Chapter 3

So, these "gifts" were nothing more than discarded junk. I suddenly remembered years ago, when Liam's best friend merely called me "the little caregiver who serves people," he'd flown into a rage. That very night, he'd found someone to sabotage his rival’s multi-million dollar project. "Audrey is my wife! Whoever dares to belittle or bully her is disrespecting me, Liam Vance! "

But now, he was slapping his own face, making me a personal caregiver for my enemy. What deep love, what sacred vows – all so fragile. I would never believe him again. I forced back the dampness in my eyes. For these last thirty days, I had to endure everything... But who would have thought, on the very first night she moved in, Serena would be tormented by nightmares. She rushed into the master bedroom barefoot just as Liam finished showering. "Liam, I can't sleep alone. " Fragile and delicate, she climbed directly into his arms, burying her face against his bare chest. "The guest room mattress is so hard. I'm scared, I want you to sleep with me. "

Liam's handsome brows furrowed slightly at her words. I knew he felt pity for her... Pity so strong that, despite me still being there, he scooped Serena onto his lap, embracing her soothingly. He glanced at the left side of the king-sized bed. "Audrey, Serena has never endured hardship since she was a child. You see... could you, perhaps, stay in another room for now? "

In that moment, I saw a flicker of triumph on Serena Thorne's face. I pulled my lips into a sarcastic smile, grabbed my pillow, and got out of bed. "If Ms. Thorne likes it so much, then this bed is all yours. "

Yes, not just this master bedroom, this bed, but this man too – I wanted none of it anymore. Over the next few days, with Liam's nightly companionship, Serena quickly regained her vibrancy. When bored, she'd occasionally invite a few girlfriends over for afternoon tea. "Serena, Liam definitely still has feelings for you. The year you were in a coma, he ran to London every other day! He even swore that if you woke up, he'd divorce for you! "

I happened to be walking past and overheard this. My heart felt as if it had been ripped open by a knife. With Liam gone, Serena didn't bother to pretend. In a whiny voice, she called out to me, "Audrey, this coffee you brewed looks like dishwater. It's disgusting. "

I walked up expressionlessly, intending to take the coffee away, but someone grabbed my wrist. "No, what's with your attitude? Our Serena's caregiver, dares to make her sick? You should be on your knees apologizing! What, you think you're above it now? "

Receiving a look from Serena, one of her girlfriends snapped, her voice sharp. Before I could react, she yanked my hair, and the full cup of hot coffee instantly splashed over me. "Stop it! "

But the next second, a sudden male voice shattered the confrontation. Liam had just walked through the door and witnessed the scene. His face dark, he rushed over, pulling me behind him. "Who gave you permission to bully her? "

No sooner had his roar fallen than Serena, who had been watching with a smirk, instantly had tears welling in her eyes. She smoothly clutched her stomach. "Liam! It's not like that! "

"Don't blame my friend. She was just doing it for me... Audrey, she, she deliberately put dairy in my coffee. My stomach hurts so bad. "

Liam's movements froze. He looked at me with scrutiny, his gaze turning completely cold. Dairy? "Audrey, I clearly told you Serena is lactose intolerant! "

How ridiculous. From protecting me to casting me aside, it took only one lie from Serena. "I didn't! " Coffee dripped from my hair. My eyes burned. "She's faking it. "

But my explanations were drowned out by Serena's superb acting, compounded by her friends' exaggerations... Liam finally exploded in anger, smashing the coffee cup on the table. He strode forward, sweeping Serena into his arms, and declared sharply, "Audrey Hayes, you stay home and think about what you've done! "

But Serena was clearly not satisfied. She cried piteously. "I'm not going to the hospital! No one has ever dared to bully me like this since I was little. I can't take it, Liam, just let me die from the pain. "

Serena threw a tantrum, refusing to go to the hospital, until Liam finally hardened his heart and coldly called for the bodyguards. "Take my wife to the backyard! Put her in solitary! "

Solitary confinement was a punishment reserved for Vance family bodyguards who committed serious offenses. That two-square-meter, fully enclosed dark room would then be infested with all sorts of venomous insects... I trembled and struggled under the bodyguards' restraint. "No! I don't want to go! "

But no matter how much I cried out, the figure carrying Serena out of the villa never looked back. For a full 24 hours, I curled up in the corner of the dark room, enduring the fiery itch and pain on my skin. The sensation of countless insects crawling over my skin almost drove me mad! But no matter how much I cried out, the bodyguards Liam had arranged stood impassively outside the door. Until the moment I lost consciousness, I felt the large red welts on my body, numb to the point of forgetting what pain was. Only a single tear tracked down my cheek. I closed my eyes, letting despair drain away the last of my love... "Audrey, don't sleep. Wake up, okay? "

When a familiar male voice pulled me back to consciousness, I snapped my eyes open. My gaze fell on the crystal chandelier in the guest room.