Chapter 1
Daisy had been locked away in a mental hospital by the very man she had loved most.
Desmond’s gaze was as sharp as a blade. “When you learn to behave and stop hurting Heather, I’ll let you out.”
Eventually, Daisy did fall silent, submitting entirely, but it was in the embrace of another man.
The young master of the Thomas Family, once so full of pride, now knelt in the dust, begging for the smallest hint that she would ever look back at him.
——
“Miss Johnson, our wedding is next month. I hope you’ll be there on time.”
“Alright.”
After the man left, Daisy Johnson stared blankly at the marriage certificate in her hand.
If anyone had told her she’d one day marry a complete stranger, someone she’d known for barely ten minutes, she would’ve laughed, dismissing it as the wildest fantasy.
Her heart had always belonged to one person, the one she’d always believed she would spend forever with: Desmond Thomas.
But now, here she was, caught in an absurd reality she could scarcely believe.
Fighting the whirlwind of emotions inside, Daisy took a slow, deliberate step down the stairs.
Today should’ve been the day Daisy married Desmond.
Instead, Desmond had walked away, leaving her behind for another woman.
She had become the laughingstock of their social circle, a joke that everyone whispered about.
And this wasn’t the first time; it had already happened three times.
At this point, why not just marry someone else?
Nearby, the excited chatter of couples in line reached her ears.
“Look, isn’t that Daisy? Is she here to register her marriage?”
“Then the man who just left must’ve been President Thomas! He waited five years and finally won the beauty’s heart. What a beautiful love story!”
“I’m so envious! Before marriage, she had her parents spoiling her and now, after marriage, she’ll have a husband who loves her more than life itself. Daisy must be the happiest woman in the world!”
The happiest woman in the world?
Daisy’s lips curled into a bitter, self-mocking smile.
Once, that had been true.
She had once been the cherished princess in her parents’ eyes.
She had been the precious one Desmond protected, the one he swore he’d marry since childhood.
Three years ago, she had been in a car accident and slipped into a coma. Her father had established a special charity fund, hoping to gather good karma so she could wake up sooner.
Her mother had visited churches, kneeling in prayer for her, even at the cost of injuring her own legs.
Desmond, her fiancé, had searched the world for the finest neurosurgeons for her.
But now, the three people who had once adored her had poured all their love into someone else.
A Rolls-Royce pulled up beside Daisy and the window glided down, revealing Desmond’s familiar face, gentle and handsome as ever.
"Daisy, what are you doing here?"
His gaze drifted to the building behind her, his brows furrowing slightly. "Did you go to the City Hall?"
Daisy hid the certificate in her hand, her expression unreadable as she glanced at him and Heather sitting in the passenger seat.
"Just passing by."
Desmond’s panic vanished in an instant. Of course, with him absent, who else could Daisy possibly go to the City Hall with?
The memory of abandoning her at the wedding gnawed at him, a pang of guilt washing over him as he met Daisy’s cold eyes.
"Daisy, I’m sorry..."
Before he could finish, a low groan of pain came from the passenger seat.
Desmond’s attention snapped to Heather, the apology forgotten as he turned quickly to start the car.
"Daisy, Heather’s hurt. I’ll take her to the hospital first. Be careful on your way home."
With that, the car sped away, leaving only the echo of his words lingering in the air.
Daisy stood frozen, her eyes cold as she watched the Rolls-Royce, adorned with ribbons, vanish from view.
It should have been their wedding car, but instead, another woman sat inside. The ceramic bride-and-groom ornament on the hood, once symbolizing love, now felt like the cruelest mockery.
She thought she had become numb to it all, but the sight seared into her mind, a brutal reminder that tightened around her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Chapter 2
Daisy couldn’t stop herself from bending forward, her body trembling as tears spilled down her cheeks. Under the shocked gazes of passersby, she fled home, humiliation clouding her every step.
But home offered no refuge; it was a storm waiting to explode.
The moment she stepped through the door, her father’s furious slap landed across her face.
"Ah!"
The searing pain on her cheek made her head spin, but it was the fury in her father’s eyes and the deep disappointment in her mother’s gaze that cut deeper.
“Heather slit her wrist because of you. Are you happy now?!”
“You knew she liked Desmond too, but you still insisted on marrying him. What else did you expect her to do?”
“You’ve completely let us down!”
"Daisy, you've become so selfish. You weren't like this before."
Daisy’s laugh escaped, bitter and broken, her tears falling freely as she stared at the parents who had once adored her, now looking at her like a stranger.
She wanted to scream, "How did you become this? Are you still my parents?"
It was Heather who had stolen her fiancé, so why was she the one being blamed?
Daisy knew all too well that if she spoke her thoughts aloud, all she’d receive in return would be their stunned, confused stares and an even deeper sense of disappointment.
So she remained silent. The pain slowly dulled, leaving her oddly calm.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Give Desmond to Heather. For three years, while you were in a coma, she stayed by our side. She’s done so much for the family. You can’t just turn your back on her!”
Before Daisy could respond, Desmond and Heather walked in. Daisy’s eyes flickered to their intertwined hands and a cold chill filled her gaze.
She didn’t need her parents to say a word; she didn’t want Desmond anymore.
The moment Heather returned, her parents immediately dropped their harsh words for Daisy and rushed to Heather, showering her with concern.
“Heather, are you alright? Silly girl, why would you do something so reckless? What would we do if something happened to you?”
The scene was too much to bear. Daisy’s heart burned with pain. She couldn’t watch it any longer. She pressed her hand against her aching cheek and turned to leave, but Desmond’s hand suddenly gripped hers.
“Daisy, about today…”
“I know what you’re going to say,” Daisy cut him off, turning to face him. “But I don’t want to hear it.”
She could already predict it: another half-hearted apology, followed by a promise of a grander wedding next time.
But after being abandoned at the altar three times, Daisy had stopped holding out hope for anything more than empty words. Instead, she had become the punchline of the city’s cruelest joke.
“Desmond, hearts are made of flesh,” she said.
She wasn’t some unfeeling machine. The love she had once poured into him had crumbled to dust, leaving nothing but cold indifference.
Desmond had expected her to lash out, to fall into the same tantrums that had marked their past. But instead, she met him with calm detachment, leaving him speechless. His heart tightened as he reached out, but before he could say another word, Daisy slipped from his grasp, her figure retreating like the fading echo of a dream.
“Daisy.” Desmond panicked, instinctively moving to follow her, but a sudden cry from behind stopped him in his tracks.
“Desmond, come quickly! Heather fainted!”
His feet froze and just like that, he veered back, rushing to Heather's side in a flurry of concern.
A bitter twist of irony flickered in Daisy’s eyes as she watched him go, her heart heavy with the sting of abandonment.
She turned away, wandering into the garden, the cool breeze a stark contrast to the suffocating ache in her chest.
After a long stretch of silence, her phone buzzed with a message from Heather.
[Sister, look how pathetic you are. With just a flick of my wrist, both your parents and Desmond come rushing to me. And you? You’re nothing but a forgotten ghost in this house.]
[Oh, but even a shadow like you still bothers me.]
[Don’t worry. One day, I’ll make sure you crawl out of here like the dog you are.]
Attached was a video of Desmond gently feeding soup to Heather while her parents looked on, their eyes filled with the kind of care Daisy once thought she’d receive.
Chapter 3
In the past, Daisy would’ve been consumed by rage, rushing headlong into a confrontation with Heather.
But now, she simply added Heather’s name to her mental blacklist, void of any emotion.
It wasn’t until later, when Daisy woke from her coma, that the truth slowly unraveled before her.
During her absence, her parents had been swallowed by their grief and in a desperate attempt to fill the void, Desmond had turned to Heather, a girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to Daisy.
With her sweet words and effortless charm, Heather quickly wove her way into their hearts, soothing their pain.
At first, Daisy had been grateful, even finding joy in the idea of gaining a younger sister.
When she heard her parents had taken Heather in as their foster daughter, Daisy had thought it was a beautiful thing, a way to bring light back into their lives.
But soon, Daisy saw the truth unraveling before her.
Things weren’t as she had imagined. Heather, with her charm and subtle manipulation, began to take center stage in everyone’s life.
When Heather casually showed interest in Daisy’s room, their parents insisted she give it up without a second thought.
If Heather admired a necklace once gifted to Daisy, it would immediately become hers.
The dowry Daisy’s grandmother had left her, a token of love and legacy, was quietly claimed by Heather without a word from her parents.
But what truly cut the deepest was Desmond. His gaze, once filled with adoration for Daisy, now softened with an indulgent affection for Heather.
On her birthday, he left her alone, choosing instead to spend the day with Heather.
On a cold mountaintop in the dead of night, he had abandoned Daisy, all because of Heather.
Even the grand wedding he had promised Daisy faded into nothingness, swallowed whole by Heather’s influence.
Despite her outward innocence, Heather was a master of manipulation.
Since Daisy had woken up from her coma, Heather had worked tirelessly to drive a wedge between her and her parents, as well as between her and Desmond.
Daisy had no means to counter her cunning. In just two short years, Daisy’s parents grew increasingly distant and Desmond’s humiliation of her became a cruel, familiar routine.
Daisy had fought, argued and caused scenes, all in vain.
Each time, it only pushed them further away.
Slowly, she began to understand that Heather’s triumph in driving a wedge between them wasn’t just her doing.
It was because the ones Daisy had once trusted with her heart no longer cared.
Love didn’t vanish; it simply transformed. Daisy had never believed that before, but now she understood it all too well.
Even if she exposed Heather’s cruel messages to the world, she knew how it would go.
Her parents and Desmond would just accuse her of fabricating lies to tarnish Heather’s image. In the end, Daisy would be the one left holding the pieces.
She set her phone down with a sigh, her gaze drifting to the empty yard.
The house that once felt like home had long since lost that warmth. Even if Heather didn’t push her out, Daisy knew she would leave on her own terms.
Then, out of nowhere, something dark and bloody flew from the side, startling Daisy. She froze, her heart skipping a beat.
It was Heather’s pet Ragdoll cat, the one she doted on so fondly. Now, it lay lifeless, its soft fur matted with blood.
Daisy’s hand flew to her mouth in horror, her breath catching in her throat.
Desmond, who happened to walk by, was also taken aback. “What’s going on?”
“Desmond, it…”
Before Daisy could finish, a sharp scream shattered the air. Heather rushed over, scooping up the bloodied cat, her face contorted with feigned distress.
“Sister, why would you hurt Althea?”
Daisy froze.
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you’re angry about the wedding,” Heather sobbed, her voice trembling. “But if you have a problem with me, take it out on me. Why would you take revenge on Althea?”
Tears streamed down Heather’s face and Daisy’s mind raced. It all clicked. This was another setup.
This had happened time and time again, but framing her for something like this, killing a pet, was a new low.
If Daisy remembered correctly, this cat had been left behind by her mother before she passed.
A cold shiver ran down her spine. As always, everyone would side with Heather. Still, she couldn't remain silent. “It wasn’t me. Someone just threw it over here.”
“But the cuts on Althea are clearly from someone with professional skills,” Heather sobbed, her eyes overflowing with tears. “And you’re the only one in this family who studied medicine. If not you, then who should I suspect?”
Chapter 4
Upon hearing the news, Heather’s expression hardened as he gestured for a servant and whispered something low.
Moments later, a doctor in a white coat arrived, carefully took the cat’s lifeless body and began his examination.
“It’s true that the wounds were inflicted with a knife, the method eerily precise. The cat was drained of blood and died in agony.”
Soon after, security personnel rushed in to report, “We reviewed the surveillance footage. This afternoon, only the eldest young miss entered the garden.”
Heather’s expression darkened, her eyes locking on Daisy with a cold, commanding gaze. “Do you have anything else to say?”
Daisy’s lips parted, but no words came out.
She had known it would come to this.
Finally, Daisy spoke softly, “What can I say? You’ve never believed me. What’s left for me to say?”
Desmond hesitated, his gaze faltering for a moment.
“Sister, are you saying I purposely framed you?”
Heather shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes as she sobbed harder. “Althea was the only thing my mother left me. Even if I wanted to frame you, how could I bear to sacrifice her life for it?”
With that, Heather collapsed, overcome with grief.
Desmond immediately caught her, his expression hardening again. “Daisy, I never imagined you could become so vicious.”
“At the wedding, I was the one who abandoned you. If you want to hate someone, hate me. Taking it out on Heather’s cat, what kind of person does that?”
His eyes were filled with disappointment. “The Thomas Family can’t accept a daughter-in-law who’s so cruel and underhanded. If this is how it is, let’s cancel the engagement.”
“Fine,” Daisy replied, calm and steady.
Desmond’s anger froze, his expression darkening further. “I’m not joking. Don’t regret this later.”
Before he could continue, Daisy’s parents arrived in a hurry.
Without a second of hesitation, Samuel slapped Daisy hard across the face. “How could I have raised such a wicked daughter?!”
Daisy’s face, already bruised from an earlier beating, split open again from the fresh slap.
But her father, still seething, raised his hand once more. “Today, you kill a cat. Tomorrow, you’ll kill a person!”
“Ever since you woke up, all you’ve brought is chaos into this family!”
“If I’d known you’d turn out like this, I would’ve preferred you died in that car accident!”
“Someone, lock her up! No food! She’ll stay locked up until she truly reflects on her actions!”
The sting of the slap spread like a thousand needles pricking at her skin. Her head pounded, nausea churned in her stomach and she dry-heaved, but no pain could match the ache in her chest.
Years ago, during the car accident, she had dragged her parents and Desmond out of the car one by one as it teetered on the edge of an explosion.
She had only become a shell of herself, lying unconscious for three long years, all because she had sacrificed her life to save them.
And now, they cursed her for not dying in that accident.
Daisy felt the wetness on her face and couldn’t tell whether it was blood or tears. She lifted her head, eyes searching for the faces of those who had once meant the world to her.
But now, their expressions were unrecognizably cold and cruel.
Daisy let out a soft, hollow laugh, but her eyes were empty as if something vital had drained from her soul, never to return.
For a brief moment, Desmond and Hannah, Daisy’s mother felt an unsettling emptiness in their hearts, as if they had lost something precious and irreplaceable. Their instincts screamed to reach out, to beg for forgiveness for Daisy.
But before they could act, Heather stepped in front of them.
“Mom, Desmond,” she began, “as much as I hate seeing my sister suffer, Father’s actions aren’t unjust. Letting her learn now is better than waiting for her to destroy everything.”
“After all, we can protect her here, but the outside world won’t be as kind.”
At her words, Hannah’s hand fell to her side.
Desmond nodded reluctantly. “You’re right. She needs to learn now.”
Daisy was dragged away, her body limp as they locked her in the abandoned garage, her fate sealed.
Chapter 5
Leaning against Desmond’s shoulder, Heather allowed a faint, triumphant smile to tug at her lips, though she masked it with a veneer of concern. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring my sister some food. I won’t let her starve.”
Desmond nodded gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you.”
Once Heather left, Desmond glanced at Daisy’s state, a flicker of guilt tugging at him. His expression softened slightly. “What I said before was that it was in the heat of the moment. Once Heather’s feeling better, we’ll set a new date for the wedding. Daisy, you don’t have to take it this far.”
He checked the calendar and added, “The third of next month seems perfect.”
But Daisy’s heart felt like stone, unaffected by his words.
She had long given up on this fiancé.
The third of next month would indeed be her wedding day, but Desmond wouldn’t be the one at the altar.
Outside the door, Heather overheard, her teeth grinding together. A malicious gleam flashed in her eyes.
Heather hadn’t anticipated that, after all the schemes and all the years of waiting, Desmond would still refuse to let Daisy slip away.
Her nails dug painfully into her palms as frustration boiled over. Once in her room, she immediately dialed a number. “Make it look like an accident. Kill Daisy.”
And as the night deepened, the fire began to spread, silently licking its way through the shadows.
Daisy had no idea that death’s blade hovered over her, unseen but inevitable.
For more than twenty years, her existence had been defined by her parents and Desmond. Now, extracting them from her heart left a raw, empty wound that nothing could fill.
Curled in the cold, she felt a searing pain that made even the simplest of breaths feel like a cruel torment. The anguish gnawed at her as if her very soul were being pulled apart.
In that agonizing moment, she felt the pull to surrender, as if nothing in the world was worth holding on to.
And when the fire erupted in the room, Daisy remained unmoving.
Outside, the shrill sound of alarms pierced the silence of the Johnson villa.
“What’s happening?”
“The garage where the eldest daughter was locked... it’s on fire!”
Desmond’s face shifted instantly, a flash of panic overtaking his features. He sprinted toward the garage, but someone beat him to it, kicking open the door with force. "Sister!"
Seeing Heather rush in, Desmond’s heart dropped. "Heather, it’s too dangerous!"
But Heather, as if deaf to his warning, ran straight into the fire.
Desmond had no choice but to follow.
As Desmond stepped through the flames, Daisy’s blank gaze, locked onto the oncoming inferno, flickered with the faintest trace of life.
But before she could even process it, Heather, running ahead of Desmond, turned, a sly smile playing on her lips as she mouthed silently to Daisy, "Sister, guess who he’ll save, you or me?"
Before Daisy could react, Heather screamed and crumpled to the ground.
Desmond caught her instinctively, his eyes flickering between her and Daisy, the hesitation burning in his chest.
