When the man came to pick me up, I lay naked on the bar table. He saw the wine stains and scars on my body, yet his eyes showed no pity. I picked up my torn clothes from the floor and numbly followed him. I took my sister’s place to marry Gideon, trying to please him for five years. During the worst of my depression, he brought home the woman he was seeing. He forced me to confess and serve a girl who looked exactly like my sister. The tenth time I cut my wrist, Gideon sat by the bed and told me he hated me. “Vera, don’t use such means to get my attention. Seeing you only makes me hate you more… If only it hadn’t been you who survived back then…” A sharp pain pierced my heart, and once again I asked for a divorce. But Gideon still wouldn’t let me go. Until a fire, reminiscent of the past, trapped both Nora and me. Before the pillar of fire collapsed, I exchanged my life for Nora’s escape. Everyone blamed me for my sister’s death. This time, I paid with my life. But Gideon went mad. 0
“Divorce?” Gideon sneered without mercy. “Every time you ask for a divorce, don’t you come back the next day crying for forgiveness? Vera, these pains are nothing compared to what she went through. You’ll never escape.” Gideon didn’t mind speaking in front of the family doctor. I bypassed him, apologizing to the doctor with regret, “Sorry to trouble you again.” Gideon impatiently interrupted, “Stop pretending here. The trouble you’ve caused is far beyond this. Cold-blooded beings like you are a nuisance just by existing.” Pain flashed in my eyes, and after a moment, I met Gideon’s hateful gaze. “Gideon… then why won’t you let me die?” My words seemed to sting Gideon, and he gritted his teeth, “Want to die? It’s not that easy! You used every means to survive back then, so I’ll satisfy you. I’ll make you live well, or better yet… a life worse than death.” I gave a bitter laugh. I’ve wanted to leave this world more than once. But they hate me, won’t let me live well, and won’t let me die. I have a debt I can never repay. “Can my sister, in her current state, still entertain for me at tonight’s dinner?” Nora spoke with a slightly proud voice while holding Gideon’s arm. I looked at the girl in her early twenties, who looked just like my sister, and felt a bit dazed. I pressed my lips together, wanting to refuse, “Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t go…” But before I could finish, Gideon coldly interrupted, “Vera, who said you could refuse? It’s just a cut, what are you pretending for? Didn’t you run fast even when your leg was burned back then?” My face instantly turned pale, painful memories resurfacing. The abandoned building devoured by flames, thick smoke filling the air. I covered my nose and mouth, stumbling out of the fire. But suddenly, a burnt wooden beam fell from above. My trapped left leg was instantly charred. I struggled to push away the burning pillar. But why… why can’t I push it away… why couldn’t I be a bit faster, just a bit faster… I snapped back to reality in terror. Nora, nestled in Gideon’s arms, stoked the fire again, “Brother Gideon, maybe we should just forget it. If my sister goes unwillingly, others might misunderstand that I’m bullying her. ” Gideon’s aura turned icy, “Vera, it’s just drinking. What are you afraid of? Afraid your frail body might drink itself to death? But don’t you want to die? This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it?” I heard every word Gideon said clearly, and my breathing trembled. Nora didn’t need to attend any dinners to get the abundant resources Gideon threw her way. But Gideon insisted I drink myself into a stupor to please the investors. He just wanted to humiliate me. I accepted it. “Fine, I’ll go.” I bowed my head to Gideon. But for some reason, his face turned even darker. 0
I put on the scant dress Nora picked for me. She pushed me into the private room, where a pot-bellied, half-drunk man greeted me. His alcoholic breath hit my face, making my stomach churn. “Miss Song, if you’re late, you must drink three glasses as punishment!” “Mr. Knox, my sister can handle her liquor, I’ll have her drink double for you!” Nora complimented the man with a smile, her fingertips pinching into the soft flesh of my arm, threatening in a low voice, “Vera, you better perform well, or you know what will happen!” I looked down at the full row of white liquor before me, my already pale face turning even worse. But I had no choice but to take the glass, downing one after another. My stomach burned painfully, and black spots danced in my vision. Suddenly, Nora accidentally knocked over a champagne bottle, jolting me awake. The entire bottle poured down my chest, turning my dress transparent, revealing what lay beneath. I had no mind to catch the fleeting malice in Nora’s eyes. I turned to leave the room, but Mr. Knox grabbed my wrist. “Don’t go. Stay with me tonight, and I’ll guarantee the lead role for Nora.” The man’s leering gaze swept over me, making me shiver. But the next moment, the door was kicked open. Gideon, emanating a terrifying chill, grabbed a bottle from the table and smashed it over Mr. Knox’s head. Holding his bleeding forehead, Mr. Knox looked up in disbelief, “Young Master Jiang, what is the meaning of this?!” “Did I let you speak?!” Gideon kicked him again, and Mr. Knox fell to the ground, crying out in pain. Gideon stared at my half-exposed shoulder, his voice cold as ice, “Why are you still standing there? Go change your clothes!” I clutched my soaked dress, stunned, unmoving. “Gideon, isn’t this what you wanted to see? Why are you here?” A strange look flashed in Gideon’s dark eyes, quickly turning to hatred, “What do you think? You think I care about you? I’m just afraid you’ll use any means to seduce someone else and run away.” Gideon’s voice was low, full of mockery. I found it hard to breathe. “Vera, are you really going to stand there, dressed like that, in front of me?” I snapped back to reality, fleeing the room. Back at the old house, I finally scrubbed off the sticky feeling. Wrapped in a bathrobe, I went to the balcony for some air, only to hear a faint noise behind me. Realizing something was wrong, I turned to pull the balcony door. Sure enough, it wouldn’t budge. A few minutes later, I stopped banging on the glass, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. The same old trick, I’ve fallen for it countless times, yet I never learn. As expected, I developed a high fever by morning. My forehead was burning, yet my limbs were cold and trembling. I didn’t know when the door opened. Gideon stood over me, looking down in disdain, “Vera, what trick are you pulling now? Since you’re awake, get ready. Nora has a scene in ice water today, and you’re shooting it for her.” 0
I was momentarily stunned, my voice hoarse, “I have a fever.” Gideon frowned, impatience flashing in his eyes, “Stop pretending, the car’s already waiting downstairs.” I couldn’t believe it, “It’s below freezing. You want me to get into ice water with a fever?” “What else?” Gideon sneered, leaning down to grip my chin. “Nora’s body is frail. She’s not like you, tough enough to live shamelessly till now.” His grip was so strong it felt like he might shatter my bones. “I’m not going!” I pushed Gideon away, but he grabbed my wrist. “You don’t have a choice. Don’t forget, the Lin company is still in my hands. If today’s shoot doesn’t happen, I can’t guarantee its survival. Your sister is gone. If Lin goes too, do you think your parents can survive? Hm?” My body froze. Gideon knew too well where my weakness lay. Even if my parents disowned me, they remained the perfect leverage for Gideon to control me. I eventually nodded. Gideon raised an eyebrow, satisfied, leaving with a parting shot, “Vera, this is what you owe us. You’ll never repay it in this lifetime.” Once the door closed, I couldn’t hold myself up any longer, collapsing to the ground. I stared at my reflection in the glass. Puffy eyes, sallow skin, a shadow of my former vibrant self. I endured countless humiliations and tortures like this. I saw no end and couldn’t escape. Dragging my feverish body to the set, the director impatiently pushed me to get into the water. The wind was biting, and ice shards floated on the water’s surface. I gritted my teeth, slowly lowering myself into the water. The director, unhappy with my slow pace, ordered someone to push me in. Cold water rushed into my nose and mouth, making me cough violently. Before I could adjust, the director barked for me to go deeper. But as I stood in water that reached my chin, the cameras didn’t roll. My lips turned blue, and I weakly asked the crew onshore, “When will we start shooting?” They avoided me like the plague; I got no answer. I tried to climb out for a break, but barely moved half a meter before the director shouted angrily, “Did I say you could come up? Stay there!” My head felt heavier and heavier. A scream pierced the air, snapping me back to reality, “Blood! There’s blood in the water!” I looked down, seeing blood spreading from between my legs. The crew pinched their noses, backing away repeatedly. Lips turning purple from the cold, I weakly asked the staff on the shore, “How long before we start filming?” But they completely avoided me, not offering any response. I wanted to climb ashore to rest, but I hadn’t moved half a meter before the director yelled at me, “Did I tell you to come up? Stay there and don’t move!” My head felt like it was sinking, and a scream jolted me back to consciousness, “Blood! There’s blood in the water!” I looked down to see blood spreading from between my legs. The staff pinched their noses and backed away quickly. “Swimming while on your period? How unsanitary!” But then it hit me—I hadn’t had my period for two months. Two months ago, the image of Gideon drunk flashed through my mind. That night, Gideon held me down with a crazed intensity, pouring out his hatred for me. We hadn’t used any protection that night. No. I desperately tried to climb ashore, but the staff held me down firmly. The director eagerly adjusted the camera, “Hold her still! The blood in the water looks so real! I want a close-up!” Water filled my nostrils, darkness closing in. I screamed with all my strength, “Let go… let go of me…” Certainly! Below is the adapted translation, maintaining the original line breaks and paragraph breaks as requested: I’m committed to ensuring that the content reflects the original intention while aligning more closely with English expressions for easier understanding. Throughout this process, we will maintain the original format, preserving the original line breaks and paragraph breaks. People stared at me with indifference, watching as I panicked in the water. Amidst the chaos, I felt a sharp slap across my face. Gideon’s dark eyes were chillingly cold: “The scene isn’t finished yet. Where do you think you’re going?”
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