Chapter 3
It was Alexander's simple command that turned those five days in detention into a nightmare Emily would never forget.
On her first day, she was thrown into the low-security block. From the moment she arrived, it was clear someone had singled her out.
Just as she picked up her food tray, someone smacked it out of her hands, sending her meal splattering across the floor. That night, while she was half asleep, someone dumped a bucket of ice-cold urine over her head.
By the third day, she'd been moved to the medium-security wing.
A group of women cornered her, smirking. They ripped at her clothes and shoved her into a tub filled with freezing water.
The shock made her gasp for air. Every time she blacked out, they yanked her up just long enough for her to breathe before forcing her back under.
On the final day, they dragged her into the high-security block.
Punches and kicks came from every direction, pounding into her until she couldn't tell where one blow ended and the next began. Her body screamed in pain, every nerve on fire, until she went completely numb.
"Who did you piss off so bad they told us to 'welcome' you like this?" The ringleader pressed her boot down hard on Emily's hand, grinning. "Guess you're my workout for the night."
Emily lay curled up on the filthy floor, her face streaked with blood and grime. She couldn't even tell if she still felt pain, or if she'd gone beyond it.
It was then she finally understood. If Alexander loved someone, he'd raise them up so high they could touch the sky. But if they fell out of his heart, he'd crush them into the dirt without a shred of mercy.
His cruelty always hid beneath a gentle facade.
When Emily was finally released from the detention center, she barely made it a few steps before collapsing. Everything went black.
When she opened her eyes again, three days had gone by.
She woke up in a hospital room that reeked of disinfectant. Her fingers were bandaged, her body covered in bruises. Even the slightest movement made pain ripple through her. Just as she tried to sit up, the door opened, and Alexander walked in.
The moment she saw him, she felt nothing.
"Why aren't you off with your little lover?" she said flatly. "What are you doing here?"
A flicker of irritation crossed his brow, but his tone stayed even. "Those few days should've been enough to make you think twice next time. Tonight's Sophie's birthday party. She asked me to invite you."
He added, "Last time, because of you, Sophie ended up in the hospital for days. She lost a lot of weight, so I've been helping her recover. When you get there tonight, apologize. Don't do anything to upset her again."
He glanced at his watch, already impatient. "I've got to pick up the cake with her. The drivers are busy setting up for her party, so you'll have to get yourself there."
When the door shut behind him, Emily let out a low, bitter laugh.
Those words felt painfully familiar.
He used to look at her with love so deep it made her believe she was his whole world. Now, that same tenderness belonged to someone else.
*****
That night, Emily walked into the grand party hall. Her eyes immediately found Sophie.
She stood in the center of the crowd, wearing a white strapless gown, surrounded by a group of university students all fawning over her. She looked radiant, basking in the attention.
"Soph, Mr. Grant is amazing. He donated an entire building to the school, let you use his research to get into grad school, and even threw you this massive birthday party," one of the girls gushed, her tone full of envy.
Sophie smiled shyly, lowering her gaze. "Oh, come on, he's just thankful I donated my bone marrow to his daughter," she said softly.
Another girl chimed in, "Thankful? He even had his wife thrown in jail for you. If that's not love, then what is?"
"Exactly! They say the one who's not loved is the real homewrecker," another added, giggling.
Emily's lips tightened, but she kept her expression calm. She walked straight toward Sophie.
The moment Sophie spotted her, her smile faltered—but only for a second. Quickly, she put on a bright, welcoming face and hurried over. "Emily, you made it!"
Emily pulled her hand free from Sophie's grasp, her eyes cold.
She hadn't come to cause a scene. She'd come to fulfill her daughter's dying wish.
Reaching into her bag, she took out a small painting. "This is from my daughter, Lily. She couldn't thank you in person, so she asked me to give this to you."
Sophie accepted the painting with a big, fake smile. "Oh wow, this is beautiful!"
Emily's lips barely curled into the hint of a smile. She was about to say something when Sophie suddenly tore the painting apart.
For a few seconds, Emily couldn't even comprehend what she was seeing. Sophie ripped the paper to shreds and tossed the pieces to the floor. Then, with a cruel little smile, she ground her heel into the fragments, twisting until they crumpled into dirt.
"Such a pity," Sophie said with a sneer. "Only five years old and already that sick. No matter how talented she was, she was just a doomed little brat."
Emily's vision went red. "What did you just say?"
Sophie's smirk widened. "I said, even if she was a prodigy, she was still just a pitiful, doomed little brat."
Then she stomped down again, crushing what remained of Lily's painting under her heel. The paper tore and scattered, smeared across the floor like something worthless.
Something inside Emily snapped.
Without thinking, she stormed forward and slapped Sophie hard across the face, the sound echoing through the room.
"Get out!" Emily shouted, her voice shaking with rage. "You don't deserve to touch my daughter's painting. You don't deserve anything from her."
Sophie shrieked as she fell, tears spilling dramatically down her cheeks.
Just then, the doors swung open, and Alexander walked in, holding a cake. "Sophie!" he called out in alarm.
He dropped the cake and rushed over, gathering Sophie in his arms. His eyes darkened the instant he saw the red mark on her cheek. He turned to Emily, fury blazing. "Emily, are you out of your damn mind?"
Sophie let out a pitiful cry, pulled away from him, and grabbed onto Emily's pant leg. "Mr. Grant, please, don't blame Emily. It's all my fault.
"Ms. Summers, this is all my fault. If I'd kept donating my bone marrow, Lily would still be okay. Please, hit me, scream at me, or do whatever you want. I'll give you anything."
"Don't touch me," Emily snapped, shoving Sophie away. Tears welled in Emily's eyes as she dropped to her knees, desperate to pick up the shreds of Lily's painting.
But just as she reached out, Alexander's polished shoe slammed down on her hand, pinning her fingers to the cold floor. His eyes were dark and dangerous.
"Emily, looks like those five days locked up weren't enough to teach you a lesson," he said coldly. "Did you really think you could ignore everything I told you?"