After my husband, Trevor Penn, abuses me for the 98th time just to stand up for Callista Whitcombe, I've completely given up on him. That's when I accept his best friend, Maddox Harlow's confession.

After spending the night with Maddox, he agrees to help me fake my death. That way, I'll be able to use a brand new identity to marry him overseas.

I've taken the fake-death drug Maddox has given to me, only to wake up in a coffin earlier than expected.

I can't move a single muscle in my body. But that's when I overhear Maddox's conversation with another person outside the coffin.

"Mr. Harlow, you convinced Trevor to abuse Judith before pretending to save her from her abusive life. Now that you've obtained her full-fledged trust, why did you still arrange for her to be buried after faking her death?"

"Only by doing this will the Whitcombes trust that Judith is truly dead. That way, Callie's position as the heiress will be unshakable. No one will ever bring up the fact that she's an illegitimate child ever again."

The other person sounds hesitant. "Won't it be too long if we only dig the coffin out one week from now, after you've held the wedding with Callista?"

"The fake-death drug's effects can last for five days. I've already had someone put enough water, food, and oxygen tanks in the coffin. There's no way Judith will die."

In the darkness, a suffocating sensation crashed over me, making my heart seize in sharp, wrenching spasms.

As it turned out, Maddox Harlow had convinced my husband, Trevor Penn, to abuse me. Then, Maddox had pursued me himself, persuading me to fake my death and abandon everything just so I could be with him.

However, this very man who claimed he would marry me was now planning to marry Callista Whitcombe right after burying me alive.

But now, I'd woken up too early, and it was too dark to see if there was food or water in the coffin. The cramped, narrow space also made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Through the wooden lid, Maddox's voice sounded muffled, yet every word pierced me like a blade, pinning me firmly inside the coffin.

"Back then, when Callie's status as an illegitimate child was exposed, her engagement to Trevor was handed to Judith, her younger sister. Callie lost her love, so I have to help her gain power and status instead. I promised her that I'd always have her back.

"As for Judith, in order to punish her over these past few years, I had Trevor torment her physically. Letting her go now is mercy. And she loves me so much anyway. She'll forever remain in the beautiful dream I wove for her."

Someone next to him hesitated slightly, sounding a little reluctant.

"But Judith doesn't know that faking her death means actually being buried. Burying a living person underground for seven full days is too risky. And Judith is terrified of the dark and has severe claustrophobia. What if something happens to her inside the coffin…"

"It won't!" Maddox snapped, his tone absolute.

"The Whitcombes are very cautious, so we need to go all the way with this act. Seven days is nothing. And in reality, she'll only be conscious for about two of them. What could possibly go wrong?

"Besides, Trevor promised me that every time he finished beating her, he'd lock her in a closet, so she should be used to it by now.

"Callie has waited five years for this chance. We must make sure everything is foolproof. Once everything is settled and we're married, I'll get a fake marriage certificate with Judith overseas to fool her. We'll give her everything she needs and keep her comfortable so she never returns to the country."

Their footsteps faded away. I used every ounce of my strength, but I couldn't make even the slightest noise.

The drug that induced the fake death kept my mind clear, yet my body—and my vocal cords—were paralyzed. I was unable to make any sounds.

As my claustrophobia flared, I bit down hard on my tongue, forcing myself to stay calm. My back was already drenched in cold sweat. The pitch-black darkness, where I couldn't even see my own hand, made me think about the last five years I'd spent married to Trevor.

Every time he was done abusing me, he'd lock me inside the closet afterward. The painful memories came crashing over me like a tidal wave, making my stomach twist violently.

Two years ago, after being locked in the closet again, it had been Maddox who saved me. The moment he opened the doors, I felt as though I'd seen an angel—someone who could drive away all the darkness in my life.

From then on, Maddox pursued me relentlessly. He tended to my battered body, soothed my shattered heart, and told me to be brave and fight back against the abuse.

I foolishly believed that I'd found my salvation. What I didn't know was that every ounce of suffering I endured had been orchestrated by Maddox himself.

He asked Trevor to hurt me, then turned around and played the role of the hero who healed me.

And all of this was for my older sister, Callista Whitcombe.

I bit down hard on my lip, desperate to force my body to move.

Suddenly, I heard the door open. The sharp click of high heels approached, followed by a soft, sweet voice.

"Maddox, will Judith really be okay buried underground for seven days? She's being buried today… She is my little sister after all, and it just feels a bit too cruel."

I felt as if I'd grabbed onto a lifeline. Inside, I screamed desperately, "Save me! Please, just open the coffin and take a look! You just need to take one glance, and you'll see I'm already awake!

"I don't want to be buried alive! I don't want to experience the agonizing pain of suffocating in the darkness!"

But no one could hear my desperate cries, and the only response was Maddox's cold, unfeeling voice.

"Callie, you're too softhearted. We've planned this for so long, just for this very day. We can't let everything fall apart at the last moment.

"Have you forgotten how Judith stole everything from you? If it weren't for her mother, your identity as the illegitimate daughter wouldn't have been exposed. Your mother wouldn't have died, you would have married the man you loved, and you wouldn't have been driven out of the Whitcombe family!

"Don't worry. When it's all over, I'll make it up to Judith."

My whole body trembled. My limbs spasmed from the numbness, feeling as if a thousand needles were stabbing into me at once. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and I forcefully swallowed the metallic taste rising in my throat.

"I don't want you to make it up to me, Maddox Harlow! Just let me out of here, and I'll willingly give up my position as the heiress. I'll go somewhere far away and never disturb you all again!" I yelled inwardly.

Callista seemed to be crying, her voice choked with sobs.

"Maddox, you're so good to me. Every time I felt sad or upset, you'd deliberately provoke Trevor so he'd abuse Judith. You'd even have him send over the photos and videos.

"Seeing her covered in bruises, kneeling on the floor begging for mercy, or locked in the closet for three whole days and nights until she was starving and dehydrated—it always made me feel so much better."

Maddox pulled Callista tightly into his arms and sighed. "As long as you're happy, hurting Judith a thousand times—or even ten thousand times over—is worth it. She owes you that much."

Inside the coffin, tears burst from my eyes. My heart felt as though something heavy had brutally smashed into it, causing it to cave in.

So that was how Maddox saw me this whole time. How could a person be that cruel? So every single time I was abused, he was the one behind it.

He was endlessly gentle when he was with me, but behind my back, he used photos of my torment and suffering to please another woman.

I laughed silently, tears sliding down from the corners of my eyes and dripping onto the wooden board, where they were instantly absorbed.

Perhaps the agony was too much, because suddenly, a surge of strength I'd never felt before rushed through my body, and I could move my fingers again.

No matter how much I hated the vile pair, at this moment, all I wanted was to live.

My nails scraped against the board beneath me, making faint scratching sounds. I desperately hoped they'd hear the noises coming from inside the coffin.

But in the next second, my hope shattered. Outside, the sounds of passionate kissing started.

I could feel a woman being pressed against the coffin, her back flat against the wooden lid.

I pounded my fingers desperately against the wood, but the two of them were lost in their passion and couldn't hear me.

Their ragged breathing tangled together as their bodies rocked against the coffin, making it creak and groan incessantly.

My desperate cries for help were drowned out just like that.

While moving against her, Maddox murmured his devotion. "Callie, do you know how long I've waited for this day? Finally, you're willing to give up on Trevor and marry me.

"Because of you, I swallowed my disgust and seduced Judith. When I was with her that night, all I could think about was you."

I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, forcing myself not to listen to the nauseating sounds outside.

I thought my will to survive outweighed my hatred for them, but I was wrong. I hated them. Just as much as I had once loved Maddox, I now hated him. And I hated myself even more for falling in love with two men who had hurt me without mercy.

I didn't know how much time passed before it finally went quiet outside.

Just as I sank into despair, waiting to die, the coffin lid suddenly cracked open just a sliver.

A white light blinded my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Callista's exquisitely beautiful face.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her clothes were disheveled. It was obvious what she had just been doing.

I looked at her with desperation, hoping she'd save me. But she didn't seem surprised at all that I had woken up. She scrutinized me with a cold, disdainful gaze and clicked her tongue.

"You poor thing. You're about to be buried alive. Maddox went to take care of the funeral arrangements, so I'll keep you company for a while, dear sister.

"Five years ago, your mother found out about my identity. To clear the way for you, she forced my mother to her death and made Dad kick me out of the Whitcombe family. Not only that, but you even stole my wedding! The person who was supposed to marry Trevor was me!

"You've been married to him for five years, and he abused you the entire time. I never expected you to have endured it all, refusing to divorce, so I had no choice but to send Maddox to seduce you.

"You were so stupid, actually falling in love with him. Weren't you dreaming about going abroad to marry him? Well, since you stole my marriage, I'm going to steal yours!

"Now, your mother is finally dead, and I tampered with the fake-death drug too. Once you're buried underground, you'll watch yourself die and be powerless to stop it. And the day of death will be the very day Maddox and I get married."

Callista enunciated each word clearly, and my heart grew colder with each sentence. The tiny spark of hope that had just reignited was once again extinguished.

She curled her red lips with delight as she took out the water and food that had been left inside the coffin.

"You're about to die anyway, so you won't need these," she said airily. "But I will leave the oxygen tank for you, so you can hang on for a few more days. It's a shame you won't get to see my wedding with Maddox."

The coffin lid was closed again, and the last sliver of light vanished.

My fingers dug into the wood so hard that my nails almost broke. My eyelids grew heavy, exhaustion overwhelming me, and I fell unconscious.

When I woke up again, I heard the noisy chatter of people outside.

My funeral had begun.

Guests greeted each other, chatting and laughing. No one mourned my "death".

"Judith was finally tormented to death. Trevor beat her to a pulp, and she still refused to divorce him for the Whitcombe family's sake."

"Serves her right for stealing her sister's man. Callista is much prettier and more capable than she is. If she hadn't been exposed as an illegitimate daughter, Judith never would've had the chance to take her place."

"Exactly. She even drugged Trevor just so she could marry into the Penn family. How shameless! And not long after they married, she got beaten so badly that she lost her baby. Unbelievable, right? Now she's dead, and Trevor won't even attend her funeral."

"Callista really has good luck. She suffered a lot five years ago, but now that her sister is dead, she's the sole heiress to the Whitcombes. And in a week, she's marrying the heir of Harlow Corporation. Who would dare call her illegitimate now?"

Guests gossiped about my family and my marriage, mocking and belittling me without a second thought.

Little did they know, the person lying in the coffin was still alive, lying there in despair and waiting for death to take me.

The priest finished the prayers, and the burial was about to begin.

I struggled desperately, feeling time slip away second by second, but no one could save me.

I was carried to the gravesite. Just before I was lowered into the ground, I heard Maddox lean in close to my coffin.

With all my strength, I forced out three words. "Save… save me."