I wanted to tell Rachel that she'd given me a new weapon to use against her. I hoped she wouldn't blame me for being cruel.

…

I became Gerald's lover and moved into an upscale apartment. He frowned when he saw the mask I'd worn the whole day. "Why are you wearing a mask when it's so hot outside?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I lowered my head. His patience ran out, and he grabbed me by the shoulder. I couldn't help gasping in pain; tears filled my eyes.

He stripped me and pursed his lips tightly when he saw the bruises all over my body. He knew exactly what had happened and said apologetically, "Rach was spoiled while growing up. You'll have to bear with it."

In Gerald's eyes, being his lover and suffering Rachel's wrath came hand-in-hand. I looked at him pitifully, which made him ruffle his hair irritably. His gaze turned cold as he looked at me. "Rachel and I have been engaged since we were young. If you can't accept that, we'll have to—"

I removed the mask, making him abruptly stop talking. A horrific wound marred my flawless face. He sucked in a breath at the sight. Then, his gaze went from shock to guilt and finally to calmness.

He didn't question the wound or get angry. Instead, he looked at me silently, seemingly saying, "Bear with it, Lucy."

I was just a lover, after all. Rachel was the fiancée his family had chosen for him.

Gerald contacted the best doctor available and instructed him to treat my face. That night, we were lying in bed with our arms around each other when his phone rang.

"Where have you been for the past few days, Gerry?" Rachel screeched on the other end of the line. "Are you with that peasant? How can you treat me like this?"

The rumors of us being together had ultimately reached her ears. Gerald frowned, looking like he had a headache. "Calm down, Rach. I'll spend the day with you tomorrow, okay?"

She wept uncontrollably. "When we were kids, you swore I was the only one you would love…"

She was a spoiled heiress—so spoiled that to this day, she still dreamed of having a happy-ever-after with her Prince Charming.

I smiled when I heard her furious screeches. Then, I put on a generous and gentle act. "You should go and be with Ms. Somner, Mr. Lindt. I'll be okay on my own.

I knew Gerald didn't care about me, but I still wanted to make it seem like he genuinely had feelings for me. My words grated on Rachel's nerves. She screamed, "This is only happening because of you, you vixen!"

Gerald's headache worsened. He wanted Rachel to be quiet, but I was the only one who was being docile and compliant.

Rachel cried, "I'll tell my uncles to stop investing in your company if you betray me, Gerry! You'd better think before you act!"

Gerald's expression darkened. Then, for the first time, he said something harsh to her. "Do you think I'll die without your family's support, Rachel?"

I couldn't help beaming in the darkness. Rachel had hurt Gerald's ego—to men, their egos meant more than their lives.

I'd spent several days with Gerald thus far and knew that underneath his gentle appearance, he was a domineering man. He couldn't stand being threatened or held hostage by anyone.

He hung up. Almost immediately, his phone rang again, but he rejected the call. This happened repeatedly until Rachel finally gave up. Gerald and I were left alone in the silence and darkness. We held each other in a tight embrace.

He traced the scar on my face, which was almost invisible now. "I'm sorry for neglecting you in the past, Lucy. I'll treat you well from now on."

I struck while the iron was hot and tried to hold back my tears as I asked, "You wanted to know how my sister died, right?"

I clutched his collar tightly and took in his heavy expression while revealing the festering wound in my heart. "My sister's name was Lila White. She was beaten to death by Rachel and the rest of her evil entourage while bound, so she couldn't retaliate.

"They gave her an internal hemorrhage and ruptured her skull with their violence! She died from the pain after suffering inhumane torment!"