Every time my husband brought his secretary into the bedroom,he made me kneel at the bedside and wait—like a servant awaiting orders.

If the secretary fumbled or hesitated,he'd coldly gesture to me.

"Show her how it’s done,"he'd say.

So I did.Step by humiliating step.

I waited quietly until they were finished,then rose to serve them tea and water as if nothing had happened.

One night,Alaric gripped my neck tightly.

"Aren’t you jealous?"

I calmly shook my head.I even laid out the contraceptives for them in advance,making sure everything was in order.

He snapped.

He threw me onto the bed,rage consuming him.

He punished me over and over again until morning light crept through the curtains.

And still,when the sun rose,I knelt at the foot of their bed again—silent and obedient.

He looked at me like I was something vile.

"Elysia,"he growled,"you’re such a cheap."

I only smiled at him.

Because he didn’t know—

This was the last time I would ever kneel for him.

——

When I got home that night,the scene on the sofa was all too familiar.

Arianne Carrington’s back was turned toward me,but the second she heard my footsteps,she turned,her lips curling with smug satisfaction.

I made sure she heard me.Loud,clear steps.

I tied on my apron as if I hadn’t seen anything,and quietly entered the kitchen.

I began chopping vegetables,biding my time as they finished their affair.When the living room finally fell silent,I returned to clean up their mess like I always did.

Arianne,voice hoarse from exertion,reached for the honey water I had prepared.

I knelt and offered it with both hands.

I felt like a servant from another era,bound by invisible chains.

Alaric sat smoking,his expression unreadable.

Suddenly—splash!

Arianne“accidentally”let the cup fall.The hot honey water spilled onto me,burning my skin.

"Ouch—"I gasped.

She rushed to my side,all false concern.

"Sister,are you okay?"

As she spoke,she pinched my arm hard,the pain making me flinch.

She tilted her head sweetly,masking the threat in her eyes from Alaric.

"Sister,you’re so careless.If you don’t want to serve me,just say so.No need to make a scene."

I swallowed the pain and forced a smile.

"Why should I trouble you?"

She flounced to the sofa while I crouched to wipe up the spilled honey,my hands and knees raw from the floor.Every touch stung,but I didn’t let it show.I even lifted her feet gently to clean beneath them.

"Go back."

Alaric spoke suddenly,tossing her clothes toward her.

"Alaric?"

"You’re not needed here anymore."

Arianne pouted but obeyed.She dressed,picked up the designer handbag Alaric had bought her,and walked out with one last resentful glance my way.

I stayed on the floor,unmoving.

Not because I didn’t want to get up—

but because my scraped knees made it too painful to try.

"You still have nothing to say?"

Alaric’s voice was ice.

I said nothing.

He ground his teeth in frustration.

"It’s just the two of us.No cameras,no microphones.So speak."

I nodded slowly."I know."

With a snarl,he tossed aside his cigarette,grabbed my neck again,and shoved a photo in front of me.

"You and I both know he’s the murderer.So why won’t you testify?What’s your connection to him?"

I stared at the face in the photo and gave a bitter smile.

"I don’t know him."

"Then why are you protecting him?"

I met his fury head-on.

"I’m not."

He shoved me to the ground.Pacing like a caged animal,he snapped:

"My sister treated you like family.Didn’t she?"

The mention of Seraphine twisted something in my chest.

"She was the best friend I ever had,"I whispered.

He knelt and grabbed my chin,forcing me to look at him.

"And this is how you repay her?By letting the man who killed her walk free?"

Chapter 2

I was speechless.

Furious,Alaric flung a photo onto the floor.It landed face up—

Seraphine,broken and bloodied,hung lifeless from a tree.Her body,once full of laughter and warmth,was now twisted with bruises and gashes.

The sight made me scream.I covered my eyes,my entire body trembling.

That image had haunted my nightmares for months.

“You can’t even look at her,”Alaric spat.“Then tell me what that cheap man did to her!”

He grabbed my chin and forced me to meet his eyes.

“I swear,Elysia—testify,and I’ll send Arianne away.Right now.”

My eyes burned with unshed tears,but I gave him a cold smile.

“No need.”

His grip froze on my shoulder.

“You’d rather watch me with her?Watch us,again and again,like some sick punishment?”

“It’s okay.”

Pa!

His palm cracked across my face.

His fist shook with fury.

“You’re disgusting,Elysia,”he growled.“You’re a goddamn woman!”

His words cut deeper than the slap ever could.

How had it come to this?

Back in school,when boys mocked me for being plain,Alaric had beaten a dozen of them black and blue for me.

When we got married,he wouldn’t even let me touch the stove.If I so much as nicked my finger,he’d hold my hand for minutes,blowing on the wound as if it pained him more than me.

I used to think that love would last forever.

That he would always protect me.

“Alaric…”I finally whispered.

He turned sharply.

There was hope in his eyes—brief,flickering.

I tried to rise from the floor but collapsed again,the pain in my chest stealing the air from my lungs.The memory of Seraphine’s lifeless body flashed before me.

I clutched at the fabric over my heart,forcing myself to look up.

That’s when I noticed the door wasn’t fully closed.

Arianne hadn’t left.

She stood in the shadow of the hallway,peeking through the gap,one finger raised to her lips.

A wicked smile played on her lips as she made a silent shhh.

"What were you going to say?"Alaric pressed.

He was still waiting.Still clinging to the illusion that I might forgive,that I might confess something redemptive.

I said nothing.

He stepped closer.

"You must have something to say."

“Alaric.”

Arianne’s voice rang out sweetly from behind the door.

Alaric stiffened.

But he didn’t leave.He stayed there,eyes fixed on me,waiting for an answer.

I glanced toward the door,saw the tension flicker across Arianne’s face.

Then,slowly,I reached into a drawer and pulled out a box.

“Don’t forget this,”I said coolly.

His eyes darkened.He let out a low,bitter laugh and flung the box at me.It bounced off my chest and landed on the floor.

Without another word,he stormed off.

Arianne gave a satisfied smirk as she stepped back in and gently shut the door behind her.

The click echoed like a gunshot.

I clenched the fabric at my chest and leaned against the wall,knees still raw,cheek stinging.

No...not yet.

Just a little longer.

I searched the entire manor before I finally found a dusty first aid kit tucked away in a forgotten cabinet.My wounds were clumsy and hastily treated,but they stopped bleeding.

Alaric didn’t return for a full month.

Then one day,the front door burst open with a bang.

He came charging in,cradling a pale and blood-streaked Arianne in his arms.A full medical team followed behind—private,top-tier,the same team that had once been on standby for me…before Seraphine died.

“Call the doctor!”he shouted.“Hurry up!”

I stood there,numb,as he paced outside the emergency treatment room,wringing his hands.

Suddenly,he turned on me.

“Why did you push her?!”

I blinked,stunned.

“She’s over a month pregnant!Did you know that and still choose to hurt her?!”

I looked at him,then at Arianne lying inside the room.

Her brows were barely furrowed.She looked more bored than in pain.

But her wails were loud and piercing,echoing off the walls.

She turned her face slightly and shot me a warning glance.

And I—

I smiled.

“Yes,”I said,calmly.“So what if I did?”

Alaric’s expression collapsed.

He stared at me,like he no longer recognized the woman in front of him.

“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

I looked him dead in the eyes.

“I do.”

Chapter 3

“Don’t you plan to explain yourself?”Alaric asked coldly.

“There’s nothing to explain,”I replied.

“If you admit it,I’ll charge you with intentional injury.”

I froze,staring at him in disbelief.

He met my gaze without flinching.

“Or…”he continued,his voice tightening,“tell me the truth about my sister’s death,and I’ll drop everything.”

I turned slightly to glance at Arianne.

Then I took a deep breath.“You’ll find out eventually.”

A flicker of hope lit his eyes.

“But not now.”

My shoulders stiffened.His face darkened,eyes burning red.

“What’s your relationship with that murderer?You’d rather go to prison than turn him in?”

“I’ve told you already,Alaric.I have nothing to do with him.”

He was trembling with rage now,so furious he could barely form words.

He ground his teeth and nodded slowly.

“You really think I won’t sue you?”

I didn’t reply.

He shoved me aside and stormed out.

Three days later,I received a court summons.

When I pleaded guilty,Arianne arched a brow,clearly unsurprised—like she’d known it would end this way all along.

Only Alaric’s face was pale and terrifyingly grim.

He had hired one of the city’s top attorneys.The lawyer dissected every moment of the incident,stretched the legal jargon to its limits,and twisted my silence into malice.

In the end,they raised the sentence to eight years.

Alaric visited me in custody.

“If you testify for Seraphine,”he said,voice low,“I’ll find a way to get you out.”

I smiled faintly.“Alaric,take care.”

His breath hitched.

For a second,he looked like a broken man.

“You knew everything…”His voice cracked.“You were there that night.It was just you and that monster.You saw it all,didn’t you?”

I said nothing.

“I stayed quiet—I let it go,because I believed you.”

His fists clenched.“Back in school…Seraphine used to spend her lunch money just to make sure you had something to eat.Have you forgotten that?”

Tears welled in my eyes.I shook my head.“No.Never.”

“Then why?”he choked out.“Why didn’t you say anything?Why not then?”

“Not yet.”

“Do I have to die before you’ll finally tell me?”

I shook my head again,more firmly this time.

“It’s not him who dies,”I whispered.“It’s me.”

“The murderer will be convicted—without my testimony.But if I spoke now…I was afraid you’d lose your mind.”

I bowed my head.

If everything went as expected,the truth would come to light during my imprisonment.

But then,less than a month into my sentence,something changed.

The court abruptly overturned the verdict.I was acquitted.

When I stepped out of the gates,dazed and uncertain,a black Rolls-Royce waited at the curb.

Alaric stood beside it in silence.

Neither of us spoke during the entire ride home.

As I stepped out of the car,I turned back.“Thank you.”

He paused on the stairs,didn’t look back.

“Elysia,”he said coldly,“you’re such a cheap woman.”

I smiled.

And the tears fell.

Arianne’s child had survived.

But Alaric never brought her home again.Nor did he flaunt their affair in front of me anymore.

We lived under the same roof,yet moved like strangers in parallel lives.

When we crossed paths in the hallway,he didn’t speak.Didn’t even look at me.

He refused to eat anything I cooked.

I didn’t complain.I simply went on with my quiet routines.

A full month passed like that.

Then one night,there was a knock at my door.

When I opened it,he stood there—reeking of alcohol,eyes bloodshot.

“Let’s talk,”he said,voice hoarse.

I stepped aside,letting him in.For the first time in a long while,we sat together calmly,without pretense.

“Please,”he said,his voice almost a whisper.“I’m begging you.Testify for Seraphine.”

He swallowed hard.

“If you do…I’ll have Arianne abort the child.I’ll give you everything—my fortune,my company.Anything.”

Chapter 4

I shook my head.“No need.”

“Who is Caleb Dalton to you,anyway?”Alaric’s voice cracked slightly.Caleb—the man who killed Seraphine.I’d said it so many times before,but I repeated it calmly.“I have nothing to do with him.”

His bloodshot eyes burned into mine.“You expect me to believe that?You’d protect Seraphine’s murderer for someone you don’t even care about?”

I met his gaze.“Alaric,you’ll understand everything the day the child is born.”

“I can’t wait another day!”He shot to his feet,hands shaking.“If you don’t explain yourself clearly today,Elysia,I’ll end all ties with you.”

My heart clenched.He meant it.There was no hesitation in his eyes.I drew in a breath,then nodded.“Alright.”

We’d been through enough.I was done.

His hand trembled where it gripped my shoulder.“Say it again.”

“It’s okay if we break up,”I said.

He laughed bitterly,like he couldn’t believe it.“You think I’m joking?”

I said nothing.

He turned and slammed the door behind him.That night,the divorce agreement landed in front of me.

I picked up the pen to sign,but his hand caught my wrist.“Think it over before you sign.”

“I already have.”

I signed slowly,and though his grip remained firm,he too began writing.When it was done,he snatched the agreement like he couldn’t bear to see it.“I misjudged you.”

I closed my eyes.

That day,I was thrown out of the manor.With no savings,I rented a small,thirty-square-meter apartment and waited quietly for my trial.In my mind,I kept imagining Caleb being brought to justice on the day I died.My hands trembled with the thought.Only then,I thought,could I finally go see Seraphine in peace.

But that moment never came.

Before I could even prepare,Alaric’s bodyguards dragged me back.The first thing I saw was Arianne lying on the bed,soaked in blood.Her stomach,once swollen,had gone flat.Alaric looked exhausted,dark circles under his eyes,as if he hadn’t slept in days.

The moment he saw me,he slapped me across the face.“Didn’t you say it didn’t matter if the child was aborted?That it was acceptable either way?Then why did you send someone to beat her into a miscarriage?”

I was stunned.

Arianne sobbed,clutching the sheets.“Ely…if you didn’t want me to have the baby,I could’ve aborted it.But why torture my child like this?”

Her clothes were disheveled,the bed stained in blood.I understood what had likely caused the miscarriage.

Alaric kicked me in the knee and pinned me down.“I’ll find the thugs you hired and make them pay.But you—I’ll give you one last chance.”

He gripped my chin tightly.“If you’re willing to testify in court for Seraphine,I’ll have my legal team defend you.I can save you a few years in prison.”

Pain shot through my jaw,and cold sweat trickled down my back.“I…I’m afraid I can’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m dying.”

He let out a sharp laugh,disbelieving and furious.“You’re still protecting Caleb?Even now?”

He stood and shouted,“I won’t give you another chance.Whether you want to or not—you will testify!”

After those words,he seized my hand—and without hesitation,snapped my ring finger.

The wedding band was still on it.

A guttural scream tore from my throat.

“Will you tell me now?”he growled.

His fingers clamped around my chin,forcing my gaze up to meet his.“What did Caleb do to my sister that night?”

Sweat poured down my back.My breath came in shallow gasps.

“Wait until I’m dead,”I whispered,“and you’ll find out.”

His eyes turned a violent shade of red.

To him,I must’ve sounded defiant.Insulting.

“You think I’m afraid to watch you die?”he spat.

Then my index finger cracked under his grip.

“Will you talk?”

“Kill me,”I hissed through my tears.“Kill me—and you’ll finally know.”

His whole body trembled with fury.And then,he nodded.“Fine.I’ll grant your wish.”

He pulled out a wrench.

Held it up—aimed straight at my other fingers.

“No—Alaric,wait—AAAH!”

The pain was unbearable,but worse was the searing agony in my chest.

I collapsed onto the floor,trembling,lips turning purple.

The wrench shook slightly in his hand.

“If I destroy you,”he muttered,almost to himself,“then I’ll go to prison with you.”

Blood pooled in my mouth.I coughed,then reached up with what little strength I had,fingers trembling as I tore open the buttons on my shirt.

“You want the truth?”I choked out.“Then I’ll show you.”

The moment he saw the scar carved over my heart,the wrench slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.