My husband had a private villa and the basement was off-limits. He didn't allow anyone to enter, including me.

Driven by curiosity, I installed a surveillance camera in the basement while he was away.

When I clicked on the surveillance video, I saw him pinning a beautiful girl beneath him. Her ankles were shackled with iron chains.

With each thrust of his body, the iron chains made bursts of noise.

"Uncle, please let me go." Carly Leonard was about to cry and said with a pitiful look.

His deep, magnetic voice was laced with possessiveness. "Carly, you'll never marry anyone else. You're mine for life."

"But if we keep doing this, you'll betray your wife."

Julius Jacklin scoffed. "I only married her as a cover. In my eyes, she's always been just a tool. You're the one I truly love."

My heart ached and went numb in an instant. I immediately applied for permanent residence in France.

Julius, I didn't want you anymore.

***

The moans of pleasure and his heavy breathing continued.

My trembling hands turned off the surveillance video and the lewd voice stopped abruptly.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

Carly was Julius's adopted niece. So, the so-called "forbidden area" was nothing more than the place where he kept her.

No wonder Julius never touched me during the year we were married.

His excuse was that a fortune-teller had told him he needed to abstain from sex for a year, or he'd face terrible misfortune.

I foolishly believed it and struggled through every night, hoping this year would pass quickly.

Now I knew that he used such a ridiculous reason because he didn't want to touch me. He was keeping his body for Carly.

Only then did I realize that he was madly in love with Carly. After marrying me, he hid her from everyone and kept her in his private villa.

He had always appeared calm and composed before me, but today was the first time I saw him so out of control.

I was utterly hopeless at this point and my heart was icy.

I left the villa immediately and headed to the immigration office to start the process of moving to France.

But it would take ten days to get my French residency permit.

When I walked out of the immigration office, I felt a sense of relief I'd never experienced before.

I didn't want Julius anymore. There would be no more of him in my world in the future.

Only at noon the next day did Julius return to our home.

He still looked abstinent and cold, which made it difficult for me to associate him with the one who lost control and occupied Carly in the video.

When I thought of the scene of the two people entangled and his words that I was just a tool for him, I felt so heartbroken that I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't help but recall the scene of my first meeting with Julius.

He was a friend of my friend.

I had been kidnapped and my best friend was at a party. Julius came to the rescue, bringing along his bodyguards.

The kidnappers held a sharp knife against my neck and no one present dared to act rashly. It was Julius who single-handedly saved me from the kidnappers' knives.

He wore a black suit with a bead bracelet wrapped around his wrist. His features were sharp and sculpted and he radiated an aura of coldness and mystery. He was the kind of man who commanded attention.

That was the moment I fell helplessly in love with him.

My friends couldn't help but warn me. "Danielle, Julius Jacklin is notoriously aloof. No woman has ever gotten close to him. People in the circle even wonder if he's gay. You should give up. Pursuing him will only waste your time and energy and won't end well."

I simply didn't believe it. Everyone said he was abstinent and aloof. He didn't allow women to get close and he didn't even have emotions or desires.

Still, I thought everyone had desires.

As long as I worked hard and persevere, I would use my sincerity to crack open his heart.

When he had a car accident, I acted as a caring caregiver, taking care of his food, clothing, shelter and transportation.

He said he didn't like meat, so even though I was a meat lover, I went vegetarian for him.

When his plane crashed, I prayed for him every day, climbed 999 steps on my knees, until they were raw and bleeding.

I even took a bullet for him. It missed my heart by only inches and I nearly died.

Everyone said I was crazy, obsessed and loved Julius terribly, but would be toyed with and abandoned by him sooner or later.

Still, I believed that Julius wasn't that kind of man. He wouldn't toy with my feelings.

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, Julius proposed to me.

He knelt before me and presented me with a custom-made ring from overseas.

"Julius, if you're only proposing out of gratitude for what I've done for you, then I can't accept."

I knew that gratitude wasn't the same as love.

I wanted genuine affection, not a pity proposal.

Julius's gaze was steady and clear. "No one can force me to do anything. I'm in control of my own marriage and I'm marrying you because I love you."

"Julius, I knew it. My efforts finally touched your heart."

I accepted his proposal without hesitation.

I wanted to prove to everyone that Julius truly loved me and that our marriage would be wonderful and last forever.

But I lost the bet and I lost badly.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at him. "Where were you all day yesterday?"

Julius's eyes were icy. "I was resting at the private villa."

I smiled contemptuously and didn't expose his lie.

"Invite Carly for dinner here tonight. After all, she is your niece and I should treat her well."

Julius's usually placid expression finally flickered. "Don't provoke her."

I hadn't done anything yet, but he was already so protective of Carly. My heart ached.

"I only want to invite her for a meal."

"It's not necessary. Just focus on your own responsibilities and don't interfere," Julius said coldly.

My gaze turned cold.

What were my "responsibilities" in his eyes?

Was it to be a puppet wife, turning a blind eye to his affair with Carly?

I wasn't that generous. I wasn't about to give my husband away to some mistress.

After Julius went upstairs, I called my father.

"Dad, I want to divorce Julius."

My father sounded like he'd been expecting this. "I've always felt Julius wasn't someone you could rely on, but I know how stubborn you are. Once you make a decision, no one can change your mind. That's why I never try to stop you."

"It's good you left him. Now you can come back to France and inherit my business. Your mother in heaven will be pleased to see you become my right-hand person."

"Okay, Dad."

My dear friend Faye Stewart invited me to an auction the next day.

We had just settled into our seats when I saw Julius walk in with Carly.

I easily caught a glimpse of a hickey on Carly's fair neck.

It looked fresh.

I didn't even have to guess. It was clearly his doing.

A sharp pain flared in my chest.

When Julius saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but then he acted as if I were invisible, taking a seat before me.

The auction officially began.

I had been zoning out the whole time, until Faye said, "Danielle, wasn't that emerald necklace your mother's keepsake? It went missing by accident and you've been searching for it ever since. Who would've thought it would turn up at this auction?"

I was overwhelmed when I saw the emerald necklace.

That necklace was a keepsake from my mother. To me, it was priceless.

I was determined to win it back, no matter what.

Carly heard our conversation and smiled a little, "Uncle, this emerald necklace is gorgeous. I want it."

"I'll get you anything you want," Julius replied gently.

I bit my lip and spoke, "Julius, this emerald necklace is my mother's keepsake. I've been looking for it. Please don't compete with me."

Julius's voice was icy. "So what?"

His words chilled me to the bone.

He knew perfectly well that the necklace was a precious keepsake from my late mother, something deeply important to me.

Yet, just because Carly expressed a fleeting desire, he was willing to fight me for it.

My chest felt tight. He only saw Carly in his eyes and didn't take me to heart at all.

This auction became a battle between Julius and me.

The moment I placed a bid, Julius immediately followed.

Until the auction price reached its peak, Julius finally won the emerald necklace.

"Carly, anything you want, I'll give you. No other man can offer you this. Do you still want to run?"

"I just want freedom," Carly said faintly.

My best friend Faye indignantly said, "Danielle, what exactly does that jerk, Julius, mean? He's actually flirting with his adopted niece right under your nose! You're his wife, how could he treat you like this?"

I gave a bitter smile.

I looked down at the hemp rope bracelet on my wrist, a freebie that came with a high-end watch Julius had bought.

He had casually intended to throw it away, but I had asked for it. I had worn it constantly for years.

Now, I took the hemp rope bracelet off my wrist.

Faye was a little shocked. "Carly, isn't this bracelet your most treasured possession? You wouldn't even take it off when you showered."

I said softly, "I don't want it anymore."

I also threw away my feelings for Julius over the past few years.

After the auction ended, a small party was held next to the swimming pool.

Hoping to persuade Julius to change his mind and give me my mother's keepsake, I didn't leave but joined the party.

Carly approached me, with Julius following close behind.

She asked, "Danielle, do you really want that emerald necklace?"

"Yes," I said. "It was my mother's. It means everything to me. If you're willing to return it, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Oh, then get on your knees and beg me. If you kneel, I'll give it to you."

I knew Carly was deliberately trying to humiliate me in public.

I raised my eyes to Julius, only to see a deep, calm indifference in his gaze. He had no intention of intervening.

After hesitating for a long time, I still chose to kneel down to Carly. I wanted to get back the keepsake my mother had left me.

The moment I knelt, the smile on Carly's lips deepened.

"Carly, keep your promise and give me the necklace."

"Alright."

Carly held the emerald necklace before me and tossed it into the swimming pool.

"If you want it, go get it yourself."

A surge of anger welled up within me. Without the slightest hesitation, I jumped into the pool.

The instant I entered the water, an icy chill enveloped my entire body, reaching my core.

Still, I couldn't care less. I dove down, searching for the necklace.

After searching around, I finally found the fallen gemstone necklace.

My lips were pale and cold when I climbed out of the pool. I shivered uncontrollably.

Then, I heard Carly say, "Uncle, the weather is so chilly. Aren't you worried about Danielle? She is your wife, after all."

"A wife in name only. The only one I care about is you. Danielle is just a disposable tool in my eyes."

A tightness gripped my chest.

So, I was merely a tool for their flirtatious games.

A surge of anger propelled me forward and I pushed Carly into the pool.

I also wanted her to experience the biting cold of the winter pool.

"Ahhh, help! I can't swim!"

Carly's terrified screams immediately echoed from the pool.

"Danielle, you've gone too far!"

Julius's eyes were full of rage. He kicked me to the ground and then jumped into the swimming pool to rescue Carly.

After he kicked me like that, I fell to the ground and my waist hit the sharp edge of the swimming pool.

The severe pain in my stomach and waist almost made me faint.

After helping Carly ashore, Julius's icy voice rang out again.

"Danielle, if anything happens to Carly, I will make you pay with your life!"

I was left alone by the edge of the pool.

The persistent pain in my waist made it difficult even to stand.

I could only call for emergency medical help.

After the doctor examined me and applied medication at the hospital, I received a video from Carly.

In the video, Julius was washing Carly's feet as if treating a rare treasure.

Despite his severe germaphobia, he washed them with rapt attention, his expression devout as he lovingly kissed her toes.

The scene pierced my heart like a sharp blade.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Carly Leonard.

"Danielle, wasn't that video I sent you wonderful? Do you know why Julius has never touched you? It's because I said I found you dirty, so he kept himself pure for me."

"Julius has always belonged to me, but you stole him from my grasp. So, you deserve to pay a painful price."

I had thought Carly resented Julius's domineering control, treating her like a caged bird. It turned out this was just a tactic of feigned refusal.

I replied coldly, "Hmm, you two are a perfect match. Trash belongs in the trash can."

"Say that again, if you dare," Carly growled.

My expression was cold and I hung up the phone.

After a while, Julius stormed into my ward angrily.

"What did you say to Carly? She has severe depression and is threatening to kill herself!"

"I didn't say anything," I stated coldly.

"You need to go apologize to her right now," Julius's voice brooked no argument.

"I won't apologize."

I wasn't in the wrong. Carly was the one who came looking for trouble.

My words infuriated Julius. He didn't care and dragged me out of the ward.

His rough actions caused my injured waist to slam into the corner of the wall again.

"Julius, that really hurts."

Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain.

"This little bit of pain is nothing. Do you have to be so dramatic?"

His words made my expression turn cold.

He dragged me to Carly's ward. "Apologize to Carly, now."

"Uncle, if she doesn't want to apologize, just let it go. I know I'm hard to like."

"Well, at least you're self-aware," I replied bluntly.

Carly's eyes reddened upon hearing this, her face full of grievance.

Julius snarled, "Danielle, how could you become such a vicious woman? It makes me sick."

I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Now I had become a vicious woman, huh?

Julius continued, "Carly will be staying with us for a while. The doctor said her condition is unstable and she needs someone to take care of her. You'll be the one looking after her. Consider it your compensation to her."

After her discharge from the hospital, we sat at the same dining table for dinner.

When I was scooping the smoking broth with a spoon, Carly deliberately came closer.

As expected, her wrist was splashed with the hot broth.

She let out a sharp, piercing scream.

Julius rushed to her side.

Tears streamed down Carly's face as she cried, "Uncle, my wrist hurts so much! Please don't blame her. I don't think she did it on purpose."

Julius's eyes were filled with heartache.

Then, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

I was stunned by the sudden blow.

I felt a searing pain in my cheek and a ringing sound echoed in my ears.

I looked at him in disbelief.

"Get lost."

I felt as if my heart had been hollowed out.

He didn't even give me a chance to explain, immediately passing a death sentence on me.

I turned and left, too drained to explain myself to him.

I wandered aimlessly outside for a very long time.

It wasn't until night that I gradually fell asleep and returned to the villa.

When I passed the door of Julius's room, I heard a heavy gasp.

The door wasn't closed properly. I saw Julius and Carly's figures intertwined on the bed through the crack.

My face was ashen and my heart felt like it was cut open by a knife, with a bloody pain.

I had barely been gone and he couldn't wait to get with her.

Yet, in the entire year we had been married, he had never touched me.

Even when I stood naked in front of him, he didn't react. He just told me coldly, "Put your clothes back on. You'll catch a cold."

Another time, he kissed me forcefully when he was drunk and just because I called his name out of control, his eyes suddenly sobered up. Then, he pushed me away.

I had absolutely no appeal to him.

But Carly was like opium, intoxicating him to the core.

Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I wouldn't want that loser, Julius Jacklin.

My world could exist without him. I could live an extraordinary life on my own.

The next morning, I handed Julius the villa's maintenance, water and electricity bills to sign.

Julius signed without even looking at them.

He didn't know I had slipped the divorce agreement in among the bills.

He had already signed the divorce agreement.

After returning the documents, I asked the question lingering in my mind, "Julius, have you ever loved me, even just a little bit?"

Julius was silent. He didn't answer.

I let out a bitter laugh. I knew what his silence meant.

My marriage to Julius had been a one-woman show.

After a long pause, Julius frowned. "Danielle, I had my reasons for marrying you. You're already my wife. Isn't that enough for you?"

He still held that superior attitude, as if marrying me was some great favour.

I turned and went upstairs, back to my room.

When I returned home from shopping in the afternoon, I saw Carly barging into my room. She was standing in front of my wardrobe, trying on my clothes.

I was instantly furious.

Carly had absolutely no manners, even touching my personal belongings.

"Carly, are you seriously this shameless? You're even trying to take my clothes? Do you have no pride?"

"Tsk, I just want to try it on. What does it matter? No matter what I want in this villa, Julius will give it to me, not to mention the clothes in your closet."

I just found her shameless.

"Get out of here! If you ever break into my room again, I won't let you off easily."

Only then did Carly turn and leave.

When it was time for dinner, I was about to leave my room and go downstairs to eat.

As soon as my feet stepped into the slippers, I couldn't help but scream loudly.

A piercing pain shot up from the soles of my feet, making my face pale and my whole body tremble.

I lifted my foot and saw a sharp nail sticking out of the slipper.

As soon as I stepped in, the sharp nails were completely embedded in the soles of my feet and crimson blood oozed out.

"Danielle, what the hell are you screaming about?" Carly walked up to me with a gloating expression.

"Did you put a nail in my slipper?"

"That's right, I did it. What can you do to me?" Carly admitted directly.

I grabbed a wine bottle from the table, smashed it against the wall and held the sharp glass against her cheek.

"Uncle, help! Danielle's gone crazy! She's trying to ruin my face with a bottle!"

Carly dropped her earlier arrogant demeanour, putting on a weak and frightened look as she appealed to the suddenly appearing Julius for help.

Julius immediately snatched the broken bottle from my hand and slapped me hard across the face.

"Danielle, I'm warning you, Carly is my bottom line. If you dare to hurt her even a little bit, I'll make you pay a hundred, a thousand times over!"

I felt a burning pain on my cheek and a ringing sound echoed in my ears again.

The grievances in my heart surged like a raging tide, but I desperately tried to restrain myself.

I roared, "Julius, do you know what Carly did to me? And you just hit me without even finding out what happened?"

Julius was momentarily stunned when he saw the tears welling in my eyes and heard my resentful accusation.

The intense pain in the soles of my feet continued. Suddenly, my vision went black and I collapsed to the ground.

Julius saw me faint and the pool of bright red blood remaining where I had been standing.

A hint of panic flashed in his eyes.