“Valerie!”

Stephen grabbed a fruit knife from the table and pressed it hard against my throat. “Tell me where she is?”

When I remained silent, the blade pressed down another fraction. Only when my collar turned crimson did the fury in his eyes give way to panic.

Seizing his momentary lapse, I grabbed the knife handle and plunged it deep into his arm.

His bodyguards swarmed forward, pinning me to the floor. Stephen clutched his wound, staring at me as if I were a stranger. Then he suddenly laughed.

“Valerie, you did a good job!”

After forcing the address out of him, I was bound and dragged to the scene. His men panicked the moment they saw me as a hostage.

Tabitha pushed him away and screamed for help, “Stephen, save me! I’m in so much pain!”

Neither side was willing to release me; the situation was tense and Stephen couldn’t wait any longer.

“Release Tabitha and I’ll release Valerie. We’ll exchange!”

Before his men could react, Stephen shoved me away and charged toward Tabitha with all his might. He cradled the woman in his arms with utmost tenderness, like a lost treasure finally recovered.

A scene I knew all too well. A year ago, I was kidnapped by Stephen’s enemies.

He went alone, braving a hail of bullets, trading his life for mine. Only this time, I was the bargaining chip, the one he abandoned.

“It’s all that bitch’s fault! Stephen, help me kill her!”

Tabitha cried, pressing Stephen’s hand against her leg. “I can’t stand up anymore, Stephen. I can’t dance for you anymore!”

Stephen loved girls who could dance. Like Tabitha, I was discovered by him in a bar. That day, he excitedly brought Tabitha before me.

“Look, she dances just as beautifully as you.”

His eyes sparkled, like he’d found the most fascinating new toy. Back then, I didn’t care. I naively thought he was just playing around, never imagining he’d become so attached to his toy.

I snapped back to reality as a gun pressed against my forehead.

“Valerie, I told you before, there won’t be a next time!” His voice was colder than the gun.

“What? Are you going to kill me to avenge her?”

I broke free from the ropes and staggered toward him. “Shoot me then! What? Too scared now?”

The veins in Stephen’s gun-gripping hand bulged violently. He swung the barrel and fired at my subordinate.

“Valerie!” His eyes blazed crimson. “You should be grateful I didn’t kill you!”

He scooped Tabitha into his arms and walked away without looking back.

***

I camped outside the ICU for two days while my subordinate remained unconscious.

“Miss Powell, it’s not pleasant to have your lover hold a gun to your head, is it?”

Tabitha appeared before me in a wheelchair, a smug look on her face.

I replied, “Thanks for your concern. It was more comfortable than having my leg broken.”

Tabitha’s hand on her knee tightened momentarily before she continued.

“You must be disappointed. No matter what tricks you pull, Stephen doesn’t love you anymore!”

She traced her fingers along her neck, deliberately exposing the overlapping bruises. “You’ve been married to him for three years and haven’t been able to have a child. But I’m different! I got pregnant on the first try.”

I curled my lip in disdain. “There are only two types of cheating: never and countless times. The world is full of girls like you, who can dance and get pregnant.”

I stared down at her legs from above. “Oh, I forgot. You can’t dance anymore.”

“So what makes you think you can keep his heart, when all you can do is bear children?”

“It’s all because of you!”

Stephen’s voice echoed from the corridor corner. Tabitha’s smile twisted into a grimace.

“Valerie, watch this closely!”

With strength from somewhere unknown, she clenched her fist and slammed it hard into her own stomach.

“Ah!”

She let out a piercing scream. Stephen, who was passing by, panicked.

“My baby!”

“Valerie! Why did you do this to me?”

Stephen raised his hand without hesitation, delivering a sharp, sweeping blow.

Smack!

A crisp, resounding crack echoed as my face was violently jerked to the side. Since I’d known Stephen, he’d raised his hand twice.

The first time was three years ago, when I rejected his marriage proposal for my freedom. He broke the legs of everyone I was involved with. The second time was now, for another woman.

“What a touching display of affection!”

I licked my lips, locking eyes with Stephen.

“Since you’re convinced I did this, no one will have it easy from now on!”

That same day, I held a press conference announcing the termination of charitable funding for impoverished students. Once public outrage reached its peak, I exposed every detail of Tabitha’s actions.

“I provided her with a high-paying job to improve her life, yet she committed such an immoral act. I am deeply distressed and hereby clarify the situation, hoping for everyone’s understanding.”

Public outrage erupted. Online media exposed Tabitha’s past and even the company’s stock price plummeted.

Stephen, who had always prioritized stock performance above all, remained silent this time, focused solely on suppressing the backlash.

Facing questioning from numerous shareholders, he stood his ground, stating he didn’t want to hurt Tabitha.

“Valerie, I’ve told you that there won’t be a next time!”

After the meeting, Stephen delivered his ultimatum to me, his expression dark.

I guarded myself fiercely, even moving into the office, terrified that any unexpected situation might catch me unprepared.

Yet my business was doing well, receiving public sympathy and profits even surged. Until a phone call came.

“Miss Powell, your brother Xavier has committed suicide!”

The phone slipped from my hand as I trembled, directing the driver to rush to the rehabilitation center.

Xavier’s hospital room was in utter disarray, with only a caregiver standing guard outside the emergency room.

“Where’s Dr. Rodriguez? Did Stephen snatch him away?”

I had no parents. My brother and I depended on each other. He dreamed of becoming a football player, but Stephen shattered his leg with a single blow.

The doctors said he’d never walk again. He sank into depression, fixated on ending his life.

I refused to accept it. I spared no expense to find the top rehabilitation specialists, pleading desperately for my brother to try one more time.

The rehabilitation of his legs was progressing well. Just as Xavier seemed to be emerging from his shadow, Stephen snatched away the doctor, driving him to jump from a building.

The door to the emergency room opened and the doctor’s expression was grave.

“The rescue was successful, but I strongly advise you to find that rehabilitation doctor again. Otherwise, he’s likely to attempt suicide once more.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Stephen walked over, accompanied by a radiant Tabitha. Hearing the news of the successful rescue, he actually showed a hint of disappointment.

Tabitha spoke sarcastically, “Miss Powell, you really know how to pick doctors! Look at my legs, they’re almost healed already.”

“You bitch!”

I angrily raised my arm to slap her face, but Stephen pushed me away forcefully. “It’s just a doctor. Why are you acting like this??”

“Then give him back to me!” I grabbed Stephen’s sleeve, refusing to let him leave.

“Xavier only has this one chance! If we miss it, he’ll die!”

Stephen brushed my hand away with contempt, showing no mercy. “Then let him die. He is a useless piece of trash. Why waste resources?”

He continued, “Besides, Tabitha’s leg matters far more than your brother’s life.”

I froze in place, staring at Stephen’s face, suddenly feeling utterly unfamiliar. “I was wrong, Stephen. I’m sorry. I won’t dare again. Please, just give me back to the doctor.”

My soul split in two halves. One half shed tears, forced a smile and apologized earnestly. The other half burned with hatred, searing me with excruciating pain.

“Why are you crying?”

Stephen smiled like a victor, wiping away my tears. “I’ll just give him back to you.”

But the next day, the person who returned was the doctor’s assistant. The phone rang.

“Valerie, I left the doctor with Tabitha. The assistant’s skills are sufficient to treat your brother.”

I asked firmly, “Why did you lie to me?”

“There’s no need for so many questions. Tabitha said her leg hurt.”

His voice came through the receiver, its coldness nearly freezing my ears.

“If it weren’t for you.”

Before he could finish, I hung up, too furious to speak for a long while.

“Valerie, don’t be sad. I don’t need the doctor anymore.”

Xavier outside the door seemed to have been listening for a long time. I pulled myself together, offered him a smile and soothed him softly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely bring Dr. Rodriguez back for you.”

I drove to Stephen’s office, only to be told by his new secretary that he was on vacation.

“You really don’t know where he is?”

I pressed again. Since Tabitha’s miscarriage, Stephen had moved out of the villa and never returned. I hadn’t seen him for a while.

The secretary’s expression was odd, tinged with a pity I couldn’t quite decipher. He hesitated, then finally spoke, “You... you should go to the estate Mr. Stein newly purchased.”

An estate? My heart sank. Hesitantly, I drove toward that familiar place etched in my memory.

Winton Manor was the first stop on my honeymoon with Stephen. I once dreamed of owning it. Back then, Stephen promised that once we were wealthy, he’d buy it for me as our third-anniversary gift.

Now we were indeed wealthy enough. The estate was even more beautiful than when I first saw it, the air itself heavy with floral fragrance. None of this was for me.

Hidden in a corner, I heard romantic music and saw a sea of blooming flowers.

Amidst the blossoms, Stephen knelt on one knee. The diamond ring on Tabitha’s finger sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.

The ring on my ring finger, now a dull, lifeless band, stung fiercely. I looked down to find it had long since lost its lustre.

The pain was unbearable. I yanked the ring off.

Only as I tossed it into the trash did I realize today was the third anniversary of my marriage to Stephen.

Stephen’s emotional voice carried over and said, “Tabitha, this estate will be your home from now on!”

I snorted derisively, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag and deliberately flicked it onto the pile of expensive decorations.

The spring breeze blew gently, making the cigarette butt’s ember glow brighter. By the time everyone noticed, the entire stage was engulfed in flames.

The raging inferno engulfed Tabitha’s skirt. A piercing scream split the sky, throwing the entire estate into chaos.

Seizing this opportunity, I rushed into the manor’s interior and finally found Dr. Rodriguez, who had been imprisoned.

His clothes were disheveled, limbs stiff. He’d clearly been bound for hours. It was far from the state Stephen claimed he was in while treating Tabitha.

I hurried to help the doctor up, only to collide head-on with Stephen. Both looked utterly dishevelled—their elegant gowns scorched with gaping holes, faces caked in soot.

Tabitha snapped, “What are you doing here? Did you ruin my proposal?”

“Proposal?” I narrowed my eyes, sizing up their attire before letting out a derisive snort.

“My wife is standing right here. What proposal are you talking about?”

Stephen met my gaze, his eyes holding no trace of guilt, only fury at his ruined proposal.

“I couldn’t marry her, so I’m giving her a proper proposal ceremony. Got a problem with that?”

“Whatever. You could make up a hundred of them. It’s none of my business.”

Faced with Stephen’s favouritism toward Tabitha, I displayed indifference for the first time. Stephen seemed surprised, but I ignored him and continued walking forward with the doctor.

Behind me, Tabitha wouldn’t let it go, blocking my path. “You’re not leaving! You must have started the fire!”

I replied, “Don’t make baseless accusations without evidence.”

Stephen pulled the crying Tabitha into his arms, yet his gaze lingered on me.

“We’ll investigate. Once we find out who ruined our proposal, I’ll make her regret ever being born!”