Because of an accidental fire, my husband Ethan's stepsister Lily suffered severe burns all over her body. But he was convinced that I, out of jealousy, had deliberately locked the storage room door. In his rage, he imprisoned me in the basement of the villa. Every day, he had a black-market doctor inject me with corrosive serum. "Only when I watch your skin rot away layer by layer will you understand even one ten-thousandth of Lily's pain." He coldly sentenced me to death. He didn't know that when the fire broke out, I had desperately crashed through the door and used my own back to shield Lily from the falling beam. He knew even less that the miniature camera I had hidden in the ventilation duct was flashing its cold red light. And my older brother, the mafia boss, had received my distress signal. "Clara, after this injection today, your right hand will rot away completely." Ethan looked down at me from above. In his hand was a syringe filled with an eerie blue liquid. I lay on the basement's cold cement floor like a dying fish. Not a single inch of my body was uninjured. "Ethan, that's enough." The sound of wheelchair wheels rolling echoed. Lily was pushed in by a bodyguard. Her face was wrapped in thick gauze, leaving only a pair of reddened eyes visible. "Clara definitely didn't lock me in the fire on purpose." "She just loves you too much and lost her head for a moment." "I'm already disfigured. Please don't let Clara suffer anymore." Lily's voice choked with emotion. Tears dripped down steadily. Ethan's gaze instantly became incredibly gentle. He strode quickly to the wheelchair. Tenderly wiping away Lily's tears. "Lily, you're just too kind." "This vicious woman nearly burned you alive!" "She's not only jealous of you but completely without morals. I must make her pay!" With that, Ethan whirled around. The look he gave me was like looking at a disgusting piece of trash. "Hold her down!" Two burly bodyguards immediately stepped forward. They pinned my shoulders down on both sides. I struggled desperately. Only hoarse, ugly sounds came from my throat. "Ethan... I didn't..." "I didn't... start the fire..." My vocal cords had been severely burned by thick smoke in the fire. Every word felt like swallowing razor blades. "Shut up!" Ethan kicked me viciously in the stomach. Searing pain instantly tore through my internal organs. I curled up like a shrimp. Cold sweat soaked through my tattered clothes. "Clara, you disgust me." "Even now, you still dare to argue?" "The surveillance footage from the fire scene showed everything clearly. Besides you, no one else went near that storage room!" "If you hadn't locked the door, how could Lily have been unable to escape?" I gasped in agony. Staring at him intently. The surveillance had been tampered with. But I knew that no matter what I said now, he wouldn't believe me. "Ethan, stop hitting her. Clara will die." Lily cried out in alarm. Covering her mouth with both hands. But the flash of satisfaction in her eyes didn't escape my notice. Ethan took a deep breath. Suppressing his rage. "Lily, don't look. Don't dirty your eyes." He turned to look at the black-clothed doctor beside him. "Do it." The black-market doctor walked over expressionlessly. Roughly rolling up my sleeve. The cold needle pierced my skin. The eerie blue liquid was slowly pushed into my vein. The sensation was like a rusty saw. Slowly sawing through my bones bit by bit. "Ahhh!" I finally couldn't hold back. A piercing scream escaped me. My entire body's muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Ethan watched coldly. "This is called corrosive serum." "After injection, you'll consciously feel your flesh being dissolved bit by bit." "The suffering Lily endured in that fire — I'll make you pay it back a thousand times over." The pain made even breathing stop. My fingers clawed desperately at the cement floor. My nails bent back and broke. Blood everywhere. Why? Ethan, why won't you even investigate? Three years as husband and wife. In your eyes, it's not even worth one of Lily's tears. "Ethan, I'm a little scared." Lily shrank into Ethan's embrace. Ethan immediately pushed the wheelchair. "Let's go upstairs. The air down here is too filthy." At the doorway, he stopped. Without even turning his head. "Clara, enjoy yourself." "This is only the first injection. Tomorrow I'll try a new drug." The iron door slammed shut with a bang. The basement plunged back into deathly darkness. I lay in a pool of blood. Gasping violently. My right hand had completely lost all feeling. Only excruciating pain raced madly through my nerves. I struggled to turn my eyes. Looking toward the ventilation duct high in the corner. There, an extremely faint red light flickered. That was my trump card. I bit through my lip. Swallowing the mouthful of blood. "Ethan, I'm waiting for the day you kneel and beg me."
Early the next morning. The iron door was pushed open again. Blinding light flooded into the basement. I instinctively closed my eyes. Ethan strode in. Holding a leash in his hand. At the other end of the leash was my golden retriever, Pudding. Seeing me, Pudding immediately wagged his tail excitedly. He whimpered, trying to run toward me. But Ethan yanked the leash hard. "Pudding..." I called out hoarsely. Tears instantly welled up. This was the dog I'd raised for five years. My only comfort in this cold villa. "Ethan, this dog is so vicious. It barked at me yesterday." Lily followed behind. Timidly hiding behind Ethan. "Does it resent me for taking Clara's place?" Ethan sneered. "A beast is just a beast, taking after its owner's vicious nature." He yanked the leash violently. Pudding was choked and let out a pitiful yelp. Falling heavily to the ground. "Ethan! What are you doing!" I found strength from somewhere. Struggling to get up from the floor. Trying to lunge forward to protect Pudding. "Bang!" Ethan lifted his leg. Kicking me back down with one foot. My head hit the cement floor hard. My vision went black. "Clara, you still have the energy to care about a dog?" Ethan looked down at me from above. His eyes cruel to the extreme. "Lily gets scared now whenever she sees fire or furry animals." "This is all your doing." "Since you love this dog so much, I'll let you watch how it atones for your sins." He turned to look at the bodyguard behind him. His tone cold and emotionless. "Break this beast's legs." "Then throw it into the septic tank in the backyard." My eyes widened in shock. Looking at him in disbelief. "No! Ethan, you're insane!" "Pudding is innocent! He didn't do anything!" I crawled forward desperately. Clutching Ethan's leather shoes with both hands. "Please... don't hurt him..." "Beat me, yell at me if you want..." "Let Pudding go... please..." I cried my heart out. My forehead banging against the floor. Blood streaming down my cheeks. Blurring my vision. Ethan kicked me away in disgust. "When you set that fire to burn Lily, why didn't you think about how she was innocent too?" "Do it!" The bodyguard raised the iron rod in his hand. Without hesitation, he smashed it down on Pudding's hind leg. "Crack!" The sound of breaking bones echoed clearly in the basement. Pudding let out an extremely shrill scream. He rolled on the ground in agony. But his eyes remained fixed on me. As if begging me for help. "Pudding!" I screamed in despair. My heart felt like it was being crushed by a giant hand. The bodyguard dragged Pudding by his hind leg. Dragging him out of the basement like garbage. A long trail of blood remained on the floor. Lily covered her eyes in fear. "Ethan, this is too cruel..." Ethan pulled her gently into his arms. "Don't be afraid. Evil people deserve evil retribution." He turned his head, looking at me coldly. "Clara, does it hurt?" "Can't take it already?" "Let me tell you, this is far from enough." He pulled a small transparent vial from his pocket. Tossing it in front of me. "This is today's medicine." "Drink it yourself." "Otherwise, I'll have someone skin that dog and make it into a carpet for your cell." I stared at the vial on the ground. Trembling like a leaf. Ethan, you're not human. You're a complete demon. I extended my still-functioning left hand, trembling. Picking up the vial from the ground. Pulling out the stopper. Tilting my head back, I drank the bitter liquid in one gulp. Ethan smiled with satisfaction. "So obedient." "Lily, let's go." The iron door closed again. I lay on the ground. My stomach felt like I'd swallowed a burning coal. The intense cramping left me without even the strength to scream. Pudding's blood trail was right before my eyes. I reached out, gently touching that trail of blood. Tears fell heavily onto the ground. "Pudding, I'm sorry." "Mommy will definitely avenge you."
Day three. Ethan didn't bring a doctor. He held a document in his hand. Throwing it directly at my face. The paper's edge cut my cheek. Fine beads of blood seeped out. "Sign it." Ethan's voice was ice cold. I struggled to open my eyes. Making out the large characters on the document. Divorce Agreement. "You want me... to leave with nothing?" I looked at the terms listed. Not only would I get no money. I also had to transfer the property I'd purchased before marriage to Lily as mental compensation. "You still have the nerve to ask for money?" Ethan acted as if he'd heard the biggest joke. "You harmed Lily like this, and I'm being merciful by not demanding your life!" "Sign it and get out of the house." "Then go to the police station and turn yourself in." I gripped the agreement tightly. My knuckles white from the pressure. "I won't sign." I raised my head, looking directly into his eyes. "I didn't start the fire." "I'm not guilty. Why should I turn myself in?" "Slap!" Ethan backhanded me with a resounding slap. Sending me flying. The corner of my mouth split instantly. I spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with a tooth. "Clara, you really won't cry until you see your coffin." Ethan pulled out his phone. Opening a video. On the screen was my grandmother, whom I depended on. She lay in a hospital bed. Wearing an oxygen mask. Her face deathly pale. "What did you do?!" I lunged forward like a madwoman. Trying to snatch the phone. Ethan stepped on the back of my hand. Grinding down hard. "I didn't do anything." "I just sent someone to the hospital to show the old lady this surveillance video." "And told her that her precious granddaughter is a murderer with a heart like a snake." "The old lady got so worked up, her heart condition flared up." Ethan's smile was incredibly cruel. "The doctor said if we can't raise the five hundred thousand for surgery by tonight." "We can start preparing for her funeral." I was struck as if by lightning. Frozen in place. All the blood in my body seemed to flow backward in that moment. "Ethan... you're an animal!" I roared hysterically. Tears bursting forth like a dam breaking. "Grandma is innocent! You know she has a heart condition!" "How could you do this to her!" Ethan remained unmoved. "That depends on you." He kicked the pen on the floor with his toe. "Sign it and admit everything was your doing." "I'll have someone transfer the surgery fee immediately." "Otherwise, just wait to collect that old hag's corpse." My whole body trembled. Looking at Ethan's familiar face. It felt unbearably strange and terrifying. Three years. I cooked and kept house for him. I concealed my identity for him, restrained my brilliance. And this is what I got — him threatening me with my loved one's life. "Fine..." "I'll sign." I picked up the pen with shaking hands. Signing my name on the agreement. Each stroke felt like carving out my heart. Ethan collected the agreement with satisfaction. "That's better from the start." He turned to leave. At the doorway, he suddenly stopped. "Oh, I forgot to tell you." "Even though you signed, I never intended to give the money." "That old hag died half an hour ago." What?! I jerked my head up. My mind went completely blank. Only a sharp ringing remained in my ears. "You... what did you say?" Ethan didn't even bother looking at me. "I said your grandmother is dead." "Your murderer granddaughter scared her to death." The iron door slammed shut heavily. I sat on the ground in a daze. Unable even to cry. Grandma was dead. My only family in this world was dead. A tearing pain came from my chest. I suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. My vision plunged completely into darkness. "Ethan, I'll make you pay in blood."
I don't know how long passed. I was awakened by a splash of ice-cold water. The bone-chilling cold made me shiver violently. The basement lights were on. Lily stood before me. She wasn't in a wheelchair. She stood steadily. Most of the gauze on her face had been removed. The exposed skin was somewhat red and swollen, but definitely not disfigured. "Your... your legs..." I spoke hoarsely. Lily laughed triumphantly. She even twirled in place. "How's that? Clara, did I play the part well?" She crouched down. Grabbing my hair in one fist. Forcing me to lift my head. "Actually, I wasn't badly burned at all." "I set the storage room fire myself." She leaned close to my ear. Her voice soft as a snake's hiss. "Only this way would Ethan completely detest you." "Only then would he sweep you out like garbage." I stared at her intently. The rage in my chest nearly burning me alive. "You're insane..." "To frame me, you'd even gamble with your own life?" Lily laughed mockingly. "So what?" "I'm the one who won in the end anyway." She stood up. Pulling a syringe from her pocket. The liquid inside was a murky black. "Ethan went to handle your grandmother's funeral arrangements." "He gave me the key to this place." "Clara, your existence is too much of an eyesore." "This injection will kill you through heart failure." "The medical examiner will only conclude you couldn't bear your guilty conscience and committed suicide." She held the syringe, approaching me step by step. "Don't be afraid. It'll be over quickly." I retreated desperately. But behind me was only the cold wall. Nowhere to go. "Lily, aren't you afraid of retribution!" I shouted angrily. Lily laughed loudly. "Retribution?" "In this house, Ethan is God!" "He believes me, so I'm innocent!" "You're just an orphan with no power or influence. When you die, who will stand up for you?" She pressed down on my arm. The needle stabbed viciously into my vein. The cold liquid was pushed in instantly. I closed my eyes in despair. Was I really going to die here? At this critical moment. "BOOM!" An earth-shattering explosion. The basement's sturdy iron door. Along with half the wall. Was blown wide open! Through the rolling smoke. A team of fully armed black-clad bodyguards flooded in like a tide. Instantly pinning Lily to the ground. "Let me go! Who are you!" Lily screamed in terror. The sound of leather shoes on rubble echoed. A tall, upright figure emerged from the smoke. The man's face was cold and stern, his eyes carrying a towering killing intent. He strode to me. Seeing my blood-covered, barely alive state. His eyes instantly reddened. He knelt on one knee. Taking off his custom-tailored coat, carefully wrapping my broken body. His voice trembling uncontrollably. "Clara, I'm sorry..." "I'm late." I looked at this familiar face before me. He was my older brother who once doted on me most, mafia boss. Finally, tears flowed freely. "You finally came." "I want them dead."
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