Marcus doesn’t love me or our daughter. Yet he’s fallen madly in love with Lily’s dance teacher. He spent a fortune buying a luxurious mansion to keep her as his mistress. His love for her is no secret. The dance teacher came to see me, revealing the red marks on her body. “I’m so sorry, I never meant to be the other woman,” she said tearfully. “But he won’t let me go. Please help me leave the country.” In a moment of weakness, I agreed to help her escape. Marcus went berserk. He strapped a bomb to our daughter. “Tell me where Melody is or I’ll blow her up right in front of you.” I broke down sobbing and quickly told him Melody’s location. After he left, a timer appeared on the bomb strapped to Lily. Beep…beep…beep… I rushed over without thinking. The blast threw me backwards. My daughter’s body exploded into a bloody mist, painting the world red. “No!” I screamed. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I discovered Marcus was keeping a mistress. My phone buzzed with another text from an unknown number. This time it was several photos. In the pictures, Marcus gazed at the woman before him with tender affection. No matter what she was doing – eating, looking at her phone, or just staring into space – his eyes were always fixed on her adoringly. That woman was the apple of my husband’s eye, the one who taught him the meaning of love. This mysterious number would occasionally share little moments of Marcus and Melody’s romance with me. It was through these glimpses that I saw the human side of Marcus. The unknown number continued messaging: [Do you know how much your husband cares for that woman? If she so much as frowns, he’s beside himself with concern.] [They’re holding their wedding at Evergreen Manor tonight. You’re not planning to crash it, are you?] [Why don’t you just get divorced? Do you think you still have a chance?] I gripped my phone tightly. I had tried tracing this number before, but could never uncover who was behind it. But I had my suspicions. The grief and terror of losing my daughter still haunted me. Shaking, I texted back: [It’s you, isn’t it?] There was no reply. I won’t be going to Marcus’s wedding this time. I went in my past life. Back then, I was shocked to learn my husband was holding a wedding with that woman. Though Marcus and I had been legally married for years, we never had a proper ceremony. I lost all reason and rushed to Evergreen Manor. At the wedding, I caused a huge scene. Marcus looked at me like I was a stranger and publicly handed me divorce papers. “Just sign them. I want to give Melody a real family,” he said coldly. Melody was sobbing uncontrollably. “No, if you divorce your wife because of me, I’ll be a homewrecker!” Seeing her cry made Marcus even more protective of her, fueling his hatred towards me. That wedding was the final nail in the coffin of my marriage to Marcus. After that, every time Melody tried to run away, Marcus assumed I was behind it. Each escape attempt resulted in Marcus torturing me – locking me in the basement, abandoning me in a snowy field overnight, or dumping me in the middle of nowhere. When I begged for a divorce, Marcus just sneered: “Divorce? I gave you the chance before and you didn’t take it. It’s too late now!” That disastrous wedding was the start of all the tragedies. I can’t make the same mistake again. I went back to Lily’s bedroom. Seeing her sleeping peacefully finally calmed my racing heart. In the darkness, a tear slid down my cheek. It wasn’t always like this. Marcus used to have a gentle side towards me and Lily. In the first few years of our marriage, he treated me well. His love was clumsy but passionate. He would bring me flowers every day when he came home from work. He would hold me and say, “Honey, I don’t know how to love, but I’ll try my best to be good to you.” Back then, he was like a lost puppy – pitiful and helpless. I knew that Marcus’s grandfather, in order to groom the family heir, had subjected Marcus to emotional desensitization training from a young age. Like killing the dog Marcus had raised and forcing him to eat it. Or sending away the butler who had been so kind to him. Most horrifically, even driving Marcus’s own mother to self-immolation… Marcus was expected to be devoid of love or personal attachments, a puppet with no emotions of his own. But how could a person truly achieve that? I tucked the blanket around Lily. As my fingers brushed her soft cheek, I suddenly remembered when she was first born. Marcus had been so tense as he carefully cradled her in his arms. He held her like she was made of the most delicate crystal. After a long moment, he finally managed to say: “Such a tiny human.” In the warm glow of the hospital lights, his eyes held a tenderness he didn’t even realize was there. I thought we were finally on the right track. But then he went back to the family estate once, and everything changed. He reverted to his old cold self. No, he became even more callous and unfeeling.
He treated me and Lily like we didn’t exist. I wondered if something had happened at the estate, if he was being pressured somehow. But when I voiced my concerns, he just looked at me like I was an idiot. “You don’t actually think Grandfather is threatening me, do you? Have you been watching too many soap operas?” “Olivia, I just realized that developing feelings for you was disgusting.” Disgusting! That’s how he described our relationship. Up to that point, we might have still maintained a facade of normalcy. But then Melody appeared and things spiraled beyond the point of no return. He fell madly in love with her, defying family pressure for her sake, nearly giving his grandfather a heart attack. When I confronted him, he offered no explanation. He didn’t love me. He didn’t even respect me. My phone buzzed insistently in my palm. It was that unknown number again: [Coward.] I whispered under my breath, “If being a coward means my daughter and I survive, then so be it.” Marcus loves Melody. Let him love her then. I won’t interfere this time. After leaving Lily’s room, I called my lawyer. “Hello, I need help handling the division of marital assets…” This time, I’ll agree to the divorce. I’ll take Lily and leave this place far behind. But it seems fate enjoys playing cruel jokes on me. An hour later, Marcus came home after being away for ages. He kicked the door open with a thunderous bang. Before I could even ask what was wrong, he knocked me to the ground with a vicious kick. I fell backwards into the fish tank. The glass shattered everywhere. Shards of glass embedded in my back, blood immediately pooling beneath me. Marcus stared at the blood, a dark glint in his eyes. Rage burned in his gaze as he ground his shoe into my hand. “Olivia, where have you hidden Melody?” he snarled, yanking my head up by the hair. Melody had run away again? The pain was blinding. I hastily tried to explain: “I don’t know, I didn’t do anything. She must have left on her own.” “You dare lie to me?” Marcus slammed me against the wall. I heard my bones crack. He advanced on me step by step: “She’s such a good girl! She promised she’d wait for me. You must have done something to scare her into running away!” “I told you, it wasn’t me!” My voice shook from the pain. Why wouldn’t this monster just leave me alone? I hadn’t done anything this time around. Even in my past life, all I did was help Melody leave at her own request. How did that result in such a gruesome end for me and my daughter? Marcus sat on the couch, his expression unreadable as he stared at me. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke: “Don’t you care what happens to Lily?” My whole body went rigid with fear. The horrific image of my daughter’s death was still vivid in my mind. This inhuman beast was threatening our child again. Something snapped inside me. Ignoring my injuries, I crawled towards him. I kowtowed over and over, begging: “Please, I’m begging you, don’t hurt our daughter. Don’t hurt her…” “Believe me, I never did anything to Melody. I’ll sign the divorce papers right now if you want.” Seeing my panic, Marcus fell silent. Suddenly, he stood up and roughly dragged me down to the basement. The stench of mold and decay assaulted my senses. As icy chains locked around my wrists and ankles, I finally saw the machine in the corner. It was the electroshock device Marcus used for torture. “Tell me where Melody is,” he said, turning a dial on the machine. The hum of electricity filled the basement. “It wasn’t me!” I cried. The current felt like it was exploding through every inch of my skin. I had experienced this torture in my past life too. That time, I had nearly died.
Wires wrapped around my ankles and wrists. Each time I struggled, the shocks intensified. “Does it hurt? Not knowing where Melody is hurts me even more,” Marcus whispered in my ear. Suddenly, the creak of a metal door echoed from deep in the basement. Then came the sound of a child crying. “Mommy!” My blood ran cold instantly. As Marcus released his grip, I screamed desperately: “Marcus, don’t hurt her!” Marcus glanced back at me. That look in his eyes – it was like he was regarding a corpse. A minute later, Marcus returned carrying Lily in his arms. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but she still clung to her father trustingly. “Daddy, why is Mommy tied up like that?” she asked in a small voice. Marcus gently wiped the tears from her face and replied casually: “It’s just for fun. Do you want to try it too, sweetheart?” I shook my head frantically, horrified. “Please, Marcus, I’m begging you. I’ll die to prove I never hurt Melody. Just please don’t harm our daughter.” I was beyond desperate. If my death could buy Lily’s safety, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. As I prepared to bite my tongue, Marcus suddenly gripped my throat. “You want to die? Your life isn’t worth much. You’d better stay alive until I find Melody.” Just then, Marcus’s phone rang. He set Lily down. She immediately ran to my side, crying softly. She tried to undo the chains but didn’t know how. On the phone, one of Marcus’s subordinates was reporting to him. “Mr. Holt, we’ve found your wife.” Of course. Melody was the one they called “wife.” I was just “that woman.” Marcus found Melody at the airport. She had been trying to leave the country when his men spotted her. I was dragged along, still chained, to the airport. From a few meters away, I watched Marcus embrace Melody tightly, breathing heavily. “Why do you keep running away? Are you trying to break my heart?” he choked out. “Melody, you’re taking advantage of how much I care for you.” Marcus’s voice cracked with emotion, trembling as he spoke. Melody shrank into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “But what can I do? I’m the other woman. I’ve come between you and your wife. I’m a sinner.” “I deserve to die. I deserve to die! I’ve ruined Lily’s family. I was her most trusted teacher, and now she’ll hate me…” As she spoke, she grabbed the Swiss Army knife from Marcus’s belt and tried to plunge it into her own throat. In a split second, Marcus grabbed the blade. Blood dripped from the knife onto Melody’s pure white dress. Like a red rose blooming, shockingly vivid. Melody immediately let go of the knife, staring at the man’s deeply cut hand in distress. “Why…why are you so good to me? I’ve fallen in love with you. What am I supposed to do now?” Melody wept as she pounded Marcus’s chest, crying so hard she could barely breathe. Marcus tossed the knife aside and hugged her fiercely, as if trying to fuse her into his very bones. I watched numbly, my heart too numb to feel anything anymore. Marcus patiently comforted her. After a while, Melody’s sobs subsided. She turned to look at me, tears falling again. “I’m so sorry, Lily’s mom. I never meant for this to happen…” “Don’t apologize to her,” Marcus interrupted, stroking Melody’s hair tenderly. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one who forced you into this. I pressured you. My Melody is the kindest girl in the world.” “Melody, you’re more important to me than anyone.” Hearing this, Melody cried even harder. The two gazed at each other with such passion, the scene looked tragically beautiful. Marcus reverently kissed Melody’s forehead. “Be good now. Don’t run off again. Stay by my side.” Melody nodded weakly. But she hadn’t eaten properly, and the stress caused her blood sugar to crash. She suddenly fainted in his arms. Panicked, Marcus lifted her up, hands shaking. He rushed off with her in his arms. As he passed by me, he shot me a vicious glare. That look – as if I were his mortal enemy.
Melody came to find me a week later. She looked healthier, having gained some weight. Wearing a little white dress, she looked like an ethereal fairy from afar. She found me at the mansion. At the time, I was planning to bring up divorce with Marcus again. Melody kept her head down, unable to meet my eyes. “Lily’s mom, I’m so sorry. I’m scared too. I don’t know what to do.” “Maybe…you could help me. I want to leave the country.” Here we go again. This time it came earlier. In my past life, she didn’t pull this move until six months later. “I won’t get involved in your affairs,” I told her firmly. Melody looked up in shock. She had assumed I would happily accept this request as a way to get rid of her. She blurted out, “Why not? Don’t you want to drive me away so you can win Marcus back?” Realizing what she’d said, she quickly looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” I waved her off. “You should go. If you don’t get back soon, Marcus will go crazy looking for you.” … Marcus came home that night. Just because he knew Melody had come to see me. He interrogated me the moment he walked in. “What did you say to her?” I shook my head. “I didn’t say anything. She asked me to help her leave the country. I refused.” Hearing this, Marcus looked at me in surprise. It was like he was seeing me for the first time. “You’re acting strange,” he said suspiciously. “You’re imagining things.” Marcus didn’t press further. After getting a call from Melody, he hurried to leave. As he was walking out, I handed him a document. He impatiently asked, “What’s this?” “It’s a permission slip for Lily’s overseas study program. We both need to sign it as her parents.” In a rush to go see Melody, he barely glanced at it before scrawling his signature. He had no idea that hidden beneath the permission slip was a divorce agreement. After the door slammed shut, I let out a long breath. I gathered our luggage and took Lily to the airport. But before we could leave the house, several luxury cars pulled up out front. My heart sank. Marcus got out of one of the cars and strode over. He kicked over the suitcase. Lily started crying in fright. He didn’t even look at our daughter, just glared at me venomously. “Where do you think you’re going? Trying to run after what you’ve done?” Cold sweat broke out on my skin as I hugged Lily, my hands shaking. I tried to keep my voice steady: “What happened? Explain it to me clearly.” “You dare play dumb.” Marcus snarled, grabbing my throat. His face was twisted with rage. Lily cried and tried to pry his hand off me, but it was no use. Marcus’s voice was ice cold: “Melody broke out in a rash right after she left you.” I was stunned. So once again, he suspected I had drugged Melody somehow. I tried to explain, but Marcus pulled out a gun and shot my right hand. The loud bang made Lily wail in terror. The pain nearly made me black out. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Marcus’s frigid voice: “You’re lucky Melody wasn’t seriously hurt. Otherwise a bullet would have been the least of your worries.” I woke up three days later. The bullet had been removed, and my arm was heavily bandaged. Lily’s small form was curled up asleep next to me. My phone buzzed just then. It was that unknown number. [Marcus is on vacation with Melody right now. Leave while you can.] I had suspected the person behind these messages might be Melody herself. But now I knew it wasn’t her – it was someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. I checked myself out of the hospital against medical advice. The doctor had no choice but to call Marcus. On the other end of the line, Marcus was clearly in a foul mood. “What, is she dead?” he snapped. The doctor broke into a sweat. “Well, no…” “If she’s not dead then don’t bother me.” Marcus cut him off. In the background, Melody’s gentle voice could be heard. “Darling, is that about your wife? Did something happen to her?” “She’s fine. Don’t worry about her…” After the call ended, the doctor awkwardly looked at me and approved my discharge. I took Lily and left without looking back. As the plane took off, the view outside the window was breathtaking…
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