Two days later, in the early morning, Liam , drunk, dragged me out of bed.

" Vanessa is feeling unwell after drinking too much. Go to the kitchen and make her something to eat."

I was forced into the kitchen, and even though I told Liam I couldn't cook, he didn't believe me at all.

Left with no other choice, I simply made a simple egg drop soup.

Just then, Vanessa suddenly walked in. Seeing me working so diligently, a smug smile crept onto her face: " Clara , you should have just stayed in prison and died peacefully. Look at you, coming out here to compete with me for Liam 's affections, and you haven't even gotten a scrap of food. How pathetic!"

I remained silent and continued to cook the egg drop soup.

Vanessa's face turned sinister for a moment, and she suddenly waved something in her hand. I recognized it as the jade pendant that my parents had left me.

Seeing my displeasure, Vanessa was in high spirits and deliberately said, "Tell me, if I were to split this thing in half with a knife, what would it look like?"

"You dare!" I said, almost gritting my teeth.

That was the only memento my parents left me!

Vanessa 's smugness was evident in her eyes. "Why wouldn't I dare? Don't forget, Liam has always been on my side."

"If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet and see if he chooses to believe you or me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Vanessa picked up a spoon and scooped up some hot soup. I watched her warily.

Under my watchful eye, Vanessa poured the hot soup over herself and then screamed in pain.

Liam rushed over upon hearing the commotion and picked Vanessa up almost instantly .

Vanessa leaned against Liam's chest, her face contorted and pale, and said, " Liam , it's my fault. I shouldn't have come back to bother you. I should leave."

“My sister said I was a scourge and didn’t deserve to live. She told me to die and even threw soup at me.”

"If I hadn't covered my face with my hand, my face would be ruined, sob sob sob..."

Liam gave me a cold look, and I frantically shook my head, explaining weakly, "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me..."

"If my sister says no, then no. Liam , don't make things too difficult for her. Maybe she just doesn't like me..."

With a gloomy face, Liam took Vanessa to the hospital for treatment without saying a word.

That evening, he came back carrying a kettle of boiling water into my bedroom, and then poured it down without any mercy.

The boiling water, reaching a temperature of 90 degrees Celsius, instantly woke me up, prompting me to scramble and crawl away from the place.

But I am disabled in both legs, and wherever I go, Liam spills water on me.

Finally, I collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. My body was covered in sores, with many areas peeling and even blisters.

noticing Liam had left, I struggled to make a call for help.

When I heard the ambulance arrive, I scrambled down from the bedroom to the stairwell, only to hear the man downstairs say to the paramedics, "It's all a misunderstanding. My wife and I were just joking around. Who knew she would be so inconsiderate and accidentally make this call? Thank you for coming all this way."

My last glimmer of hope was gone.

When I woke up, I was locked in the basement, and Liam came to see me.

He said, " I'll let you out as long as you're willing to go out and apologize to Vanessa ."

I nodded blankly, "Okay."

After I left, I sincerely apologized to Vanessa . Liam was very pleased with my obedience, so he took pity on me and took me to the hospital.

After waking up from surgery, I picked up the phone next to me and made a call.

The call was answered quickly, and I choked up as I said, "Brother, could you come pick me up in four days?"

"If you want, I can come and pick you up tomorrow—no! Right now!"

Hearing my brother's familiar accent, I burst into laughter through my tears.

Just then, Liam pushed open the door and walked in. When he saw the smile on my face, he was momentarily stunned.

Noticing someone come in, I hurriedly left a message saying, "I have something to take care of, I'll hang up now."

Liam was followed by a little tail, and I watched silently as the two of them walked up to me.

Seeing the bandaged wounds on my body, Liam hesitated for a moment. He reached out to me with concern, but I dodged him.

Vanessa seized the opportunity, "Is it possible that your sister knows someone else, which is why she doesn't let Liam touch her?"

Liam's expression shifted from pity to disgust: " Clara , you were indecent five years ago, and I can't believe you're still unrepentant after five years in prison!"

"I don't know what my mother was thinking, she kept insisting that I marry a slut like you! It disgusts me."

After saying that, Liam turned and left.

Vanessa, however, did not leave.

She looked at me with a smug expression and said, "The wedding in three days will be Liam and I 's show. As for you, you can just go cool off somewhere else."

Seeing that I remained silent, Vanessa felt a pang of displeasure and suddenly took out the jade pendant.

My lifeless eyes finally regained a little light.

" Clara , are you really that concerned about this jade pendant? If you want it so badly, then I'll give it back to you."

After saying that, Vanessa smashed the jade pendant to the ground without hesitation.

The jade pendant broke.

Along with it, the last shred of my feelings for Liam were completely burned away.

I fell off the bed like a dead dog, completely ignoring the needle in the back of my hand, and desperately tried to pick up all the jade pendants.

The jade pendant cut through the skin, and the blood stained the floor and soaked into the jade pendant.

Vanessa left happily after succeeding.

The next day, I received a call from Liam .

" Clara , go to the police station tomorrow and turn yourself in. Just say you accidentally stabbed someone again."

Liam spoke with such confidence and conviction.

Seeing that I didn't reply, Liam sighed and explained, " Vanessa was with a client yesterday and she acted impulsively again. You know how it is when you've been drinking that you're more likely to act impulsively, so you should turn yourself in tomorrow."

"What about the wedding?" I asked in a flat tone.

"As for the wedding, I will hold it as planned. Anyway, your legs are useless. I will have Vanessa attend the wedding banquet in your place, and you will still be on the marriage certificate."

“I’m not going,” I refused.

Liam was probably taken aback by my refusal. He was speechless for a moment, then laughed angrily, "I know you really want to attend your own wedding, but you stabbed someone, so you have to take the blame, right?"

“ Vanessa attended the wedding in your place, and you went to turn yourself in for Vanessa . What’s wrong with that? In the end, Vanessa is the one who suffers. After all, you know how important a girl’s reputation is.”

I was shocked by the extent of his shamelessness.

Before I could even refute him, Liam had already hung up on me.

I glanced at the small box next to me; inside was the jade pendant that Vanessa had broken.

I closed my eyes, and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.

Liam , this time I'm really letting you off the hook.

When I returned to that so-called "home" after being discharged from the hospital, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with cloying perfume hit me. The living room looked like it had been ravaged by a hurricane—the crystal ashtray was shattered on the cashmere carpet, my old books were torn and scattered, the glass of the wedding photo frame was cracked, and Liam's smiling face in the photo, with his arm around me, was stained beyond recognition with red wine.

The source of all this chaos was coming from the kitchen.

The ambiguous sounds of water, the sticky slurring of flesh colliding, the woman's seductive panting and the man's heavy growls intertwined to create a nauseating web. My hands, which were maneuvering the wheelchair, froze on the spot, and my blood seemed to freeze instantly.

As if possessed, I moved toward the half-open kitchen door.

A horrible scene pierced my eyes. Liam , with his back to me, had Vanessa pinned against the cold marble countertop, his movements violent. Vanessa's arms were wrapped around his neck, her upturned face filled with ecstasy, but when her gaze passed over Liam's shoulder and met mine, a vicious pleasure suddenly erupted within her.

Her red lips moved silently, each word distinct and clear:

"You piece of trash, have you looked enough?"

She then clung even tighter to Liam , letting out a deliberately high-pitched, sickeningly sweet moan, her gaze like a poisoned needle, fixed firmly on my pale face.

"vomit--!"

My stomach churned violently. I jerked my wheelchair around and rushed uncontrollably to the first-floor bathroom, where I vomited violently by the toilet. My stomach was empty, only bitter bile burning my throat. Tears welled up naturally, mingling with cold sweat. I gripped the cold ceramic rim tightly, my knuckles turning blue, my whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

I don't know how long I slumped on the cold floor tiles before I finally managed to pull myself up, wash my mouth, and look in the mirror at the woman with sunken eyes, a sallow complexion, and unhealed burn scars on her neck.

Is this really Clara ? The Clara who once smiled brightly, believing in love and the future ?

Dragging his weary body back to the bedroom door on the second floor, Liam was already leaning against the wall, waiting in the shadows. He had changed into a silk robe, his hair was slightly damp, and he still carried the languid scent unique to those who had lost their passion, as well as a hint of... Vanessa 's perfume.

Upon seeing me, he suddenly stood up straight, rushed forward, and grabbed my thin wrist with his iron-like hand, the force almost crushing my bones.

" Clara , do you have any shame?" he demanded, his voice icy and his eyes filled with undisguised disgust. "Hidden in your house like a ghost, spying on you? Are you out of your mind?! Didn't I tell you to turn yourself in? Do you have to wait for the police to come to your door, handcuff you, and let the whole city know that I, Liam , am going to marry a murderer before you're satisfied?!"

An angry roar echoed in the empty corridor. He raised his other hand, seemingly intending to slap me as usual, but he suddenly stopped when his gaze fell on the hideous, unhealed burn blisters and gauze on my neck and arms.

The gruesome wounds were clearly visible under the light, with traces of tissue fluid seeping from the edges of some of the gauze. A complex emotion flashed across Liam's face. As if burned, his pupils contracted, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the unspoken insult stuck in his throat, turning into a feeling of irritable frustration.

Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, I forcefully shook off his hand, leaving a distinct red mark on my wrist. Looking up, I said in a calm tone that surprised even myself, " Liam , how could I, a person with paralyzed legs who is almost completely unable to care for myself, have the strength, or the opportunity, to 'stab' Ms. Vanessa 's strong and healthy client?"

My voice was hoarse, but every word was clear: "The police won't believe it, and the forensic doctor will examine the injuries. If you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable."

"You...!" Liam was clearly taken aback by my direct and calm rebuttal, and his anger instantly overshadowed his earlier unease. His face turned ashen, and he was about to explode—

"Ring ring—"

His phone rang urgently in his pocket. Glancing at the word "Mom" flashing on the screen, he glared at me and walked aside to answer it.

"Mom?...I know, she just got back...I didn't!...She's the one who's indecent!...Okay, okay, we'll talk about it tomorrow!"

The call was short, and Liam 's tone shifted from impatience at the beginning to suppressed anger at the end. After hanging up, he didn't immediately cause me any more trouble; he just gave me a gloomy look, turned around, and went downstairs, probably to his study.

I rushed back to the bedroom and locked the door , even though I knew it was useless to him. I slid down onto the cold door, hugged my trembling body, and buried my face in my knees.

Tears finally streamed down her face, not for him, but for the five years of foolish devotion, for this hellish humiliation. Only one voice screamed wildly within her, holding her crumbling nerves together:

One more day. Brother, one more day.

I groped my way to the bedside and struggled to wrap myself in the blankets, as if that would shut me out all the filth and harm from the outside world. Exhausted in body and mind, my consciousness gradually blurred as I was torn between despair and hope.

However, just as sleepiness began to set in—

"Bang!"

The door was kicked open violently, the loud noise making my heart stop. Liam returned, ten times angrier than before, like a wild beast that had been completely enraged. He rushed to the bedside and ruthlessly ripped off my blanket, the icy air instantly enveloping my body, which was only dressed in a thin hospital gown.

“ Clara ! Do you really want to die?!” His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead. He grabbed me and dragged me up, pinching my chin to force me to look up at him. “You fucking went to tell my mother again! Huh? ‘ Liam brought a woman home to fool around and assaulted me’—you’re quite adept at sending text messages, aren’t you? Who are you trying to fool with this pitiful act? You’ll stop at nothing to secure your position as Mrs. Foster , it’s disgusting!”

I was stunned, completely unable to understand what he was saying: "I didn't..."

"No?!" He scoffed, not believing me at all. His gaze fell on my hospital gown, suddenly tinged with a cruel mockery. "Fine, didn't you want to marry into the Foster family ? Didn't you go to great lengths to get my attention? I'll grant your wish!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly exerted force—"Sizzle!"

The thin hospital gown was roughly ripped open at the collar, buttons popping off and rolling to the floor. Large swathes of my chest were exposed to the cold air and the man's aggressive gaze. I screamed and instinctively curled up my arms to cover myself.

"Now you know to cover up?" Liam sneered, grabbing my hands as I tried to push them away and easily pressing them above my head. His body pressed down, bringing a suffocating sense of oppression and a familiar, yet now utterly repulsive, masculine scent.

"You sent those kinds of texts just to get me to sleep with you, didn't you? Now what are you pretending to be, this virtuous woman?" His burning lips and tongue, carrying a punitive tone, landed heavily on my neck and collarbone, leaving a sticky, wet sensation and a slight stinging pain. It wasn't a kiss; it was a brand, an humiliation.

"Let me go! Liam, you bastard! Let me go!" I struggled desperately, kicking my powerless legs, tears streaming down my face, a mixture of endless fear and nausea.

Hot tears dripped onto the back of Liam 's hand, and he froze abruptly.

He looked up and saw my face covered in tears. The surging lust and anger in his eyes vanished as if doused with ice water, leaving only deeper frustration and...contempt.

"Disappointing." He spat, turned over and left without hesitation, standing by the bed straightening his slightly disheveled robe, his eyes coldly looking down at my trembling body curled up like a rag doll.

"What a pretentious act." His tone was extremely sarcastic, every word like a knife. "You were already worn out by hundreds of men in prison, and now you're putting on this act of being raped for who are you trying to impress? Clara , with your body, you're only good enough for me to vent on occasionally. Don't overestimate yourself."

I pulled the tattered blanket over myself, trembling violently, my ears ringing, and I could barely hear what he was saying. Only an overwhelming cold and a feeling of nausea enveloped me.

"Tomorrow, at nine o'clock in the morning, go to the police station yourself." Liam finally gave the order, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Don't force me to personally escort you there; the scene... I'm afraid you can't handle it."

Just then, his phone rang again. The unusual ringtone sounded particularly jarring in the quiet bedroom.

Liam answered immediately, her tone instantly switching to a gentle and anxious one I had never heard before: " Vanessa ? What's wrong? Don't cry, tell me slowly... What? Had a nightmare? Don't be afraid, I'm coming right away!"

He didn't even glance at me again, gently reassuring the person on the other end of the phone as he hurriedly turned and left. The door slammed shut again, knocking off a patch of peeling paint from the corner of the wall.

After confirming he was gone, I gasped for breath like a dying fish. A long while later, I mustered my last remaining strength to pick up the tattered hospital gown from the floor and barely managed to put it on. Then, I moved to the wardrobe.

The moment I opened the wardrobe door, I was completely stunned.

The closet was overflowing with a dazzling array of items, all in Vanessa 's style—sexy silk nightgowns, brightly colored slip dresses, and various styles of black stockings… My fingers traced the fabric, feeling its cool, smooth texture. In the far corner of the closet, on a solitary hanger, hung the faded old tracksuit I wore five years ago when I went to prison.

The huge wardrobe doesn't have an inch of space for me right now.

An indescribable sense of sorrow and anger surged to my head. I turned around and searched the room, finally finding a sharp paper cutter in the desk drawer.

Back in front of the wardrobe, I stared at the clothes that belonged to Vanessa , which seemed to be mocking me for taking over her place, and picked up the scissors.

"Snap—Snap—!"

Cutting these pieces seemed to sever the absurdity of the past five years, cutting off the last laughable connection between herself and Liam . The sound of the silk tearing was crisp and resolute; black, red, purple... fragments fell to the ground like withered flowers of evil.

After doing all this, I was almost completely exhausted. But a voice inside me urged me: Leave, you must leave.

I clutched the small box containing the broken jade pendant tightly to my chest, and then hastily packed away my few remaining belongings—a tracksuit, an old photo album, and a dried-up lipstick—with an old cloth. Then, I maneuvered my wheelchair and quietly opened the door.

In the stillness of the night, only a few dim wall lamps remained in the villa. I carefully descended the wheelchair ramp, my heart pounding like a drum.

However, I froze just as the wheelchair reached the edge of the first-floor living room.

The living room light had been turned on at some point, and in the bright light, a figure dressed in an elegant silk suit sat quietly in the center of a messy sofa, gracefully sipping a cup of steaming black tea.

It was Mrs. Foster .

She seemed to have been there for a while, and perhaps even... witnessed some of the unpleasantness. At this moment, she put down her teacup, raised her well-maintained yet shrewd eyes, and looked at me, her face bearing the same unfathomable gentle expression as always.

My heart clenched suddenly, and my fingers instinctively tightened around the box in my arms.

Taking a deep breath without making a sound, I forced myself to calm down, maneuvered my wheelchair forward a few steps, lowered my eyelids, and spoke in the most obedient and gentle tone possible:

"Auntie, what brings you here so late?"