Shanna’s eyes reddened. “Why? You don’t even love me.”

Leland grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard. He didn’t let go until both of them were gasping for air.

He finally admitted, “I love you. From the very start, you’re the only one I’ve ever loved.”

The next second, he swept everything off the desk, and the room filled again with breathy, intimate noises.

I stood outside the door, tears pouring down my face, unable to believe he had lied to me for so long.

My mother’s death… I’d comforted myself countless nights, telling myself it was an accident, just so I could feel a little better.

But now, I finally knew—Leland had planned everything from the start!

All our sweet moments were just sugar-coated poison, and now it was exploding inside me, tearing me apart from the inside out.

I don’t remember how I numbly made it back to my room that night.

All I remember was that when I touched my face, it was already covered in dried tears.

All those little moments that once moved me… all of them vanished into nothing.

I turned on the lights. The master bedroom was filled with ninety-nine wedding dresses—symbols of my ninety-nine failed weddings.

Each dress was more expensive and designed more elaborately than the last.

Leland said it was because he felt guilty and wanted to make it up to me.

I picked up the newest one. The jewels covering it were worth enough to buy a small estate.

I remembered how overwhelmed I was the first time I saw it, thinking it was way too extravagant. Leland had held my hand and told me, “My fiancée is the best girl in the world. She deserves everything beautiful.”

But now, all I saw was how painfully bright those shining jewels were.

After calling my senior, I lay alone on the cold bed. No matter how many times I tossed and turned, I couldn’t fall asleep.

I don’t know how long it was before Leland finally pushed the door open and joined me in bed.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind like he always did, but the faint scent on him after making out with his other woman made my stomach turn.

I instinctively pulled away. My voice was flat and distant. “Go to sleep. You woke me up.”

He froze for a second, then brushed it off. “You’re mad just because I stayed in the study a little longer to deal with work?”

“When did you get so petty?” he commented.

A sour ache rushed up my chest. I had to dig my nails into my palm just to stop myself from confronting his lies.

When I didn’t respond, he helplessly shrugged.

“Alright, cheer up. Tomorrow you’ll officially be my wife,” he said.

Then, he asked, “Have you tried on the new custom wedding dress? Do you like it? Does it fit?”

I frowned, my irritation slipping out. “I don’t like it. And it doesn’t fit at all.”

I thought he’d at least pretend to coax me a little.

But instead, he actually looked relieved—almost happy. He blurted out, “If that’s the case, why don’t we just cancel the wedding tomorrow?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he messed up and hurried to explain.

“You know this, babe. I’ve always wanted to give you a perfect wedding. I don’t tolerate even the smallest mistake.

“So just wait for me a little longer, okay? I promise I’ll make you the happiest bride.”

I tugged the corner of my lips in a silent, bitter smile. Listening to his self-righteous excuses almost made me laugh.

We’d been together for so long, and only now did I realize Leland was this manipulative and heartless.

I turned my back to him and numbly nodded.

It didn’t matter anyway. After the last seven days, none of this man’s life would have anything to do with me.

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

Shanna stood there, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“Leland… your house is so big and dark. I’m scared of being alone. Can you come keep me company?”

Almost on instinct, Leland immediately got up and moved away from me.

He pretended to be annoyed. “Seriously? Such a hassle.”

He turned to me, saying, “Babe, wait here. I’ll deal with it and come back to keep you company.”

I didn’t say anything, but I clearly heard it—the moment he stepped out of the room, he was already impatiently tangled up with Shanna.

My mind went blank. I grabbed a pillow and pressed it hard over my ears, refusing to listen anymore.

In the end, Leland still broke his promise. He didn’t come back, not even when the sun came up.

I wiped away those pathetic tears at the corners of my eyes and swore to myself that this would be the last time I ever cried because of him.

Pressing the emerald bracelet my mom left me before she died against my chest, I finally drifted off to sleep.

I had no idea what time it was the next day when a sudden bark jolted me awake.

I shot up in bed, and my vision filled with the sight of a Caucasian Shepherd. My eyes widened in horror, and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I’d always been terrified of dogs, and once Leland found out, he’d told the servants to be extra careful.

Over the years in this villa, not only were there no dogs. I had not seen even a strand of dog fur.

Now, the dog in front of me was nearly half my height, glaring at me with vicious eyes, letting out a low growl.

My hands and feet turned cold. I didn’t even dare breathe.

In my panic, I suddenly noticed—the bracelet was gone from my wrist.

I scanned the room. That’s when I saw it—the dog had it clamped tightly between its teeth!

Just then, someone blew a whistle outside the door. The dog dashed out immediately, still carrying the bracelet.

My fingers went white from clenching so hard. My legs trembled uncontrollably.

But the bracelet was the only keepsake Mom left me. Gritting my teeth, I ran after it.

The moment I reached the stairway, I saw the dog already rubbing affectionately against Shanna, tail wagging wildly.

Shanna bent down slowly and pulled the bracelet out from the dog’s mouth using just two fingers, like she was picking up something dirty off the ground.

“Silly Hawkeye, why do you keep picking up trash?”

She lifted her gaze toward the stairway, landing precisely on me. A mocking smile tugged at her lips.

“Cheap junk like this actually made it into the LaVeaus? Don’t you think it lowers the standard here?”

Before her words even finished, she flicked her wrist sharply.

With a crisp crack, the emerald bracelet shattered instantly into countless tiny pieces—not even a single intact gemstone left.

My heart skipped a beat. My eyes locked on Shanna, the fear from moments ago evaporating under a rush of fury and heartbreak.

I yelled at her, “That was my mom’s! How dare you break it?!”

Contempt filled her eyes. “Well, this is the LaVeaus’s place. I can break whatever I want. If you’re so upset, go call Leland. Let’s see whose side he takes.”

I completely lost it. I lunged at her like a madwoman, pinned her to the floor, and slapped her across the face several times.

“Give me back my mom’s bracelet!”

I kept shouting the same thing over and over. I was so far gone that I didn’t even notice the big dog rushing in and tearing into my calf.

It wasn’t until a brute force suddenly yanked me by the hair and violently threw me backward that I snapped out of it.

My head slammed hard against the wall before I finally snapped back to my senses.

Leland rushed over and scooped Shanna off the floor, holding her tight as he stared at the red marks on her face with heart-wrenching concern.

Then he turned to look at me—his eyes cold, as if he were staring at a stranger who’d lost her mind.

“Charmaine! Are you crazy?”

It was the first time he had ever snapped at me because of another woman.

I was still dizzy from hitting the wall when Shanna’s sobs rang out first.

Curled up in his arms, she clutched his shirt with teary eyes. “Leland, this is the fiancée you chose?

“I just saw Hawkeye dragging something in his mouth. I was afraid it was something dirty, so I tossed it aside. I swear I didn’t mean it!

“But Charmaine attacked me without even asking what happened. No matter how I tried to apologize, she just kept hitting me…”

Leland held her even tighter. When he looked back at me, his eyes were even colder.

The back of my head throbbed, and the cut on my calf burned like fire.

I forced myself to ignore the pain and tried to defend myself, but the moment I opened my mouth, he cut me off impatiently.

“Did I tolerate you too much? Is that why you’ve become so entitled and out of control?

“Charmaine. I’m really disappointed in you. Today, you will give Shanna an explanation.”

Before I could react, he was already shouting for the bodyguards outside.

Two of them rushed in immediately, grabbing my arms with hands as hard as metal clamps.

It was so tight it felt like they were going to crush my bones.

“Hit her. However many times she slapped Shanna, hit her ten times more. When you’re done, lock her in her room, and make her reflect on what she did. No one is allowed to interfere!”

After giving the order, Leland carried Shanna in his arms—like something precious—and headed straight for the hospital.

Meanwhile, the dull thuds of the blows raining down on me echoed through the empty hall. Yet, he never once turned around or even glanced my way, as if none of what was happening behind him had anything to do with him.

I stared at his disappearing figure, and the cold despair inside me kept spreading.

One blow. Two blows… It was fifty full-force slaps. Even the bodyguard’s hand had started to ache, but I just gritted my teeth and endured it, not even letting out a cry for mercy.

By the final slap, my face was swollen beyond recognition. My vision blurred, a buzzing filled my ears, and my legs could barely hold me up.

The next second, the bodyguards tossed me into the room like they were dumping trash.

I hit the freezing floor hard, my back slamming against the corner of the wall. A sharp, biting pain shot through me, forcing a muffled groan from my throat.

Curled up on the cold floor, I muttered, “Six more days… I never want to see you again, Leland.”

My eyelids grew so heavy that I couldn’t lift them anymore, and soon, everything went black.

That night, I had the longest dream.

In it, my dad hadn’t betrayed our family yet.

My mom was still in the kitchen, smiling as she called me to dinner.

And I was still the little girl everyone held in their palms like something precious.

But that happiness was too light, too fragile. Before I could hold onto it, a bucket of ice-cold water crashed down over my head and yanked me violently back into reality.

I shot upright, choking and coughing. When I opened my eyes, I realized—I wasn’t in the locked bedroom at all.