99 Men

In the eighth year of our marriage, news of the Luke family's financial collapse struck like a thunderclap, catching me completely off guard. Everyone pointed the finger at Calvin Luke. He was the illegitimate son who acknowledged his lineage just six months ago—and since his return, he has plunged the Luke household into turmoil. I had just finished my fifth D&C surgery at the hospital. The anesthesia hadn't worn off, and a piercing ache pressed down on my lower abdomen when I received a call from Kevin Luke. His voice trembled with tears. He said Calvin Luke had delivered an ultimatum: as long as I slept with ninety-nine men, he would spare the Luke family. My hand holding the cell phone shook, tears splattered over the screen, but I gritted my teeth and agreed. I had loved Kevin for eight years, from the time he had nothing to when he became Mr. Luke. I couldn't stand by and watch all his hard work be destroyed in an instant. After hanging up, I took a taxi to the warehouse Calvin Luke had designated. Pushing the door open, I saw Kevin Luke lying on the floor, his face drenched in blood, the stains at the corners of his mouth still fresh. He saw me, struggled to his feet, ignoring his wounds, and clutched me tightly in his arms. "Wendy, I've wronged you." His tears burned the skin on my neck. "Once the Luke family weathers this storm, I swear I will repay you a thousandfold. Not a single one who harmed you will be spared." I wiped the blood from his face and told him I wasn't afraid, as long as he was safe. At that moment, I didn't notice the flicker of cold calculation in his eyes. Only after the ninety-eighth man had left did I drag my nearly shattered body to find Kevin Luke. I wanted to tell him, just one more to go—we're almost at the end of this torment. I didn't dare enter straight away, fearing the scent on me would disgust him, so I stood outside his office door and waited. But the voices inside stabbed at my heart like an ice pick. "Brother, that's the ninety-eighth. Wendy Scott probably doesn't even have the courage to hold her head up anymore, does she?" It was Calvin Luke's voice, thick with scorn. "I'll make her taste what it's like to be humiliated." Kevin Luke's voice was as cold as ice. "If she hadn't exposed Vivian's private photos back then, Vivian wouldn't have been driven to depression by cyberbullying. Those three scars on her wrist still haven't faded." My entire body froze, as if my blood had turned to ice. My account was hacked eight years ago. I explained it to Kevin Luke, but he simply refused to believe me. "Are all the videos saved? Once the last one finishes, we'll leak everything to the media." Kevin Luke spoke again. "I want to utterly destroy her reputation." I couldn't bear to listen any longer. I turned to leave, but suddenly a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. Clutching the wall, I crouched down, tears pouring uncontrollably. The office door swung open, and Calvin Luke stepped out. When he saw me, his smile grew even more mocking. "Oh, Mrs. Luke? You just lost your baby a week ago, and already you're back on your feet? Quite the stubborn spirit." He kicked my arm with his foot. "Just one more left. Hang in there, and you'll be 'free' soon enough." He had only taken a few steps before turning back to look at me, his eyes concealing something I couldn't understand. Then Kevin Luke appeared, his face instantly softening into the familiar tenderness I knew so well. He hurried over, gently supporting me with cautious care. "Wendy, what are you doing here? Are you feeling unwell?" I gazed at the persistent redness and swelling on his face and suddenly realized—every time I saw him, he was bruised. I used to believe Calvin Luke had beaten him, but now I know—it was all an act he performed for me. How could one person sink this low, all for revenge?