Unfortunately, men outpowered women most of the time. Chester snatched the photo from me in no time.

As Chester was about to drop the photo, my mind went blank for a moment, and I quickly stomped on his foot with the sharp heel of my shoe.

As he cried out in pain, I snatched the photo back.

Chester glared at me with anger and kicked me in the knee. "You wretch!"

I collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, my knee hit the hard floor.

The pain was so intense that I could hardly breathe, but I held the photo tightly in my arms out of instinct.

"Chester!" Susan hurried over to Chester's side. "Call a doctor! Chester is badly hurt!"

With that, she glared at me. "You're heartless! How could you hurt Chester, who sacrificed so much for you, just for that ominous photo? You truly are vicious!"

I tried to get up, but the pain from my broken bones made my lower body go numb. I could only remain in that humiliating position.

Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes and dropped onto my grandmother's photo.

It was not just for myself but also for my grandmother.

Once, my grandmother had treated Chester so well that I had been jealous, but Chester repaid her kindness with such hatred.

"Why did you have to force my grandmother to die with regrets at my wedding?

"My grandmother saved you from starving during the flood disaster years ago. She gave up her food for you. Is this how you repay her kindness?

"Leave me alone. Leave my grandmother alone!"

"Shut up!" Chester stood up, looking down at me, then slapped me hard across the face.

I fell to the ground, my face swollen and burned.

He squatted and patted the swollen side of my face contemptuously. "You better know your place, Jess Harper."

Chester's strikes grew more intense, and my body began to sway.

He grabbed my neck with one hand, using the other to slap my face.

"It's just some rotten food. Stop the guilt-tripping."

His slaps intensified, the slapping sounds echoing throughout the house.

"I provided you with everything you wanted for all these years. I met every request you made and even gave myself to you!"

He became even more furious, his eyes bloodshot, his force so strong that it felt like he might kill me.

"Were these not enough? Huh? Were they not enough?! I already apologized to you. What more do you want from me?!"

I could not breathe, my neck feeling like it would snap.

I was unable to do anything except hold onto the photo tightly.

Susan ran over, pretending to defend Chester.

"Don't misunderstand Chester. He really is in a tough spot. He told me you're his only wife. He married me just for the sake of the baby. The baby can't be born as an illegitimate child.

"It's fine if you have no idea how much he loves and cares for you. But why make things worse?"

Susan's words made Chester angrier.

"You're five years older than Susan, Jess! Why can't you understand?!"

His face twisted in fury, gripping my neck and slowly lifting me off the ground.

"Give me the photo, then kneel and apologize to Susan. I'll let bygones be bygones, and you will still be my real wife."

As I was about to pass out, Chester let out a cold laugh and released his grip.

I collapsed to the ground and gasped for air.

"Dream on, Chester." I struggled to reach the fruit knife on the side table nearby, and I tried to stab him, which incensed him even more.

"Is this what you want?!"

He picked up a stool and slammed it hard onto me. I was knocked to the floor, and the fruit knife flew from my hand.

He stomped my hand harshly, grinding it underfoot until I heard my bones crack.

As if that was not enough for him, he picked up the chair again and slammed it on my lower back.

The impact was so intense that cold sweat broke out on my body. My body shook uncontrollably.

Soon, I felt liquid flowing from my body, soaking part of my pants.

The excruciating pain paralyzed me. I helplessly felt the increasing dampness beneath me, the smell of blood growing stronger.

I could clearly sense the baby in me was slipping away. I wanted to call for help.

However, Chester's hateful gaze and Susan's mocking smile stopped me from doing so.

I held back my tears and the rising taste of blood with all my strength while I held the photo tightly.

I tried to curl up, but I failed. The blood flowed even faster.

Finally, I could not hold back any longer and spat a large mouthful of blood. A small portion splattered onto Susan.

"Ah!" Susan screamed in shock and hid behind Chester. She grabbed his clothes, causing him to flare up with even more rage.

"You just can't stop acting like you're the victim, huh Jess?" He kicked my stomach.

"You love to act, huh?"

I coughed up more blood with each of his kicks. He only stopped until I could not cough any longer.

Chester grabbed my chin as though he wanted to crush it.

"Stopped coughing, have you? Have you run out of blood?

"Your acting is terrible, Jess! You're strong on most days. How can you be so weak now? Are you trying to extort me?"

At this point, my pants were soaked, turning into blood-stained trousers, a dark, eerie shade of red. A pool of blood began to collect beneath me.

Susan screamed again, her voice even more shrill than before, as if she were the one being tortured.

"Chester! She's bleeding down there! She must've been fooling around behind your back and caught some filthy disease!"

She pinched her nose and said, "It stinks. My baby and I can't stand scenes like this—"

I glared at them and hissed, "I'm pregnant!"

Chester froze, then quickly sneered. He shielded Susan behind him.

"You really are a clever, calculating woman! If you were carrying my child, you would've gone to my mother and screamed for your share of the family inheritance long ago. Why would you still be acting here with us?

"You're just jealous that Susan is pregnant! You probably filled your pants with blood packets!"

I shook my head and laughed, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Even my whole body trembled with each laugh.

Blood continued to pour out of my mouth and dripped down my chin.

I looked at him, my eyes dull as I said, "Bring me to the hospital, and the truth will speak for itself. I'll beg for Susan's forgiveness if I'm lying!"

He lifted his foot and stomped on my lower back, speaking slowly, gritting his teeth with each word, "I don't have time for this, Jess. Even if you die today, you must apologize to Susan before you go!

"And this blasted photo! That old lady bothered me a great deal, alive or dead. I'll burn her last photo today!"

He grabbed the photo from my hands and slammed it to the ground.

My heart broke along with the photo frame. The shards pierced my face, drawing blood, but I felt nothing.

I screamed, and I managed to break free from Chester's foot with unknown strength. I grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and lunged at him.

He was shocked and kicked me away.

Susan's face turned pale. She quickly lifted his shirt to check, instantly bursting into tears and sobbing uncontrollably.

"You're badly hurt, Chester! What do we do?"

I watched them coldly, my teeth grinding so hard that they almost shattered.

It was only a small scrape the size of a coin on his stomach. The blood had stopped in no time.

Meanwhile, my palm was nearly severed, the bone visible beneath the skin, held together by a shred of flesh.

My repeated resistance and Susan's taunting pushed Chester over the edge.

He stormed over and shoved the bookshelf onto me.

I felt every bone in my body snap, and I could not hold back a scream.

He glared at me to ensure I could no longer move, then raised his foot and pressed it on my face.

He then set the photo on fire right in front of me.

The photo turned to ashes in an instant. My heart was crushed with sorrow.

"I'll kill you, Chester! I'll kill you!"

My anguished screams echoed throughout the entire villa.

Susan leaned against Chester, her expression disapproving. "Jess, even if you like to grab Chester's attention, you shouldn't be so rude. Chester has the softest heart, and he might get hurt because of you!"

She giggled softly, then pouted at Chester. "She's being so rude. Should we teach her a lesson together?"

Chester pinched her cheek affectionately and replied, "Alright, I'll do whatever you want."

Susan collected the ashes and walked toward the toilet. She poured them all in with a look of disdain.

"If you can scoop those out with your mouth in the next ten seconds, I'll let this go. Who knows, maybe Chester will even get you a more glamorous, colored photo!"

Chester dragged me across the floor, leaving long trails of blood on the white tiles. He then dropped me at the bathroom entrance.

Susan began counting down, "Ten, nine…"

I could no longer tell if the liquid on my face was tears or blood; what I could only do was to crawl forward with all my strength.

I got closer to the toilet bowl.

Susan walked over, her face filled with malice. She stepped on my broken hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Jess! But my foot hurts, I can't lift it at all," she said, feigning innocence.

Chester quickly continued the countdown. "Five, four—"

I clenched my teeth and kept crawling.

Susan was terrified by my move.

"Ah!" She screamed and jumped back, her foot left my mangled hand. "You're crazy!" she shouted.

She was audibly angry, but I did not care anymore. I lost everything. My body was broken, and my soul was shattered. Losing a piece of flesh meant nothing to me.

I was about to reach the water in the toilet bowl. Blood mixed with tears ran down my face as I trembled with anticipation.

"I—I'm dizzy!" Susan exclaimed, swaying as she pressed the flush button.

Everything disappeared with the flush.

My hands shook as they hovered over the toilet. Tears streamed down my face, but I could not make a sound.

Susan looked at me with mock innocence. "Sorry, Jessy. It's my fault. I just happened to feel dizzy at that moment."

Chester hesitated for a second but still wrapped his arm around her. "It's not your fault. She's just getting what she deserves for all the bad things she has done. She brought this on herself!"

I drained all of my strength. I lay on the cold floor, and a bone-deep chill spread through me.

Chester glanced at me and frowned. "Stop pretending. If you don't want to apologize, fine. I will not force you. But don't even think about leaving me. And don't bother making empty threats. You end up begging me every time. This is your last chance to back down. Even if you complain to my mother, it won't work."

He added coldly, "Susan has suffered enough. I need to make it up to her. Reflect on yourself while I'm gone."

Chester walked off, holding Susan's hand. My vision grew blurry, and I could not hear his words.

I felt so tired and sleepy. My mind began to replay moments I experienced my entire life.

Everything around me seemed to fade away.

Through the haze, I thought I saw someone running toward me, crying desperately…