Maximiliano had finally left.

With Fluffy around, he'd become even more brazen. He even brought someone into our home. The moment Melany saw me, she warmly took my hand.

“It’s been so long, Elisabeth. You’ve been looking after Max so well. Thank you.”

Loving someone is like tending a garden—a fact she personified perfectly. Even after years, she was still as vibrant and captivating as ever. Every glance and smile commanded attention, unlike me, my hands now rough and calloused.

“Miss Jackson, isn’t it just expected that I take care of my husband?” I couldn't help but retort.

But in the next second, Maximiliano shoved me out of the room with a firm hand, pulling Melany into his arms, his eyes cold.

“Leave, and don’t make me repeat myself.”

A man bringing another woman home and then throwing his wife out—it sounds ridiculous.

When I was forced out, I was only wearing a simple housecoat, with no phone. The night was chilly, and soon, a light drizzle began. Shivering in the cold, I knocked on the door, hoping for a bit of warmth, even just a warmer piece of clothing. But then it hit me—the door was soundproof, and no one inside could hear me.

Just as I was about to pull my hand back, I glanced inside and saw the dim glow of a lamp in the living room. Melany was sitting on Maximiliano’s lap, the two of them locked in a tender embrace, sharing a kiss. On such a cold night, it was unbelievably cozy.

My entire body froze, my blood turning to ice. I didn’t know how much time had passed before they finally broke apart. Melany, looking shy, blushed and snuggled back into Maximiliano’s arms. His hand gently stroked her back, soothingly, over and over.

That warmth was something I only dreamed of having.

The door suddenly creaked open, and there stood Maximiliano. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The red marks on his neck were glaringly obvious, painfully obvious. His gaze towards me was intensely indifferent.

“Melany’s hungry. Go cook.”

I laughed.

“Maximiliano, what do you take me for?”

He looked slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting me to talk back. But it lasted just a moment. His expression quickly hardened again.

“Do you want to feel that again?”

He was referring to the torment of Fluffy. Because of the Reyes family, Maximiliano wouldn’t lay a hand on me, but he tormented Fluffy, making my life a living hell in the process.

For the first time, the man I had loved so deeply felt like a complete stranger.

"Max, I've told you not to tease Ellie."

Amidst the tension, Melany appeared.

"Shouldn't you be inside? It's freezing out here. What are you doing outside?" Max's demeanor softened immediately as he draped his coat over her shoulders.

So, Max was aware of the cold.

"I just wanted to see you," Melany pouted and then linked her arm with mine.

"Ellie, come inside quickly. Max was just upset, and I'll talk to him later."

After being outside for so long, the sudden warmth was both comforting and irritating, making me want to lie down. Yet, Melany held onto me tightly, her smile sweet and seemingly innocent.

"Ellie, are you in such a rush to leave because you don't want to see me?"

"It's all my fault, but can we work things out? If it bothers you that much, I can let you have Max. After all, you're the one the Reyes family recognizes as his wife—a woman from a wealthy family, cultured and refined. Unlike me, who has to work so hard for what girls like you can get with just a snap of your fingers..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I've told you, you're the only one I love!" Max interjected, urgently defending himself before turning to glare at me with resentment, saying through clenched teeth, "Why are you still standing here? Do you want to upset her even more?"

Melany finally let go of me. I was free, and I turned to leave. Behind me, Max's voice, tender to the extreme, echoed:

"This pendant is meant for the daughter-in-law of the Reyes family. I've always kept it for you..."

I stopped in my tracks.

Seeing the pendant, tears escaped me, flowing uncontrollably.

I had always known about that pendant.

On our wedding day, Anaya Reyes held my hand, her smile gentle and warm.

"Our family has a pendant especially for the daughter-in-law. It should have been given by me. But Max, impatient as ever, asked for it early. So, I’ll leave him to give it to you."

Since that day, I had always hoped for the moment when Max would hand me that pendant.

Yet now, Max said,

He had always kept it for Melany.

Melany blended into our lives effortlessly. In public, she wore a smile that conveyed empathy and warmth. Behind closed doors, however, she often subjected me to her biting sarcasm.

"Elisabeth, you're quite the refined lady, surely more worldly than I am. Tell me, have you ever heard of someone shamelessly clinging to another?" she mocked, having learned from Maximiliano about my special connection with Snowball.

And then my nightmares began.

Melany unleashed her cruelty on Snowball, tormenting him relentlessly. She would dunk him into hot water, pulling him out just before his cries reached their peak. And then she'd do it again, repeating this twisted ritual until Snowball's voice could no longer be heard.

When I finally discovered her, my skin bearing the same scalded marks as his, she was holding a pair of scissors. Before my very eyes, she clipped off the tip of Snowball's ear.

Both Snowball and I cried out in agony, the blade leaving trails of blood in its wake. When Maximiliano returned and saw the aftermath, Melany feigned innocence, pointing to a minor scratch on her arm.

"I'm sorry, Max. Snowball scratched me first. I only defended myself..." she whimpered.

Maximiliano's concern was immediate. "How could you be so reckless?" he gently reprimanded.

"It's just a cat, after all. No need to apologize for disciplining him."

Melany knew exactly how far to push things. Clipping an ear tip was painful, but the wound was small enough to escape serious notice. With just a slight redirection of Maximiliano's attention, my own injuries went unseen.

Melany nestled into Maximiliano's embrace, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.