Fiona therefore had no choice but to play her trump card—those racy photos of herself which she had saved in his phone, in an album titled [For Mark's eyes only]. And yet, he would exploit what she did out of maidenly naivete just to humiliate her. Her ears ringing, her knuckles clenched around her chair as she picked it up and smashed it against the LED screen repeatedly. Crash! After smashing it repeatedly, she finally left a deep hole in the screen as it completely darkened. However, it was no different from a gruesome hole punched into her flesh, so deeply that one could see bone. - Still, no one commented about what happened at the annual general meeting on social media, while Mark bizarrely showed up in front of Fiona the next day. Passing her a rose, he said, "Don't worry. No employee will breathe a word about what happened." "Breathe a word to who? My father?" Fiona snorted. He had basically destroyed her, and he was telling her not to worry? Moreover, most of the employees in this building were under Mark's payroll. Her father was busy working on a project abroad, not knowing that Mark was almost taking full control over his own company! Mark glowered, looking Fiona straight in the eye as he growled, "You hurt Sue first. She's… a sister to me, and the most important person in my life. If you want to marry me, you have to behave and respect everyone around me." "But I don't want to marry you," Fiona calmly replied, but he had already turned to leave. It was not as if he would take her seriously if he had heard her anyway. Chapter 6 Fiona had called the police, and every suspect including Sue was taken to the precinct to assist with the investigation. While Fiona stayed in her office and waited for the police report, the door was opened violently. She sneered as she watched Noris stride up to her desk fearlessly and throw a mediation agreement at her. "Mark doesn't want to see you, so he sent me," he said with a snort, but he was left watching as Fiona laughed coolly despite the document. He shoved it in front of her, staring at her from head to toe pointedly as he scoffed, "Do you know what kind of women men like us hate the most? Women who get clingy! So know your place and let Mark have his two weeks of privacy, or else…" He suddenly sprang to his feet, rolling up his sleeves as he growled, "He won't even look at you twice after you get married! Don't say I didn't warn you!" With that, he left, not before noticing the single rose on Fiona's desk and snorting in amusement. Through it all, he was no different from a clown in Fiona's eyes. She wasn't going to marry Mark, so she couldn't care less about Noris' opinion. It went without saying that Noris would never believe that. And he had been a sycophant since he was a child, worshiping Mark like he was a god since they were kids. Mark didn't fear the Starr family, so he also mindlessly emulated that too, somehow forgetting that he and Boris would be dead if not for the Starr family's intervention! Fiona glanced at the mediation agreement on her desk and clenched her knuckles. She was not giving in! - Fiona was just hanging up when her assistant entered, sighing. "Did you hear, Ms. Starr? Some bigshot must be chasing after Mark's assistant—they sent a ton of roses, and there were so many that her desk couldn't hold everything." Then, noticing the rose on Fiona's desk, she pointed, "Oh, the roses look like just one too! Do you like it, Ms. Starr? I could order a bouquet to liven up this place…" Fiona swept the rose off her desk without hesitation and calmly said, "No. I hate roses." Soon, it was lunch hour, but she kept working. She graduated from a prestigious university with scores as good as Mark's and had only stayed at home to take care of him, only for him to treat her like an ignorant housewife. It was true that she was ignorant about certain matters—like blindly falling for Mark—but that didn't mean she was incompetent. She went out to the pantry for some coffee, only to find Sue standing at the doorway, and she didn't appear surprised to see her. As Mark and his cronies were not around, Sue's usually tearful eyes were glaring sharply and jealously at Fiona as she sneered. "Ms. Starr… You have a good family and good looks, so you have any man you want—why do you insist on taking Mark from me?" Seeing that she wasn't playing the delicate maiden, Fiona simply stayed silent. Seeing that, Sue moved closer while she kept looking around. "I was raised at an orphanage, until Mark came after his parents died. He isn't just handsome… He's smart and sharp, and even though he didn't like to talk, I was the only one who befriended him." Pausing, Sue's eyes flashed viciously as she bellowed, "But your father took him away from me! Then, when I finally managed to get him back, you took him away from me again! I'll never let that happen—you're just born lucky, loser! You have no right!" As she finished, she suddenly snatched Fiona's coffee out of her hands and splashed it on her face. As she screamed, Mark promptly came running, completely ignoring Fiona as he scooped Sue up in his arms. "What happened?!" "My face! It hurts so much!" He quickly took her to the washroom, frantically checking her face. Meanwhile, Fiona was just caught stunned for a moment, but she soon calmed down and threw the cup that Sue touched into the trash can. As she turned, she found Mark standing there, glaring darkly at her. She met his glare without flinching and scoffed, "What, do you want revenge? Just so you know, if I wanted to hurt her, it wouldn't just be a tiny cup of coffee." Chapter 7 The day after, Mark moved out of Starr Manor and blocked Fiona's number. Noris, Boris, and Yannick all followed suit, leaving the butler approaching Fiona in confusion when she returned. "Ms. Starr… should we tell Mr. Starr?" Fiona twirled her champagne flute and snorted. "Nope. They'll all be gone eventually anyway—they've saved us the trouble by taking out their own rubbish." Seeing that the butler remained uncertain, she smiled but said nothing. "Just pack up whatever personal effects they've left behind and send it to them… If they'd give you their address, that is." The butler nodded, but he kept staring at Fiona, who looked like a completely different person now, clearly having more to say. Eventually, he gave in just as he started to leave. "Alcohol is always bad for your health, Ms. Starr, and you've been drinking a lot." Fiona stayed silent, only shedding tears after the butler gently closed her bedroom door. She certainly knew that alcohol was bad, but she was hurting so much—for herself, and for her unborn child. After Sue died, he had abused her sexually every single day as if to vent all his frustrations, not caring how much she was hurting and leaving as soon as he blew his load. She had no idea where his resentment came from and kept bearing with it, bearing with the fiery pain to get out of bed and get painkillers. When she got pregnant, she was filled with hope as she looked forward to giving birth, only for Mark to destroy everything for her. She didn't die on that mountain exactly because he wanted her to survive, so that he could lock him in that basement with rats and bugs. Eventually, the rats got too hungry and started eating her from her toes, and she was left in despair up until the moment she drew her last breath… - That night, she worked overtime again. After washing up, she lay in bed, exhausted and not noticing that the manor was strangely quiet. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the basement, and the almost familiar darkness was no different from a pair of hands strangling her. Her eyes widened, and she shuddered as she curled up. A dark figure then emerged from a corner—it was a homeless bum who stank from head to toe. Seeing that she was awake, he shoved a pill down her throat with his dirt-covered fingers. Fiona flailed helplessly, her tears gushing in fear. She tried to puke it out, only for the bum to slap her viciously across the face. "Don't you dare! It's the good shit—you'll feel so good that you could die!" He started groping her all over, and Fiona couldn't fight back as she was quickly turning limp. Soon, he left her toplesss, his bloodshot eyes wide with crazed excitement. Then, he smiled greedily as he looked at her crotch and started reaching there… Even as Fiona despaired, someone yelled her name, and she felt herself lifted to the air. Mark had come running, his forehead covered in sweat. His eyes were red when he saw what had happened, and he started punching the bum viciously in the face and kept doing it until the bum was almost dead and coughing blood. Unable to quell his rage that threatened to burn him to ashes, he got up, not bothering to look at the bum again as he took off his jacket and covered Fiona. He then scooped her up in his arms, his warmth easing the coldness she felt. She pressed herself against his chest before she knew it, her tears unstoppable and quickly leaving his shirt wet. Her sobs seemed to echo in Mark's ears, leaving him feeling like he was punched in the gut… - Later, when Fiona jerked awake, she felt restlessly hot all over and couldn't help pressing her thighs together. She heard voices outside and fought against her discomfort to get out of bed. She soon heard Noris snapping, "What's your problem, Mark?! We agreed to get revenge for Sue's sake! I paid that bum so much, only for you to save that bitch?!" Those words spoken behind a wall struck Fiona like a club to the head! Chapter 8 "Exactly!" Yannick echoed just then. "Even I have trouble keeping up with what you're thinking here. You're the one who said that splashing Fiona in the face wouldn't take her down a peg, and that we need to seriously crush his pride so that she would show some respect!" "Exactly." Noris nodded. "It's just a staged act, and we weren't really going to hurt her, but you had to stop it at the very last moment! Didn't you see how scared she was on the cameras? I was almost dying from laughter!" Boris sighed just then. "Mark, don't tell me you're regretting this? You care about Fiona now? Did you forget what she did to Sue?" Mark leaned against the wall, flicking ash off his cigarette as he narrowed his eyes darkly. "I regret nothing, and I'd never care about Fiona Starr. I just think we shouldn't go too far—the geezer is abroad, not dead." Noris blew a raspberry. "What are you worried about? His phone's dead—he's completely out of reach." Behind the door, Fiona clenched her knuckles and shuddered as she did her best to calm down. She reached for her phone and called her father, but there was no response! Never could she have expected that Mark would go that far for Sue's sake! Mark simply understood Fiona and her temper too well, but he used that understanding like a blade, stabbing her in the heart! Her legs trembling, she heard footsteps approaching and quickly returned to bed and played dead. The door opened audibly, but only Mark entered. He sat on the edge of her bed, listening to her rhythmic breaths and staring at her sickly pale face with a look of mixed emotions. Eventually, he sighed. "You can't blame me for this. You hurt Sue first—just stay away from her, and I can give you everything you ever wanted." He soon left, and Fiona opened her eyes. Everything she ever wanted? Would he and his cronies die if she asked?! She quickly rushed to the bathroom for a cold shower and only stepped out hours later, shuddering as she made a call. "We're going to need some time, Ms. Starr…" "Just reach him soon!" she snapped. She was keeping her eyes closed, her lips eerily purple from the cold, even as her resentment grew rapidly like a fertilized plant. - Later, Fiona decided to work from home for the day, and Mark arrived to see her looking serious. He had never seen her like that—she was always trying to be cute, unable to do a thing and was always asking for his help, even when it came to opening water bottles. He frowned, different thoughts weighing down on his mind as he really couldn't understand Fiona now. As for Fiona, she had heard him enter for a while, but it wasn't until a while later when she finally looked up at him coolly. "What?" Mark did a double take, but soon recovered and said quietly. "The cops have arrested that homeless bum. Just leave the rest to me—don't worry." Don't worry? Fiona could laugh right then, but she still replied flatly, "Yeah." More time passed, but Mark still wasn't leaving. Still, he spoke before she could, "It's going to be your birthday in a couple of days. I've had my assistant book a place and send out invites…" Just as he finished, his phone rang, and he didn't hesitate to answer when he saw who it was, while hurrying outside without closing the door. Fiona had seen him leave so many times throughout the years, but she had never noticed that she no longer felt disappointment. But that was just how things were when one gave up on a person—it just happened without warning. The day before the party, she had a meeting with a client. She went to her wardrobe to look for a dress and a matching set of jewelry that her father had recently sent her from abroad, only to find that everything had gone messing. She had to change into another dress and went to the hotel with her assistant where they were supposed to meet the client. However, they never showed up, just as Fiona overheard several waitresses gossiping. "Hey, so who's birthday are they celebrating in the banquet hall? It's quite the big deal—you can see rows upon rows of luxury cars parked outside!" "I have no idea. But I'm guessing one of the shareholder's daughters? I heard that she celebrates her birthday every year." "It's just so frustrating. Some people are really born rich, unlike the rest of us!" "Oh, don't even start. Do you know how stingy they are? I heard that they're going to celebrate another birthday tomorrow in the same hall as well, so all the decorations are to stay as is, while any leftover food will be kept for tomorrow too! Aren't they supposed to be rich? How could they be so stingy?" Tomorrow? That was Fiona's birthday, and the banquet hall was supposed to be kept closed until tomorrow. She didn't call for her assistant as she started toward the banquet hall. To no surprise, it was already crowded, with Noris, Boris and Yannick dressed sharply in suits and greeting the guests. Most of the guests were former partners and big shots in Jampton too… The bell rang, and a grinning Noris ran up stage to play emcee, announcing the grand entrance of Sue Levine, whose birthday they were celebrating. As everyone looked up, she appeared by the stairs, slowly descending while hugging Mark's arm. And she was wearing the dress and jewelry that Fiona's father had bought for her! At that very moment, Fiona felt her blood rushing up to her brain. Chapter 9 Even as Fiona stood by the door, more guests were hurrying inside the banquet hall. "That's strange—who's that woman? Who is she to Mr. Zimmer that we're all invited to her birthday party?" "Who cares? Norman has no sons and only one daughter. And we all know said daughter is hopelessly in love with Mr. Zimmer. He'll take over the company before long—or what, are we supposed to suck up to Fiona Starr instead of him?" "True, but do you think Fiona knows about this party?" "Hah! So what if she does? She's been chasing after Mr. Zimmer for too long that she'd disembowel herself if he so much as frowns. Look to the future—the Starr family is no more! Just look at what that woman is wearing—Mr. Zimmer has spared no expense on her at all!" Fiona frowned as she listened to the insolent talk and noticed that even the client who she was supposed to meet had joined the crowd too. She was furious, but she was not about to make her family a laughing stock. Still, she quietly went upstairs without anyone noticing. She waited, intent on interrogating Mark when he came upstairs, but only for Sue to show up instead, smiling smugly and fearlessly as she planted herself on the couch. Fiona glared at her coolly for a moment but simply whipped out her phone and used it instead. Sue had expected Fiona to attack her physically and was disappointed for a second that she didn't. As such, she started to take off all of Fiona's jewelry and threw it in front of Fiona, gloating. "All I had to do was ask, and Mark sent me all these clothes and jewelry. Here you go, since you've come all this way to get them back! "And by the way, how was that homeless bum? Did you like him? I mean, I can get you someone more exciting if you like… such a shame I couldn't be there to see it when it happened. Mark was just going to lock you up in the basement, so I had to pay off that bum to screw you. I mean, you're hot—it would be a shame for him if he didn't, right?" Fiona stiffened, her eyes narrowing darkly as she clenched her knuckles. "You're really crazy for Mark Zimmer, aren't you?" She should've known—Sue was a complete nutjob, considering how she had killed herself on the day Fiona married Mark in her past life. Sue giggled in turn, clearly not offended at all. "Oh, but I can go even crazier, Ms. Starr. In fact, I'll show you right now, so your response had better not be disappointing!" Fiona frowned, but before she realized what was happening, Sue had pulled out a pair of scissors and cut herself. Even as Sue bled rapidly all over Fiona's tailored dress, she didn't hesitate to run and straddle on the handrail! As Fiona's eyes widened in shock, she ran toward Sue to pull her back, only for Sue to push her away and fall. "Sue!!!" Mark was yelling as he saw what happened and came running, with Noris, Boris, and Yannick right behind him. And when Mark scooped her up in his arms, he suddenly looked up, glaring at Fiona murderously and sending her stumbling backward. It was the same anguish and despair she had felt before! Still, Mark didn't pause to ask questions as he rushed outside with Sue still in his arms. - The next day, during Fiona's actual birthday party, Mark, Noris, Boris, and Yannick never showed up. And since they didn't, the business partners whom they were close with didn't show up either, only sending some subordinates to bring Fiona presents. Even the others whom Fiona's father sponsored only stopped by briefly before bailing, leaving the banquet hall laughably empty. That was not the worst, as Fiona's assistant suddenly came running to her, yelling, "Ms. Starr! We have a problem—quick, check your phone!" Fiona quickly did so and soon saw videos and photos of that homeless bum assaulting her plastered all over the internet. Her phone dropped from her grasp with an audible thud, while her cheeks were drained of all color. And that was when the doors were kicked open, with countless journalists swarming toward her, their blinding camera flashes seemingly stripping her naked and bringing her back to that dark moment. "Ms. Starr! As a victim of such a scandal, how were you able to recover?" "Ms. Starr! No offense, but do you think Mr. Zimmer will still marry you?" "Ms. Starr! You're supposed to marry Mr. Zimmer soon, but after what happened, is your father going to force him to marry you anyway? Isn't that basically blackmail?" "Ms. Starr, please respond!" "Yeah, say something!" They cornered Fiona and shoved their mics at her face, hungry like a demon. All she could see just then was the memory of her father dying horribly, while she was dragged up and down a mountain road repeatedly while pregnant… until all that was left of her legs were bloody stumps. But just as Fiona was about to step, a strong arm pulled her firmly to safety, and she felt her face pressed against a muscular chest while the man hid her distraught face. At the same time, Yves Warren's voice boomed, "I'm afraid there's been a mistake here—Fiona isn't marrying Mark Zimmer. She's marrying me!"