Those unbelievably malicious words came from Gordon's younger sister, Jenny Baker, who'd said I was the best sister-in-law she could ever ask for.

Their words faintly reached my ears, and I instantly understood that the Bakers were nothing but pure evil.

A chill ran down my spine. I had walked into a den of wolves in sheep's clothing.

I gritted my teeth and endured the pain, trying to stand up and fight back. But to my dismay, my head spun and intensified the dizziness I was feeling. It must have been that first blow that caused this. I was probably suffering from a mild concussion.

My head felt heavy and disoriented, making it impossible for me to get up or resist.

Instead, I blacked out. Before I completely lost consciousness, I heard the noisy laughter and chatter of the Bakers as they all went back inside the house. And there I was, left in a corner of the front yard like discarded trash.

The winter wind cut through me like a knife. The night wind howled as I slowly opened my eyes.

The sky was dark with stars scattered faintly above. I was still lying in a heap in the yard, and no one had come to check on me.

Not far away, I could see the Baker family sitting around the dining table. They were enjoying their New Year's Eve dinner and watching the countdown programs.

The pain radiating from my body made me more alert. I tried to move my body. Then, I slowly propped myself up against the corner of the wall.

The sharp pain in my head and body, combined with the biting cold wind on my face and skin, chilled me to my bones. My heart sank into an icy abyss as well.

I finally saw the Bakers for who they really were.

They were so heartless that I wasn't even sure if they were human. They had watched Gordon beat me up and even cheered him on.

This was their way of telling me that as long as I was married to Gordon—as long as I was tied to him by marriage—I would have to bow down to them unconditionally.

Otherwise, they could torment me however they pleased. They could beat me, yell at me, and humiliate me until I relented and became what they wanted me to be—the perfect daughter-in-law, the obedient wife, and the ATM.

I looked at them laughing and enjoying themselves as if nothing had happened.

Carefully, I leaned against the wall and did my best not to make a sound.

I thanked the heavens that Gordon's bedroom was far from the dining room, where they were eating. With measured movements, I slipped back into the bedroom unnoticed.

Feeling my way through Gordon's clothes, I found the car keys in his pocket just as I had suspected. I took the keys along with my phone and bag. I held on to them securely.

Then, I made my way out of the bedroom stealthily and toward the gate.

It was still early, so the gate wasn't locked. It was slightly ajar. I reached out and opened it a little more to squeeze my body through.

Once I was outside, I took off and ran toward the village square frantically.

In the village where the Bakers lived, every house led to the main road, so all the cars were parked together in the main square.

Under the faint light of the moon, I sprinted as fast as I could. Only when I finally sat inside the car did I let out a small sigh of relief.

I gathered my wits and drove back to the city through the night.

At the same time, I called my parents. I tearfully recounted everything I had just experienced on the phone, leaving out nothing.

My parents and siblings were so furious that they couldn't stop cursing on the other end. They insisted that I head back to my apartment in the city and wait for them. They would bring the entire family the next day to confront the Baker family and give them a taste of their own medicine.

I cried so hard that I lost my voice.

When I got back to my apartment in the city, I could finally relax my tensed-up body and mind. The moment my head hit the pillow, I fell into a deep sleep.