Outside the church, Caleb walked me to the car.

But he kept checking his phone until a message appeared.

Panic flickered across his face before he quickly masked it with a serious expression.

“Baby, something happened to a friend. I need to go take care of it.”

He kissed my forehead apologetically.

“I’m sorry. Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s our wedding day. I haven’t seen you in your dress yet. I’ve prepared a surprise—you’ll love it.”

I turned my head slightly and nodded. “Okay, go. I’ll wait for you to pick me up tomorrow.”

He smiled, relieved, patted my hand gently, then got into another car and drove off.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm the storm inside me.

Moments later, a notification lit up my phone.

It was a video by Elena.

In it, she was wearing the wedding dress I had ordered.

On her finger was the massive diamond ring that Caleb had custom-made for me.

Caleb gently stroked her hair, eyes full of tenderness.

“Why are you so foolish?” he said. “You shielded her from that wooden plank. What if you'd been hurt?”

“I didn’t do it for her,” Elena replied. “I did it for you. She’s your wife. It’s the least I could do.”

His eyes wavered slightly, then his hand slipped to the bottom of her back.

“Elena, after today, you can finally relax. I’m sure what happened at the banquet has already spread throughout town. Elena will be branded a whore forever. She’ll never be a threat to your place in Caleb’s heart again.”

“Caleb, thank you for thinking of me,” she whispered sweetly. “But it’s not fair to you. You’re so powerful, yet you’re forced to marry someone like her…”

“I don’t need anything in return,” he said hoarsely. His eyes darkened with lust.

“Let me be your bride today, just for a day,” she offered.

“No, Elena,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I want this. Elena... She means nothing. What matters is your happiness. I’ll do anything for that.”

The video ended, but I had no time to breathe.

Another one followed.

“I can only be with her at night when the lights are off, pretending she’s you,” Caleb’s voice moaned. “Elena, my good Elena, come to your brother…”

The driver chuckled from the front seat.

Alarmed, I looked up and noticed the route outside the window was unfamiliar—not heading home, nor to the hospital.

“You won’t be needing a hospital,” he said with a smirk. “Miss Elena has something else planned for you.”

The car stopped abruptly. I flung the door open, only to be overwhelmed by a sharp perfume.

It was Elena.

Gone was her polite facade. She yanked my collar, dragging me out of the car and onto the pavement.

She kicked my face hard, laughing like a madwoman.

“Oh, Elena. You’re filth now—inside and out. Didn’t you and your precious pastor mother always look down on me? Well, now even the street beggars look down on you. How does that feel?”

“I don’t know what spell you cast, but the two Turner brothers were obsessed with you. But look—one trick from me and they both dumped you like garbage!”

She sneered, stepping harder.

“Especially Caleb. Do you really think being pregnant will tie him to you? Do you think you’ll become his beloved wife again with a second ceremony?”

She leaned closer.

“Your wedding dress? Your ring? They’re mine now—secondhand. But I suppose it doesn’t matter. You’re used goods too. Or should I say, nearly third-hand?”

She tilted her head, smirking.

“By the way, I had Caleb keep the guy who slept with you. Maybe tomorrow I’ll join your wedding and let him continue the show—in front of Jesus.”

My mind spun, rage surging in my chest.

She had stolen from my family, and my mother had forgiven her. Not only that—she supported her for ten years, treating her like a foster daughter.

Strict as she may have been, we gave her everything. And was this her repayment?

She wanted me to see it all—just to crush any sympathy Caleb might still have for me now that I was pregnant.

Enraged, I roared and lunged at her.

But before I could reach her, the driver kicked me down. I crashed to the ground, scraping my arm on broken concrete.

Elena shrieked and stumbled back—untouched, unhurt.

Just then, Caleb came running.

But instead of looking at me, he darted straight to her.

He stepped on my hand without even noticing and wrapped his arms around Elena, his voice trembling.

“Elena, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

His face—etched with worry.

His arms—protecting her, not me.

His eyes—never once looking back.

I stared at Caleb, furious and confused, but before I could speak, Elena collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

“Elena, I only wanted to comfort you. Why did you hurt me? You know… I just found out I’m pregnant.”

Her voice trembled with a blend of grievance and bitterness.

“Even if you despise me, the child is innocent.”

As Caleb's eyes widened in surprise, she leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Caleb, this baby… it’s the gift of love God gave us.”

But instead of the joy she clearly expected, his expression shifted to something unreadable.

Then the driver chimed in indignantly, “Boss, I think Madam’s condition has already recovered. She’s sharp as ever. Just now, she cursed Miss Elena, calling her a slut with a bastard child and saying she was a cheap tramp.”

Caleb turned to me, a glint of coldness in his eyes.

“Elena,” he said, voice low and dangerous, “Elena saved my life. I warned everyone—no one touches her, not even my wife.”

He stepped closer, tone biting.

“Why can’t you just behave?”

My voice trembled. “You speak of life-saving debt… and this is how you repay me? With my innocence? With my parents’ lives?”

“You want obedience? You want me to be ruined and still smile as you destroy me?”

His expression stiffened. For a moment, there was panic in his eyes, but he masked it quickly with a sneer.

“You sound insane. Maybe you forgot to take your medicine again. Better lock you up—let you calm down before the ceremony tomorrow.”

I laughed bitterly, a sound full of emptiness.

“Do you even know who saved you?”

Caleb froze, visibly shaken, eyes clouded with confusion.

Elena’s face twisted. Her eyes reddened as she clung to him and cried out,

“The Song family supported me for ten years. Everything I have should’ve belonged to my sister. How could I steal her credit for one small act of kindness? Caleb… how didn’t I see your true nature before?”

The driver, ever eager to stir trouble, added, “Calm down, Madam. But don’t you think Miss Elena deserves to know how it feels to be hurt by someone she trusted?”

At that, Caleb stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.

“You’ve lost all shame! Elena still has dignity! Do you think everyone’s like you—willing to spread their legs for attention?”

Without another glance, he wrapped his arm around Elena and turned to leave.

Just as he stepped away, he paused and looked back, his voice cold:

“Take her back. Lock her up. Let her reflect on her behavior—and bring her to the seaside church tomorrow on time.”

“Yes, Boss,” the driver said eagerly, then turned toward me with a sinister grin.

“You really messed up, didn’t you? Everyone knows Miss Elena is the Boss’s favorite. Now she’s paid me to teach you a lesson.”

He leaned in, breath reeking.

“So don’t blame me for what comes next.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” I shouted.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, the Boss won’t care. Even if he finds out, he’ll side with her.”

Before I could escape, he dragged me and shoved me into the trunk.

After a jarring, painful ride, I was hauled into a cold, damp basement.

The stench of mold and the squeaking of rats chilled me to the bone.

All night, he tortured me in the cruelest ways. To avoid visible injuries, he drove thin needles under my fingernails and toenails.

Ten fingers linked to the heart—every stab sent unbearable pain through me.

I fainted again and again, only to be revived by icy water splashed over me.

By the time I opened my eyes again, it was the next day.

My body felt shattered—bruised, broken, aching in every fiber.

Next to me, my phone buzzed endlessly.

The screen was filled with posts from Elena—boasting, flaunting.

“Love shows in how a man spends,” she wrote smugly.

She wore the ruby necklace Caleb had bought at auction, dazzling against her pale skin.

Together, they unveiled his new yacht—named Elena.

Champagne poured down the tower while the two of them beamed at each other. Their affection so showy it made me ill.

But I felt nothing. I was numb. Empty.

Slowly, I reached beneath the bed, pulling out what I had hidden there long ago.

The divorce papers.

The wound examination from the rescue I performed in Canada five years ago.

A recent pregnancy test.

I laid them out neatly in the most visible spot.

Outside, Caleb’s men stood guard at the villa gate.

I dragged myself up, climbed through the window with agonizing effort, and looked out over the waves crashing beneath the cliffside estate.

In the distance, a small, barely noticeable boat approached.

Then my phone lit up again.

It was Caleb.

His message read:

“Do you realize your mistake now? Apologize to Elena at the ceremony tomorrow. She’s willing to forgive you.”

“Be good, Elena. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

I typed back slowly:

“My biggest mistake was saving the man in black who washed up on the shores of Canada, stabbed seven times, bleeding to death—five years ago.”

I glanced down, gently placing my hand on my belly.

Then, without hesitation, I jumped into the sea.

I didn’t know that the phone I left behind had begun vibrating violently, almost desperately, on the floor.

At the same time, inside the Turner family villa—

Caleb had just glanced at the incoming message on his phone when Elena covered his eyes with her hands.

“You promised to focus on me and the baby before the ceremony today,” she murmured.

Caleb replied calmly, though a hint of impatience crept into his voice.

“It looks like a message from Elena. Let me check it first.”

Reluctantly, Elena withdrew her hand, looking aggrieved. Her tears fell silently onto his shoulder.

“Caleb, Elena has always been jealous because you’re so good to me. She constantly insults me behind your back—calling me a parentless bastard. I know my engagement to Caleb hurt her deeply, but it’s not my fault she dressed provocatively and drew the wrong kind of attention. She wanted me tainted just because she felt ruined herself. If she’s messaged you to complain, then fine—I’ll take the blame if it’ll make her feel better. Just… don’t argue with her over me.”

She often said things like this. In the past, Caleb usually brushed it off without thought.

But yesterday, Elena’s words had stirred something in him.

A strange unease lingered—like she’d discovered something he wasn’t ready to face.

He was about to respond, but then Elena turned away, tears still glistening in her eyes. Her delicate hands slowly moved to caress her barely visible belly.

His frustration softened instantly. A wave of guilt and tenderness surged within him.

“Alright, alright,” he said gently. “I won’t check it. I’ll go make cakes for you and the baby now, okay?”

As soon as Caleb stepped out, Elena grabbed his phone and checked the screen.

The moment she read my last message, her expression darkened. Her lips curved with disdain as her fingers quickly slid across the screen to delete it without hesitation.

She was just about to put the phone down when a new message popped up—this time, a chilling threat:

"Caleb, your wife and child are in my hands. Ransom is 100 million by 7 PM. One cent short, and you can pick up their corpses.”

Elena recognized the number immediately.

She’d been by Caleb’s side long enough to know—it was the rival gang boss’s burner line.

Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk as she swiftly typed back:

“That bitch and her bastard aren’t worth a single cent. I’m done playing with them. Do what you want. When you’re finished, feed the bodies to the fish. I don’t care.”

Feeling victorious, she chuckled quietly.

She was certain I was in the rival gang’s hands now. Escape was impossible. Death was guaranteed tonight.

And once I was gone, no one would ever learn the truth—that I was the one who had saved Caleb five years ago.

She could go on pretending to be his savior, gaining sympathy, privilege, and power.

As long as she kept the Turner brothers in check, the Turner family fortune would eventually be hers alone.

Humming contentedly, she leaned back in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Caleb gave a casual order to the staff.

“Elena’s pregnant and craving sweets. Make a rum cheesecake.”

The servants looked surprised.

“But sir, rum cheesecake has alcohol. Pregnant women shouldn’t eat much of that. The lady is expecting? Why weren’t we informed?”

Caleb froze.

Suspicion crept in.

Just yesterday, they were drinking champagne.

His stomach churned. He turned and walked briskly back to the room, intending to confront Elena.

As he approached, laughter spilled from the other side of the door—Elena’s voice, light and triumphant.

“Thanks for helping me teach that bitch a lesson yesterday. I’ll definitely reward you.”

Caleb stopped in his tracks.

“Reward me? For what? Caleb’s stuck babysitting that little whore tonight. Caleb won’t be back for a month. If you want your reward, come to me tonight.”

Each word was lewd, explicit.

It sent a chill straight through him.

The woman he thought had risked everything to save his life—the woman he believed to be kind, pure, and courageous—was… like this?

And yet, she had saved him.

So he had promised himself to protect her for life.

But the game she was playing… it had to end now.

He gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

For the first time, he ignored her flirting and coldly ordered his younger brother to retrieve the phone from the room.

Then he left the villa without a word.

At the church, Caleb sat restlessly.

He adjusted his tie. Checked the bouquet again.

He and Elena had been married for so long, yet today, he felt like a nervous schoolboy.

The heavy wooden door creaked open. His breath caught.

But it wasn’t Elena.

It was his younger brother, pale and trembling, clutching the phone in his hand.

“Boss… bad news,” he stammered.

“Sister-in-law… she… she’s been kidnapped!”