I stared at her in disbelief. I knew Leo’s mother had never liked me, but I had never imagined she would lie outright and frame me like this.

She avoided my gaze, guilt flickering across her face, yet her voice remained stubborn.

“She can’t even have children herself,” she snapped. “Of course she’d be jealous of Ariel and do something like this.”

Leo closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, only a cold indifference remained.

“Fawn, you’ve disappointed me,” he said flatly. “Go reflect on your actions. Someone, lock the madam in the basement. Without my permission, no one is to let her out.”

I stood there, feeling like life was sucked out of me.

“Leo, you don’t believe me?” I asked.

He didn’t answer. Instead, I watched him lift Ariel into his arms and walk away without looking back.

Two unfamiliar bodyguards stepped forward and dragged me toward the basement door. The basement was cold and damp. There were even clusters of writhing larvae crawling across the floor in the corner.

My scalp went numb. Terror surged through me, making my entire body tremble.

“Leo would never lock me in here!” I cried desperately. “He knows I’m afraid of the dark, and I’m terrified of bugs and worms! Let me out! Now!”

The bodyguards remained unmoved. With indifferent expressions, they shoved me inside and slammed the door shut.

“Ms. Sullivan wants to teach you a lesson, so you’ll learn your place.”

Of course, it was Ariel. I should have known.

“No, please!” I screamed. “Tell her I’ll leave! I’ll leave immediately! Just let me out!”

My voice broke from fear as I beat against the iron door, but no one responded. Instead, the lock clicked into place, and the footsteps faded away into silence.

Surrounded by complete darkness, I could no longer suppress my fear and despair. Tears streamed down my face. The sound of crawling grew clearer in the dark. Drawn by my body heat, the insects began moving toward me in swarms.

I screamed, frantically brushing them off my skin, crying out for help with everything I had left. Finally, I heard footsteps outside the door.

“Please,” I begged. “Let me out. I can’t hold on much longer.”

After a long silence, Leo’s mother’s voice came from the other side.

“Fawn, don’t blame me for this,” she said. “Ariel is pregnant. Stay in the basement for one night. Once she calms down, you’ll be released.”

I collapsed to the floor, clutching my lower abdomen tightly and biting my lip, refusing to say another word.

After marrying Leo, I had treated his mother like my own. When her back hurt, I stayed up all night massaging her, just so she could sleep comfortably. Any wish she mentioned in passing—no matter the cost—I would do everything I could to fulfill it.

Though she had always favored her eldest son’s family, her attitude toward me had softened over the years. I believed that time and sincerity could warm even the coldest heart, but I was wrong. No matter how well I treated her, when it came to her eldest son’s wife, she would still stand against me without hesitation.

She spoke for a long time through the door. Yet, even as her footsteps gradually faded away, I never begged her again.

I didn’t know how much time had passed. By the time the moon hung high in the sky, I was barely conscious when I suddenly heard chaotic footsteps approaching.

A group of men in black suits rushed in, surrounding me instantly. Then, a tall, handsome man stepped forward. It was Will Harmon, my late father’s former personal secretary and my childhood friend.

Standing before me now, his expression tense, he immediately ordered the people beside him, “Check on her now. She’s pregnant. She must not be harmed in any way.”

Only after the doctor confirmed that I was out of danger did Will finally sigh in relief.

“Ms. Jossa,” he said gently, “I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll take you home right now.”

Tears burst from my eyes. I had always known that when everything fell apart, the only person I could truly rely on was Will.

With his support, I walked out of the basement. The divorce papers in my hand slipped from my fingers and landed silently in a corner. Before leaving, I set the basement on fire. As the flames roared behind us, I followed Will away without looking back.