Just as I was about to leave, five or six bodyguards suddenly barged in. Two of them stepped forward, pinned down my shoulders, and forced me to my knees.

My knees slammed hard against the concrete floor, the pain wrenching my brows together.

Someone was fiddling with a phone in front of me, seemingly recording a livestream or a video.

Someone else stood over me, slapping me across the face, one blow after another.

I lost count of how many times. My vision burst with stars, my cheeks swollen so badly I couldn't even close my mouth, blood mixing with saliva as it ran down my chin.

Then, all at once, I felt them stop. Everything around me fell silent.

I heard Charles's voice clearly on the other end of the phone.

"Prudence, did that make you feel better? If it's not enough, let's make it another hundred, how about that…"

I couldn't take in another word after that. My vision went black, and I passed out cold.

When I woke again, Charles was sitting at the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of porridge and blowing on it to cool it.

"You're awake. Eat something first." Charles pushed the seafood porridge toward me.

I turned my head away to avoid it.

Charles's brows drew together slightly. "Are you angry? Yesterday, that business with you hitting Prudence upset the Pruitts. They wanted me to give them an explanation."

"I admit I went too far there. But I've already transferred two villas into your name. Consider it compensation. Stop making a scene and hurry up and eat."

"I'm allergic to seafood." I frowned in disgust and shrank back, keeping clear of that bowl of seafood porridge.

Charles froze at that, his hand suspended in midair. It was a long moment before he spoke. "Sorry. I saw it on the way and just grabbed it."

I turned my face aside and ignored him.

Charles was quiet for a moment. "That…"

A phone rang, cutting him off.

The instant he answered, Prudence's syrupy little voice came through. "Charlie~ where are you? I feel so awful…"

"I'm out buying food. I'll be right back."

Charles stood as he spoke, picking up the fancy takeout box from the small table beside him and leaving. Not once did he spare me another glance.

Back when Charles and I were madly in love, the slightest thing wrong with me and he'd be beside himself with worry.

Even if I only scraped my skin, he'd insist on checking me into the hospital for observation.

Back then, we'd just failed at our first business venture and were hundreds of thousands in debt. Whatever money he had, he spent every cent of it on me.

He'd said, "You're my wife. If I'm not good to you, who would I be good to? Be good. I'll give you the luxury cars and the mansion someday. That's no empty promise."

I thought I'd met the love of my life.

But in the end it was nothing more than a dreamlike swindle dressed up as love.

The buzz of my phone pulled me back from my thoughts. I lowered my eyes to look. It was a message from Charles.

【The divorce will be finalized in six days. Don't stir up trouble in the meantime. Once I've secured the Pruitts' core technology, I'll remarry you.】

Remarry, again.

I set the phone down, too listless even to reply.

In Charles's mind, I was the lover he could never drive away, and more than that, the wife who slaved without complaint and served him willingly.

Too bad he'd forgotten.

I too had once said, "If the day comes that you betray me, I'll turn around and leave without a second's hesitation. I'll never give you another chance."

On my second day in the hospital, I was taking a midday nap when the shut door was kicked open.

Charles was at the front, fury on his face, staring at me. "Where did you hide Prudence's wedding ring?"

My eyes went blank. "What wedding ring?"

"It's the wedding ring Charlie had custom-made just for me. There's only one of its kind in the world. Yesterday he said he'd bring it to cheer me up, but who'd have thought the box would be empty…"

Prudence stepped out from behind Charles, feigning grievance as she asked, "Excuse me, have you seen that ring? It's the one we're going to use for our wedding. It means a great deal to me."

"If you really love the ring so much, I—I can have Charlie buy you another style. Please, I'm begging you, give that ring back to me."

My mind went blank. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have anything you're looking for. Get out!"

Charles ignored me completely and turned to his bodyguards. "Search the place. Whoever finds it first gets double the bonus."

Several of them barged in and began ransacking the room, rifling through every corner.

With a clear conscience, I rounded on Charles. "We've known each other for ten years. Have you really lost even that most basic trust in me? Do you honestly think I'm the kind of person who would—"

Before I could finish, one of the bodyguards ran out of the bathroom, holding up an exquisite diamond ring. "Found it! Mr. Sanchez, Miss Pruitt, take a look. Is this the one?"

Prudence's eyes lit up. "Yes! That's it!"

Charles fixed me with a piercing stare. "Louise, I never imagined you were this kind of person. You've truly disappointed me."

The disappointment in his eyes flickered and was gone. A dull ache pressed hard against my heart, and I wanted to explain that I hadn't taken it at all.

But then my gaze caught the look Prudence traded with the bodyguard, and the words stuck in my throat.

It was useless.

No matter how I explained, Charles would never believe me.

"Hmph. If you can't keep your hands to yourself, then we'll break them."

The instant the words left Charles's mouth, a bodyguard stepped forward and pinned my arm down, then drove his heel into it. The sound of bone shattering rang out at once.

I didn't even have time to beg before my right hand was bent into a grotesque shape.

The pain in my body wasn't a fraction of the pain in my heart.

I drew in a deep breath, my voice muffled, carrying a fragility that bordered on despair. "Charles, you know perfectly well my right hand… is meant to teach those children piano. Why would you ruin it too?"

Charles held Prudence's slender waist, his face expressionless. "You took what Prudence cares about most, so naturally I'll destroy what you care about most."

"From now on, don't stoop to petty thieving. It's beneath you."

"Charlie, don't be angry. Maybe she's just never seen a ring like this and wanted to admire it. After all, she crawled out of some slum, so of course she's never laid eyes on anything nice."

Prudence covered her mouth and laughed softly, the mockery in her eyes all but spilling over.

I watched the two of them walk away, Charles's words still echoing in my ears.

The dull ache in my heart twisted into a sharp knife, churning until I couldn't breathe.

Once the cast was set, I grabbed the doctor's arm and pleaded, "Could you check the surveillance footage? I want to prove my innocence. I really never stole anything."

During the treatment, the doctor had already rolled his eyes at me no fewer than twenty times.

He shook my hand off, his face taking on an amused look. "Ma'am, mind your manners."

"You can have the footage. Add me as a contact first, and I'll send it to you in a bit."

I'd noticed earlier that there was a camera directly across from my door, angled to catch the footage.

Maybe it was the only thing that could prove my innocence. Even if Charles would never believe it, I wanted to try.

After adding him, I waited anxiously, the minutes slipping away one by one, and still no video came from the doctor.

Instead, what came was Charles storming in, seething with rage.

He held down his fury and demanded, "Louise, have you really sunk this low? You and I are only divorced for the time being, and you've fallen so far you'd sell your own body?"

His words rooted me to the spot. "What do you mean?"

"Charlie, don't be angry. Maybe she was just lonely and wanted to find a man to pass the time, or maybe she just wanted to rile you up so you'd come coax her. Oh, a girl's little schemes never amount to much." Prudence had caught up by now, hooking her arm through Charles's, her voice all smiles.

"If you're going to say something, you'd better have proof!" I said sharply.

“Proof?” Charles let out a cold laugh. “Fine. You want it, you got it.”

Then he raised his phone. On the screen was a screenshot of a chat, its content showing me begging the other person to help me find a man, saying I wanted to earn money with my body and other vile things.

And the one I'd been chatting with was that doctor I'd only just added.

Before I could even process it, Charles had the bodyguards bring the doctor over.

The moment the doctor arrived, he waved his hands in a panic, scrambling to distance himself. “Mr. Sanchez, please, you have to see clearly. I honestly thought she wanted to discuss her condition with me, but I never imagined she'd be this shameless, this cheap! Wanting to trade her body for money……”

I opened my mouth, and the words I wanted to say to explain were shut down by the cold, indifferent look in Charles's eyes.

He didn't believe me.

Back when I was working a part-time job and got framed for stealing money by a customer who'd failed to grope me, he was the one who'd stepped up, standing alone in front of more than a dozen people, telling me firmly and loudly. “I believe you! You're not that kind of person at all! They're the ones with rotten hearts. They didn't get what they wanted, so now they're slandering you, dragging your name through the mud!”

From that moment on, Charles became my whole world.

I followed Charles with my whole heart, even willingly took the savings I'd brought from the Pruitts and poured them into his startup, and even when it all came to nothing in the end, I had no regrets.

And now, there was no place for me left in Charles's heart. Even if I talked myself hoarse, he wouldn't believe a single word.

I stayed silent, saying nothing more.

But Charles took it as a guilty conscience, disgust rising in his eyes. “Louise Mason, well done.”

With that, Charles turned and walked away, and something calculating flickered in Prudence's eyes.

For some reason, I felt that something bad was about to happen.

So I hurried to check out of the hospital.

I'd barely gotten home, less than three minutes, when the door was kicked open.

Charles gritted his teeth, his voice thick with hatred. “Louise Mason, didn't I tell you not to go after Prudence? She's just a pawn to open up the AI market for me. Why can't you ever listen?”

“What did she say this time?” I looked at him, my eyes empty.

Even if I fled to the ends of the earth, one frown from Prudence and it would be my fault.

Charles's face was cold. “You degrade yourself, and then you actually try to ruin Prudence's good name. Louise Mason, what more do you have to say?”

“If I say it wasn't me, would you believe it?” I sighed, speaking helplessly.

Charles's gaze dodged away. “Does it matter whether I believe it? There are witnesses and evidence.”

At that, Charles paused, and his tone suddenly softened. :

“Louise, just bear with it a little. A bit of suffering won't kill you. Once I get the Pruitts' core technology, I'll love you properly, and I'll remarry you.”

With that, Charles called over three or four bodyguards and gave them the order. “Strip off her clothes, take nude photos, and sell them for a dime apiece.”

Then Charles turned and left.

I looked at the bodyguards closing in, and my heart went cold.

It felt more like an invisible blade had run me through, every breath tearing with pain.

I was forced down against the floor, and faintly I heard someone speak. “Hey, Mr. Sanchez changed his order. He says we're to sleep with her, record that kind of video, and put it up for auction later.”

Hearing this, the others froze for a few seconds, and I seized the chance, struggling with everything I had. The moment I spotted a gap, I spun around and bolted for the door.

A rush of force came at my back, and I was kicked to the floor.

Ignoring the pain in my body, I scrambled up and kept running, half stumbling, half crawling.

I'd just made it out into the street when a speeding car came at me and sent me flying.

In the instant before my eyes closed, I thought I saw Prudence's face, smug and taunting.