"I must have been out of my mind to marry you, let alone agree to stay in a hidden marriage for two years!" I shouted back, refusing to back down. "You have already destroyed me—what more do you want?"

My voice cracked as I stared at him, my anger fueled by years of suppression.

"Do you want to see me on my knees, begging for mercy? Is that what will satisfy you?"

I had never raised my voice like this in our two years of marriage. Asher was visibly a bit stunned.

We had fought before, but it was always me who apologized first, placating him while he played the part of a calm, rational man. In truth, he twisted every argument to make me feel like I was the one at fault.

I used to believe him, thinking I must have been wrong. But now I saw the truth—he never loved me. His so-called "love" was just a thinly veiled need for control.

Even if he once felt like a beacon of light, pulling me from the depths of despair, that didn’t erase the harm he had inflicted on me now.

I took a deep breath and stared him in the eyes.

"If we get divorced, you’ll finally be free to flaunt your relationship with Nora without restraint."

His brows furrowed, his patience wearing thin.

"Lily Rose," he sneered, "I have seen you grovel before. Why are you yelling now?"

I looked at him in shock, unable to believe that these words came from Asher.

When he saw me freeze, he didn’t stop there. He leaned closer, his voice laced with mockery.

"Remember when your parents were sent to prison? I saw you on your knees, begging for help. Even the media caught it on camera..."

"Stop it!" I screamed, shoving him away with all the strength I had left. Tears streamed down my face as I yelled hoarsely, "Get out! Just get out!"

Asher looked startled momentarily, unsure how to react to my outburst. But then anger flared in his eyes. He kicked at the pearls scattered on the floor and muttered through gritted teeth, "Emily Wilson, let’s see how long you can keep up this stubborn act."

And then, he slammed the door behind him, leaving me rooted to the spot.

Emily Wilson—that was my real name. He hadn’t called me that in years. It was not just a name; it was a warning. He was threatening to expose my past if I didn’t comply with him.

I thought of the promises he used to make.

‘Don’t worry, Emily,’ he had once said while holding me close. ‘I will protect you. I would not let anyone hurt you.’

Now, all he did was reopen old wounds, salting them for good measure.

***

That evening, Nora posted a photo on her social media—a romantic candlelit dinner.

[It feels so nice to have someone peel shrimp for me,] she wrote.

The finger that peeled the shrimp in the photo was still wearing our wedding ring.

Asher liked the post and left a comment: [If you like it, I will peel them for you forever.]

I stared at the screen, the bitterness in my chest threatening to spill over.

I loved shrimp, too. But every time I asked Asher to peel them for me, he’d brush me off, saying he was not good at it and would ask the housekeeper to do it instead.

Now, he peeled shrimp for Nora with his own hands—so many of them and so effortlessly.

If it had been the old me, I would have called him immediately, demanding an explanation. But now, even as the ache in my heart grew unbearable, I will not ask.

***

I thought back to the past, to when my parents were imprisoned. The whole internet had turned against me, dragging my name through the mud.

Back then, it was Asher who stood up for me.

At that time, he insisted that the Rose family help the Wilson Family, which has a very good relationship with him, to accept me as an adopted daughter.

As a result, he was locked up and beaten a few times by his father and when he was lying in the hospital for treatment, he touched my head and held my hand, smiling weakly, ‘It is okay now Emily. No one will bully you anymore’, he said.

Because of him, the Rose family took me in as their foster daughter. I changed my name to Lily Rose and became Asher’s fiancée. He even helped me step into the entertainment industry, where I finally began living out my dreams.

For a time, He had pulled me out of hell and had given me genuine happiness.

But after his betrayal, I swallowed my pride, enduring it silently, hoping in vain that the man I loved would come back to me.

Now, I no longer wanted anything from him—his love, his promises, or the life we built together. I just want to make a clean break with him completely, move out of here and discard the things he gave me.

When Asher saw that I didn't show up at the theater set the next day, he called to ask, "Why didn’t you come to the set today? Still sulking?"

I kept my voice calm. "I am not sulking. I have thought it through."

He chuckled softly, his tone carrying a smug edge.

"Lily, if you had been this obedient from the start, we would not have all these problems."

"I told you I would not let anyone hurt you. I will keep my word," Asher said, his voice low and sharp. "But if you keep acting out, I will make sure you lose what you care about most."

I stayed silent for a moment, holding back my emotions. Then, with a steady voice, I replied, "I will bring the divorce papers to the set. Don’t forget to sign them."

“Lily!” His temper flared instantly. “After all these years, you are finally choosing to rip everything apart? What’s the matter? Even if there’s something between me and Nora, I have never wronged you. I have paid for your clothes, your food, your lifestyle. You have never had to lift a finger!"

Even he compared me to Nora, "How obedient Nora is. She doesn’t argue or demand things like you. You? You are never satisfied—you always want more."

The words hit me like a slap to the face, leaving me shaking.

Asher, of all people, hated people who didn’t care about their family. His parents had lived separate lives, providing him with money but no love or care. When we first started dating, he swore he’d never become like them.

Now, his vows had turned into nothing but a cruel joke.

“You once said,” I began, mh voice trembling but firm, “That if you ever cheated, you would let me go.”

His breath hitched. Probably, he hadn’t expected that one day, he would be choked by his own words.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Fine. Finish your scene at the set and I will sign the papers. You’ll have your freedom."

"Alright," I said, hung up the phone and went to the theater set.

***

The film set was chaotic, crowded with media reporters, fans and the buzzing production activity. This scene is to shoot Nora's underwater scene and I just need to stay in the pavilion.

It just so happens that I was on the first day of my period today and I had a lot of back pain, so this scene is quite good. I thought I just needed to get through this one scene and then I’d finally be free.

But nothing ever went as planned. Nora suddenly claimed she had a cold and could not do her water scene. Instead, she wanted me to shoot the water scene on her behalf.

I refused without hesitation, which immediately sparked a storm of criticism.

"Lily, you are just a supporting actress. What right do you have to refuse a lead role’s scene?"

"If it were not for Nora standing up for you, the production would’ve kicked you out long ago."

"Look at her pretending to be important. Shameless."

Their mocking words pounded in my head as I clutched my stomach, trying to push my way through the crowd. But before I could escape, someone shoved me back.

“Miss Rose,” a familiar voice said coldly. "Mr. Monroe has instructed you to do your job properly. Don’t use discomfort as an excuse. Otherwise, we might have to revisit your... history."

It was Asher’s assistant, David Morgan. David had always been Asher’s lackey, covering up his secret meetings with Nora. Once, he’d even laid hands on me in front of Asher and Asher had watched with cold eyes, not saying a word.

Maybe that’s when I realized the man who once vowed to protect me no longer existed.

In the past, when I was on my period, Asher would insist I rest, worried I’d harm my health. Now, he was forcing me into an ice-cold lake for a scene to please Nora.

I let out a bitter laugh. "I will do the scene. As long as a line passes and I am leaving."

It was more than ten degrees below zero and I shot underwater many times. My body tensed with each take, but the director was never satisfied.

“Once more!” he shouted.

I dove back in, my limbs trembling uncontrollably. The cold seeped into my bones and each breath felt like a battle. I struggled to climb out, but someone pushed me back into the water every time.

The laughter around me grew louder.

"Look at Lily Rose flailing in the water like a toad. It is too funny!"

"And she had the audacity to mock Nora’s acting? Just quit already—she’s disgusting."

Their taunts rang in my ears, growing sharper until my vision blurred. The world spun and I felt my strength leave me.

The last thing I heard was the splash of water before everything went dark. The director and the others then panicked and rushed to have someone scoop me up.

Asher entered the room, his expression unreadable. David stood quietly behind him, no longer wearing the smug grin he always had.

"Why didn’t you tell me you were on your period?" Asher’s first words were accusatory, his tone sharp.

I let out a weak laugh, bitter and hollow. "Would it have mattered? Would you have stopped them from making me do the scene if I'd told you?"

Asher frowned, his hand reaching out to hold mine.

But Nora was quicker, grabbing his arm first and pouting. “It is all my fault! I didn’t know Miss Rose was on her period. I shouldn’t have asked her to shoot the underwater scene.”

She turned to me, feigning innocence. “Miss Rose, the next scene is where you fall in the fire. Can you handle that one?”

Ignoring her, I fixed my gaze on Asher. My voice was weak but firm. “I have a high fever, Asher. I did what I promised you. Can you just let me go?”

A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but before he could speak, Nora interrupted, her tone saccharine. “Oh no, that would not do! I have already told the fans how professional Miss Rose is. If she leaves now, would not that make me look bad?”

I glared at her, my voice ice cold. “What will it take for you to be satisfied? Do I need to die for you to let this go, finally?”

Feeling shocked, Nora hid behind Asher like a frightened child.

Immediately, Asher stepped in front of her protectively, his tone harsh. “I called you here to apologize to Nora and now you are pulling this? You are finishing today’s shoot. No excuses!”

I let out a hollow laugh, the last shred of hope I had in him shattering. “And if I refuse?”

His face darkened. “You don’t have a choice. David, take her to the set.”

David dragged me to the following location, his grip rough and unrelenting. He shoved me onto the set with such force that I stumbled and almost immediately, the props team lit the torches around me.

In seconds, flames roared to life, surrounding me. I yelled out in fear.

In the afterglow, I caught a glimpse of Asher's worried eyes and he must have remembered that I was once locked into a hut and almost burned to death. That time, he was the one who crashed through the gate and rescued me.

“Help! Somebody help me!” I screamed, my voice cracking.

“Asher, this is just part of the scene. Miss Rose will be fine,” Nora said, her voice sugary sweet.

The flames crept closer, the heat searing against my skin. My body gave out and I collapsed to the ground, sobbing. “Please… someone, help me…”

Just as the fire threatened to touch my clothes, a figure rushed through the smoke. A heavy, dark blue coat was draped over me, shielding me from the flames as strong arms lifted me out of the chaos.

Shaking, I clung to the stranger, the fresh, clean scent of his cologne grounding me.

“Who are you? Do you know we’re filming here?” The director’s angry voice rang out.

But as the man turned his face toward the director, the indignation melted away into an almost servile tone.

“Young Master of Brooks family! What brings you here?”

Asher’s confusion was evident as he turned to the assistant director. “Who is Young Master Brooks?”

The assistant director leaned in to whisper, “He’s Austin Brooks, the son of the richest man in the country—and the main investor in this project.”

At the mention of Austin Brooks, Nora’s eyes lit up. Ignoring Asher entirely, she stepped forward with a coy smile and invited Austin to dinner in front of Asher.

But Austin didn’t even glance at her. Instead, he knelt down beside me as I coughed violently, gently patting my back. “Take it easy. Here, have some water.”

His voice was calm and soothing.

Asher stood rooted in place, his face darkening as he took in the scene. He knew precisely who Austin Brooks was—heir to the Brooks family fortune and someone the Monroe Family had desperately tried to align with, only to be repeatedly turned away.

Watching Austin’s gentle care for me, Asher could not hold back any longer. “Lily, what’s your relationship with him?”

I was physically and mentally exhausted and didn't want to answer Asher's words.

As a result, this look of mine became a weakness in his eyes and he sneered in anger, “So this is why you dared to bring up divorce. You have found yourself a better backer.”

He sneered, his words cutting. “Tell me, Austin, does someone like you really enjoy secondhand goods?”

Asher looked like a crazy dog that was really angry and anxious if anyone dared to bite.

“You ...... shut up, don't talk nonsense.” I forced myself to endure the pain and yelled at him.

Austin turned to the director, his tone indifferent but commanding.

Asher's face became even darker: “You are still protecting him! What exactly is his relationship with you?”

“Noisy.” Austin placed me lightly on the padded chair and directly slapped Asher on the spot.

Everyone was stunned, including me.

“I heard that the underwater scene was originally Nora’s responsibility. Film it again. One hundred takes. Send every single one to my phone.”

The director nodded frantically, his earlier bravado replaced with trembling obedience. “Yes, yes! One hundred takes, not a problem!”

Nora’s face turned ghostly pale. “Asher, I am afraid of water.”

Asher immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her protectively as his voice thundered, “I’d like to see anyone dare!”

He turned to Austin, his tone sharp and defensive. “Mr. Brooks, Lily Rose is a liar. She’s done every kind of scene imaginable—why would she be scared of a little fire? She even pretended to have a fever earlier, just to get out of shooting. I caught her red-handed.”

I never thought that the most painful wound would come from the man I had loved for two years. His love and care had once felt so real, yet now, for Nora’s sake, he cut me deeper and deeper without hesitation.

Austin glanced at me, his face darkening at the sorrow etched into mine. “Everyone present will participate in the fire scene,” he declared coldly. “One hundred takes. Not one less.”