Melisa's POV 

I managed to look up, holding my cheeks from the hot slap I just received like a gift from him. The sting spread across my skin like wildfire, and for a second, all I could hear was the ringing in my ear and the faint murmurs of people around. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to keep my voice steady.

"The company which was 'signing venue' is not very close to here. But I care to know, why the urgent call?" I asked, trying to keep my tone polite, even though my voice trembled slightly. Maybe I just wanted to confirm if the slap was really necessary, but deep down, I already knew the answer. It was never about reason with Tony-it was about control.

He didn't even blink or flinch. His expression stayed cold, like he hadn't just raised his hand against me in front of people. "You know, nothing much." He paused, then clapped his palms together dramatically, pretending like he'd just remembered something. "Oh! Anyway, you're right on time, right? My shoes are dirty."

He leaned back lazily on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, and then, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, he placed his right shoe on a seat in front of him. "So, I called you over to... lick them clean."

For a moment, I thought maybe I misheard him. Maybe it was the ringing in my head or even the chaos of disbelief clouding my brain. But when I looked around and saw the way the people in the room shifted uneasily, trying not to make eye contact, I realized he meant every word.

My lips parted, but nothing came out. That wasn't just an insult-it was an open humiliation and myy heart sank. Must he belittle and degrade me every single time, just to prove a point?

He snapped his fingers sharply. "Sophia!"

My eyes followed the sound of his voice. The said 'Sophia' stood beside him, dressed like she belonged in his world of filth-short dress, bright red lips, and an air of arrogance that made my stomach turn. She smirked when he called her name and immediately leaned forward to light his cigarette, having her manicured fingers brushing his chin.

Of course, she was here. The same last who'd sent me those smug glances at every company event, the one who acted like she had already replaced me in every way that mattered.

Tony inhaled deeply and exhaled right in my direction and then the smoke hit my face. "C'mon! What are you waiting for? Start licking immediately." He snapped.

His voice cut through my frozen thoughts like a blade. My heart pounded so hard I thought the whole room could hear it. Now, it seemed like I could feel everyone's gaze on me, waiting, watching. That's what he wanted-to make me small. To make me a show out of all of these.

He grinned, his eyes glinting with mockery. "Everyone is waiting to see how you do it. Don't keep us waiting so long."

My throat burned. "Tony, are you serious now?" I asked softly, my tone cautious but firm enough to show disbelief. "I left an important signing for this?"

I hadn't even finished before his eyes darkened. He moved towards me with the kind of rage that made people flinch away from his path. I could already feel it coming before his hand even touched me.

In one swift motion, he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me closer, his breath hot against my ear. "More important than me?" His voice was venom. "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you think Morgan Group needs you?"

His grip tightened, and I tried to steady my breathing, but he pushed me so hard that I stumbled backward. The sound of breaking glass filled the air as I crashed into a table. Dozens of wine glasses shattered around me, the liquid spilling down my clothes and seeping into my hair. My hands stung with cuts, but I didn't even feel them-not over the humiliation.

Gasps echoed around and I could feel their eyes piercing through me. Some turned away while others whispered behind their hands. But no one moved to help me.

Tony took a drag of his cigarette, leaned forward, and blew the smoke right in my face. "Look at you," he sneered.

I stayed there on the floor, frozen. I heard someone whisper, "Isn't Melissa a tech titan now?" Another voice followed, hushed but curious. "Isn't she his wife?"

And then another, sharper one said, "Why is he so cruel to her? Isn't he afraid she'll leave?"

I almost laughed bitterly. If only they knew.

Tony turned to face them, smirking like their words amused him. "A tech titan? Don't make me laugh." He gestured toward me like I was nothing more than a cheap trick. "That's way too out of her league. She's just a product of Morgan Group's money. Throw enough cash, and anyone could do what she does. Even better."

His words stabbed deeper than any slap could. I wanted to scream at him, to remind him how many nights I stayed awake fixing his mess, how many projects I saved when he was too busy entertaining girls like Sophia. But I said nothing.

He crouched slightly, his shadow looming over me. "You? To leave me?" he said, mocking the murmurs he'd heard. "You heard them, right? That you would leave me? I could bet my life you wouldn't ever dream of that."

I met his gaze this time. My lips trembled, but I didn't look away. Inside, though, my thoughts were on fire. You don't even value your life, Tony to have bet with your life that I can't leave you. But soon enough, you'll know what it feels like to lose everything you think you own.

But of course, I didn't dare say it out. At least, not yet.

He grinned again, a cruel, knowing smile. "You can't leave Morgan Group, and you know that." He grabbed my chin and lifted it roughly, forcing me to look at him. The pressure hurt, but not as much as his words. "You're addicted to the life I've given you. You don't even have the guts to walk away from me."

He squeezed harder before finally letting go. My face burned, but my pride hurt more.

When he turned away, I wiped the corner of my lip where his hand had pressed too hard and at the same time, my mind screamed. Everything tied to him disgusts me. The company, the name, this fake life. I don't care anymore.

But I stayed silent. You know, I had to. Three more days. Just three more days.

"All right now!" Tony's voice boomed again, sharp and taunting. "Back to what we were saying before you tried to prove stubborn. I think I've placed you where you belong."

He went and rested his leg back on the seat, tapping his shoe lightly against it. "Come on," he said again, voice dripping with mockery. "Crawl over here and lick my shoes."

The whole room went silent as I stared at him, my chest rising and falling and anger simmering around everything that has to do with my existence. Should I finally break it all out now-every truth, every secret, every plan I've kept hidden-or should I hold on for a few more days and let time do my revenge for me?

But on second thought, I decided, 'The wait will be worth it.'

Because when the countdown finally ends, Tony Morgan will learn that the woman he thought he owned was never his to begin with.

Melissa's POV

"Chop chop!" he barked like I was a dog. The laugh that followed from the circle around him sounded like knives in my chest.

As bitter as the truth is, licking his shoes already felt like I was a dog but I had no choice. My hands were still stinging from the fall, and my dress smelled of spilled wine. I crawled forward on my palms and knees, each inch a small defeat, and pressed my tongue against the leather of his shoe the way he wanted.

He smirked and glanced around the room like a man watching an audience applaud. "There you go. Good girl," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "See? She's so obedient."

The word obedient landed like another slap. I wanted to lift my head, to spit in his face, to shove him and the rest of them and run until the city swallowed me whole. Instead I stayed low and tasted leather and shame.

Sophia's pale laugh leaned in, eyes glinting with triumph. "Well, Melissa," she cooed, the tone so sugary it made my skin crawl, "truly, you are Tony's obedient little tramp."

Her voice was a deliberate blade. I had known her since college: the same girl who'd failed her finals and got kicked out, the same girl who'd tried and failed to charm Josh, my boyfriend at college back then. She'd always had this way of pretending our lives were a competition and I'd never even entered the race. She'd wanted Josh but when he refused her, she'd never forgiven me.

Now she was here, polished and cruel, and she took delight in my ruin.

Tony tossed his cigarette butt my way and it landed near my hand and hissed on the carpet. He watched me with interest, as if he'd staged all this for his own entertainment. The men and other ladies around him hooted and clapped like it was a show, and in turn, my throat tightened.

Sophia moved with a slow, deliberate grace and produced a plate, having a terrible, knowing grin plastered across her face. She set it down with finality. "Here's your reward," she announced. "Peanut cake."

My heart sank at once. Anyone who knew me knew the simple fact she chose to ignore: I was allergic to peanuts. I could get sick and I could stop breathing if I dare eat that. And that shouldn't have been secret and I could bet that Sophia knew. Of course she knew, as that could explain her smile widened like she was proud of herself.

"I can't eat that," I managed to say, the words thin and measured. "I'm allergic."

Her eyes narrowed as if I'd lied. She bent forward, with mock concern on her lips. "But that's the more reason you must eat it," she purred. "It'll be all fun."

There was nowhere to go as the entrance here was already closed as the thought of running away went through my mind. Aside from that, the guards who came with Tony were inside, mostly watching the spectacle. Those who should have stopped it, the senior men who owed favours to Tony, only watched. Even Mrs. Morgan, Tony's mum was nowhere to be seen and the truth was that she tended to be absent most times when Tony wanted to humiliate me the most because of her schedules.

I lifted the plate slowly because resistance had become heavy and dangerous. If I refused, Tony would do something worse. If I obeyed, I could... survive this moment. That was the calculus I had become good at: small bets for safety.

"Need some help?" Sophia's voice came from behind. Before I could pull back, her hand closed over the cake, and she shoved it roughly into my mouth. She laughed as I choked.

I gagged as my tongue fought the texture. She had smeared crumbs across my cheeks and thought it a masterpiece. People laughed, a low sound that felt like a storm. Someone pulled out a phone and I could see the glint of recording. 

In no time, it was like my throat began to tighten.

"I-" I croaked.

"Hospital," I managed, the word felt terrible and raw. My fingers scrabbled for the tablecloth, for air, for something to steady me. My breath came short and hot and a prickling tightness crawled into my chest. My thoughts scrambled. 'Don't panic. Breathe!! Breathe!' And so, I tried to push the panic away with everything inside me.

My hand brushed Tony's shoe by mistake while I clutched at the table to rise. He jumped back as if burnt. "Get your filthy hands off me!" he snarled, shaking his shoe like I had dirtied it. Then he dusted it in a show of disgust, flicking tiny crumbs away with theatrical revulsion.

"Disgusting," he spat. The word was a verdict.

The world narrowed and it was as if my hearing muted at the edges. I heard the distant hum - someone's laughter, the clink of a glass but I guess those noises belonged to another place. My vision tunneled and I could feel my pulse pounding against my temples. My fingers tingled as I tried to stand, and the floor tilted.

"Please..." I whispered to anyone who could hear but my voice left me like smoke.

They moved like a pack leaving the scene of a hunt. Tony clapped once which felt like a signal, and the small group cheered, like they were already eager to go to the next party he'd arranged. I think that his cruelty had served its purpose and then the show continued for him.

The crowd thinned out quickly as I particularly noticed Sophia swept past me, smirking, as if victorious. Tony rose, straightened his cufflinks, and called out in that bored, satisfied voice, "Okay, I'm getting bored. Who wants to go to the next party?"

They answered like trained seals. "Me! Yeah!"

They moved toward the door in a ripple of laughter, leaving the room smelling of smoke and arrogance. In that instant, my body finally protested with the kind of honesty words could not reach as my chest tightened further, and my breath hitched into a thin and ragged gasp. My knees gave slightly beneath me and I slumped back, sliding against the sofa base.

For a few seconds the villa was a blurry imagination as my fingers found the carpet and dug in, seeking comfort or anything. 

Then, faintly, a voice cut through clearly, "Melissa." It was close and steady. At first I thought my mind was inventing it out of need. Then the voice came again, softer and urgent, "Hey... Melissa."

It was a small sound, not loud enough to fill the room, but it hit me straight in the ribs. Someone was moving toward me and my heart tried to respond in a weak and hopeful thud.

My eyes moved, trying to focus on the approaching figure.

"Hey... Melissa," the voice repeated, closer now, and it sounded like rescue.

But before I could say anything, the pancake reaction must have taken the better side of me and then I passed out.

Melissa's POV

When I woke up, the first thing I heard was a tender voice which felt calm and low, almost whispering beside me.

"You were glowing three years ago," the voice said softly, "so full of visions and dreams that we planned on both achieving together. Now, you're covered in bruises."

For a moment, I wasn't sure if it was real or just part of a dream. My eyelids felt heavy, like they'd been glued shut. The voice carried something familiar - something that pulled me closer to consciousness. Then a gentle touch brushed my arm which seemed all warm and careful, like whoever it was didn't want to hurt me.

My eyes fluttered open with the bright hospital light stinging a little. Yeah, I could predict it was a hospital with the environment and I instantly recalled that I passed out because of some allergic reaction. I squinted, trying to adjust. At first, everything was blurry with the faint hum of machines and the smell of antiseptic. But when I finally turned my head, my breath caught.

'Josh.'

The same face I hadn't seen in three years. His hair was a bit shorter now, his jaw a little sharper, but his eyes - those eyes that once made me feel safe, hadn't changed one bit.

For a split second, it felt like I had fallen back into time - back to college, to late nights in the robotics lab, to laughter over instant noodles, to dreams written on scrap paper and stuck to our dorm walls. That same warmth rose in my chest, heavy and painful. I missed him - the version of me that smiled freely beside him, the life that could have been ours if things had gone differently.

But then reality crashed back. This wasn't the time to feel that way. I pushed those memories down quickly, burying them beneath layers of control I'd learned to perfect.

"Melissa." His voice was firmer now, a little worried. He leaned closer the moment my eyes opened fully. "Hey, you're awake."

I blinked, still trying to find my words. "Josh... are you back?" I whispered. The sound of his name on my tongue felt strange, unfamiliar after all this time.

He nodded slightly, his gaze tracing the bruises across my face and arms. I saw his expression change with his concern deepening and hardening into something close to anger. "Melissa," he said again, slower this time, "are these bruises... are they from your husband?"

My stomach tightened but there was no right way to answer that. Silence filled the space between us which felt all heavy and uncomfortable. I shifted on the bed, trying to pull the sleeve of the hospital blanket back down to cover the marks on my wrist. The doctor must have rolled it up for the injection earlier, which must have saved me from the allergic reaction Sophia had caused.

I could feel Josh's eyes studying me, searching for an answer I wasn't ready to give. My silence only confirmed what he feared. The bruises told their own story, one I had tried so hard to keep hidden.

He stood abruptly, fists clenching. "They're from your husband, aren't they?" His voice rose slightly, anger breaking through his calm this time. "I'll find him, Melissa. I swear I'll teach him a lesson. Nobody deserves to be treated this way."

Panic flashed through me. "No, Josh!" I said quickly, reaching for his arm. My voice shook. "Please don't do that."

He froze, looking down at me with his jaw tight.

"It's just... it's a thing of three days and I..." I stopped myself before saying too much. He didn't know about the contract that had trapped me in this nightmare. He didn't know that this marriage wasn't born out of love but out of obligation - a deal that cost me my freedom.

If he found out, he'd look at me differently. He'd see not Melissa the dreamer, but Melissa the woman who sold her own peace for survival. I couldn't let that happen.

I swallowed hard, forcing a small, shaky smile. "You know what, Josh," I said, softer this time, "I'll handle this. I can deal with it myself."

His brows furrowed as he stepped closer, the anger melting into worry again. He sat back down beside me and gently reached for my right hand. His touch was careful, almost hesitant, like he didn't want to cross a line.

"Three days?" he repeated quietly, his thumb brushing my knuckles. "Why wait for three days, Melissa?"

I looked at him, like I really looked at him. His face was filled with the same sincerity that had drawn me to him years ago. And for a moment, I almost wanted to tell him everything. That I was counting down to the day the contract ended. That freedom was so close I could almost taste it. 

But I couldn't.

So, I looked away and gently slipped my hand from his grip. "Nothing really," I lied with a small laugh that didn't sound like me. "It's just... the robot launch for the company I work for is in three days, and I have a lot to put together before then."

He studied me for a moment, clearly not buying my excuse, but he didn't push further. He'd always been like that - patient when I built walls around my feelings.

I stood up from the bed quickly, pretending to be fine, pretending I didn't feel weak. "Besides," I added, adjusting my gown as I turned to him, "thank you for saving my life, Josh. I mean it. I really appreciate it."

He rose too, his expression softening. "You scared me, you know that?" he said quietly. "When I found you there, barely breathing..." His voice trailed off. He didn't need to finish... the memory in his eyes said enough.

I tried to smile, even though guilt pressed heavily on my chest. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"You don't have to apologize for someone else's cruelty," he said, stepping closer. His tone was calm but firm. "You deserve better, Melissa. You always did."

His words sank deep into me, stirring feelings I thought I had buried. For a split second, I saw flashes of what could've been like mornings spent laughing in our dream apartments, long talks about our dreams, growing old beside someone who actually cared.

I shook it off before it could take root and I couldn't afford to feel that right now.

As I reached for my shoes beside the bed, a sudden dizziness hit me. The world spun slightly, and before I knew it, my knees gave way.

"Whoa, hey-" Josh moved fast, catching me before I hit the floor. His hands gripped my arms which felt firm and steady, pulling me close against his chest.

For a brief moment, I froze there. His scent was all clean and familiar, surrounding me. My heart reacted before my mind could stop it, beating faster and heavier. It felt like all those years apart disappeared in that single second.

"I'm fine," I whispered, even though I wasn't.

He looked down at me, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don't look fine."

I forced a small laugh, trying to lighten the air that had grown tense between us. "Guess the allergy took more from me than I thought." I teased.

He didn't laugh or at least chuckle like I had envisaged. Maybe, he didn't find all of it funny. Rather, his eyes stayed locked on mine, searching, like he was trying to read everything I wasn't saying. The silence that followed was thick - the kind that holds all the words people are afraid to speak.

I quickly pulled away, steadying myself. "Thanks," I said, forcing my tone back to something neutral. "But I can stand now."

"Melissa..." he started, but I cut him off gently.

"This isn't the time for all of this, Josh," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "Please."

He looked like he wanted to argue but stopped himself. He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "You've changed," he murmured. "

I didn't respond. I just reached for my bag from the side table, pretending to check for my phone. My throat tightened again - not from the allergy this time, but from the ache of everything unspoken between us.

"I have to go," I finally said. "There's something I need to handle before it's too late."

He nodded slowly, but the look on his face told me he wasn't done trying. "Melissa," he said, his voice low and steady, "whatever you're caught in right now, I hope you know you can still choose to walk away. You're stronger than you think."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded without saying anything.

Because if I spoke, I might break.

And breaking wasn't an option for me at the moment.