For the seven years after our marriage, I spend whole nights in the prayer room before he will even touch me.

Eric Compton says it is to atone for what I owe Monica Lynch.

When his mother, Barbara Lane, pushes me to fulfill my wifely duties again, I overhear Eric's friends laughing.

"Let me think. How many rounds of IVF has Avery done this year? She's trying very hard to get pregnant."

"She probably doesn't know there's no way she's ever getting pregnant with Eric's kid."

Eric scoffs. "Every time we're done, I give her a glass of milk. After all these years of birth control, it'd be a miracle if she got pregnant."

He adds, "Everything she's suffered through is just payback for driving Monica away."

I smile bitterly and send the recording to Richard Compton.

"I'm not the lucky one meant to carry on the Compton name. Can I go now?"

A wave of pain spread through the clusters of needle marks on my arm.

After all these years of going through countless IVF treatments and taking countless medications, my body was ruined.

But everyone said I was the problem.

Filled with guilt, I blamed myself and put up with Eric Compton's bad temper in every way.

In the end, I found out that it was all because of the glasses of milk he'd handed me himself.

I stood frozen like a statue while the mocking laughter in the room continued.

"Not bad, Eric. Avery's always been so cold and distant, but you've got her listening to every command. The two of you must be doing pretty great in bed, huh?"

Eric raised his eyebrows. "It's Avery who begs me for it, so I'm just using her for practice. Monica's coming back soon. What if I hurt her?"

Eric added, "Monica's not some country bumpkin like Avery who can handle it rough. She's delicate."

When he mentioned Monica Lynch, the soft look on his face made my eyes sting with tears. Every word he said felt like a slap.

I clenched my teeth and swallowed the taste of blood in my mouth.

In truth, this marriage had been forced on me by Eric's grandfather, Richard Compton.

I was a poor student sponsored by the Comptons. Back in college, the Compton family was on the edge of bankruptcy, and Monica had broken off her engagement with Eric and left the country.

Afraid the truth would crush Eric, Richard hid it behind the broken engagement and begged me to marry Eric instead.

To repay Richard's kindness, I said yes.

So, I stayed by Eric's side for seven years and helped him rebuild the Compton family business piece by piece.

I thought I had finally earned his affection. However, he treated me coldly and was extremely rough in bed.

Nevertheless, the glasses of warm milk he always brought me gave me hope. They made me believe he still had a shred of kindness toward me.

But it turned out that everything was a lie. He slept with me just for practice, and the milk was just to drug me.

Eric was just being cruel to me!

Then, someone said, "I heard your mom slapped Avery in front of the guests at the banquet—all because of her infertility."

Eric scoffed and indifferently said, "It serves her right. When she drove Monica away, she should have known this was waiting for her.

"I think my mom didn't even slap her hard enough!"

His cold, heartless words hit me hard.

So, he had known all along. He knew about all the pain and suffering I went through trying to get pregnant.

I was such a fool to worry that he would be upset. Alone, I swallowed all my grievances and pretended nothing was wrong.

Upon looking back now, watching me suffer must have brought him nothing but satisfaction!

I closed my eyes, and the last thread holding me together snapped.

Just then, my phone lit up with several new messages from Richard.

"We're the ones who wronged you. I'll arrange for you to leave in three days."

I dragged my tired feet home only to see my things scattered all over the floor.

The moment I saw the framed photo on the ground, the color drained from my face.

I picked it up with trembling hands. With red-rimmed eyes, I screamed at the housekeeper, "Who gave you permission to touch my dad's photo?"

She didn't even bother to look up and coldly replied, "Mr. Compton gave the order. If you have a problem, take it up with him."

Her tone was full of contempt, as if I wasn't the lady of the house. After all, I was probably worth less than trash in the Compton family.

Just then, a voice came from behind me.

"I told them to do it. What about it?"

I turned around to see Eric impatiently staring at me.

"Monica's coming back. She loves places that face the sun, so move out of your room. You'll sleep in the staff quarters."

He glanced at my worn-out clothes on the floor and sneered, "After all, that's the life you've always known, right? It doesn't seem like it's beneath you."

Eric had always looked down on my humble background. He believed that marrying me was an insult to his status as the Compton family's heir.

Marrying above one's station had always been like this. No matter how much it hurt, I had to swallow all my grievances and keep quiet.

But now, I no longer wanted to put up with it.

I quietly picked up my father's photo and stood up to leave.

When I didn't head toward the staff quarters, Eric frowned and grabbed my hand. "Where are you going?"

I flatly answered, "Since Monica is coming back, I won't stay here and be an eyesore."

Eric clicked his tongue and said, "At least you know your place. But there's no need to move out."

He looked up and spoke like he was being generous. "Monica said what she missed most while abroad was your beef stew. You can stay here for a while and cook for her."

Then, he seemed to remember something and coldly added, "Don't tell her I ever touched you. You know what will happen if she finds out." He tightened his grip on my wrist and looked at me with a threatening gaze.

I could almost taste the bitterness in the milk again—the ones he had laced with birth control.

I nodded. "Don't worry. I won't bother either of you." I never will again.

Eric nodded in satisfaction and went upstairs.

In just a few minutes, the company's styling team arrived with the latest designer suits and luxury watches.

I had never seen Eric so eager or invested. He had truly gone all out for Monica. However, he'd only ever showed me his miserable and worn-down side.

…

That night, Eric brought Monica home.

When she saw me in the house staff's uniform carrying beef stew, a flash of amusement crossed her eyes. She said with fake remorse, "How could I let you cook for me, Avery? You're Eric's wife, after all."

Eric affectionately looked at her. "To me, you're my true wife. It's her honor to cook for you."

I stood there stiffly, listening to them flirt in front of me. Just as I was about to set the stew down, someone bumped my elbow.

The scalding beef stew spilled, and the back of my hand turned red from the burn. Before I could even cry out in pain, Eric shoved me aside and yelled, "Can't you be more careful? What if you hurt Monica?"

He gently picked Monica up and knelt in front of the couch with a frown. Then, he carefully wiped the stew off her high heels.

I looked up and met Monica's taunting gaze.

"Eric, is Avery mad? I only said I wanted her beef stew. I didn't mean to treat her like a maid."

Her pitiful expression stirred Eric's need to protect her. He turned to me, and the look in his eyes suddenly darkened.

He marched over and slammed my hands onto the shattered porcelain on the floor. "How dare you try to hurt Monica? You won't learn your lesson until you're punished, will you?"

His anger didn't subside until my hands were torn and bleeding.

When he saw me grit my teeth in silence, Eric froze for a moment. Then, his grip eased slightly.

Just then, Monica's voice rang out, "Eric, let's go upstairs. Didn't you say you had a gift for me?"

When Eric heard what Monica said, he stood up.

Before walking away, he coldly said, "Go reflect on your mistakes in the prayer room. You can come out when you realize what you did wrong!"

He then had someone throw me into the dark room—the place I was always punished in.

Right on the other side of the wall was Eric's bedroom.

Inside, Monica's playful voice rang out, "Eric, I'm not hurt. Why were you so harsh toward Avery?"

"Scaring you was her biggest mistake! Besides, she's rough and tough. Locking her up won't hurt her," Eric replied.

Then, the faint rustling of clothes followed.

Monica's voice was soft and sweet as she said, "Eric, you're a married man. What we're doing isn't right."

Eric's tone was full of affection as he replied, "You don't know how cheap she smells. I feel disgusted just touching her. You've been the only one I've loved all these years.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't hurt…"

Their moans and whispers slipped through the crack in the door, grating on my ears.

I stared at the cross in the prayer room, wondering what I had done wrong to deserve this kind of suffering.

…

Eric had completely forgotten about my existence.

I was locked in the dark room for three days, and he'd spent the whole time tangled up with Monica.

Meanwhile, the shards of porcelain were still stuck in my wounds, and no one had treated them. It was the height of summer too, and I could already smell the stench of rot.

By the time Eric finally remembered that I was still around, I was exhausted and starving. I had even fainted several times before.

When the door opened, a housekeeper dumped a bucket of cold water over me.

"What's that smell? It stinks!"

A few of them dragged me out with looks of pure disgust.

"Did you think marrying Mr. Compton means you've moved up in the world? Only a real heiress like Ms. Lynch deserves a man like him," one of the housekeepers said.

They shoved me roughly into the fountain and blasted me with water from spray nozzles.

Once they cleaned me up, they brought me straight to Eric.

Eric glanced at me and said in surprise, "You really are tough! Three days locked up and you're still standing.

"Grandpa wants me to bring you to the family banquet. Clean yourself up and don't embarrass me."

Then, he tossed me a gown and frowned. "Grandpa said he has an important announcement. What's so serious that he has to make a whole scene out of it?"

I knew exactly what it was—Richard was going to end the marriage and let me go.

When he saw the bit of hope on my face, Eric warned, "Don't even think about complaining to Grandpa. If Monica feels wronged, you'll pay for it tenfold."

Then, just as I was about to get in the car that night, Monica rolled down the passenger-side window and apologetically smiled.

"Avery, I have car sickness. Do you mind if I take the front seat?"

I ignored her provocation and quietly opened the back door.

Eric frowned and glared at me before turning to her. "You're too kind for your own good, always worrying about others. My passenger seat is meant for you. No one else gets to sit there."

…

At the banquet, I sat alone in a corner. All the while, I watched Monica cling to Eric as they mingled with the crowd.

Meanwhile, the guests threw mocking glances my way. Still, I couldn't care less. After all, I had been a joke to everyone for seven years. All I cared about now was that Richard would finally let me leave.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in my line of sight. I tensed up instantly.

"Avery, how dare you show up to the family banquet?"