“Kate, I don’t care about your lover’s child. If you refuse to divorce me, then we’ll settle this in court.”

Kate trembled with fury.

“Mike, are you seriously threatening me with a lawsuit? You’re willing to drag both of our families’ reputations through the mud just because you can’t stand Andrew?”

Her voice turned sharp, laced with scorn.

“In today’s world, people like me have male models on the side. I didn’t even hide it from you—doesn’t that show how much I respected you? And you still want a divorce? Maybe it’s you who needs to reflect.”

With that, she wrapped her arms around Andrew and stormed off, not sparing me a second glance.

I let out a low, bitter laugh.

Years of tolerance. Years of sacrificing my pride for her. It had only fed her arrogance and turned my love into something she trampled without thought.

And just like that, everything I once felt for her… disappeared.

For an entire week, Kate never came to see me at the hospital.

But Andrew’s posts were filled with her presence—photos of her strolling the ancient city walls with him, wearing an apron as she prepared homemade soup, smiling as he photographed her and posted her pictures like trophies.

It was ironic.

She had once claimed to hate posting on messanger. Said it was childish. Undignified.

I had begged her once to take a photo with me—just one—and she had turned pale, snatched my phone and deleted it before ten seconds passed.

And now?

There she was, beaming in Andrew’s arms beneath the historic stone arches, her smile brighter than I'd ever seen.

Love and indifference, it turned out, were plain as day.

On the eighth day, Kate finally returned to handle my discharge. I didn’t say a word. I simply followed her out.

As we stepped into the villa, shrill, panicked screams rang out from inside.

Before I could process what was happening, Kate bolted forward like a gust of wind. I ran in after her.

Inside, two scruffy men were dragging Andrew across the floor, their grip forceful and predatory.

“Come on, handsome,” one of them sneered, “I was paid to serve you, so stop playing hard to get.”

Andrew collapsed to his knees, sobbing as he pleaded.

“Don’t touch me—please, I’m begging you!”

His clothes were torn, his face streaked with tears, his body trembling.

With a shout, Kate lunged forward and punched one of the men square in the jaw. He stumbled back and she quickly gathered Andrew into her arms.

Bodyguards rushed in behind us, armed with sticks. The two men bolted in fear, scrambling over the courtyard wall and disappearing into the distance.

Andrew clung to Kate like a lifeline, his voice ragged.

“Kate… someone sent them. Someone paid them to come.”

Then, turning his tear-streaked face toward me, he pointed with trembling fingers.

“Mike, how could you be so cruel? I was nearly ruined—and you brought men to humiliate me like this!”

He suddenly pushed himself out of Kate’s arms, stumbling over to me and collapsing to his knees.

With a guttural sob, he began slamming his forehead against the floor.

“Mike, please—I’m begging you. It’s all my fault. Just don’t hurt my child. Once he’s born, I’ll disappear forever. I’ll go to the mountains, to the desert—anywhere. Just… just let my child live!”

The thud of his head against the ground echoed through the hall. His forehead swelled rapidly and blood trickled down in thin red streams.

Kate wrapped her arms around him again, cradling him like a mother with her child.

“Andrew… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t protect you.”

Andrew looked up at her with trembling lips, his face pale and streaked with tears.

“Sister… please. Let me go.”

Then he buried his face in her lap and sobbed until his voice broke.

Kate’s tears fell silently as she stroked his hair and kissed his bruised forehead over and over again.

“Andrew, I won’t let you go. I can’t. Don’t leave me.”

“I thought this life would last forever,” she whispered, voice thick with sorrow. “You were so gentle. So kind. Heaven brought you into my life. And you are the one I love most in this world.”

Her words pierced me like an icy blade, clean and merciless.

Even though I had already let go of hope, something deep within me still shattered.

Tears clouded my vision as I staggered backward, desperate to escape the agony of the scene before me.

The screech of a chair being pushed back jolted Kate awake.

Her bloodshot eyes locked onto me, burning with fury.

"Mike," she spat, her voice trembling with rage, "if you’re going to be so heartless, then don’t blame me for being cruel in return."

She turned sharply to the two bodyguards rushing in behind her.

“Drag him inside. You’re dismissed afterward.”

The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, frozen in place.

Kate’s face twisted in fury. With a sharp kick, she sent a chair clattering across the room.

“What are you waiting for? Do you want to lose your jobs?”

Still hesitant, one of them stepped forward and spoke cautiously, “Ms. Gru… we can’t disrespect the gentleman. And besides—”

“What gentleman?” Kate snapped coldly, cutting him off. Her voice was ice. “From now on, your master is Andrew. Got that?”

“If you can’t figure out who’s in charge, then get out—now.”

Faced with her wrath, the two men moved swiftly. They grabbed me by the arms and began dragging me into the room.

I kicked and screamed, fury and fear mixing in my chest.

“Kate, you bastard! Make them let me go! It wasn’t me!”

Her cold voice followed behind me, echoing through the hallway like a curse.

“Only with a tainted reputation will you finally stop looking down on Andrew—and learn your place.”

The door slammed shut.

Through the narrow crack, I caught one last glimpse of Kate holding Andrew in her arms as they walked out of the villa—completely unbothered, leaving me behind like garbage.

Panic surged through me.

“Henry! Billy! Kate has lost her mind—don’t be stupid!”

But the two men who had once shown caution now wore sinister smiles.

“Apologies, sir,” one of them said smoothly. “But someone paid a generous price for us to take care of you.”

With that, they lunged. Their rough hands grabbed at my clothes, tearing fabric as I thrashed and kicked, trying to crawl away.

A heavy fist smashed against the side of my head. Stars exploded in my vision and I crumpled to the floor, dazed and helpless.

“Brother,” Billy hesitated, “what if Ms. Gruman changes his mind later? Will this come back to bite us?”

“You idiot,” Henry sneered. “The boss listens to Andrew now. If something happens, Andrew just needs to cry a little, pout a bit and Ms. Gruman will do whatever he says.”

“We hit the jackpot tonight,” he added, chuckling darkly. “Ms. Gruman, once so high and mighty—now he’ll be the one begging us.”

He gave my leg a hard pinch and I jolted awake, pain tearing through me.

I tried to fight back, but they pinned my arms down, their filthy hands groping and grabbing.

“I can’t hold back anymore,” Henry muttered, panting.

Then he bit down hard on my shoulder. I screamed, lashing out with my legs in desperation.

A slap cracked across my face. Another followed, near my ear. My head rang, my limbs turned to jelly and I lay limp on the floor, tears streaming down as shame and helplessness overwhelmed me.

“Billy, take a picture.”

“Why me?” he asked nervously.

“Shut up. You want that house or not?”

As they bickered, I gathered the last of my strength, biting down on my tongue, trying to aim a kick toward Henry’s groin.

Just then—the door burst open.

“Stop!”