Two days later, Chantelle's design won an excellence award. Hendrick threw a grand celebration party just for her.

Under the crystal chandeliers, he stayed by her side the whole time, blocking drinks for her, smoothing her dress, and being unbelievably gentle and attentive.

The guests whispered among themselves, saying how Hendrick treated Chantelle like a queen while acting coldly to his wife, Savannah. If the latter hadn't begged to save their marriage every time, it would've ended long ago.

Savannah stood in the corner, swirling her champagne glass and turning a deaf ear to the gossips. Halfway through the party, she headed near the man-made lake outside for some fresh air.

The cool night breeze carried away the lingering scent of alcohol.

"What's wrong? Are you finally cracking?"

Chantelle's smug, victorious voice came from behind. She clicked her heels and arrived beside Savannah, lips curling into a sarcastic smile.

"If I were you, I would've packed my bags and left to save myself from the humiliation long ago."

Savannah barely glanced in her direction. "Go away."

"What, you're acting all high and mighty now? You'd pursued Ricky for four years and been married to him for three, yet you still can't get him to look your way. Pathetic."

She sneered, continuing, "Believe me, even if I pushed you into the lake right now, he wouldn't bat an eye."

Savannah was suddenly slammed by a strong force. She fell into the lake with a loud splash, and the cold water instantly entered her mouth and nose.

She struggled to scream, only to swallow more water in the process.

Amid her haze, she saw a figure charging wildly toward her and diving into the lake without hesitation.

"Sav!" Hendrick screamed frantically like never before as he swam furiously to her.

He wrapped his arm tightly around her, and in her daze, she caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were filled with such raw fear and urgency that, for a moment, she felt stunned.

Standing on the shore, Chantelle was completely frozen, unable to believe what she was seeing. The man who was always cold and distant toward Savannah was now diving into the lake like a madman.

The way he held her felt like he was protecting a precious treasure he had just recovered.

No, this couldn't be right. She had to be mistaken!

After being pulled ashore, Hendrick knelt and performed CPR on Savannah.

His long fingers were visibly trembling. Only when Savannah coughed up a few mouthfuls of water did he finally exhale in relief.

Yet, the next moment, his expression suddenly stiffened, as if something had dawned upon him.

He stood up, hiding all emotion, and slipped back into his usual distant demeanor. "You managed to fall even at a party?"

Savannah, soaked and sitting on the ground, clenched her wet dress tightly in her fingers. However, she spoke with surprising clarity. "I didn't fall. Chantelle pushed me."

Immediately, Chantelle's eyes reddened. She eagerly shook her head and denied, "I didn't, Savannah! Why would you frame me like that?"

"Fine."

Savannah scoffed, fishing out her phone with a trembling hand. "Since you're not about to admit it, I'll let the cops do their job. Attempted murder? You're really asking for it."

Her finger was just about to press the dial button when Hendrick clasped her wrist.

"Enough," he said, his grip on her arm almost crushing her bones. "Elle didn't mean it, so stop blowing things out of proportion."

Savannah was in utter disbelief. She furiously shook her head and exclaimed, "She almost got me killed!"

"But you're breathing and talking now, aren't you?" He narrowed his eyes, warning, "Quit it now."

What an absurd situation. She understood that he needed to use Chantelle to provoke her, but did he have to risk her life for his stupid game, too?

"Quit what?" she retorted strongly, determined to dial 999. "I'm calling the police."

"I said, enough!" Hendrick snapped, snatching her phone away. "If you can't get any sense into your head, go home and reflect."

With that, he beckoned the bodyguards over. "Bring her to the confinement room. Do not release her until she's figured things out."

Savannah struggled violently as the bodyguards dragged her toward the confinement room. She yelled hoarsely, "Hendrick, are you crazy? She was trying to kill me! You know that!"

Her nails raked bloody scratches down the bodyguards' arms, and her high heels fell off during the struggle. However, their grip was too strong.

She resembled a butterfly with its wings crushed, flapping helplessly.

When the heavy door slammed shut behind her, Savannah's pupils contracted sharply. The tiny room, barely six feet by six feet, had no windows. Darkness overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, swallowing her whole.

"Let me out," she begged with a trembling voice.

The panic of claustrophobia gripped her throat like an invisible hand. Then, she recalled how her stepmother had locked her in the basement for three days and nights when she was only ten.

That crushing feeling of being abandoned by the whole world washed over her again, as strong as ever after all these years.

Curled up in the corner, Savannah dug her nails deep into her palms. In the darkness, she heard the scurrying of rats and bit her lip hard to keep from making a sound.

Time blurred—maybe it had been an hour, maybe a whole day.

She refused to eat any of the food that was brought to her, and the water cup was knocked over on the floor. Her throat felt like it was on fire from thirst, but the mental torture broke her far more than the physical pain.

The next day, the door finally opened. The bright light flooding in blinded Savannah, and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.

"Still calling the cops?" Hendrick asked, his voice ringing from above.

She weakly lifted her head and saw him standing against the light. After a day apart, he was still impeccably dressed in his suit, every cuff perfectly in place.

Meanwhile, there she was, disheveled and battered like a madwoman.

She broke into laughter, but tears started streaming down her face.

"No," she uttered softly, defenseless. "I won't do anything anymore."

Instead, she simply wanted freedom—to be far away from Chantelle, from Hendrick, and from this cage that was slowly devouring her.

Hendrick frowned at her unusual reaction, and an inexplicable unease rose. Soon, though, he regained his usual aloofness. "Remember what you said."

With that, he turned away, perfectly missing the look of determination in Savannah's eyes.

Savannah stumbled back to her room and collapsed onto the bed, burying her face deep into the covers. She thought she had run out of tears, but they still came, soaking silently into the pillow.

Curled up like a sleepy kitten, she found even breathing hurt. She lay there in a daze for the entire day, stationary.

It wasn't until the next day that she finally managed to get up and forced herself to eat a little and drink some water, moving like a machine.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a text notification from her university group chat.

"Alumni gathering, 7:00 pm at Regalia Hotel tonight. Drop by if you can!"

Savannah stared at her phone screen, dazed. Perhaps she should see her university friends for one last time, considering she would be leaving soon.

It would be a farewell.

The lights of Regalia Hotel were dazzling. Savannah put on some light makeup to cover up her puffy eyes and attended the gathering in a simple white dress.

"Savannah!" Her ex-roommate, Renee Langston, called out. "Over here!"

A few more of her former classmates sat around the table, all talking at once and asking how she had been.

Renee leaned in with a teasing grin. "Back then, you were so obsessed with winning over Hendrick, our campus heartthrob. So? Did you end up dating him?"

A few others turned to her with curious eyes, and Savannah's fingers paused slightly.

Back in university, her pursuit of Hendrick had been so loud and dramatic that everyone knew about it. However, he hadn't said yes to her until after graduation, so hardly anyone knew they had ended up together.

Not to mention, he had thought a wedding was too much of a hassle, so there had never been a proper ceremony.

"I didn't," Savannah replied softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

If she could go back in time, she wished she had never met Hendrick.

"Seriously? Not even a cute girl like you could win his heart?" one exclaimed, adding, "He's so picky!"

"It's okay. I know a few great men I can introduce you to." Renne pulled out her phone. "Here! Let me show them to you!"

"Show what?"

A low and cold voice sounded behind them. Savannah's whole body trembled, and she turned her head, only to see… him.

Hendrick stood not far away with Chantelle by his side. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, the diamond pin on his tie catching the light and sparkling brilliantly.

"H-Hendrick?"

Everyone was shocked, gasping. Meanwhile, Chantelle clung to his arm, radiant in a striking red dress. The moment they appeared, they stole the spotlight with ease.

"Is she… your girlfriend?" someone asked tentatively.

Chantelle lowered her head shyly, and Hendrick didn't deny it. The room was instantly filled with teasing and excited chatter.

"Of course, the campus heartthrob is dating a stunning woman! What a perfect match!"

Savannah looked down and drank her water, pretending she hadn't heard a thing. However, Hendrick's gaze stayed fixed on her, sharp as a knife.

The mood in the private room picked up again, with classmates breaking off into groups to catch up.

Someone suggested playing Truth or Dare. The bottle spun a few rounds and then came to a perfect stop, pointing directly at Chantelle.

"I pick Dare!" she said sweetly, eyes darting toward Hendrick.

"You must smooch with a guy in this room for ten seconds!"

As soon as the dare was announced, the room erupted with cheers and teasing.

Chantelle blushed, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress. Without the slightest hesitation, she walked straight toward Hendrick, who was lounging lazily on the couch.

His gaze, however, drifted past the crowd and eventually landed on Savannah in the corner.

She was looking down at her phone, completely unbothered by the scene unfolding before her. Immediately, his expression hardened.

Chantelle stood before Hendrick, shyly biting her lip. "Ricky…"

Under everyone's gaze, he reached out, cupped the back of her head, and passionately kissed her. The shrieks and whistles nearly blew the roof off.

The kiss lasted far longer than the ten seconds the game called for. He even exaggerated it, making sure the sound of it was deliberately suggestive.

Finally, Savannah looked up, but she only gave the scene a calm glance before returning to her phone. At that, Hendrick's expression darkened even more.

For the rest of the evening, Hendrick flaunted his affection for Chantelle even more blatantly. He fed her, held her waist, and whispered in her ear.

However, every few minutes, his eyes would drift toward Savannah, only to find her completely indifferent.

After the gathering ended, Savannah went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. As soon as she was ready to step out, she was cornered by Chantelle.

"Have you seen it?" Chantelle asked, waving her phone, which displayed a photo of her kissing Hendrick.

"He loves me, so be smart and finalize the divorce already. This time, don't embarrass yourself by begging him to cancel the petition again."

Without batting an eye, Savannah turned on her heels and prepared to leave.

Seeing her so unbothered made Chantelle furious. The provocation she had carefully staged landed like a punch into thin air. Gritting her teeth, she raised her hand, ready to slap Savannah across the face.

Just then, she heard the familiar footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Her expression shifted instantly, and in one smooth motion, she changed her act. Two sharp slaps echoed inside the restroom, and they had landed on Chantelle's face, courtesy of her own hands.

Immediately, her fair cheeks turned red and swollen. Then, the female restroom door was pushed open.

"Ricky!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face, before she dove into Hendrick's arms. "Savannah… She hit me… All because I played Dare with you."

Hendrick held Chantelle close, but his gaze remained fixed on Savannah. He had been puzzled all night by Savannah's indifferent reaction to his closeness with Chantelle, and now, he finally understood.

She was secretly jealous!

That realization stirred a secret pleasure in his chest, but his face only grew darker.

"It was just a game! Do you have to get all jealous like this?" he chided. "Besides, we're in the middle of a divorce. Who I'm with and what I do have nothing to do with you."

He stared at Savannah's pale face, enunciating every word.

"Hurting Elle won't get you anywhere. If you want to get back together, you'd better start acting like it."

"I didn't hit her," Savannah said calmly. "She did it to her—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Hendrick interrupted her. "You're all about schemes and games now, aren't you? Well, how about spending a night in this restroom?"

The next second, the door slammed shut with force, followed by the unmistakable click of a lock.

Savannah pounded on the locked door until her palms turned red and numb. She had no idea how much time had passed when the lock finally turned with a hopeful click.

She sighed in relief, ready to leave this place, only to be cornered by three thugs into a blind spot at the end of the hallway.

The one in front with dyed hair grabbed her by the hair and said, "You're Savannah Johnson, right?"

"I'm not…"

Savannah immediately knew something was off. She prepared to flee, but suffered a heavy blow to her abdomen the next second.

The pain made her body curl inward, and seizing the moment, another thug yanked her head up by the hair. He slapped her hard across her face, leaving her ears ringing. Even her lips were smeared with blood.

"Now, what good does being shameless do for a pretty lady like you?"

The thug with dyed hair pinched her chin and patted her cheek with the other hand. "Let us show you a few of our moves tonight!"

Fists and leather shoes rained down on Savannah like a storm. Curled up on the restroom floor, she instinctively shielded her head like a scared child.

A sharp crack came from her ribs, and the pain exploded through her body. Her vision went black at the edges, but she bit down hard on her lip, refusing to let a single cry escape.

"That's enough. We don't need her dead," one of the thugs finally said. "Ms. Stone only told us to teach her a lesson."

As their footsteps faded into the distance, Savannah lay sprawled on the cold floor, every inch of her body screaming in pain.

She tried to move just one finger, but even that sent waves of agony through her. Cold sweat soon soaked her back.

From the end of the hallway came Chantelle's victorious laughter. "Let's see if she'd get smug again."

Savannah forced herself to roll over, staring up at the blinding ceiling light. A drop of blood slid down from her temples, and she suddenly laughed.

"Is this what you wanted, Hendrick?" she thought. "You said you love me, but you yearn for my suffering. Is this what you wish to see me like, broken, humiliated, and barely clinging to life? Fine, you win."

But this… this would be the last time he had the last laugh.