By the time the driver took me home, it was already late.

Dave still wasn't back, and I didn't bother asking where he was.

The next morning, his executive assistant showed up with another gift from him—two storefront property deeds.

He even made sure to explain them.

One was compensation for forcing me to lick the cream.

The other was an apology for the egg challenge.

Without a word, I marked them No. 287 and No. 288, then tossed them into the safe like they were junk mail.

The house staff beside me smiled brightly.

"Mr. Tarrett really adores you. He's giving you gifts more and more often."

I just smiled back without saying anything.

She didn't know those "gifts" were compensation payments every time Dave hurt me.

I looked at the safe stuffed with property deeds and knew I'd be leaving soon.

But before that, there was still one thing I needed to take with me.

A camera.

There were things inside it that needed to disappear forever.

Dave had always been into trying reckless stuff in bed. Sometimes, in the middle of it, he liked filming us.

Back then, those videos felt intimate.

Now they just felt dangerous.

If those clips ever got leaked, my life would be over.

I tore through the entire room searching for the camera, but it was nowhere.

Just as I was about to start looking again, my manager Claudia called, practically screaming.

"Bianca, have you lost your mind? Get online right now! Your sex tapes are all over the internet! You seriously slept with other sponsors behind Mr. Tarrett's back? If you want to ruin yourself, fine, but don't drag the whole agency down with you!"

My mind went completely blank.

All I could hear was Claudia screaming through the phone.

"You better explain those videos right now! And if Mr. Tarrett loses it over this, none of us are letting you off the hook!"

Then the call cut off.

My hands shook as I grabbed my phone.

The trending page was flooded with my leaked intimate videos.

And right at the top was the headline—

[International Supermodel Bianca Belmont Slept Her Way to the Top]

Dave's face had been blurred out.

Mine wasn't.

My flushed expression was displayed front and center for the entire internet to stare at.

Millions of people online ripped me apart, calling me a useless tramp who slept her way to fame.

My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

But before I could fall completely, Dave suddenly appeared and caught me against his chest.

"Don't look at it," he said quickly. "It's fine. I'll handle this. Trust me."

The second he finished comforting me, his expression turned terrifyingly cold.

He looked around the room and roared,

"Who did this?! Tell me right now! Who the hell did this?!"

I'd never seen him this furious before.

My eyes instantly started burning.

But then Maggie's casual voice drifted over from nearby.

"Dave, you mean the videos? I uploaded them."

The arm around my waist tightened instantly.

Dave and I both looked at Maggie.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she said with a smile. "I just saw the videos and thought Bianca looked pretty hot in them. Wouldn't it be a waste if only Dave got to enjoy that? So I posted them myself. Beautiful things are meant to be shared, right?"

My blood slammed straight to my head.

I lunged at her without thinking, but before I could touch her, Dave grabbed my wrist.

"Bianca! That's enough!"

Overwhelmed by anger and humiliation, I snapped, "But she—"

Before I could finish, Dave glanced at Maggie's smug face, then looked back at me with a frown.

"I'll get the posts taken down. Let's just end it here. Stop going after Maggie, okay? You know that, after all, she's still—"

"No!" I shouted. "Dave, why should I let this go? She destroyed my reputation and my career! Why the hell should I just accept it? I'm suing her for defamation. She's paying for this."

My eyes burned red as I stared at him, refusing to back down even an inch.

"Bianca, you—" Dave exhaled sharply, already gearing up to defend her again.

But Maggie grabbed his sleeve, her eyes instantly turning red.

"Dave, stop. I know this is my fault. If Bianca wants to sue me, then let her." She sniffled harder. "I shouldn't have gotten jealous. I shouldn't have been upset that Bianca married you. This all happened because of me. Maybe if I'd just held on a little longer back then..."

The more she talked, the harder she cried.

"Bianca, I really know I messed up. I'll do anything if it means you'll forgive me. Please don't make things difficult for Dave. If it'll make you feel better, I'll go turn myself in right now and clear your name. Worst case, my reputation gets ruined too. Just don't let this destroy your relationship."

Maggie's pathetic little act worked instantly.

Dave's expression turned cold again.

"Bianca, Maggie already admitted she was wrong. Don't drag this out any further." His voice hardened. "Besides, your reputation's already destroyed anyway. Why not just retire from modeling, stay home, and enjoy being a rich housewife instead?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

Even now, he was still protecting her.

I opened my mouth to argue again, but the next second, his hand slammed across my face.

Pain exploded through my cheek.

His palm was red. His breathing was rough. Rage twisted in his eyes in a way I'd never seen before.

Then he threw a waiver at me.

"Be good and sign it. Once this blows over, I'll help you go back to the industry." His voice turned icy. "But if you call the cops, don't even think about leaving this house."

"I'm not signing it!"

I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

But no matter how hard I fought or how fiercely I refused, Dave still forced my wrist down and dragged my hand across the waiver until my signature was written on it.

The second I collapsed onto the floor, a pain I'd never felt before spread through my entire body.

Helplessness.

Misery.

Like something sharp ripping straight through my chest.

The two of them walked away, still chatting casually while my world burned down around me.

Their voices drifted into my ears like poison.

"Dave, will Bianca be okay...?"

"She'll be fine. As long as she still wants a comeback, she has to listen to me." He sounded completely unconcerned. "Worst case, I'll just count this as another forgiveness token. There are still plenty left anyway. She'll behave."

No.

There weren't plenty left anymore.

There was only one.

Dave, I'm done being your puppet.

I sat there for a long time before finally going back to my room and pulling out my diary.

People always said the modeling industry was just as dirty as the entertainment world.

Maybe it was.

But I really loved this career.

The confidence I felt standing under the runway lights—that was the only time I ever felt like I truly mattered.

And now all of it was ruined.

Maybe this was fate telling me to let go already.

To stop holding on to something that was dead.

Crying silently, I wrote down everything that happened today in my diary.

Then at the very end, I added:

[289]

Every time Dave hurt me, I wrote it down to remind myself not to go soft on him again.

Then suddenly, his voice came from behind me.

"What does 289 mean?"

***

The second I saw him reaching for the diary, I snapped it shut and shoved it into the drawer.

"It's nothing."

He caught the panic on my face and seemed to realize something.

"You girls are all the same. Always keeping little grudge journals. This is that revenge notebook thing you talked about before, huh?"

He meant the time after our marriage registration, when he lost our rings during the wedding ceremony we held later.

He'd used soda can tabs as replacement rings just to get through the ceremony with me.

That night, I got so mad I kicked him out of bed.

"Dave, you're seriously the worst. I'm writing you into my grudge journal."

Instead of getting upset, he laughed.

"Write whatever you want. I'll win you back every time."

I knew he'd misunderstood what the diary really meant, but I didn't explain. I just gave a vague nod.

Dave was probably thinking about our newlywed days. For once, a rare smile showed up on his usually cold face.

"See? Told you I'd win you back eventually. So quit holding grudges. Here."

He handed me another property deed, then casually pulled me into his arms.

"It's a new downtown development. I saved one just for you to mess around with. PR already handled the videos, and next month I'll help you get back into the industry, okay?"

The staff outside the door peeked in, their faces full of envy.

But I stayed stiff and blank.

"Whatever you want."

When neither kindness nor pressure worked on me, his expression darkened.

"Are you seriously still fighting me over this?"

I looked up at him calmly.

"No. How would I dare, Mr. Tarrett?"

My tone instantly set him off.

"Bianca, I was the one who filmed those videos, and I'm the reason Maggie ever got her hands on the camera. If you're angry, take it out on me. Got it?"

A heavy pressure slammed against my chest.

For Maggie, he would do anything.

Even lower himself in front of me.

Even sacrifice himself for her.

Suddenly, I felt drained.

I didn't want to keep fighting them anymore.

So I answered quietly,

"I understand."

When I didn't argue like he expected, Dave stared at me with clenched teeth for a long moment before slamming the door on his way out.

***

The next day, Dave texted me and told me to come to the golf course.

I was about to refuse when another message popped up right after.

[Come over. Count it as a forgiveness token.]

I looked at those words and realized this would be the last one.

So I went anyway.

The second I stepped onto the private golf course, I realized Dave wasn't there.

Then someone slammed a kick to my back, sending me face-first onto the ground.

Maggie's voice floated over, cold and smug.

"Stop looking for him. I'm the one who called you here."

Two bodyguards grabbed me before I could move.

Then the golf clubs came down on my leg. Hard. Again and again.

Blood sprayed across the grass. Pain ripped through me so badly I screamed.

Fighting through it, I shouted, "Maggie, are you actually insane?!"

She gave me a fake-sweet smile, poison practically dripping from her eyes.

"Why? Everyone already hates you, but Dave still won't divorce you. He even said he wants to make it up to you and help you come back. So tell me. Why?!"

Dave treated her like a queen.

Apparently, one little comment meant to brush me aside was enough for her to lose her mind like this.

I looked at her coldly. "I was never competing with you."

Guess that satisfied her ego for a second, because she let out this smug little snort.

"But I still can't stand looking at you. You're some big international supermodel, right? Then let's see how you seduce Dave after I ruin one of your legs."

Her eyes dropped to the blood soaking through my pant leg, disgust flashing across her face.

Then she noticed a golf ball nearby.

A weird smile curled across her lips.

"Take off her pants!"

Her voice turned sharp.

"Too bad the egg challenge didn't happen last time. Lucky for us, there's a golf ball right here. Bianca, trust me—you're gonna have the time of your life today."

Rolling the golf ball around in her hand, she ordered the bodyguards to strip me.

I fought like crazy, screaming until my throat felt shredded raw.

Maggie just giggled next to my ear. She grabbed my face, her fake nails scraping bloody lines across my skin.