Chapter 5

But Samantha hadn't taken even a single sip of that soup from beginning to end. She replied, "You made this yourself. Do you really think I'd poison her?"

Right next to her, Jenny was already vomiting and managed to say in a pitiful, shaky voice, "I know Samantha didn't mean to hurt me. She's just jealous that I have Kendrick's love. It's fine, I won't blame her."

Just like that, with a few sentences, Jenny had painted Samantha as the malicious troublemaker, the one everyone would blame.

"That's nonsense," Samantha shot back, her anger flaring. "You did this on purpose."

But before she could finish, Kendrick's hand came down hard across her cheek. He snapped, "Samantha, I can't believe you'd do something like this. Even knowing Jenny was still sick in bed, you still went ahead and hurt her."

Funny how he forgot Samantha had just gotten out of her own hospital bed, too.

Kendrick said coldly, "If you're so bothered by others drinking your soup, then you can have it all yourself."

Kendrick ordered the bodyguards to bring out over a hundred bowls of tonic soup, then held Samantha down and forced her to drink them one after another, just to vent Jenny's anger.

Bowl after bowl, the bodyguards kept forcing the soup down Samantha's throat at Kendrick's command.

Samantha was like a ragdoll, helpless as they stuffed her full, not caring if she broke. She drank until her stomach spasmed and cramped so hard she thought she might pass out.

Blood and soup spilled from the corner of her mouth. Even the young maid who usually cared for Samantha couldn't bear to watch anymore, her face full of pity as she begged, "Please, Mr. Hinton, Mrs. Hinton is still sick. She can't take any more."

But Kendrick only stopped when Jenny finally called out, begging him to let Samantha go.

"Jenny and I are heading overseas in a few days. You stay put and think about what you've done. Don't even think about stepping outside," Kendrick barked.

He added, "You better figure out how to be a good wife and sister-in-law."

Kendrick had Samantha shut in the villa under house arrest, but he didn't bother to leave her a single thing to survive on.

Samantha was left to starve in that villa, barely clinging to life. If the young maid hadn't come by to check on her out of worry, she might have died.

But after that, Samantha was completely done with that place. There was nothing left for her.

Samantha left the signed divorce papers on the living room table, not even taking her clothes with her, and walked out alone from the place that had trapped her for three whole years.

*****

"You're finally back, Captain." As soon as Samantha stepped off the plane, her old teammates swarmed her, practically smothering her with hugs and cheers.

Back in the day, Samantha was the best of the best in the peacekeeping force. Her medals were so numerous they could have covered an entire wall.

If she hadn't been forced to retire because of an injury a few years ago, Samantha would probably be a higher rank than just a major now.

"Captain, you're finally back. The whole crew's together again," one of her teammates shouted, beaming with excitement.

Samantha was just thrilled. She felt like a wild bird, finally set free to soar again.

But Samantha never could've guessed that the place Jenny was working with Doctors Without Borders was actually the very same base where her peacekeeping team was stationed.

Inside the base, Kendrick was out washing Jenny's underwear when he unexpectedly bumped right into Samantha, who was decked out in her military uniform.

"Seriously, you just can't leave me alone—even all the way out here?" Kendrick sneered, his tone full of contempt.

Seeing Samantha in her camo uniform made him even more furious. "What, you already latched onto someone else?

"Is that it? Trying to play the army wife now? Don't forget, we're not divorced yet."

Kendrick glared at Samantha, his eyes practically shooting daggers, like he could kill her on the spot.