Chapter 1

1

My wedding with Silas Hayes had been delayed over and over again.

The first time, my wedding dress was soaked in concentrated acid. The burns on both my legs were so severe that I still required regular skin grafts.

The second time, the wedding ring was swapped for one laced with radioactive material, severely damaging my bone marrow and blood production.

The third time, someone tampered with the helicopter propeller. I survived the crash, but I lost my entire right arm.

Every piece of evidence pointed straight to Mandy Cole, Silas's so-called schizophrenic childhood friend.

Whenever I broke down and demanded answers, Silas only looked at me with cold impatience.

"Mandy developed this mental illness because of the trauma from my family feud," he would say. "Why must you make a fuss over a sick girl?"

This time, Mandy wired a high-voltage current directly into the swimming pool.

I pushed Silas out of the way just in time and took the full electric shock myself. My heart stopped three times in the emergency room.

Silas stayed by my side and donated his own blood until his eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.

Yet just before I was discharged, I overheard him on the phone outside my room.

"Use the most expensive medications," Silas commanded in an icy tone. "Slow down her recovery as much as possible."

The person on the other end gasped in disbelief. "Mr. Hayes, she almost died saving your life!"

Silas's voice remained cold as steel. "What she owes Mandy goes far beyond this."

"Every ounce of grievance Mandy suffered, I will make her pay back a hundred times over."

There was a heavy pause on the line. "What about the past accidents…"

Silas admitted it without a shred of hesitation. "I knew about all of them. Mandy is sick, so I have to clear the obstacles for her."

I stood outside the door, trembling. It turned out every single scar on my body was a punishment carefully orchestrated by the man I loved.

Fine. Have it your way.

My hand froze in midair just as I was about to push the door open.

"Use the most expensive medications. Slow down her recovery as much as possible."

Silas's voice drifted through the crack in the door, chilling me to the core.

My feet felt glued to the floor. My blood turned to ice.

"Silas…"

Another man's voice chimed in with obvious disapproval.

"Miss Ross just took a bullet for you. Her heart stopped three times. Isn't it a bit cruel to say that now?"

Silas's response did not waver at all.

"What she owes Mandy goes far beyond this."

The absolute finality in his tone pierced my chest like an icicle.

"Every bit of pain Mandy endured, I will make her pay back bit by bit, a hundredfold."

I leaned heavily against the cold hospital wall, barely able to keep my balance.

The man I had risked my life to protect was scheming how to prolong my agony.

An invisible hand gripped my heart, suffocating me with unbearable pain.

Lucas Ford fell silent for a few seconds before speaking in a lowered voice.

"Then… what about the accidents before? The wedding dress, the ring, the helicopter…"

Silas admitted everything with terrifying calm.

"I knew. Mandy has schizophrenia and is deeply insecure. She only acted out because she was terrified of losing me. I had to clear the obstacles for her to make sure nothing went wrong."

Every single word struck me like a sledgehammer.

All those disasters that had broken my body were things he had deliberately allowed and covered up.

I looked down at my empty right sleeve, felt the ruined skin beneath my hospital gown, and listened to my strained heartbeat. None of this was bad luck. It was all a trap laid by the love of my life.

Lucas took a deep breath. "Isn't that too unfair to Miss Ross?"

"Enough, Lucas," Silas cut him off. "I know what I'm doing. Once Mandy's condition stabilizes, I'll make it up to Savannah with a proper wedding."

Silence lingered on the other side of the door before Lucas spoke again, his confusion obvious.

"If you despise Savannah so much, why force yourself to stay in this marriage? Wouldn't a divorce be better for everyone?"

Silas's voice dropped, laced with suppressed irritation.

"Seven years ago, in that pileup crash… Savannah's parents happened to drive by."

He paused, his tone dripping with distaste.

"They could have driven away, but they pulled me out of the driver's seat. When the secondary explosion happened, they died saving me."

His frustration grew louder.

"I owe their family a life. If I get a divorce now, what will the public say? That the Hayes family is ungrateful? That I abandoned the daughter of my saviors? That I'm a heartless bastard?"

He let out a weary sigh.

"The way things are now is fine. I married her, so the debt is paid. It saves face, and everyone knows I'm not an ungrateful man."

Lucas sounded utterly appalled.

"You're throwing away her entire life just to avoid gossip? Silas, this isn't a game."

Silas sighed, his tone calm yet immovable.

"I've thought this through. Worst case, I'll provide for her for the rest of her life."

His voice remained completely devoid of warmth. "I have my own boundaries. You don't need to worry."

Lucas tried to press further. "But Miss Ross…"

"That's enough," Silas interrupted smoothly, leaving no room for argument. "Let's leave it at that."

I heard the scraping of a chair as Silas stood up.

Lucas rose as well, sounding completely defeated. "If your mind is made up, I won't say another word."

Footsteps approached the door. I took a step back instinctively.

The door swung open, and Lucas walked out first.

He froze when he saw me, his expression twisting with complex emotions.

He parted his lips, but ultimately said nothing. With a faint, sympathetic nod, he walked away.

Silas stepped out right behind him, his brow instantly furrowing into a deep frown.

"What are you doing here?"

Silas scanned me for a second, his voice completely flat.

"Since you can walk around on your own, you must be fine. Call yourself an Uber home."

He adjusted his cufflinks and glanced down at his watch.

"Mandy's condition has flared up again. I need to go stay with her."

Before walking away, he turned back to add another warning.

"Don't call me these next few days, and don't show your face in front of Mandy."

His tone was gentle, yet it carried an unmistakable command.

"She's too fragile to handle any stress right now. I don't want her hurting herself because of you."

I stood frozen in the hallway, watching his retreating figure.

The fluorescent lights cast a sharp shadow along his back. His posture told me louder than any words ever could: when it came to Mandy, I would always be discarded.

Only after he vanished around the corner did I unclench my left fist. Deep crescent indentations were carved into my palm.