Chapter 2
Zoe opened her mouth, but the anger choked her. No words came out.
Lillian's voice trembled. "Zoe, please, let me explain—"
Stanley raised a hand to stop Lillian, then stepped forward to shield her. "There's nothing to explain. This has been going on for a while. You were going to find out sooner or later."
He lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "In families like ours, it's normal for a man to have a mistress.
"Luke's gone, and Lillian can't manage on her own. Marrying you is one thing. Taking care of her is another. They're not the same."
Each word felt like a dull blade dragging across Zoe's heart.
She gripped the doorframe, forcing herself to speak. "Stanley, what am I to you?"
"My wife," he said without hesitation. "But you need to understand. Lillian is part of this family. If you behave, we can all live peacefully. If you make a scene, I won't tolerate it."
Behind him, Lillian brushed away her tears, quietly sobbing.
"It's all my fault," she murmured.
Stanley turned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "This has nothing to do with you. She never said she was coming home, and she's making a big deal out of nothing."
Zoe got seriously drunk that night.
She sat alone on the balcony and finished half a bottle of whiskey, the alcohol burning down her throat like shards of glass.
She called Stanley seventeen times. Not once did he answer.
Later, she saw a post on Lillian's Instagram—a photo of Stanley holding her at a candlelit dinner, a simple heart emoji in the caption. Posted at 8:30 p.m.
Zoe stared at that photo for a long time.
Then she did something she'd regret for the rest of her life.
She called Marty.
Marty was one of Stanley's childhood friends, a rich kid with a loud mouth, always fooling around, but he'd been nice to her.
She was drunk and just wanted someone to talk to.
Marty picked up. "Zoe, you sound wasted. Don't stay by yourself. I'll come get you. We'll find somewhere to talk."
She got into his car.
The car pulled up to a hotel.
She thought they were heading to the bar downstairs, but the moment she stumbled into a room, the door shut behind her.
Marty shoved her.
She landed hard on the bed.
The lights were so blinding that she couldn't even open her eyes.
That was when she realized something was seriously wrong. She struggled to get up, but her legs wouldn't cooperate.
The door swung open.
Stanley was standing in the doorway.
And right behind him was Lillian.
They both stared at Zoe, sprawled on the bed with her clothes disheveled, their faces showing very different emotions.
Lillian covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "Zoe, how could you let this happen..."
Stanley's face darkened, terrifyingly so. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her off the bed.
Her knees slammed into the floor, and she doubled over in pain.
She looked up at Marty.
He leaned against the wall, legs crossed, taking a cigarette from Stanley. He smiled. "You walked right into this, Zoe. Don't blame me."
He glanced at Stanley. "See? I told you what kind of person she is. You didn't believe me."
It hit Zoe then. This had been a setup from the start. Her whole body went cold, like she'd been thrown into ice water.
She stared at Stanley, eyes wide. "Do you hate me that much?"
Stanley let go of her hair. "I gave you a chance. You wasted it."
Lillian crouched down, gently wiping the tears from Zoe's face with a handkerchief, her voice soft and tender. "Zoe, just apologize. If you say you're sorry, Stanley will forgive you."
Zoe stared at Lillian's gentle face. Her teeth clenched.
Suddenly, she lunged forward and bit down hard on the back of Stanley's hand with everything she had.
Stanley grunted in pain, then grabbed her left hand and twisted.
A sharp crack echoed.
The crack of bone snapping rang out, sharp and clear.
Zoe let out a piercing scream.
The pain swallowed her whole, her vision going black as the alcohol came rushing back up.
Stanley released her, calmly taking out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his hand.
He looked down at her, curled on the floor, shaking. "Take her to Tranquil Grace Academy. Bring her back when she learns some manners."
The next day, a black van and eight security guards forcibly took her away.
To the outside world, Tranquil Grace Academy was a luxury retreat. Inside, it was a prison.
There were electric shocks, hours of forced kneeling, and no sleep. Even the food was rotten.
If she resisted, even a little, the instructors would pin her down and beat her.
And after every beating, they made her smile and say, "Thank you for the lesson."
For three hundred and sixty-five days, Zoe learned one thing—keep her head down.
No matter how badly they hurt her, no matter what they called her, she kept her head down and smiled.
That was the only way to survive.
The Maybach rolled into the private estate.
The iron gates slowly opened.
Lillian suddenly turned around, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, by the way, Zoe, your birthday's next Tuesday, isn't it? Why don't we throw you a party at home? We can celebrate your new beginning, okay?"