Before I could say a word, Mandy stepped out of the office.

The gold pendant engraved with the name "Mandy" still hung around her neck.

"Sister, long time no see."

Mandy—the daughter my stepmother brought with her after my mother passed away.

She had never once called me sister growing up.

This was the first time I had ever seen her act so obediently.

Sensing my thoughts, Sean quickly spoke, his tone laced with urgency, afraid I might misunderstand.

"Marie, don’t overthink this. After Alden’s passing, Mandy has been feeling restless and needed some fresh air."

"I happened to run into her, so I invited her to the company for a cup of coffee."

"I was just about to send her back."

If this had happened in the past, I would have lost my temper and started a fight with Sean.

But now, I swallowed my pain, forcing a smile.

"It doesn’t matter. We’re all family. You should take care of her. Don’t worry—I won’t be upset."

At my words, Sean visibly relaxed, letting out a quiet breath of relief.

I turned to leave, but before I could step away, a group of employees coming downstairs for a meeting caught sight of me.

They whispered among themselves, their words slicing through me like a blade.

"Isn’t that Mr. Hoffman’s wife? Did you see the video? She was raped by more than a dozen men for an entire day and night. No wonder the baby didn’t make it."

"I saw it too. But what I don’t get is—if they wanted money, the Hoffman Group could have given them as much as they wanted."

"If you ask me, maybe she was just looking for excitement and got tangled up with the wrong crowd."

"That sounds about right. What a shame though. Mr. Hoffman’s own wife, reduced to a scandal like this, and now she’s here handling damage control."

Their murmurs echoed in my ears, sharp and merciless, making my body go weak.

I felt myself sway, about to collapse.

But before I could hit the ground, Sean caught me, pulling me into his arms. His voice was laced with fury.

"All of you, listen up—fire every single person who dared to gossip just now!"

"From this moment on, if I hear anyone spreading rumors about my wife, you’ll all be packing your things and leaving!"

Sean rarely loses his temper.

The last time I had seen him this anger was during my pregnancy—when my morning sickness had been so severe that I could barely eat.

He had nearly torn apart the hospital in frustration and even went on a hunger strike with me for three days until he almost passed out.

Back then, I had been deeply moved by his devotion.

But now, watching his veins bulge in anger, I felt nothing.

Because to make room for Mandy and her son,

He orchestrated the destruction of my dignity, had me violated, stripped me of my ability to bear children,

and ensured I would forever be the target of public scorn.

So, who was he putting on this performance for now?

Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I whispered,

"Sean, I’m feeling tired. Take me back to the hospital."

Sean hesitated for a moment before nodding. His eyes were red as he lifted me into his arms.

But as soon as we stepped out of the company doors, a swarm of reporters descended upon us.

Microphones were shoved in my face.

"Mrs. Hoffman, the video of your assault has been circulating online. Do you have anything to say?"

"Mrs. Hoffman, we heard that due to trauma, your baby died in the womb. As a mother, do you think this was avoidable?"

"Mrs. Hoffman, will this incident affect your marriage with Mr. Hoffman? And now that you can no longer conceive, how do you plan to face the future?"

Flashes went off in every direction, the blinding lights making me tremble violently.

Seeing this, Sean immediately removed his suit jacket, wrapping it around me and shielding me from the cameras.

Then, with a firm expression, he turned to the reporters and answered—

"Regarding the recent rumors, I will hold a separate press conference tomorrow to make a statement."

"But if anyone dares to slander my wife again, the Hoffman Group’s legal team will immediately take action and file a lawsuit."

With that, Sean tightened his arms around me, preparing to leave.

But just as I took a step forward, a sharp cry of pain came from behind.

"Ouch! My leg—it hurts so much!"

Sean instantly stiffened, his grip on me loosening. He turned, his expression filled with concern.

Then, as if suddenly remembering my presence, he looked at me apologetically.

"Marie, you go ahead first. I’ll check on Mandy."

Before I could say a word, he had already rushed over.

And just like that, the barrier protecting me was gone.

The reporters swarmed in again.

There were too many of them. In the chaos, I was shoved, my body losing balance.

I crashed to the ground.

Countless feet trampled over my hands, my legs—

Pain shot through me like a thousand needles piercing my skin. Cold sweat dripped down my forehead.

But through it all, my gaze remained locked on Sean.

Not far away, he was cradling Mandy in his arms, carefully helping her into the car.

He didn’t look back.

Not even once.

Maybe he hadn’t noticed what was happening to me.

Or maybe… he had, and he just didn’t care.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I lay on the cold ground, humiliated, abandoned.

At that moment, whatever was left of my love for him him—disappeared completely.

I didn’t know how long I lay there, but eventually, the reporters, satisfied with their footage, dispersed.

Alone, trembling, I dragged myself to the hospital, leaning against the wall for support.

As soon as I stepped inside, I ran straight into Mandy.

She looked at me with a smirk of satisfaction.

"Marie, five years have passed, and yet you're still the same pathetic loser."

Her voice dripped with mockery.

"Tell me, how does it feel? To be sold out by your own husband? To be thrown at the wolves?"

Her eyes gleamed with malice.

"You really are just like your mother—a weak, useless fool who couldn’t even keep a man."

She paused for effect before delivering the final blow.

"Oh, and not only could you not keep a man, you couldn’t even keep your own baby."

With that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small specimen jar.

Inside was a piece of flesh, soaked in preservative fluid.

I froze. My stomach lurched violently.

"Do you know what this is?" Mandy’s voice was sickeningly sweet.

"It’s your uterus."

"Sean gave it to me—his promise that my son would be the only heir to the Hoffman family."

"So? Do you like the gift?"

I felt a bile rise in my throat. My body was heaved, but I had nothing left to vomit.

Through my blurred vision, I saw Mandy pick up a pair of surgical scissors from a nearby tray.

Before I could react, she suddenly stabbed herself in the lower abdomen.

A thin line of blood oozed from the small wound.

At that exact moment, the hospital door burst open.

Sean rushed in, his face dark with fury.

His eyes landed on the blood on Mandy’s dress, and without hesitation—

He kicked me to the ground.

"Marie, are you insane?!" he bellowed. "This is attempted murder!"

His voice thundered through the room, filled with unrestrained rage.

Then, with the utmost care, he lifted Mandy into his arms, his expression twisted with worry.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" he asked gently, inspecting the tiny wound.

Meanwhile, I lay on the floor, my body wracked with pain.

The stitches from my recent surgery had torn open, and I could feel warm blood pooling beneath me, seeping through my hospital gown.

Yet Sean didn’t spare me a single glance.

His gaze, once filled with love, was now cold, distant—merciless.

"Marie, I never thought you could be this cruel."

The hospital room buzzed with noise—doctors, nurses, staff whispering among themselves.

But among all the voices, one word stood out.

"Cruel."

I suddenly laughed.

A low, bitter laugh that shook my aching body.

"Sean, the real cruel one here—is you."

At my words, his brows furrowed, a flicker of unease passing through his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped. "Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think I don’t feel anything?"

His voice cracked with emotion.

"That was my child too! Do you think losing them didn’t hurt me?"

He inhaled sharply before continuing, his tone softening.

"Marie, I know you’re hurting, but I swear to you—even if we never have children again, I will still love you."

Then, with a deep breath, he added,

"But did you really have to do this to Mandy? She’s innocent. She’s always seen you as her sister."

I stared at him, unable to comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.

Innocent?

Had he truly convinced himself of that?

Sean didn’t wait for my response.

Instead, he turned on his heel, carrying Mandy toward the doctor’s office.

Meanwhile, I could no longer stand it.

My body had reached its limit.

So, with what little strength I had left, I began to crawl—inch by inch—toward the nurse’s station.

A long trail of blood followed behind me as I dragged myself forward.

By the time all my wounds had been treated, it was already late at night. That was when I received a video from Mandy.

On the bed, Sean hovered over her, his lips pressing against her injured abdomen and ankles again and again—tender, reverent.

Meanwhile, my own ankles, left to dangle in agony for hours, throbbed with unbearable pain.

So this is what love and hate look like…

The video lasted a full thirty minutes. And I watched every second of it, like a fool bent on self-destruction.

The moment I hit save, a message from Sean popped up on my screen.

"Marie, I acted on impulse today, but no matter what, you shouldn't have hurt Mandy."

"The doctor said she was traumatized, so I’ll stay with her tonight. Think of it as making up for your mistakes."

"After the press conference tomorrow morning, I’ll take care of these rumors, and we can go back to how things were before."

Unfortunately, Sean…

We can never go back.

I deleted the message without responding. Then, without hesitation, I blocked his number.

Reaching into my drawer, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared in advance. I signed them without a second thought.

With that done, I gathered every incriminating video on my phone and sent it to the hacker.

The next morning, without looking back, I boarded a plane straight from the hospital.

At exactly 9:15, Sean finally climbed out of Mandy’s bed.

Hurriedly, he made his way to the press conference.

Just as he was about to announce that Mandy’s child would bear his name and that she would officially become the mistress of the Hoffman Group, his assistant rushed forward, panic-stricken.

"Mr. Hoffman, bad news—the police just called. Your wife… she jumped from the top floor of the Hoffman Group building!"