Panic flickered in Sonya’s eyes. She yanked the rag from my mouth. Her voice rose sharply as she asked, “Are you really Caroline Skylar?”

Blood seeped from the corner of my lips. I snorted. “Do you finally believe me? If you do, hurry and have my brother sent too—”

My words were cut short by a slap on my face.

“Shut up! I’m the one and only Mrs. Hoover. I’m Gerald’s lawfully married wife! Who do you think you are? It doesn’t matter if you’re Caroline Skylar or not. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re his mistress!”

She raised the phone and shoved the screen in front of my face.

When I saw Gerald and Sonya’s marriage certificate on the phone, my mind went blank.

When I saw the registration date, a hysterical laugh burst out of me.

It finally hit me why Gerald had been saying he was too busy with work, starting five years ago.

It seemed he had married Sonya at that time.

I felt like a fool. I had even begged Matt to send some capable people to help Gerald since I was worried he would overexert himself.

I never imagined that the nights he claimed to be working late were not spent at the office at all. He had been with Sonya all that time!

Gerald and I had been together for seven years, and Sonia had been with him for five of them.

In the end, I really was the “mistress” as she claimed.

I laughed until tears streamed down my face. Then, my body jerked violently. I spat out a mouthful of dark, clotted blood.

“Gerald loves me! He has never yelled at me like that! You must have seduced him somehow!”

Sonya’s hands closed around my throat. Her face twisted with rage. “Say something! Answer me!”

I sank my teeth into her wrist with every ounce of strength I had left. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. That mouthful of blood made me gag.

I spat the blood onto the floor and looked at her with contempt.

Sonya did not even flinch. Madness burned in her eyes.

“Just die! Once you’re gone, Gerald will be completely mine!”

She stumbled out of the freezer.

When she returned, she was carrying a crate filled with some unknown liquid.

In a vicious motion, she hurled it over me.

When the pungent smell hit me, I realized what it was.

It was gasoline!

She was going to burn me alive!

Survival instinct took over. I grabbed Matt and tried to drag us toward the freezer door, but it was too late.

The lighter in her hand flew through the air and landed on me. In an instant, my clothes ignited.

Fire raged everywhere.

The air turned thick with the smell of scorched skin.

I rolled across the floor in agony, but the fire refused to die down.

Maybe my screams were too horrific because Matt, who had been unconscious, slowly opened his eyes.

“Carol!!!”

His eyes widened in fear. Desperation and rage surged through him as he tore free from the ropes binding his hands and feet.

Without a second thought, he staggered toward me.

Fighting through the searing heat, I shook my head violently and screamed, “No! Don’t! Don’t come close to me! Matt, if you come any closer, you’ll die too! Please stay back!”

Matt threw himself at the flames that engulfed me. He tried to console me. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Carol!”

The moment his hands hit the fire, his skin blackened and blistered. The fire burned away his skin on the surface and exposed the pink flesh underneath.

The pain and agony on his face broke my heart, but even the tears evaporated in the heat.

But Matt did not stop. He put on a brave face just to ease my concern.

“Don’t cry, Carol. It doesn’t hurt, I promise.”

I had never seen Matt so broken. If it were not for me, he never would have ended up like this!

Regret nearly swallowed me whole.

My heart pounded in fear and despair. My eyes burned with hatred as I glared at Sonya.

This was my fault! I was the one who had put Matt through this!

If I had not been blind enough to fall for that heartless Gerald, things would not have come to this!

I screamed at Sonya in fury, “Sonya, when my dad gets here, I’ll make you pay with your life!”

She let out a twisted, hysterical laugh.

Gasoline splashed across the glass enclosure as she casually flicked the lighter in her hand.

“Still talking big when you’re about to die? Fine! I’ll send you to hell together!”

Just as the flames were about to swallow Matt and me, two furious voices sounded from outside.

“Stop!!!” Gerald burst into the room with a pale face.

“Who dares to hurt my kids?” Samuel Skylar, my father, stormed in with a massive security detail behind him.

The moment he saw Matt and me, his eyes shone with apocalyptic fury.

Gerald dropped to his knees. Sonya was left dumbstruck.