I woke up again to find myself lying in my familiar bed, my lower back burning with pain.

Liam sat by the bed. Seeing me awake, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. He explained, “Clara, you’re awake? I was in such a rush that day. I’m sorry, don’t be angry with me…”

I closed my eyes, turning my head away, not wanting to give him even a glance.

What was there to explain? I knew the truth all too well: he simply didn’t trust me, didn’t love me.

Once upon a time, no matter where I was, no matter how far away I was, he would always find me immediately and protect me.

But now he’s changed.

His heart belongs only to the woman who drained the marrow from my five children.

During my recovery, Liam seemed to want to make amends, often staying by my side, but I remained silent.

Soon, Vanessa’s so-called banquet arrived, and Liam insisted I attend.

Liam hosted a grand banquet at the villa, with guests in droves; even his parents had come all the way from the old house.

Watching Liam's parents shower Vanessa with such warmth and care, I couldn't help but recall the first time Liam took me to meet his parents.

Back then, when Liam's parents learned I was an "orphan from the slums," their smiles vanished instantly, their attitude turning cold and indifferent, as if I were a complete stranger. The meal was incredibly oppressive.

The contrast now is stark and ironic.

At the banquet, Liam presented Vanessa with a set of priceless, rare pink diamond jewelry.

The gift Liam's parents gave him was a jade pendant of exceptional quality. Liam's mother, holding Vanessa's hand, said affectionately, "Vanessa, this is a family heirloom passed down from our Foster family to our daughter-in-law. Today, we're giving it to you."

Vanessa feigned surprise and declined, but Liam's mother glanced coldly at me standing in the corner, her voice just loud enough for everyone around to hear: "In our hearts, we've long considered you our own daughter-in-law. Some people are simply not good enough for our Liam."

Liam, noticing my dejected mood, leaned close to my ear and whispered comfortingly, "Clara, don't overthink it. My parents are old-fashioned; they don't know how good you are. You're the only one in my heart, really."

I sneered inwardly. Only me?

Then when he killed five of us children for Vanessa, didn't he think of "only me"?

I said nothing, only feeling the air in the room was suffocating.

Seeing my pale face, Liam asked softly, "Are you a little cold? I'll go upstairs and get you a shawl."

He had barely left when Vanessa suddenly exclaimed from the center of the banquet hall, "Ah! My jade pendant! The heirloom Aunt Liam just gave me is gone!"

The whole room erupted in commotion!

At that moment, one of Vanessa's best friends jumped out, pointing at me and shrilly, "I just saw Clara sneaking around Vanessa! She must have stolen it!"

Another chimed in, "Yes! We saw it too! She's definitely jealous that Vanessa is pregnant with Liam's child and is deliberately causing trouble!"

As she spoke, Vanessa's best friend, accompanied by several women, rushed forward, attempting to forcibly search me!

"What are you doing! Get away!"

I was terrified and furious, struggling desperately, but how could one person fight against several?

Under everyone's watchful eyes, my dress was roughly torn open; humiliation and anger made me tremble!

Sure enough, someone had "felt" the cold jade pendant from the lining of my underwear!

"She really stole it!" A gasp and scornful whispers erupted from the crowd.

Liam's parents, their faces ashen, demanded sharply, "Clara! We, the Foster family, have treated you well. Why did you steal?! Someone from such a poor background like you is bound to be dishonest!"

I clutched my torn clothes, my nails digging deep into my palms, but my voice remained unusually calm: "I didn't steal it."

"You're still trying to deny it!" Vanessa suddenly stepped forward, her eyes red-rimmed, her hand gently touching her lower abdomen. "Clara, I know you're upset, but this pendant means a lot to me. It's a token of Liam's mother's affection… Even if you hate me, you can't joke about a child like this."

Her words, seemingly gentle, actually confirmed my jealousy of her pregnancy and my deliberate sabotage.

I couldn't bear it any longer and instinctively took a step back, trying to avoid her insincere gaze.

Unexpectedly, Vanessa seemed to have been pushed by me, staggering backward and knocking over a stack of champagne glasses!

Crash—!

The sound of shattering glass and a woman's scream rang out simultaneously! Vanessa landed amidst the broken glass, her skirt instantly torn in several places, blood seeping from her exposed calf. She clutched her stomach and wailed, "My baby! Will my baby be alright?!"

"Vanessa!" Liam rushed downstairs with a shawl, his face changing drastically upon seeing the scene. He immediately rushed over, picked her up, and turned to glare at me, "Clara! What are you trying to do?!"

Liam's mother immediately embellished the story, pointing at the blood-soaked, weeping Vanessa and my disheveled state: "Liam! Look at this! This wicked woman! She stole Vanessa's family heirloom and tried to harm her unborn child! She mustn't be let off so easily!"

Liam's gaze fell on me, a complex mix of emotions—shock, suspicion, and a barely perceptible hint of… annoyance.

Finally, his Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't ask me anything, didn't defend me, but simply held Vanessa and sternly told the bodyguard, "Take Vanessa to the hospital!"

He actually… didn't stop them!

He just tacitly accepted that his parents could do whatever they wanted with me, that I was the culprit!

Watching his resolute, unwavering departure, I felt my entire world collapse before my eyes.

My heart felt like it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, then crushed. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe; even my fingertips felt icy cold.

I was roughly dragged to the backyard by Foster's bodyguards, the cold whip lashing my body repeatedly, old wounds compounded with new ones, the pain nearly making me faint.

Liam's parents stood by, watching coldly. Liam's mother was particularly scathing, saying, "We've investigated your background! An orphan with no parents, relying on your looks to cling to our Liam! You're such lowly trash, you're not even worthy to shine Vanessa's shoes! If you know what's good for you, get out of here! Don't force us to take action, or we'll make you lose all your dignity!"

My consciousness gradually blurred amidst the excruciating pain and humiliation, finally fading completely into darkness.

When I awoke again, I was still on that cold bed. My wounds had been hastily treated, but the pain was still unbearable.

As soon as I opened my eyes, Liam pushed open the door, grabbed my wrist without a word, and tried to drag me out.

"Liam! What are you doing! Let go of me!" I struggled weakly, the pain pulling at my wounds and sending cold sweat down my face.

Liam, however, seemed oblivious to my suffering. Without a word, he half-dragged, half-carried me to the hospital and shoved me straight into the blood collection room!

"Draw her blood. Vanessa lost too much blood and was traumatized. They have the same blood type; she needs a transfusion to stabilize her condition." He commanded the nurse coldly, his tone brooking no argument.

I stared in disbelief, my voice hoarse and broken with weakness and shock: "Liam! Can't you see all these whip marks on my body?! I just escaped death! How can I have my blood drawn like this?!"

Liam took a deep breath, trying to suppress his agitation, and said in his usual coaxing tone, "Clara, be good, just a little, it'll be fine. Vanessa is pregnant, she can't be hurt, you can't just leave her to die..."

"I won't! Why should I use my blood to save her?! Why?!" All the pent-up grievances, anger, and despair exploded at that moment, and I screamed in despair.

She carries the bone marrow of my five children in her veins, and now she wants to drink my blood? What kind of absurd thing is this?!

My resistance completely enraged him.

Liam lost his last shred of patience, gripping my wrist tightly and roaring, "Why?! Because Vanessa was injured because of you! You owe her this! It's your fault! You're going to draw blood today, whether you like it or not!"

He forcefully restrained my struggling body, forcing the nurse to draw blood.

The needle pierced my vein, and I convulsed in pain, my already weak body suffering even more.

The nurse, observing my condition, hesitated, "Mr. Liam, this young lady is too weak, we can't draw any more..."

"Keep drawing! Not enough!" Liam's voice was icy.

Finally, due to excessive blood loss and excruciating pain, I fainted again.

When I woke up, I was still alone in the room.

The nurse told her that Mr. Liam was in the next room taking care of Ms. Vanessa.

He hadn't come over, only sent me a message.

[Clara, I know you're still angry. But Vanessa's injury was your fault, and you must take responsibility for it.] "Calm down first. Stop making a scene, I'll love you forever." Love you forever?

Seeing those words, I suddenly laughed.

I laughed until my whole body trembled, until my wounds burst open and bled, until I couldn't even cry.

His love was to allow his parents to whip me until I was covered in bruises.

His love was to force me to donate blood to save the woman who killed my child, even though I was on the verge of death.

His love was to say "forever" while conspiring with another woman to take everything from me!

This kind of love is too cruel, I, Clara… cannot afford it.

I've already accumulated enough disappointment; now even despair seems superfluous.

After a few days of recuperation, my body had recovered somewhat. I didn't tell anyone and quietly completed the discharge procedures.

Just as I returned to the villa, my phone rang.

“Miss, is everything settled over there? We can collect the ashes today. The cancellation of the donation agreement has been submitted to the hospital, and Liam should receive the news soon. The heir's banquet is all prepared. It's time to go home.”

I stood in the empty living room, looking around, my gaze calm and unwavering.

This was once what I thought was home; now, only betrayal and filth remained.

I took a deep breath, my voice clear and calm: “Yes, everything's taken care of. I'll be right back.” Hanging up the phone, I quickly packed a few of my belongings, placed the glass jar filled with the ashes of love letters on the living room table, took one last look at this place that held five years of nightmares, and turned away without hesitation, leaving no trace.

I'm going home with my children.

And what Liam and Vanessa owe me, I will make them repay a thousandfold.

In the hospital, Vanessa was still pretending to rest and recuperate, when Liam suddenly remembered me.

He frowned, pulled out his phone, and his fingers flew across the screen, sending one text message after another:

[Clara, is the whip mark on your back healed? Does it hurt?]

[Are you still angry with me? I had my reasons for what happened that day. Let me explain.]

[Why aren't you replying to my messages? Is your phone dead? Reply as soon as you see this.] The messages were like pebbles thrown into the deep sea, not even causing a ripple. Liam's finger hovered over the screen, a strange unease creeping into his heart for the first time—even when things got really bad, a few coaxing words from him would always soften him, but this time…

“Stop sending it,” Vanessa said, grabbing his wrist. Her voice was as soft as cotton, but her eyes held a calculating glint. “She’s just throwing a tantrum. Think about it, she’s all alone, she’s had five years of good life with you, how can she possibly adapt to the hardships outside? She’s probably already regretting it somewhere, but she just can’t bring herself to come back.”

She paused, deliberately emphasizing her words: “You’ve spoiled her too much these past five years, that’s why she dares to be so willful. I think it’s better to leave her alone for a few days, until she’s hungry and scared, she’ll naturally come back begging you.”

These words were like a thorn, piercing Liam’s hidden sense of superiority—he had always felt that Clara couldn’t live without him. He gripped his phone tightly, suppressing his unease, and said coldly, "You're right, I was too hasty. She's just taking advantage of my feelings for her."

A few days later, Vanessa's "health improved" and she was discharged from the hospital. When Liam took her back to the villa, he was still planning how to "teach" me a lesson before making amends. But when he pushed open the door, the living room was empty, and my room was spotless—clothes, my usual water glass, everything was gone, and on the table was a glass bottle filled with the ashes of love letters.

A note was on the coffee table, the handwriting cold and devoid of warmth:

"Liam, between us, this is the end."

Liam stared at the note, stunned at first, then his anger surged. He crumpled the note and threw it on the ground, growling that he was calling the bodyguards to search for her! “Don’t go!” Vanessa quickly grabbed him, her face full of “concern for him.” “If you go now, isn’t that like admitting defeat? If she knows how worried you are about her, she’ll only take advantage of you more! Besides, she doesn’t have much money. Life out there isn’t easy. She’ll only last a week at most; she’ll definitely be back.”

Liam took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Looking at Vanessa’s “concerned” eyes, and remembering my past compliance, he finally nodded: “Okay, I’ll wait for her to come back on her own.”

But in the following days, while he outwardly stayed with Vanessa, he grew increasingly agitated—the people he sent to secretly inquire hadn’t even found a trace of me. On Friday afternoon, several of his business partners suddenly showed up at his door, excitedly patting him on the shoulder:

"Liam! Don't stay home! Something big is happening tonight!"

"Have you heard? The Bennett Group's mysterious heir, who's been shrouded in secrecy for five years, is officially making his debut today, completing his probationary period! The inheritance ceremony is on the top floor of the Bennett Building, with a husband-selection banquet as well!"

"It's said that all the top talents in the continent have received invitations. This kind of spectacle is something you'll only see once in a lifetime! Come on, let's go and join the fun; maybe we can even get in touch with the Bennett family!"

Liam frowned, showing no interest whatsoever—his mind was preoccupied with the whereabouts of the heir, and he instinctively repelled such business occasions. Vanessa's eyes lit up, and she took his arm, softly urging, "Liam, please go! I've heard so much about the Bennett Group's power. Getting to know the heir would benefit your company. Just come with me to broaden my horizons." Unable to resist Vanessa's persistent pleading, Liam finally agreed.

That evening, the Bennett Building was brightly lit, the crystal chandeliers in the rooftop banquet hall sparkling like a galaxy, filled with elegantly dressed celebrities. Vanessa was mesmerized, pulling Liam around to look for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with the dignitaries. Liam, meanwhile, sat in a corner with a glass of whiskey, his thoughts already wandering—Clara had been missing for almost ten days; where was she?

Just then, all the lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on the top of the spiral staircase. The emcee's voice, trembling with excitement, carried throughout the hall through the microphone:

"Distinguished guests, let us welcome with the warmest applause Ms. Clara Bennett, the sole heiress of the Bennett family!"