CRYSTAL CITY

Ize smiled faintly after finalizing the share transfer. Knowing her husband's company was suffering a huge setback, on the brink of bankruptcy, she decided to transfer her shares to him.

People may call it foolish, right? But for Ize, it was love. There is nothing one cannot do for love. She strongly believed that.

"Thank you, Bryan. I am going to save my husband's company because you helped me," Ize muttered sweetly before standing up to leave.

"It's nothing, Ize," Bryan muttered, stretching his hand forward for a handshake.

Even though they were once lovers, that didn't make things awkward between them.

She took his hand, smiling brightly. She let go of his hand after a while before leaving his office.

She got into her car and drove off. Listening to music, she muttered her favorite line, 'I will do anything for love. For you, baby.'

It was a silent ride back home, but for Ize, it was the most amazing ride, looking forward to breaking the news to her husband.

Arriving at the magnificent building that stood out amongst others, she pulled over, got out of her car, and hurried inside.

A few steps closer to the bedroom, her steps faltered upon hearing strange noises from the bedroom. It can't be what she is thinking, right?

She trusts Anders. He is different from those typical men who cheat and still act like they care about their wife.

Ize snapped out of her thoughts. She pushed the door open before entering the bedroom, her heart shattering into pieces at the sight that greeted her.

It was her husband and her best friend, Cytilate. They were making out, deeply engaged in the act that they didn't notice her presence.

"How could you, Anders? So you have been cheating on me?" She asked, finally pulling herself together.

She held back her tears, refusing to cry.

"And so?"

His response made her eyes widen in awe. How could he react shamelessly? Like what he did was nothing?

Anders pulled away from Cytilate and started fitting himself into his trousers. He walked up to her, staring annoyingly at her when it should have been the reverse.

"Anders, I trusted you! I gave—"

"Stop being dramatic, Ize!" Anders snapped her out of her thoughts. "You think I would want to settle for less? The only thing you know how to do is flaunt your parents' wealth. If not, what else do you offer me in this marriage?" His words slapped her with the harsh truth. As if that wasn't enough, he continued. "I am tired of you! You can't give me good homemade food, neither do you take me to cloud nine in bed."

"But Cytilate always offers me that. I wonder why I didn't meet her first."

Tears poured down Ize's eyes, wondering why she didn't see the real Anders behind those sweet acts. Where is that loving Anders who said she was enough? She was all he needed?

"If she offers you all that, then why are you still with me? Uh?" Ize asked, more tears streaming down.

"Anders, why are you not telling her the truth?" Cytilate, who Ize forgot was present in the room, muttered, climbing down the bed, her skin covered with sweat, reeking of sex. "Your husband's company is going bankrupt, but you couldn't help. Even with your inability to give him a child, you still couldn't help him financially," Cytilate paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle on Ize.

"What—"

"Since you can't give your husband what he wanted, we came to a conclusion," Cytilate paused, successfully making Ize swallow her words, her gaze fixed on Anders who gave her the go-ahead permission. "We are going to kill you and use your insurance money, which sums up to a million dollars, to save Anders' company."

"Anders, tell me the truth! Cytilate is joking, right? This bitch—"

She couldn't complete her statement when a resounding slap hit her cheeks, silencing her.

"Shut that trap of yours! You have no right to call my woman a bitch when you are the real bitch who threw herself on me! You should be thankful I didn't intend to make you go through the most painful death," Anders voiced out, confirming Cytilate's words were true.

Without waiting for Ize to prepare herself for what is to come, Cytilate closed the gap, stabbing Ize with the knife they had already prepared—shining with a sharp edge.

Blood gushed out the moment the knife found its way into Ize's body. More blood flowed down her dress, her head aching, her legs failing to carry the weight of her body.

She fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face, the metallic smell of her own blood filling her nostrils. So, this was going to be the end for her? Her best friend claiming her husband after stabbing her to death?

"Don't worry. We are going to go with a new plan. I already called the police." Even though Ize was dying slowly, she could hear Cytilate's voice. "Ize committed suicide because her husband divorced her after finding out she is a cheat!" Cytilate laughed at the perfect wording. A perfect headline, she thought.

Ize felt hopeless, life squeezing fast out of her frail body in her own pool of blood. So this is how she was going to die, getting branded as a cheat?

Weak and unable to move any part of her body, the only thing she could do was mutter inward; 'No. I am not a cheat! It is the reverse!'