Chapter 3

Crystal shards flew everywhere, cutting my leg and leaving wounds of various sizes.

Crimson blood flowed from my leg.

He looked at me with cruel eyes, without a trace of pity:

"Emma, I'm letting you be Lily's supporting actress, and you dare to act proud?"

"Without me, you're nothing. I made one triple crown winner, I can make another!"

"You want to leave? Fine, take off all your clothes!"

"Everything you eat and use, which of it wasn't given to you by the Lawrence family!"

Lily hid in Jack's arms, trembling and crying with red eyes.

"Jack, don't fight with Emma because of me. It's all my fault for being delusional, wanting Emma's lead role. I don't want it anymore, okay?"

A year ago, my former friend in the industry encouraged me to make a comeback as the lead in his new movie, playing a mute female painter.

I spent a year learning painting and sign language for this role.

But just before filming started, I was notified that I had been replaced by Lily, the young girl Jack was pampering outside.

Afterwards, he personally wrote an article praising the girl's acting talent and her young, delicate face.

I became the laughingstock of the industry overnight. Everyone said that the once-glorious triple crown winner would soon become the Lawrence family's discarded wife.

Jack pulled the girl close and kissed her heavily, his eyes fixed on me.

"My leading lady role is only for obedient women!"

"Someone, strip her clothes off!"

I looked at Jack with red-rimmed eyes. After ten years of marriage, how could he be so heartless towards me?

The housekeeper tried to reason with him: "Mr. Lawrence, don't you remember that your wife just had a miscarriage last week, you..."

But he became even more irritated: "Who asked for your opinion? Strip her!"

The servants around us looked at me and Jack, hesitating to act.

I took off the suit jacket over my silk dress and the red-soled high heels on my feet.

The shoes fell to the ground with a dull thud. "Is this enough?"

I turned to leave, but he tore my dress.

"You have to leave this dress too, including your underwear!"

I looked at Jack in disbelief: "I bought these clothes myself. They have nothing to do with you!"

He sneered: "You bought them? You've been a housewife for ten years. Where did you get the money? Strip her naked!"

The servants swarmed over and stripped off my remaining dress.

I struggled desperately, but they kicked my stomach hard. Blood flowed from my body.

I hugged myself to cover up, biting my lip tightly as tears fell uncontrollably.

He held Lily and looked down at me: "See? This is what happens when you don't obey!"

Lily wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and kissed him.

"Lily is the most obedient. I'll never make Jack angry, unlike some people who don't know what's good for them!"

Jack's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes full of desire.

He picked up Lily, and the girl's surprised cries came from inside the room.

The housekeeper looked at me with sympathy and took off her coat to cover me: "Miss, this is really too much!"

I buried my face in the coat and finally broke down crying.

I never thought that in this home where I had devoted ten years of my life, the only one who would give me a shred of dignity would be a housekeeper I had known for less than three months.

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