Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The news of the Sterling Global CEO's infidelity paralyzed the internet. It was the scandal of the year, and it wasn't going away.

Silas couldn't take the post down himself. He didn't have the skills, and he didn't realize who he was dealing with.

I graduated at the top of my class in computer science. He could hire the best hackers in the country, and I would still outpace them.

However, I underestimated how low Silas would stoop. He used his resources to track my GPS to the hotel.

I was about to sit down for a quiet dinner when a thunderous banging shook my door. It sounded like someone was trying to kick it in.

"Selene, open this door right now! If you don't, I'll have the manager break it down!" Silas's voice boomed from the hallway.

The hotel manager was hovering nearby, trying to play peacemaker. But no one in this city dared to cross the CEO of Sterling Global.

I sighed and pulled the door open. The moment it cracked, a stinging slap landed across my face, sending me reeling back.

"I think I've been too nice to you. You've forgotten your place," Silas spat, towering over me with a murderous glare.

"Delete that post right now, while I'm watching. If you don't, I'll make sure you regret ever being born."

The burning sensation on my cheek only fueled the fire in my heart. I looked up at him and began to laugh, a wild, jagged sound.

"Is Raina dead yet? You're acting like such a martyr for her. I wonder if she knows how pathetic you look right now," I taunted him.

"You're so useless, Silas. You can't even protect your mistress without bullying your wife. Is this the powerful CEO everyone fears?"

"You actually hit me for her?" I stood up, swaying slightly, tears finally blurring my vision despite my laughter.

"I'm your legal wife. I'm defending my rights. Are you above the law now? Do you think you own the court system too, my dear husband?"

Every word I spoke hit him like a physical blow. His eyes turned a deep, vengeful red.

"I never realized how vicious you were, Selene. If that's how you want to play, fine. Don't expect any mercy from me."

Before I could react, Silas grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out. He didn't take me to jail; he took me to his private estate and locked me in.

He told the staff not to give me a single bite of food. I was allowed one glass of water a day, nothing more.

But the post stayed at the top of the charts. As long as it was there, Raina Lockwood's reputation was a sinking ship.

A week passed, and I was starving. Every time I fainted, Silas would have a private doctor give me a nutrient injection just to keep me conscious.

"Keep her alive. That's all you need to do. Let her feel the weight of what she's done," I heard him tell the doctor one evening.

The housekeeper tried to sneak me a piece of bread once, but I shook my head. I had to be harder on myself than he was.

If I wasn't willing to go to the edge, I couldn't ensure he would fall when the time came. I held out for seven days without cracking.

Silas tried everything to spin the narrative. He released statements saying I was mentally unstable and that the post was a hallucination.

But the public didn't buy it. The evidence I had posted was too clean, too undeniable.

Finally, a frantic Raina Lockwood showed up at the estate. She strutted into my room, flashing a massive diamond ring Silas had bought her.

"Selene, honey, look. Silas and I are getting married. You should really try to make it to the wedding... oh wait, you're stuck here."

I looked at her with pure disdain. "Bigamy is a felony, Raina. Unless you're planning on me dying in this room, you're just his legal side-piece."

I smiled at her, despite my weakness. "As long as I'm breathing, I will never sign those divorce papers. I will stay married to him just to make your life a living hell."

Raina's face contorted with rage. She leaned in close, her voice a poisonous whisper.

"You haven't eaten in a while, have you? I think I'll have the chefs cook a five-course meal right outside your door every single day."

"Let's see how long your little rebellion lasts when you're smelling steak while you rot."