Chapter 1
“Is this your 90th demand?” I asked.
He scoffed. “You’re such a doormat anyway. Perfect for entertaining Serena.”
I insisted, “Is it the 90th demand?”
He grew impatient. “Fine, I’ll combine it with the 91st. After you finish the three laps, go fish out my son’s toy from the lake.”
I didn’t hesitate. I just left to run.
All because I’d promised to do a hundred things for him, to repay his kindness. Once the debt was settled, I could finally leave.
One.
It took me five agonizing days to complete the three laps.
Without wasting a second, I rushed to Alex’s mansion, and amidst everyone’s snickers, I plunged into the lake.
I searched for three hours, but Leo’s toy was nowhere to be found.
When I finally stood dripping wet before Alex, he paused for a moment. His usual crew burst into laughter, patting him on the back.
“Alex, you’re amazing! How do you train such an obedient lapdog?”
“Chloe running around the city even made the news! I swear… I’ve never seen a woman so pathetic.”
“Dude, how do you do it? Teach us! We want a lapdog like that too!”
Alex’s dark eyes lingered on me, but he said nothing.
Serena, nestled in his arms, leaned in and kissed him. “Oh, Alex, you’re the best! Serena is all yours tonight.”
She reached out, playfully poking his chest, her eyes narrowing alluringly. “Alex, please don’t go easy on me tonight…”
“Chloe’s still here, shouldn’t you guys tone it down? What if she gets upset and cries?”
“Hahaha… Chloe’s just Alex’s pet, right? Even if he ordered her to serve us tonight, she’d probably agree in a heartbeat.”
My hands clenched anxiously. I stared at Alex, terrified he’d agree.
It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before.
His 50th and 79th demands were for me to watch him sleep with different women.
They went on all night, and I was forced to watch all night too.
That’s how my feelings for Alex were brutally severed.
“What are you waiting for? Do you really want to serve us?”
“Get back to Leo, now!”
I let out a sigh of relief and quickly turned to head back to the mansion.
I hastily changed out of my wet clothes, but just as I stepped out, I slipped on a glass marble.
My body hit the floor hard, the glass marble digging into my skin. The pain brought tears to my eyes.
A ten-year-old boy sneered, appearing from around the corner of the stairs. “You pathetic woman, you’re so lucky you didn’t fall down the stairs.”
My heart sank.
Leo actually hated me this much.
The little boy who used to cling to my leg, his eyes red, begging me to tell him stories, seemed like a ghost now.
“You have the nerve to cry? My dad told you to take care of me. Where were you having fun these past five days?”
The pain in my body made me speechless, and my reaction was even a beat too slow.
I watched, helpless, as Leo picked up the glass marbles from the floor and furiously hurled them at me. “Don’t think playing pathetic will replace my mom!”
“I’ll hate you forever!”
“I’m telling you, get out of my house, or I swear I’ll make you regret it!”
Leo left with a defiant huff, swaggering away.
The maids walking by ignored me, long accustomed to seeing me sprawled on the floor.
Two.
Ten years ago, my mom had a medical emergency on the street, and Alex, who was passing by, took her to the hospital.
By the time I rushed back from overseas, my mom was gone.
Alex then helped me arrange the funeral.
To repay his kindness, I promised to do a hundred things for him.
At first, Alex didn’t take it seriously, but one day he suddenly came to me.
His first demand was for me to be his wife, but without a marriage certificate or a wedding ceremony.
The second demand was for me to take care of his ten-month-old son.
I devoted myself to caring for them, father and son, for ten years. Inevitably, I developed feelings, but I could never truly enter their hearts.
Now, all I wanted was to complete those hundred demands, and then leave.
…
After I recovered, I picked myself up from the floor.
A passing maid rolled her eyes at me. “Thinks she’s Mrs. Alex, huh? Get up and clean up those marbles before someone trips!”
“Honestly, Chloe, I can’t believe her. She knew the little master was after her, why didn’t she just get out of the way? Now she’s just adding to our workload.”
“Lying there like she’s some delicate flower. She’s not even as good as the poodle!”
“At least the poodle barks. Chloe just makes Mr. Alex and the young master unhappy.”
The maid finished speaking and quickly joined another maid. They discussed me loudly and carelessly, as if I wasn’t even there.
Right. My status in this mansion was lower than a dog’s.
Swallowing the bitterness in my heart, I resignedly got up from the floor.
I picked up each glass marble, then went downstairs to put them away.
Suddenly, a figure slammed into me.
Bang!
I was knocked down again.
Glass shards, thrown by who-knows-who, were scattered on the floor and immediately pierced my palm. Blood gushed out, staining the glass and the floor.
“Good! Hope it hurts you to death! Who told you to try and take my mom’s place!”
“What a pity, why didn’t the glass get stuck in your neck?”
Leo wouldn’t let anyone help me, nor would he allow the family doctor to treat me.
He also wouldn’t let the household driver take me to a clinic.
I walked three hours alone to reach the nearest clinic to treat my wound.
When I returned that evening, a single lamp lit the living room. Alex was sitting on the sofa, reading.
“Is your hand okay?”
I looked at my hand, thickly wrapped in gauze, and stayed silent.
Because I knew, even if I said it wasn’t okay, Alex wouldn’t punish Leo.
That was his deceased beloved wife’s only child.
He practically held him in the palm of his hand; how could he ever bring himself to scold him?
“Leo’s still young, and it wasn’t intentional.”
“You’re an adult, don’t fuss with a kid. He just can’t forget Eden, that’s why…”
I cut him off. “I know. I won’t blame him. Can you just get your demands over with?”
These ten years, I was exhausted.
I wished I could fly out of here right away.
But Alex had helped me, and I had to repay him.
“Chloe, can’t I ever give you a kind look?” Alex snapped his book shut, his brows furrowed. “You’re that eager to finish these hundred demands?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
As soon as I said it, I could feel the atmosphere around Alex change.
“You really have a way with words!”
He stormed off, but halfway there, he turned back and switched off the lights.
“You’ll sleep right where you’re standing tonight. That’s the 92nd demand!”
“You want to leave so badly? I’ll satisfy you right away!”
Hearing his retreating footsteps, I sighed.
Just a little longer. I’d make it through this soon.
Three.
Leo woke up early. Seeing me sleeping on the floor, he ruthlessly kicked me awake. “Chloe, stop playing dead! Get up and eat!”
The ten-year-old boy had quite a bit of strength, and he deliberately put his full weight into it.
His foot landed hard on my stomach. I almost lost my breath.
Clutching my stomach, I slowly got up. In the mirror, my face was terrifyingly pale.
I held my breath and staggered to the dining table. Gently, I tugged on Alex’s sleeve, pleading, “Can you ask the driver to take me to the hospital?”
My stomach hurt so much I couldn’t straighten up.
Alex disdainfully slapped my hand away. “Chloe, what game are you playing now?”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Dad, don’t pay attention to her! Chloe’s just trying to play pathetic! She’s strong as an ox, a little kick won’t kill her.”
“Even if… I really am as strong as an ox, I can’t take this kind of torment.”
“You dare talk back! I bet Chloe’s just faking it, trying to get sympathy because Serena is here.”
I reached out and gripped the empty chair beside me. By now, I was too nauseous to speak, only able to plead with my eyes to Alex.
It really hurt so much!
More than my hand, which was cut by glass yesterday!
Alex’s brows furrowed, carefully observing my expression. In his mind, I was always full of lies.
“Alex, I made blueberry toast! You guys should try some!”
“Chloe, you’re not very convincing. If your stomach hurt, you wouldn’t be able to even stand up. Stop acting and come try my blueberry toast!”
As the scene froze, Serena came out with a plate.
After placing a portion in front of Alex and Leo, she brought a plate with the most blueberries to me.
She smiled sweetly at me. “Chloe, try my baking, tell me what you think!”
She was smiling, but it sent shivers down my spine.
Instinctively, I reached for Alex beside me, but I grabbed empty air—he’d moved away.
“Alex… is my blueberry toast not good?”
Serena looked about eighty percent like Alex’s deceased ex-wife.
The moment she pouted, Alex and Leo instantly grew anxious.
“Hey, woman, did you hear that? Go try Serena’s toast!”
“Chloe, just one bite, don’t let Serena down.”
My heart plummeted. Unbidden tears stung my eyes and fell.
At that moment, I was only glad I no longer loved Alex.
“Is this your 93rd demand?”
After saying that, I gasped for several breaths.
Alex’s breath hitched. He turned his head away, no longer looking at me. “Yes, this is my 93rd demand.”
I nodded, no longer hesitating, and quickly stuffed the toast into my mouth.
Serena clapped her hands. “See? Isn’t it delicious?” Then she happily snuggled into Alex’s arms. “Alex, you’re the best to me.”
Watching Serena act coy, my head grew heavier and heavier.
My vision blurred.
In the last second before I collapsed, I heard Leo shout, “Chloe, is she dead?”
Serena feigned innocence. “But people who faint usually just fall straight down. Why is Chloe looking around?”
Alex frowned. “Chloe, get up now, stop faking it.”
Four.
I was jolted awake by the smell of disinfectant.
Leo put down the spray bottle, crossed his arms, and glowered at me. “Chloe, what are you doing?”
“Who do you think you are, so delicate? Do you know you’ve been lying here for three days and three nights?”