Still, dead silence filled the room.

I turned to leave, the pain in my stomach returning, more intense than ever.

I curled up on the sofa, trembling with pain.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

I picked it up, trembling.

"Hello, is this Ms. Natalie? This is Pinewoods Cancer Hospital. Your chemotherapy appointment is tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM. Do you need a bed reserved for you?"

My grip slipped and the phone fell to the carpet.

The door suddenly opened.

Ethan stood in the doorway, frowning at me.

"Who are you talking to at this hour of the night?"

I was about to speak when he angrily shouted, "Go to the guest room and stop sulking."

He slammed the door shut.

The next day, I went to the hospital alone.

The cost of the pre-chemo checkup was far higher than I'd imagined.

I pulled out my phone to transfer money from our joint account. I entered my password, but a red notification on the screen said my account was frozen.

I was stunned. I tried again several times, but the result was the same.

I left the hospital, the cold wind piercing my face like a knife.

I called Ethan.

It rang for a long time before he picked up. Amber's clear laughter filled the background.

"What's wrong?"

"Why is our joint account frozen?"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

"I froze it."

"Natalie, you're spending more and more recklessly. I don't want you squandering the Cole family's money."

My heart sank.

"From now on, list all household expenses and send them to me. I'll review it," he said it so calmly, as if it were a gift to me.

"I need to pay the hospital bill."

He said impatiently, "What hospital bill? What are you up to?"

"Show me a picture of the bill to see if it's real."

Humiliation instantly overwhelmed me and my hands trembled uncontrollably. I hung up the phone, folded the medical certificate and headed for a pawnshop near the hospital.

That was my last bit of dignity.

I pawned the only thing my mother left me: a pair of jade bracelets.

The money I got was barely enough to cover the cost of this checkup.

Holding the payment receipt, I sat on the cold hospital bench.

My stomach churned and I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting profusely.

I braced myself against the wall to stand, staring at my pale, haggard face in the mirror.

That night, I dragged my exhausted body back to the cage I called "home."

Ethan was there.

He sat on the sofa, his face gloomy.

On the coffee table lay the receipt for the jade bracelets I'd pawned that day.

"Did you pawn the things Mom left you?" I asked calmly. "I need money."

His tone was icy. "Natalie, are you so desperate for money?"

"Or did you use the money to support someone you shouldn't have?"

I was trembling with anger. I wanted to protest, but I couldn't utter a single word.

He simply didn't believe me. Whatever I said, he would dismiss it as lies and excuses.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Tell me, where did you spend the money?"

I didn't answer. I pushed him away, rushed into the room and locked the door.

The next morning, Ethan's mother called. "You must attend the Cole Corporation's annual meeting tonight with Ethan."

"There have been so many rumors lately about you and Ethan not getting along. Dress presentably tonight and shut them up."

I held the phone, my stomach aching again.

I didn't want to go, not to that hypocritical world of fame and fortune, pretending to be a loving couple.

But I had no choice but to accept.

That afternoon, Ethan's assistant brought over a dress.

It was a long, beautiful dress, exactly my style.

I put it on, but it was so tight I could barely breathe.

It was a size too small.

As I was about to take it off, Ethan came in.

He looked me up and down.

"Take this one."

"It's too small," I whispered.

"Really?"

He stepped closer and squeezed my waist.

"I think it fits just right. It also fits Amber."

So, this was Amber's dress again.

A wave of nausea rose in my stomach, but I suppressed it. At the annual meeting, I numbly held onto Ethan's arm, a stiff smile plastered on my face.

He led me to the main table and then turned and left.

Amber was attending as a special guest tonight.

She was dressed in a fiery red dress, like a blazing flame, instantly capturing the attention of the entire audience.

And Ethan was the reckless moth.

He stayed by Amber's side all night, introducing her to business leaders.

He shielded her from ill-intentioned toasts, meticulously attentive.

I sat alone in a corner, watching them.

People around me pointed and talked, their gazes, both sympathetic and contemptuous, piercing me like knives.

The cramps in my stomach grew more frequent and intense.

Cold sweat soaked my back.

Finally, I couldn't hold it any longer and rushed to the bathroom, clutching my mouth.

I knelt on the floor, vomiting violently.

A large amount of blood stained the sink. Holding onto the wall, I walked out of the bathroom when I ran into Amber.

She sauntered towards me in her high heels, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Why are you hiding here? Ethan's been looking for you everywhere."

"Does he really love me?"

She leaned in closer, her voice low, a hint of boasting in her tone.

"He said he'd give up the entire Cole Family if I wanted."

My body swayed, almost tottering.

"Look at you, you look so pale, like a ghost."

The red wine glass in her hand "accidentally" tilted, spilling the entire glass onto my dress.

"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to."

Just then, Ethan rushed in.

He saw us, the messy red wine stain on my chest and Amber's frightened expression.

He walked right up to me without asking any questions. "Natalie, what are you doing?"

"Amber was just being kind and concerned about you. Why did you push her?"

I looked at him, feeling wronged, angry and desperate. All these emotions surged through my heart, finally fading into a dead silence.

He didn't even glance at me. He turned and supported Amber, softly soothing her.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

He pulled me and pushed me down.

"Get out! You're not welcome here!"

Ethan roughly dragged me out of the banquet hall.

He stuffed me into his car and said nothing the whole way.

He left me in the villa room and said coldly, "From today on, you will stay home and reflect on your actions. You're not allowed to go anywhere."

He threw those words out, then slammed the door shut.

I heard the lock click from outside.

He locked me up.

He also took my phone, cutting off all contact with the outside world.

This magnificent villa had become a complete prison for me.

At night, I lay in bed, my stomach aching with agony.

Cold sweat soaked the sheets, but I couldn't make a sound.

There was no medicine, no water, only endless pain and despair.

I wanted to call for help, but who could I turn to?

No one in this world cared whether I lived or died anymore.

The next day, Ethan's mother came.

She looked at my pale and haggard appearance, her eyes devoid of pity, only disgust.

"Natalie, you disappoint me so much."

"You made such a scene at the annual meeting, you've disgraced Cole Family."

"The most important thing for a woman is to be sensible and tolerant."

"If you can't even do that, you don't deserve to be the Cole Family's daughter-in-law."

I listened quietly, without arguing.

Because I knew nothing I said would matter. In her heart, I would always be the outsider who couldn't even be on the stage and Amber was her ideal daughter-in-law.

Sure enough, she took out a document from her bag before me.

It was a pregnancy test report.

The name on it was Amber.

"Amber is pregnant with Ethan's child."

"We can't let our flesh and blood be left alone."

My mind went blank and there was a buzzing sound.

Pregnant?

Amber is pregnant.

I couldn't help but laugh and tears began to flow as I laughed.

"So, you're here to ask me to give up my position?"

She didn't answer, but instead pulled out another document.

A divorce agreement.

The property division section said I was leaving the house empty-handed.

"Sign it."

"If you're willing to leave, I can give you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

I looked at the agreement, at Ethan's signature and my heart sank.

I picked up the pen, trembling violently and signed the two characters, "Natalie Sanders," stroke by stroke.

Ethan's mother, satisfied, put the agreement away and locked the door.

I could no longer hold on. My vision went black and I lost consciousness altogether.

I didn't know how long I had been unconscious.

When I woke again, I lay on the cold ground, exhausted.

I wasn't dead yet.

My survival instinct forced me to struggle and I found the spare key hidden in the closet.

I had escaped that prison.

I used the little cash I had left to buy a plane ticket to Brooklyn.

I went to a euthanasia agency.

After arranging everything, I felt an unprecedented sense of peace and relief.

Finally, it was all over.

Not knowing where to go, I wandered aimlessly down the street.

The sky gradually darkened and my body reached its limit.

Finally, I collapsed in a deserted alley.

Meanwhile, Ethan was celebrating Amber on the other side of the world.

He'd booked the city's finest restaurant to celebrate the birth of his child.

Amber leaned into his arms, smiling sweetly and happily.

"Ethan, tell me, will our baby look like you or me?"

Ethan kissed her forehead, his tone doting.

"Like you."

Just then, his phone, which had been placed on the table, suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar international number.

He answered it impatiently, "Who is this?"

A steady male voice came from the other end. "Is this Mr. Ethan? I have received a final confirmation of euthanasia application from your wife, Ms. Natalie."

"Before proceeding with the final step, according to procedure, I need to conduct a final confirmation with the immediate family."

Ethan's expression changed instantly.

"What application?"