During hospitalization, Jeremy would always squeeze out two hours from his packed schedule to keep me company. He was so soft and attentive that I believed the earlier scene was just an illusion.

Until the fourth day of hospitalization, Jeremy walked in with nothing in his hands, guilt on his face. “Corinne, I was too busy with work today and forgot your food. I’m sorry.”

My hand gripped the phone, which was placed face down. The glow showed through the thin blanket, exposing the video Ophelia had sent two minutes before.

The video showed Jeremy handing the thermal lunchbox, together with my food, to a street dog.

Just because Ophelia said, “That little dog is so poor,” the normally cold and extremely clean-freak head of the Ramsey Group lowered himself and half-knelt to personally feed the stray.

Then Ophelia sent a nearly proud message. [See that? You are only fit to share food with a stray dog.]

My eyes dropped and settled on his knees. The dirt on his black suit pants stood out clearly.

Noticing my silence, Jeremy followed my gaze and spoke calmly, “I just brushed against something by accident.”

I shifted my eyes away, my throat full of bitterness.

It felt like countless white ants were chewing inside my heart, sharp pain drilling deep into my heart.

Jeremy had barely sat for a minute before he stood to say farewell. “Corinne, there’s a project at the company. Order some takeout and eat.”

I stayed silent the whole time.

With a bang, the door shut, cutting me off from Jeremy, and my dark phone screen lit up again.

It was a photo Ophelia sent. In the hospital hallway, the man walked out of the ward and happily moved toward her.

That man was Jeremy, who had just gone out.

So the one he loved had been waiting outside, which explained why he had been so impatient.

I squeezed my hand hard, my nails pressing deep into my skin. My chest felt as if it had been torn open, a cold breeze rushing in and freezing me through.

The following day, I personally took care of the discharge process.

When I reached home, I saw Ophelia and Jeremy walking out of the study. My entire body trembled.

Suddenly, I recalled the time I had accidentally gone into the study before. Back then, Jeremy’s face had been dark as he warned me, “The study is not a place for idle people to enter. If there is a next time, I really get mad.”

As if to remind me, the next day he placed a sign on the study door that read “Corinne and dogs are not allowed to enter.”

But now Ophelia could walk into his study so easily, just like she easily walked into his heart.

It felt like my heart had been tightly held by a large invisible hand. The heavy pain made breathing hard for me.

They spoke with great excitement. Only when they bumped into me did they realize someone else was in the house.

“Oh my, sorry, sister… I-I don’t notice you. It’s all because I’m so careless… You don’t get hurt from the fall, right?”

Ophelia showed an innocent look, but the hand holding my wrist secretly pressed harder, her nails sharply digging into my skin.

The pain made me draw in a cold breath. I quickly pulled my hand away. She used the chance to drop to the floor and said seriously, “Sister, I let you push me back. Don’t be mad, okay?”

“Apologize!” Jeremy looked at me with a dark expression.

I held back the ache and heaviness in my chest and tried to explain, “I didn’t push her. She pinched me….”

Just when I was about to show the injury, Ophelia softly cut in, “Jeremy, I am fine. Sister doesn’t mean it. Maybe she sees me standing too close to you, so she…”

Jeremy’s face turned firm, his voice full of clear authority. “Corinne, apologize. Don’t make me say it a third time.”

My face stiffened a little as I stared at Jeremy in disbelief.

“I said it. I didn’t push her.”

“Still refusing to admit it, so this is how your late parents raised you?” Jeremy’s words were harsh, his eyes cold.

His words were like a knife, deeply stabbing into my heart.

My parents passed away in a car crash on my birthday, and it was also that day when I met Jeremy.

I once thought he was a blessing from heaven, comfort sent by my parents’ spirits above.

But the truth gave me a cruel slap across the face.

Seeing that I firmly refused to apologize, Jeremy immediately called the bodyguards. “Slap her until she admits her mistake.”

I struggled to get away, but the bodyguards held my shoulders tightly, making me unable to move. The last bit of hope rose in my heart. “Jeremy, I am your wife, can you… even just once, stand by me?”

“Slap her. Don’t show mercy.”

Without even glancing at me, Jeremy guided Ophelia to the couch and gently examined her injuries.

The harsh palm, driven by strong force, struck my face harshly. My cheek burned with pain, and before I could say anything, many slaps rapidly followed.

After the hundredth slap hit, my vision spun around. I opened my mouth and spoke unclearly. My swollen face could no longer be recognized, and blood ran from the corner of my lips. I spat and coughed out two teeth mixed with blood.

Jeremy’s voice came from a short distance away. “Admit your mistake or not?”

I opened my mouth and stubbornly replied, “I’m not wrong… I didn’t…”

Before I could finish, Jeremy cut me off. “Keep slapping.”

“If she doesn’t admit it, keep slapping.”

The nonstop sound of slapping echoed again. I gritted my teeth hard and stubbornly refused to admit I was wrong. When the ninety-ninth slap landed, my sight went dark, and I passed out.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the cold, damp guest room.

I struggled to sit up. The wounds on my face had not been treated. I slowly headed to the second floor, planning to go to the bedroom to get the first-aid kit.

But I noticed the door was slightly open, and my hand on the knob suddenly stopped.

From inside came the woman’s soft, breathy gasps and the man’s low, heavy groans, along with the sound of bare bodies hitting together.

Every sound felt like a sharp knife, stabbing deep into my heart, leaving it bloody and torn.

My whole body shook as I pulled my phone from my pocket. My hands trembled so badly that I failed to open the recording several times.

After I finished recording a short video, I quietly turned around and left, and sat on the sofa until dawn.

When Jeremy came down the stairs and saw me, his eyes settled on my badly bruised face. Hesitation appeared in his eyes.

“You’re already an adult, and you don’t even know how to put on medicine?”

Jeremy turned and went to the bedroom to get the first-aid kit. He personally treated my wounds, his brows tightly drawn as he carefully applied medicine to every place.

I stayed still, my whole body stiff as I watched him do everything.

After finishing the treatment, Jeremy spoke in a cool voice with unquestionable authority. “Go cook a bowl of grilled cheese sandwich.”

My fingers shifted slightly as I asked, “Is it you who wants to eat, or Ophelia?”

Since Ophelia came back to the country, Jeremy no longer had the habit of having breakfast at home.

Even though I made breakfast for him in many ways, he ignored it every time and always left quickly, saying, “The company is too busy, I don’t eat first.”

But afterward, I discovered that the “company is busy” he spoke about was really him spending time with Ophelia.

Jeremy stiffened for a moment, obviously not expecting me to ask. His tone suddenly turned cold. “You pushed Ophelia yesterday and still refuse to apologize. What is wrong with cooking a bowl of breakfast today to make it right?”

My heart hurt faintly. I pushed down the bitterness and still stubbornly said, “I already said I don’t push her. Why can’t you trust me?”

Jeremy’s eyes were steady and cold as he silently watched me act wildly.

At that moment, Jeremy seemed like a stranger. The gentle look he once gave me was gone, and the past care had vanished; it felt as if he was facing someone he did not know.

“Hurry and make it.” Jeremy’s tone held clear authority. “You also don’t want your parents’ ashes to lie there quietly and then be dug up again, right?”

My eyes shrank in shock as I looked at him in disbelief.

After the car accident, Jeremy was the one who stayed with me through the first seven days of mourning, and he was also the one who stood beside me while we personally buried my parents’ ashes together.

Right now, for the sake of his little childhood sweetheart, he even used this to threaten me.

A huge wave of shame rushed into my chest. My throat tasted bitter. In the end, I took a slow breath and said, “Okay.”

I had just gone into the kitchen.

At that time, Ophelia walked downstairs wearing the pajamas I liked best. When she saw me, she purposely lifted her long hair, revealing the unclear kiss marks on her neck.

Her eyes were full of pride, yet she said, “Sister, Jeremy says the grilled cheese sandwich you cook is very good. Sorry to trouble you.”

I ignored her and took out flour, mixing it with water. I began stirring, kneading the dough, and letting it ferment.

While I was rolling the dough, Ophelia suddenly pushed her way in again. She threw the object in her hand in front of me.

“Boil this animal for me. I want to have dog meat soup tonight.”

Seeing the familiar fur, my body froze completely.

Blood smeared the rolling pin in my hand and clouded my vision. I stretched out my trembling hand to touch it, only to find it was no longer breathing.

This dog was the coming-of-age gift my parents gave me. It had been with me for six years, but now it had died without any clear reason.

My body trembled all over. I used every bit of strength just to stand firm. “Ophelia, what right do you have to kill my dog!”

With Jeremy absent, Ophelia dropped the act. Wearing a cruel and proud look, she said, “It’s just an animal. If I want it dead, I kill it.”

“I am going to kill you!”

This was not only a present from my parents, but also my emotional support!

It had followed me through thousands of days and nights and had already become family to me.

In my anger, I grabbed the rolling pin and swung it at Ophelia. Ophelia screamed and stepped back.

The rolling pin did not strike her. Jeremy caught it firmly.

My voice shook with anger. “Move away! Jeremy, I am going to kill her!”

Ophelia shrank into Jeremy’s arms, her voice soft and sweet. “Jeremy, I don’t know why Sister is like this. Just now, the dog almost bit me. If the guard doesn’t act fast, I probably already…”

Jeremy frowned. “Corinne, stop being crazy.”

I stood frozen and demanded in disbelief, “Jeremy, she kills my dog! It has stayed with me for six years, it is already my family!”

Ophelia sobbed softly. “I… I just now know that it's Sister’s dog… I don’t mean to do it, Jeremy…”

While speaking, she slowly reached out and gently tugged his sleeve, appearing pitiful and delicate.

Jeremy’s face stayed cold. “It is only an animal. I buy another one to make up for you.”

His words felt like frozen blades, stabbing hard into my heart, cold and hurting.

My whole body turned freezing. Overwhelmed by anger, I fainted on the spot.