After lunch, Benjamin went ahead to get the car. Charlotte and Nissa waited outside the restaurant, standing near the entrance in awkward silence.

Nissa stared quietly at the tips of her shoes, her mind elsewhere, when Charlotte suddenly spoke.

"Did you know Benjamin only married you out of spite?"

Nissa looked up slowly, then hesitantly nodded.

Charlotte tilted her chin, the gentle, graceful mask she wore in front of Benjamin now completely gone, replaced by open arrogance.

She continued coldly, "Then you must also know that he turned against his entire family for me. He said he'd never marry anyone but me."

Again, Nissa nodded, calm and emotionless.

Her quiet acceptance only irritated Charlotte more.

When she left the country months ago, she never actually meant to end things. She expected Benjamin to chase after her, to beg her to stay.

Instead, he ended up marrying someone else. A mute, no less!

Charlotte was never able to let that go.

She gritted her teeth behind a tight smile. This woman was a dumb, dull, and spineless woman. Benjamin had no feelings for her.

While Charlotte was still scheming how to win him back, a sudden, sharp pain ripped through her stomach. Her expression twisted in agony, and she collapsed to her knees.

Nissa panicked, crouching to help her, trying to ask what was wrong in a flurry of choked, voiceless sounds.

"What did you do to her? Get away from her!"

A sudden force yanked Nissa backwards, throwing her aside.

Her head slammed into something hard, and pain exploded across her forehead. Warm blood instantly trickled down her face.

Dazed, she looked up, just in time to see Benjamin cradling Charlotte in his arms, worry etched deep into his normally impassive face.

Charlotte whimpered through tears, complaining about her stomach.

Without a word, Benjamin swept her off her feet and rushed her to the car, disappearing down the road in a blur of tires and panic.

Nissa sat frozen on the pavement, her fingers pressed against the gash on her forehead, watching the car speed away. Like trash, she was cast aside.

She stared blankly in the direction they had vanished. For the first time, she saw Benjamin show real emotion.

He was always cold, distant. But for Charlotte, he could panic. He cared.

A quiet, bitter smile curved her lips.

She called a cab and went to the hospital alone.

Thankfully, the doctor told her the injury was not serious and that she would be fine after a few days of rest. That was a relief.

When she left the ER, she bumped right into Benjamin coming back from the pharmacy with Charlotte's medication.

His eyes flicked to the bandage on her forehead. He frowned slightly.

"The doctor said it was acute gastroenteritis. It had nothing to do with you."

Nissa forced a small, strained smile. Of course, it had nothing to do with her.

So he thought she might have hurt Charlotte? Out of jealousy?

She tried to explain with gestures, to tell him she was not jealous. Maybe a little envious, from a distance, but that was all.

Benjamin, however, did not care to decipher her signing.

"I'll buy you a bag or something," he said dismissively, "let's just put this behind us."

And with that, he turned and walked away with the medicine, never looking back.

Still, she followed him. She needed to clear the air. She needed him to understand.

She caught up outside the hospital room, only to find the door ajar.

Inside, Benjamin sat by the bed. Charlotte gazed at him with soft, longing eyes and then, slowly, leaned forward and kissed him.

Benjamin did not push her away.

Some time went by before Charlotte finally pulled back, her eyes darting subtly toward the door.

Startled, Nissa quickly shrank back from the crack in the door, heart pounding.

She clutched her chest, trying to ease the tight, aching feeling blooming there.

'It's okay,' she told herself, 'none of this matters.'

After all, she had already made up her mind to leave.

Even if Benjamin and Charlotte rekindled their love, it had nothing to do with her anymore.

Nissa returned home alone.

She began packing her things. She did not bring much with her when she married into the Jules family, and she did not have much since. Everything she owned fit neatly into a single 20-inch suitcase.

Standing in the vast, empty living room with her suitcase at her side, she absentmindedly touched her lower abdomen.

For some reason, a wave of loneliness washed over her.

This place was never her home. She was always just a temporary guest, someone who was destined to leave.

Her only worry now was her sister, who was still in the hospital. Without Benjamin's money, her sister wouldn't even last a day.

The front door suddenly burst open.

Startled, Nissa hurriedly tucked her phone away.

Benjamin stormed in, his face dark.

His eyes landed on the suitcase by her feet, and without a word, he strode up and grabbed her wrist. "What now? Planning to run away after what you did?"

Nissa was stunned. She had no idea what he was talking about. What did she supposedly do wrong this time?

Still, the thought of leaving made her heart beat faster with guilt.

She quickly took out her phone and typed, "I was just bored, so I packed up some old clothes to donate."

Benjamin did not question her story, but it only made him angrier.

"Charlotte ended up in the hospital with acute gastroenteritis because of the spicy chicken you gave her at lunch," he snapped, "she's still lying in bed, and here you are, playing housekeeper?"

His voice turned colder. "If you're the one who caused it, then you're going to take care of her until she's discharged."

Nissa stared at him, speechless.

Why was she to blame for Charlotte's hospitalization? When did she ever serve Charlotte spicy chicken?

She frantically tried to explain, but Benjamin gave her no chance to defend herself. He dragged her out the door and shoved her into the car.

All the way there, Nissa kept holding up her phone, trying to show him the truth. But Benjamin did not even care to look.

And then it hit her that the truth didn't matter.

Benjamin just needed to remind her of her place, to show her that in his world, she was nothing more than a disposable caretaker.

Nissa laughed bitterly to herself.

To make his wife wait hand and foot on his ex-girlfriend? Benjamin truly knew how to be cruel.

When they arrived at the hospital, Benjamin went to park the car while Nissa was told to go up to the room alone.

Charlotte was expecting her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said sweetly, "I told Benjamin you didn't need to come. But he insisted, saying he couldn't stop worrying about me."

Every word was like a blade to her heart.

Nissa forced a tight smile, turned away, and walked over to pour her a glass of warm water.

The water's temperature in the thermos was boiling. As she passed it to Charlotte, she tried to warn her through soft, muffled sounds.

But Charlotte's hand slipped, spilling the hot water all across her hand.

She shrieked.

Nissa jumped back, horrified, rushing to help her up and guide her to the bathroom to run cold water.

Just then, the door slammed open.

Benjamin stormed in, eyes blazing.

He rushed to Charlotte's side, saw the blistering skin on her hand, and turned on Nissa with barely controlled fury.

"What the hell happened?"

Nissa tried to sign, but before she could move her hands, Charlotte sobbed out, "I just asked her to get me some water, but then she got angry and dumped boiling water on me. It hurts, Benjamin, it hurts so much."

Nissa's eyes widened in shock.

That was not what happened!

She shook her head desperately, mouthing silent pleas. However, the more she panicked, the harder it was for her to communicate clearly.

Benjamin's face had already turned cold.

His dark eyes locked onto Nissa.

In an instant, his hand landed hard across her cheek.

The blow was so forceful that she stumbled, the sharp sting instantly blossoming into burning pain.

Her pale face swelled rapidly, an angry red imprint already visible.

But Benjamin was not finished. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her down to her knees in front of Charlotte.

"Apologize to her. Now!" he ordered.

Nissa's eyes filled with tears. Her lips trembled. She let out a broken whimper, trying again to explain, to tell him it was not true.

The more she struggled, the more Benjamin's rage grew.

"If you can't speak," he said coldly, pressing down harder on her neck, "then bow down with your head. You can't be too dumb to understand that much."

Nissa tried to lift her head in defiance, but his grip tightened, forcing her back down.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip so hard she tasted blood. At the same time, her heart was torn.

To her, kneeling before God or her parents was no issue. That was completely normal.

However, this very day, she was forced to kneel and bow to her husband's ex-lover. The very act itself was killing her internally.

Nissa's forehead slammed hard against the cold floor.

She heard Charlotte gently saying, "Enough, don't make things harder for her. Just let her go, please."

It was Nissa who was forced to kneel, yet it was Charlotte who got to play the kind-hearted one.

Benjamin, cold-faced, let go of Nissa at Charlotte's words, then carefully carried Charlotte in his arms and rushed to find a doctor.

Charlotte's burn was serious. Even as the doctor treated her wound, she clenched her teeth and refused to shed a single tear.

The tears that welled in her eyes trembled like fragile pearls.

As Nissa approached the examination room, she overheard Benjamin's chilling voice.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she pays for this."

Charlotte responded softly, "She's your wife! Please don't ruin your marriage because of me."

She discreetly wiped away her tears as she spoke. The more understanding and gracious she acted, the more Benjamin's heart ached for her.

In his mind, he was already convinced. Nissa must have been jealous. That was why she hurt Charlotte with boiling water.

He stood abruptly, ready to storm out and settle the score with Nissa, only to find her standing silently outside the door.

Nissa did not flinch.

Instead, she handed him her phone.

In her Notes app, she wrote everything down; The full story, the truth of what happened.

But Benjamin, consumed by rage, did not even glance at it. He swatted her hand, sending the phone flying across the room.

It crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces.

Nissa froze.

She instinctively moved to pick up the pieces, but before she could reach them, Benjamin grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall.

Her petite frame was completely overpowered, like a sparrow caught in the jaws of a wolf. She had no strength to resist.

Tears welled in her eyes as she whimpered, pleading silently, her lips mouthing desperate sounds.

But Benjamin showed no mercy.

He leaned in close, his voice low and full of menace, whispering against her ear, "Want to know for yourself what it feels like to be scalded with hot water?"

A terrible chill ran down her spine.

Nissa shook her head, terrified, her hands frantically signing for mercy.

Benjamin only sneered.

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the bathroom, twisting the faucet open to full heat.

He turned the showerhead toward her and let the hot stream pour directly over her body.

The water was not hot enough to cause lasting injury, but it was more than enough to cause great pain.

Nissa twisted and scrambled inside the narrow space, gasping in pain like her skin was being stripped away.

Benjamin watched her with cold indifference. Her helpless thrashing seemed to amuse him.

With an annoyed click of his tongue, he finally turned off the water.

"Come here!" He ordered sharply.

Nissa trembled where she huddled in the corner. She did not dare move.

Benjamin scowled, displeased. "I've been too lenient with you. That's why you've forgotten your place."

His voice dropped even lower. "Maybe cutting off your sister's medical bills will remind you of your place."

At the mention of her sister, Nissa's head snapped up, eyes wide, face pale.

Tears poured from her already red-rimmed eyes. She scrambled forward on hands and knees, clutching desperately at his pant leg, begging without words.

Benjamin's expression did not change. Only the corners of his lips curled slightly, cold and cruel.

The silence terrified her even more. She bent low, forehead to the floor, and began to beg in earnest.

Each time her forehead hit the floor was harder than the last, until blood bloomed faintly against the tile.

Benjamin's eyes flickered. He reached down, grabbed her chin, and forced her head up.

"This is my final warning," he said coldly, "stay away from Charlotte. A woman like you doesn't even deserve to shine her shoes."

Nissa nodded through her tears, face stained with blood and water. She did not dare make a sound, didn't dare resist.

She knew he would do it. He would let her sister die if she dared disobey.

Benjamin turned and walked away.

Nissa remained kneeling on the floor, her back arched, curled into herself like a wounded animal.

She could not even cry anymore. All the pain, the bitterness. She could only swallow it back down into her chest.

But now, one thought burned fiercely in her heart. She had to leave. She could not afford to stay even a moment longer!