As time ticked by, my face could no longer contain any more harsh comments and embarrassment from Adam. So without looking any further into his eyes, I ran out.

My eyes streamed thousands of tears as my feet continued to take me wherever they liked.

Recently, it seemed that I had become a dumpster of problems. Everything had already rendered me exhausted, and I had no more energy left to entertain more issues my way.

However, I halted from my track as my name echoed all through the corridor.

"Sophia!" Alexa called. She looked at me as she paused to catch her breath. "Go to the front desk. It seems like your mother-in-law was looking for you."

Instantly, I gulped. Nervousness crept into my veins, and it even worsened because the way Alexa uttered those words sounded somehow hysterical. Funny because I was just complaining about my problems earlier, and there seemed to be another one.

Sure enough, my heart immediately sank as I reached the front desk. I froze as my eyes darted to my mother-in-law, Emma, sitting on the floor, crying like a madman.

"Leave me alone!" she kept yelling while throwing a tantrum like a kid. "What part of what I said doesn't make sense to you? Are you all deaf? My daughter-in-law can't have a child, and since she can't, she's nothing but a disgrace! Women's essence is to bear a child, so she should just die if she can't even do that!"

My eyes widened in disbelief, and my jaw dropped off. I wanted to step up and defend myself, but seeing everyone at the front desk glaring at me made me want to bury myself alive.

As soon as my mother-in-law's eyes caught mine, she quickly stood up and walked towards me like a cheetah. Then, she fired up as her quivering index finger pointed at my face. "Sophia, you bitch! You can't give children to my son! Now, how are we supposed to have heirs in the family?!"

Emma's voice was as loud as the one coming from a megaphone, which prompted everyone to pay attention.

Confrontations were situations I never wanted to engage myself in, but before I could run away from embarrassment again, Emma raised her hand and waved it fiercely in the air to slap me.

However, her hand didn't meet my cheek.

Adam, fortunately, appeared on time and stopped her midway.

He frowned and sternly looked at Emma. Then, he clicked his tongue and brushed her hand impatiently away. "Get out of my sight."

Emma shivered, and her eyes widened. She still seemed hellbent on harassing me, but with Adam's imposing presence close by, all she did was flash a glare directly into my eyes.

"Sophia, you know what? You're not only useless but a slut! You even seduced a man to help you, huh?" she hissed before she turned around to leave. "Pathetic."

...

Emma had already left, but I was still frozen in my spot. It seemed that the remaining tiny amounts of my energy had depleted entirely.

I bit my lower lip as my head dropped off. Her words were too harsh that they pierced my heart.

But despite my bitterness, I mustered my courage and feebly glanced at the man beside me. "Thank you," I whispered.

But then, he didn't say any words and left.

Crestfallen, I heaved a deep sigh.

I didn't mind hearing such words from my mother-in-law because I had heard all sorts of curses and criticisms from many people since then. What bothered and pained me, however, was that Adam had to hear her humiliating me and witness how she looked down on me.

After the party, I went home and wanted to explain to Emma. Though something happened between Bob and me, I at least expected him to accompany me, but he was nowhere around.

At more than ten in the evening, the doorbell suddenly rang. So as a married woman who only had time for work and the house, I expected no one other than Bob, so I opened the door.

But then, a strong scent coming from a man reeking of alcohol overwhelmed me. Immediately after that, my eyes widened as a curse escaped under my breath.

It was Adam.

He looked at me so intently that I gasped. His eyes, which had always been deep, seemed to contain too much complexity this time.

Somehow frightened, I stepped back but didn't let go of the doorknob. I also did not dare widen the doorway for him. "You... what are you doing here?" I asked, emphasizing each word.

I was afraid that if Bob saw us, he would have another thing to use to threaten me. However, my words seemed to have infuriated Adam. His face sank as his hands abruptly clasped my chin. But before I could even get rid of his hand, his domineering lips claimed mine at the speed of light.

The smell of alcohol and cigarettes completely enveloped my nose as he did that. I groaned as I tried to push him away, but he quickly locked my hands and pinned me to the wall. Then, he closed the door with his feet and deepened the kiss.

Adam then carried me onto the sofa and slowly laid me on it. I wanted to struggle, but he quickly grabbed my waist, which made my body flinch. Then, in a snap, my legs softened and almost widened on their own accord for him.

Adam, on the other hand, remained silent. His eyes were red, and his face was gloomy with a trace of harm, like an angry leopard.

No matter how hard I tried to break free from his grip, Adam didn't falter and tore my shirt.

I then bit my lower lip, inwardly cursing myself because instead of feeling hysterical and exerting more effort to stop him, my body started to feel hotter and hotter.

Perhaps, I felt even worse because my body had been asexual for a long time, not to mention that it was Adam who was in front of me.

Halfway through my thoughts, he expertly caressed my wet private part.

And due to the dose of ecstasy his fingers made me feel, I willingly gave myself more to him to sustain what I had been feeling.

My body, as expected, trembled as the tingling sensation circulated inside me. "A-Adam!" I moaned.

Now, all my concerns dissipated at once. Bob might come home anytime, but who cares? All I wanted now was more of him— more of Adam.

However, Adam abruptly stopped and looked coldly at me. Confused, I looked back at him.

'Why did you stop?' I wanted to ask.

"Your husband can't satisfy you, can he?" Adam asked as he drew his face closer. His eyes had nothing, not even desires, but coldness as they gazed at me. "Well, of course, he can't. Otherwise, you won't look so starving for it."

Under his mocking smile, my heart trembled as if it wanted to escape from its rib cage. Instantly, I shrugged off my desires, forcing myself to wake up from his hypnotic gaze and push him from above me.

Then, I fixed myself and drew away from him.

What happened to me just now? I almost had sex with him!

I was trembling hard as I gathered my strength to push him out of my house — no, out of our house. However, Adam quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. Then, he held me tightly in his arms and dragged me closer to his chest.

Immediately, my face heated up. "Adam, why are you here? What do you want me to do?" I asked as I glared at him.

Adam gave me a deep look as he leveled his gaze with mine. His deep eyes were getting closer and closer, fascinatingly hypnotizing me again. When his breath tattooed my bare face, I forgot to struggle again.

However, just when I thought his lips were about to claim mine again, he turned his head gently and sneered. "You think I'll kiss you?" he taunted, full of ridicule.

My eyes then twitched at him. I was about to say something when the doorknob's latch suddenly clicked.

With that, my heart trembled violently, and my body froze with fear. I didn't even need to check because I knew it was Bob. And if he found out I was with Adam, he would have other evidence to use to threaten me and the latter.

But, no! I would not let that happen!

Hastily, I pulled Adam and pushed him into the guest room. However, before I could even do that, he grabbed my hand and stopped me from doing what I had initially planned.

"What? Am I that disgraceful that you want to hide me here?" he asked. His eyes were deep, like a brewing storm amidst the vast ocean.

Speechless, I looked unbelievably at him as anger replaced the fear I had felt earlier. 'How stupid could this man be?!'

"Come with me!" I hysterically said in a low voice when I heard the door had finally unlocked.

However, Adam stood still.

"Please!" I begged.

Instantly, Adam's expression changed, and his eyes became dimmer.

Using all my strength, I pushed him into the guest room, and just as I closed the door, Bob entered!

My heart remained in chaos even after ensuring Adam was out of sight. I mean, who wouldn't feel anxious if your husband came back and you were hiding a man?

"What are you standing there?" Bob asked, full of suspicion behind me.

I gulped and turned around to see him. Then, I immediately shook my head. "N-Nothing..."

After I said the word, Bob frowned and walked towards me.

Nervous, I cursed under my breath, forced myself to calm down, and thought of a new topic. "Do you know what your mother did?"

Bob stopped and arched his brow at me. "What did she do?"

I sneered and fixed my posture. "She went to my workplace and made a commotion, saying I can't bear a child for your family." Then, I paused and looked at him with my squinted eyes. "I've taken nothing but harsh words from her, but should I tell her what kind of man her son is?"

I was brimming with anger, and I felt like I could spit a novel-long of curses at him, but before I could even react, Bob's hand suddenly hit my cheeks. With his unexpected blow, my face shifted sideways, and I urgently held my reddened cheek.

I was brimming with anger, and I felt like I could spit a novel-long of curses at him, but before I could even react, Bob's hand suddenly hit my cheeks. With his unexpected blow, my face shifted sideways, and I urgently held my reddened cheek.

"And why are you telling me this? Do you think I'll scold my mom and side with you? Dream on, Sophia! Who do you think you are?" His eyes were as intense as fire. "I don't care about whatever my mother would do to you. If she humiliated you, then suffer. You deserve a lot more than that anyway."

I clenched my fist as I mirrored his gaze. I was hoping to see even faint hints of sorry in his eyes, but it disappointed me that there weren't. Unfazed, he stepped closer toward me and warned, "If you dare let my mother know anything, I hope you're ready for the consequences."

And with that, I was rendered speechless. I wanted to chase him with a knife and ruthlessly stab him until I felt satisfied because why not? He kept making my life miserable, so why not end everything at once? If we died now, the pain would only last briefly.

But then, Adam was here.

He was here, so all I could do now was endure my husband's treatment and act tough regardless.

I waited a moment to ensure that Bob was already asleep before I opened the guest room's door and let Adam come out.

As soon as he did, a moment of silence ensued for what seemed to be a long time until Adam broke it with a serious question.

"So, you left me before to marry such a person?"

My words were constrained.

As much as I wanted to let out the suffocating emotions building inside me, I could not explain myself to Adam. I could not tell him the whole truth, for I knew it wouldn't do him any good.

"You should leave now!" I said as I pushed him out of the house, afraid that if he stayed longer, I wouldn't be able to control my mouth from saying things I shouldn't talk about.

And so, I lowered my head, avoiding his intense stare. Then, with both hands, I pushed him out of the door, but it did not stop him from holding my chin and forcing me to look at him.

"Sophia!"

Slowly, he wiped the tears that I didn't know fell from my eyes. With that, I felt his delicate hands against my skin. Surrealist then hit me as I never knew I would receive such a genuine gesture from him again.

"Sophia, as long as you tell me that you still want to be with me, I'll deal with everything," he said in a low voice and soft expression. I had never seen him react that way, so I could not figure out if he was genuine or not.

Be with him?

I scoffed at the thought and looked at his hands that were holding my chin and touching my lips. Before he could do anything further to me, I pushed him away again.

After a brief moment of shock, Adam laughed as though he had lost everything at once and walked away helplessly without looking back at me.

The moment he turned away, I felt a pang in my chest. I felt as though my soul went along with him when he left. My tears cascaded, and I could not control them, so the only thing I did was cover my mouth, wishing no one would hear me.

Then, I went to my mother's house with my mind floating. My heart seemed so tight, and I was catching my breath to calm myself. I went home, thinking my mother was the only person I could run to at times like this, for she was the only person I believed could console me. But, unlucky me, fate seemed not on my side recently.

The door was slightly open when I got to my mother's house. I purposefully slowed down and entered after feeling a surge of wariness.

With the small gap in the door, I saw my mother beside my brother and heard their conversation.

"What should we do now that your sister finds out?"

"Mom, don't worry! What can that loser do?" My brother said, laughing, and added, "I can't wait for her to divorce my brother-in-law so we can be together in the future!"

"But you sister…"

Their words were enough for my ears to suddenly shut, along with my mind. My whole body trembled like it was burning; I felt like I was being killed, being stabbed multiple times by a sharp knife. And the worst part was that my family was the person behind every inch of pain in my system.

Hearing my mother's response, I figured she already knew about Eric and Bob, and I was the only one kept in the darkness for a long time.

My mind could not function very well anymore. I just found myself almost leaving the house, but the squeaking sound of the door reached my brother's ears.

"Hey, what's that? Someone's outside?"

Finally, hearing him again made my feet glued to the floor. Before I could leave, Eric grabbed my arms to make me face him.

The disdain in his eyes greeted me. "How can you be so shameless?" He shouted, which I could not utterly believe. How could he be the one to shout out at me and look at me as if I was the one who committed a crime?

My mother, unfortunately, had only seen that portion of the argument when I was unaware that my palms had already landed on my brother's face.

"Why did you slap your brother!?" My mother shouted angrily, slapped me in the face, and consoled my brother. She dared not to look at me, ask what happened, or acknowledge my presence. Instead, she concernedly looked at Eric and worriedly held his face.

Shocked than I cared to admit, I couldn't take my eyes off the two people I thought would be by my side during the hard times.

Soon after the blow I received, my vision of them slowly turned blurry as my tears continuously streamed down. I thought I would find comfort going here, but I only found more chaos.

Now, I realized that everyone seemed to be making fun of me, laughing at me as if I was a clown made for entertainment – for their satisfaction.

From crying, I laughed hysterically upon realizing my position in everyone's life. I laughed without hesitation, like a madman.

"Sophia! Why did you hit your brother?! He didn't do anything, and here you are acting violently. Now, look, the corners of his mouth are bleeding! Why can't you be a sister to him?"

A smirk rose on my lips. "Then, what about me?" I asked with bitterness, my lips upward but my eyes in sadness.

But then, my mother did not respond to that. Instead, she said, "Shut up! You should know how to lend your ears if you want people to listen to you."