With my head submerged in water, the sounds reaching my ears were muffled. I heard him say, “I married you only because my family pressured me too hard to get married at that time. I wanted to disgust them.”

“It just so happened that you are in good health, which suited my tastes and kept me entertained. But in my heart, you will never measure up to half a toe of Avilla.”

He punished me and forced me to apologize to Avilla. At first, I held my ground. I refused to admit to something I hadn't done.

Later, fear overwhelmed me. I wanted to say that I admitted it, but I knew I was wrong. But Peter wouldn't listen. He only punished me.

By the late hours of the night, I was already dazed and confused, momentarily forgetting what I was doing. Seeing Peter by the pool, I instinctively thought he was playing in the water with me.

Just as I was about to join in, he yanked my hair viciously. “It's useless to pretend to be stupid. If you do something wrong, you have to admit it. Keeping lying will only make me hate you even more.”

His anger flared and he declared he would teach me a lesson I would never forget. He dragged me into the basement and pinned me to the electric chair.

The electric current stimulated every inch of my pores again and again. I screamed and wailed as fragmented memories slowly reassembled. Only later did I realize Peter wanted me to apologize.

I shouted at him, “I'm sorry! I was wrong!”

Only then did Peter stop. My thoughts froze there and my tears wouldn't stop flowing until the man guarding me slapped me hard twice across the face. 

I bit my lip tightly, afraid to cry anymore. I feared the pain. I didn't want to hurt anymore. I just couldn't understand why Peter didn't love me anymore.

***

The stage suddenly fell silent and even the lights dimmed slightly. Someone pushed the iron cage holding me forward, and soon, I was on the stage. A mask covered my face, but my figure alone sent the entire audience into a frenzy.

I saw many people eagerly raising their signs. But I didn't care about any of that. All that mattered was that I was a little closer to Peter. Once he noticed me, once he saw me, he would definitely save me.

After all, he hadn't punished me when I admitted my mistake. He'd even said, “Remember this lesson well. In a few days, it'll be Avilla's birthday. You'll publicly apologize to her.”

“I didn't truly want to punish you harshly. Avilla has had a fear of water since childhood. Your actions triggered her depression, which is why I was a bit stricter.”

I was so happy that he was finally willing to forgive me back then. As long as I behaved, he wouldn’t be angry anymore. 

I thought cheerfully about going out to buy him his favorite chestnut cakes to make him happy. If he were pleased, he wouldn’t be angry with me anymore. I never imagined I’d be kidnapped on the way and brought here. 

I was so scared, so scared. Only now, seeing Peter, could my heart feel a little steadier. I desperately tried to signal him with my eyes, opening my mouth to speak, but no sound came out without a tongue.

Peter never looked at me. His eyes were always hung on Avilla and filled with tender affection. He didn't notice my sign at all, even though I was trying hard to attract his attention.

The moment my body information was publicly displayed on the screen by the host, my clothes were stripped away until I was left with only my undergarments. Only then did Peter lift his head.

His gaze wasn't on me, but fixed on the screen displaying my body information. I noticed his eyes suddenly brighten. My heart was also clenched! He must have recognized me. 

After all, we had been married for five years. Peter knew my body intimately. Surely, one glance would be enough for him to recognize me.

Just as I could recognize him instantly behind his mask, I waited, hoping he would storm the stage like a knight rescuing his princess. But as I waited and waited, I saw him suddenly grab Avilla's hand with delight.

“Baby, she has a rare blood type that matches yours perfectly. Since you're having surgery in a few days, why not bring her home to be your donor? What do you think?”

My heart clenched violently. I stared blankly at Peter, feeling my breath catch in my throat. Avilla's eyes crinkled in a smile, yet they were fixed intently on my face.

Her voice was light and cheerful. Then she said, “Sure, Peter! But she keeps glaring at me; it's kind of scary. After we buy her, I don't want to see her face or eyes anymore, okay?”

Peter agreed without hesitation. “Things we don't need just get in the way. I'll have them taken care of.”

His gaze shifted away from me, landing squarely on the auction podium at center stage. “I'll take this one. I want to light the sky lantern.”

The entire hall erupted in commotion and the auctioneer beside him grinned so widely his mouth nearly split.

“According to the rules on our cruise ship, the final item, ‘Lighting the Sky Lantern’ requires a one-hundred-million ransom. Mr. Fox, are you certain?”

Peter gave a faint nod, then tenderly kissed the corner of Avilla's forehead. “A billion is nothing to secure a backup blood bank for my baby.”

I couldn't hold back any longer. I struggled desperately, the chains clanking loudly as I pulled at them.

Below the stage, Avilla pouted. “Peter, I feel that she seems to be very resistant to leaving with us. Is it because she doesn't like me?”

Peter's lips curved into a faint smile. “A slave dares to harbor grievances against her master? She simply needs more discipline.”

He stepped onto the stage, ordered someone to open the cage and had me led out. With his other hand, he accepted the dragon whip handed to him by a staff member.

“Listen to my baby, do you seem to have any objections to her? Well, now I'll teach you some manners.”

He raised the whip high, striking my bare back with full force, a vicious lash. The excruciating pain made my vision go black for an instant. 

When I regained my senses, I tried to scream, but only a hoarse, muffled cry escaped my throat. To ease the agony, I writhed uncontrollably, but the whip seemed to have eyes, seeking out my most tender spots with each successive lash. 

I tried to lift my head to look at him, but the iron chain around my neck held me fast, forcing me to maintain that humiliating posture. The grief in my heart was overwhelming. 

I desperately wanted to beg him to look at me, recognize me and save me. Only after the 99th lash did he finally stop, though seemingly reluctant.

“I must say, the figure is quite good. She does bear a resemblance...”

His words trailed off as his phone suddenly rang. Without any attempt to hide it from me, he answered the call right in front of me. The searing pain assaulted my senses, while the voice on the other end pierced my eardrums with crystal clarity.

“Mr. Rodriguez, last time you asked us to investigate where Mrs. Rodriguez went after leaving home, we've uncovered new leads...”

Peter snorted coldly, “Do you find her? Then hurry up and bring her back! She dares to run away after just a little punishment? Bring her back, I have scores to settle with her!”

The voice on the other end paused briefly before continuing, “We combed through every surveillance feed in the city. The last sighting was of the madam being abducted by a van while returning home after buying chestnut cakes...”

“What? Abducted?” Peter's demeanor shifted uncharacteristically tense. His voice was tinged with urgency.

“Hurry up and find her! If anything happens to Rosalie Chretien, none of you will live to see another day!”

A sharp sting hit the tip of my nose. I knew that Peter still cared about me. With great effort, I lifted my head. I wanted to remind Peter that I was right here. There was no need for such a big search because I was right in front of him.

But after hanging up, he vented his rage by stomping hard on my face, sending a wave of dizziness crashing through me. As my thoughts finally returned, I heard Avilla’s voice again.

“Did something happen to your wife, Peter? It’s okay. You should go be with her. I can manage alone. I’m already so grateful you’re willing to keep me company.”

“I can’t keep monopolizing you any longer, or your wife would only get angrier. I'm used to being alone anyway. It's fine.”

Peter's tense expression vanished instantly and a gentleness settled in. “Avilla, what nonsense are you talking about? She was just a substitute I brought in to amuse myself after you left me. Nothing more than a plaything.”

“I sought her out only because she hadn't properly apologized to you yet. I refuse to let you suffer injustice.”

He gently pinched Avilla's pouting cheeks. I lay face down on the floor, my heart feeling blocked and unable to catch my breath.

After the two of them left, the cruise staff dragged me to the punishment room, saying they would handle me properly according to the client's request. That night, I passed out multiple times, only to be jolted awake again and again by intense electric shocks.

When I finally woke again, I had lost my vision forever. After an unknown span of time, Peter’s voice reached my ears once more.

“Once you've taken care of her, lock her in a cage and keep her well-fed. I’ll have someone bring her over when I need her.”

His tone was cold, icy. Just then, he answered another call from his assistant, Sylvester Marzorati. My ears picked up the trembling voice on the other end.

“Mr. Rodriguez... the... the van's whereabouts... we've traced it.”

Peter's voice was impatient. “Once you've found her, bring her back immediately. She still owes Avilla a proper apology. I don't want Avilla to carry any lingering resentment.”

Sylvester hesitated for what seemed like an eternity before speaking again. “All the girls captured from that van were all sent to the slave cruise ship on the high seas.”

“We also discovered that after the Madam was taken, she was trained because of her stunning figure and then listed as the top item at auction.”

“Mr. Rodriguez, I heard you also took Miss Ledoyen on that cruise. Didn’t you see Madam there?”

Peter whipped his head around. His gaze was fixed squarely on the iron cage, on me, that foolish beauty. My eyes and tongue were gone, not a single inch of my body left unscarred.