When Elena woke again, she was lying on a hospital bed. There was a thick blanket draped over her. But the cold seemed to have sunk into her bones, refusing to leave.

"Are you awake?" Robin's voice came from beside her.

Elena slowly turned her head and saw him sitting at the edge of the bed, dressed neatly in a suit—yet faint red marks peeked out from beneath his collar. Hickeys, again.

She looked away and spoke with a hoarse voice. "Why are you here?"

Robin frowned. "What did you do to upset Kane this time?"

Elena tugged at the corner of her mouth, her smile laced with irony. "I upset him?

"Let's not even mention the past. Just these few days alone—he threw me into a cage with mutts, kicked me into the pool, and even stripped me naked…"

She lifted her eyes and looked directly at him as she asked, "Mr. Marsh, tell me—who exactly is provoking who?"

Robin's expression turned colder. "Weren't all of those things your fault to begin with?"

Elena let out a bitter laugh. "Then what about throwing me into the morgue? Even when I've done nothing wrong, he'll still find a reason to drive me out.

"So please, could you tell him that he doesn't need to go through all this trouble? The contract between us is about to expire. When the time comes, I'll leave on my own."

Robin's face darkened immediately at her words. "Elena! Are you seriously bringing that up again? Haven't you said enough?

"Fine. I'll talk to Kane. I'll tell him to stop trying to drive you away. From now on, you two just get along—and you, stop going on about leaving. It's irritating!"

Elena looked at him in silence, then suddenly smiled. "Sure. I won't bring it up again."

After all, everything would be over in seven days.

Seeing that she didn't argue back, Robin's expression finally eased. "Focus on recovering. Don't stir up any more trouble."

With that, he turned and walked out, his back still as cold and distant as ever. Elena stared at the closed door and slowly shut her eyes.

Just seven more days. Then, she would finally be free.

The next day, Robin forced Kane to come to Elena's hospital room. The boy stood stiffly at her bedside, his face full of reluctance and his eyes brimming with disdain.

Robin's tone was cold as he ordered, "Apologize. Then take good care of her."

Kane pouted his lips but eventually picked up a bowl of oatmeal. He scooped a spoonful and held it out to Elena.

His voice was stiff as he said, "Eat up."

Elena glanced at him, said nothing, and quietly ate it. Robin gave a satisfied nod and stepped out to take a phone call.

But Elena suddenly felt her whole body was itching not long after, as if thousands of ants were crawling across her skin. She couldn't help but scratch, but the more she scratched, the worse it got. Soon, red welts covered her pale skin, some even bleeding from being clawed open.

Then, a burst of laughter rang out beside her. She jerked her head up and stared at Kane. "Was it you?"

Kane shoved her away and sneered. "So what if it was me? I'm not apologizing to you!"

"You deserved all those injuries. If you'd just left earlier, none of this would've happened—but no, you just had to stay here and cling onto us!"

Fighting through the unbearable itching, Elena tried to get up and press the call button for the doctor, but the cast on her right leg made it nearly impossible to move. Just as she managed to lift herself up, she collapsed heavily to the floor, utterly humiliated.

Kane stood nearby, laughing cruelly. "Doesn't the itching powder feel great? You look hilarious like this—like a turtle on its back!"

Elena tried again to reach for the call button on the nightstand while gritting her teeth. But Kane pushed her down once more, gloating as he said, "Don't waste your strength. I already locked the door. No one's coming to save you!"

By the time the effects of the powder finally wore off, Elena's body was covered in wounds. She lay on the floor, weak and battered.

Only then did Kane slowly unlock the door and run out, calling loudly, "Dad! Elena fell, and I can't help her up!"

Robin rushed in and scooped her into his arms, frowning as he noticed the scratches all over her skin. "What happened?"

Elena's voice was hoarse as she said, "Kane used itching powder on me."

Robin's face darkened instantly, and he scolded sternly, "Kane!"

But before he could even begin to scold him, Kane's eyes had already turned red with tears.

"She's lying! Dad, I listened to you! I wasn't even trying to drive her away anymore!

"If you don't believe me, then have her get a gastric lavage. That'll prove who's telling the truth!"

Robin hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Elena was forcibly taken to undergo the procedure. What no one knew was that Kane had secretly added chili extract to the gastric lavage solution.

The burning sensation tore through her throat and into her stomach like fire. Elena curled into a ball from the pain, cold sweat soaking through her hospital gown.

She vomited over and over until even bile came up, but the searing agony in her stomach didn't stop. After a while, the nurse returned with the test report and gave them the results.

"There were no traces of itching powder or any similar substances."

The moment those words were spoken, Robin's face fell with disappointment.

He looked at her coldly before saying, "Elena, you've truly become nothing but a liar. Your sister was so gentle and kind. Why couldn't you learn even a fraction of that?"

Kane quickly chimed in beside him. "Exactly! She's nothing like my real mom. All she does is make up stories to slander me!"

Furious, Robin turned and left with Kane, throwing back a single sentence, "You take care of yourself."

Elena lay weakly on the bed, feeling the corners of her eyes becoming slightly damp. Several days after that, she finally recovered her health. The first thing she did after being discharged was visit her mother at the care facility.

"Mom, I'll be able to leave the Marsh family in just two more days. Let's leave this place together and start a new life somewhere else."

Her mother, Willow Peterson, let out a long, weary sigh. "Elena, you've suffered so much these past years. I'm the one who's failed you.

"I'll follow your lead. I'll go with you wherever you want to go. From now on, it's just going to be the two of us. The Larson and the Marsh families will have nothing to do with us anymore!"

Hearing that, Elena couldn't hold it in any longer. Her eyes turned red, and she choked back a sob as she nodded. When she returned home later, she found that Constance was there too.

Sitting in the living room, Constance smiled sweetly as she explained, "Kaney won an award in his piano competition, so he invited me over to celebrate with you guys. I hope you don't mind, Ms. Larson."

"Not at all."

After all, she was about to leave. She wouldn't be the hostess here any longer. Robin, Constance, and Kane laughed and chatted happily, just like a real family at the dinner table.

Meanwhile, Elena was treated like a maid. Kane kept ordering her to peel the shrimp and crack the crab. By the end of the meal, her fingertips were sliced open by the crab shells, blood staining the tips of her fingers.

Even so, no one spared her a second glance.

Robin took Constance and Kane to watch the fireworks after dinner.

Brilliant bursts lit up the night sky. Robin held Constance around the waist as Kane nestled beside them. Together, they looked like the perfect picture of happiness.

Elena stood off in the distance. She quietly turned to leave, but Kane suddenly ran over and lit a firework before throwing it straight at her. It immediately exploded at her feet, sparks flying up and burning a hole right through the leg of her pants.

"Did you see how happy Dad and Constance are?" Kane sneered at Elena.

"Neither of us likes you! You killed my mom! You're not even good enough to be a maid!

"I won't let you live peacefully if you still won't leave and insist on clinging to us! The only person I want taking care of me, aside from my mom, is Constance!"

With that, he hurled fireworks at her one after another. They burst against her clothes, scorching hole after hole through the fabric.

Since she was trying to shield her face, her arms were struck instead. She got severely burned, and her skin was peeling back from the blistering pain.

"You don't have to force me out!" she shouted. "I'll be leaving very soon!"

Kane paused, somewhat startled. He was just about to speak again when Robin walked over. "What's going on here?"

Kane instantly changed his expression, eyes brimming with false innocence as he said, "Dad, I just wanted to play fireworks with Elena, but she was so clumsy, she kept hurting herself!"

Constance rushed to check on Kane, only relaxing once she confirmed he was unharmed.

"Ms. Larson, you're an adult. Hurting yourself is one thing, but make sure Kaney doesn't get hurt!"

Robin frowned. "Be more careful next time. Kaney can't afford to get hurt."

Elena didn't try to explain. She simply turned and left. She then went to the hospital alone, registered herself, and had the burns treated in silence.

After resting there overnight, she received a call from the state court the next morning.

"Ms. Larson, the divorce certificate you requested is ready for pickup."

Hearing that, she felt nothing but pure relief. Finally, it was all coming to an end.

She went to the state court and received the divorce certificate. The clerk asked, "What about the husband's copy?"

Elena dialed Robin's number, but she could hear Kane and Constance laughing and playing together on the other end of the line.

She stayed silent for a moment, then said softly, "The six-year term is up, Robin. I'm leaving. Come to the state court to collect your copy of the divorce certificate."

Robin gave a cold laugh. "Still acting, are you? You say you're leaving all the time, but you never actually do.

"Alright, I know you're just mad about what happened these past few days. Whatever it is that you want, tell my assistant. I'm busy right now, so stop bothering me."

With that, Robin hung up. Elena let out a quiet sigh and turned to the clerk.

"He doesn't have time to come. Just leave his copy here. This is his contact number, so please inform him to pick it up when he's available."

With that, she handed over the second certificate, then stepped out of the state court building. As she breathed in the air of freedom, she knew she never wanted to return to that house. Not even her luggage mattered anymore.

So, she called a cab and went to the care facility. After picking up her mother, they both headed straight to the airport. Her face was filled with relief the moment she boarded the plane.

…

Five hours later, outside the entrance of an amusement park, Robin got into the car, ready to take his son home.

Kane pouted and asked, "Dad, why don't you just divorce Elena already? Wouldn't it be the same if Constance took care of me?"

Robin frowned slightly. "No. It has to be her. She's the one who's supposed to take care of you. And she'd never agree to a divorce. Don't give her a hard time anymore."

Kane was clearly unhappy and was about to protest again when Robin's phone rang. He answered, and a voice came through. It was one of the staff from the state court.

"Mr. Marsh, your divorce has been finalized. Your ex-wife left your certificate with us. When would you be available to come pick it up?"