Chapter 1

My husband's childhood sweetheart kills my parents in an accident due to drunk driving. I want to call the police, but my husband blindfolds me and takes me to the cellar.

I'm tormented and subjected to inhumane treatment for the next three years. After each torture session, an icy male voice will ring out in my ear. "Do you still hate her, Sabrina?"

One day, I finally cave and submit to the icy voice. "No, I don't. I don't hate her anymore!"

I hear my husband's joyous laughter on the other end of the line.

On the day he welcomes me out of the cellar, I avoid his embrace. Yet he loses his mind when I ask him for a divorce.

Chapter 1

I was in a damp, pitch-black cellar, hunched in a corner with my injured leg behind me. The walls were slimy and wet, and the moisture soaked through my blouse.

The door swung open, and a burst of light stung my eyes. I lifted my hand to block it. I heard footsteps and quickly shrank back, hiding deeper in the shadows.

"Mr. Carver sent me to get you, Mrs. Carver."

I looked up to see who it was. It was the bodyguard Henry had hired years ago.

I dropped my gaze and said, "Okay."

I struggled to get to my feet and stumbled a few shaky steps, limping badly.

The bodyguard looked shocked. "What happened to your leg, Mrs. Carver?"

I clutched the seam of my pants and looked down. "A cabinet fell on it earlier. It might be broken."

He stared at me, eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell Mr. Carver?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I let out a dry laugh.

What was I supposed to tell Henry Carver? Would he have let me go for treatment if I asked? Or would he have called a doctor for me?

"I'll help you," the bodyguard said, his expression unreadable. He stepped forward and took my arm.

We had just left the cellar when I saw Henry get out of a car with Joanna Liddell beside him.

"Henry, didn't I tell you she'd play the helpless victim to get you to feel sorry for her? Look at her—she can't even make it this short distance without someone holding her up," Joanna taunted.

Henry turned to look at me. He didn't say a word, but there was a smug gleam in his eyes. He walked over quickly and suddenly spread his arms wide in front of me.

I flinched and quickly dodged his hug. I hunched over like I couldn't even feel the sharp pain in my leg. "Don't hit me! Please, don't! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Henry froze, his arms hanging in the air. Slowly, he let them drop to his sides and stood before me.

"What's going on with her?" he questioned his bodyguard.

The bodyguard seemed taken aback by my reaction. He only snapped back to reality after hearing Henry's question.

"Mrs. Carver—"

"Henry!" Joanna shouted, interrupting the bodyguard.

Henry instinctively glanced back at her.

The bodyguard swallowed whatever he was about to say.

"Sabrina, don't tell me you're still upset that Henry locked you down there to reflect on your behavior. Is this whole dramatic act just to make him feel bad?

"That's enough. Cut the act. Since you've admitted you were wrong, Henry and I won't bring up that whole thing about you falsely accusing me again," Joanna said.

She put extra emphasis on the words "that whole thing".

My body suddenly stopped trembling.

Joanna chuckled. "See, Henry? Just like I told you."

I stayed crouched in the same spot.

Henry stood over me, his voice suddenly cold. "It's been three years, Sabrina! How much longer will it take for you to learn your lesson?"

Chapter 2

"Alright, Henry, stop being mad. We've got to meet with Mr. Caldwell soon. Let's go," Joanna said.

When Henry saw I was still crouching on the ground, he gripped his phone so tightly his knuckles went white.

Exasperated, he snapped, "Sabrina, if you keep acting out, you might as well stay hidden and save yourself the embarrassment! You've been my wife for three years, but what have you actually done for me?

"It was Joan who had my back and took care of me. Without her, I would've fallen apart by now! Do you think you're still worthy of me?"

After saying that, he took Joanna's hand and turned to walk away.

Joanna shot me a mocking grin and mouthed, "Loser."

My body shook as I watched them leave together.

"Mrs. Carver! What happened to your pinky?" the bodyguard asked.

I slowly looked down at my right pinky. After three years apart, Henry barely spared me a glance before he left. He hadn't noticed my limp, let alone my right pinky crooked at an odd angle.

I let out a bitter laugh. "It's nothing. It broke once and never healed right."

"Let's get you to the hospital," the bodyguard said, helping me to my feet.

I felt completely drained and could only depend on his support.

…

Joanna had only been back with Henry for three years.

I always knew he'd been close to a girl since childhood. But something happened with her family, and she was sent abroad for years.

After that, Henry never dated anyone or even got close to other women. I knew he was waiting for her, and I was waiting for him, too.

Over the years, my family kept trying to set me up with different guys, but I politely turned them down. Mom and Dad even started thinking I might be into women.

One day, Henry showed up at my door in the pouring rain.

"Brina, I'm done waiting. Is there someone you want to marry? What do you think about me?" he asked.

Overcome with emotion, I threw my arms around him. He had never known how much I had loved him back then.

I gave my all to being a good wife, caring for him and meeting his every need. Eventually, I began to see how my dedication paid off.

But things changed as soon as Joanna showed up again.

I had a witness who could confirm that it was her who hit Mom and Dad with her car. She'd been driving drunk. Fearing she'd have to pay a ton in medical bills, she ran over them again and again.

But Henry refused to believe any of it. He vouched for Joanna, saying she'd been with him all night. In the end, even my witness retracted his statement.

I was left to face everything alone. They painted me as some madwoman driven by nothing but jealousy.

I would never forget the day I arrived at the hospital and saw Mom's and Dad's bodies—cold and mangled. Nor would I ever forget how Henry lured me into that cellar and locked me up without a second thought.

"Brina, you're losing it. You need to calm down," he'd told me then.

…

"How did you get this injury?" the doctor asked, frowning. He then gave the bodyguard beside me a quick once-over. "Are you her family?"

The bodyguard nodded reluctantly.

"This injury's been left for way too long. Why'd you wait until now? Even if we put the pinky back in place, it won't recover fully. And what happened to your leg?" the doctor questioned.

I slowly lifted my gaze and glanced at the bodyguard. I knew he was under Henry's orders.

I couldn't breathe a word about the cellar. If I did, Henry would never tell me where he'd buried Mom and Dad.

Chapter 3

The bodyguard dropped me off at the villa and took off.

I noticed him entering the code while he was unlocking the door. It wasn't the old password anymore—it was Joanna's birthday.

I limped inside and glanced around. It looked the same as it did three years ago, but it felt totally different.

A pair of men's and women's slippers sat by the entrance. They must have been Henry's and Joanna's.

Henry's bedroom had two pillows on the bed. His clothes were neatly arranged on the left side of the closet, while Joanna's occupied the right.

In the bathroom, I saw two toothbrushes and two rinsing cups next to a bunch of women's lotions and creams. It was obvious that Henry and Joanna had been sharing a bed for quite some time.

I shut the door behind me and stepped out of the room that was no longer mine. Then, I saw two people locked in a deep, breathless kiss under the dim moonlight.

I switched on the living room light.

Joanna's cheeks were flushed, and she looked shocked. Henry instinctively shoved her away.

"When'd you get back?" he asked, rubbing his temple. "I drank way too much tonight. If Joanna hadn't brought me home, I don't know how I would've escaped those drunks."

Then, he frowned at me and muttered, "Brina, this was supposed to be your job. If you hadn't acted like a maniac back then, I wouldn't have had to struggle so much these past few years."

I stood there, letting him go on with his complaints.

Joanna came out of the kitchen holding a cup of water. "Here, drink this to soothe your throat."

Her gentleness made her seem like a caring, considerate wife, especially compared to how scruffy I looked now.

Henry's irritation grew, and he let out a deep sigh. He chugged the water she handed him.

"Joan's on the hunt for a place, but until she finds one, she'll be staying with us," he said.

"I know. Your bedroom's already cluttered with her things," I said quietly.

His expression stiffened, and the cup slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor. He must've thought I'd continue staying quiet.

"You were in my bedroom?" Henry asked.

His deep, solemn voice and the sound of glass shattering instantly brought me back to the time I was stuck in that dark, moldy cellar.

My mind went blank, and I blurted out, "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

Henry was taken aback. After a beat, he stepped closer, looking puzzled. "Brina, what's wrong? I was just asking a simple question."

I didn't answer him.

Instead, Joanna let out a quiet sigh. "Sabrina, you really don't need to act this way. I had no idea you still hated me so much. It's been three years, and you haven't changed. You're not trying to fool Henry now that you're out, are you?"

Suddenly, something seemed to click in Henry's mind. "Is that it, Sabrina? How many times do I have to tell you? I was out that night on business, and Joan was with me. Why can't you trust me? Do you realize you almost killed her?

"You called her a murderer, and her career's ruined because of it! She can't even step outside without being pointed at and judged! Do you know how much she's suffered because of you? How can you be so awful?

"Y-You have no idea that Joanna nearly threw herself off a building because of you!"

Chapter 4

My silence finally pushed Henry over the edge. He snatched the glass from the table and hurled it at me. It broke on contact, and blood started trickling down my forehead.

Henry stared at me in shock. "W-Why didn't you dodge?"

Dodge? How could I? He'd made it clear—dodging was never an option. If I did, he'd feed Mom's and Dad's bones to the dogs.

Henry always kept his word, didn't he?

I remembered him warning me, "Sabrina, if you even think about spreading lies about Joan, I'll make sure you die in a way you can't even picture."

He had people torture me over and over in that cellar, all because Joanna lost a few strands of hair over that incident.

When Joanna didn't feel like eating, I wasn't allowed to either. They even cut back on my water. And when Joanna almost jumped off a building, Henry had my hand and leg broken.

My blood kept pouring out, more and more. I blinked, feeling a little dazed.

Henry rushed to me, shouting, "Joan, grab the iodine and some gauze!"

Joanna just stayed where she was. "Henry, this is exactly what Sabrina wanted. She stood there and took what you threw at her to make you feel guilty."

Henry froze, his grip on my arm loosening. After a long pause, his voice dropped to a cold tone. "Sabrina, how immature can you get? Do you honestly think you can control me?

"You've been out here for a while now. Have you apologized? If you sincerely apologize to Joanna for all the reckless stuff you've done, I'll let it go and forgive you."

Joanna sneered. "Henry, you think a simple apology is all it takes?"

Henry glanced at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he nodded firmly. "Sabrina, get on your knees and apologize!"

A drop of blood trickled from my forehead onto the back of Henry's hand. He flinched, pulling away like it burned. Joanna stepped forward, took his hand, and gently wiped it off with a tissue.

"Sabrina, what are you waiting for?" she asked.

Henry's face was tense.

I lifted my head, feeling nothing but a hollow emptiness. After a moment, I took a slow, deep breath and said, "I'll kneel and apologize. But first, I need to know where my parents are buried."

Henry looked startled while Joanna looked away.

After a long pause, he turned to her with a frown. "Joan, I remember you took care of that. Where are they buried?"

I could tell something was off by the way Joanna avoided my gaze. I stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

"Where did you bury my parents?" I demanded.

"Let go!" Joanna hissed.

I gripped tighter. "Tell me! Where are my parents buried?"

A twisted, unsettling smile crept across her grim face. "Sabrina, why do I feel like you hate me more than ever now? Are you planning to win Henry over and then run me over with a car, too?"

Henry's eyes went wide in shock. "Sabrina, let go!"

I didn't budge.

His voice grew more cutting. "I said, let go! Sabrina, you really want to end up back there?"

Back there? No way!

I released Joanna's hand and turned to Henry, feeling drained. "Henry, let's get a divorce."

The room went quiet.

Henry stared at me in disbelief; his expression slowly started to crumble. "A divorce? Are you serious? All I asked was for you to let go, and now you're talking about divorce? Didn't you see you hurt Joan's hand? Sabrina, what's your game here?"

I pursed my lips, staring at the man who had once meant everything to me without blinking.

Every day in that cellar felt worse than dying. I couldn't believe Henry would go this far for Joanna or let me get tortured just to please her.

"Since you two love each other so much, why don't I step aside and let you be together?" My voice sounded empty.

Henry looked away as if his secret had been revealed. "Stop talking nonsense, Brina. Get a grip and stop making a fuss. I never wanted a divorce. Joan and I—"

"But I do," I interrupted.

Henry's face went sour.

Joanna couldn't help but snicker. "Sabrina, where will you go if you leave? The company's Henry's now. You've got a limp, and your hand's broken. Are you planning to end up on the streets?"

Her words hit me like a punch.

Henry looked completely stunned as he stared at me. "What? You've got a limp? And what happened to your hand?"

I followed his gaze and looked down. Then, I scoffed and raised my hand. "Didn't you already know about this? Why are you acting so shocked?"