Selena died.

She left behind a suicide note and threw herself into the sea.

Every word in that note seemed to defend me, saying I was pregnant and that she didn’t want the family to be torn apart because of her.

In truth, though, it only made her seem virtuous while painting me as vile.

Every sentence was an accusation. Every line condemned me.

My parents and Lucian were all blinded by that letter. They forced me to abort my child. They dragged me to Selena’s funeral hall and made me kneel.

Even when I passed out from pain, they would throw cold water on me, shouting, "You killed Selena and still have the nerve to sleep? I don’t think you’re even truly remorseful!"

Mom threw herself at me, beating me relentlessly, screaming over and over, "Why wasn’t it you who died?"

Dad just watched me being beaten and sighed. "Why didn’t I just strangle you when you were born?"

In the end, Lucian bandaged my wounds and told me to admit my mistake. He said that if I knelt sincerely in the chapel for Selena for seven days, we could pretend none of this had ever happened and continue our lives together.

A wave of indescribable exhaustion and disgust surged through me.

From the moment he abandoned me again and again, stood against me, handed them the knife to stab me, and killed my child with his own hands, there was nothing left between us.

I looked at him and said firmly, "No more, Lucian. In this lifetime, I will never be entangled with you again. Let’s separate."

Lucian froze.

After a long moment, he suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly. "Iris, you loved me so much that you would give up your life for me. How could you leave me?

"Or… have you really fallen for someone else? No, you’re just trying to force me to let you go, aren’t you? Iris, you really are full of schemes.

"Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you’ll experience what Selena went through until you do."

The day I was tied to the sea stack, with seawater swallowing half my body, my parents’ applause carried across the distance to my ears.

They said Lucian did the right thing. They claimed that I deserved to learn my lesson and to experience Selena’s suffering.

Even now, after hearing Damon speak up for me, they rushed over, cursing me without restraint.

"If that heartless Iris hadn’t refused to save her, my Selena wouldn’t have died! We raised her for nothing. She’s nothing but an animal!"

"She used to bully Selena all the time when she first came home. I thought years of teaching would change her, but she only got worse! You treated her so well, and she still betrayed you. She’s completely ungrateful!"

"Exactly, Lucian, you can’t let that woman off so easily!"

Lucian’s expression darkened as he replied, "Don’t worry. I won’t let her off that easily."

Their ability to twist black into white was almost impressive. They said I had wronged them.

It was laughable.

Just as they wished, I had already paid with my life.

I wondered, almost with amusement, whether they would pop champagne to celebrate once they found out.

Lucian’s phone buzzed. He opened the message.

On the surface of the sea where I had been, a large bloom of blood spread across the water. Pieces of my clothing floated among it.

Damon’s call came through immediately. "Sir, something seems to have happened to Madam."

"Don’t hang up. I’m coming right now!" Lucian’s voice trembled. His face turned pale as he grabbed his coat and rushed toward the door.

At that moment, his assistant, Nolan Pierce, stepped in with a smile as he blocked Lucian's path.

"Sir, there’s news about Miss Selena."