I walked out of Campbell Group like a lifeless zombie.

Memories came crashing back like waves I couldn't hold back. Jenna Sanders had hated me since college. I was poor and apparently too much of an eyesore to share a dorm with someone as wealthy and influential as her.

She got a kick out of tormenting me; she had her friends drag me into bathrooms to beat me up, used a 400 degree Fahrenheit curling iron to burn my arms, glued chunks of my hair together with industrial-strength adhesive, and pressed lit cigarettes against my back over and over again just to watch me cry and beg in pain.

When I refused to break, she spread disgusting rumors about me and had her relative, the dean, expel me.

My grandmother had gone to the school to seek justice for me, but Jenna ran her over with her sports car. It wasn't fatal; my grandmother was still breathing. Without a moment's hesitation, Jenna stepped on the gas and ran her over again and again until she was gone.

The witnesses were bribed into silence. And just like that, my grandmother was taken from me forever.

Before I met Raymond, my world was nothing but darkness. His presence was like sunlight piercing through the clouds.

He helped me lay my grandmother to rest. Then, he held me and swore that he'd make Jenna pay for every bit of pain she'd caused me.

And he did; he kept his word. Within a few years, I watched with my own eyes as Jenna's life crumbled. She went from a wealthy, spoiled heiress of the Sanders family to a desperate beggar, always scrambling for money.

But somehow, despite it all, she and Raymond still had that sick, twisted thing going on between them.

…

I hadn't realized I'd made it home until I was already at the door.

Raymond's face was filled with concern when he spotted me. "I'm sorry, Xy. I lost track of time. I made you wait, didn't I? That's why you came back on your own.

"Don't be mad at me. I have something for you. The wedding dress I designed for you is finally done! Come try it on and see if it fits!" He looked so proud, like a child showing off a prize, as he had someone bring the dress in.

He'd designed it himself. Had it altered over and over, obsessing over every little detail, all to hide the scars on my body.

When I put it on, all the scars on my body disappeared beneath delicate lace. My skin looked beautiful and flawless. I looked… untouched. Pure, like how our love was supposed to be.

But I knew better. Underneath the surface, everything was rotten.

"Do you know how I got these scars?" I asked softly, looking into his eyes.

His eyes narrowed as a hint of resentment flashed in them. "Of course I do. If it weren't for Jenna, you'd never have had to carry all these scars!"

He traced them gently, his fingers tender and careful. "Don't worry, Xy. The Sanders Family are gone. No one will ever hurt you again. I'll protect you, always."

He took my cold hands and placed them against his chest to warm them. Then, he had someone bring hot water and began massaging them himself.

Raymond knelt in front of me, gently placing my feet in his lap and pressing slow, reassuring strokes into my skin. His kisses trailed down from my cheeks, getting bolder.

But all I could feel was nausea. His breath, his touch—it all made my stomach churn.

"Darling… I've missed you so much," he whispered, his voice thick with desire. He fumbled with the buttons of my blouse, desperate to feel more of me.

I screamed. My whole body trembled. Suddenly, the man in front of me wasn't Raymond anymore; it was those men Jenna had sent all those years ago. Tearing my clothes off, exposing me completely, snapping photos of me in the most humiliating ways.

I curled up, shaking violently. "No… please don't take my clothes off… I'll do anything, just don't…" I kept repeating the same thing over and over, begging for mercy.

Raymond froze. Then, he pulled me tightly into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Xy… I should've been more careful. I made you remember those things again, didn't I? But that was just an illusion, Xy. I've already made all those people who hurt you pay!"

I didn't respond, and he didn't push any further. He just held me close as we lay on the bed, gently patting my back. "Don't worry, you're safe now," he murmured. "You've got me."

The next morning, I secretly followed Raymond to his company. From the hallway, I watched as Jenna barged into his office, her face pale and filled with desperation. "Mr. Campbell, please don't make me entertain your clients! I know I was wrong. You can punish me however you want, but please don't send me to them!"

I had seen the messages on Raymond's phone the night before—one of his business partners had been hinting at wanting a taste of Jenna. Hence, I pretended to recall those bad memories last night. I knew it would stir up his anger and guilt.

Later that night, Raymond responded to the man. "Do whatever you want with her. Just don't kill her."

Raymond grabbed her chin, his eyes cold as ice. "You had no problem letting those men humiliate Xy. Now it's your turn to experience what she went through," he spat.

With a wave of his hand, Jenna was dragged away. However, he didn't look gratified. In fact, he seemed conflicted and unsure.

Jenna got what she deserved. I didn't feel sorry for her. But a question lingered in the back of my mind. Did Raymond genuinely not have any feelings for her?

I gave him a call and asked if he wanted to have dinner together that evening.

"Name the restaurant, darling. I'll have my assistant make a reservation right away," he responded cheerfully.

As usual, he showed up right on time with a bouquet of carefully chosen flowers.

Yet, during dinner, he seemed off. Distracted. He kept knocking things over. His phone kept ringing, but he kept declining the calls.

"What's wrong? Is something going on?" I asked softly.

He responded warmly, "Nothing in the world matters more than having dinner with you, Xy."

But then his phone lit up again. This time, he took one look at it and sprang to his feet.

I offered him an out. "Is it work? It must be urgent. Go ahead. I understand."

He hastily masked the panic in his eyes. "Yeah, there's something urgent I need to take care of." He planted a kiss on my forehead, grabbed his suit jacket, and hurried off.

I watched him rush out, a knot forming in my throat. I swallowed it down and followed him.

…

Raymond carried Jenna out of the hotel.

In the middle of the street, she shoved him away and broke into tears. "Weren't you the one who wanted to throw me at your business partners to avenge your fiancée? What the hell are you trying to do now?"

He still looked furious, but his actions were filled with concern. He took hold of her hand and barked, "I can't believe you would slit your own wrist just to avoid being with Mr. Lester! Have you lost your mind?"

"I have lost my mind!" she yelled, laughing bitterly through her tears. "I must be crazy to fall in love with the man who destroyed my family! I must be crazy to refuse to give up my purity!"

Her voice cracked. "If you really don't care about me at all, then let me go back inside! I'll stay with Mr. Lester until you've had your fill of revenge for Xyla!"

Raymond slapped her hard. "Who do you think you are? Being with Mr. Lester is too light of a punishment for you!" Without another word, he threw her over his shoulder, forced her into his car, and drove her straight back to the cage he'd built just for her.

I waited for Raymond all night. From dusk until dawn, I sat in the silence of our home, hoping the door would open, but it never did. It wasn't until the next morning that I received a message from him.

"I'm sorry, Xy. The issue at work yesterday was really pressing. I had to stay up all night to deal with it. I feel terrible for not being able to have dinner with you. I've prepared a surprise for you to make up for it."

With just one phone call, he had every luxury jewelry boutique in the city deliver their limited-edition seasonal collections right to our villa, letting me pick anything I liked. The staff couldn't help gushing, "You're so lucky, Ms. Watson! Mr. Campbell said he'd buy any and every piece you choose. No one else will have the same pieces; the one you pick will be the only one in existence."

I didn't want to waste his efforts, so I selected a few pieces.

Raymond called me. "How did you like the necklaces, Xy? Every piece is one of a kind, just as you are to me. You're my one and only." Even though he was in a meeting, he still found time to shower me with sugary sweet words. But I didn't feel anything from them.

…

The day before our wedding, I told Raymond I wanted to visit my grandmother's grave. He came with me to the cemetery. But when we arrived, I saw someone I never wanted to see ever again.

Jenna was kneeling directly in front of my grandmother's headstone. My mind went completely blank. It felt as though something inside me had snapped. I stormed over and shoved her to the ground. "How dare you show your face in front of my grandmother?"

She looked up at me, eyes red and glistening. "I'm sorry. I just… came to apologize. I've done so many awful things. I just wanted to apologize to your grandmother from the bottom of my heart."

Her apology felt like a slap in the face. A cruel joke.

She was the reason my grandmother was gone. The reason I'd spent years drowning in nightmares and fear. Did she think her apology was supposed to make it all okay?

"Get lost!" I hissed. "You don't deserve to be here. Don't you dare defile her grave with your presence!"

Jenna shot back, "Are you saying that just because of the mistakes I made when I was young, I should be condemned for life, with no chance to start over?"

I straightened up and slapped her across the face. "Then tell me, why did my grandmother have to die as a result of a single mistake you made? Did she get a second chance? Do I? After everything I've endured because of you—night after night of nightmares, never feeling safe—do I get to start over?"

She avoided my gaze and looked past me. Raymond stayed silent. Jenna burst into tears and ran off.

Raymond stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me tightly from behind. "I'm sorry, Xy. I had no idea she would be here. I'll have her kicked out of Havensport immediately."

I told him I needed some time alone. Then, I received a message from an unknown number. "Do you really think Raymond loves you? I'm sure you've figured it out by now. He feels more than just hate for me. If you don't believe it, why don't we make a little bet?"

Raymond's phone buzzed too. I watched his face pale the second he read the text. Without a moment's hesitation, he told me, "Sorry, Xy, but something urgent came up at the wedding venue. I have to go right now." He couldn't even look me in the eyes.

As soon as he left, I booted up the surveillance app on my phone. He had forgotten, but I hadn't. Back when I was at my lowest, when he was worried I might hurt myself, he had every one of our properties wired with surveillance cameras for my safety.

Hence, I watched as he rushed back to the house he used to torment Jenna. He grabbed Jenna, who was sitting by the window, by her shoulders and snarled, "Have you lost your mind?"

Jenna yelled back at him. "If Xyla won't forgive me, then I'll pay for my sins with my life!"

Raymond scoffed. "Death would be an easy way out for you. I'm going to make you suffer so much that living will hurt more than death ever could!" His words were cruel, but his hands were holding onto her tightly, afraid she'd hurt herself.

Right then, Jenna looked straight into the nearest surveillance camera and smirked. I tucked my phone away and felt numb.

After saying my final goodbyes to my grandmother, I got into the car and headed to the airport. While I waited for my flight, messages from Raymond kept pouring in. "We're getting married tomorrow, Xy! I'll come pick you up first thing in the morning and take you to the venue. I'm so happy—I can't wait to finally make you my wife, Xy!"

I forwarded all the video clips to our wedding coordinator and asked her to pass them on to Raymond tomorrow. Then, I boarded the plane and never looked back.