The Chronic Poison Beneath His Tenderness

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In the third year of my marriage to Adrian, I accidentally saw him having sex with my adopted sister on the home security footage.

Their voices came through the monitor loud and clear:

When are you finally going to divorce that woman? I'm tired of sneaking around.

Adrian stroked her hair, his eyes carrying a coldness and calculation I had never seen before:

"Soon. Her sense of smell is already deteriorating. Once she can't smell a thing, can't write new formulas, and has no value left to exploit, I'll divorce her."

So the bowl of nutrient solution he personally handed me every night never held affectionit held chronic poison.

I let out a cold laugh and immediately activated "Project Abyss"a top-secret program that would make my social identity completely dead.

Seven days left, and I would disappear forever.

But before I disappeared, I was going to take back everything they owed me.

Sophia POV

"Sophia, your application for the Abyss Project has been approved. It's a completely isolated twenty-year undersea research project. Once you enter, you'll be declared legally dead to the outside world. All contact will be cut. You have fifteen days to back out."

The director's voice was mechanical and cold.

My fingers gripping the phone went white, but my voice stayed calm. "I won't back out. I'll report on time in fifteen days."

I hung up, set the phone face-down on the table, and looked up at myself in the mirror. Pale face. Eyes heavy with exhaustion.

I was an internationally renowned perfumer. And the wife of billionaire Adrian Blackwell, CEO of Blackwell Corporation. We'd been married for three years.

In everyone's eyes, I was the luckiest woman alive. Adrian showered me with affection. No matter how busy, he always came home for dinner. He treated me like I was made of glass.

Click. The villa's front door opened.

Adrian walked in wearing a custom-tailored suit, carrying my favorite mousse cake from that boutique downtown, bringing in a wave of cold air. When he saw me standing in the living room, his sharp features instantly softened. He strode forward and pulled me into his embrace.

"Sophia, why are you standing here dressed so lightly? You'll catch cold." His voice was low and tender, filled with concern.

I didn't return his embrace as usual, but stood stiffly, letting him hold me.

Adrian noticed nothing wrong. He pulled me onto the sofa and opened the cake box like it was a gift. "Try it. I had Mary make you some herbal tonic. You've been having insomnia. Drink this and sleep well."

Mary, our maid, brought over a steaming bowl and set it on the table.

The tonic was dark and smelled faintly of herbs.

I stared at that bowl of tonic, my stomach suddenly churning. I shoved Adrian away and rushed to the bathroom, dry heaving.

Adrian hurried after me, patting my back while asking anxiously. "What's wrong? Is your stomach bothering you? I'll call the doctor right away!"

"No need." I turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on my face, using the sound to hide the tremor in my voice. "Probably just something I ate."

I raised my head, looking through the mirror at the man standing behind me.

The concern in his eyes seemed so genuine. So genuine that if I hadn't received that medical report today, I would have been kept in the dark forever.

This afternoon, I'd gone to the hospital for a comprehensive toxicology screening.

The report showed that a rare chronic neurotoxin had been accumulating in my body for an extended period. This toxin was colorless and odorless, slowly destroying one's olfactory nerves, eventually leading to complete loss of smell and even mental breakdown.

And the source of this toxin was precisely the "herbal tonic" that Adrian insisted I drink every single day without fail.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Adrian took a towel and gently wiped the water from my face. "You look terrible. I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow."

"Okay." I lowered my eyes, hiding the despair and coldness in them.

Back in the living room, Adrian picked up the now-lukewarm bowl of tonic and held it to my lips, his eyes tender enough to drown in. "Be good, drink your tonic. You'll feel better after drinking it."

I looked at his long fingers, my heart twisting like a knife.

I'd loved Adrian for ten years, been married to him for three. I thought I was his salvation, never imagining I was just meat on his chopping block.

I took the bowl, tilted my head back, and in front of him, drained that bowl of poisoned tonic in one gulp.

The poison slid down my throat, burning my internal organs.

Adrian smiled with satisfaction, bowing his head to plant a light kiss on my forehead. "Good girl. Get some rest early. I need to handle some documents in the study."

Watching his retreating figure as he went upstairs, I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood.

Fifteen days.

Adrian, in fifteen days, I'll return this life to you, along with all your false affections.

Sophia POV

Late at night, the villa was silent.

After Adrian fell asleep, I quietly got up and went to the study.

I installed a micro camera in the most concealed corner of the bookshelf, the lens pointed directly at Adrian's desk.

After finishing, I returned to the bedroom and lay down beside Adrian. The man habitually pulled me into his arms, chin resting on the top of my head, breathing evenly.

I kept my eyes open until dawn.

The next day, after Adrian left for the company, I claimed I wasn't feeling well and stayed home. I opened my laptop and connected to the study's surveillance feed.

At ten in the morning, the study door opened.

The person who entered wasn't Mary the maid, but Vivian.

Vivian was the adopted daughter of the Sterling family, and nominally my sister. She wore a flamboyant red dress and high heels, walking straight to Adrian's desk and opening his computer with practiced ease.

Before long, the door opened again. Adrian had returned.

In the surveillance footage, Adrian showed no surprise whatsoever. Instead, he locked the door behind him.

Vivian draped herself over him like a boneless cat, hooking her arms around his neck and pouting. "Adrian, didn't you say you had a morning meeting? How'd you get back so fast?"

Adrian naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, lowering his head to kiss her lips, his voice husky.

"I missed you, so I came back."

The two kissed shamelessly in the room, the image so piercing I could barely breathe.

I stared at the screen, nails digging deep into my palms.

When the kiss ended, Vivian leaned against Adrian, playing with his tie, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. "When are you finally going to divorce that woman? I'm tired of sneaking around."

Adrian gently stroked her hair, his eyes holding a coldness and calculation I'd never seen before. "Soon. Her sense of smell is already deteriorating. Once she completely loses it and can't create new formulas, I'll have her committed to a psychiatric hospital. Then everything from Sterling Enterprises, plus all those top-secret core formula patents in her hands, will be yours."

Vivian's eyes lit up. "Really? What about that 'First Snow' formula she's been developing..."

"Already copied to your flash drive." Adrian pulled out a silver flash drive from his drawer and handed it to Vivian. "Next week's International Perfume Competition. This will be your entry. I'll pave the way for everything, make you a legitimate master perfumer."

Vivian excitedly took the flash drive, standing on tiptoe to kiss Adrian's cheek. "Adrian, you're so good to me! But... what if Sophia finds out?"

"Finds out?" Adrian laughed coldly, his tone contemptuous. "She's like an idiot now, completely obedient to me. So what if she finds out? She's been drinking that tonic for so long, her nerves are already damaged. Who's going to believe what a crazy person says?"

In front of the screen, my whole body turned ice cold, as if I'd fallen into a frozen lake.

So that was it.

All his tenderness and consideration over these three years. It was all for Vivian. He not only wanted to destroy my career, but also my body, and even drive me insane!

The love I took such pride in was nothing but a premeditated slaughter.

I shut down the laptop. I didn't cry or make a scene. My tears had already dried up last night.

I pulled out my phone, looking at the countdown on the calendar.

Fourteen days left.

I stood up, walked to my vanity, and removed the expensive jewelry Adrian had given me piece by piece, throwing them in the trash.

Since he wanted my formulas, wanted my life, then before I left, I'd play a good game with them.

Sophia POV

Three days later, the Sterling family manor hosted a banquet.

I walked into the hall in a black dress, my expression cold. The hall was filled with laughter and conversation. My biological parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, were gathered around Vivian, their faces full of affection.

"Vivian is really making something of herself. She'll definitely win first place at this International Perfume Competition!" Mrs. Sterling held Vivian's hand, smiling from ear to ear.

Vivian lowered her head with false modesty. "I just got lucky. Don't praise me. Sophia is the real genius perfumer. My entry 'First Snow' was actually inspired by her previous work."

"What kind of genius is she!" Mr. Sterling snorted coldly, glancing at me with disgust as I entered. "Always with that sour face, like someone owes her millions. Nothing like you, considerate and sensible. If she had even half your talent, I'd thank the heavens!"

I stood there, listening to my biological father's degradation, feeling nothing inside.

It had always been like this. Ever since Vivian was adopted, I became the Sterling family's unwanted child. No matter how hard I worked, how excellent I became, in their eyes I could never match a single word of Vivian's sweet talk.

Adrian came downstairs, naturally walking to my side, putting his arm around my shoulders, smoothing things over. "Mr. Sterling, Sophia hasn't been feeling well lately. Please don't scold her."

He turned to look at me, his eyes so tender they seemed ready to drip water. "Sophia, why so late? Your hands are freezing."

I calmly avoided his touch, walked to the sofa and sat down, looking directly at Vivian. "You said your competition entry is called 'First Snow'?"

I caught a flash of guilt in Vivian's eyes, but backed by Adrian's support, she forced herself to remain calm. "Yes, Sophia. Why?"

"Nothing." I coldly curved my lips. "Just thought the name sounded familiar. If I remember correctly, this is a top-secret formula I started conceptualizing six months ago and locked in my laboratory safe."

The moment I spoke, the hall fell silent.

Vivian's face paled, her eyes instantly reddening as she looked at Adrian with grievance. "Adrian, Sophia... how can she slander me like this? This is clearly a formula I stayed up several nights to create!"

Mrs. Sterling immediately stepped protectively in front of Vivian, pointing at me and cursing.

"Sophia, have you no shame! You can't write anything yourself because your inspiration's dried up, so you're jealous of Vivian? On what basis are you claiming Vivian's hard work as yours!"

"Whether it's mine or not, checking the lab surveillance and computer records will tell us." My tone was calm but each word hit hard.

Adrian frowned slightly, stepping forward to stand between Vivian and me. He pulled out a stack of printed documents from his pocket and handed them to Mr. Sterling.

"Mr. Sterling, these are Vivian's creative drafts and timestamped records. Three months ago, Vivian had already completed the initial draft of 'First Snow.' And the records in Sophia's lab were only created yesterday."

Adrian looked at me with pained, disappointed eyes. "I know you've been stressed lately, Sophia. But you can't steal Vivian's work just because you can't come up with your own formulas. And then blame her for it."

I looked at the forged evidence in his hands and laughed.

A cold, mocking laugh.

He didn't just steal my formula. He altered the timestamps and made me look like the thief.

Slap!

A resounding slap struck hard across my face.

Mr. Sterling trembled with rage, pointing at me and roaring. "You shameless thing! Apologize to Vivian right now!"

The blow made my head turn to the side, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of my mouth. I didn't cover my face or defend myself. I just looked at this group of people with the gaze one reserves for the dead.

"Fine, I'll apologize." I wiped the blood from my mouth, my voice cold as ice. "Vivian, I hope you win worldwide fame with my formula."

With that, I turned and strode out of Sterling Manor.

I didn't look back, but I knew that to them, the words of someone they considered mentally unstable and crazy wouldn't matter at all.

Sophia POV

My sense of smell was fading at a terrifying rate.

A nose that could once easily distinguish the subtle differences between thousands of fragrances could now only detect the faintest bitter note even from the most potent rose essence.

I knew the toxin had invaded my central nervous system.

That evening, Adrian walked into the bedroom carrying a bowl of steaming soup.

"Sophia, get up and have some soup." He sat on the edge of the bed, helping me sit up, his movements gentle as if handling a fragile treasure.

I leaned against the headboard, staring at the bowl of soup with vacant eyes. No scent. I couldn't smell anything anymore.

Adrian scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it, and held it to my lips.

I didn't open my mouth, just quietly looked at him. "Adrian, what exactly have you been making me drink every day?"

Adrian's hand paused slightly, then he smiled without changing expression. "Nutritious soup, of course. You've gotten too thin. The doctor said you need more nutrition."

"Is that so?" I suddenly reached out and knocked the soup bowl from his hand.

The scalding liquid splashed onto Adrian's hand, instantly turning it red. He shot to his feet, his expression darkening. "Sophia Sterling, what the hell is wrong with you!"

"What's wrong with me?" I laughed coldly, my eyes sharp as knives. "Adrian, do you dare drink this soup yourself? Do you dare tell me why my sense of smell is disappearing day by day!"

Adrian's pupils contracted sharply. He stared at me, seemingly assessing how much I actually knew.

After a moment, he suddenly smiled. That smile tore away his mask of pretense, revealing cruel fangs beneath.

"Since you already know, there's no need for me to keep pretending." Adrian methodically pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the soup from his hand.

"That's right, I've been poisoning you. Who told you to occupy the position of my wife while hoarding Sterling Enterprises' core formula patents and refusing to hand them over?"

He leaned forward, gripping my chin with force that nearly crushed my bones.

"Sophia, you're too smart and too proud. Only by destroying your pride will you obediently listen."

I was forced to raise my head, looking at this face I'd once loved to my bones, feeling nothing but revulsion.

"Don't even think about getting the rest of my formulas." I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh really?" Adrian snorted coldly and flung me aside.

He turned and walked to the door, coldly instructing the guards outside. "Sophia is having a schizophrenic episode with severe self-harm tendencies. From today on, she cannot leave this room without my permission. Seal all the windows. Except for meal delivery, no one is allowed to visit."

The door slammed shut heavily, the sound of the lock clicking echoing especially harsh in the empty room.

I was completely imprisoned.

There wasn't a trace of light in the room. All communication devices had been confiscated. I was like a trapped beast in a dark cage, unable to make any contact with the outside world.

But I didn't break down.

I felt my way to the bed in the darkness, reaching under a loose floorboard to retrieve a palm-sized backup phone. This was the escape route I'd hidden long ago.

I turned it on. The screen's faint light illuminated my pale face.

I skillfully dialed a complex encrypted number.

"Abyss Project Headquarters. Ms. Sterling, how may we assist you?"

My voice was terrifyingly calm. "My situation has changed. I'm requesting early evacuation."

"Received. Evacuation protocol initiated. Countdown: seven days. You must maintain stable vital signs and await extraction."

I hung up and hid the phone again.

Seven days.

Adrian, Vivian. What you owe me, I'll collect every single debt over these seven days.

Sophia POV

On the third day of my confinement, an uninvited guest came to the villa.

Vivian wore a haute couture suit and arrogant high heels, walking into my room flanked by guards.

The room was dark and damp. I was curled up on the corner sofa, hair disheveled, face pale as paper.

Seeing my wretched state, Vivian let out a triumphant laugh.

"Well, well, if it isn't our high-and-mighty genius perfumer Sophia. How come you're hiding here like a stray dog now?"

I didn't even lift my eyelids, treating her like thin air.

This disregard completely enraged Vivian.

She grabbed my hair and yanked my head up.

"Don't act so high and mighty! You think you're still the Sterling heiress? Let me tell you something. Adrian already transferred every share of Sterling Enterprises to my name. You're nothing now!"

My scalp screamed, but I just stared at her. "Sleep well at night, knowing you took what's not yours?"

"Not mine?" Vivian cackled. "Sophia Sterling, don't you get it yet? Adrian was never after you. He came for your family's formula patents. He's never loved you. The only woman he's ever loved is me."

She let go, wiped her hands, and walked to the cabinet. Inside sat my mother's only set of vintage perfumes. The last things she left before she died.

"These broken bottles you worship like treasures? Just garbage."

I saw a flash of malice in Vivian's eyes. She suddenly swept her hand across the display, sending all the perfume bottles crashing to the floor.

Expensive glass shattered everywhere, rich fragrance instantly filling the entire room. This was my mother's life's work, my last connection to her in this world.

"Vivian!" My eyes blazed with fury as I lunged forward, trying to stop her.

But Vivian was prepared. Not only didn't she dodge, she rushed toward me.

Blood immediately gushed out.

"Help! Sophia's trying to kill me!" Vivian collapsed on the floor, screaming shrilly.

The door was kicked open violently.

Adrian burst in. Seeing Vivian lying in a pool of blood, his eyes filled with rage. He strode forward and kicked me flying.

I slammed hard into the wall. It felt like all my internal organs had shifted. My throat sweetened as I coughed up blood.

"Adrian, it hurts so much... Sophia's gone crazy, she tried to kill me..." Vivian hid in Adrian's arms, crying pitifully.

Adrian tenderly lifted Vivian, then turned to look at me like I was already dead.

"Sophia Sterling, you're evil to the core! Vivian came to check on you out of kindness, and you tried to kill her!"

I leaned against the wall, looking at this vicious pair, and suddenly burst into laughter. I laughed until tears came, laughed until my heart was torn apart.

"Adrian, are you blind? She clearly cut herself!"

"Enough!" Adrian roared, cutting me off. "You lunatic, nothing but lies! Since you love hurting people so much, those hands are useless anyway!"

He set Vivian down, walked toward me step by step, and without mercy raised his leather shoe, stomping hard on my right hand. The hand I used for perfume creation.

Crack.

The sound of breaking bones rang clearly through the room.

The pain shot from my fingers to my heart. My whole body convulsed, but I bit my lip hard and didn't let out a single scream.

I stared at Adrian, carving his twisted face deep into my bones.

Adrian, that stomp severed the last thread of feeling between us.

Sophia POV

With a shattered right hand, I received no medical treatment. Instead, Adrian had me transferred overnight to a secretive private psychiatric hospital.

"Mr. Blackwell instructed that Ms. Sterling suffers from severe mania and persecution delusions, requiring mandatory treatment measures."

In the cold hospital room, a white-coated doctor emotionlessly read Adrian's orders.

I was roughly strapped to a frigid treatment bed, my limbs secured tightly with reinforced leather restraints. My right hand was swollen like a purple-red loaf of bread, every breath accompanied by excruciating pain.

"What are you planning to do?" I looked at them coldly, my voice hoarse but eerily calm.

The doctor didn't answer, just waved his hand. Two nurses approached and attached cold electrode pads to my temples.

"Begin electroshock therapy. Set voltage to maximum."

As the switch was flipped, a powerful current instantly surged through my brain.

Indescribable agony blanked my mind completely, my body convulsing violently beyond my control. The restraints cut into my flesh, drawing blood. I bit my lip hard until my mouth filled with the thick taste of blood, but I never begged for mercy.

Once, twice, three times...

I don't know how long it lasted before the electroshock finally stopped. I lay there like a dying fish, gasping for air, my body soaked in cold sweat, lacking even the strength to move a finger.

"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Blackwell said that as long as you sign this equity transfer agreement and core formula authorization, you can suffer less." The doctor held out a document before my eyes.

I weakly opened my eyes, looking at that document, a mocking smile curving my lips.

So this was his ultimate goal.

Drain every last drop of use from me, then let me die like a madwoman in this sunless place.

"I'll... sign."

I forced out those words with difficulty.

Surprise flashed in the doctor's eyes, seemingly not expecting me to surrender so quickly. He unfastened my right hand restraint and shoved a pen into my hand.

Enduring the agony of shattered bones, I used that nearly useless right hand to sign my name crookedly on the document.

The moment I finished signing, it felt like all my strength had been drained. I collapsed limply on the bed.

The doctor left with satisfaction, document in hand.

The hospital room returned to deathly silence.

I closed my eyes, silently calculating the time in my mind.

Three days until the final deadline for the "Abyss Project" evacuation.

Adrian, you think you've won?

What you took is just garbage I don't want. And I'll let you taste what it's like to fall from heaven to hell at your moment of greatest triumph.

Over the next two days, I became abnormally quiet. I no longer resisted, no longer spoke. Like a true puppet with its soul extracted, I let the doctors and nurses do as they pleased.

My compliance gradually made the psychiatric hospital guards lower their vigilance.

Deep in the night, I used an extremely small blade hidden under my tongue to slowly cut through the leather restraints on my wrists.

This was my last chance. I couldn't afford any mistakes.

Sophia POV

Evacuation countdown. Final day.

Adrian came to the psychiatric hospital. A rare visit.

He wore a perfectly tailored silver-gray suit. His hair was immaculate. He looked like a victor. Like a man who had already won everything.

Tomorrow was Vivian's global launch for her perfume brand, "First Snow." And the celebration banquet for Blackwell Corporation's complete takeover of the Sterling family assets.

The hospital room door opened. Adrian looked down at me sitting in a wheelchair.

I wore an oversized hospital gown, thin as a skeleton. My once vibrant face was now pale as paper, eyes vacant and dull, right hand hanging limply at my side like a lifeless rag doll.

I didn't know what he was thinking, but he quickly suppressed any extraneous emotion.

"Sophia." He walked over, crouched down, and tried to take my hand.

I didn't dodge, just looked at him woodenly, as if looking at a stranger.

"Tomorrow is Vivian's launch event. Once everything settles, I'll bring you home." Adrian's voice was soft, carrying a false tenderness. "I'll find you the best doctors, heal your hand, cure your illness. We'll start over, okay?"

Start over?

I laughed coldly inside. Grind me into the mud, drain my blood, then condescend to say "start over"?

I slowly raised my head, pretending those dead eyes suddenly held a flicker of light. I looked at Adrian, the corners of my mouth curving into an extremely faint smile.

"Okay." My voice was hoarse like sandpaper scraping. "I'll wait for you... to take me home."

That word, that smile. It seemed to instantly relax Adrian's tense nerves.

He thought I'd finally accepted my fate, finally been completely tamed by him.

"Good girl." He satisfactorily reached out to stroke my hair. "After tomorrow, you'll still be the distinguished CEO's wife."

Adrian stood and turned to leave. He walked so decisively, steps light, never looking back once, eager to embrace his bright future.

The moment the hospital room door closed again.

Click. That soft sound seemed to sever the last thread of pretense.

The wooden submission on my face vanished instantly, replaced by bone-chilling coldness and determination.

I stood up, flexing my stiff joints. My bones made faint cracking sounds.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

At 2 a.m., the psychiatric hospital corridor was silent except for occasional patient murmurs and the footsteps of nurses on duty.

I moved like a ghost along the walls, precisely avoiding every surveillance camera blind spot, slipping silently into the medication room at the end of the corridor.

I mixed several highly volatile and flammable chemical agents in specific proportions, my movements without a moment's hesitation.

I built a simple delayed bomb and snuck into the records room.

I wedged it into the back of the ventilation shaft, where years of dry paper records had piled up.

Once lit, the fire would race through the ducts. It would erase every trace of me and throw the place into chaos.

When I was done, I followed the same path back to my room.

I took off my wedding ring and placed it on the bedside table next to the suicide note I'd written long ago. Both neatly laid out.

The note contained only one sentence.

"Adrian, I'm giving your life back to you. May you two torment each other forever. May you never find peace."

I read the words, and the corner of my mouth twitched.

At 3 a.m., ?the night was pitch black.

A low, deep rumble approached from the distance, breaking the dead silence.

The sound of helicopter rotors.

The Abyss Project extraction team had arrived.