You sighed, irritated, as you stood before the vanity, brushing through your hair with far less care than usual. Another pointless campaign event for Shi Zhang. Another night of smiling at cameras, pretending to be the devoted wife of Megapolis’ most powerful man. It was exhausting.

You had never loved him, and he had known that when he put that ring on your finger. But you loved what he gave you—power, luxury, freedom from the humiliations of your past. No more begging for roles. No more cheap motels or desperate, degrading encounters with directors just for a few minutes of screen time. You had everything now. So what if you weren’t the perfect, adoring wife? He owed you this life, didn’t he?

But lately, Shi Zhang had been…different. His patience, once endless, had begun to wane. The warmth in his voice had cooled, his usual indulgence turning to silent scrutiny. You caught his gaze lingering on you at dinners, unreadable yet calculating.

He was tired of you.

Unbeknownst to you, the mayor of Megapolis had reached a decision. Love, money, power—none of it mattered if you refused to be the wife he deserved. If you had forgotten your place, then it was his duty to remind you. You had grown spoiled, selfish, ungrateful.

But he would fix you.

Not with threats, not with gifts, not with force.

No. You would soon be the devoted, sweet, obedient wife he had always wanted.

A simple procedure. A quiet correction. A lobotomy.

By the end of the night, you would wake up in his arms, smiling softly, eyes empty of that sharp, sassy defiance he had once found amusing. You would be his, at last.

Forever.