After ten years of relentless devotion, I, a child brought into the Laird family to be groomed as a future son-in-law, finally married their daughter, Tina Laird.

But after we got our marriage certificate, she canceled our wedding ceremony and even brought her male assistant along on our honeymoon trip.

We argued, and she brushed me off, saying I was being jealous and unreasonable.

And when a riot broke out, she left with her assistant, abandoning me in a foreign country in chaos.

Stranded, I endured a month of torment and horror in that hellish place.

I came to see the truth about myself – and about Tina.

Even when she later tried to apologize with everything she had, I knew there was no going back.

——

On the day I returned home, my family’s spokesperson, Vincent Frost, immediately organized a press conference to present my ordeal to the world.

The camera zoomed in on every injury, every bruise that marked my body.

He lifted my ragged shirt to reveal the scars crisscrossing my legs.

“Mr. Hayes has been through a harrowing experience, one that we deeply regret. Let this be a reminder to everyone: Safety should always be the priority when traveling abroad.

“Don’t put yourself and others at risk by seeking out dangerous places, creating unnecessary burdens for our rescue teams.

“Today, on behalf of Laird Corporation, I’m announcing a 50 million donation to the affected area, and I hope the public will not blame Mr. Hayes further.”

After the impassioned speech, Vincent and Tina, who looked every bit the stunning power couple, led me to take a photo together.

I, still battered and bruised, hid in the shadows behind them, appearing no better than a ragged dog.

The cameras flashed, and it all came rushing back – flashes of explosions and chaos.

I reflexively crouched down, hands clutching my head, as tremors coursed through me.

Tina stepped in front of Vincent protectively, casting me a look of disdain.

“What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now?” She wrinkled her nose, as if repelled by the stench coming from me, and dismissed the reporters with a wave.

“James, don’t be ungrateful,” she hissed.

“This mess is of your own making. You insisted on going to dangerous places for the thrill of it, so you missed your chance at rescue.

“Vincent almost got killed in an explosion trying to find you. When you got trapped, he coordinated with the embassy nonstop to get you out.

“And now he’s doing everything he can to clean up the negative attention your mess has caused for Laird Corporation. You should be grateful.”

I clutched my head, staring blankly at the bloodstains dotting the floor, feeling nothing inside.

They’d left me to die, and yet they twisted everything, blaming me entirely.

Their scheme was flawless: shifting the narrative, casting me as the one at fault.

And maybe, in a way, Tina was right.

Loving her was my own damn fault.

So, from now on, I would never entangle myself with her again.

My silence only fueled Tina’s anger.

She shoved my shoulder roughly, as if we were kids again.

“Enough. The reporters are gone, so cut the act. Everyone knows how arrogant and difficult you can be, James.”

Once, I had been arrogant, unrestrained, headstrong.

But this last month had stripped all that from me.

The man who had loved Tina Laird no longer existed.

He had died in the war-torn streets of a foreign country, betrayed by the woman he loved.

The person who returned home was nothing more than a hollow shell, drained and numb.

A staff member, unable to watch any longer, handed me a blanket.

I flinched instinctively but quickly ducked my head and climbed into the car.

Vincent slid seamlessly into what had once been my seat up front, and all traces of me – my basketball pillow, the couple keychain – had been erased, as if I’d never been there at all.

Vincent turned around and, with a smirk, tore open a bag of chips.

The Tina I’d once known, who wouldn’t allow a single crumb in the car, now barely batted an eye.

The smell of the chips reached me, and my stomach growled.

Starvation clawed at me, and I found myself swallowing hard.

“Learned to put on a pity show, have we?” Tina sneered. “I bet that jealous streak of yours is impossible to fix.”

She tossed the bag of half-eaten chips in my face.

Crumbs showered me, but it was nothing compared to what I’d already endured.

I didn’t care. I knelt on the car floor, frantically grabbing the scattered chips and shoving them into my mouth.

Vincent covered his mouth in mock surprise.

“Ew, are you serious? Gross,” he sneered.

Tina pulled the car over, glancing back at me.

“James, Vincent bought you real food. If you keep up this pathetic act, get out! You’re making us all sick.

I looked up at Tina, still clutching the handful of chips.

They couldn’t understand. When you’re starving, you’ll get on your knees for a moldy piece of bread, you’ll take beatings just for a clean sip of water.

When it’s life or death, love doesn’t matter anymore.

Ten years of love couldn’t compare to this handful of chips.

As soon as we arrived at the Laird residence, Tina instructed someone to clean the car.

She cast me a scornful glance and told me to wash up before coming inside.

It was only when I got to the bathroom that I noticed I was still wearing our wedding ring – a priceless antique worth millions.

Its brilliance, however, was dulled by dried blood and grime, and, in the end, it hadn’t been worth even a scrap of bread when I was starving.

Once I’d showered and dressed, I was led into the living room.

Tina, who had originally mentioned a welcome-home dinner for me, changed her plans after a brief exchange with Vincent. Instead, a maid brought me a meager plate of leftovers.

A few scraps and a watery soup – things that, before, would never have been allowed near my table.

But this time, I devoured it all as though I couldn’t taste a thing.

When I finished the last morsel, I looked up to find Tina standing over me, Vincent by her side, supporting Old Mrs. Laird.

The three of them stood together, the picture of a happy family, all wearing identical expressions of disdain as they looked down at me, the unwelcome intruder.

Old Mrs. Laird spoke first. “James, look at yourself – just look at what you’ve become.”

I clutched the empty plate in my hands, still feeling the faint warmth from the food.

In simpler times, they used to joke that I was the Laird family’s “little ward.”

I’d assumed then, so naturally, that I was being groomed to be the family’s future head.

But faced with life and death, I now understood just how insignificant I was.

My fate – my life, even – was at Tina’s mercy.

When she was in a good mood, she could hand over that priceless wedding ring to humor me.

When she wasn’t, she could cast me aside just as easily, into a living hell.

Old Mrs. Laird placed a set of papers on the table in front of me.

“I know you’ve loved Tina for years, and I know you’re recently married, but what happened this time is your fault, James. The Laird family head cannot have a history so… disgraceful.

“After the divorce, you’re welcome to continue living here. I’ll treat you like a son, and financially, you won’t want for anything.”

In a single month, all those who had once treated me like family now wore entirely new faces.

They all believed this accident was my doing – that I had endangered Tina and nearly got Vincent hurt.

No one mentioned that Tina had arranged the honeymoon.

No one blamed them for abandoning me.

Not one person had asked me what I’d endured over the past month.

I wanted to explain, but one look at Tina’s icy gaze set me trembling.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

With shaking hands, I reached for the divorce papers on the table.

Before I could touch them, though, Tina’s hand shot out, and instinctively, I flinched, closing my eyes and curling into myself.

“Please… don’t hit me!”

“James…”

Slowly, I opened my eyes and met Tina’s stunned expression.

She was holding the papers, and her voice was flat. “I don’t plan to divorce you.”

Not divorcing?

I knew Tina despised me; she’d gone to great lengths to shake me off, a burden who’d trailed her for a decade.

How could she possibly not want a divorce?

I looked up at her in surprise.

She spoke coolly, “Now isn’t the right time to divorce.

“Doing so would reflect poorly on Laird Corporation.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

They’d used my suffering to generate publicity, and now a divorce would make the Laird family look heartless.

It wasn’t me she was concerned about.

It was her reputation, her standing, and her future with Vincent.

Vincent exchanged a knowing smile with Old Mrs. Laird. “Mrs. Laird, there’s no rush for some things.”

He went over to Old Mrs. Laird and massaged her shoulders, casually showing off the family’s ancestral emerald ring on his finger – the ring that symbolized the Laird family head.

For a moment, a flicker of anger rose within me.

In the past, I would have demanded answers.

But now, I simply lowered my head, swallowing my heartache and frustration in silence.

Old Mrs. Laird said nothing more, only sighed and left the room.

I traced my fingers over the small cuts on my hands, retreating to pack up my things.

By now, I understood that it didn’t matter if I was married to Tina or not – this place was never my home.

A decade spent hoping, convincing myself otherwise, and it had all been one-sided.

I should have left a long time ago.

As I reached the doorway, Tina’s voice called me back. “What are you up to now?” she sneered. “Running away from home? Haven’t you humiliated yourself enough?”

I stayed silent.

Over the past month, I had been stranded, penniless, in a city torn by war and flames.

Every day was a new bombardment, a new struggle for food, a constant battle for survival.

I had watched people, some of them fleeing by my side, drop one by one, bodies mangled beyond recognition.

In a hellish place where death loomed at every corner, surviving no longer felt human.

Pride? It meant nothing.

Seeing my silence, Tina grew annoyed and tried to grab my suitcase.

“I told you – I’ll keep supporting you, no matter what. You don’t need to challenge Vincent for everything.

“After all that’s happened, have you learned nothing?

“Or do you actually want to go back to that place?”

Under the harsh light, her shadow loomed over me, swallowing me whole.

That familiar terror crawled over my skin, filling my mind until I couldn’t even process her words.

Without thinking, I clutched the suitcase closer and sank my teeth into her hand, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.

“This is mine!”

She gasped in pain and shoved me hard.

Tina probably didn’t realize how fragile I was, despite my height.

A single push sent me tumbling down the staircase.

My head struck the railing as I landed, reopening old wounds and tearing fresh ones open.

Blood soaked my shirt in heavy patches.

“James!”

She rushed over, reaching out as if to examine my injuries, but I pulled back, keeping a firm grip on my suitcase, recoiling from her touch.

Annoyance crept into her expression, and the concern in her eyes hardened.

“That ratty suitcase matters that much to you?” she scoffed. “You really can’t wait to leave the Laird family, can you? You’re just an ungrateful stray!”

My legs trembled too much to even try to stand.

The memories I’d worked so hard to bury rose again, taunting me.

Time after time, in the depths of despair, I’d imagined Tina breaking down doors, saving me from hell.

With the Lairds’ influence, with her connections, I’d believed it would be easy for her to come to my rescue.

But as the days bled into weeks, as the agony stretched on without end, I stopped hoping. Stopped dreaming.

All I could do was fight like hell to survive.

“James,” she said, exasperated, gripping my wrist tightly, “I’m giving you one last chance. Come back with me.”

Her touch, skin against my skin, sent a chill through my bones, pulling me back to the day my father had fallen gravely ill ten years ago.

I remembered him, in his final moments, entrusting everything we had to the Laird family.

I remembered Tina kneeling by his bedside, holding my hand, vowing to protect me.

“I, Tina Laird, will never betray James.”

But on a foreign street, under the assault of chaos, these same hands had chosen another’s, leaving me to sink into a dark and endless abyss.