Jeydon Crawford was the most sought after bachelor in Seattle, the man every woman dreamed of. Yet one day, he declared that his fiancée would be chosen by drawing lots.

I knew the one he loved was Krisha, the housekeeper's daughter. So, on the day of the drawing, I quietly removed my own name from the box.

I loved him, so I was willing to let him go. But to my shock—the name drawn in the end was mine.

Perhaps fate was playing a cruel joke.

That very night, Krisha took out her anger on my little dog—the one I had raised for ten years. She hung it up and beat it until it was half-dead.

Panicked, I shoved her away. To avenge her, Jeydon ordered someone to kill my dog.

That night, something inside me broke.

I grabbed a baseball bat—and personally shattered both of Krisha's legs.

She cried and begged Jeydon to punish me. But for the first time, he refused her.

It wasn't until she slit her wrists that I heard him weeping beside her bed.

"Krisha, how could you be so foolish? I only married her so she could serve you. Didn't you say you wanted to know what it feels like to have her at your beck and call?"

"You were upset, so I even killed that dog to cheer you up—why would you still hurt yourself?"

The years of humiliation I'd buried deep inside me finally burst open, flooding into a torrent of rage.

I stormed into Krisha's hospital room and tore the blood transfusion tube from her arm.

"Cheska, have you gone mad?!" Jeydon grabbed my wrist, so I took the fruit knife on the table and it stabbed straight into his arm.

Blood splattered across my face.

I wiped it away and smiled faintly.

"Jeydon," I said coldly, "I can grant you your precious love. But the lies you fed me and my dog's life—I will make you pay for every single one."

Covered in blood, I walked out of the hospital. Just then, my phone rang.

"Cheska, the Ainsworth family heard about you being chosen. Do you need me to handle it for you?"

"No need," I replied evenly. "In a week, I'll marry that devil from the Ainsworth family."

After hanging up, I headed to the underground parking lot.

From a distance, I saw a wheelchair parked beside my car.

Krisha turned toward me when she heard my footsteps. Her cheeks were still streaked with tears, and fresh blood seeped through the bandage on her wrist. Yet when our eyes met, she smiled—like a victor.

"Miss Meyer, you stabbed Jeydon. Do you feel better now?" she mocked.

I smiled back. "What's the rush? This is only the beginning."

"How pitiful," she sneered. "After all that, he still didn't even look at you. Did you know? He came to comfort me right after without even treating his wound."

The car key dug painfully into my palm. Jeydon's voice echoed in my mind again.

"If fate allows, I'll draw Krisha's name. If not... it doesn't matter who I marry."

That was when I finally accepted it—Jeydon's love for Krisha was obsession, and I was nothing more than the toy he used to amuse her.

When we were students, he deliberately took me to an amusement park during exams so she could win the scholarship.

On my birthday, no matter what gift I received, he always gave her something better.

Even his "exclusive island vacation" had only been arranged to fulfill her wish—to celebrate her coming-of-age in front of me.

His love for her had long turned into madness. And I was just the prop in their little fairytale.

I drew a deep breath. There was no point grieving over something I had already seen clearly.

In one week, I would marry another man—and Jeydon would have nothing to do with me ever again.

With that thought, I brushed past Krisha and got into my car.

"Cheska! Didn't you hear me talking to you?" she snapped, wheeling herself forward to block my way.

Through the windshield, her eyes glinted with malice. "What are you pretending for? So what if you're the Meyer family's daughter? In front of the Crawford family, the Meyer family is nothing!"

I chuckled softly. "Maybe so. But you and your mother still depend on the Meyer family to survive."

Her face twisted. Her voice rose to a shrill pitch.

"If your parents hadn't groveled like dogs before the Crawford family, do you really think Jeydon would ever—"

Smack!

The slap landed hard, sending her and the wheelchair crashing to the floor. Her cheek swelled instantly.

I crouched down and gripped her chin. "If I hear you insult my parents again," I murmured, "I'll make sure you never speak another word in this lifetime."

"You know me, Krisha. I don't make empty threats."

Tears welled in her eyes, brimming with hatred. Then, suddenly, she began to tremble and cry, shoulders shaking.

"Miss Meyer... isn't it enough that you broke my legs? Must you take my life too?"

The moment I saw her act, I knew exactly who was coming.

Footsteps echoed behind me.

Jeydon rushed past, not even sparing me a glance. He knelt beside Krisha, holding her close. Then he looked up at me, fury burning in his eyes.

"Cheska! What are you doing?!"

"Your dog bit someone," I said, repeating his own words to him. "Since you can't control her, I'll do it for you."

"Jeydon, it's my fault," Krisha sobbed in his arms. "I just love you too much... that's why I upset Miss Meyer. I know I'm lowborn, unworthy of loving you. But even so, she shouldn't have called my mother a dog kept by the Meyer family. She even tried to run me over with her car! If you hadn't come, I would've..."

Her voice broke as she curled up pitifully against his chest.

Jeydon's expression darkened. "Cheska, this time you've gone too far! Apologize to Krisha. Now!"

"Why should I apologize?"

The last time I said those words, Jeydon had tied me and my little dog—the one he'd rescued years ago and later given me—on opposite ends of a rope.

He hung us outside the window all night.

I cried and begged until my voice broke, but all he said was, "You couldn't teach it properly, so I'll teach it for you."

By the time he took us down the next morning, the stones used to balance our weight had crushed my dog's fragile bones. Its small body was nothing but a heap of blood and fur—lifeless and cold.

So now, when I stared straight into Jeydon's eyes, my voice was steady but laced with fury.

"Last time, you killed my dog. What about this time? Are you planning to kill me?"

His pupils contracted sharply, his lips pressing into a hard line. Anger flashed across his face.

"Stop changing the subject! You tried to run Krisha over, so apologize!"

I let out a short, bitter laugh. "My car hasn't even started. How exactly did I run her over? Jeydon, has she made you lose your damn mind?"

"You—!"

"Jeydon," Krisha whimpered, tugging on his sleeve. "Maybe I was just too scared and misunderstood Miss Meyer. Please don't argue because of me."

He carefully lifted her into his arms and placed her back in her wheelchair as though she were made of glass.

"Don't worry. I won't let you suffer for nothing."

Then he turned to me, step by step, his eyes darkening.

"Since you're so stubborn, you can experience the same fear Krisha felt."

He got into his car. The moment the engine roared to life, my heart stopped. I spun around and ran.

The screech of tires split the air. When I looked back, the car was charging toward me like a wild beast, headlights blazing.

Jeydon's cold eyes glinted behind the windshield.

I darted for cover—but slammed into a concrete pillar. The car skidded to a stop, its bumper grazing my leg.

Panting hard, I collapsed to the ground. Every inch of my skin trembled from the brush with death.

Jeydon stepped out. His polished shoes stopped inches from my face.

"Remember this lesson."

Then, he coldly added, "Cheska, since the lot chose you, I'll marry you. Krisha won't be a threat to you anymore. Stop causing her trouble."

He left with her in his arms, without so much as a backward glance.

I stayed there, tasting blood on my lips, the metallic tang spreading across my tongue.

For one tear from Krisha, he could take everything I loved—and even threaten my life.

I had long known how blind his sense of right and wrong was. And yet, every time, his blatant favoritism still cut me open anew.

It took me a long while before I managed to stand. I couldn't drive in this state, so I stumbled out to hail a cab.

As I stepped out of the parking lot, the first thing I saw was the Rolls-Royce that had almost hit me earlier.

The window was half-lowered. Krisha leaned against the frame, her gaze fixed on Jeydon walking toward her, holding an ice cream cone.

She took a bite, and he caught her chin, bending down to kiss her deeply.

A sharp pain twisted in my chest.

Jeydon hated sweets—he'd wrinkle his nose just from the smell. To please him, I'd even given up my favorite ice cream.

Yet now, because of her, he was savoring the very sweetness he once despised.

I turned away, ready to leave. But before I could take a step, a strong arm wrapped around my neck from behind.

"Mm—!" I gasped, struggling wildly, trying to scream for help.

Amid the chaos, Jeydon seemed to hear something—he turned his head slightly.

"Ah! It spilled on me!" Krisha's soft, coquettish cry rang out.

Without a second of hesitation, Jeydon turned back to her, taking out his handkerchief to wipe the melted ice cream from her hand.

My heart sank into the depths of despair.

I kicked and clawed desperately, but it was no use. The man behind me shoved me into a stranger's car, slamming the door shut.

Through the window, I caught one last glimpse of Jeydon pressing a kiss to Krisha's cheek before driving away, never once looking back.

The door closed with a dull thud.

And then—there was nothing but darkness.

I woke up to the sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant.

The light above my head was so blinding I could barely open my eyes. Voices drifted in and out through the haze.

"Miss Meyer really had a stroke of bad luck this time," the doctor sighed, a trace of pity in his tone. "Those kidnappers were after the jewelry you bought at that charity auction."

"Idiots," Jeydon's voice cut through the air—cold, arrogant, heartless. "That necklace was for Krisha. How could it possibly be in Cheska's possession?"

My vision swam. So the reason I was kidnapped... was because Jeydon flaunted his love for Krisha.

Hot tears pricked my eyes. I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to stay awake, to stay conscious.

"She was just caught in the crossfire," Jeydon said lazily, as if he were discussing the weather. "But she did break Krisha's legs first and tried to run her over. Let's call it even."

My whole body went rigid.

Even now he could speak of my pain so casually?

The doctor hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. After a moment, he changed the subject.

"When will her parents arrive? She needs surgery as soon as possible."

"They're on their way," Jeydon replied coolly. Then his next words sent ice through my veins.

"While she's under anesthesia... sterilize her."

The doctor froze.

"What?" His voice rose sharply. "Are you insane?"

"Why make such a fuss?" Jeydon sounded annoyed. "Only Krisha is worthy of bearing my child."

"I've already sacrificed my true love to marry Cheska. Isn't that enough? What, does she actually think she deserves to carry my child too?"

And as if that weren't enough, he added, almost cheerfully, "Besides, when Krisha gives birth, the child will be registered under Cheska's name. She can be a mother without ever having to give birth herself. Isn't that a blessing?"

Monster!

My chest trembled violently, rage boiling up until I could barely breathe.

This... this was the man I had loved for twelve years? The man who caused my kidnapping and injuries... now wanted to treat me like a stray animal, casually ordering my sterilization!

"Stop arguing," Jeydon snapped as the doctor tried to refuse. "Her parents will be here any moment. Go prepare the operating room."

Their footsteps faded down the hall.

I forced myself upright, pain splitting through my skull. I ripped the IV needle from my hand and clenched my jaw until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

I couldn't stay here.

The entire floor had been cleared, it was empty. I leaned against the wall, inch by inch, each step soaking my hospital gown in cold sweat.

Then, through the elevator doors, I saw two familiar figures. My knees went weak. Tears blurred my vision.

"Dad... Mom..."

They rushed forward, catching me before I could fall. My mother's tears splashed onto my cheeks, burning hot.

"Cheska, my baby, what did they do to you?"

Choking back the sob in my throat, I whispered hoarsely, "We have to go now."

Without another word, my father scooped me into his arms and ran.

Only when we were in the car did I realize how drenched I was—my hospital gown clinging to me, the pain from my wounds flaring with every breath.

Outside the window, the world blurred into streaks of light and motion. I caught a glimpse of the date on the dashboard—three days had passed.

Three days...

I'd been held captive for three days, and while I suffered in some dark, filthy room, Jeydon had been planning how to rob me of my right to become a mother.

My parents took me to another hospital. I lay on the new bed, watching the IV drip fall one slow drop at a time.

Calmly, I told them everything—every word I'd overheard, every cruel thing Jeydon had said.

My father exploded with fury, wanting to confront him immediately. But I grabbed his wrist and shook my head.

"If you go now, we'll only lose more. Please, just wait. Let me recover first."

Just four more days.

Four days from now... I will make Jeydon watch as everything he loved turned to ashes.