I woke to a sensation of being torn apart from the inside out. A sharp, twisting agony radiated from my stomach, stealing my breath.

Kate Fox stood in the center of Andrew Delgado's office, clutching a strange clay jar and blinking at me with feigned innocence.

"Leah, I brought this souvenir back from the Abbott region," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I heard the Bonding Charm inside could rekindle passion, so I wanted to try it on you... but I made a mistake. It seems I accidentally mixed in a Heartbreak Curse instead."

Her tone was terrifyingly light.

A chill swept through me—nothing to do with the air conditioning.

I remembered the elders whispering about such things. The Heartbreak Curse didn't just hurt. It shredded your liver and intestines until you died in excruciating torment.

"Kate Fox!"

Cold sweat drenched my skin. "That curse kills people!"

The office door swung open before I could finish. Andrew Delgado strode in, brow furrowed in annoyance. He didn't even glance my way.

"Kate is young. She didn't do it on purpose," he said dismissively. "It's just a bug—is it really necessary to make such a scene?"

He stepped between us, shielding her from my gaze.

The agony in my gut clawed up to my heart.

"You have no shame!"

——

I doubled over, sweat soaking through my clothes. The pain came in waves—like a dull knife twisting and sawing through my organs.

Andrew ignored me. He turned to Kate, taking the clay jar from her hands, inspecting her for injuries.

His profile was cold. Unyielding.

"Andrew, I really didn't mean to..." Kate tugged at his sleeve, voice trembling. "I just saw how cold Leah has been to you lately. I wanted to help... The seller said the curses looked similar. I must have mixed them up."

"I know." He patted her hand, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur. "Don't be afraid."

Only then did he look at me, frown deepening. "Leah, you look terrible. But Kate has already apologized. She meant well. It's just a curse—there's always a cure. Calm down. You're scaring her."

"I'm scaring her?"

My face felt bloodless. "Andrew, that is a Heartbreak Curse! It kills! You should be taking me to the hospital or finding an expert—not standing there comforting her because she 'didn't do it on purpose'!"

"Stop being so aggressive."

His patience snapped, voice dropping to a dangerous chill. "Kate is timid; she can't handle your shouting. What's done is done. I've already sent for a friend who knows about these things. Just wait."

"Andrew Delgado." I forced myself upright despite the spasms racking my body. "If she had swallowed this curse, would you tell her to just 'wait' and 'calm down'?"

His gaze wavered. Silence stretched between us.

Kate broke it, her voice thick with grievance. "Leah, don't blame Andrew. It's all my fault. If the curse can't be undone... I'll pay you back with my life, okay?"

Tears streamed down her face.

"Kate! Stop talking nonsense."

Andrew immediately pulled her into a protective embrace. "Don't say such unlucky things. I'm here; nothing will happen. Leah is just in pain, so she's lashing out. Don't take it to heart."

What a touching display.

Meanwhile, I—his lawful wife—was the unreasonable outsider ruining their bond.

"Cough..."

I clamped a hand over my mouth. When I pulled it away, dark red blood dripped through my fingers.

Andrew's expression shattered. He released Kate and took two urgent steps toward me.

"Leah!"

"Stay back!"

My voice ripped through the silence. I raised a trembling, blood-soaked hand. "You... you disgust me."

Andrew's leather shoes skidded to a halt.

"Leah! You're coughing up blood?" Kate shrieked, her terror pitched perfectly for an audience. "Andrew, save her! Hurry!"

She lunged forward as if to help—but her hands latched onto Andrew's arm instead, anchoring him in place. Her gaze flicked toward me, sharp and calculating, before snapping back to wounded innocence.

Tethered by her grip, Andrew's attention shifted. "Don't panic," he told her, voice tight. "Specialists are en route. Leah, hold on."

Hold on?

The family elders had warned me about the Heartbreak Curse. Lethal, yes, but not invincible. Two ways to break it: the caster's sincere repentance—or their blood relative's—acting as catalyst. Or the Antidote.

Would Kate Fox sincerely repent?

Would Andrew force his precious cousin to pay for my life?

The answer was standing right in front of me, clutching his arm.

My legs buckled. I slid down the mahogany table until I hit the floor. The carpet was plush and expensive, but it did nothing against the bone-deep chill ravaging my body.

"Andrew." I tilted my head back, forcing myself to look at him through the haze. Blood filled my mouth. "Don't bother waiting for your friends."

He stiffened.

A grim smile tugged at my lips. "I can undo this myself."

Under their stunned stares, my shaking hand fumbled into my jacket's inner pocket. My fingers found cold metal—a small silver box.

My grandmother had pressed it into my hand on my wedding day. A secret gift from an old mystic in the southern regions. Just in case, she'd whispered.

I'd thought she was being superstitious. But I loved her, so I kept it close. I never imagined the bad luck would be my husband.

I flipped the latch. Three jet-black pills sat inside, smooth and round, emitting a faint bitter fragrance.

"What is that?" Andrew's eyes narrowed.

"The Antidote."

I pinched one between my fingers and swallowed it without hesitation.

It dissolved instantly. Bitterness exploded on my tongue, followed by searing heat that rolled down my throat like molten lead. It crashed into my stomach, colliding with the icy venom of the curse.

"Argh!"

I curled into a ball, agony ripping through me. My organs felt roasted over open flame, then skewered with icicles.

"Leah!"

Panic finally cracked Andrew's mask. He stepped toward me.

"Andrew, wait!" Kate's nails dug into his suit. "What is she eating? You can't let her swallow random things! What if it ruins her body? We have to wait for the doctors!"

Caught in her trap, he hesitated. Stopped.

In those critical seconds, the war inside me reached its peak. The medicine's scorching heat hunted down the curse's cold energy, cornering it, devouring it.

Sweat drenched my clothes. My limbs turned to jelly, but the deadly knot in my stomach began to unravel.

I braced my hands against the floor, gasping. Every breath burned, but with each inhale, the fog lifted.

I raised my head.

They stood frozen, stiff and uncertain.

Slowly, I pushed myself up. My legs shook, but I locked my knees and straightened my spine. I would not cower.

"Looks like I won't die today." I wiped blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. My voice was ice. "Sorry to disappoint."

Andrew's relief instantly hardened into defense. "Leah, what's that supposed to mean? If you had the Antidote, why not take it immediately? Why put on this show?"

"Put on a show?"

A laugh scraped out of my throat—dry, harsh, empty. "If I'd taken it earlier, how would I have witnessed such touching sibling devotion? How would I have learned that when forced to choose, Mr. Delgado soothes his frightened cousin before saving his dying wife?"

He opened his mouth, but I was already turning to Kate.

"Kate." My voice dropped soft. She flinched. "The Heartbreak Curse was no accident. We both know what happened today. Whether it was 'carelessness' or attempted murder... the truth is in your heart."

I smoothed my clothes, my posture shifting from victim to judge.

"For Andrew's sake, I won't call the police." I met his eyes. "But we are done."

Kate's face went white. She shrank behind Andrew's tall frame like a frightened child.

I held my ground, voice cold as steel. "Remember this moment. From now on, we're done. Pray you never cross my path again."

I turned and walked away without waiting for a response.

"Leah! Where do you think you're going?" Andrew's composure cracked into panic behind me.

I didn't look back.

My apartment sat in the heart of downtown. I'd bought it outright before the marriage—every cent of my savings plus a little help from my parents. It was mine.

After the wedding, Andrew complained it was too far from Delgado Group headquarters, so we moved into his villa. Over time, this place became my secret sanctuary—the only refuge when being Mrs. Delgado became suffocating.

I drove on autopilot, running on fumes. All I wanted was to crawl into my shell and lick my wounds in peace.

But the moment I pushed the door open, the sanctuary shattered.

Instead of the crisp lemon verbena I loved, the air hung thick with cloying sweetness.

Pink fuzzy slippers with pom-poms sat at the entryway. Not mine.

I stepped into the living room. Cartoon throw pillows littered my minimalist sofa. Fashion magazines and half-eaten snacks cluttered the coffee table.

Acid rose in my throat. I walked stiffly to the bedroom and pushed the door open.

My breath caught. My simple bedding had been stripped and replaced with an absurd lace-trimmed princess set. On the vanity, my skincare had been shoved into a corner, replaced by gaudy new bottles.

The wardrobe hung open. Inside—frilly dresses I'd never seen, sized to flaunt a petite frame.

Rage surged through me, drowning out the curse's lingering pain. My hands trembled.

"Who let you in?"

My voice scraped raw against the violated space.

"Leah? You're back?"

Kate sauntered out of my study, turning one of my crystal ornaments in her hands without a shred of guilt.

"I just came to tidy up," she said lightly. "Andrew mentioned this place was sitting empty—such a waste. My internship's nearby, so I'm staying here a while."

She set the ornament down and surveyed the room with proprietary satisfaction. "I arranged things pretty well, don't you think? Much cozier now."

My nails dug into my palms until skin broke. "This is my house. Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

Kate tilted her head, smile saccharine. "Leah, don't be like that. You and Andrew are married. Sure, you bought this before the wedding, but now it's all joint property, isn't it?"

She smoothed her dress. "Andrew said so himself—what's his is mine. If I want to live here, of course he agrees."

Marital joint property. The audacity was breathtaking.

"So he agreed you could break into my private space and contaminate my belongings?"

"Oh, don't put it so harshly." Kate walked over, reaching for my hand like we were best friends.

I slapped it away.

She shrugged, unbothered. "We're practically family. Why draw such clear lines? You don't even live here—leaving it empty is wasteful. I'm just adding some life to the place."

She studied my face with mock concern. "Leah, you look terrible. Is the poison still in your system? You should really see a doctor. Don't worry about things here—I'll make myself at home."

A pause. Then, with casual cruelty: "Oh, right. I'm in the master bedroom. The guest room still has some of your old stuff—you can rest there."

"Get out."

My voice dropped, deadly calm.

Kate froze. "Leah—"

"Now. Take your trash and get out of my house."