Venus, So Close Yet So Far

Everyone in the city's elite circle knew that the most eligible bachelor in the city loved me like his life depended on it.

To marry me—a woman living with HIV—Michael Dalio deliberately destroyed his own reputation. Night after night, he paraded through clubs, bedding forty-nine women in a row. He even went so far as to force himself on his widowed sister-in-law, whose husband had just died.

Finally, he pushed the Dalio family patriarch into giving in. The old man, holding his tongue in reluctant acceptance, allowed me to enter the family.

To give Michael a child, I humbled myself before my sworn enemy, kneeling to beg for a secret medicine.

Just as I was about to share the good news with him, I found him hard at work on his widowed sister-in-law's body.

"Nancy, you're finally mine. She has HIV—she won't last long. The only woman I'll ever love is you."

Turned out I was nothing more than a convenient cover for Michael to marry Nancy.

Tears streamed down my face as I pressed send on the message.

[I agree to your terms. See you in three days.]

The sound of ragged breathing from inside made my whole body tremble. Each muffled gasp felt like a blade driving straight into my heart.

"When Venus dies, I'll make it up to you with a grand wedding," Michael murmured, his arm wrapped around Nancy's waist as he moved with increasing force.

"Okay… okay…" Nancy answered between broken breaths.

By the time I came back to myself, two streaks of tears had already dried on my face. So it had all been nothing more than a performance—an act staged just for me.

The thought left me suffocating, my body shaking as I swallowed back sob after sob.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps behind me made me jump.

"Madam, why are you here?"

The Dalio family's longtime housekeeper had appeared without warning.

The two inside the room clearly heard the noise as well. The intimate sounds stopped abruptly.

Flustered, I explained, "I came back to get something."

Under the housekeeper's watchful gaze, I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Michael's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

I pushed the door open. The half-hidden lipstick mark on his neck and the lingering flush on Nancy's face were proof enough of what had just happened here.

When Michael looked at me, there was a trace of disgust in his narrowed eyes.

"Didn't you say you were going out? Why are you back so soon?"

My throat tightened, each word scraping out like a blade. "I forgot my medication."

I looked at the man who had sworn to love me for a lifetime—only to turn around and sleep with his widowed sister-in-law.

Their cruel words echoed again and again in my mind, and tears spilled uncontrollably from my eyes.

Michael's gaze remained fixed on Nancy, barely sparing me a glance.

"If you're sick, go to the hospital. Don't come crawling over here if you think you're filthy—and don't go infecting anyone else."

As he spoke, he casually instructed the housekeeper to take me to the hospital immediately.

I stared at him, unmoving. This was the man I had loved for ten years—yet now, he looked like a complete stranger.

In the past, the moment he noticed I felt unwell, he would panic, fussing over me in a flurry. Now, he was utterly indifferent, as if we were strangers.

"I'm fine."

I avoided the housekeeper's attempt to help and walked straight to the cabinet. Ignoring the used condoms left on top, I opened it and took my medication.

At that moment, Nancy stepped in front of the door, her gaze falling on the HIV medication in my hand.

"With a disease like that, you two probably haven't been intimate for a long time, right? Michael must've been holding back for ages."

I hadn't expected her to be so shameless as to say it outright. Fine—then I might as well let off some steam.

"That's none of your concern, Nancy. I'm Michael's wife. This isn't something an outsider gets to comment on."

It was as if I had struck a nerve. Nancy's face turned pale, and she was just about to lash out when Michael stepped in to smooth things over.

"What do you mean 'outsider'? Venus, you're getting more and more out of line. Nancy is our sister-in-law."

'But do you treat her like one?' The words reached my lips, but I forced them back down.

In an instant, Nancy's expression shifted into one of grievance, tears welling in her eyes.

"Michael, your wife has only just entered the family, and she's already trying to walk all over me."

Michael turned to me, his tone leaving no room for defiance.

"Nancy meant well. Apologize to her right now."

I looked into his eyes, trying to find even a trace of the love he once had for me, but all I found was cold indifference.

"No."

Before I could even finish speaking, a sharp slap landed across my face.

The pills in my hand scattered across the floor as a burning pain spread over my cheek.

Michael bent down, picked up one of the tablets, and sneered.

"Who's to blame for this? You knew Larry was sick, and still had no shame seducing him. I didn't mind it and even married you. The least you can do is show some basic respect."

My hands clenched the fabric of my dress as the words burst out of me.

"I've explained it to you countless times! That was occupational exposure!"

A year ago, Michael's older brother, Larry Dalio, had been racing cars.

When he was rushed to the hospital, Michael begged me to save him.

It was an emergency. I never expected his blood to splash into my eyes during the procedure—that was how I became infected with HIV.

Michael paused for a brief moment when he heard my explanation, but the coldness quickly returned.

"I almost believed you. Pretending it was to save Larry—now that he's dead, there's no way to verify anything. You can say whatever you want. I don't like liars. It's time you learned a lesson."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed the hospital.

"Dr. Spence, remove the ventilator from the VIP ward immediately."

"But she will—"

"No 'buts.'"

He hung up.

Three years ago, my mother had fallen from upstairs. When Michael heard the news, he immediately reserved the entire VIP ward of the hospital, sparing no expense to ensure my mother received the best care.

But the injury to her brain left her in a coma that has never ended.

For my mother's sake, I clenched my teeth and forced the words out, "I'm… sorry…"

Michael seemed to relax slightly, his expression softening just a bit. He reached out and patted my head.

"As long as you behave, you'll always be my wife."

The touch on my head made my stomach churn, but I suppressed the disgust and pleaded urgently, "Please save my mother first."

Michael frowned, then instructed the housekeeper coolly, "Inform the hospital."

With that, he turned and left with Nancy.

Three years ago, beside my mother's hospital bed, Michael had held my hand and sworn, "I'll take good care of Venus. I'll never let her suffer even the slightest grievance."

And yet, less than a year after his brother's death, he had already climbed into his widowed sister-in-law's bed.

The thought made my stomach churn violently, and I nearly vomited.

Fortunately, in three days… I would finally be free of him.