A Sea of Love, A Shore of Hate

Chapter 1 The wedding had just reached the ring exchange ceremony, when suddenly, the giant screen in the banquet hall lit up. Then, a high-definition video began to play, showing me being abducted and assaulted.

My fiancé, Julius Reed, called off the wedding on the spot and turned to slip the ring onto my best friend Yana Joyner’s finger instead.

Amid everyone’s curses and humiliation, I stumbled off the red carpet.

Then, Yana’s godbrother showed up.

He was none other than Maverick Quinlan, a notorious mafia boss.

At that moment, a single gunshot from his pistol silenced the crowd.

Moments later, his men stormed in, hauling ten crates of gold as wedding gifts. Then, right there, in front of everyone, he dropped to one knee and proposed to me.

Moved by his gesture, I accepted his proposal.

Three years later, our in vitro fertilization (IVF) succeeded. Excited, I was just about to share the news with him. But then, I overheard his conversation with his best friend, Andrew Laine.

“Maverick, you’re a genius. If that video of Constance hadn’t been shown at the wedding, there’s no way Ms. Joyner would’ve married into the Reed family.”

Maverick flicked his lighter and smirked. “The Reed family’s way too prestigious to accept a woman with a bad reputation. Yana could only marry into that family if Constance got dragged through the mud.”

Andrew asked, confused, “But Ms. Joyner’s already married into the Reeds. Why would you want someone who’s already been tossed around like that?”

“Yana can’t handle pain, so I’m using Constance to carry the Reed heir. Once the baby’s born, Yana’s place in the Reeds will be untouchable.”

The waves of laughter from the private room washed over me, chilling me to the bone.

All those moments that I’d thought were real, all that happiness… was a lie. It was all part of Maverick’s elaborate scheme to drain every ounce of worth from me—all so Yana could trample me beneath her heels to climb higher.

As I wiped my tears, I dialed the number of Maverick’s rival, Atlas Foster. “I’ve got a deal worth a billion on the table. Are you interested?”

Meanwhile, the mocking voices inside the room didn’t stop.

“Maverick, you really outdid yourself—swapping her vitamins for birth control pills. Since she couldn’t get pregnant naturally, she had to turn to IVF. If she ever found out the embryos were actually Ms. Joyner and Julius’, she’d probably drop dead from the shock.”

“Why should I care if she drops dead? Once she gives birth, we’ll make up some excuse and say the baby didn’t make it. She’ll just think it was her own fault for not being able to carry to term. Honestly, she should count herself lucky—she’s clearing the way for Yana’s happiness.”

Maverick then tossed his lighter onto the table. Then, he stood up and warned everyone present, “Not a word of this gets out today. She’s going to carry this baby to term, whether she likes it or not.”

Andrew thumped his chest with a laugh. “Relax, Maverick. That woman’s as dumb as a rock. Just because we called her your girl, she really started playing the part—acting like she ran the place, serving us food and drinks every day.

“And the best part? She still has no idea I hand-picked every single guy in that video.”

Someone burst into laughter. “Andrew, you’re such a bastard. Why didn’t you pick me back then? I wouldn’t have minded a taste—”

In a flash, a fruit knife came flying and embedded itself in the floor, just inches from the man’s groin.

The man who’d been joking with Andrew suddenly went pale.

“Haven’t I made it clear? Constance is my wife now. Anyone who brings up that old shit again is dead to me.” Maverick’s voice was icy.

One of the men nervously chuckled. “Maverick, don’t tell me you didn’t feel anything for her. That woman was crazy in love with you. Weren’t you scared she’d find out the truth one day and leave you?”

Maverick dismissively scoffed. “I can always just give her another kid through IVF and bankroll her for life. She’s been around the block a few times, but flatter her just right and she’ll be eating out of my hand.”

The room burst into laughter again.

I stood frozen at the door, like I’d just been struck by lightning. My hand flew to my mouth as I struggled to hold back the sobs threatening to spill out. Upon hearing footsteps coming toward the door, I panicked.

I turned and bolted down the stairs, poured myself a stiff drink, and knocked it back in one go.

Chapter 2 A sharp, burning sensation shot straight to my head. I couldn’t hold back anymore—tears streamed down uncontrollably.

As I clutched my chest, the cruel words from the private room echoed relentlessly over and over in my mind.

A week before our wedding, I’d suddenly been abducted and endured a day and night of torment.

After that, Julius had tenderly held my hand, gazing into my eyes as he declared his love and insisted he still wanted to marry me.

Yet, on my wedding day—a day I had eagerly awaited—a video of me being assaulted was played for all to see.

There, Julius abandoned me again, leaving me branded as a shameless woman scorned by all.

Back then, it was Maverick who’d stormed in and shattered the screen with a single gunshot. Then, he pulled me into his arms, fiercely driving back the crowd’s insults and scorn.

He had ten crates of gold brought in as wedding gifts. Then, he looked me in the eye and said he’d loved me all along and that if he couldn’t marry me in this life, he’d die with regrets.

It was his unwavering gaze that had won me over. But now, he revealed that everything he’d done was merely to pave the way for Yana.

No wonder she had looked at me with that strange, mocking smile on my wedding day.

My abduction had happened after Yana called. She’d said her car had broken down, so she asked me to come pick her up.

She had known all along that this was nothing but a scheme orchestrated by Maverick for her sake. She laughed at my stupidity and reveled in having a devoted pawn willing to go to such lengths for her.

And those three years of tenderness and affection? They were nothing but a carefully staged performance. It was just Maverick’s way of draining every last ounce of value from me.

I had mistaken my executioner for my savior. How absurd!

My nails dug deep into my palms, and I clenched my teeth until they ached. Pain and hatred surged in my chest, and the tears just wouldn’t stop.

Maverick’s familiar scent enveloped me as he gently kissed my tear-streaked eyes. His brows knotted in fury as he roared in front of everyone. “Who the hell made my wife cry? I’ll put a bullet in the bastard!”

The hall fell into a suffocating silence. No one dared to move, let alone breathe.

Maverick pulled the gun from his waist and pressed it into my hand, wrapping his arms around me as he guided my grip. He swept the weapon across the room, aiming at each person in turn. “Sweetheart, if anyone rubs you the wrong way, just take them out. I got your back.”

Those caught in his line of fire trembled like leaves, yet none dared to move. In the territory of Tazharan, Maverick was the leader of one of the two most powerful mafia organizations. No one in their right mind would dare cross him.

As soon as the barrel pointed at Andrew, I stopped in my tracks.

Andrew’s eyes went wide, his face turning pale. The words—”I hand-picked every single guy in that video”—kept ringing in my ears like a curse.

My chest heaved with ragged breaths, and my vision blurred with rage. I was about to pull the trigger when Maverick gently pushed the gun down.

“Dear, the doctor said the IVF was successful. Seriously, no more blood—we don’t want to frighten the baby,” he gently coaxed me, the concern in his eyes showing no hint of pretense. I almost found myself applauding his expert performance.

Upon noticing something was off, Maverick glanced at the wineglass in front of me and squeezed my hand. “How long have you been here, dear? Why didn’t you come upstairs to find me?” His tone carried a hint of cautious probing.

My gaze lowered as I calmly spoke, “You guys were all upstairs talking business and smoking. I can’t stand the smell.”

Relieved, he stroked my hair and called for the helper to bring me herbal tea.

The moment she handed it over, Maverick suddenly raised the gun and shot her point-blank in the head.

I barely had time to react. Instantly, warm, sticky blood splattered across my face as the helper crumpled to the floor. Her hand was still frozen midair with the teacup, eyes wide in disbelief.

My lips trembled, and my stomach twisted into knots.

But Maverick acted as if nothing had happened. He set the gun aside, carefully wiped my face with his sleeve, then picked up the tea and began feeding it to me, sip by sip.

Chapter 3 I swallowed on instinct, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Andrew order someone to drag the helper away.

Soon, a winding trail of blood streaked across the floor.

“She couldn’t even keep my wife from drinking, and for what she did to my son, she doesn’t deserve to live.”

Maverick’s ruthless expression made my stomach churn.

He gently and tenderly touched my face. “It was all my fault for putting you through so much. Now that we finally have a baby, you must never touch alcohol again, okay?

“No matter what, this child must be born healthy. Do you understand?”

I took several deep breaths before forcing out a strained smile. “Okay.”

But a cold dread gripped my heart.

We’d been married for three years, and I’d tried everything to get pregnant, but nothing ever worked. Upon looking back now, he might’ve been secretly slipping me contraceptives all along.

Six months ago, the doctors declared I could never conceive again.

Maverick had gently held me, whispering that he didn’t care about children. He said that all he ever wanted was for me to be happy and healthy.

Yet, I couldn’t shake the guilt of failing to give him a child. Desperate, I turned to IVF, enduring countless injections and fistfuls of hormones.

Soon, my stomach became a patchwork of needle marks.

Every struggle I went through, every bit of suffering, just ended up paving the way for Yana.

She was afraid of pain, so I was robbed of the chance to be a mother. In the end, I was nothing more than a breeding machine.

“What’s wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling sick? I’ll call the doctor right away.”

“I’m fine. It’s just morning sickness.”
Maverick’s eyes brimmed with emotion as he gently stroked my cheek. “Sweetheart, you’re going through so much, and I just wish I could bear it for you.

“Things were rushed when we first got married, but this time, I’ve had your favorite designer wedding dress flown in. Let’s go try it tomorrow before your bump shows too much.”

I stared at him, taking in those deeply affectionate eyes that had deceived me like a fool, time and time again.

If he knew I had no intention of keeping this baby, I’d probably end up just like that helper.

I forced a smile. “I’m going back to my room to rest. You guys carry on.”

As soon as I stepped into the room, I bolted to the bathroom in tears and threw up until my stomach felt like it was in knots. The physical pain I’d been enduring didn’t even come close to what was tearing me apart on the inside.

It took me a long time to steady myself. When I finally stepped out, I noticed Maverick’s phone sitting on the coffee table.

As if guided by instinct, I picked it up and entered Yana’s birthday.

It unlocked on the first try.

The lock screen was a photo of Yana leaning against his shoulder, smiling radiantly.

I scrolled through his photo album, one picture after another. There were over five thousand photos, and every single one featured Yana.

He had organized them into four folders, each documenting a different phase of her life. The folder names, when read together, spelled out “Love of My Life”.

In their chat history, I found messages saying Maverick had risked his life to steal the Queen of Astovia’s crown late at night.

Suddenly, I recalled that that day, he had been shot twice and nearly didn’t make it back. Back then, I’d offered up my mother’s sole heirloom—a priceless ancestral protective charm. It was the only reason I was able to negotiate his release.

Maverick had only done all that because Yana casually mentioned wanting to feel like a queen at her 25th birthday party.

As tears fell onto the screen, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. However, what cut the deepest wasn’t the years of lies—it was knowing I’d traded my mother’s final keepsake for the very man who shattered me.

Through my tear-blurred vision, my eyes locked onto a crescent-shaped birthmark on Yana’s right shoulder.

My breath caught in my throat.

On my right shoulder, in the exact same spot, I had an identical birthmark.

I distinctly remembered that when I first met Yana, she didn’t have that mark.

Chapter 4 Ever since I told Yana about the time I saved a man covered in blood while working with Doctors Without Borders in Tazharan, she had started pulling away from me.

Not long after, she became Maverick’s godsister—and he had once mentioned that she had saved his life.

But Yana was far too afraid to risk her life. She had never set foot in Tazharan—a country plagued by constant conflict—yet she never missed a chance to criticize or look down on it.

I curled my icy fingers as a wild, absurd suspicion began to take shape in my mind.

So, that was the truth all along.

I crumpled to the floor, laughing and crying all at once.

After a long while, I wiped away my tears, steadied myself, and got up to dig out an unfamiliar phone number.

“I’ve got a deal worth a billion on the table. Interested?”

“What kind of deal?”

“Abduct me in three days.” I gently stroked my stomach. “Maverick will willingly pay the ransom.”

Just as I hung up, Maverick pushed through the door.

He’d had quite a bit to drink and was stumbling slightly, but his vigilance remained sharp as he grabbed my wrist. “What is it I’d willingly pay for?”

Without blinking, I replied, “I saw a necklace I liked. The seller wants a deposit first.”

He chuckled, resting his head on my shoulder. “Fine, I’ll pay. I’ll pay anything. Yana, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you. I’m yours too.”

Expressionless, I helped him to bed and tucked him in. Then, I lay beside him all night, wide awake.

The next day, on our way to try on wedding dresses, Maverick received a call. His face paled as he hurriedly explained, “Sweetheart, a shipment got held up. I need to go handle it.”

He apologetically squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll take you tomorrow. I even ordered a custom pair of wedding rings. “We’ll try them together, okay?”

I pulled my hand back. “I understand. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you at home.”

He gave my hand a final squeeze, and as soon as I stepped out of the car, he sped off.

Less than ten minutes later, Andrew’s car arrived.

As soon as I got in, I received a photo of Yana.

There she was—wearing the dazzling diamond ring and the designer wedding dress I had chosen and flown in. Not to mention, she was kneeling on a man’s lap too.

His large hand rested on her pale thigh through the sheer fabric. His lips brushed the crescent-shaped birthmark on her right shoulder, eyes dark with desire.

A voice message followed quickly.

“Every night, I can only go through with it if I turn off the lights and pretend she’s you. Yana, my sweet Yana, I miss you so much. Be good to me, won’t you?”

His raspy voice was followed by shallow, stifled breaths.

In the silent car, Andrew’s mocking laugh cut through the air.

I was startled, only then realizing the view outside wasn’t the way home.

“Andrew, I’m Maverick’s wife! What the hell are you doing?”

The car screeched to a sudden stop.

I reached for the door on the other side, but Andrew was quicker—his hand clamped around my ankle and yanked me out of the car.

Pain shot through me, darkening my vision.

As I gritted my teeth, I glared at him. “I’m carrying Maverick’s child. If anything happens to me, you won’t live to see tomorrow.”

“You idiot,” he sneered. “Did you really think Maverick would let a woman as filthy as you bear his child?”

A shrill laugh came from behind me, and that’s when it hit me—this back alley was just a stone’s throw from the bridal boutique.

Yana pressed her foot into my face, every line of her expression etched with twisted satisfaction.

Andrew then walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving it a rough squeeze. As I stared in stunned disbelief, the two of them kissed with abandon, utterly lost in each other.

It was a long moment before Andrew finally pulled back and spoke, his voice slow and deliberate, “You heard us at the door that day, didn’t you?

“What a shame. That’s not even Yana’s embryo in your belly. I swapped it for some random street kid’s—probably born to a beggar in the slums.”

Chapter 5 I jerked my head up, my pupils trembling violently.

Yana was laughing so hard she nearly fell over, shaking with delight.

“Oh dear, you’re nothing more than filth—carrying a bastard. Just like the whore you are.

“Constance, how are you any different from those in the red-light district? At least they charge a few bucks, but you? You paid to have a bastard!

“Is one enough for you? Or should we just cram a whole litter in there? Like a sow!” They howled with laughter.

My mind roared in fury, and a metallic tang flooded my throat. With a furious scream, I grabbed a rock from the ground, ready to take them both down with me.

However, Andrew kicked me square in the stomach.

I crashed to the ground, vomiting blood. My face went ghostly pale from the pain.

But at that moment, Yana suddenly stumbled back in apparent terror. She swayed dramatically before collapsing—even though no one had touched her.

Just then, Maverick came sprinting over—stepping on my hand in his haste to reach her. He pulled her into his arms, his eyes brimming with naked concern. “Yana, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Yana let out a delicate whimper, tears shimmering in her eyes as she glanced at me. “Constance, I know I’ve wronged you… I just wanted to apologize properly, to wish you and Mavie well. Why would you hurt me like this? You know I only just found out I’m pregnant…

“Even if you can’t stand me, the baby didn’t do anything wrong.” She took Maverick’s hand and, under his stunned gaze, shyly whispered, “Maverick… this child is…”

She trailed off, lowering her lashes demurely—but the implication was clear.

Surprisingly, Maverick didn’t react with the excitement she’d expected. Instead, he watched her with an unreadable expression.

Meanwhile, Andrew, seething with indignation, spoke up and said, “Maverick, Constance has been using her pregnancy as a shield. She outright called Ms. Joyner’s baby a bastard and labeled her a tramp.

“She outright cursed her and said she’d be dropping bastard after bastard like some filthy sow. She even threw a rock at Ms. Joyner! And when I stopped her, she threatened me with her baby, saying I’d hurt it and that you’d kill me for it.

“It’s fine if I have to take all this, but Ms. Joyner’s so kind. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like that!”

Maverick turned to glare at me. The crimson fury in his eyes told me that no matter how I explained, he wouldn’t believe me.

“Constance, Yana saved my life. I’ve said it before—if anyone touches her, they’ll answer to me. That includes you, even if you’re my wife and pregnant with my kid.”

Pregnant with his child?

I shakily rose to my feet and let out a bitter laugh. “Maverick, tell me—are you sure the child I’m carrying is even yours?”

His face stiffened, a flicker of panic flashing across his features before he masked it with a defensive sneer. “If it’s not mine, then whose do you wish it was?

“Andrew, take her back and lock her up. No one is to let her out without my order.”

With that, he lifted Yana into his arms and walked away, not sparing a single glance behind.

Andrew then crouched in front of me, gripping two sharp steel nails. His grin was full of menace. “Ever felt what one of our bone spikes can do? One hit, and that foot’s done for. You’ll be crawling on the ground like a pathetic worm for the rest of your life.”

I stared in terror, but he stomped on my foot and mercilessly drove both spikes into my ankles.

The pain was excruciating.

A scream tore from my throat just before darkness swallowed me whole.

…

When I woke up, two days had passed.

My phone was flooded with Yana’s gloating posts. In them, I saw a side of Maverick I’d never seen before in our three years together.

The mighty mafia boss was cooking for a woman, washing her feet, and braiding her hair. He also fed her bite by bite and showered her with so many gifts that they filled the entire wall behind her.

There were also images of them wandering through the amusement park and sharing a pastry. Their eyes were so tender that it felt like love shimmered in the space between them.