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.

A severe pain suddenly hit her forehead. Warm blood ran down her face and blurred her view.

Denzel crouched down. His fingers brushed her wound softly, and his voice was calm. “Do not do this kind of thing again.”

There was no warmth in his tone. This was the man she had loved for years.

After he spoke, he stood up. He casually held Allison next to him and left.

Her knees stayed on the floor until they lost feeling, like many needles poking her. Zariah tried again and again to stand, but failed.

The eyes around her felt hot, like fire burning her.

Flashes kept shining. Phones aimed at her. Some people laughed, some whispered, but no one came to help.

She bit her teeth and used all her strength. Slowly, she pushed herself up and stood.

Her legs shook so badly she almost fell again. She held the wall and slowly walked back into the shop.

The diner became empty, no people remained for a long time, leaving only a lifeless quiet.

She looked at the disorder and emptiness, suddenly gave a low laugh, the sound dry and lonely.

She raised her hand and slowly shut the door of the shop.

Sealing all the shame and staring looks outside along with it.

As she leaned against the counter to calm her breathing, Zariah had not even cleaned the blood on her forehead when the door was suddenly pushed open hard.

The person spoke with a cold tone, directly saying, “Someone reported your shop does not meet hygiene standards, immediately close and suspend business.”

Her heart tightened. Using her weak body, she stepped forward wanting to explain, but before any words came out, she was suddenly pushed.

Her body fell back without control, crashing hard into the door, the wound on her forehead pulling into sharp pain.

She awkwardly lifted her head, but through the glass door, her eyes met a cold person.

It was Denzel’s personal assistant.

No more words were needed; that look had already explained everything.

It was Denzel’s order.

She had not yet climbed out of shame when he himself completely broke her last support.

Truly impressive!

Dragging her hurt body back to the house, the wounds still faintly aching, Zariah seemed to feel nothing and took out all the papers from the drawer.

The already prepared food safety inspection certificate, the recording of when she was forced to kneel, the unclear video taken by others when she knocked her head…

One by one, piece by piece, she arranged everything neatly in order.

Every word and line carried the shame she had gone through.

Zariah did not pause; she directly handed all the proof under her real name to the proper offices.

What belonged to her, she would slowly take back with her own hands.

After finishing all this, she lifted her eyes to look at the eye-catching wedding photo on the wall.

The two people in the picture smiled falsely and sweetly.

In the next second, she grabbed the frame and threw it hard onto the ground.

The glass broke and scattered, and the photo was stepped on until it could no longer be recognized.

As if the feelings held in for too long finally burst out, her eyes red, she wildly smashed everything in the house that could be broken.

Ornaments, tables, curtains…

In the end, she lit a fire to those things that proved they had once cared for each other.

The flames rose, coloring the whole room red.

The thick smoke made Zariah cough hard, but she did not move, only watched those memories burn into ash, her eyes empty and still.

When she finally lost her strength, she slowly went back to the room, fell onto the bed, and drifted to sleep.

Inside her dream, everything felt mixed; many old scenes passed by, pulling her step by step into deeper darkness.

Until early morning came, and loud knocking woke her.

As soon as she opened the door, Allison stood there, her face full of anger.

“Why did you expose me? Now everyone knows everything, they are all blaming me!”