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.

A few seconds later, Ruben swallowed hard and whispered, "Teach her a lesson and make sure she doesn't come back."

Ruben's words seemed to give Colton and Jaxton confidence.

Jaxton still had his foot on my hand. He ground it into the floor.

The searing pain shot through my hand, but I bit down hard and refused to cry out.

Jaxton leaned down, and his spit nearly hit my face. "Apologize to Mr. Thomas and bark like a dog, or I'll kill you today."

I ignored him and looked up at Colton, who was standing nearby.

He looked down at me, and his gaze avoided mine, but there was more excitement than hesitation in his eyes.

My heart sank. That was the one I had trusted for years, my husband.

While I was being humiliated, he stood by and felt secretly pleased.

"Colton," I began, my voice trembling from the pain, "when your mother was on her deathbed, it was my hand she held."

Colton's pupils suddenly contracted.

"She said," I stared into his eyes and continued, "Elianna, if Colton ever lets you down, kick him out and don't leave him a single penny."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Those who had been mocking me earlier now wore awkward expressions.

A few whispered among themselves.

Colton's face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled as he wanted to say something, but he couldn't.

"Shut up! Are you still pretending?" Colton suddenly exploded. His voice was hoarse like a beast's. "How dare you mention my mom? If it weren't for you..."

"If it weren't for me, what?" I interrupted him with a cold sneer. "If it weren't for me, your mother would have died three years ago. I got her the best doctors and the most expensive medicine and let her stay in my grandfather's exclusive private ward. For three years, over a thousand days and nights, I paid for every cent of her medical, nursing, and nutrition expenses. How many times did you visit her? Once a week? Or once a month? The day she passed, where were you? Were you shopping with Kenzie? Or were you choosing her birthday gift?"

Colton was lost for words by my questions. His facial muscles twitched, and his eyes darted around in panic.

Seeing things take a turn, Jaxton impatiently cursed, "Why do you waste words on a lunatic?"

He reached out to tear my shirt.

I fought back with all my strength, and my nails left bloody marks on his hand.

"Damn!" Jaxton yelped in pain and gave me a slap.

The crisp sound echoed in the living room.

My cheek burned, and the metallic taste of blood quickly filled my mouth.

My vision darkened momentarily, and my ears buzzed.

Jaxton pinned me to the ground and unleashed a flurry of slaps.

"You bitch, just because you played nurse for a few days, you think you're Mr. Thomas's wife? You have unrealistic dreams and have to die."

My cheek burned, and the metallic taste of blood quickly filled my mouth.

My vision darkened momentarily, and my ears buzzed.

Jaxton stomped on my shoulder and ground it into the ground. "Mr. Thomas told you to crawl out like an animal."

Laughter erupted around me.

A few young men and women gathered. One kicked my waist with a stiletto heel. "Are you pretending to be dead? Weren't you just talking a lot?"

Another bent down and yanked my hair to force my head up. "Look at your face, so old and rough. And you dream of marrying into wealth?"

"Exactly. Even a dog would be better for Mr. Colton."

Jaxton released his foot and then suddenly squatted down to pat my face. "How about this? You crawl out under the pants of each of us for forgiveness, and today's incident will be forgotten."

He grinned and revealed yellowed teeth. "At the same time, you beg for mercy. How about that?"

I stubbornly refused and forced myself to look toward Ruben. "Ruben, don't push my limits. Turn back now, and I can still ensure your family comes out of this intact. Otherwise..."

Ruben turned his head away without hesitation. "I don't know what you're talking about, but when I used to clean for Mr. Thomas's mother, I did see you personally take care of her. If you weren't just a caregiver, why did you go to such lengths to take care of her?"

His words drew even more laughter, and Jaxton snatched a baton from a security guard. He was about to jab it into my lower back.

The next moment, the distant sound of police sirens filled the air.

Everyone froze.

The hands pinning me down released their grip, and Jaxton instinctively took a step back. He looked panicked in his eyes.

Seconds later, the villa door burst open with a bang.

A few police officers stormed in, led by a stern-faced officer in his forties. "Nobody move! Hands on your heads!"

Chaos ensued in the living room.

Colton was the first to react.

He practically leaped in front of the lead officer and said while pointing at me, "Officer, you're just in time. This woman broke into our home. She stole and attacked us."

With that, he adjusted his suit and tried to maintain composure. But the tremor in his voice betrayed him. "She used to be our caregiver, but she's mentally unstable. We were trying to evict her, and she attacked us."

The lead officer glanced at Colton and then turned his gaze to me. I was disheveled, with a handprint on my face, and pinned to the ground.

"Who called the police?" he asked.

I slowly raised my left hand.

The smartwatch around my wrist was still flashing red, but the screen was shattered from the earlier impact.

"It was me," I said.

The officer stepped forward and crouched down. "Ma'am, take your time. What happened?"

I sat up from the ground and wiped away the blood from my mouth. My gaze swept over Colton, Kenzie, and Jaxton and finally rested on Ruben.

"I want to press charges against these people," I said flatly, and I had to slow down my voice because of the pain racking my body. "They assaulted me in a group and stole property worth millions. They illegally seized assets worth billions."

"Millions of? Billions?" Jaxton jumped up instantly. He pointed at my nose and cursed, "What nonsense are you spouting? Officers, she's just a crazy woman who's infatuated with Mr. Thomas, so she's spouting nonsense. You can't believe her words."

As he spoke, Jaxton's spit was flying, making him appear both fierce and foolish.

"Do you even realize who is in front of you?" Jaxton suddenly smacked Colton's shoulder with great force, causing Colton to stagger. "This is Mr. Thomas, the CEO of Elianna Group. He's worth billions. Why would he need to steal your worthless stuff?"

Colton's face turned even paler instantly.

His lips moved as he wanted to speak. But he held back desperately. Cold sweat was dripping down his forehead. He tried his best to wink at Jaxton.

A few smarter onlookers began to sense something was amiss and hurriedly tried to pull Jaxton back. "Jaxton, stop talking..."

But Jaxton was caught up in his excitement and wouldn't listen.

His face beamed as if others' achievements were his own.

"What's there to fear? Do you know who Mr. Thomas is? Is she even in the same league as Mr. Thomas?"

"Jaxton!" Colton finally growled. He sounded urgent and guilty.

But it was too late.

The lead officer frowned deeply. He shot Colton a piercing glance. "Mr. Colton Thomas, CEO of Elianna Group?"

Colton opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He had to nod stiffly.

The officer turned to me instead. "Ma'am, do you have evidence for your claims?"

I let a female officer help me into the wheelchair they brought over. With a mocking smile, I replied, "The money for this villa was taken from my personal account by Colton without direct transfer proof, but I believe the transaction records can show that I primarily funded it. I can provide evidence for the property they stole while I wasn't paying attention. And," I paused, looking at the gleaming diamond necklace around Kenzie's neck before continuing, "all luxury goods come with purchase contracts. A simple investigation will reveal that the funds came from the marital assets of my husband and me."

With each of my words, Colton's face turned a shade paler.

Kenzie instinctively clutched her neck and tried to look for a place to hide the necklace in a panic.

Jaxton was taken aback. He glanced at Colton and Kenzie before glaring at me. "Who... who are you? Just because you say they are yours, it doesn't make it so."

I smiled, and my mouth pulled at a painful wound. "I am from the Murphy family."

"So what if you are from the Murphy family? There are so many people carrying the family name..." Jaxton muttered. Then his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Colton.

He quickly turned back to me, and his mouth was agape. "Are you Elianna Murphy from Elianna Group?"

I didn't answer and just looked at Colton.

Colton was trembling. All color drained from his face. His lips quivered, and his eyes were filled with desperation and entreaty. He was almost in despair.

He took a half-step forward and tried to approach me. "Honey, let me explain... It's not what you think..."

I raised my eyebrows. "What do I think? Didn't you use my money to buy this house? Or didn't you give her the necklace around her neck? Or..."

I glanced at Kenzie's ashen face and continued, "She's not your mistress?"

"No... Not that..." Colton stammered. Sweat poured down his temples. "I just took pity on Kenzie and helped her. And this house was meant to be a surprise for you. I mentioned an investment recently. Do you remember? This was the project."

"So you used my money to buy a villa under her name. Is this the surprise for me?" I laughed out loud, but tears almost welled up in my eyes. "Colton, your surprises are truly unique."

By then, Jaxton had fully grasped the situation. He glanced at Colton, who had an ashen face, and then at me. His earlier arrogance was gone as he tried to blend in with the crowd.

I stopped laughing, and my voice turned cold. "Colton, you've used your identity as my husband and CEO of Elianna Group to keep a mistress and squander my assets. You even allowed these people to insult me a moment ago. Did you ever consider the consequences?"

Colton dropped to his knees suddenly, hitting the concrete ground in front of me with a solid impact.

He clung to my leg and gazed up with tearful eyes.

He pleaded with me desperately. "Honey, I was wrong. I truly realize my mistake. I was just out of my mind for a moment. Please forgive me just once. I promise I'll never do it again. I'll break it off with her immediately. Please don't call the police, honey..."

He cried with genuine emotion, and his face was smeared with tears and snot.

But my mind was clear.

He didn't realize his mistake. He realized he was finished.

Once he was put in jail, his career, his life, and his future would be utterly ruined.

I looked at his hands tightly gripping my leg. He had used the same hands to place a ring around my finger at our wedding and tuck me in late at night.

And those hands had wandered over another woman's body countless times.

Perhaps not just one woman.

This was simply the one I discovered.