The young man with dyed hair, Jaxton Curtis, stepped out of the car. He was decked out in trendy brands with a thick gold chain around his neck.

He looked me up and down with disdain in his eyes. "Probably you are just a housekeeper hired by one of the owners. Hey, old lady, you got the wrong place."

I couldn't be bothered to respond and was about to get inside when the gate opened.

Colton and Kenzie walked out, followed by a few curious onlookers.

"What's going on?" Colton asked with a frown.

Jaxton quickly put on a grin and jogged over. "Mr. Thomas, this woman was sneaking around your gate, and I was worried she might have bad intentions, so I was about to drive her away."

Colton's gaze landed on me.

In that instant, all color drained from his face.

His pupils constricted sharply, and his lips pressed tightly together. His arm slipped from Kenzie's waist.

Kenzie clearly recognized me, too. Her face turned ashen instantly. Her fingers instinctively tightened around Colton's arm. They exchanged an anxious glance for a short moment.

The air fell silent for a moment.

Everyone watched us.

I stared at Colton and asked, "Colton, aren't you going to explain?"

Colton took a deep breath.

I saw his Adam's apple bob, and his eyes flickered as if he was quickly strategizing.

After a few seconds, he wrapped his arm around Kenzie's waist again and turned to Jaxton, saying, "I don't know her."

He was not loud, but his voice was clearly heard by everyone present.

I couldn't help but laugh at his words and nod. "Alright. Let's pretend we don't know each other."

Jaxton blocked my path. "Did you hear? Mr. Thomas says he doesn't know you. Get out of here."

He shoved me impatiently, and I stumbled back, falling to the ground suddenly.

My knee hit the curb, and the pain made me gasp. I looked down to see blood already seeping from my leg.

Colton watched me coldly, unmoving.

Kenzie gave a smile before quickly feigning fear. "Honey, she won't try to scam us, will she?"

Jaxton crouched down and patted my face. "Old lady, that's not how you stage an accident. Who is Mr. Thomas? Would he be interested in you? Get lost before you embarrass yourself."

Several guests around us laughed.

"Exactly. She is dressed like a cleaning lady. She's worlds apart from Kenzie."

"She should take a look in the mirror. No one would even take her in from the street. How can he try to scam Mr. Thomas?"

"Mr. Thomas, shall we call security?"

Colton took a deep breath and tightened his hold on Kenzie. "Forget it. Don't bother with her. Kenzie, let's go back and continue celebrating."

The two of them were about to leave.

I gritted my teeth against the pain and got up from the ground.

My eyes fixed on them, and the pain in my knee was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

I watched Colton's back and said, "Colton, you're really guarding her well. Are you afraid that I'll make a move on her?"

Colton halted for a moment.

Kenzie quickly pulled him. "Honey, don't pay any attention to that lunatic. Let's go inside."

Colton clenched his jaw and turned back. "I don't know what you're talking about. You've got the wrong person."

With that, he hurried into the villa.

Before Jaxton followed them inside, he took out a banknote and threw it in my face. He sneered with contempt, "I've seen plenty of women like you. Someone with your looks isn't even fit to shine our shoes in our circle. Get lost!"

The gate slammed shut with a bang.

I stood outside, stared at the closed gate, and suddenly laughed.

Well, that was interesting.

Did they really think shutting me out would keep me away?

I walked to the side of the villa and pressed a decorative brick.

With a click, a hidden door leading inside opened.

I walked straight in.

The lively atmosphere in the living room vanished the moment I appeared.

The music played on, and the champagne tower still sparkled, but everyone seemed frozen, staring at me, the uninvited guest.

I stood in the center of the living room, and my gaze slowly scanned the room.

My blood boiled with anger instantly. I understood why I found the decor pleasing now. Every valuable item had come from my own collection.

The crystal cups in the cabinet were heirlooms from my grandmother, a set of six, each one unique.

Last year, Kenzie's father told me that he accidentally broke one of them and cried to me. Out of respect for his years of service, I let it go. But I never expected to see them there.

The painting on the wall was a private commission my grandfather arranged through a friend. After he passed, I stored it away to avoid the memories of him.

Now they shamelessly displayed it there.

Even the ashtray on the coffee table was an art piece I had acquired years ago. It seems they didn't want to spend a single penny of their own.

"How did you get in here?!" A sharp voice shattered the silence.

Kenzie was the first to rush over. Her eyes nearly popped out at the sight of me standing in the living room.

Colton was right behind her, his face turned livid with anger.

Jaxton and the other guests crowded in, blocking the doorway completely.

"Security. Where's security?" Jaxton shouted, "How did this woman get in? Did she climb the wall?"

I ignored them. I walked straight to the cabinet and opened the glass door to pick up a crystal cup.

The cup caught the light, shining brilliantly as it always had. It was the same as before.

"This is my grandmother's private collection. How did it end up in your home?" I tilted my head and smiled at Kenzie. "Oh, right. Your father is a cleaner, and it must have been easy for him to sneak things out of my villa."

I looked again at Kenzie's cabinet filled with luxury items. There were handbags, shoes, and a collection of limited-edition cosmetics.

Each one came from my business partners. Kenzie and Colton seemed to have swept up every item I disliked each season.

I clapped my hands with a smile and said, "Impressive. You are really something. You are sure that I never look at the things I don't like, so you've been shamelessly rummaging through my leftovers. That's all you're good for—picking up things I don't want."

"Elianna!" Colton finally exploded.

He rushed in front of me and snatched away the crystal cup. His voice trembled with anger. "You've trespassed into my home and meddled with my things. Get out immediately!"

"Your home?" I looked at him and enunciated each word slowly. "Colton, who paid for this house?"

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Every guest's eyes turned toward Colton and me. Those young people who were laughing and joking just moments ago now held their breath.

Colton's gaze started darting around. He was clearly guilty.

He then leaned in and whispered a warning, "Stop making a scene. Go home quickly. Remember, the company's stock prices have been volatile lately. It's only stable because of me."

Suddenly, it all clicked. So that was why he was so bold.

I had intended to restructure the company's shares, so I had collaborated with the upper management on a year-long scheme to make everyone think I was losing influence in the company.

Even my poor husband, Colton, could overshadow me.

I hadn't yet caught the seasoned schemers in the company, but unexpectedly, I uncovered Colton's affair.

He was so eager to control me after he just got 30 percent of the shares.

I was amused by my discovery. But before I could say more, Jaxton interrupted us. "Mr. Thomas, who exactly is this woman?"

Colton gritted his teeth.

I saw cold sweat forming on his forehead as his fingers unconsciously clenched. His suit sleeves trembled slightly.

But in the next moment, he took a deep breath and seemingly made up his mind. He said loudly, "She's the caregiver I hired when my mother was ill."

"What?" A collective gasp filled the room.

Everyone looked at me with shock and disdain in their eyes. They seemed to be watching an overambitious fool.

Colton seemed to start a good story and continued more smoothly, "She looked after my mom for three years. We pitied her and took extra care of her. But when she saw my family's wealth, she started pestering me relentlessly."

He pointed at me and said firmly, "She insists on using the favor of caring for my mother as leverage to force me to marry her. I've rejected her multiple times, yet she is not willing to give up. She even chases me here today."

Kenzie immediately played along. She squeezed out tears as she clung to Colton's arm and said with trembling sobs, "Is that true? Colton, why didn't you tell me sooner? Have you been harassed by her for three years? Oh my God. That's terrifying..."

She turned to me, and her eyes were filled with tears. "Please, ma'am, stop pestering him. We're truly in love. Could you let us be?"

Her acting was impressive.

If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, I'd want to applaud her with my hands on her face.

Jaxton's gaze shifted from disdain to disgust. "I knew it. She is dressed so poorly, just aiming for something out of reach."

His female companion chimed in, "Take a look at yourself. Mr. Thomas would never be interested in a caregiver like you. Just leave now. Stop embarrassing yourself here."

"Where's the security? Aren't you going to throw her out?" Jaxton's gaze shifted from disdain to disgust. "I knew it, dressed so poorly, just aiming for something out of reach."

His female companion chimed in, "Take a look at yourself. A man like Mr. Thomas would never be interested in a caregiver like you. Just leave already. Stop embarrassing yourself here. Where's the security? Aren't they going to throw her out?"

Colton took a deep breath and seemed to have made up his mind. He avoided my gaze and gestured towards the door.

Jaxton caught on immediately and showed a ruthless expression. He shouted towards the door, "Security, are you deaf? Didn't you hear Mr. Thomas's words? Drag this troublemaking woman out."

Several uniformed security guards quickly streamed in, armed with batons. They surrounded me with unfriendly expressions.

"What are you doing?" I asked coldly.

"What are we doing? We're escorting you out." The lead guard reached to grab my arm.

I sidestepped, but another guard shoved me from behind.

I stumbled forward, and my knee slammed onto the floor. The pain from the freshly healed wound turned my vision dark.

"Hold her down," Jaxton shouted from the side. "Don't let her touch anything here again."

Several guards swarmed over and eagerly twisted my arms and dragged me towards the door.

My coat was torn in the struggle, and my hair was disheveled.

"Let go of me." I struggled desperately. But against their numbers, my efforts were futile. In the chaos, someone jabbed a baton into my abdomen, and it was activated. The dull pain caused me to curl up instantly. I convulsed and lost strength.

They pushed me into the villa's courtyard fiercely.

I landed heavily on the stone path outside. The old wounds compounded with new ones made me gasp out of pain. I couldn't muster the strength to stand. Watching the blood spread from my knee, I almost fainted.

The music in the living room had stopped. Those guests crowded at the door and the large windows. They were pointing at me like I was a spectacle.

A few seconds later, Colton seemed to make up his mind.

He pushed through the crowd and walked towards me, step by step.

The laughter and whispers around us gradually faded, as everyone was now watching Colton and me.

He crouched in front of me, and his polished shoe tips almost touched my bleeding knee.

He reached out, not to help me up, but to gently touch my swelling face with his fingers.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

I didn't reply, just stared at him.

Suddenly, he laughed cruelly. "I asked you, damn it! Do you realize your mistake?"

My pupils contracted slightly.

Before I could answer, he stood up. To my disbelief, he lifted his foot and pressed down on my injured knee.

"Ah!" The excruciating pain swept through me instantly.

My wound seemed to be crushed repeatedly. The moment the agony hit me, my vision darkened. I almost fainted, and my fingers dug into my palm. I couldn't help screaming.

He pressed down slightly.

I instantly collapsed to the ground in pain.

Colton looked down at me and asked coldly, "Do you understand your mistake? Will you dare to pester us again?"

In that moment, I suddenly remembered the wedding ten years ago, which people still talked about now.

Colton was so nervous that his palms were sweaty. Yet he held my hand tightly in front of the priest, solemnly and with all his strength. "I swear, I will cherish Elianna Murphy forever. I will be there for her, in wealth or in poverty, in health or in sickness, until death parts us."

His gaze was passionate and sincere back then, almost scorching me.

Ten years had truly worn down promises to dust and turned a lover into an enemy.

I looked at him and suddenly laughed. I tasted blood. I didn't know if my lip was broken or if the blood from my heart had surged to my throat.

I looked at him, laughing silently. "Colton, my greatest mistake was to believe ten years ago that you would love me forever."

Colton froze for a moment. Jaxton sneered, "This woman is still dreaming of being with Mr. Thomas. Let me deal with her."

Those men and women laughed and surrounded me. Jaxton crouched down and pulled my hair to force me to look up. "Doesn't she look like a homeless dog?"

Laughter erupted around me.

Those who had just been toasting in the living room were now gathered in the courtyard and looked down at me.

Someone was recording with a phone, and the flash pierced my eyes repeatedly.

Colton stood at the forefront of the crowd and held Kenzie's waist.

His face was expressionless, and his gaze was as cold as ice.

"Colton," I said hoarsely, "you will regret this."

He ignored me and turned to Jaxton. "Hurry up and deal with her. Don't upset Kenzie."

Kenzie immediately snuggled closer to him and said with sobs, "Honey, I'm so scared... The way she looked at me was terrifying..."

Colton patted her back and said, "Don't be afraid. She dares not to come here."

Jaxton grew even bolder after Colton's words.

He released his foot from my knee and found a dog leash in the yard.

Jaxton dangled the leash and grinned as he asked those around him, "How about we put this on her neck and take her for a walk?"

"Great idea!" a young woman with pink hair clapped and laughed. "Make her bark like a dog. If she does it well, we'll let her go."

"That's great. Record it and post it online. The news is titled 'The wife catches mistress but ends up being treated like an animal.'"

"Mr. Thomas, what do you think? It will help Kenzie vent."

Colton didn't speak, just nodded slightly.

In that instant, my heart felt gripped by a cold hand.

I was married to Colton for ten years, over three thousand days and nights. I thought that I knew him well and that even if he betrayed me, he had some basic decency.

But I still didn't understand how terrifying the depths of human cruelty could be.

Colton lacked basic human decency as soon as his mask was removed.

Jaxton put the leash around my neck.

I struggled desperately, and my nails scratched his arm. He winced at the pain and slapped me hard.

My ears rang, and my cheek swelled instantly. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

"She is quite tough," Jaxton spat.

The others laughed and pressed me down. "Hold her down and see how tough she can be."

Three or four pairs of hands pinned me down simultaneously, and I struggled like a fish out of water, unable to break free.

The cold touch of the metal chain pressed against my neck, and the clasp clicked shut.

Jaxton yanked the chain hard, and I was instantly suffocated. As my head was forced to be lifted, I heard his mocking voice.

"Bark. If you bark well, I'll let go of you."

Those people were all jeering.

They laughed uproariously and praised that Jaxton was quite the player.

I closed my eyes, and my nails dug deep into my palms.

I couldn't cry.

I couldn't plead with them.

I couldn't shed a single tear in front of them.

"Not barking?" Jaxton pulled the chain forcefully, and I coughed and was suffocated. "Then don't blame me for being rude..."

Just then, the villa's outer gate swung open again.

Ruben Shaw, Kenzie's father, walked in.

He wore an ill-fitting suit, and the watch on his wrist was one my father had discarded.

But even though it was a discarded watch, it was expensive for Ruben.

After all, he was a cleaner at my house a few months ago.

It was only after Kenzie graduated that he resigned in disgrace.

In the blink of an eye, his daughter seduced Colton.

He was stunned at the scene in the living room, and his gaze swept between Colton and me.

"Dad!" Kenzie immediately rushed over. She grabbed Ruben's arm and said with sobs, "You're finally here. This crazy woman broke into our house and stole things. Colton was just about to throw her out."

Ruben looked at Kenzie and then at me, who was pinned to the ground. His gaze flickered with a complex expression.

He recognized me.

Over the years, he had cleaned my home, and we had met countless times.

He had called me Ms. Murphy more times than I could count.

His residual respect for me was still visible.