When Caleb took the gift box from her, he felt something brush his chest. It was quick and light but sharp enough to catch his breath. It did not exactly hurt, yet it made breathing slightly more difficult.

The bow on the box had been tied with painstaking care. It showed how much effort she had invested and how long she had planned this gift. Meanwhile, he was a complete bastard, harboring selfish, shameful thoughts.

Before Caleb could speak, Sydney had already moved to the entryway. She slipped on a beige wool coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck, her delicate oval face mostly hidden. Only her dark, clear eyes remained visible.

Then she left, but her stride seemed off.

Caleb was about to ask what was wrong when Penelope gasped beside him. "Ahh! That hurts…"

He immediately focused on her and helped her sit down. "Are your knees still that bad? Let me take you to the hospital."

"I don't want to go." She bit her lip and glanced at the box in his hands, muttering, "And you say you're not falling for her? You treat her gift like some priceless treasure."

Caleb frowned. "Penny, I already owe her so much."

Tears slipped down her cheeks. "And what about me, Cal? What am I supposed to be to you? Are you just going to let her keep bullying me and Timmy?"

"I already said Syd's not like that," he said.

"Enough!" Penelope's voice cracked. "Can't you hear yourself? Every word you say defends her!"

She stood, crying in dramatic sobs, and dragged Timothy upstairs.

Caleb sat stunned for a moment before slowly exhaling. He wasn't even sure what he was thinking anymore. He simply could not stand anyone speaking ill of Sydney.

…

Snow fell steadily for two days.

Sydney spent the morning seeing patients at the clinic. In the afternoon, she covered a session with overseas doctors who had come to learn from her senior, who was unexpectedly absent.

By 5:00 p.m., she was back home, changing and applying light makeup. She needed little. Her bright eyes and perfect teeth made her stand out even with minimal effort.

As she came downstairs, she sensed something was off. Since arriving, the house had been eerily quiet. That mother-son duo was unusually well-behaved.

Just as she finished pulling on her tall boots, Penelope asked her with a venomous smile, "Sydney, who do you think he'll choose? Me or you?"

"Penelope, what are you talking about? I don't quite follow." Sydney paused, then smiled. "Oh? So you're not trying to spin some scandalous 'widowed sister-in-law seduces little brother-in-law' drama in the Hampton family?"

Penelope's fury boiled over. "Sydney!"

Sydney calmly draped her cashmere cape over her shoulders and smiled faintly. "No time to argue. Cal's already waiting for me."

Penelope followed her gaze to the black car parked in the driveway through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sight nearly made her spit blood.

When she agreed to let Caleb marry this "sweet and pliable" girl, she had assumed that Sydney would be easy to control. Who would have guessed she was a rabbit with fangs?

Sydney slid into the car and turned to Caleb. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"No, I just got here." He reached over to squeeze her hand, then noticed the pale, flawless skin visible beneath her skirt. Her legs were exposed to the cold, and he frowned. "Why are you dressed so lightly?"

She smiled. "The car and the house are both heated."

She always urged patients to dress warmly, but when it came to herself, she did not care.

Caleb sighed. "If you catch a cold or get a fever, don't expect me to take care of you."

"I'll take medicine," she said.

Colds were easy. One dose of herbs and she would mostly be fine. Over the past three years, she had relied on herself. She had long stopped expecting him to care for her—or anyone else.

Caleb did not know why her indifference unsettled him so much. "You talk like I'm some heartless husband who doesn't care about you."

She paused. "You didn't open the gift I gave you yesterday?"

"Not yet." Caleb looked out the window. "It's a birthday gift, right? I figured I'd wait."

"Sure."

'That works. More time for me to get ready,' she thought.

They had little to say, so the ride passed in silence.

Caleb glanced at her. She sat quietly, staring out at the stream of traffic. Her entire demeanor was peaceful, gentle, innocent, composed. He could not understand why Penelope hated her so much.

He was about to speak when his phone rang.

"Mr. Hampton, Ms. Monroe is at a blind date." The other party's voice was calm, not loud, but clear enough for Sydney to hear.

The air in the car tightened instantly. Caleb was fuming but kept it controlled. He rarely lost his temper.

"Send me the location." His tone turned icy.

After hanging up, he turned to Sydney with a composed expression but an unmistakably firm voice. "Syd, something urgent came up. I can't go to the family banquet with you."

'Something urgent?' Sydney did not even want to ask.

Why bother? Digging would only humiliate her more.

"I understand." She lowered her gaze slightly. "Jack, could you pull over up ahead?"

The car slowed to a stop. Caleb did not move, seeming to appreciate the life he had now.

Sydney looked at him. "Cal, go on. We can't park here too long."

He looked stunned for a second, but she remained calm and graceful. He could find no excuse to stay. "Alright."

He got out silently.

…

The Sterling family's monthly banquet was unlike other social events. Only five people attended, including Caleb.

The atmosphere was quiet. Unnervingly so, as if it were more funeral than celebration.

When Sydney arrived, the butler, Jason Reyes, led her straight to the dining hall.

"Ms. Wilson, Madam Sterling has been waiting all day. She's been asking about you since this morning," Jason said.

"Okay." Sydney nodded gently but nervously clenched her fingers at her sides.

Inside the dining hall, Eloise sat at the head of the table. To her left, her eldest and second daughters sat in order.

Sydney stepped in and greeted them politely, "Grandma. Aunt Fiona. Aunt Miranda."

She followed the Sterling family's generational terms. The two aunts responded with lukewarm nods but glanced past her.

When Eloise noticed Sydney was alone, her brows furrowed deeply. "Where is Caleb?"

"Something urgent came up, and he had to attend to it," Sydney said.

"Out! Go kneel!" Suddenly, a harsh yell echoed, and a teacup flew at her.

By the time Sydney left the Sterling estate, her limp had worsened. For three years, every time Caleb failed to show up for her, she ended up punished like this. She no longer felt surprised.

What Caleb did not realize was that each time he "proved his devotion" to the woman he loved, he pushed Sydney one step closer to ruin. The Sterling family had no use for a weak woman who could not keep her husband's heart.

Jason sighed. "You could have lied, you know? Made up something harsher. Madam Sterling wouldn't have beaten you this badly."

"Jason, Grandma raised me. I could lie to anyone but never to her," Sydney said. Her clean, pale face showed no trace of resentment.

Jason sighed again, but this time his eyes showed genuine warmth as he looked at her bruised, red palms. "Don't wait too long. Get to a hospital quickly."

"Okay." She nodded without another word.

Jack had already left.

Every step sent sharp waves of pain through Sydney's body.

Since she was little, she suspected Eloise was the reincarnation of a cruel villain from some historical drama.

Dorothy Vettera, the matriarch of the Hampton family, had merely ordered Penelope to kneel in the courtyard. Eloise, the Sterling family's matriarch, had made the maids take Sydney to kneel on a path filled with jagged stones.

At first, the snow made it bearable. Yes, it was cold, but at least it did not hurt. Once the snow melted, only sharp rocks remained. By the time her whole body froze, the maids appeared with canes to whip her palms.

That part truly hurt.

The Sterling estate sat high in the scenic, serene mountains. Sydney had struggled to bribe a ride-share driver to come. Because it was snowing late at night, the driver refused to go beyond the hill's base.

Each step downhill brought pure agony. Despite the winter chill, her back drenched in sweat from pain.

Far ahead, a long black Bentley crawled along the icy road.

The driver squinted. "Sir, that looks like Ms. Wilson."

In the backseat, a man lounged with legs crossed. His face lay mostly in shadow, sharp and cold, radiating power. He did not even look up as he hummed. His expression was unreadable.

Elliot Tierney, the assistant in front, could not hold back. "Sir, shouldn't we help her?"

"You want to?" His low, magnetic voice was quiet but laced with frost.

Elliot fell silent.

After a long pause, the man finally looked out through the windshield, narrowing his eyes at the frail figure staggering in the snow. "Find out what Caleb was doing tonight."

"We already checked. Most likely enjoying a romantic night with Penelope." Elliot added quickly, "Ms. Wilson has probably been kneeling in the snow for hours. She's reaching her limit."

Just as he finished, the figure ahead collapsed.

"I told you that—"

The car door slammed open. The man's face stayed stone-cold as he swept the unconscious woman into his arms, wrapping her in his cashmere coat.

Elliot scrambled to open the rear door. "Sir, hospital or…"

"Back to the estate."

"Yes, sir."

"I want a doctor waiting," the man instructed.

"Already arranged."

Sensing the mood, the driver quietly turned up the heat. Inside the car, warm light filled the space. The man's gaze swept over her bruised knees. His dark eyes flashed cold, but his voice remained even. "They didn't hold back."

Elliot muttered, "Madam Sterling's punishments are always brutal."

"Is Victor Sterling returning soon?" the man asked.

"Yes," Elliot replied.

"Make arrangements," he ordered.

"To what extent?"

The man glanced over lazily, a violent glint flickering behind his calm eyes. "What do you think?"

…

Sydney woke weak all over but surprisingly without pain. Her palms and knees, which should have throbbed, looked frightening but hurt little. Even her tailbone, sore for days, felt better.

Still, something was wrong. She was not supposed to be here.

Frowning, she reached for the hotel phone, only to pause at a faint whiff of agarwood. The scent snapped her out of her daze. She scoffed silently, grabbed a familiar tube of custom-made ointment from the nightstand, and checked out without a word.

…

Back home, the atmosphere felt unusually pleasant, as if all the recent awkwardness was her fault for existing.

"Syd, you're back," Penelope greeted with a cheery smile.

Clearly, Caleb had made it up to her last night.

Sydney ignored her.

Penelope was not done. She walked over, flipped her hair behind her ear, and flashed a dazzling pair of rare pink diamond earrings.

Sydney had loved that set for years. It had resurfaced at auction recently, and Caleb had promised to buy it for her. He said soft pink tones suited her best and that the earrings would look stunning.

No doubt he said the same to Penelope.

Catching the flicker of emotion on Sydney's face, Penelope tilted her chin smugly. "Grandma said you have a good eye for jewelry. Take a look. These cost over a million dollars. Cal bought them for me. Think they're worth it?"

"They're decent," Sydney said with a faint smile, pushing down bitterness. "Oh, right. Cal and I are still legally married. So technically, half of that million is our joint marital property. The exact figure was 1.4 million."

She pulled out her phone. "Penelope, please wire 700,000 dollars to this account by midnight. Otherwise, I'll have to ask Grandma for it."

Penelope's phone buzzed. A message appeared with a bank account number.

Her face darkened. 'This bitch. Always threatening me with that old crone. 700,000 dollars? The Hampton family hasn't even formally split assets yet.'

After Lucas died, Penelope had inherited only 500,000 dollars.

Sydney did not care whether Penelope had the money. After a shower, she started decluttering. She refused to drag things out. She even packed her wedding dress and told Nancy to throw it away.

Just as she lugged the bundle downstairs, Caleb walked in. His eyes fell on the clumsily wrapped dress, and unease settled in his gut. "Why are you taking out the wedding dress?"

Sydney met his gaze, calm and steady. "I'm throwing it out."

'Useless things deserve to be discarded,' she thought.

Upon hearing her calm, matter-of-fact tone, something sharp jabbed Caleb's chest. He frowned. "Why are you suddenly throwing it away? Didn't you treasure that wedding dress?"

Sydney did not deny it. For three years, she had kept a spot in the closet just for that dress. Each year, she had it professionally cleaned and preserved. She had treasured it because she believed people married only once in a lifetime, and a wedding dress was something to keep.

But now, they were divorcing. Knowing Caleb would likely bring his new love into this house soon after, that dress, like her, had become redundant.

Sydney gave a faint smile. "It's ruined. I noticed the other day it has a huge tear."

"Even so, you can't just toss it like that." Caleb studied her forced smile, assuming she could not bear to part with it. "Tell you what—I'll have someone from the boutique take a look. Maybe it can be repaired."

"Don't bother." Sydney shook her head and met his eyes. "Some things, once broken, can't be fixed."

She was not just talking about the dress. She meant their marriage. Before he could say more, she turned and walked back inside.

Watching her limp slightly, Caleb suddenly remembered. He hurried to catch up. "Wait, are you still hurt? It's been days. Why are you still limping?"

'A little late, aren't we?' she thought mockingly.

Sydney needed his guilt now. She lowered her eyes and answered plainly, "It was almost better, but last night I had to kneel outside the Sterling estate for four hours."

"What did you say?" Caleb stared at her and noticed her swollen, reddened palms. His pupils tightened. "Your hands too?"

Sydney blinked. "Got beaten."

Her tone was casual, without a hint of complaint.

Caleb frowned. "Why did you kneel for so long? And why were you beaten?"

He did not dare imagine the details. 'Isn't Sydney practically family to the Sterlings? How did one visit leave her like this?'

Sydney looked up, and for a moment, a memory of her younger self, eager to marry him, flashed through her mind. She had truly dreamed of growing old with Caleb. She stayed silent for a long moment, then smiled faintly. "Because you didn't come with me."

Frustration swelled in his chest. His throat tightened. "You're still smiling. Doesn't it hurt?"

"It does." Sydney nodded. "But I'm used to it."

"Used to it?"

She pressed her palm gently and spoke as if it was someone else's story. "Anytime you don't come with me, something like this happens."

This was not even the worst. Since childhood, whenever she stepped out of line, Eloise would punish her. That pebble-lined path in the Sterlings' courtyard was made just for her.

Before she turned seven, Sydney already knew how to kneel perfectly—knees aligned, legs straight, toes tucked—to satisfy Eloise.

Caleb crouched and lifted the hem of her dress. What he saw twisted his gut.

Her knees were badly swollen, dark bruises blooming beneath. Her calves were mottled purple and blue, as if someone had painted her skin with cruelty. Against her fair complexion, the bruises looked even more painful.

Compared to this, Penelope's lightly reddened knees were not even close.

Caleb's anger surged. Without a word, he lifted Sydney into his arms and settled her on the sofa. His brow furrowed deeply. "Why didn't you call me?"

The Sterling and Hampton families once stood as equals. Only recently, after Julian Sterling's ruthless reforms, had the gap grown.

Still, Caleb's wife should not be treated like garbage.

Sydney's eyes were clear. Her tone was gentle as she teased, "You said you had an emergency when you left. I figured it was important. Didn't want to bother you."

Caleb was at a loss for words.

For a moment, he thought, 'If I'd known chasing after Penelope would cost this much, would I have gone?'

That thought lingered as he met Sydney's obedient, docile face. His chest tightened. He fetched the first-aid kit and began gently applying ointment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sydney stayed silent. She wanted to be a good wife and daughter-in-law. She truly believed Caleb would be a good partner.

To outsiders, the Sterlings were her family. What kind of woman badmouthed her family to her husband?

Sydney was no fool, and Caleb had never loved her enough to make her feel safe doing that. She had always known he barely loved her. Only recently did she realize he had never loved her at all.

It was good she had never depended on anyone's love to survive.

Her fingers pressed lightly into her palm. Her voice softened. "I didn't want to put you in a tough spot between me and the Sterlings. After all, Hampton Corp. still does business with them."

She could not tell the truth. All she could do was lie with a perfectly sincere face.

Caleb swallowed bitter guilt. Her consideration should never have been used against her.

He took a breath, pushed down the bitterness, and gently ruffled her hair. "I'm sorry. I should have done better. And I forgot our anniversary too. Is there anything you want? I'll get it for you."

"Hmm…" Sydney tilted her head and said in a light, steady voice, "Then I want you to like the birthday gift I gave you."

"That's it?"

She nodded. "Yeap."

When she turned 20, Sydney's birthday wish was to marry Caleb. At 24, it was to leave him, cleanly and completely.

For the briefest moment, as she met his sincere gaze, guilt flickered inside her. Then his phone rang. It was not the usual tone but a custom ringtone.

Sydney saw the caller ID: Penelope.

Caleb picked up, said a few words, and shot to his feet, his expression hardening. "How bad is it? Why didn't you have the driver take you? How'd you twist your ankle just walking? Send me your location. I'm coming now."

He hung up, ready to leave despite not finishing Sydney's treatment. The cotton swab in his hand made him hesitate.

Sydney reached out, took the swab, and offered him an out with practiced gentleness. "I'll finish it myself. You go ahead."

They said that the loudest child got the candy. In Sydney's world, crying only brought punishment. Still, she believed she would someday buy all the candy she wanted.

"Okay." Caleb looked visibly relieved. He added, almost defensively, "Penny got hurt. She's out with the kid alone. I just want to check on her."

Then he turned and left quickly.

For some reason, Sydney called after him, "Penny… Cal, why have I rarely heard you call her Penelope?"