By the fifth year Dylan Crewe dropped me on a remote island, I finally learned submission.

He brought his sugar baby, a college student, along with a Doberman to pick me up.

I sank to my knees, wiped the sand off his leather shoes with my sleeve, and bent my back as a step for them.

“Your duty from here on out is to take care of Tammy Bates. She and the Doberman are your family now.”

I complied with his demand with a smile.

Dylan took over my family’s empire, pushed my parents to the depths of despair until they jumped to their deaths, while I was abandoned in the middle of nowhere to break me.

He succeeded in his venture. Back in the familiar manor, I couldn’t recognize the place I once called home.

My alarm clock rang at 4 o’clock every morning, as my day would start with a special diet for Dobie and its grooming session.

At nine o’clock, I would lay out Tammy’s outfit for the day and be her literal punching bag at the gym.

I would have the drinks and food ready for Tammy’s friends in the evening, as she kidded around with her friends about how she tamed the once proud, notoriously spoiled heiress of Hedgewood’s high society.

Three months after my return, Tammy Bates won the title at the National Boxing Tournament.

At the celebration party, Dylan Crewe stared at a picture of Tammy holding the trophy high when his eyes caught me in the corner of the frame.

He approached me, his tone of voice carrying a barely detectable quiver.

“Sarah, why didn’t you huddle closer to Tammy for a photo when she took the win?”

Without lifting my chin, I replied in a flat voice.

“I’m not worthy, sir.”

Dylan’s gaze with furrowed brows scanned my face keenly for a hint of resentment or pretense.

Not giving him a chance, I put my focus on scrubbing the already shiny floor.

Tammy strutted from the entrance, feeling as smug as ever.

“Look at my new watch, Dylan. Does it suit me?”

Dylan took a glance at me.

I kept my head down, and my voice was laced with the right amount of flattery.

“You have excellent taste, ma’am.”

Dylan’s scowl deepened.

I didn’t have time for Dylan’s skepticism as the stewing broth of premium meat for the Doberman was still on the stove.

Turning on my heel, I carefully carried out the scalding pot.

Tammy planted her bottom on the sofa, her right hand reaching into Dylan’s pants.

Dylan looked at her with so much love in his eyes, but his gaze turned icy the moment he turned to me.

With great caution, I poured the broth into Dobie’s food bowl and blew on the liquid to cool it down.

Tammy looked over as if she had just noticed me, her voice dripping with feigned charity.

“Sarah, take a break and sit once you’re done.”

Dylan chimed in for once and set a place for me at the table.

“You’ve done well looking after Tammy and Dobie.”

With downcast eyes, I smiled humbly.

“It’s an honor of mine to serve Ma’am and Dobie. It’s no trouble at all.”

Smiling gleefully, Tammy rubbed Dylan on the back.

“Sarah really knows her place, Dylan. It’s about time you give her a raise.”

I listened with respect, my mind wandering to the time Dylan tossed me his unwanted T-shirt right under Tammy’s nose.

That night, Dobie snapped and mauled me, leaving me covered in blood.

Even to this day, those wounds throbbed with pain.

I knew that this was Tammy’s way of keeping me in line. It was a brutal reminder of where I stood in the house.

After dinner, Tammy carried out her usual training. She preferred a human punching bag, landing each shot with everything she got.

I strapped on my plain protective gear and climbed into the ring.

“Wham! Bam!”

Each powerful punch cut through the air before landing on my stomach, ribs, and face.

Gritting my teeth, I took the blows in silence. I scrambled back to my feet, getting into position to brace for more every time I was knocked down.

Sweat mixed with blood ran down my face, blurring my vision.

Sitting outside the ring, Dylan sipped on a glass of red wine with grace and looked up indifferently on occasion.

Tammy stopped to catch her breath once I was beaten to a pulp in a corner, unable to get up on my feet. Tammy gave Dylan a look of triumph.

“How did I do today, Dylan?”

Not giving Tammy the time of day for once, Dylan drew close to the ring and watched as I propped myself up with much difficulty.

“Have you lost your mind, Sarah? Can’t you call for a stop if you’re hurting?”

My stomach was in knots, and my throat tasted of blood.

I gulped back the blood in my mouth before pulling a lowly smile at Dylan.

“Got it, sir.”

Dylan’s eyes widened.

His mind was probably stuck on the old me when I was obnoxious and hot-tempered.

The moment I discovered that Dylan had been bleeding my family’s assets dry, I flipped the table, ready to fight him to the end.

One step ahead of me, Dylan teamed up with outsiders to set my parents up and bury them in debt. The humiliation was too much for my parents to bear, and they stepped off the ledge.

The funeral was barely over when Dylan showed up with Tammy at my home to take over everything.

As blood rushed to my head, I confronted them with the determination to end everything, even at the cost of my life.

Before I could even get close to Dylan, his security detail pinned me down.

It took one supposed psychiatric evaluation, and Dylan had justification to exile me to a desert island in the middle of the open sea.

Apparently, it was for my rehabilitation when in truth, Dylan simply wanted to break me.

Meanwhile, Dylan and Tammy lived off the wealth and social standing tied to my family’s legacy.

Following a stabbing pain from my gut, I coughed out a mouthful of blood. I clung to the ropes to get out of the ring.

Dylan observed me with a mix of emotions before uttering icily, “Go and sort out your injuries.”

I nodded and saw myself to the domestic quarters, oblivious to the menacing look on Tammy’s face in the ring.

The door clicked shut, cutting off the sounds in the outside world.

I stared at my bruised face, along with the cuts and scrapes on my body, in the mirror.

Wiping the blood off my lips, I dabbed alcohol on my open wounds.

That night, Dobie went mad again when I was feeding it.

Dobie jumped on me while Tammy stared at me with the vilest look.

She only spoke up when Dylan showed up. “Sarah! What is wrong with you? Did you give Dobie something weird again?”

“By the time Dylan had his men pry Dobie off me, my skin was torn open in multiple places.

It took the last of my strength for me to stand up, and I was quick to admit fault.

Dylan withdrew his raised arm.

Back in the domestic quarters, the sting of the alcohol cut across my skin like broken glass.

Tammy opened the door to my quarters and kicked the dog bowl across the floor toward me in disdain.

“Dobie’s leftovers are premium meat. Don’t let it go to waste.

“Just what you need to build yourself back up.”

I held the bowl up respectfully and offered my gratitude with my head down.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Tammy smirked in silence, her gaze never leaving me.

I knew exactly what she expected of me. Taking big gulps, I stuffed the meat in my mouth.

In between, I even barked like a dog.

“Woof! Woof!”

Happy with my compliance, she said, “Now, that’s a good girl. You’re coming with me in a bit.”

I cleaned the scraps off my face, not wasting a second of Tammy’s time. My injuries ripped open, and the pain made me break out in a cold sweat.

In the living room, Dylan sank his back into the sofa and enjoyed his drink.

As I emerged with a discolored complexion, his wine glass halted mid-air, and his voice turned husky.

“Sarah, don’t start barking like a dog again.

“No one is going to punish you so long as you behave and do as you’re told.”

Back when we were dating, Dylan quit drinking on the very first day just to please me.

I once complimented another guy for his gentlemanly side, and Dylan took it as motivation to learn the piano for six months. He never once voiced his complaints when his fingers were raw and blistered.

“I’ll do whatever it takes for you to fall in love with me, Sarah.”

The vows of everlasting love echoed in my ear, but the past was long gone.

Outside the entrance, Tammy slammed on the gas, pulling me back to reality with a loud vroom.

“What’s the holdup, Sarah?”

Shivering all over, I raced to the door while Dylan’s muffled voice came from behind.

“You’ve changed, Sarah.”

Well, Dylan had a point.

I had changed. No longer was I the cocky, big-spending socialite of Hedgewood’s upper crust.

Now, I was a lapdog, circling Dylan and Tammy at their feet.

Stepping into the car, I sat in the back.

The city blurred past the window as I tightened my grip.

The road seemed to lead to the cemetery in the western suburbs.

The moment the car came to a halt, I flung the car door open and lunged out.

I was taken aback by what I saw.

The orderly headstones were gone, replaced by rows of boxing bags and training equipment. Several young people in gym wear sparred across the grounds.

I staggered forward and grabbed ahold of one of the staff members.

“Where are the graves? Where are the graves of the Todds?”

The staff member stared at me in bewilderment.

“The graves are moved to a different location. Mr. Crewe bought the land to build an open-air boxing gym, just for Ms. Bates to train at.”

“I know, right? Dylan gives Tammy the world. Apparently, there’s a great vibe to the place. A former billionaire chose it as a prime site before.”

Not too far away, Tammy sneered.

“Sarah, I made sure to dump your parents’ graves on the back hill in case you couldn’t find them.”

As a shrill noise pierced through my head, I dashed to the hill like a madwoman.

Heavy rain poured down without warning. The slippery slope nearly buried me under a wall of mud.

Time was a distance as I clawed away the stone and dirt pinning me down. My nails cracked open as my new and old injuries ripped open in the rain.

I was a bloody mess.

An hour later, I finally spotted the headstones with my parents’ names on them.

As my chest tightened, I dug with my mangled fingers and wailed hysterically.

Dylan’s voice echoed from a distance. “Sarah! Get here right now!”

Tammy was the first to track me down. With rage taking over, she kicked me down and stomped on my head, grinding her heel back and forth.

“Sarah, why can’t you just die?

“Dylan would have been mine had you died on the island.”

Drained, I sprawled across the floor as Tammy took out her anger on me.

As my lungs gave out, I caught Dylan approaching.

Tammy leaned close to my ear and laughed menacingly.

“Let’s take a guess on who he is going to save this time.”

Holding me tight, Tammy rolled off the cliff. She forcefully switched positions with me so that I would bear the brunt of the fall.

My back slammed into the jagged rocks, and the sharp edges cut through my shoulder and abdomen.

The last thing I saw was Dylan darting over to embrace Tammy in a panic.

The moment brought me back to when there was an office fire. He rushed to bring Tammy to safety without hesitation while locking me in the office.

As the last of my body heat dissipated, I reached my hand out with a struggle.

“H-Help me…”

Dylan cocked his head back, his eyes widened. Tammy nestled in his arms, waving her vulnerability right in his face.

“I think I sprained my ankle, Dylan…”

Dylan shifted his gaze away from me.

“Hang in there, Sarah. I’ll call you an ambulance once I get help for Tammy.”

Helping Tammy up, Dylan walked away without looking back.

As Dylan walked out on me, I spotted the rain washing over the words on my parents’ headstones.

It felt as if my parents were talking to me in the rain.

“We believe in you, Sarah. Live on!”

Blood spilled from my lips, but I bit my tongue to stay conscious.

“I can’t die just yet!

“I have not gotten my revenge!”