A Heart Misplaced, A Love Bone-Deep

Julian Laurent was known as the most notorious playboy in Rivermont, changing girlfriends as often as he changed his clothes and treating marriage like a joke. Clara Sterling, on the other hand, had always been the most quiet and obedient daughter of the Sterling family. Raised as the heir since childhood, she had been flawless in every word and every gesture. A family-arranged marriage forced these two complete opposites into the same life. On their wedding night, Julian found Clara unbearably dull and openly made out with a young model at a nightclub. Clara stormed in, slapped him across the face, and forced out one word through clenched teeth, "Divorce." After that, they divorced twice and remarried twice, trapped in an endless cycle of breaking apart and pulling back together. By the time they remarried for the last time, everyone said Julian had finally settled down. Even Clara believed it. That belief shattered the moment she overheard him in a hospital hallway saying to another woman, "I never loved her. You're the only one I've ever loved." So all his tenderness had been nothing but an act. This time, she didn't look back. And the man who had once cast her aside like she meant nothing only realized after she was gone that he had already drowned in her quiet love, with no way out. ...... Everyone in Rivermont's elite circle knew there were two extremes. One was Clara, the eldest daughter of the Sterling family, poised and proper, every move measured like the perfect socialite. The other was Julian, heir to the Laurent family, bold and reckless, changing girlfriends faster than clothes, his reputation as a playboy echoing through the entire circle. And somehow, these two ended up in an arranged marriage. Everyone waited for the drama, and the two of them didn't disappoint. On their wedding night, Julian got bored of Clara and went straight to a nightclub looking for excitement. When Clara found him, he was holding a model in his arms, kissing her passionately, not even sparing Clara a glance. That night, for the first time in her life, Clara broke her rules. She slapped Julian across the face. Gritting her teeth, she forced out one word, "Divorce." The divorce was finalized in the morning. By the afternoon, their families had already forced them back into remarriage. This time, on that very night, Julian seemed like a different person. Instead of going out, he stayed and apologized to Clara. "Clara, I was reckless before. I hurt you. Thank you for giving me another chance. This time, we'll make it work." Seeing the sincerity and guilt in his eyes, Clara found herself believing him against her better judgment. For the next month, Julian cut off all ties with his flings and treated Clara with unexpected care and gentleness. Just when Clara thought he had truly changed, a single photo shattered every illusion she had. In the photo, Julian was leaning down, pressing a soft kiss to a woman's lips, her face hidden from view. The tenderness in the gesture didn't look like him at all. The timestamp read yesterday. Bitterness filled Clara's eyes. Of course, no man was truly faithful. That very afternoon, they filed for divorce again. This time, Clara was resolute. No matter how sweet Julian's words were, she would never remarry him again. But the very next day, a shocking secret changed her fate. It was revealed that Clara was not the Sterling family's biological daughter, but a child who had been switched at birth in the hospital. Clara's parents were cold and blunt. "The board has already revoked your status as heir. Everything in the Sterling family will go to our biological daughter." The same people who once flattered her now avoided her like the plague, even mocking her as a fraud. Overnight, Clara lost everything. At her lowest point, she stood by the river with nowhere left to go, when suddenly, someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. It was Julian. Soaked to the bone, his eyes red, he said, "Clara, you still have me. Let's remarry. I'll protect you for the rest of your life." This time, everyone said Julian had truly settled down. Even Clara found herself believing it, because after they remarried, there hadn't been a single other woman around him. When people questioned Clara's identity, Julian was the first to stand up for her, publicly declaring that she was the only Mrs. Laurent. In private, Julian was obsessed with Clara's body. Even when her restraint held her back, he didn't mind. If anything, it only made him more relentless. He had no sense of restraint, and eventually, Clara developed a low-grade fever and had to go to the hospital. Before leaving that morning, Julian looked apologetic. "I have an important meeting I can't get out of. I can't go with you." Clara nodded, and before she left, Julian even leaned in to kiss her forehead. But in the hospital hallway, she caught sight of a figure at the far end. Vivian Sterling stood outside the consultation room, her face ashen, clutching a medical report in her hand. And standing beside her was Julian. Clara stopped in her tracks. After reading the report, Vivian let out a long breath. "Thank God I'm not pregnant… otherwise, how would we ever face—" Her voice dropped, the rest fading into something inaudible. But Clara clearly saw Julian pull Vivian into his arms, his expression full of concern. "Vivian, pregnant or not, I'll take responsibility for you." Vivian shoved him away and stepped back, her emotions suddenly spiraling. "No, stop. If it wasn't for Clara, do you think I would've agreed to what you asked that night? You're married to her again now. Whatever we had should've ended a long time ago." Julian grabbed her arm, his restraint finally snapping. "You know I don't love her. You've always known. The only one I've ever loved is you." Vivian shook her head, her eyes already turning red. "This was a mistake from the beginning. Your wife is Clara now. She's the one you're supposed to love. From now on… we shouldn't see each other anymore." Julian's expression darkened. Even in his anger, he held back, afraid of scaring her. He stepped forward, gripping her wrist tightly. "Vivian, I remarried Clara because of you. We agreed back then, didn't we? Once the scandal about her being a fake heiress dies down, I'd divorce her. If this is why you want to leave me, fine. I'll go tell her everything and divorce her right now." With that, he turned as if he really meant to go find Clara and end it. "No, you can't. Clara has nothing left right now. You can't abandon her like this." Vivian panicked and grabbed him. "I won't leave you. I won't break up with you." A flicker of triumph crossed Julian's eyes as he pulled her tightly into his arms. "Vivian, you can't keep thinking about Clara. Think about yourself too… think about us, our future." Tears streamed down Vivian's face. She said nothing. Watching the two of them locked in each other's arms, something exploded in Clara's mind, leaving behind nothing but emptiness. Liars. Every single one of them. So the reformed playboy and the perfect marriage had only ever been their self-righteous charity. Her vision blurred. Clara reached up to her face and realized she was crying. How long had it been since she last cried? Raised as the Sterling family's heir, she knew that any mistake meant punishment, isolation, and hours of copying rules. She hadn't dared to cry. She hadn't been allowed to. But now, she was crying. She turned and walked into a quiet corner of the stairwell, dialing her lawyer. "Prepare a divorce agreement for me. I want out. And transfer all my assets to an overseas account. I won't be staying here much longer…"