While I'd been drowning in guilt over Paul's death, he was off watching elephants in Africa with Amber, rowing boats in Italy, kissing her under the Eiffel Tower……

A familiar figure appeared in the doorway. Paul reacted faster than I did, rushing over and pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Mom, I've missed you so much all these years.”

Zoe Delgado slipped a black card into my hand when no one was looking. She gripped my fingers, leaned close to my ear, and whispered.

“Susan, I haven't seen Paul in five years.”

“Even if he's been expelled from the family, he's still my flesh and blood. Please, I'm begging you, just let him stay a little while longer.”

After Paul's faked death was exposed, my parents had stormed straight to the Delgado mansion to demand justice for me.

They made it clear: if the Delgados couldn't offer a satisfactory resolution, the Fox family would pull every cent of its investment.

Old Mr. Delgado, terrified of shaking the family's foundation, immediately asked if I'd be willing to marry his youngest son and become the sole mistress of the Delgado household.

With both families' interests at stake, I didn't refuse.

So I married Douglas Delgado. Not only did I gain control of the Delgado estate, I also received Paul's shares.

Zoe's eyes were wet with tears, terrified I'd say no.

I thought of Daisy, and something in me softened for this mother standing before me. I nodded.

“Fine.”

Zoe broke into a tearful smile and threw her arms around me.

I patted her back gently.

Paul walked over to us, confusion creasing his brow.

“I was only gone five years. When did you two become so close?”

There was a time when Zoe genuinely couldn't stand me.

She'd already handpicked a wife for Paul herself: her best friend's youngest daughter, pretty, sharp, and well-mannered.

But right when they were about to settle the engagement, Paul suddenly brought me home and declared he'd marry no one else in this lifetime.

Zoe grabbed the nearest teacup and hurled it at his forehead.

Paul didn't even flinch. Blood ran down his face.

She called for the first-aid kit, her heart aching despite her fury. Paul coldly shook off her hand and planted himself in front of me like a wall.

“Mom, I love Susie.”

“She's the only wife I'll ever have. If you want a different daughter-in-law, you and Dad better try for another son.”

Zoe clenched her teeth and relented.

But every time Paul brought me home after that, she'd either have me kneading her shoulders and massaging her legs, or make me learn to dress Paul and serve his meals. She found every way she could to wear me down.

Mentioning the past, Zoe shot me an awkward little smile.

While I was distracted, Paul grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door, speaking as though he were the most devoted man alive.

“Susie, since my mom's already accepted you, let's pick out a wedding gown and get married as soon as possible.”

I frowned and tried to wrench free, but his grip wouldn't budge.

Zoe went white. She scrambled after us.

“Paul Delgado, you let go of her right now!”

But Paul wasn't listening. He shoved me straight into a fitting room.

He pinned both my wrists above my head and leaned in, his lips grazing my neck.

“Susie, do you remember? When we got engaged, you said you wanted me to put the wedding dress on you with my own hands. Lift the veil myself.”

“Now……we finally have the chance.”

Cold air hit my chest. Paul was ripping my buttons open.

I thrashed against him with everything I had, but he didn't move an inch.

“Let go of me! If you don't stop right now, I swear Douglas will have your hands cut off.”

Paul froze. His fingers went still.

“Why are you throwing my uncle's name at me? You know I can't stand him.”

Outside the door, Zoe pounded on it like a woman possessed, her voice shaking beyond her control.

“You ungrateful brat! Let go of Susan right now, or when Douglas gets home, he will skin you alive.”

Paul let out an irritated growl.

“Stop using my uncle to threaten me. I'm helping my fiancée change clothes. What family rule does that break? What right does he have to tell me what to do?”

I fixed my eyes on Paul, every word deliberate.

“I'm your uncle's wife.”

A scornful laugh came from above my head.

Paul leaned into my neck, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

“Susie, if you're going to lie to make me jealous, at least come up with a better excuse.”

“Everyone knows my uncle has zero interest in women. Thirty years single and he's never so much as looked at anyone.”

He kissed the side of my face. I recoiled, skin crawling.

Zoe screamed for the servants to break down the door, ready to tear Paul apart with her bare hands.

“You bastard! You really are going to destroy me and your father!”

“Open this door right now and let go of your aunt!”

Paul's brows knotted together, then smoothed out, as if something had just clicked into place.

He forced his fingers through mine, lacing them tight, his tone the kind you'd use on a frightened child.

“Susie, I know you probably haven't accepted the fact that I'm alive yet.”

“I swear I'll love you even more than before.”

Listening to Paul's self-congratulatory tenderness, acid churned in my stomach.

“Drop the act! You were never in any car accident. You faked your death so you could run off and travel the world with your secretary.”

“What made you think I'd just wait around for you? Paul, I'm married.”

Paul's eyes shot up in disbelief, his grip on my hand tightening until the bones ground together.

The pain forced tears out of me.

He wiped them away gently, a flicker of panic crossing his face.

“Susie, it's not what you think.”

I laughed, cold and bitter, and wrenched my hand free.

The tears came anyway, flooding out for reasons I couldn't name.

“After I heard about your accident, I tried to kill myself.”

“Every single night I couldn't sleep. All I saw was you, covered in blood.”

“I blamed myself. If I hadn't made you send Amber away, you never would've been in that crash.”

My nose burned. I shouldn't still hurt over this. I knew that.

But I couldn't stop myself from ripping that sickening mask of devotion right off his face.

Paul saw my tears and lost whatever composure he had left. He let go of my hand immediately.

He pulled me into a clumsy, desperate embrace, his voice raw.

“I'm sorry, Susie. But I'm back now, aren't I?”

“I came back to marry you. I promise I'll give you a happy future.”

I laughed through my tears, shoved him off me, and said it one final time.

“Paul, I am married.”

“Nobody waits in the same spot forever.”

Paul grabbed my arm regardless and yanked, tearing my blouse apart.

Bare skin hit the cold air and I shuddered.

He snatched up the wedding dress beside him and held it against me.

“Susie, what about this one?”

I looked down, too exhausted to reason with a wall.

Paul's gaze froze, landing on the faint stretch marks across my stomach.

His voice broke. His fingers slipped from my arm without him even realizing it.

“What are those?”

Outside, Zoe was already pacing in frantic circles, screaming herself hoarse trying to talk sense into her son.

“Disrespecting an elder is one of the highest offenses under family punishment. Do you want to face discipline the moment you set foot back in this house?”

The door shook violently on its hinges. Just before the servants broke through, I shook off Paul, who was standing there blank and hollow, and pulled my clothes back into place.

Zoe charged in the second the door gave way and slapped Paul so hard blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

At the same moment, a car horn sounded from the driveway.

Douglas appeared carrying an iron whip lined with barbs.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and fixed Paul with a stare so cold it could have been aimed at a corpse.

“You've been bullying my wife?”