Sky

“What happened?!”

Felix’s voice thundered across the room. His footsteps rushed toward us before he dropped to his knees to check on Sofia. The redness and the cut on her cheek—Felix turned to me with pure rage in his eyes.

He thought I was the one who did it. I shook my head quickly, tried to back away—but it was too late. His hand lunged forward, grabbing my throat with brutal force. He was trying to kill me.

“How many times have I told you not to come into my office?!” he shouted.

“Felix... I...”

He finally released his grip, letting me gasp for air again. I coughed, my eyes tearing up. But the burn in my throat was nothing compared to the ache in my chest—seeing how gently he cradled Sofia in his arms.

He carried her out of the room. I tried to follow, tried to explain, but the man was consumed by fury.

Felix kicked my wheelchair as I rolled after him. “If anything happens to Sofia, I’ll kill you!”

I collapsed onto the floor in pain. Some of the staff and Felix’s acquaintances on that floor stared at me with pity. Not just for my crippled body—but because my husband cared more about another woman.

One staff member helped me up, assisted me downstairs. I ordered an Uber and went home alone. Silent tears streamed down my face the whole way.

I thought Felix truly cared about me. That he’d take responsibility for my life. But he didn’t even want to hear my explanation. He trusted his childhood friend—who turned out to be his mistress—more than his own wife.

Three years of marriage, and Felix had often ignored me. I always believed he was just busy with his massive business. But now I realized—I’d been fooling myself all along.

I went upstairs to my room. Ever since Sofia came into the picture, Felix had never set foot in my bedroom. He always claimed he got home late while I was asleep and left early before I woke. Now I knew it was just an excuse. I didn’t even know where he spent his nights.

Or maybe… I’d just been too afraid. Afraid that if I pushed too hard, Felix would abandon me—and I’d be left without security.

I opened the wardrobe, slowly folding my clothes into a suitcase. Whether Felix stayed in my life or not, I knew I was already broken. But I wouldn’t let myself rot in misery. If I had to suffer—then they should too.

Just as I reached for another stack of clothes, someone suddenly yanked my hand.

Felix.

His eyes were dark with restrained fury.

“Trying to run away after hurting Sofia? Not a chance.”

I tried to pull away. “Let me go! I didn’t even touch her!”

“Stop defending yourself, Sky. All this time, I saw you as a decent person. But today—you nearly killed someone. Did you do it because of jealousy?”

“Jealousy? I told you, I didn’t—”

“Enough!” he barked. “You’re coming with me. You need to take responsibility.”

“I didn’t do anything! You can’t treat me like this, Felix!”

“Why not? I can do anything to you. Even kill you!”

My mouth dropped open, but Felix didn’t give me a chance to reply. He forcefully pushed my wheelchair toward the elevator and took me downstairs.

In the living room, Sofia sat with her face wrapped in bandages. I squinted. Jayden sat beside her, crying while hugging her tightly. He ran toward me, pointed at my face.

“You tried to kill my mom, you evil woman! So what if your husband cares more about her? My mom did nothing wrong!” Jayden cried.

Sofia tried to calm him down, gently scolding him not to speak to me that way.

“Sky, I’m sorry. It was my fault, and Jay’s too. I hope you won’t kick us out of this house,” she pleaded pitifully.

“Who would dare kick my mom out?!” Jayden interrupted.

“Jay’s right,” Felix added, his gaze directed at me. “If anyone dares to kick them out, it’s them who should leave.”

His meaning was clear. His authority, his warning—don’t mess with Sofia.

I clenched my fists tightly. I saw Sofia’s crooked smile as if to say, “He’s mine now.”

“And you, Sky.” Felix looked at me directly. “From today on, you will serve Sofia and Jayden.”

I stared at him, protesting. “Why should I do that?”

“It’s your punishment for hurting Sofia. Her face is ruined because of your childish tantrum.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “You want this cripple to serve your mistress?”

“Shut your mouth, Sky!” His hand slapped across my cheek.

Felix really silenced me. He had choked me, nearly killed me—and now, he slapped me in front of his mistress.

He claimed to love me. But his actions screamed otherwise.

Without another word, I turned my wheelchair back toward my room.

I saw him leave the house with Jayden and Sofia. I didn’t care anymore. But a sudden, sharp pain struck my legs. I called the doctor to come and check.

The doctor said my lower body was permanently paralyzed. But the pain when Felix shoved me out of my chair… It felt too real.

“Ma’am, I’ve examined your legs. I can’t say for sure with the limited equipment we have, but...” The doctor looked hesitant.

“What is it, Dr. Rochelle?”

“I can recommend a hospital with advanced diagnostics. I don’t know why, but I feel like your legs might be treatable.”

I stared at my legs in silence. For the past three years, different doctors have examined me every two months. They always said the same thing—there’s no hope. So why was Dr. Rochelle saying otherwise?

“Ma’am, I understand how you feel. But…”

“I’ll think about it, doctor. Thank you. You may go.”

Dr. Rochelle nodded and left the room. I looked down at my legs again, her words echoing in my head.

From what I overheard during the examination, my bones were still structurally intact—but the nerve signals were gone.

I had done multiple hospital tests. The results were always the same. But now I remembered… all the reports, all the files—Felix kept them. He only told me the results. I never saw the papers for myself.

What if Felix had been hiding something from me?

I had to find out. Something wasn’t right.

Sky

At six in the evening, I sat by the bedroom window overlooking the front yard. Felix’s car pulled into the driveway—he stepped out with Sofia by his side, and Jayden asleep in his arms like a child who felt safe in the embrace of betrayal.

Sofia’s arms were full of paper bags from luxury brands. Brands I used to buy with my own money, but ever since the wedding, I hadn’t worn any of them.

Felix didn’t like me wearing expensive things. Now I knew he simply didn’t want me spending money he had reserved for Sofia.

I didn’t go down to welcome them. Even when Felix entered the room, I remained silent.

“It’s already six. Shouldn’t you have dinner ready by now?” he asked flatly.

I glanced at him briefly. “My legs hurt. Can you just order food for tonight?”

Felix let out a bitter laugh—a laugh that hurt more than his words. “Are you serious? Your legs are numb, Sky. You’re just lying to get out of your responsibilities.”

My hands clenched. In the past, whenever I complained, he’d soothe me with gentle words like, “Everything’s going to be okay.” Now, all I heard were sharp, cruel accusations.

Still, I went downstairs. I cooked. Not because I cared—but because I needed to survive. The kitchen was mine—the only space I still controlled. But lately, Felix preferred Sofia’s cooking, using the excuse that he didn’t want me getting too tired.

An hour later, dinner was nearly ready. I went upstairs to call Felix, passing by Sofia’s room—and that’s when I heard it.

Moans. Shallow breaths.

I froze. My hands tightened on the armrest of my wheelchair. The door was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw Sofia sitting on Felix’s lap, his hands trailing along her thigh.

I couldn’t bear to watch any more. They had already confessed everything. I wanted to leave.

But Sofia’s voice stopped me.

“Felix, I can’t take this anymore. When are you going to let Sky go?”

“Be patient, sweetheart,” Felix replied. “I haven’t broken her enough yet. The more she sees us together, the more hopeless she becomes. Once she’s completely crushed, I won’t owe her anything. Not even the slightest bit of affection.”

I stood frozen.

So… the reason he married me wasn’t love. It was to make me suffer. Slowly, methodically.

And I didn’t even know why.

We barely knew each other before marriage. All I knew was that he was one of my fans. That was it.

“You’re right,” Sofia chimed in. “If that cripple loses all hope, she’ll take her own life. You won’t even have to dirty your hands, Felix.”

No more words followed.

Only the revolting sounds of kisses echoing in the room—like the sick rhythm of betrayal.

I rolled my wheelchair away, down to the dining room. I ate alone.

An hour later, they finally came downstairs. Jayden clung to Felix’s arms, glaring at me—as if to say I didn’t deserve to have “his father.”

“I told you to call us when dinner was ready. And you had the audacity to eat alone?” Felix snapped.

I looked at him briefly. “I was hungry.”

Felix opened his mouth, but Sofia spoke first.

“Sorry for making you wait, Sky. Jayden was fussy, and for some reason, only Felix could calm him down. I hope you’re not misunderstanding again.”

I said nothing. I kept eating like no one was sitting across from me.

That made Felix furious.

He grabbed my plate and smashed it to the floor—shards scattering everywhere.

“Sofia is talking! Is this how you show respect?!”

I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself from breaking down. But Felix wasn’t done.

“I’m tired,” I said and wheeled myself away.

But Jayden suddenly leapt from Felix’s arms, ran toward me, and shoved my wheelchair. I fell, my hand landing on a sharp shard of the broken plate—blood starting to drip.

“You think just because you’re the lady of the house you can do whatever you want? Just remember, there’s no such thing as a crippled queen. You never deserved that title!”

Felix and Sofia didn’t react. They just watched… and then walked out of the house, leaving me behind again.

“You’re wrong, Jayden.” I clenched my fist around the glass shard. “I’m not crippled. And I will be a queen—the queen who will punish you all.”

I reached for the phone tucked in the pocket of my wheelchair, and dialed the only person I could still trust.

“I want the divorce papers as soon as possible. File it under the name Alessia “Sky” deLuca,” I said. “And sever all ties with the Moretti family.”

Sky

[The Emerald Grotto, 2nd floor, VIP number 5, 15 minutes left.]

My hands trembled as I read the message, clutching the phone tightly. This wasn’t just a meeting—this was a gateway to long-lost freedom. After years of locking myself away in a prison called marriage, I was finally reconnecting with the deLuca family—the blood and name I once buried for a love gone wrong.

Felix used to be someone I believed could protect me. Promised me a future. Gave me a sense of security. But all of it was an illusion, and the future he painted turned out to be a dark room with no exit. My only path now was to return to the one person I could truly trust. My family.

As soon as I hid my secret phone under the pillow, the door burst open. Felix walked in, and I held my breath, pretending to be busy at my easel. The brush in my hand moved as if I was immersed in the painting—but really, that canvas had long lost its meaning. Painting had always been my escape. I used to love it more than anything, before martial arts became mandatory because of family rules.

Ever since I married Felix, I could only paint when he wasn’t home. He was always too busy, too distant, too full of secrets. And I was too stupid to question any of it.

“Sofia and I are going to Finland the day after tomorrow,” he said, like it was a casual update. My hand froze, but I didn’t turn to face him. Not this time.

“Jayden wants to see the Northern Lights. Sofia wanted to invite you, but—”

“Go,” I cut him off, returning to ruin the already ruined canvas.

Felix took a deep breath and said, “I don’t want you to misunderstand and hurt Sofia again. She meant well. But you’ve never been allowed to travel far.”

The same excuse. Back then, I might have believed it. But now I knew it was all manipulation. They blamed it on weak mental health, trauma, and emotional instability. All crafted lies to keep me feeling unworthy of leaving the house. Unworthy of healing. Unworthy of fighting back.

“Sofia and I are going shopping with Jayden. Don’t worry, I’ll buy you that branded bag you like,” he added.

His rough hand landed on my head, like a father patting a child. Just briefly, then he left. No hug. No warmth.

The brush in my hand snapped.

Enough. I wouldn’t fall for the manipulation again. It was all a distraction—a tactic to keep my mood in check so I wouldn’t lash out at Sofia, the drama queen who always managed to steal sympathy.

After making sure Felix’s car had left the house, I got ready. Coat on, important documents tucked safely into my bag. It was time to meet the one person I could still trust.

The bar on the edge of town looked quiet from the outside, but The Emerald Grotto held more secrets than my entire marriage. VIP room number 5. Second floor.

Dante deLuca was already there, lounging with his usual calm, a cup of untouched coffee before him.

“Long time no see, Ally. You look like hell,” he said with that signature smirk.

Dante. My father's right-hand man. A brother and protector during my overseas tour to win taekwondo matches-which was really just a mask to carry out missions in the countries we visited.

He was also the witness to my meeting with Felix. When Felix was cornered by some thugs and I helped him. Unexpectedly, he returned the favor when I got into a car accident.

It all sounded like a plan. But I didn't know what the reason was.

I sat down wordlessly and handed over the folder I had prepared.

“Investigate these hospitals,” I said briefly.

Dante opened the folder, glanced at the contents, and raised an eyebrow. “The dumb deLuca finally woke up.”

I didn’t argue. I had been stupid. If I hadn’t drowned in despair, I could’ve looked for answers much sooner. But I let Felix keep me sedated with sweet nothings, convincing me to live in suffering.

“Here’s your divorce file,” Dante said, handing me another folder. “Flight’s in two days. Mrs. Moretti—or should I say, Miss deLuca.”

He smirked, stood, and walked away without another word. Typical Dante—disappearing as suddenly as he appeared.

I stared down at the divorce papers in my hand. Two more days. Just two.

I only had to hold on a little longer. And when it’s over—I’ll rise again. Not as a discarded wife. Not as a pitiful crippled woman. But as Alessia deLuca.

And that name—will become hell for everyone who betrayed me.