"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.

"Stop screaming. You'll love it soon enough. Better than sleeping with a man, honestly. I guarantee you'll be begging for more after this."

Looking at her twisted expression, all I could think about was every time Dave had taken her side.

The disgust in his eyes.

The way he looked at me like I was the problem.

Tears spilled down my face, but weirdly enough, they made me stop caring.

I was leaving anyway.

Why the hell should I keep letting her bully me?

Right as they grabbed my pants to rip them off, I shoved one of the bodyguards back and lunged at Maggie.

Then I sank my teeth into her hand as hard as I could.

Maggie let out this high-pitched shriek and clawed at my face, trying to pry me off her hand.

I didn't let go.

Blood filled my mouth, metallic and thick, right before half her finger tore free between my teeth.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Dave's furious shout exploded across the course.

The second he ran over, he froze.

My face was covered in blood, and my pants had been half ripped off.

And just like that, he finally figured out Maggie had been hurting me.

His face changed instantly. He kicked the bodyguard off me, yanked my pants back up, then grabbed me like he was suddenly scared.

"Bianca, what happened? Don't be scared. I'll—I'll take you to the hospital."

But Maggie suddenly screamed again, holding up the severed half of her finger.

"Dave, she bit off my finger! My finger's gone! It hurts so bad! Save me!"

Dave froze.

Then he looked at me, shock and hesitation flashing across his face.

Only for a second.

He only said one thing.

"Fingers only have a short survival window. I need to get her to the hospital first. Call an ambulance yourself. I'll come back for you after."

Then he picked Maggie up.

My heart dropped into a bottomless pit.

So it wasn't that he didn't know how cruel Maggie was.

He just always chose her.

I looked up at him.

"Dave Tarrett, this is the last time."

Something in his face shifted. Like he was losing something for good.

But when Maggie trembled in his arms, he still chose her without hesitation.

Before leaving, he looked at me seriously.

"I know you suffered because of this. I promise I'll give you an explanation. Just... don't call the police. Please."

I watched him disappear into the distance.

I didn't go to the hospital right away.

Dragging my injured leg behind me, I made my way back to the mansion.

Sure enough, the second I got home, one of the staff handed me the property deed Dave had already prepared.

The deed to this mansion.

I locked it in the safe.

Then I placed my diary, the divorce papers, and the contract termination agreement together on the table.

Finally, I grabbed a note and left him one last sentence.

[I've paid back everything I owed you. We're done. Dave Tarrett, let's get divorced.]

With my only bag in hand, I boarded a flight out of Hawthorne Bay, headed for Southvale.

Dave, this is where we end.

***

Third-Person POV

After the plane lifted into the sky, Dave dragged himself home, dead tired.

The house was quiet. Empty.

Frowning, he called Bianca.

Then he spotted a note on the bedroom desk. Just as he reached for it, a cold robotic voice came through the phone.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable..."

His eyes dropped to the bold words on the note.

His pupils shrank instantly.