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.

The sharp sting of disinfectant slowly pulled me back to consciousness.

"Well, well. A cheap little slut really does have a cheap little life. No matter what anyone does, you just won't die."

Prudence's eyes were full of contempt, her voice dripping with scorn.

I kept my eyes lowered and said nothing, quietly switching on the voice recorder I always carried.

Seeing that I wouldn't speak, she stepped closer and grabbed me by the collar. "Louise, do you really think Charles loves you? He just wanted to play at living an ordinary person's life with you. What a shame. He doesn't even know you're the real eldest daughter of the Pruitts."

"If you'd only said the word, maybe he wouldn't have divorced you at all."

I stayed silent.

Prudence's lips curved into a soft laugh, and she went on. "You're a lot tougher than that son of yours. Flung into the air by a car, and you still wake up this fast. Your boy was different. I barely nudged him with the car and he died right there on the spot. So dull, really."

"Thinking of dragging me into court? What a pity. Charles loves me. He'd never let you get away with it. Take a good look, Louise. These are photos of me and Charles in bed."

With that, Prudence pulled a stack of photos from her bag and flung them into the air, letting them scatter down around me.

Every single photo was different, but in every one of them the two of them were naked, doing things too unspeakable to name.

My heart clenched hard, and a bottomless bitterness spread through my chest.

Whatever last shred of feeling I had for Charles was draining away.

Prudence smiled, smug. "There are plenty more where those came from. On your anniversary, I was the one who tried a hundred and eight positions with him and went through ten boxes of condoms, and only then did he decide to come clean to you himself."

"So you... how pathetic." Mockery flickered in my eyes as I spoke, weak and faint. "Stooping to something like this just to get attention."

Prudence's eyes darted around. Then she dropped to her knees with a thud and, out of nowhere, began slapping herself.

Crack!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The crisp sound of palm against skin rang out through the silent hospital room.

"I'm sorry, Miss Mason, I was wrong. I'm begging you, please don't put these photos out there. My reputation doesn't matter, but Sanchez Group is still Mr. Sanchez's company. I can't let you destroy everything he's built over all these years."

"Let me kowtow to you, all right? Please, don't spread them. You can hit me, curse me, it was my own poor skill behind the wheel that made me run you down, but this has nothing to do with Mr. Sanchez. Can't you leave the innocent out of it?"

And with that, Prudence made a show of getting ready to bow her head to the floor before me.

Before I could even work out what act she was putting on this time,

the very next second Charles's voice erupted, rage barely held in check. "Louise! What are you kicking up a fuss about now?!"

Charles strode in, pulled Prudence to her feet, and gathered her into his arms.

"Charlie, I just came to look in on Miss Mason. I never thought she'd threaten me with these photos, forbid me to marry you..."

"She even said I'm not allowed at the wedding three days from now, that she'll take my place at the altar. I—I was afraid it would hurt the interests of both the Sanchez and Pruitt families, so I begged Miss Mason to let us go..."

Charles's brow furrowed. "Louise, how did you turn into something this unreasonable? You're no different from a shrew."

My voice was hoarse as I threw it back at him. "Right. A CEO of Sanchez Group and the eldest daughter of the Pruitts, both cornered by one commoner. Say that out loud and see if people don't laugh."

Charles's expression stalled for a moment. He held Prudence and murmured, "Don't be afraid, Prudence. You're the eldest daughter of the Pruitts. There's no need for you to bow your head to her."

At the words "eldest daughter of the Pruitts," a flash of guilt passed through Prudence's eyes and was gone.

She feigned innocence. "Just now I was only so worried, so afraid of damaging your interests, that I acted on impulse without thinking..."

She hadn't finished before I cut her off, my voice sharp with scorn. "Was it impulse, or was it just instinct? You'd better learn to tell the two apart."

Back when Prudence was living off my family's support, she'd worn that same pitiful look, dropping to her knees and kowtowing at the slightest thing in front of my parents. In the end, things that were never my fault all got pinned on me.