I knew it was real because I used to have an identical one.

Back then, my father even dislocated both my wrists to snatch the bracelets and pay off his debts.

James had even given that bracelet to her.

Seeing my expression, Jordyn curled her lips and let go of my hand.

Before I could catch it, the bracelet fell to the ground and broke into pieces. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Jennie, I just said it was Mrs. Jorgensen's keepsake. Why did you smash it?"

The next second, I was slapped to the ground, my ears were buzzing and James gritted his teeth.

"Jennie, you still look down on my mother, don't you? You threw away that bracelet back then and you want to destroy this one too!"

I subconsciously defended myself. "I didn't, I really like it."

Jordyn huddled into James' arms.

"It seems Jennie didn't mean to smash it. She just liked my bracelet too much and accidentally dropped it while trying to grab it."

James scoffed, "So that's it. Back then, Miss Jarquín looked down on my bracelet and tossed it aside. Now that you've heard it's a symbol of the Jorgensens' matriarch, you regret it and are desperate to snatch it back?"

He looked down at me.

"Didn't you say you'd compensate me? Now, adding that bracelet from back then, what will you use to compensate me? You've destroyed my mother's last keepsake. How about using the inheritance your mother left you to pay it back?"

I stayed silent, not answering.

James was so angry he laughed instead, then nodded.

"What? Can't bear to part with it? Fine. Then we'll do this my way."

He didn't spare me another glance, turning and leaving with Jordyn.

I wasn't lying. If I could, I would give everything to compensate James, but that inheritance was long gone.

I gave a bitter smile. Even if I explained it like that, James probably wouldn't believe me.

Soon, the wedding day arrived and James took me to the wedding scene.

There was no wedding dress, ring, or blessing and it was nothing like the wedding in my dream.

James, who was proposing, had a sarcastic look on his face.

"Jennie Jarquín, do you want to marry me?"

Even so, I nodded solemnly and answered.

"I do."

Because when I was eighteen, I had promised James that I would marry him, whether we were rich or poor.

The moment I finished answering, a burst of laughter broke out from the audience.

"Haha! James, this shameless woman actually believed you'd marry her!"

"She really can swallow her pride just to marry into the Jorgensens. If I'd known how easy it was to marry the Jarquíns' precious daughter, I would've shown up with five million cash. She'd probably kneel and lick my shoes!"

The ridicule around me was like a needle piercing my head, making it impossible to think properly.

Was the wedding … fake?

James' gaze swept over me.

"I told you, you're paying me back my way. Compensation? Look at yourself now, this used-up body of yours isn't even worth a cent. Just use yourself to pay off the debt for Jordyn's bracelet."

I struggled to understand what James meant.

Then he flung my hand away and turned to leave without looking back.

At that moment, all the spotlights in the venue shone on me.

"Everyone, she used to be the lady of the Jarquíns. Starting bid: one dollar."

The light blinded me and my blood ran cold. I instinctively reached out in the direction James had left.

James sat below the stage, watching me, his expression completely unfazed.

It was then that I realized James was serious.

My heart felt like a piece had been gouged out; the pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

There was a time when my dad forced me to perform on stage and I dreaded being the center of attention.

James had once cast aside his self-respect, going to great lengths to act goofy and ugly to draw everyone's attention away from me.

Now, the moment his voice fell, the atmosphere in the room exploded.

Every malicious gaze locked onto me.

"The starting price is one dollar? It's so worthless. I'm afraid she has been slept with by others after the Jarquíns went bankrupt. No wonder James doesn't want her. I think she's filthy."

"They're not asking for five million anymore. Five hundred bucks would make her kneel down and lick shoes now.

"Forget it, what's the use of this kind of beauty? I don't want it even if you pay me. Who knows what disease she has?"

The audience's atmosphere was heated and the malice continued, but no one raised a sign to bid.

Until this time, James raised the sign slowly.

"One dollar and five cents."

James' bid sparked another round of uproarious laughter.

"James, you're too generous! How is trash like that even worth fifty cents?"

Meanwhile, James leisurely observed my expression with amusement.

"I'm quite pleased with the look of despair on your face. If you behave yourself, I might just take you home as my pet."

Jordyn leaned against James, smiling as she asked.

"What if Jennie actually gets bought by someone else?"

James' expression was disdainful. "Who would want such a piece of junk?"

My whole body began to tremble uncontrollably. I curled up on the ground, trying to escape those malicious stares.

"Turn off the lights ... don't look at me."

The symptoms of somatization, like stomach cramps and difficulty breathing, began to surface. I gagged a few times but couldn't throw up anything.

Someone's voice hesitated.

"Jennie doesn't seem to be doing well. Should we call an ambulance first?"

James' smile faltered, his gaze falling on my face. He instinctively stood up but still complained.

"What a bummer."

Jordyn hugged his arm.

"I remember Jennie studied acting before. We were just letting everyone see her, not feeding her anything, so how could she be vomiting? Look, she's been gagging forever and hasn't thrown up a thing. Do you think she's faking it?"

Hearing that, James' expression slowly shifted from concern to disgust.

"Jennie, why didn't I see it before? You're such a good actress. Desperate to stay by my side like a dog, huh?"

He waved his hand. "Continue the auction."

Just then, someone in the back row raised a paddle.

"Ten dollars."

The smile on James' face froze.

Garrett Wade laughed loudly. "This woman, though cheap, is certainly beautiful. I'd like to taste what she's like. If you all aren't interested, please don't compete with me."

James' hand, which had been about to raise the paddle, ultimately stayed down.

He abruptly stood up, looking at me with a cold sneer.

"I really underestimated you. Even in this state, you can still seduce men. Seems you'll stop at nothing for money."

He turned and left without looking back.

With three strikes of the gavel, the auction finally ended.

Garrett's gaze lingered on me, making me sick. He spoke to the staff.

"Please tell your Mr. Jorgensen to keep his promise and send the person to the Wade Family as soon as possible."

I was carried backstage like a piece of merchandise.

James stared at me with a cold gaze.

"I didn't realize you had such nerve. You think you can use Garrett to get rid of me and live a life of luxury in the Wade Family? Don't even dream about it."

James lifted my chin.

"You can only stay by my side."

I should have been happy to hear that he wanted to keep me, but for some reason, I felt numb.

Maybe I gradually realized he was very different from the boy in my memory.

I would rather die to atone for my sins than stay by James' side.

Jordyn's voice froze when she heard James' words.

"James, what this woman wants most is to stay by your side. If you keep her, aren't you just granting her wish? Sending her away is the real torture for her."

James' grip on me loosened and his eyes were gradually covered with hatred again.

"You're right. She's like a dog, you can't get rid of her no matter how hard you try. Since she wants to stay by my side, I'll make sure she doesn't get her way."

"Put her in a box and send her to the Wades."

Only then did I struggle violently.

"No! Don't put me in a box, it's very dark in there. Please, no!"

The last time I ran away from home to elope with James, I got caught just a few hundred meters away from him.

My father locked me in a pitch-black basement and tortured me for half a month.

Ever since then, I have developed severe PTSD.

Whenever I got trapped in the dark, I couldn't breathe. Sometimes, I felt like I was going to die.

When Jordyn Nolan heard me, she laughed.

"Wow, Jennie. You really go all out to stay with James. You never run out of tricks, do you?"

James looked me over carefully, trying to see through my desperate lie.

"Jennie, do you think I'm stupid? You were never afraid of the dark before."

He looked at my desperate struggles and his mood inexplicably improved again.

"But your desperate expression today satisfies me. I can grant you one wish. Anything but marrying you, I can agree to."

Jordyn's expression changed, but James ignored her.

I stopped struggling, looked at the box and suddenly calmed down. Anyway, I was going to die soon; dying in a box might even be cleaner.

I looked up, meeting James' gaze.

"Aunt Zelda is ill. I hope you can find someone to help her with her treatment."

Zelda was one of the few people genuinely caring about me and now I couldn't look after her anymore.

James gritted his teeth, his expression somewhat distorted.

"You gave this opportunity to a maid? You could plead for a maid, yet you stood by and watched my mom being driven to her death! Jennie Jarquín, you hypocrite, why don't you just drop dead!"

He slammed the door and stormed out.

I watched his back disappear, then silently said goodbye in my heart.

Goodbye, James Jorgensen.

I will soon grant your wish and die.

Jordyn watched me with schadenfreude.

"Garrett is infamous for his games. I really hope you come back in one piece, Jennie."

Expressionless, I climbed into the box myself.

James drank one glass after another. The people around him thought he was celebrating sweet revenge and feeling great.

"Giving that woman to Garrett Wade is really letting her off easy. James, you should have kept her by your side and tormented her more."

James scoffed.

"No rush. She's like a dog, you can't drive her away even if you try. Just watch, in a day or two, she'll call me begging to be taken back."

The person holding the wine glass looked surprised.

"James, don't you know Garrett? No one who's been in that guy's bed has ever come out alive."

James froze mid-drink. The burning liquor slid down his throat, but all he felt was a bone-deep chill.

Jennie's phone had been left nearby. When it rang, James instinctively answered it.

"Jennie, if you're not coming back for treatment, does that mean you've already made up your mind to die?"