Chapter 1

It was the third year of my life with Sarah Sterling. At my company's gala, she played a video on a loop. It showed her being intimate with my biggest rival.

Since then, she invited the colleagues I hated most to our home every day. During these parties, she treated me like a lowly waiter. I even had to hand out protection to them.

Gary Miller, the man I had competed with for five years, sneered at me. He told me that no matter how much I won at work, Sarah said he was better in bed.

Listening to her moans from inside the room felt like a knife to my heart. I watched the clock, waiting for the five-year agreement to end.

The moment it was over, I left without looking back. That was when she finally lost her mind.

1.

The sounds of intimacy continued to drift from the private suite. I leaned against the door, watching the time tick away as tears streamed down my face.

Finally, there were only three days left of those five years. Sarah and I were almost at the end.

She was once the person I loved most in the world. Now, the thought of leaving filled me with a sense of relief I had never felt before.

That peace didn't last long. Gary Miller's voice called out from inside the room.

"Liam Vance! Bring the fruit platter in here, now!"

I kept my head low as I carried the tray inside. Sarah was leaning against Gary's shoulder, catching her breath. Her shirt was unbuttoned, revealing flushed skin.

Gary saw me and flashed a triumphant, mocking smile. He looked like he had just won the lottery.

"So? Did you enjoy the show from outside the door?" Gary asked. Sarah leaned in and kissed him twice before looking at me with total contempt.

"Does he even dare to say he didn't?" she sneered. She glanced at me with cold, arrogant eyes.

"I've recorded the video. Don't even think about sleeping tonight. You're going to watch it on repeat," she commanded. This had been her rule for the past three years.

Since then, every colleague who hated me would show up at her parties. One by one, they would go into a private room with her.

She would film it and project it in my bedroom. She forced me to watch until after midnight every single night.

I remembered the beginning. Back then, the sound of her voice would make me tremble. I used to kneel and beg her to stop torturing me.

Sarah would only give me a cold, bitter laugh. She ignored my pathetic pleas and spat out her words with fury.

"Liam Vance, you owe me this! I want you to feel exactly what it's like to be destroyed by the person you love!"

"The pain you feel now isn't even a fraction of what I went through because of you!" she would scream.

Now, watching those videos had simply become a nightly routine. I was numb to it all.

I forced a tiny smile and whispered, "Okay." Sarah's face darkened instantly. She glared at me, her eyes full of hidden rage.

It was the sign she was about to explode. I didn't understand why her mood had suddenly shifted, but I didn't want to find out.

I lowered my gaze and tried to back out of the room. I had only taken two steps when Gary called me again. He slammed his glass onto the table.

"Get back here! Who said you could leave?! Come here and finish this entire bottle!"

"We were too busy doing other things to finish the alcohol. Don't let it go to waste!" He smirked, gesturing toward a full bottle of hard liquor on the table.

I looked at Sarah, silently begging for her help. My eyes were full of desperation.

She tilted her chin up, completely ignoring my plea. She spoke with nothing but impatience.

"If Gary tells you to drink, you drink! Did you forget what I told you? His word is my word!"

My eyes stung, and my heart felt like it was being ripped apart. I knew I had no choice.

I grabbed the bottle and forced the liquid down. I felt like I was going to throw up, but I didn't stop until the bottle was empty.

"Is that enough?" I asked, my voice trembling. I showed her the empty bottle, trying to hold back my tears.

Sarah lazily looked away and snuggled back into Gary's arms. She didn't even look at me.

"Are you satisfied, Gary? If not, make him drink another one," she said casually. I clenched my fists as the physical pain began to set in.

She knew. She knew perfectly well that I had a life-threatening alcohol allergy.

Beyond that, I had sworn never to touch a drop of alcohol. My father had been killed by a drunk driver right in front of me when I was a child.

Seven years ago, I was forced to drink by a client. I ended up in the hospital that night.

Sarah had stayed by my side the entire time. When I woke up, she was a sobbing mess, holding me tight.

Back then, she told me, "Liam, I'm going to work so hard and make so much money. I'll never let anyone force you to do anything you don't want to do again."

I never imagined that she would be the one to become rich. And I never imagined she would be the one forcing me into misery.

Fortunately, Gary lost interest in me and turned back to her. He waved me away like I was a fly.

"Get out and stand by the door! We don't need you here anymore!"

I stumbled out of the room. After a few steps, a sharp, stabbing pain hit my stomach. My legs went weak, and the world began to fade.