"Do you really think I need your money?" Caleb asked sharply. He yanked my arm roughly, his expression dark.

"How long are you going to keep this up, Maeve? Do you think you can support yourself? I honestly don't know what goes through your head!

"I buy you skincare, and you won't use it. I buy you jewelry, and you won't wear it. I tell you to dress better, and you come up with every excuse under the sun!"

Every time Caleb and I argued, he would always bring up old grievances. He said I didn't use the skincare he bought me, but that was because it made me break out.

He said I didn't wear the jewelry, but when I did, people mocked me for wearing cheap knockoffs.

He complained that I didn't dress fashionably, but I worked in a government job. Did I really need to wear flashy clothes?

When I didn't respond, Caleb became even more relentless. "Why aren't you saying anything? Do you want to go back to your hometown and get married?"

Upon hearing that, I stared at him in disbelief.

After the college entrance exam, my family locked me up to force me into marriage.

It was Caleb who had saved me from that nightmare. He'd promised that as long as he was around, I would never have to face danger again.

But now, he seemed to have forgotten those words. He was behaving just like the people I'd once hated. I was from a broken family, so I was naturally frugal. Was that my fault?

Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart ached as if someone had crushed it in their grip. However, I said nothing.

I had finally realized that Caleb was beyond saving. He would never think he was the cause of the problem.

I grabbed my suitcases, determined to leave.

Enraged, Caleb slammed my suitcases to the ground—the two suitcases shattered on impact. My carefully packed belongings spilled everywhere.

"We're already broken up, Caleb! Who gave you the right to touch my things?"

Caleb grabbed my arm and dragged me back.

He was so strong. My head slammed into the edge of the table. Pain instantly exploded, and a hot stream of blood poured down into my eyes.

I blinked furiously, but everything was a blur.

Caleb turned around in a panic. "Don't be scared, Maeve. I'm taking you to the hospital."

But before he could do anything, his phone rang. Julia's weak voice came through the speaker. "Caleb, I'm at the entrance of your neighborhood. I'm coughing up blood. What should I do? It hurts so much."

Caleb's expression paled instantly. He let go of my arm. "Maeve, wait for me. Julia's condition has flared up. I have to take her to the hospital first."

Blood streamed into my eyes. All I could see was a vague silhouette in front of me.

I clung to Caleb's leg, not letting him leave. "Caleb, I can't see. Please help me call—"

Without a second thought, he kicked me away. "Goddamn it! I told you to wait! Why can't you understand a simple request? You can't even wait for a while? Are you in a hurry to die or what?"

The force of his kick knocked me down, and I couldn't get back up.

But Caleb was already long gone. The door slammed shut behind him with a deafening thud.

Fortunately, I had set my emergency contact to 911.

By the time the ambulance arrived, my consciousness was already fading. The doctor later informed me that I had suffered a concussion.

In the two days I spent recovering in the hospital, Caleb didn't call or text me once. My phone screen was blank and empty.

When I was discharged, Caleb's mother, Erin Bradford, called and invited me to dinner at the Ford residence.

I wanted to decline, but the words caught in my throat.

Erin wasn't like Caleb. She had always been genuinely kind to me.

Back in high school, I was abused by my family. She was the one who had helped me escape that hell.

After that, Caleb dated me for eight years. Yet, he never proposed. Instead, he kept getting closer to Julia.

Erin had been furious on my behalf and even tried to set me up with quality blind dates.

"Maeve, you're a good woman. I won't let Caleb drag you down. If you want to leave him, just say the word. I'll be your godmother if you need one."

When I arrived at the Ford residence, Erin didn't seem like herself.

Once inside, I understood why. Julia was there with Caleb and all his friends. The moment they saw me, their expressions changed.

"How'd you get hurt so badly?" Caleb asked. He approached, reaching for the bandage on my forehead.

I stepped back and looked at him coldly. "Shouldn't you already know? You were the one who pushed me."

Caleb scowled. "Do you have to be so passive-aggressive?"

I ignored him and went upstairs to find Erin. I told her that Caleb and I had officially broken up. Her eyes welled with tears when she heard that.

"Caleb's such an idiot. The Leclairs raised Julia to be cunning. Just because she and Caleb knew each other for three years as kids, she gets to play the childhood sweetheart? When our family had trouble back then, the Leclairs were the first to cut ties.

"Even if you two are no longer together, I still see you as my daughter. We've known each other for over a decade. Don't you grow distant with me."

During dinner, Erin kept piling food onto my plate.

Julia pouted and whined, "Mrs. Ford, you're only putting food onto Maeve's plate. What about me?"

Erin remained composed. "Maeve is like a daughter to me. What's wrong with serving a few bites to my child?"

Julia pressed her lips together as tears began to fall, turning the mood awkward.

Caleb quickly put a piece of meat on Julia's plate. But after only a few bites, Julia suddenly clutched her throat. Her face turned bright red, like she was choking.

"There's shrimp in here…" she said in between coughs.

"Julia's allergic to shrimp!"

Caleb shot to his feet and shouted at the maid, "I told you not to include shrimp! What the hell is wrong with you?"

The young maid, Megan Wallace, trembled, then hesitated before glancing at me.

"We didn't prepare any shrimp dishes. But I saw Ms. Griffith bring a jar of something into the kitchen earlier. S-She hid it in her bag."

I blinked in disbelief and asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

But Caleb bought the maid's story. His face twisted in rage as he turned and yanked open my bag.

I yelled, "What the hell are you doing, Caleb? You have no right to go through my things!"

"What, are you feeling guilty now?"

I reached out to stop him, but he shoved me aside.

A second later, Caleb ripped my bag open. A glass jar fell to the floor, and a strong shrimp smell filled the air.

Caleb looked at me like he'd finally caught me red-handed. "You still want to deny it? How do you explain this?"

I froze. That was when I realized that I had been set up. However, I quickly regained my composure and said, "That's not mine."

Right on cue, Julia weakly said, "Caleb, don't blame Maeve. Maybe she didn't do it on purpose."

Caleb grabbed my throat and forced me toward Julia. "I don't know if she did it on purpose. All I know is that she tried to kill you!

"Maeve Griffith, you're really evil! We're the ones who cut your hair. If you've got the guts, come at me instead! Why hurt a sick person? Apologize to Julia, or I swear I'll make you pay!"

He squeezed my neck so hard that I couldn't breathe. It was only with Erin's intervention that he finally let go.

I coughed violently, like I'd just clawed my way back from the brink of death.

I never expected Caleb to pin it on me without a second's hesitation. My heart, already bruised, was stabbed once more.

I slapped him so hard that my palm stung. I roared, "We'll know who touched that jar of shrimp paste with a fingerprint test! This isn't the first time you've laid hands on me, Caleb! I'm done staying silent. I'm calling the police!"