"What took you so long?" Tyler asked, his tone laced with disgust. Violet's shoulder slumped as Tyker's remark rang in her ear. She handed the expensive wine to one of Tyler's friends, Rustom, who gratefully took it. The man thanked them and went to see their friend in eyeglasses at the Billiard Table.

"I'm sorry, I had trouble finding the key to the winery, so it took me a bit to find it," Violet explained, struggling to breathe.

Violet stiffened when she met Tyler's deep and ironic eyes, prompting her secretly pinched her palm with the thought that she might infuriate him.

Tyler stood from his seat, let go of the woman on his lap, and spat, "Oh, that makes sense. Go and serve us the food you cooked and pour our glasses with wine."

Along the way to the long table, Violet moved forward as she lost her balance when someone blocked her strides. She fell to the ground and the crashing sounds of the bottle of wine reverberated. Due to Violet's reflexes, she escaped the sharp edges and fell on the floor like a deflated balloon.

Baffled, Violet could feel that her blood had been sucked out of her body, and before she could explain herself, a coquettish complaint of the blond woman echoed in the corners.

"Tyler, she purposefully poured wine over my dress!" exclaimed the woman, clinging to Tyler's arms.

"I didn't..." Violet whispered, her lips quivering.

She wanted to defend herself, open her mouth, and speak, but would they listen to her? Did someone ever listen to her when she was wronged? In the eyes of the people who only saw her as Sara's imitation?

At that moment, Violet's knees trembled when Tyler approached her, his eyes dimmed in anger and his jaw tightened as he muttered sternly, "Clean it, Violet."

Apparently, Violet was like a weak, soft sheep that was bullied. She nodded in response before she left the garden and took a rug from the kitchen. When she had the rug, she rushed back to the garden and wiped the floor, afraid of infuriating Tyler.

As she silently wiped the wine on the floor and took the broken shards of the bottle, shame crawled across her face. Violet felt sorry for herself as she cleaned the floor. How could she have believed Tyler's white lies? She was deluded by the thought that Tyler had changed a little and recognized her for who she profoundly was.

'How foolish you are, Violet. You are wrong.' Violet thought of herself.

The date night was planned by Tyler, after all. That's his retribution for the crime she'd done. He wanted to humiliate her in front of his friends, and that was something evil that Violet never thought Tyler could do to her.

Hours later, the night was young, and the garden was filled with laughter from drinkers. Violet stood silently on the side near the swimming pool, where she could see the bright moon reflected in the crystal clear water.

She couldn't take Tyler's humiliation and treatment of her like a maid any longer. She wanted to end this horrible night that had imprinted in her memory. Violet was about to turn her back and walk away from the place when a rough hand seized her wrist forcefully.

"Where do you think you are going? You are our servant tonight. Come on, serve me," said the man wearing eyeglasses. Violet could tell he was drunk because of his slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.

Fear surged through Violet's beautiful face when the man's cold finger ran through her skin. "Let me go, you may be Tyler's friend, but you can't disrespect me!"

Like a hungry wolf aiming for his prey, the intoxicated man licked his lips as he reeked his gaze on Violet's body. Violet drew her arms back, and as she moved forward, Rustom smirked and trapped her from behind.

"No...please, you can't!" Violet begged, her tears welling up in her eyes.

"Cain, are you sure about this? She seemed didn't like this." Rustom asked the man who wore glasses.

"Tyler didn't hold value on her. Did you forget? This woman tricked him." Cain retorted as he pinned Violet to the ground. Violet gazed at Rustom as if she was begging him to help her, but Rustom gritted his lower lip and averted his gaze.

Cain's grasp tightened as Violet struggled, and he exclaimed, "I can't believe that this innocent-looking angel was really a slut. I mean, look at her. She was beautiful...and hot."

Violet's gaze soon turned to Tyler and the blond woman beside him. Rather than assisting her, he sneered and reacted to Cain's statement. "Don't be duped; she was a wolf in sheep's clothing, and I was once deceived by her angelic charm."

Hearing this from the man she loved, Violet felt daggers piercing her heart. Violet exerted all her remaining strength to push Cain away, but when she heard Tyler speak again, it made her brittle.

"You seemed to have a thing for my scum wife, Cain," Tyler observed.

Cain stroked Violet's hair, sending chills down her spine. He sniffed it like a madman and concluded, "If I say, I do. She was indeed my type. Would it be a problem?"

As the sinful words from Cain rang in Violet's ears, she gasped for breath and hoped Tyler had pitied her and refused to throw her into his friend's arms, but when Tyler spoke, Violet felt as if her world had crumpled and her heart had been torn.

Driven by liquor, Tyler's lips pursed, and he responded, "No. If you want, you can taste her. I don't mind. She was a slut anyway. I am sure she's gonna like it."

Upon hearing his friend's approval, Cain shouted excitedly and began kissing Violet's neck while massaging Violet's boobs. Violet screamed and cried, begging Tyler to help her, but he remained unmoved.

"Please stop! Tyler, please! I don't want this!" Violet shouted. Her voice was almost choking.

On the other hand, Rustom peered at Tyler and shook his head. He then tapped his shoulder and spoke, "I hope you won't regret this in the future. I'm leaving, have fun."

Tyler didn't take Rustom's word by heart. He glanced at Violet indifferently while holding a glass of wine that Violet had poured earlier. When Violet's dress was ripped, she felt horror, and the devil in front of her did nothing to stop Cain from harassing her.

Devoured by agitation, the blonde woman trembled and shouted, "She may deceive you, but look how horrible her state was! She's still your wife, and you treated her like worthless trash. I'm leaving. I didn't sign for this. This is wrong!"

"Please, I don't like this...let me go..." Violet lamented, almost half-naked.

When Tyler noticed Violet tremble as her eyes became leaden, he intervened and beat Cain to the ground. The liquor in his system had been drained from his body.

"Damn it! Leave!" Tyler growled, his eyes flashing red.

Cain, who wiped the blood from the side of his lips, finally came to his senses and saw how Violet was on the ground. She was shaking while hugging her body.

"S-Sh*t!" Cain panicked. The man even tumbled on his first attempt to stand up and crawled away.

Guilt overcame Tyler's senses at that moment, he immediately took off his clothes, and when he was about to stride toward Violet, the woman shouted and wailed.

"Are you happy now? You had a great show, didn't you? Your wife got harassed in front of you! I've had enough...please leave me alone!" Violet hollered. Her eyes were red and almost swollen.

"Violet...D*mn it!" Tyler didn't know what to do. He was confused. He should be happy that Violet suffered, but why did he feel the unsettled feeling of guilt in his heart and drove him to think that he had crossed the line?

Tyler shook his head as he moved backward with his hands balled in a fist and left the garden to drive away.

Meanwhile, Violet couldn't stop the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. The humiliation she had tonight was too much. She almost got raped, and her husband left her to be damned and humiliated.

It was a raining cats and dogs in the Kurtzman Mansion, and Violet remained unmoved in her bed. She only stayed in bed and secluded herself in her room since the incident happened. Also, Violet tried her best to recover from the nightmare that kept on hunting her even in her dreams.

Whenever Violet remembered that horrible situation, she could still remember how Tyler's friend harassed her. And there wasn't a time when she felt like she wasn't secure in this empty space anymore. In fact, Violet was still in a daze about how Tyler could do such things and to what extent of anger he held for her. He threw her to his friend, who almost ravaged her defenselessly.

As soon as Violet's stomach grumbled in hunger, she heaved a sigh and, without a choice, got up from the bed that brought comfort to her and the pillows that wiped her tears when she cried at night.

Before heading downstairs, Violet ensured that the time was already eight in the morning. Since the incident happened, Violet avoided crossing paths with Tyler as much as possible. She never left her room, knowing that Tyler was inside the house. When she knew he was out, that was the only time she would go out of her room to do her stuff.

Sometimes Tyler would knock on her door and brought breakfast to console her. However, Violet didn't need Tyler's sympathy by bringing food that was against his will. Soon after, Violet stormed downstairs to cook something and ease her hunger.

Unexpectedly, Violet stopped from her track when she saw Tyler in the living room; he was holding paper in his hand with his reading glasses on. Violet might have leaped in adoration for Tyler and savored this opportunity to watch him if the incident hadn't happened, but the damage had been done and she was a fool to yearned for his affection.

When Tyler saw Violet, he rushed to her. "Are you hungry? Come, I cooked breakfast." Tyler's hand was about to tongue Violet, but she backed away as if scared of being scorched by his touch.

"I can manage," Violet responded, her voice tinged with contempt.

Tyler watched Violet while sufficing her plate. He couldn't blame her for acting distant from him. Ever since Violet secluded herself in the room, something changed. Before, Violet made him breakfast and gave her a warm smile similar to Sara's.

In fact, when Violet gave him the cold shoulder, that was the first time he felt troubled and uneasy. Tyler chose to be silent while they were eating breakfast. He decided to be quiet, although Violet's silence bothered him.

After a few moments of silence, Violet stood up and didn't glance at Tyler.

"Where are you going? You just got down for minutes," Tyler stated.

"I'm done eating. Therefore I'll be the first to leave," Violet responded bluntly.

"But you only—" Violet intervened, leaving Tyler's remarks unspoken. "I'll feel better if I'm in my room." After saying this, Violet left with her heavy footsteps.

After that encounter, Violet became more distant from Tyler. She'd rather starve herself than see the man's face, which only infuriated her. Tyler should be happy because she's doing him a favor. Since he hated her to the core, he must have been having fun rather than pestering her.

One day, Violet woke up on the wrong side of the bed when she heard Tyler knocked outside the door. She let alone the noise and buried herself with pillows in her ears, but Tyler was too persistent.

Seconds later, Tyler spoke outside, saying," Violet, I know you hated me but don't let the guest wait for you downstairs."

Violet immediately jolted and pushed herself up, and changed her clothes. She was confused about who that person might be, and when she thought that maybe Sara would send a person to tell her the woman's address, she didn't waste time and got down.

"Aunt Leila?" Violet asked in surprise. Seeing her Aunt for years made her delighted. The woman was her deceased mother's best friend and beloved mother figure. When their mother died from cancer, her Aunt Leila became her second mother, aside from Nanny Lily.

Back then, taking care of Violet and Sara was Leila's promise she pledged to her best friend's grave. Unfortunately, when she got married, she lived outside the country and continued having social communication with Violet.

It had been years ever since they saw each other in the flesh. The two embraced each other as if they were filling the years they had been apart. Violet was the first to break the embrace and assist Aunt Leila to sit on the couch.

Soon, Tyler appeared while holding a tray of Juice and a sandwich from the kitchen. Aunt Leila teased her, saying, 'Is he the man you've been eyeing for years?

Violet didn't have a choice because if she had lied, her Aunt Leila could easily have known it. So, Violet nodded in response, which made Aunt Leila cough fakely, and helped Tyler to place the food on the glass table near them.

"You are My Sweet Violet's husband? You seemed familiar to me. Hmph," Aunt Leila stated.

Tyler cleared his throat, put his left hand in his pocket, and responded, "It seemed like the Madame didn't remember me. I am Sara's Lo—"

"You are the young love!" Aunt Leila exclaimed. She leaned in closer and added, "Did you ever receive a love letter in college? It was written on a blue piece of paper."

Tyler paused for a while to consider Aunt Leila's question. He may have gotten a hundred letters during college, but one letter stood out.

"Yes, I remember it," Tyler answered immediately.

Meanwhile, Violet glared at her Aunt Leila because she couldn't have such embarrassment. Instead of zipping her mouth, Aunt Leila even spat out some content of the paper that Violet wrote for Tyler back then.

"Do you still remember this sentence? I had many dreams and fantasies. If I told you those dreams, would you look at me? People may taunt your existence and see you as a person. But for me, you are my whole world. And if there's another lifetime, I only love you even though I am only in shadows." Aunt Leila asked, pinching Violet secretly.

Upon hearing Aunt Leila's words, Tyler's eyes widened. He could clearly remember those words even though this was the second time he had heard them as if they had been etched in his mind for a long time.

"Yes! I could still remember those sentences. However, I have Sar—" Tyler blinked again as his words were interrupted for the second time.

Instead of being delighted by Auntie Leila's intervention in Tyler's response, she smiled faintly because no matter what, Sara would always be in Tyler's heart.

"By the way, My Sweet girl, yesterday I bought a property near a lovely lake. This Auntie felt bad for not giving you a marriage gift. Man and wife need a pleasant place for their honeymoon. How about having a moment with your husband, there? Is that alright with you, son-in-law?"

In a trance, Violet knew Tyler would be the first to object to Aunt Leila's offer because she had just temporarily replaced Sapphire. Besides, Sara was the only person Tyler could consider his wife in this world.

Before Violet could refuse, Tyler stood up and responded, which stunned her. "There's a saying that you shouldn't turn down someone's kindness. I'm fine with it, Aunt Leila. We'll surely come."

Under the broad daylight, Violet sat in the shotgun seat of Tyler's BMW. As what they'd promised, Tyler and Violet would visit Aunt Leila's house to meet the McGregor family.

After Tyler checked the vehicle's side mirror, he soon started the engine. The ride to Stone Lake would take a couple of hours, so before they departed, Violet ensured that their things were properly arranged.

As Violet noticed that Tyler had no plan of talking with her, she deliberately put her elbow on the window and watched the places they passed.

A few minutes later, Violet jerked in her seat when Tyler broke the silence, saying, "I know you still harbor hostility over what happened that night, but I didn't want to put my image at stake. We should be careful with our actions and act like a married couple to avoid public suspicion. My men and your father were already tracking your sister's whereabouts, so in the meantime, we have to make this marriage look somehow real."

Hearing this, Violet brushed off the discomfort that lingered in her heart and responded, "I understand." By agreeing to Tyler's terms, Violet didn't want her Aunt Leila to suspect her and find the truth. The whole ride was quiet and gloomy. Violet diverted her attention away from the anguish in her heart by peeking out the window.

When they arrived, Tyler parked the car suavely, and Violet couldn't help but swallow her nervousness as soon as they reached the lake. Soon, she set foot outside and was startled when Tyler took her hand and dragged her toward Aunt Leila. Aunt Leila was wearing a bohemian summer dress in her forties. She stood outside the rest house with anticipation upon their arrival.

"My sweet Violet!" Aunt Leila remarked and gave Violet a warm embrace. As Aunt Leila broke the hug, the woman smiled gently and said, "I knew you'd come. You didn't want this Aunt to get mad, right?"

Violet laughed as she nodded. Tyler brought their language upstairs with the help of the husband of her Aunt Leila. Aunt Leila's forehead creased as she asked Violet, "By the way, How's Sapphire? I hadn't heard any news about her. Did the brat create another trouble making your father detest you?"

Violet fidgeted, nervously biting her lower lip as she remembered she wasn't prepared to make excuses for her Aunt if she enquired about Sara's whereabouts.

She was about to speak when her Aunt spoke again, "Forget it. I'm sure she was having fun where she was right now. After all, that child loved to be young, wild, and free." The woman placed her palm on Violet's cheeks, "Sweetie, You really look like Viviene, so beautiful, and your Youngblood shows how such an angel like you possessed a brave heart."

After a few words with Aunt Leila, they entered the cozy rest house. Aunt Leila told her where Tyler was and where their room was located. When Violet heard that she and Tyler would share the same bed, Violet was stunned.

Violet sighed in relief when she stormed inside the room without Tyler's traces. It seemed like Tyler had gone outside, or perhaps the man hated the fact that they'd sleep in one bed and couldn't stand her presence. Besides, Violet was aware that Tyler despised her existence to the core.

Despite the exhaustion from the long ride, Violet still managed to arrange her clothes in the cabin and decided to take a bath. When she was done, Violet smiled upon seeing her reflection in the human-size mirror attached to the wall. She let her wavy hair fall and applied light makeup that defined how she got her beauty from her mother.

Previously, Aunt Leila told her that she was the one who took after her mother's beauty, unlike Sara, who got some features from their father.

Violet snapped back from her reverie when the door opened, revealing Tyler wearing a black and white striped polo shirt, pairing it with denim jeans and a pair of white sneakers. His eyes landed on Violet's face down to her body.

"Let's go," Tyler said, devoid of emotion, and left the room.

When the two of them went downstairs, their hands were intertwined on purpose. Violet felt her heart warm for a short time until they met the McGregor family in the small garden near the lake.

The salt air in the midday welcomed them. When Tyler attended to Henry McGregor on the rattan chair, he was the first to let go of Violet's hand. Later, Violet smiled faintly and pushed herself to move forward as she strode towards Aunt Leila's twins, who were playing under the oak tree.

"Margaret! Henry!" The twins at first looked on their sides with their brows furrowed until Violet giggled, which caught the twins' attention.

The two rushed up from their seats in a hurry and shrieked in unison, "Vie! Vie! It's Vie!" Margaret ran into Violet's arms as Henry wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It's been a long time, twins! I last saw you two when you were five years old, and now look at you two. You've both grown so fast!"

Margaret scoffed and expressed, "Vie, we're now seven! Does this mean I'm allowed to have a crush?"

Violet frowned. She messed with Margaret's hair and stated, "You are too young, Margaret. You have to reach the age of fifteen before you have your first crush!"

"But Vie, Garet already had a crush on one of our classmates at school," Henry interjected.

"Y-you! You promised me you won't tell anyone!" Margaret whined to her twin.

Henry hid behind Violet's back, stuck his tongue, and reasoned, "But it's Vie! She's our accomplice!"

In this situation, when kids fight, it would take a while before the argument subsided. Violet was about to speak when Aunt Leila called her. "Violet, come over and help me grill the meat!"

"I'm coming!" Violet shouted as she glanced at the two and ruffled the twin's hair.

"Henry, be good. Don't make fun of your sister. I'll be back, alright?" Violet stated as she walked in with graceful strides, leaving the two.

Meanwhile, Tyler's brow furrowed when he searched for Violet, but the woman was nowhere to be found. He then sat upright when Mr. McGregor spoke, "You have a good wife, Mr. Kurtzman. I've known that child ever since my twins were born. My wife always informed me that after her mother's death, Violet endured a huge sacrifice. She became the family's backbone and yet always hidden. Needless to say, she may seem warm and carefree outside but fragile like a brittle doll inside."

Tyler wanted to laugh at Henry's words. From his viewpoint, Violet was silver-tongued for manipulating the people around her. A woman who always holds aces in her hand, Vicious and poisonous.

As Tyler was about to speak, two tiny voices approached them and stared at him.

"Daddy! Mom kidnapped Vie from us!" cried the little boy who jumped on Mr. McGregor's lap.

"Vie said it would only take a few minutes, but it had already been nearly half an hour!" The little girl with twin braids in her hair duly seconded.

"Oh, It seemed like Violet helped your mother to prepare our lunch. Bear your misery for Vie, my little ones. Why don't you play with Vie's husband, then?" Mr. McGregor suggested.

"You are Vie's husband?! I am Margaret, and this is my twin, Henry!" Margaret introduced as she pointed at Henry, who seemed aloof.

Tyler didn't know what pushed him to nod his head and play with the two. While playing flying saucer with the two, his eyes shifted near the transparent window of a mini kitchen. And there, Tyler saw Violet, who was laughing. That was the first time he saw his wife in that state, which Tyler immediately brushed off from his mind and cursed silently.

A few hours later, Violet and Aunt Leila had prepared the food for lunch. Violet was busy plating the croissants and refreshments for dessert when Aunt Leila shouldered her and pointed to Tyler from a distance, who was playing with Margaret and Henry.

"Look at him. Earlier, my Henry seemed aloof with him, but they were now on good terms. It seemed like my prayer worked to break the ties between him and Sara way back then." Aunt Leila teased while pouring the lemon tea into the empty glasses.

As Violet's eyes transfixed on Tyler, sadness crept into her eyes, thinking that Tyler never expressed those emotions when he was with her. Seeing him having fun made Violet recall how she had secretly admired him since time immemorial. It had been so long since Tyler laughed like that, which is one of the reasons Violet loved him so deeply and made her silently hope that someday he would notice her.

They shared a meal filled with laughter and comfort. Being with McGregor made Violet teary-eyed. She used to eat alone without the presence of others. At least, even though this moment was only a borrowed memory, she somehow found the hiraeth that she had yearned for a long time.

When the night came, Violet couldn't suppress the happiness in her heart. She wanted to thank Tyler for this memorable day and for accompanying her. She saw Tyler, who was already on the bed while reading something on his phone. Maybe it was the report of the investigator that he hired regarding Sara's whereabouts.

Violet sat on the edge of the bed that caught Tyler's attention and muttered," Thank you for accompanying me and lending me your time."

""Violet, don't flatter yourself. That wasn't something I did for you. Aunt Leila was Sara's nanny too. I love Sara, and even though I hate being with you, I must act as a loving husband even if it disgusts me." Tyler reckoned, deadpan.

At a loss, Violet fell silent for a moment after hearing those words. She thought somehow Tyler might have treated her a little better, but her expectations had been shattered.

Violet smiled bitterly and rose up, suppressing the lump in her throat.

"I forgot. Aunt Leila told me to meet her in the evening." After saying this, Violet didn't let Tyler utter his response and stormed outside the room.

When she got outside their room, she rushed outside under the crestfallen sky. The tears that Violet had been suppressing gradually fell down her cheeks.

Stupid of her to think he would do such a thing for her sake? Of course, he will do it for Sara, and how dare she believe that they'll have good company with each other. She's just a substitute bride; once Sara returns, she will be the outcast again.

Violet wished she could look at him without feeling this love that had been bringing endless pain in her heart. She loved him for too long, but nothing changed. Because no matter what she did, she'd never had a chance to be loved by him.

Soon, the stars slowly appeared in the night sky, which illuminated the place as the bodies of the lake's water became crystal clear. Little did Violet know, A man from her past appeared from behind. At last, his search for the woman he had left for years ended.

"You were crying during my departure the last time we saw each other, and now I find you crying again? Come on, Violet, I didn't anticipated you to greet me with tears in your eyes." said the man as he extended his hand, holding a handkerchief.

Violet's forehead creased as her eyes widened, she knew that voice. She slowly raised her head and stiffened when she saw the man she would never forget, the pinky promise they made and how he once made her heart beat in love.