“Ah, Robert, isn’t this a bad idea? That necklace was meant for Amelia,” Gloria said.

“It’s fine,” Robert replied calmly.

“They’re right. Gloria, it fits you better. I chose the wrong gift for Amelia anyway. I’ll give it to you as a reward.”

Rewarding her like that helped him save face.

One of the business partners looked at me with clear disgust.

“Why is this ugly woman still here? Mr. Fuentes, if she stays, I’m afraid I’ll lose my appetite for discussing business with you.”

Robert walked over to me and said quietly, “Amelia, please go home first. I’m sorry, but I have to close this deal today. I’ll explain everything to everyone later, alright?”

Before turning away, he hesitated, but he still continued, “From now on … it’s better if you don’t wear clothes that show your arms or neckline.”

I saw the faint look of disgust in his eyes. It was almost funny to me. Didn’t he realize that every scar on my body was his doing?

That night, I woke up to the sound of someone kicking my door. Robert burst in, furious. He dragged me out of bed.

“Just because I didn’t acknowledge you today and gave Gloria that necklace, you had to hurt her like this?!”

Before I could respond, he pulled me straight to Gloria’s room. Under the torn quilt, dozens of leeches writhed and twisted. Their sticky bodies were glistening in the dim light.

“Amelia … ”

Gloria whimpered, “I never meant to steal your necklace or your place. It was Robert’s decision, not mine. I couldn’t explain it. But how could you do something so cruel, stuffing blood-sucking leeches into my blanket?”

She touched her belly and sobbed.

“I’m pregnant with Robert’s child. Luckily, I found them in time… I’ll return the necklace to you, but please just let me go.”

I looked straight at Robert.

“I didn’t do this. If you don’t believe me, check the cameras.”

But he didn’t even hesitate to not trust me.

“There’s no need. I know your vengeful nature too well. I thought prison had changed you, but you’ve only gotten worse. You should’ve stayed there a few more years!”

He glared at me coldly as he threatened me, “No matter what, I’ll teach you a lesson tonight. You’ll never dare touch Gloria again.”

Half an hour later, Robert’s men came in, covering their noses as they carried a large barrel half their height. The tub was full of leeches, writhing in dark water.

“Dump them into the bathtub,” Robert ordered.

“Then push Amelia in.”

I looked up at him sharply as I told him, “Robert, you’ll regret this.”

“If I don’t teach you a lesson, I’ll be the one who regrets it!” he shouted.

They forced me into the tub.

Hundreds of leeches clung to my skin, wriggling wildly as they sucked my blood. Within seconds, the water turned deep red. My body went numb. After that, everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the living room’s sofa. I was being hooked up to a blood transfusion. I had almost forgotten that both Robert and I shared the same blood type.

He stood beside me for a long time before sighing, asking me, “Why are you always so stubborn? If you’d just admit your mistakes and stop fighting me, I wouldn’t have to treat you this way.”

A slap first and then a gentle pat … was this his idea of love?

I pulled the needle from my arm and staggered upstairs. Behind me, Robert’s voice rang out, full of forced calm, “Amelia, let this be a lesson. Don’t make me do it again!”

At the stairwell, I ran into Gloria carrying a bowl of porridge.

“Oh, Amelia, you’re awake,” she said sweetly.

“I made this blood-replenishing porridge for you. Drink it while it’s still warm.”

I glared at her coldly.

“You staged the whole thing yourself, didn’t you? Is this how mistresses climb their way up?”

At that, Gloria dropped her act and smirked.

“I didn’t expect you to survive,” she said softly.

“But so what? In love, the one who isn’t loved is always the mistress.”

Gloria’s eyes flicked past me.

“Don’t believe me? Well then, I’ll prove it to you.”

Before I could react, she slammed the bowl in her hand to the floor, let out a shrill scream and hurled herself down the stairs from her wheelchair. Robert, who had just rushed over, caught her neatly in his arms. He turned to me coldly.

The next instant, Robert violently grabbed me by my collar. A violent force pulled me forward. I lost my footing and tumbled down the stairs. My head hit the floor with a sharp crack. Warm blood streamed down my scalp.

Robert’s voice was cold and filled with disgust as he said, “Amelia, you really haven’t changed. Are you trying to repeat your old tricks?”

“I warned you last time. Since you refuse to take my words seriously, I guess everyone was right. You’re nothing but a violent criminal with a vicious heart. You’re unfit to be Mrs. Fuentes.”

After what just happened, I knew that I couldn’t even defend myself.

Instead, I asked him as I smiled while looking at him, “What now, Mr. Fuentes? Are you planning to send me to prison again … for your precious mistress?”

His gaze lingered on my blood-soaked face. For a moment, his expression faltered. But he then continued, “This time, I’ll let it go since Gloria wasn’t hurt. But I’ll move up my wedding with her. You owe her that much.”

After that, he told me, “As for us … After I marry Gloria, I’ll still get a marriage certificate with you as proof of our long-standing relationship. You’ll stay quietly at the estate. Gloria will handle everything else by my side.”

A laugh almost escaped me.

Robert Fuentes always knew how to have it both ways.

My mocking smile made his expression darken.

“Send Amelia to the apartment outside Mexico City immediately. No one is to let her out without my permission. Let her reflect on her mistakes before she hurts Gloria again!”

Four or five bodyguards seized me roughly and dragged me into a car. But the road stretched on far longer than it should have. When the vehicle finally stopped, I realized we weren’t at any apartment. Instead, we were at an abandoned factory.

One of the men pulled out a knife, smirking.

“Miss Bello’s orders. You’re not supposed to see tomorrow’s sunrise. Nothing personal. It’s just business.”

The pieces clicked into place. No wonder these faces were unfamiliar. They weren’t Robert’s men. They were Gloria’s!

The man chuckled and held up his phone. “But before you die, Miss Bello wanted you to see something fun. Said it’d make your death less boring.”

He shoved the screen toward me. My pupils shrank instantly. In the video, Gloria, who had supposedly been crippled, stood tall beside Robert. Her arm was linked with his as they admired a wedding dress.

“Robert, now that I don’t have to pretend to be lame, won’t that make people suspicious?”

Robert smiled.

“No. I’ll just say your leg healed. You’ll be the most beautiful bride, Gloria. Your idea was perfect. Rolling downstairs when Amelia brushed against you. I’ll have someone fake the medical report and send her in.”

Robert’s voice softened, but there was poison beneath it as he spoke, “Amelia’s gotten too bold these last few years. Sometimes I feel like she’s more of a rival than a partner. I’ve fought too hard to get here. I won’t let anyone threaten me.”

“I thought prison would break her. But she’s still the same.”

The summer air was scorching, yet I felt a coldness creep through my bones. For nearly twenty years, I’d stood beside that man. From nothing to everything. We’d been partners. Allies. Family. And now, this was how it ended.

Robert wanted to destroy me because he was afraid of me? How absurd!

I closed my eyes as the bodyguards surrounded me while showing their grins. When I opened them again, the air shifted. It was all sharp and sudden.

“They’re dead.”

Before anyone could react, a group of men in black stormed out from behind the factory pillars, striking fast and hard. In seconds, Gloria’s hired thugs were on the ground.

Amid the sounds of cracking bones and desperate screams andrea handed me a handkerchief. His face showed a cold fury.

“Amelia, I’m going to kill those two assholes right now.”

I gently wiped the blood from my cheek and said calmly, “They’ve gone to such lengths to plan their perfect wedding. How could we let it go to waste?”

“The wedding planner is one of ours, isn’t she? Tell her to convince Gloria to hold the wedding at sea, on our most luxurious cruise ship. Gloria loves showing off. So, she’ll definitely agree.”

Just as I expected, Gloria fell in love with the cruise ship at first sight and followed the planner’s suggestion. Robert had no objections either. The grander the wedding, the more prestige he would gain.

But on the wedding day, the bride was nowhere to be found. Some guests claimed they had seen her in the luxury suite prepared as the bridal room. The crowd began joking.

“Is the bride that impatient? Can’t even wait for the ceremony before heading to the bridal chamber? Looks like Mr. Fuentes really knows how to charm his women!”

“Hurry and bring the bride out! There’ll be plenty of time for that after the wedding!”

Robert forced a smile, but a flicker of unease crossed his face. Surrounded by the laughing guests, he made his way to the suite. The moment he opened the door, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall.

Gloria was nowhere to be seen. In the middle of the bed, covered with rose petals, was a bloody embryo. I stepped out from the crowd as I clapped my hands lightly while showing a faint smile on my lips.

“What a scene,” I said softly.

“I believe Mr. Fuentes always has something special waiting on the bed at his weddings. So now, Mr. Fuentes, why don’t you go have a closer look?”