I'm abducted the day before my wedding. My abductors lock me in a dark cellar and repeatedly violate me. My legs are snapped, and I'm thrown out with a pile of trash while undressed. Someone takes a photo of me and shares it online.

My family finds me a disgrace, so they send me to a hospital in the suburbs and hide me there. After half a year of treatment, my ovaries are removed due to extensive damage. My broken legs can't recover, and I lose the ability to walk.

I'm supposed to be a rising star in dancing. Now, however, I'm forced to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I can't even have children anymore.

The Levy family sees photos of me online and immediately calls off my engagement to their son, Quentin Levy. They call me a shameless woman. Then, they make Quentin marry my sister, Laura Sorensen.

I think my family will pity me, but my grandfather calls me a disgrace. He wants to disown me.

At that moment, Quentin's brother, Elias Levy, proposes to me. "You've only had eyes for my brother in the past. Now that he's married, will you give me a chance to care for you?"

He sounds determined, and the heartache in his eyes moves me. I agree to marry him.

After we're married, Elias gives me the love and care I need. He doesn't allow anyone to harm me.

A year later, I complete my treatment earlier than expected and return home to surprise him for our anniversary. That's when I overhear his conversation with my brother.

"Elias, I helped you trick Jean out of the house two years ago, leading to her abduction and torture. That's why she's like this now. So you can't let her down."

"I did all of this for Laura's happiness. As for Jean, I'll make sure she doesn't have to worry about survival for the rest of her life…"

"Elias, Jean's latest medical report just came in. Not even the best treatments abroad can help her walk again. She'll never dance again, and she can't have kids anymore. Don't you think we went too far?"

"If we hadn't broken her legs, how else would Laura have gotten her spot on stage? Jean only lost her legs. If we hadn't done it, Laura would've lost the love of her life and everything she's worked for! Laura's pregnant now, and she's happier than ever. I don't regret a thing."

"I'd do anything for Laura."

Elias Levy's and Melvin Sorensen's voices drifted in from the living room. My mind went totally blank at that. One was the man I used to look up to and care about, and the other was my own brother.

I thought they were the ones who would always guide me. Turned out, they were the ones who shoved me into the dark!

I remembered everything. After I was assaulted, the police came to the hospital to take my statement. The two of them stood outside my ward, saying they didn't want me to go through a "second trauma".

They even talked me into dropping the charges—for the sake of my "reputation"—saying it was the best way to move on. I thought they were looking out for me. I never saw that they were just covering their own backs.

I couldn't face the truth, so I rushed outside into the pouring rain. My wheelchair slipped, and I went straight into traffic.

I barely managed to dodge a car, but I ended up with a high fever for three days and ended up in the ICU. Ever since then, my body had been weak.

The moment Elias found out I was in the hospital, he showed up instantly.

"Jean, this is all my fault. I should've taken better care of you. I brought your favorite seafood chowder. Let me feed you, okay?" he said softly.

If I hadn't overheard what he'd said earlier, I would've believed—just like everyone else—that he was a loving, devoted husband. However, for the first time, I looked away and pulled back from him.

"Elias, do you regret marrying someone as dirty and worthless as me?" I asked.

His eyes went wide in shock. "Don't you ever say that about yourself! You're just as beautiful to me as you've always been. How could I ever regret marrying you?"

I lowered my head, letting my hair fall over my cold, empty stare. A bitter smile curled at my lips.

He loved me, so he destroyed me, left me broken and humiliated, all so I'd have no choice but to stay with him. No. This wasn't love. He was a monster, a madman!

Elias was in love with Laura Sorensen—the foster daughter who grew up with the Sorensen family.

"If you truly love me, would you dare touch me?" I asked, lifting my chin and staring him down.

Elias looked back at me with that same rehearsed tenderness.

"Of course I would," he blurted out. "I just don't want to hurt you. You're still recovering, and I'd be crushed if I did."

He quickly reached for my hands. I pulled back, refusing to let him touch me. We'd been married for a year, and not once had he laid a hand on me.

Every time, he gave me the same excuse. And like an idiot, I believed him.

Once I was on the mend, Elias said he wanted to bring me back to Levy Manor for the family's monthly dinner.

I was worn out and still reeling from one thing after another, and all I wanted was to rest, so I turned him down. But he wasn't having it. His concern for me had vanished.

Elias had always been the most eager to attend these dinners. This time, his persistence made it painfully clear who he was so desperate to see—Laura.

After taking my place in that performance, Laura rode the wave of fame and continued dancing. She was always on the go, only coming back to Levy Manor for the monthly dinners.

"Is that Sorensen cripple coming along too? Just looking at her ruins my appetite."

"Bertha didn't invite her. When's that useless cripple, who can't even have kids, going to kick the bucket?"

"I still don't get why Elias insisted on marrying that filthy, lowborn trash. Was he trying to drag the Levy name through the mud even further?"

Their jeers rang through Levy Manor, biting and harsh, dragging me back to that rainy night two years ago. It was the night someone shoved me to the cold floor of a cellar and hurt me.

Screams bounced off the walls, sharp and loud. It felt like a nightmare I'd never wake up from. Even now, I could still hear them.

Elias looked regretful, but he continued pushing me forward, insisting on getting me inside in no time.

"I'm sorry, Jean. I never thought they'd talk about you like this. I'll make them shut up," he consoled.

I didn't respond. Before, whenever he said things like that, I'd always stop him—trying to be considerate and to keep the peace with the Levys.

But now, I finally saw what it was for. He said those things because he knew I'd stop him. He ruined my reputation, left me broken, and still let his family tear me to shreds. This was his so-called love.

I went along with it. "Go ahead. Yell at them for me."

"What?" Elias stopped in his tracks, thrown off when I didn't stop him like I usually did.

I scoffed, rolled my wheelchair forward, and shoved the door open with both hands, making my entrance in front of the Levy family. They thought they could cover it up—but not this time. I wasn't letting it go.

"Thanks for the concern, but sorry to burst your bubble—I'm not dying anytime soon," I mentioned.

The room went completely quiet. It was clear they knew I'd caught every word.

Bertha Hammond, my mother-in-law, was the first to speak up. "Who said you could come back? I haven't even welcomed you into this family, yet here you are, showing up uninvited! Do all the Sorensens lack manners?

"You're nothing like Laura, even though she grew up in the same house as you! Now that you know everything, let's be honest. Divorce Elias if you've got any sense. Don't drag him down with your broken body."

After what felt like forever, Elias finally appeared behind me. "Mom, that's enough. No matter what, Jean is still my…"

He trailed off, unable to call me his wife in front of Laura.

Laura jumped in quickly, trying to calm things down. "Exactly, Bertha. You shouldn't say that. Jean is the one Elias married, after all. No one wanted things to go this way."

Bertha made a disgusted sound and spat, "Who knows? None of this would've happened if she'd had some sense. She's probably just some dirty tramp. Thank goodness Quentin married you instead."

Almost everyone had seen the pictures of me, covered in grime, left undressed in a trash heap. By bringing up my past, Laura was making sure no one would forget.

She was turning me into a disgrace so that Bertha would see her as the perfect one in comparison.

It hit me all at once why Elias insisted on dragging me to these monthly dinners. He was setting me up to look bad so Laura's goodness could stand out even more—locking her in as Quentin's wife.

At dinner, Elias fussed over Laura. He served her food, picked out fish bones, and mumbled about what was best for the baby.

He didn't even look my way. I was stuck in my wheelchair at the far end of the table, where everyone else acted like I wasn't even there.

"If Jean hadn't broken her legs, she probably would've won the national dance competition and ended up training with me," Laura said, knowing exactly how to hit me where it hurt.

I lifted my head and met her gaze. "Yeah. If it weren't for my 'accident', you wouldn't have gotten anywhere near such a big stage as a last-minute replacement."

Laura froze, not expecting me to have the guts to bring up what happened back then or how she'd conveniently stepped in.

Bertha snorted and spoke up for Laura. "But that accident did happen, didn't it? That's just how things work. You sure like to talk. If you're done eating, get out of here. Can't you tell you're killing everyone's appetite? You're sickening."

I tightened my grip on the arms of my wheelchair and looked at Elias. He clearly couldn't stand me messing with his precious Laura. Instead of backing me up, he had someone send me upstairs to rest.

He knew I hated staying at Levy Manor. I begged him to take me home, but he wanted more time with Laura, so he forced me to stay the night.

Late that night, my old injury flared up—the familiar pain burning through my damaged legs. Normally, Elias would've helped me find painkillers and massaged the area to ease it.

However, he still hadn't come back to the room by 11:00 pm. I had no choice but to look for him. He was the only one I could count on in this massive Levy Manor.

When I passed Laura's room, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I could hear voices inside—familiar and suggestive.

"Elias, it must be tough for you, being stuck with that cripple Jean."

"It's worth it if it makes you happy. So, the baby's five months already? Can I see?"

"Sure. Just be careful. The baby likes a gentle person, doesn't it?"

I slowly rolled my wheelchair closer and peeked through the crack. Laura was lying on the bed, her shirt lifted to show her rounded belly. She looked up at Elias shyly.

He knelt beside the bed, gently rubbing body oil on her stomach to keep the stretch marks at bay. The tenderness in his touch and the way he looked at her showed nothing but devotion.

The man I used to know as my caring, attentive husband was practically worshiping Laura. That was when it really hit me—I'd lost it all.

Laura picked up on something and looked up. I quickly pulled back into the shadows. She was boldly staking her claim before me while I could only retreat into the shadows and watch them.

After a long, heavy silence, I wheeled myself back to my room, each movement taking everything I had.

My legs hurt so much I couldn't sleep. I pulled up my email and reread the message I'd never answered. It was from my dance instructor, Marissa Wilkes.

She wanted me to be the choreography consultant for her latest project. The only catch was I'd have to travel abroad, and I'd been hesitating. But now, I had no reason to stay.

Without a second thought, I sent Marissa a reply. "I'm in."

She called soon after to confirm, her voice warm and welcoming. I'd be leaving with her in three days.

…

I finally saw Elias the next morning at breakfast. I nibbled at the scrambled eggs the housekeeper had brought me. To my surprise, he started explaining himself.

He said he'd had too much to drink last night and ended up crashing in a guest room next door. It was a pretty flimsy excuse, but I didn't call him out on it. I nodded, keeping my face neutral.

Thinking I wasn't suspicious, Elias eased up and cheerfully sprinkled some dried thyme on my eggs, forgetting that I was allergic to it.

The second he did, I set down my fork and asked, "When are we going—"

Before I could finish, Laura came downstairs and turned to Bertha. "I can stay two more days to keep you company. I've got a prenatal appointment later. Elias, do you want to take Jean in for a checkup, too?"

That was all it took for Laura to grab Elias' full attention. He didn't bother asking me what I thought. He just jumped in with a yes, sounding pumped.

"Really? You're staying two more days?" Elias asked.