6
Ethan just stood there, stunned.
His eyes were empty, like his soul had been
ripped out.
He mumbled to himself, “How is that
possible… how…”
Arthur paid him no attention.
He barked orders at his bodyguards:
“Beat them.”
“Make them understand the price for hurting
my wife.”
L
Chloe screamed horribly, curling into a ball on
the floor, her face pure terror.
“No… please, stop hitting me…”
Ethan didn’t escape either.
He scrambled around, trying to shield his head, blood trickling from his mouth, his face already bruising badly.
The two boys were bawling, terrified.
But they didn’t avoid punishment.
Bodyguards grabbed their arms.
Each kid got several sharp slaps across the
face.
く
Fear lingered in everyone’s eyes.
When they looked at me now, it was with
awe.
Arthur gently squeezed my hand.
His voice was tender.
“Sarah, I will never let anyone hurt you again.”
He made me feel like the most precious thing
in the world.
Tears welled in my eyes.
I nodded, deeply moved.
“Arthur, thank you.”
L
Ten years ago, I married him as part of a
deal.
I never expected real affection.
I was prepared to be mistreated.
But this man, so powerful and aloof, broke his
own rules for me, again and again.
He cherished me, loved me, gave me
everything.
I fell for him.
Hopelessly, completely in love.
The night I confessed my feelings, he held me
tight, his breath warm against my skin,
tight, his breath warm against my skin,
whispering how he’d secretly loved me,
wanted me, for years.
In that moment, I realized everything I had
missed out on before him.
My thoughts snapped back to the present.
Chloe had crawled over to me.
She whimpered weakly, begging for mercy.
“Sarah… I was wrong… please, let me go… I’ll
never do it again…”
I gave her one cold look.
And kicked her away.
The scars she left were too deep.
A pathetic “sorry” couldn’t erase any of it.
Just then, Lily walked over, holding Lee’s
hand.
Ethan saw her and grasped at her like a
lifeline.
He yelled desperately, “Sarah! For our
daughter’s sake! Please, just this once! Ask
Mr. Ford to forgive me!”
Our daughter?
A cold laugh escaped me.
I said,
“Lily is my daughter with Arthur.”
“She has nothing to do with you.”
“As for our child…”
“The one I was carrying when you ran off with
Chloe…”
“Your own mother killed her.”
Ethan’s eyes went wide.
He shook his head violently.
“No! Impossible! My mom loved you! She
would never do something so horrific!”
“Sarah, you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
I took a deep breath and continued.
“When you faked your death at sea, the
company’s core secrets were leaked.”
“The stock price crashed.”
“When your father found out the truth about
your ‘death,‘ the shock gave him a fatal heart
attack. He died full of rage.”
“Your mother blamed me for everything.”
“She believed if I hadn’t married you, you
never would have run off, and none of it
would have happened.”
“Ethan, do you have any idea how much it
hurt? For me? For our baby? When that knife
slid into my belly?”
“Of course you don’t.”
“You were too busy playing house, living your
sweet little life with Chloe.”
Ethan’s eyes lost focus.
He completely shattered.
He clutched his head, letting out agonized
screams.
He curled up on the floor, shaking
uncontrollably.
After a long moment, he jerked his head up.
A wild, insane laugh ripped from his throat.
“Sarah! Such a ridiculous lie! You really think
I’d believe that?”
“I know what this is! You hate me for faking
my death ten years ago!”
“So you schemed your way into Ford’s bed!
All of this is just to get revenge on me!”
