Chapter 1

After 20 years of being held captive by Colin Stanton, trapped in a forced relationship, I'd gotten old and lost my looks.

After another night together, he pinched my face and said, "When did you get so many wrinkles? You look awful.

"I honestly don't get what I was thinking, falling for you. Why don't you just leave? Isn't that what you always wanted? Your freedom?"

But that was 20 years ago.

It never crossed my mind that the day would come when he would be sick of me.

Colin moved carelessly. Once he was done, he got off me. He didn't hold me and clean me up the way he always did. Instead, he wiped his mouth, the mouth that had just kissed me, as if the kiss disgusted him.

His words exploded in my ears and left a hum buzzing inside my head.

My face must have fallen, because he grabbed a piece of clothing and threw it over my face.

"You're not a young girl anymore. That pathetic look you're making," he paused and went on, "it's honestly off-putting."

Maybe he thought he had gone too far. He added, "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant you're really quite plain."

And then he opened the door and walked out.

The heavy fabric pressed down against my nose and mouth. I didn't move it until I couldn't breathe anymore. I snatched it away and gasped for air.

A blade of light cut into my eyes.

I squinted toward the door.

My son stood in the doorway. A smirk was plastered across his face. "Did Dad finally get sick of you, you worthless piece of nothing? I was honestly surprised he put up with you for this long.

"I really don't get what a successful man like Dad ever saw in you. You know what you are? You're his disgrace. And now he's finally shaking you off. Good for him."

I looked away and didn't say a word. I stared at the ceiling, my eyes blank. The tears came, and I couldn't stop them.

As I cried, I suddenly found myself laughing.

*****

But I wasn't always this worthless.

Before I met Colin, I had a decent family. Not rich, but okay.

I got into Northbridge University for mechanical engineering with a perfect SAT score. I was the top-ranked student in Riverland State.

I also had a boyfriend, Leon Grant. We had been together for years.

I thought my life was perfect. But all of that changed when I met Colin.

I was 20 at the time. As a top student at Northbridge, I was chosen to host Colin, an entrepreneur.

After a whole week with him, he started showing up in my life all the time.

At first, he kept coming up with all sorts of lame excuses to butt into my life. He fussed over every little thing about me. I wasn't stupid. I could tell his feelings were obviously over the line. So I started avoiding him and keeping my distance.

But one day, after he saw me on a date with Leon, he had me kidnapped on my way back to school.

In a hotel room, I looked at him in terror. "Why are you doing this?"

He said it was love at first sight. That he loved me. "Every time I close my eyes, I see your smile. I'm crazy about you. I can't stand other men touching you. You can only be mine."

My desperate struggle pissed Colin off even more. He dragged me to the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel room.

Downstairs, Leon was getting beaten up by a group of men.

I struggled, trying to go down and save him. But Colin pressed himself against me from behind. He held my head tight with both hands and forced me to watch.

He whispered in my ear like a demon, "Leave him. Be with me. Or I'll have someone break his hands. I heard he's a promising painter."

"No, please, I'm begging you." My tears fell onto the glass.

When I saw the sticks hitting Leon, I begged Colin right away. "Please. I'll be with you. I won't see him again. I'm begging you. Just let him go."

Colin bent down and wiped the tears from my face. His voice was soft. "Good girl."

He stepped back and sat on the sofa behind him. Then he said to me, "Come on, please me. If I'm happy, I'll tell them to stop."

In the reflection of the window, I could see Colin's pleased look.