I'm betrothed to Hylton Miller from the moment I'm born.

For as long as I can remember, he protects and loves me like I'm already his wife.

Even if I get a tiny splinter on my hand, he holds it carefully as he gently clips it away.

That is, until the young woman his family sponsors offends a client and is about to be sent to Zubania.

He drugs me with a glass of wine. When I wake up, I'm in a foreign country and trapped in an illegal factory.

Here, I endure inhuman abuse, torment, even humiliation...

At my lowest, when despair almost swallows me whole, that sponsored young woman appears before me in a pristine, custom-made white gown.

She smiles sweetly and presses the play button on a voice recording.

And from the speaker comes the voice I long for every day and night. "It's fine. Alina's the young lady of the Winslet family—they won't do anything to her. But Priscilla? She's different. Worst case, I'll make it up to Alina when she gets back…"

In that moment, it feels like someone tears my heart open with their bare hands.

I lay on the cold concrete floor, every inch of my body screaming in pain.

The men who had just tortured me left with satisfied smiles on their faces, laughing and fastening their pants as they walked away.

The air reeked of a nauseating stench, and I retched instinctively, but nothing came up.

Just then, the door opened again, and a few people in staff uniforms walked in.

"Put these on. You can leave now."

One of them threw a few sets of clean clothes at my feet, his tone laced with disdain.

I forced my eyes open from exhaustion and stared at the clothes on the ground, feeling momentarily dazed.

Leave? Leave for where?

My thoughts spiraled out of control and drifted back into the past.

Half a year. It had been a full six months since I'd been imprisoned in this hellish illegal factory.

I was forced to work 16 hours every day. My hands were covered in thick calluses. The skin on my fingertips were cracked and bleeding.

The foremen here beat and cursed at us trafficked workers as if we weren't human. We were just tools in their eyes.

And worse, in this place filled with nothing but men, I couldn't even protect my body. I had even gotten pregnant once, only to miscarry from the extreme labor before I realized what had happened.

This place was like hell, and I had been barely clinging to life for six long months.

Numbly, I picked up the clothes and put them on piece by piece, dressing my bruised and battered body. The clothes were clean, unlike the ragged uniform I'd worn every day for the past half-year.

They shoved me out of the place that had held me prisoner for so long, and my mind went blank.

I couldn't remember how I got on the plane. I didn't remember the flight at all.

The entire process felt like a dream. All I knew was that I was finally leaving that nightmare.

When the plane landed, I finally realized—I was home.

At the exit of the airport, a familiar figure was waiting.

Hylton Miller—my childhood friend, my fiancé, and the one I used to trust most.

The moment he saw me, a gentle smile lit up his face—warm and kind, just like I remembered.

He walked toward me, opening his arms to embrace me. "Lina, you're finally back. I missed you so much."

His voice was still as pleasant as ever, and his eyes shimmered.

But all I felt was a wave of rising nausea.

I remembered the drink he handed me that night. I remembered waking up in a foreign land, consumed by despair.

Most of all, I remembered the recording his secretary, Priscilla Ashton, played for me during the first month of my captivity.

"It's fine. Alina's the young lady of the Winslet family—they won't do anything to her. But Priscilla? She's different. Worst case, I'll make it up to Alina when she gets back…"

In the recording, Hylton sounded calm and calculated.

To him, I was nothing more than a disposable pawn, someone he could offer up and later toss a few scraps of "compensation" to, as though nothing had ever happened.

And now, he had the nerve to come pick me up smilingly as if everything was perfectly normal.

The moment his hand touched me, I felt a surge of revulsion and instinctively flung his hand away. The force surprised even me.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, my voice so hoarse that it didn't sound like my own.

People at the airport started turning to look, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

Hylton's smile froze. A flash of confusion and hurt passed through his gaze.

"Lina, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He reached out again, trying to comfort me.

"I said don't touch me!"

"Lina, what's going on with you?" Hylton asked, furrowing his brows.

I didn't answer. I simply stepped back to keep some distance between us.

Hylton took a deep breath and adjusted his expression, softening his tone. "I know you got tanned in Zubania, and you're upset. Don't be mad, okay? Just come home with me."

I was upset because I got tanned? Did he think I was on a vacation?

I thought I was already numb, but at that moment, a prickly pain wrapped tightly around my heart.

I stared at his hand coldly, unmoved.

His hand lingered awkwardly in the air. When he saw I wasn't responding, he withdrew it in embarrassment.

"Today's my mom's birthday. Everyone's waiting for you."

I nodded silently and followed him to the parking lot but kept a full arm's length between us the whole way.

Hylton opened the passenger door. I ignored him as I circled to the backseat, pulling the door open and getting in the car.

He paused for a second but said nothing. Then, he closed the door and got into the driver's seat.

Perhaps it was too obvious I didn't want to talk to him, but Hylton tried to break the silence with small talk.

"My parents got a small orange cat. I remember you always liked orange cats. He likes snuggling with women. He'll probably be all over you when we get back."

I stared out the window at the scenery flashing by, not responding.

He hesitated, then changed the subject. "By the way, Priscilla and I picked out a welcome gift for you last week. You always liked that bracelet, right? I finally managed to get it."

A wave of absurdity and disbelief rose in me. I turned to stare at him through the rearview mirror, trying to see through him.

His eyes were bright, the corners of his lips lifting in a relaxed smile. He was no different from the person I'd known all my life. He even remembered I liked orange cats and which bracelet I had my eye on.

I couldn't help but wonder if the past six months had just been a nightmare. How else could he act this natural and unaffected, as if nothing had happened?

I didn't understand. How could someone be like this?

A chill crept up from the pit of my stomach. It was hard to breathe, as though an invisible hand was gripping my heart.

The car finally stopped in front of the Miller residence, the place I once thought would be my future home.

After turning off the engine, Hylton got out and came around to my side. Opening the car door, he reached out to put his arm around my shoulders like he used to.

"We're home, Lina."

The moment his hand came close, flashes of those forced encounters played through my mind.

I jerked away violently, nausea surging up from my stomach. I rushed to the side of the road and bent over, dry-heaving. My stomach was empty, but I couldn't stop retching.

Hylton's expression finally changed. "Alina, that's enough!"

He walked over, voice low and tense. "It's my mom's birthday. Don't ruin it for everyone."

Just then, the villa door opened. Hylton's parents and Priscilla stepped out, having heard the commotion.

"You're back, Lina!" Emma Smith, Hylton's mother, walked over quickly, a beaming smile on her face.

Hylton's father, Robert Miller, followed behind. He was holding a glass of red wine. "Come in. We've been waiting a long time."

I straightened up, but my gaze went past them, landing directly on Priscilla.

She was wearing the luxurious dress Hylton had given me for my birthday last year. Around her neck was the pearl necklace I had spent 700,000 dollars to win at an auction. I loved the necklace.

So, while I was gone, my clothes, my bags, my jewelry… Everything of mine had been handed over to her!

"Lina, you don't look so well. Do you want to rest for a bit?" Emma asked kindly.

I didn't answer. I just stared straight at Priscilla.

"What's wrong, Lina?" Priscilla lowered her gaze slightly as she felt my stare, the corners of her mouth even curled with a perfectly measured touch of shyness.

She was acting as though nothing happened.

Emma didn't notice the undercurrent between us and remained cheerful as she tugged at my arm. "It's cold out. Come in and warm up."

Hylton must have sensed the awkwardness. He cleared his throat and offered an explanation for Priscilla. "Lina, you didn't take many clothes with you to Zubania, and those were just sitting there. Priscilla didn't have much to wear recently, so I let her use them for now. I'll buy you new ones later."

He said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. My clothes and my necklace were now someone else's emergency stash. And that someone was Priscilla.

I tugged at the corner of my lips, giving a smile that didn't quite qualify as one.

Saying nothing, I followed them into the villa.

The living room was nice and warm. The dining table was piled high with lavish dishes. Robert was already seated at the head of the table, waiting.

Priscilla walked over to Emma naturally, helping her set the tableware. She chatted familiarly with Robert, making him laugh heartily.

Emma patted her hand with affection. "You're so thoughtful, Priscilla."

In just half a year, she was already thriving here.

I was seated next to Hylton, and Priscilla sat across from him.

Throughout the meal, Emma and Robert kept piling food onto my plate and checking on me.

"Lina, you're so tanned and thin now. You must've had a rough time at the Zubania branch these past six months," Emma remarked with concern.

"Eat more. These are all your favorites," Robert added.

I didn't have much appetite and only moved my spoon around symbolically.

On the other hand, Priscilla acted composed and confident, frequently serving Emma and Robert. She even placed some of Hylton's favorite dishes on his plate. She even knew that Hylton didn't eat scallions or ginger.

Every move—every glance—quietly asserted her place.

She acted like the lady of the house, and I felt like a guest who didn't belong.

Hylton seemed pleased with the atmosphere, a smile playing on his lips the entire time.

He picked out a rib for me. "Try this. Freya made this just for you."

I looked at the glossy rib on my plate, feeling my stomach churn again.

Priscilla raised her head and looked at me with concern. "Lina, why aren't you eating? Is it not to your taste? I can ask Freya to make something else for you."

She sounded soft and innocent.

I couldn't take it anymore. I slammed my spoon down on the table.

The warmth at the table turned to stone.

Hylton's expression darkened. He was evidently annoyed. "Enough! Alina, why the hell are you throwing a tantrum?"

"I'm throwing a tantrum?" I let out a cold laugh, my gaze sweeping past him and Priscilla, finally landing on Emma's and Robert's stunned faces.

Hylton's brows furrowed tightly, and he lowered his voice with warning. "All I did was send you to Zubania for a short break. Priscilla even arranged a vacation for you. You didn't have to work. Is that really a reason to come back with this attitude? It's my mom's birthday!"

A short break?

Those words hit me like a truck.

I went through the beatings, the abuse, and the hopeless, sunless days. Yet, to him, it was just a relaxing trip?

So, that was what it was.

All those nights I clawed through hell, he believed everything Priscilla told him. He thought I was on vacation!

I stared at him, the man I had loved for more than ten years, and suddenly, everything seemed absurd.

"A short break?" I repeated, my voice trembling from the fury surging inside me.

"Yeah, I was just on a short break." I started laughing, growing increasingly louder until tears came out.

They all looked at me, confused and unsettled.

I stood up. "Alright. Then, let me show you how much fun I had during this short break."

I raised my hand to the buttons on my shirt.

Hylton's face changed instantly. "Alina, what are you doing?"

I ignored him. Right in front of all of them, I unfastened each button one by one.

The sound of fabric hitting the floor came at the same moment as the gasps around the room.