Chapter 3

Lily was sweating from the pain, clinging to Dylan and sobbing softly in his arms.

"Dylan, it hurts so much... Will I be crippled...?" she whimpered.

"Don't talk nonsense. With me here, no one dares lay a finger on you," Dylan said.

His eyes were red with worry for her, but when he looked at me, it was like he was staring at his worst enemy.

"Slap yourself 20 times," he ordered.

I didn't move.

Slap myself? Seriously? I was his legitimate wife, and she was the other woman.

I accidentally hurt her, and now I was supposed to slap myself in front of everyone?

"Dylan, I did not do it on purpose," I said, lifting my head, tears shimmering stubbornly in my eyes but refusing to fall. "The coffee was so scalding hot, and Mrs. Maria Payne wouldn't take it. My hands were nearly burned to ruin..."

I spread my hands open.

My once-fair palms were now swollen and bright red, covered in a cluster of glistening blisters. The sight was shocking.

Dylan was stunned for a moment.

He never imagined the burns would be this bad.

But any hesitation vanished as worry for Lily took over.

"Serves you right. A grown woman can't even hold a cup of coffee steady? What good are your hands?" Dylan spat.

Maria was even more venomous. "Exactly. I can see the resentment in your heart. You're trying to get back at us on purpose. Someone, beat her. Don't stop until she admits she's wrong."

The burliest maids rolled up their sleeves, ready to drag me away.

I instinctively shrank back and shouted, "Dylan, the wedding gift is still in my room. My father specifically said you were to review the property deeds."

The maids froze mid-step.

Dylan's expression shifted instantly.

Nothing grabbed his attention like the mention of money.

He waved the maids back, masking the greed in his gaze and putting on a show of propriety as he cleared his throat.

"Mother, since Charlotte's hand is injured, let's put off the punishment for now. After all, we still have to visit her father today. If things get too ugly, it'll be hard to explain," he said.

At the mention of the property deeds, Maria's face noticeably softened.

She snorted. "For your father's sake, I'll let you off today. Now get lost and go tend to your wounds."

Lily looked at Dylan, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Dylan..."

Dylan gently patted her hand and whispered, "Easy now. Let's keep the bigger picture in mind."

Lily ground her teeth, giving me a glare that could kill.

I hauled myself up from the floor and staggered out of the hall.

As I turned to leave, I could feel Dylan's scheming eyes glued to my back.

Back in my room, I didn't bother calling for a doctor.

Instead, I used the needles I'd stashed away to pop the blisters on my hands.

The pain was excruciating, but it kept me clear-headed.

I knew Dylan only spared me because of the so-called property deeds that never even existed.

The Sinclair fortune stretched across the prosperous southern region. Dylan had always coveted them with envy.

In my previous life, he sweet-talked me into giving up control, then stripped the Sinclair family of everything.

This time, I'd use that fortune to seal his fate.

"My lady, Mr. Payne is here," a maid called from outside the door.

I quickly put away the needles, put on a weak, aggrieved expression, and curled up at the foot of the bed.

The door swung open.

Dylan walked in, holding a bottle of ointment.

"Charlotte, does it still hurt?" He sat down at the edge of the bed, reaching out for my hand.

I flinched, pulling away from him. "I thought you said I deserved it?"

His face flashed with embarrassment, then he sighed, looking all helpless and resigned.

"You silly thing, Mother was furious just now. If I hadn't said that, how could I have kept you safe? I did it for your own good," he said.

For my own good?

He had the nerve to play the victim after being the villain? Talk about shameless.

"Really?" I looked up at him, hope flickering in my eyes. "Do you actually care about me?"

"Of course." His voice dripped with false affection. "You're my wife. Who else would I care for if not you? Come, let me put some ointment on your hand."

He half-heartedly dabbed some ointment on my hand, then, barely able to hide his impatience, jumped straight to the real reason he was here.

"By the way, about those property deeds you mentioned earlier... Did your father really hand over all those lucrative shops down south to you?" he asked.

Finally, he showed his true colors.

I nodded. "Yes. Father said you'd need money to get ahead in the official circles. Those shops bring in tens of thousands every year, and you can use it however you want."

Dylan could barely contain his excitement, his breath coming fast.

That was hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For a guy who came from nothing, that was more money than he could ever dream of.

"So... where are the deeds?" Dylan reached out, his eyes burning with anticipation and greed.

I looked up at him, my gaze timid and uncertain. "They're still with my father."

His smile froze on his face. "What did you just say?"

"My father said since it's such a huge amount, it's only right that you go yourself to pick it up. To show respect." I looked down, hiding the smirk in my eyes.

Dylan's face clouded over for a split second, but he quickly smoothed it back into something gentle. "Yeah, right. Tomorrow, when we visit your father, I'll go with you to collect them."

He stood up and gazed down at me, his voice dripping with the pretense of kindness. "Since you're injured, stay in your room today. You're excused from waiting on Mother."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Dylan..." I called out.

"What now?" He turned back with obvious irritation.

"Is Lily's foot okay?" I asked.

At the mention of Lily, his face instantly soured. "Stay away from her. She's precious, unlike you."

The, he shut the door behind him.

I stared at the cheap ointment he left behind, then carelessly tossed it into the spittoon with a flick of my wrist.

I sneered. Precious?

Lily was definitely precious, with the Payne family's future heir already in her stomach.

By my count, it had been almost two months already.

In my last life, they covered it up so flawlessly that I didn't learn the truth until my dying breath.

This time, I'd make sure that little bastard became the first crack that brought the Payne family down.