Chapter 4

I was bursting with excitement. I snuck out and bought a ticket home, hoping to surprise them.

I went to the mall and picked out a pair of couple's scarves, planning to give them to Michael and David.

But when I opened the door, the scene before me made my blood freeze.

David was there, chained up, so thin that it hurt to look at him, curled up on the icy floor.

And right in front of him, two bodies, naked and entwined, were tangled together.

I was gasping for air, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned pale, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, and my stomach twisting in turmoil.

The two people I cared about most in my life had both turned against me, betraying me together.

My mind went completely blank.

Just then, David spotted me first.

David, a six-foot-tall man, was huddled up, holding a piece of hard, stale bread in his dirty hands. He carefully offered it to me, mumbling, "Anna, eat."

My tears burst out before I could stop them.

I rushed over, my eyes bloodshot with rage, screaming, "How could you do this to David? How could you betray me like this?"

I grabbed Lauren's hair with every ounce of strength I had.

Lauren let out a scream and bowed, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at me pleadingly. "Anna, I know I've let you down, and I've let David down, too."

She lowered her head, her hands clenched tight, her voice trembling. "But I'm not thirty yet. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with an idiot."

I was the one who set her free, and she promised she'd never leave us, swore she'd always stay by our side.

And now, she said this.

"Michael and I really love each other. I'm not trying to steal your spot as Mrs. Stone," Lauren said, her voice shaking. She anxiously clutched the hem of her clothes in her hands.

"I'll take care of David. Please, let me stay by Michael's side." As she spoke, she wanted to bow again. "Wouldn't it be better if the four of us stayed together?"

She looked up at me, her eyes begging.

David always had my back, always kept me safe from harm.

But now, I had to face the ugly truth about people head-on.

Rage burned in my chest, my breathing quick and shallow, my knuckles pale from clenching my fists, and my hand shot up.

But before I could strike, Michael pushed me away.

David was so terrified that he burst into tears, and he kept ramming his frail body against the chains, over and over, acting on instinct.

With a sharp crack, he managed to break his own ankle and finally got free.

He dragged his broken leg, wrapped his arms around me, and covered me with his body.

The wooden stool Michael brought down landed hard on David's head.

Warm blood stained my hands.

I reached out in a panic, trying to dial an emergency number.

But Michael took his sweet time getting dressed, then smashed my phone to pieces with his foot.

I'd seen him playful, happy, and guilty before, but this was the first time I'd ever seen him so cold and ruthless.

"If you want this idiot to live, then shut your mouth." Michael towered over me, threatening. "You'll still be Mrs. Stone. I'll get David the best doctors."

He crossed his arms, his voice brooking no argument. "But you stay out of my business with Lauren."

With that, he turned and walked away.

David, not understanding what was going on, reached out with his grubby hands and awkwardly tried to wipe away my tears. "Don't cry, Anna. I am here."

He gave me a goofy grin, his broken teeth showing as he smiled at me.

In the end, I surrendered.

Once Michael and Lauren got over their initial panic, they became more brazen.

Their scandal spread fast in our social circle. People started calling them heartless, and the company's plans to go public got messed up because of it.

The worst part was that Lauren ended up pregnant.

Michael came to me, his tone so forceful that there was no room for argument. "Anna, if you keep letting your emotions get the best of you, you'll never see David ever again."

He always kept his word.

I searched everywhere I could think of, but I couldn't find David anywhere.

I broke down and bowed. All around me, the media swarmed, cameras flashing and microphones shoved in my face.

I kept my head down, my voice trembling. "It's all my fault. David and I are the real lovers. I'm sorry to Michael and Lauren.

"It was David who forced Lauren, and I was the one who deliberately ruined their relationship."

I stared at the confession they'd written for me, turning black into white, and all I could think about was escaping.

Just then, Michael leaned in close and played a voice message from David, his voice slurred and weak. "Anna, I'm so cold."

I clenched my jaw so hard that I thought my gums would bleed.

In the end, I admitted to everything, like they wanted.

The crowd stared at me with contempt, scorn, and that look people get when they're here for the drama.

I was numb, moving on autopilot, with no idea how I left that party. All I could think about was seeing for myself that David was okay.

When I got to the care facility, the caregiver gave me a helpless look and said, "After Mr. Lane saw the video of you bowing, he kept insisting he had to go find you. Then he vanished."

By the time I saw David again, he was already gone, cold and lifeless.

His whole body was pale and waterlogged, but in his hand, he was clutching the butterfly hairpin I loved as a kid.

I collapsed onto David's body, sobbing my heart out in total despair.

Meanwhile, my phone was blowing up with news about Michael, the tech prodigy, and Lauren finally getting their happily ever after.

How could I not hate them?