I opened my mouth to explain, but they didn’t give me the chance. The moment they surrounded me, fists started flying. They beat me mercilessly, all to please Inez.

I'd never experienced such violence before. Each blow left me breathless, the pain swallowing my voice until I couldn’t even cry out.

“Pick her up,” Inez sneered as I collapsed to the ground, barely conscious.

They forced me upright, gripping my arms tightly while Inez sauntered toward me, holding a chair. Her expression was twisted with hatred.

“Lindsay, you slut,” she hissed. “Didn’t you beg my fiancé to drive you here? Since you don’t want to walk on your own, you won’t need those legs anymore.”

With that, she raised the chair high.

The people holding me tightened their grip, ensuring I couldn’t move. I stared at the chair in horror.

“Inez, think this through,” I said, terrified. “If that chair hits me, the consequences won’t just fall on you.”

“Consequences?” she laughed bitterly. “Do you think seducing my fiancé will turn you into some kind of princess? Wake up!”

The chair came crashing down.

I screamed. Agonizing pain exploded through my legs. I felt the snap before I heard it — a sickening crunch that echoed louder than my own cries.

“You’re finished, Inez,” I rasped, barely able to breathe. “You’ll never marry into the Patton Family now. Not after this. And they’ll go down with you.”

Even if I wanted to forgive them, my family wouldn’t. I was their pride, their heart. And now, I can barely move.

One thought kept pounding in my head: They’re all done for.

“You still dare to threaten me?” Inez sneered. “Do you even know what the Patton Family is in Chicago? Let me spell it out — even if I kill you today, someone will take the fall for me. Can you say the same?”

“You don’t know what my family stands for,” I gritted out.

“Your family?” She laughed cruelly. “You’re nothing but a pretty face who used that face to seduce my brother in high school, and now my fiancé? I’ll destroy that face and see who you can seduce next.”

She grabbed a steak knife from a nearby table.

My heart dropped.

“No...” I whispered, breathing quickening.

Inez walked closer, slowly, maliciously dragging the cold blade across my cheek.

“A face like this…” she murmured, “What a shame it would be to scar it forever.”

The blade grazed my skin. I shivered from the icy touch.

Then, she paused. “But I’ll give you a choice, since we were once classmates,” she said mockingly.

“Kneel in front of everyone. Beg for mercy. Admit you’re nothing but a man-stealing vixen hiding behind a pure act. Do that, and I’ll let you go.”

She looked down at me, smiling wickedly.

“You’re dreaming,” I spat through the pain, hoarse but unyielding.

I am Lindsay Hines. I would never kneel — not to her, not to anyone. Especially when I’d done nothing wrong.

Inez’s expression turned icy.

“You really are stubborn. Let’s see how long you can keep that up.”

“Inez… isn’t this enough already?” the class monitor asked weakly, face pale with fear.

The class meeting today was organized by the class monitor. If anything happened to me, Inez might be shielded from the consequences—but as the event’s host, he couldn’t escape responsibility.

“Class monitor, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for this little vixen and let her cloud your judgment?” Inez sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.

“N-No, of course not!” he stammered, blushing and quickly waving his hands in denial.

I took a deep breath. While the two of them were distracted, I suddenly broke free and threw myself at Inez with all the strength I had left.

“Ah!” she shrieked as I tackled her to the ground. The knife in her hand sliced across her arm, and blood began to spill.

“I’m bleeding!” she cried out in panic.

Her lackeys rushed to her side to help. Seizing the brief opening, I tried to flee. But the beating earlier had damaged my legs—badly. I managed only two stumbling steps before I collapsed again, pain shooting through my body. Her lackeys caught me instantly and dragged me back.

Inez snapped. With a crazed look in her eyes, she lunged at me, plunging the knife into my leg. I screamed as pain exploded through my body.

“Trying to run?!” she shouted, her eyes bloodshot.

My cries filled the room. Outside, curious bystanders peeked into the private box. Inez, snarling like a madwoman, glared at them and barked, “What are you staring at? Never seen a homewrecker get what she deserves?”

A few people looked ready to speak up, but one of her lackeys coolly revealed her identity—Patton Family’s future daughter-in-law. Instantly, fear silenced the onlookers, and they slipped away into nearby boxes.

Furious, Inez shouted for the door to be closed. Then she rammed the knife into my mouth, twisting it. Blood poured out—I couldn’t even scream anymore, just choke and moan in agony.

“I was only planning to teach you a lesson,” Inez hissed. “But you dared hurt me.”

Her voice turned venomous. “I’m getting married next month! If there’s a scar on my arm, do you know what that means for me? If I don’t get to enjoy my big day, then you won’t live to see another one.”

With that, she slashed the knife across my cheek.

A searing pain tore through my face, followed by a rush of blood. I whimpered, barely conscious, but she wasn’t done.

She kept cutting.

Again and again.

My face was soon a patchwork of gashes. Blood dripped into my hair, soaking it. Every breath, every twitch, sent waves of unbearable pain through me.

The room was dead silent. My classmates stared in shock and horror. Some of the girls were crying, too terrified to even look.

The class monitor, pale and shaking, finally spoke.

“Inez… Isn’t that enough?”

“Enough?” Inez gave a twisted smile. “We’re just getting started.”

She turned to the monitor with cruel amusement. “You seem so protective of this little tramp. Let’s give you a chance to really enjoy her.”

The monitor stiffened. “What… what do you mean?”

Inez chuckled darkly. “Her face is a mess now, but that body? Still good. And if she keeps her eyes shut, maybe you won’t even feel guilty.”

She turned back to me with a malicious grin. “Since you want to act pure in front of our classmates and seduce men behind our backs… let's strip away that fake innocence.”

Then, looking at the monitor again, she jeered, “Well? You wanted to be her hero. Why don’t you take off the first piece of clothing?”

“Ah! No—this is illegal!”

The class monitor’s expression twisted in horror.

Inez’s eyes narrowed with contempt, her voice laced with mockery.

“What, scared of breaking the law but not afraid of crossing the Patton Family?”

She stepped forward, her tone turning ice-cold.

“If you don’t strip her now, I promise you won’t survive in Chicago—not even in this tiny corner of land.”

The monitor’s face went pale.

Inez scanned the room, addressing the rest of our former classmates.

“Don’t say I never gave you a chance. Strip just one piece of her clothing, and I’ll give you a job in the Patton Corporation.”

Her eyes locked onto the monitor.

“You start.”

He shook his head frantically, trembling in place.

“You’d better think this through,” Inez said coldly. “Refuse, and you’re choosing to be my enemy.”

“I…”

His voice faltered. Slowly, he stepped toward me.

Fear surged through me. I shook my head with all my strength, ignoring the pain from my wounds.

“I’m sorry, Lindsay.”

He closed his eyes—and ripped off my coat.

Inez burst into laughter.

“This little vixen didn’t wear much to begin with. What are the rest of you waiting for?”

One of my classmates stepped forward, hesitant.

“Inez… if I do it, will I really get a job?”

“I never go back on my word,” she sneered.

“Alright.”

He inhaled sharply, then yanked off another layer of my clothing.

That was all it took—the rest rushed over like vultures.

I fought, desperately trying to protect myself, but I couldn’t resist so many of them.

In no time, they had stripped me completely.

Their gazes were different now—cold, twisted, filled with lust.

Some swallowed hard. In high school, I was the girl they could never touch—the unreachable one.

Now, I was bare before them, and it lit a fire in their eyes.

“Lindsay,” Inez said, towering over me, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

“This is what you get for seducing my fiancé.”

She leaned down, whispering venom into my ear.

“Remember how you humiliated me back in high school?”

“I swore I’d make you suffer double what I did.”

Her laugh was sharp and cruel.

“So many eyes on you right now—what, you’re not enjoying it?”

I glared back with eyes like burning coals. Every inch of my body trembled—not with fear, but rage.

In school, she was the one who started everything. I ignored her petty jealousy, yet she never let go of her hatred.

Now I regret ever sparing her.

Back then, she spread false rumors, doctored photos, and sent them to the education office in a desperate attempt to ruin me. It stirred up a scandal—until I exposed her.

I showed up with the school officials. Inez had fallen to her knees, sobbing, slapping her own face, begging for mercy. She claimed hardship, cried about her family’s struggles.