Zariah quickly lifted her head and stared hard at Denzel. “What do you do to her?”

“Nothing.” Denzel rested on the door, his arms folded, his voice cold and harsh.

“I only used the same way on the same person. Allison is easy to fool. After she saw the trending news, she has been crying until now. Her eyes are swollen. Zariah, go say sorry to her and fix this. If not, I cannot promise what will happen to your best friend.”

Zariah pressed her nails deep into her hand. The hurt turned dull, but it did not match the chill in her chest.

She looked at the strange man in front of her. At last, she clenched her teeth and said one word, “Okay.”

Denzel took her to a program’s venue.

She thought it was only a simple sorry, but she did not expect the floor in the middle of the stage to be filled with broken ceramic pieces.

The sharp edges caught the light and shone coldly.

Denzel stood next to Allison, lifting his hand to hold her shoulder. The way he looked at Zariah had no warmth at all.

“Allison is a well-known person. This issue has grown too large, and the effect on her is too serious. You kneel, read this apology letter fully, and take it as saying sorry to her. Only if you accept punishment will others believe you admit your fault, then Allison will not be dragged into it.”

“Kneel down?”

Zariah’s body froze at once, a loud ringing filled her ears, and she even forgot to argue back.

Old memories from many years ago suddenly appeared in her mind.

Back then, she and Denzel went to a family gathering. Just because she accidentally hit a young woman, she was publicly splashed with red wine by that person.

She stood there, looking miserable, but Denzel only gave her a short glance, letting his assistant deal with it casually.

Also being treated unfairly, Allison only needed a short edited video, and he gathered people, forcing her to kneel and apologize.

Zariah slowly lifted her gaze, looking at the two people holding each other in front of her.

She said nothing more, holding a firm determination like cutting off all paths, step by step, moved toward that heap of shattered porcelain.

When her knees dropped down, the sharp shards stabbed directly into her skin.

Hot blood quickly flowed out, falling onto the fragments, spreading into bright red marks like blooming flowers.

She knelt upright, did not frown, did not cry, and even her eyes showed no change, only staring straight ahead.

Denzel stood nearby, the hand holding Allison slowly tightening.

Seeing the bright red on the floor, seeing Zariah’s blank side face, it felt like something pressed in his chest, making him unable to breathe.

The apology letter was very long; Zariah nearly used all her strength to finish reading it.

After she finished, she pushed herself up from the ground, slowly rising, bearing the severe pain in her knees, and said, “Where is Shizel? Give her back to me.”

Denzel still looked a little annoyed. He lightly waved his hand. “Let the secretary bring you there.”

Zariah turned around and followed the secretary outside, but she did not expect the car to finally stop at the door of a warehouse.

As soon as she stepped out, Oswald walked out from inside with several people.

Zariah’s heart dropped. She asked in a cold voice. “What are you trying to do? Where is Shizel?”

“What am I trying to do?” Oswald stepped closer, stretched his hand, and grabbed her wrist. “You bullied my sister, made her get cursed online. Today, I will get back at you for her!”

“Denzel will not let you off.”

Zariah did not think Denzel would allow Oswald to act against her, after all, even if there was no love, there were still many years of ties.

Oswald looked like he had heard something very funny and coldly laughed.

“Let you go? He cares too much about my sister to bother. But I’ll give you a chance, call him and see if he comes to help you.”

Zariah’s heart suddenly tightened, but she still held onto the last bit of hope.

First try, the line was busy.

She called again, still busy.

After several tries, the phone only gave a cold machine sound.

She refused to stop, her fingers shaking as she still wanted to try again, but she saw Oswald take out his phone and press a number without care.

In less than a second, Denzel’s voice came from the phone. “What is it?”

What she saw in front of her felt like a hard slap, hitting Zariah’s face.

In Denzel’s mind, she was not even as important as Allison’s younger brother.

The warehouse door was tightly closed. The whip struck Zariah’s back. Her body, which had just knelt on broken pieces, was hurt again.

One hit, two hits, three hits… until the ninety-ninth hit.

Zariah’s sight turned dark, and she fell onto the cold floor.

When he saw she had passed out, Oswald got scared of causing death, quickly taking his men and leaving.

No one knew how much time had passed before Zariah slowly woke up.

She struggled and took out her phone, then called the police.

When she opened her eyes again, Zariah felt like everything inside her body was torn.

Denzel saw that she woke up, quickly put out his cigarette, and tried to help her.

“Zariah, you’re awake? How do you feel?”

His hand had just touched her arm when Zariah strongly pushed it away.

She turned her head, holding back the bitter feeling in her throat, and spoke in a weak, rough voice.

“I don’t want to see you. Get out.”

Denzel’s hand stopped in the air, but he still forced himself to hold her wrist.

“I know you don’t want to see me. What happened today, I also share the blame. Oswald is too rash.”

He paused, then his voice changed as he started to speak for the Hector siblings.

“Allison is just childish and got upset by the online comments. Oswald only wants to protect his sister. Don’t fight with them. You still need to get along with them later.”

Zariah felt something tightly squeeze her chest. It hurt so much she could hardly breathe.

She was hit ninety-nine times and almost died in the warehouse, yet to him it was only “too rash” and “wanting to protect his sister.” There was not even one true blame.

It was just like before, when someone who liked Denzel hurt her on purpose. Because that person was a partner’s daughter, he made her accept it.

No matter what, he never chose her first.

Denzel seemed not to see how she felt. He took a small box from his pocket.

When he opened it, a diamond ring shone brightly under the light.

The diamond was big and clearly very costly.

“This is compensation for you, you rest properly. I already arranged the best nurse. After leaving the hospital, whatever you want, I will give it to you. As for that police report, I already explained it; it was your accidental contact.”

Zariah looked at the ring, suddenly laughed, laughing until tears almost came out.

After getting the certificate, she once carefully brought up to Denzel that she wanted a wedding ring.

But at that time, he only frowned, not even looking at her.

“As my wife, you should act properly and calmly, don’t always think about these costly and useless things.”

His words poured cold water over her; from then on, she never brought up the wedding ring again.

Now her heart had already gone dead; she wanted nothing, yet he used such a diamond ring to make up to her.

Zariah lifted her hand and took the ring, her fingers brushing across the diamond, then raised her hand and threw it outside the window.

The ring made a curve, dropping into the rain beyond the window.

Together with her many years of feelings for Denzel, everything was completely erased.

Denzel watched her dull response, and the little patience he had left disappeared.

He quickly stood up, kicked the cabinet by the bed with force, then turned, banged the door shut, and left.

Zariah stayed on the bed. The pain in her back remained, but her heart felt oddly calm.

Over the next three days, she spent her time alone in quiet.

After discharge, she worked at the diner while uneasily handling the diner transfer.

While keeping her head down and working, Zariah looked up and saw Allison suddenly show up at the shop entrance.

The shop assistant brought a bowl of fresh pierogi. Allison took one bite, then frowned and pushed it aside.

“These pierogi are not even fully cooked. How can they be eaten?”

The assistant quickly replaced it with another bowl. She complained again, saying it was not the shepherd’s purse filling she wanted.

The third time, she mixed the soup and was still not pleased, still very picky.

Zariah knew she had come on purpose to trouble her, so the fourth time she handled it herself.

She did not plan to speak, but as she turned, Allison stopped her.

“Zariah, do you know? The one not loved is the mistress. Now you are that mistress. When do you plan to step aside and leave space for me? I am not the kind to accept another woman besides Denzel.”

Zariah did not look back and only said in a calm voice, “Then I hope you get what you want.”

Those words made Allison smile with even more pride.

“You probably still don’t know, right? Before, Denzel fell for me the moment he saw me. To ask me to be with him, he was willing to give up everything. And you? What do you have? From the start until now, you are just someone he easily let go. Really pitiful.”

Zariah’s lips formed a slight cold smile. Her voice stayed steady and cold. “I don’t know what way you used to win him. I just hope you look after yourself.”

After speaking, she turned around and left, without looking at Allison again.

Behind her, the sound of plates and bowls breaking followed.

Zariah kept walking. Only her fingers holding her apron became a little tighter.

They were only unimportant people and matters. Not worth it.

That afternoon, the diner was busy. The door was suddenly pushed open.

Denzel came in front of her. His voice was tense and mad.

“Zariah, why do you add medicine to the pierogi? Allison eats your pierogi, and now her throat is poisoned, and she loses her voice!”

Zariah had not yet reacted when she was pulled to the diner entrance and made to kneel on the ground.

A part of the stone tile at the doorway stuck up. Her knees hit it hard. Small pieces went into her skin, and the pain made her sight turn dark.

But Denzel did not notice at all. When he saw she did not lift her head, he thought she was acting out again, and his anger grew stronger.

“Kneel and bow to Allison and say sorry. She has an event today. You make her lose her voice, so she cannot go on stage.”

Before, when she once hurt her hand while fixing flowers, Denzel would feel pain for her every time. He would put medicine on it, wrap it, and act like a child feeling upset.

Now her blood stained her clothes red. No matter how clear it was, he did not see it.

Forget it. Zariah’s lips formed a faint mocking smile. She no longer hoped he would care.

But before she could speak, Allison gently pulled the man’s sleeve and handed him her phone.

On the screen was a line: [Let’s forget it, Denzel, I didn’t think it through. I shouldn’t let Miss Ambrose say sorry in public. I’m fine… It’s just this event is very important to me…]

After he read it, Denzel spoke in a lower voice, his tone heavy in a way never heard before.

“You should know how much it hurts to lose your voice from poison, yet you make Allison go through it once? How can you do that?!”

“Allison is thinking about you with all her heart, but since you refuse like this, don’t blame me.”

At that moment, Zariah felt completely stunned. She lifted her head and looked at him in shock.

In his eyes, there was no sign of love, only dislike and displeasure toward her.

“Hold her, make her bow three times to Allison.”

With one command, two bodyguards held her arms from behind, forced her head down, and made her bow three times.

Allison still looked unsatisfied, her face showing no emotion.

Seeing this, Zariah was pushed down again, forced to bow again and again.

More and more people gathered around, many pointed at her and spoke for Allison.

Her pride was crushed, low like dust.

Zariah slowly became numb until the ninety-ninth time. Allison suddenly smiled and signaled the bodyguards to stop.