From Bride-To-Be to His Kept Woman

I stand in the wedding venue and have just accepted the wedding ring that my bridesmaid hands me. However, before I can exchange rings with my fiancé, James Fuller, he suddenly snatches the microphone from the emcee. "That's enough," he says. "You've experienced what it's like to be a bride. Now, it's time for you to be the mistress." I look up at James in bewilderment, not understanding what's going on. The bridesmaid who has just given me the ring, Melanie Lochner, is also James' best friend. According to him, they share a purely platonic friendship, but she affectionately locks arms with him and says, "Oh, James. Why did you let the cat out of the bag so soon? "Zara was just thanking me for taking care of her for so many years when we were waiting below the stage. She even told me that she wanted me to be the godmother of her children!" My mind goes blank in an instant. Tears well up in my eyes and spill down my cheeks. James pinches my cheek sympathetically, saying, "Don't cry, Zara. You look so cute when you cry. I won't be able to help myself and will want to lie to you more. Mel's very open-minded. As long as you behave, she won't mind letting you remain by my side as my mistress." My vision starts to turn dark. It's only then that I understand that James' so-called platonic best friend has always been his fiancée. Melanie is the actual bride of this wedding. Chapter 1 Zara's POV "Congratulations, Mr. Fuller and Ms. Lochner, for finally tying the knot," a man in the audience said while standing up and raising his wine glass in the air. He then shot a smile at me while giving me a little toast. "Don't be too upset, Ms. Sherwood. It's your good fortune to be able to catch Mr. Fuller's eye and be his mistress." Laughter erupted around us. "Mr. Fuller sure does know how to enjoy himself." "She's just a university student. She's never seen anything like this." I was frozen in place. Although I was still wearing my wedding dress, I felt as if I had been stripped naked and forced to stand in the middle of the hall to be ridiculed by the guests. Everyone present knew the truth except me. My 'fiancé', James Fuller, pulled out a keycard from the inner pocket of his suit and pressed it into my palm. "Be good and wait for me at the apartment. I'll look for you once the wedding ceremony is over." His hot breath fanned across my ear when he moved closer to me. Lowering his voice so that nobody else could hear his words, he murmured flirtatiously, "After all, I promised you that you wouldn't be able to get out of bed the next day after the wedding." I stood rooted to the spot in a daze. A wave of anguish and humiliation crashed over me. The tight feeling in my chest made it nearly impossible for me to breathe. "Why?" I asked as I stared into James' eyes, tears welling up in my own eyes. "You could have just told me if you didn't like me. Why did you humiliate me like this?" The sympathy on James' face deepened as he looked at me. He gently wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes. His words dripped with affection when he said, "It's not that I don't like you, Zara. Your pureness is truly very cute. That's why I like seeing you shatter into a million pieces after finding out that you've been lied to when you've given your whole heart to me." The blood in my veins instantly turned to ice. I stared at James in disbelief, feeling as if I was looking at a stranger. I still remembered how he had helped me when I tried on my wedding dress last night. He had wrapped his arms around my waist with an adoring expression. "Did you know, Zara? From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I thought that you would look beautiful in a wedding dress." "What about now?" I asked, blushing. James smiled and pressed a kiss to my earlobe. "You look even better than I imagined." I was still distracted when James' so-called best friend, Melanie Lochner, walked up to us. She had changed into a wedding dress that was much more extravagant than mine. Her voice was laced with teasing when she affectionately patted James' shoulder and said, "That's enough, James. Don't make her cry. Zara's still so young." She then turned to me and smiled at me warmly. "Don't worry. I'm not petty. As long as you behave, you'll get plenty of benefits from us in the future." My entire body was trembling. I grasped my hands together so tightly that I could barely feel my fingers anymore. I took a deep breath and calmly said, "I won't be anyone's mistress." The faint scent of alcohol floated through the air. James' expression remained unchanged. He simply arched his brow before using the gentlest tone to say the cruelest words. "Zara, your graduate program application is still being reviewed, right?" My entire body went rigid. My mouth fell open, but I couldn't say anything. A few seconds later, two bodyguards approached me and grabbed either side of my arms. James affectionately tapped the tip of my nose before he left. "Be good, Zara. Don't make a fuss. You've been with me since you were a freshman. Everyone knows that you'll have nowhere to go if you leave me." Chapter 2 Zara's POV The apartment was on the 32nd floor. I could see half of the city's dazzling lights from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The fridge was packed to the brim with my favorite foods. Countless clothes hung in the walk-in closet, arranged by season. Even the toothbrush on the bathroom counter was the brand that I usually used. My phone was confiscated, and I was given one that James had specially prepared for me. He could see my every move. I helplessly collapsed onto the couch, finally realizing that I had become his canary in a cage. … James reeked of alcohol when he returned that night. A sympathetic look flickered in his eyes when he opened the fridge and noticed that I had left everything untouched. "Are you planning to starve yourself to death to threaten me, Zara?" he asked. I looked up. "Let me go," I said hoarsely. James chuckled at that. Instead of getting angry, he approached me and crouched in front of me. His demeanor was almost gentle when he asked, "Where do you want to go? Back to the university? Back to that six-person dorm with the communal bathroom? Do you want to go back to eating the cafeteria's food again?" When I didn't respond, he reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Why aren't you saying anything? Or perhaps that's not what you want?" His tone had taken on a slightly grim edge when he continued, "You know me, Zara. You know that I rarely give people second chances." I closed my eyes, feeling as if someone was squeezing my heart, making it throb painfully. I didn't continue the conversation. Instead, I asked, "Did you lie to me from the very start?" James was slightly stunned. He frowned, looking a little impatient when he asked, "What's the point of asking me this now?" He sat next to me and poured himself a glass of wine. He didn't speak again. My thoughts drifted to that particular summer day. James had pursued me for three months. He didn't rush me, cling to me, or flatter me. He would just show up at my usual spot in the library every day at the same time, placing a cup of latte that was at the perfect temperature on the table. He would then sit opposite me and quietly read a book. There was once when I couldn't help myself and asked, "What's your goal, James?" He looked as if he had finally achieved his objective when he looked up at me and stared into my eyes. His eyes sparkled when he answered, "You, of course. What else would it be? "I've never lacked anything in my life," he said, pausing for a moment to stare seriously into my eyes. "You're the only thing that's missing, Ms. Zara Sherwood." His words had moved me at that time, and I had believed him. … James didn't touch me that night. He also didn't answer my question. Melanie dropped by the next day with a bouquet of white gardenias and a fruit basket. "James specially imported them from abroad," she said. "Have a bite." She didn't seem to mind when I didn't accept the fruit basket. She just grabbed a fruit knife and began slicing them. "If you're not used to our new dynamic, you can just pretend that you're completely oblivious just like in the past, Zara. You can still call me Mel. You're so cute when you address me that way." Unable to hold back her own amusement, she chuckled lightly after she was done speaking, looking at me as if I was a disobedient pet. Disgust roiled in my gut, making me gag on the spot. Melanie's expression darkened slightly as she looked at me. "Now, you're just being immature, Zara," she said before gently slicing a line across her palm with the fruit knife. She then immediately rushed into the kitchen where James was bustling about, throwing herself into his arms with a troubled expression. "Zara cut me with the knife, James…" James calmly walked over to me upon hearing her words. I tried to explain myself, but he cut me off. "You have a pure heart. I know that you won't do something like that. But you've indeed been rather disobedient. Apologize to Mel, Zara." Chapter 3 Zara's POV I rose to my feet in a daze, feeling as if there was a heavy weight crushing my heart. "What if I refuse, James?" I asked. The faint scent of blood permeated the air. James didn't even bother lifting his head as he lit a cigarette. "You're becoming more and more disobedient, Zara," he said as he flicked the ash from his cigarette, a hint of impatience and anger flickering across his darkening expression. "Perhaps it's because I've been too lenient with you. Maybe you've forgotten the difference between our statuses?" Two bodyguards entered the room the moment the words left his lips. They didn't say a word as they ruthlessly kicked the back of my knees. Pain lanced through my legs, causing me to sink to my knees on the floor. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. James was right. He was the CEO of Fuller Group and was notorious for being ruthless and efficient. He was an existence that even the other elites in the circle respected. As for me, I was just a poor university student. He could ruin all my hard work with a single sentence. When we first went public with our relationship, my friends had told me that James was cruel and ruthless, and that he wouldn't actually take our relationship seriously. I didn't believe them back then because he treated me so well. He never even raised his voice, afraid of startling me. I finally understood what James wanted when a bodyguard slapped me across my face. He just wanted a canary in a cage that could entertain him and Melanie. "You just have to apologize, Zara," he said with a frown, not noticing that the cigarette between his fingers had burned out. I gritted my teeth and glared at him, refusing to make a sound. It was silent for about three seconds before I was slapped again. I was knocked off balance. Blood spurted from the corner of my mouth when I hit the floor. I was then slapped a third and fourth time. Black spots exploded in my vision as I slowly grew numb to the pain. In the end, Melanie was the one who spoke up to stop the bodyguards. "That's enough, James. I know I'm the only one in your heart. You were too harsh. Zara's so young. It makes sense for her to still be immature." She let out a teasing laugh as she poked my swollen cheek. "You don't look cute anymore after being slapped so many times. I don't want to trouble you, but you should help her alleviate the swelling, James." James crouched down after she left. His movements were careful and gentle when he wiped the flecks of blood from the corner of my mouth with a damp towel. "Does it hurt?" he asked. The overwhelming pain in my chest made it nearly impossible for me to breathe. I didn't say a word as tears spilled down my cheeks. James let out a long sigh and said, "You should have just apologized. Mel would've been appeased once she knew that you knew your place. None of this would have happened." After he was done cleaning the blood, he slowly traced his finger along my cheek and down to my neck. His finger traveled lower until it reached my chest. He then undid the first button of my shirt. My body jolted reflexively. I whipped my head down and bit the back of his hand. Blood dripped from between my teeth. James let out a low grunt, but he didn't withdraw his hand. He fell silent for a long time as his expression darkened. A few seconds later, he pressed my head against his chest. His voice was as cold as ice when he said, "Lick it clean, Zara." A wave of humiliation washed over me. I tried to retreat, but he tightened his hold on me. He ripped my shirt open during the scuffle. The window was open. The cold wind that billowed in caused me to freeze in place. "You know what I'm going to do to you if you continue misbehaving, Zara," James said. He pulled out his phone. My advisor's number was displayed on the screen. I didn't struggle that night. Tears blurred my vision until I finally lost consciousness. After it was over, I curled up in a corner of the bathroom and washed myself for a long time. James lit a cigarette as he leaned against the bathroom's doorframe. It was hard to discern the emotion in his eyes. "James," I called out in a voice that was thick with tears. "I want to go back to the university. I'm begging you." I couldn't make out his expression with the smoke curling around him. He was silent for a long time before he finally said, "Sure. I just hope that you won't regret your decision." Chapter 4 Zara's POV I didn't understand what James meant at the time. I thought that he had suddenly found his conscience and was actually willing to let me go. I only realized that something was amiss when I returned to campus and noticed that everyone was looking at me with mockery and disdain in their eyes. It turned out that explicit photos of me were all over the university's forum. My mind went blank in an instant, feeling as if my entire world was turning upside down. My hands were shaking so badly that it took me a few tries to key in my password to unlock my phone. "Breaking news! Fuller Group's CEO's secret lover is Ms. Sherwood, a senior at our university. He's been her long-term sugar daddy since her university days!" Although my face had been censored in the photos, anyone could still tell that it was me. I also recognized the bed in the photos. It was the same one that James and I used last night. I was absolutely certain that he didn't have his phone with him at the time, which meant that there were surveillance cameras in the apartment. My stomach turned. I ran to a flowerbed and vomited until black spots exploded in my vision. Countless students passed by when I was emptying the contents of my stomach. Some of them snapped photos of me, some recorded me, and some even loudly criticized me. "She looks pretty innocent. I never would have guessed that she's so promiscuous in private." "How much do you charge for a night? I'd like to have a taste too." I felt utterly pathetic as I ran back to my dorm, accidentally tearing a few holes in my clothes as I made my quick escape. However, when I pushed the door open, I noticed that the roommates, whom I had gotten along with swimmingly in the past, were packing their belongings to move to another dorm. They immediately gave me a wide berth when I entered the dorm. Their expressions were distant when they said, "I didn't think that you were this kind of person, Zara." "It's not like that," I said, shaking my head wildly. "I'm not his mistress." But they didn't believe me. After all, James and I had been dating for three years. It was simply impossible that I didn't know that he had a fiancée. My advisor called me that afternoon. She informed me that my graduate program qualification had been revoked because of my improper character and bad behavior. I frantically explained that I had been manipulated by James—that I was the victim. However, my advisor just sighed helplessly and said, "The university's two research buildings and equipment were donated by Fuller Group. Our hands are tied even if you really are the victim." I finally understood what James meant when she hung up on me. He was cornering me into a dead end. He wanted me to understand that this was my fate if I stubbornly continued to oppose him. The dorm was empty. I was the only one left. My phone was constantly vibrating from all the spam texts and calls. My inbox filled up with all the insults that they hurled at me, calling me a mistress, a bitch, and a shameless whore. … It was raining that night. I called James as I stood outside his villa. The call connected within seconds. James' words were dripping with a sense of superiority and the anticipation of being proven right when he asked, "Have you learned your lesson, Zara?" I gripped my phone as a wave of humiliation crashed over me. "I'm sorry," I said despondently. An amused chuckle echoed from the other end of the line. "You're so smart and pure, Zara. You must know that this is just a temporary measure." I was briefly stunned before I curled my hands into tight fists. When I didn't respond, James let out an amused huff and asked, "I guess right, didn't I? As expected, I'm the one who understands you the most in this world, Zara. That's why your punishment isn't over yet. I want you to truly understand that you're the one in the wrong. Don't let me down, Zara." He ended the call after he was done speaking. I stood in the rain in a daze and helplessly watched as a few burly men emerged from the shadows. The blood in my veins turned to ice. The last flicker of hope that I had been clinging to was completely snuffed out. I didn't remember how the hooligans managed to drag me into a deserted alley. They punched and slapped me over and over again, causing my vision to turn red from my blood. In my dazed state, I noticed one of them accepting a call. "We can do whatever we want to her? Will we get in trouble? Alright. I understand." The atmosphere shifted after that phone call. One of the hooligans removed his belt, while another took off his pants. One of them ripped my shirt, while one of them grabbed my skirt. I desperately thrashed around until I managed to get my hands on my phone. I immediately called 911, but I had forgotten that James had specially prepared that phone for me and had removed the phone's ability to dial 911. With no other choice left, I called the emergency contact that was saved on the phone. However, when the call connected, Melanie's voice echoed from the receiver. "James is taking a shower right now, Zara. Did you need something? I'll let him know when he comes out of the bathroom." At that moment, I immediately figured out whose orders the hooligans were following. But it was utterly pointless. I drowned in a bottomless pool of despair for the next 20 minutes. … James caught a glimpse of his call history after he came out of the bathroom. "Why did Zara call me just now?" he asked. Melanie crossed her legs and said, "I don't know. I hung up after I told her that you were taking a shower." James frowned and immediately called me back. The call rang for a long time, but no one picked up. He let out a helpless sigh, saying, "She must still be throwing a tantrum." A news notification popped up on his screen the next second. "A young woman ended her own life by throwing herself into the river after possibly being sexually assaulted by a group of men. The police are still trying to locate her body."