Lucian and I were once known as the perfect couple in the industry. In everyone’s eyes, I was his wife and our daughter was his untouchable bottom line. No one dared to cross us.

Until that scorching summer day.

The temperature soared past forty degrees. That day, our daughter, Daisy, who was born with a heart condition, was locked in a stifling car for an entire day by the daughter of his so-called lovely one.

Dehydration, coma and in the end… death.

My world collapsed. My breath was stolen from me.

My younger sister tried to seek justice for Daisy, confronting the woman who destroyed our family.

But instead of justice, she was thrown into a cramped, dark room and abused until her uterus ruptured, her body broken, her life shattered.

I lost control. I sued them, determined to make them pay.

But Lucian stood in front of me, cold and indifferent, holding out a letter of forgiveness.

“Delilah and her daughter didn’t mean it,” he said, his tone sharp and condescending. “If you insist on taking this to court, their lives will be ruined. Be good, Ivy, just sign it. Let’s move on.”

My chest ached as though someone had stabbed me straight through the heart.

“And if I don’t?” My voice trembled.

Lucian’s face turned cold, the warmth I once knew completely gone. “Then don’t blame me for being ruthless. I have countless ways to make you sign.”

——

“Lucian,” my voice cracked, “it was your daughter who died. You’re not just refusing to seek justice, you’re defending the people who killed her. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

I couldn’t stop the image of Daisy struggling inside that car, her fragile little body trapped in suffocating heat, desperate for air.

It felt like a sharp blade was twisting in my chest, each turn cutting deeper, suffocating me.

My sister had only wanted justice for Daisy. She’d stood up to Delilah for us. And what was her reward?

Locked up, humiliated, left broken like an animal, unable to bear children ever again.

Everything, every tragedy was caused by Delilah.

I didn’t expect Lucian to stand by me. But I never imagined he’d stand against me, fighting to protect the people who destroyed our family.

Lucian frowned, clearly impatient. “Delilah already explained it to me. Daisy was playing hide and seek. She hid inside the car herself. This has nothing to do with Juliette. You need to stop blaming Delilah and Juliette for everything.”

His tone was dismissive, his gaze filled with irritation as if I was the crazy one, as if I was the one being unreasonable.

But I knew the truth. I had seen it with my own eyes.

The desperate scratch marks inside the car. The streaks of blood from my daughter’s tiny fingers, the signs of her struggle carved into the metal.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I choked back sobs. “Lucian, you saw the blood, you saw the scratches… How can you defend them? Tell me, what was Daisy to you? Just a toy you adored for a few years before discarding her?”

Memories flooded in, crushing me.

When we married, when I got pregnant, Lucian was overly cautious, terrified I would have complications.

He hired the best obstetricians, monitored me day and night. And when Daisy was born, he adored her more than anything. He carried her everywhere, proudly showing her off to everyone.

“This is my little princess,” he used to say, beaming with pride.

Whatever Daisy wanted, she got. He doted on her, pampered her like a jewel in his hand.

But now when she needed him the most, when her tiny soul cried out for justice, he abandoned her without hesitation.

“Enough!” Lucian finally snapped, his voice thunderous. “I’m devastated too. But the dead can’t come back. Daisy is gone! Are you going to ruin Juliette’s life over this? She’s just five years old, she doesn’t even understand what she’s done!”

His expression turned ruthless, his voice full of cold authority. “Ivy, you’ll sign this agreement. Whether you want to or not.”

Just then, the door opened.

Delilah walked in with her daughter, Juliette, trailing behind her.

Sensing the heavy tension, Delilah quickly stepped forward with a delicate, helpless expression.

“Lucian, we’re both at fault in this. Don’t be so harsh on Ivy. Even if we get her forgiveness, it won’t feel right if it’s forced.”

The moment Delilah spoke, I saw Lucian’s eyes softened. His anger faded. His entire posture relaxed.

And I finally understood.

In his heart, there was no longer a place for Daisy. No place for me.

Everything now belonged to them.

The moment Delilah and her daughter walked in, the storm cloud on Lucian’s face completely disappeared. His tense expression softened, his attitude turned calm again.

Perhaps he agreed with her words, because his voice turned cold but indifferent, “Sign the papers. I’ll cover your sister’s surgery costs. Once she recovers, I’ll find her a good man so she can marry well.”

Delilah stood quietly by his side, but when he wasn’t looking, she raised an eyebrow. A flash of smugness and provocation flickered in her eyes.

My last shred of reason snapped.

Like a madwoman, I lunged at her. “Delilah! Give me back my daughter and my sister’s life!”

But before I could even touch the edge of her sleeve, Lucian reacted swiftly, kicking me hard in the stomach.

“Ivy, you’re asking for death!”

His roar echoed throughout the house. Caught off guard, I fell to the ground, clutching my aching abdomen, trembling as I looked up.

Lucian didn’t even glance at me. Instead, he was anxiously checking Delilah, making sure she wasn’t hurt.

Not just her, he even bent down to check on Juliette.

In his eyes there was only the existence of this woman and her child. And I… I was nothing but air to him.

My heart sank to the deepest abyss.

Fragments of memories came rushing back, on our wedding day, when he swore an oath under the witness of family and friends: “Ivy, I will love, protect and cherish you for life. I will never allow anyone to hurt you, not even myself. If I ever break this promise, may the heavens strike me down.”

If those vows really worked, Lucian. You would’ve been struck by lightning long ago.

Delilah leaned weakly into his chest, her frail frame trembling, her soft voice filled with false tears. “I was so scared, Lucian. Thank goodness you were here. I really don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Juliette blinked innocently, hugging Lucian’s arm tightly. Her childish voice carried exaggerated grievance, “Daddy… why was Auntie so scary? Mommy and I didn’t do anything wrong… why did she want to hit us?”

Lucian’s gaze instantly softened for them. He stroked Juliette’s hair lovingly, then turned back to me with eyes as cold as ice.

“Because she’s gone mad,” he said sharply. “Don’t waste your time on her.”

Then his gaze sharpened. “Stay home and think about it yourself, whether you sign or not, nothing will change.”

With that, he led Delilah and Juliette away, leaving me lying alone in the enormous living room.

***

I forced myself up, ignoring the pain in my stomach and stared at the closed door they had disappeared through.

My hands trembled uncontrollably as I grabbed my phone and booked the earliest flight for the next morning.

Lucian had already used all his connections to block me. Threatening every lawyer, making sure no one would dare accept my case. The lawsuit was stuck, but I couldn’t keep gambling with my sister’s life.

Lucian was desperate enough to do anything now.

I remembered, back when we were dating, how terrifying he could be.

Once, during dinner, a drunk man accidentally brushed against my hand. Lucian went crazy, grabbing a cleaver from the shop owner and hacking off the man’s arm right in front of me.

If the restaurant owner and I hadn’t stopped him, there would’ve been more than just one casualty that night.

Later, he hugged me, covered in blood, whispering sweetly, “Don’t be afraid, Ivy. I’m here to protect you. No one will ever dare bully you again.”

I used to think that was love. Now I knew it was nothing but madness.

***

Just after booking my flight, the hospital called.

The doctor informed me that Irene had made it through the critical stage and had been moved to a regular ward.

Joy surged through me. I changed clothes quickly and rushed to the hospital.

But when I arrived, the hospital bed was empty. My whole body turned cold, my legs frozen in place, my hands trembling violently.

Then my phone rang. It was Delilah.

Her voice, sharp and malicious, came through the speaker.

“Looking for your dear sister, huh? Come to this address.”

I followed Delilah’s directions, step after step, my heart sinking deeper into a suffocating abyss.

By the time I arrived at the private club, the sky had already turned dark. Neon lights flickered overhead, illuminating the vulgarity behind the walls.

The moment I pushed open the heavy doors, chaos exploded in my ears, raucous laughter, shrill screams and jeering voices blending into a disgusting symphony.

“Hahaha, little dog, look here! Come here!”

“No, it’s me, crawl to me!”

“Lucian is really something. Always remembers his buddies whenever there’s fresh entertainment.”

“Yeah, shame she just had surgery. Otherwise, she’d be serving us like the others do.”

I froze, breath caught painfully in my throat.

In the center of the room, my sister, Irene, was crawling on the cold floor, dressed in a thin hospital gown. Her pale neck was wrapped in a thick black dog collar, her hands pressed against the cold marble, her knees scraped and bleeding as she trembled, forced to crawl like a beaten animal.

Around her stood a group of men and women, waving frisbees and dog toys like they were taunting a show pet. Their faces gleamed with malicious excitement.

My chest caved in. I could barely breathe as scorching anger devoured me alive.

“Irene!” My scream tore through the air, sharp and desperate. “No! Let her go! You bastards! Get away from her!”

I lunged forward, eyes red, hands shaking, wanting nothing more than to shield my sister from this nightmare. But before I could take more than a step, two bodyguards pressed me to the ground, shoving me onto my knees.

Delilah stood leisurely in the middle of the chaos, dressed in a skin-tight designer gown, her long lashes fluttering as she looked down on me with smug amusement.

By her side stood Juliette, clinging sweetly to her mother, a mask of innocence plastered on her small face.

Delilah’s lips curled into a soft, fake smile, her voice dripping with venom. “Want to save your sister, Ivy? You know what to do.”

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palm until I bled, but I had no choice.

Delilah lowered her head slightly, her smile deepening. “On your knees, bark like a dog! If you amuse me enough, maybe I’ll let you both go.”

The crowd roared with laughter, some pulling out their phones, some pointing at me like I was part of the show.

“That’s right! Get down for Madam Delilah! If you hadn’t stolen Lucian, she would have been Mrs. Durneswick. It’s time you paid for it!”

Irene’s mouth was taped shut, her tear-streaked face shaking wildly as she struggled against the leash. Her helpless gaze shattered what little pride I had left.

I knew it, if I didn’t obey, neither of us would leave this room alive.

My body trembled uncontrollably, but in the end, I still fell to my knees.

My throat clenched as I forced out an animalistic bark.

Laughter erupted like thunder.

Lights flashed endlessly, cameras capturing every humiliating moment. I could hear them screaming, “Look at this! A sister degrading herself like a dog just to protect her crippled sibling. This will dominate the headlines tomorrow!”

But just as the mockery reached its peak, the room suddenly fell deathly silent.

A familiar low, hoarse voice came through the phone’s speaker, calm, cold and terrifyingly steady.

“Play as much as you like, but if anyone dares to leak tonight’s video… be prepared to die.”

I shivered violently.

I looked up.

Delilah held her phone, her screen showing Lucian’s emotionless expression, seated behind his office desk, looking down at the scene like a king overseeing a pitiful circus.

A faint, almost tender smile appeared on his lips as he spoke to Delilah, “Are you done venting, Delilah? If so, take Juliette home. I’ve made a reservation, let’s have dinner.”

Delilah’s cheeks flushed lightly, her posture softening. “Alright, I’ll bring Juliette right over. What about Ivy and her sister?”

Lucian’s voice remained nonchalant, “No need. They have hands and feet. They’ll find their own way home.”

When he spoke of me, his gaze turned icy, every trace of warmth vanishing.

“And Ivy…” his tone dropped, every word biting into my bones, “this is only the beginning. The longer you refuse to sign, the worse it’ll get. But if you behave, you’ll still be Mrs. Durneswick standing tall above everyone else.”

His words made the audience shift uncomfortably, the arrogance in their faces rapidly dissolving into panic.

I laughed bitterly inside.

That’s what these people were fickle cowards.

When Lucian didn’t care about me, I was trash they could trample on.

But if Lucian so much as lifted a finger, they’d kneel and call me “Mrs. Durneswick” like loyal dogs.