Chapter 3

Shortly after he left, I washed myself clean, then dragged my battered self out of the villa.

Charles' mother looked at me, struggling to find the words, her regret eventually dissolving into a long, drawn-out sigh. "If it hadn't been for me back then, you never would have..."

I raised my hand, cutting her off. What happened back then was not matter to me now.

Seeing my resolve, Charles' mother handed me a check. "The flight to Italy is tomorrow afternoon. Take this money. Think of it as compensation for everything you've been through these past ten years.

I took it without a word.

*****

Back at Hughes Estate, I packed up everything I owned from my years there and gave it all away.

For the first five years of our marriage, Charles was quite decent to me. We might not love each other, but he did his duty as a husband and was willing to spend money on me.

However, his attitude underwent a seismic shift when he learned that the kidney meant for Emily had ended up in me.

He humiliated me for years, and to say I didn't hate him would be a lie. But without him and the Hughes family, I would have been dead long ago. In the end, my deep resentment was all but overshadowed by sheer helplessness.

*****

I distributed these belongings to the security guards in the complex.

"Ms. Lane, are you sure you don't want any of this?" The man's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Yes, I want none of it. I'm leaving soon anyway," I said.

After setting the things aside, I headed back inside to finish packing. But as I turned around, I found myself face-to-face with Charles.

His voice was flat, betraying no emotion, but I recognized it as the calm before his storm. "Where are you going when you leave me?"

I steeled myself, cleared my throat, and gave him a careless excuse. "Mrs. Hughes asked me to stay with her for a few days."

Hearing this, Charles relaxed slightly, and he let out a quiet, almost imperceptible breath before turning to leave. "Don't take too long."

I frowned, unable to figure out what was up with him. I assumed he was simply used to me serving him and didn't want me gone.

Charles, being tall and long-legged, quickly vanished from my sight.

I brushed the dust off my clothes and prepared to go back inside. But before I could take more than a couple steps, my vision went black. An odd, sweet scent wafted over me, and in an instant, I passed out.

When I opened my eyes again, I was tied to a pillar.

Emily stood opposite me, holding a small knife. There were six hulking brutes standing behind her.

Seeing me awake, she pressed the knife to my cheek. The cold touch sent a shiver down my spine. "Sophia, I always thought you weren't even in my league. But this morning, he actually wanted to touch you. That just won't do. I must be Charlie's only woman."

Emily toyed with the knife, letting it wander slowly over my skin. A web of sharp, stinging pain bloomed across my face, and blood began to bead where the blade had passed.

"Even after all these years of you slaving away at Hughes Estate, you couldn't shake my standing in Charlie's heart one bit," she spat.

A ruthless gleam shone in her eyes. "Bet you didn't know, huh? My body is perfectly healthy. I never had kidney failure at all. My years abroad were nothing more than me getting tired of Charles."

I was shocked.

Seeing my reaction, Emily burst into laughter. "You were all just poor suckers for me to play with. Now, it's time for the grand finale."

As soon as she finished speaking, the six large men behind her suddenly moved, tying her to the pillar.

At Emily's signal, they proceeded to punch and kick her savagely. Soon, her body was covered in bruises and cuts. At the very same moment, they untied me from the pillar.

Almost instantly, the door burst open with a crash, and Charles rushed into the factory, his eyes bloodshot. His gaze swept around, finally settling on Emily. "Emmy!"

Emily's heart-wrenching scream erupted. "Charlie! Save me! Sophia has lost it. She's trying to kill me."

Charles immediately sprinted over to untie Emily, then instantly turned and kicked me.

The impact felt like being slammed by a truck. I was brutally sent sprawling onto the floor.

The burly men had already slipped away silently at Emily's instruction.

Seeing I had no strength left to resist, Charles tenderly lifted Emily into his arms. "Emmy, don't be afraid. I'm taking you to the hospital."

Emily shot me a triumphant, provocative look, then nestled gently against Charles' chest.

Before leaving, Charles torched the barrels of oil stacked near the door.

The flames shot up to the heavens immediately, and thick, choking black smoke violently engulfed my lungs.

I began to cough violently, crawling inch by inch toward the doorway.

Charles actually tried to kill me.

Tears and blood streamed down my face. I forced down a mouthful of blood and spit, bracing myself against the wall as I struggled to stand.

The fire was spreading fast. But miraculously, I escaped by the skin of my teeth.

Flames roared behind me. I stared intently in the direction they had left, and a profound sense of relief washed over me.

I had finally paid my debt to Charles with this life. From this point forward, we were square.

Once I made it to the city, I flagged down a cab and headed straight for the airport.

On the way, I sent Charles the audio recording from the factory.

I had always been uneasy since Emily returned, so my phone was set to record constantly. It had finally paid off.

I texted: [The divorce papers are on your nightstand. Be sure to sign them, and I owe you nothing more.]

[The woman you were obsessed with only considered you a toy. You are more pathetic than I ever was.]

After sending those texts, I blocked and deleted all his contact information.