The Harrington family, a dynasty steeped in old money and tradition, had one iron-clad rule: their heir could *never* marry outside their elite circle, especially not a woman of humble origins. Yet, Liam, the sole heir, had fallen hopelessly in love with me—just a regular girl from the wrong side of the tracks. To be with me, he’d defiantly given up his inheritance, enduring ninety-nine brutal lashes, administered by his father’s personal guards, and was forced to kneel in the grand hall of their estate for three days and three nights. His tailored shirt was soaked crimson with blood, yet he still looked up at me, a faint smile on his battered lips. “Evelyn, don’t be afraid. I only want you.” The Harringtons finally conceded, reluctantly agreeing to let him leave the family with me. But there was a non-negotiable condition: he had to secure an heir for the family. From then on, the words Liam said to me most often were—”Just wait.” The first time, he asked me to wait for him to get another woman pregnant. So he slept with Seraphina thirty-three times, until she conceived his child. The second time, he asked me to wait a little longer. That baby was a girl, and the Harringtons demanded a son. So he slept with Seraphina ninety-nine more times, until she was pregnant again. Just as I thought I’d finally reached the end of my ordeal, Seraphina and Liam’s daughter, who’d just celebrated her hundred-day party, suddenly developed a high fever and started vomiting blood. Everyone immediately blamed me. Seraphina lunged at me like a madwoman, her nails clawing at my face as she screamed, “If you hate anyone, hate me! Why would you hurt my child?!” Liam’s parents were furious. “This is our first grandchild! How dare you lay a hand on her?!” When I was stripped and thrown into a freezer at twenty degrees below zero, Liam stood just outside the door. Through the frosted glass, I saw his hand tremble as he lit a cigarette. But the eyes that once overflowed with love now held nothing but chilling indifference. “I told you to wait,” he said, crushing the cigarette butt, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Why would you hurt my child?” *His child.* How wonderfully possessive. I doubled over in pain, my heart feeling like it had been ripped open. Suddenly, I remembered— He’d once knelt in the rain, swearing, “Eve, I only want you in this life.” He’d once pressed his forehead against mine, saying, “Eve, I’ll only acknowledge the child born from *your* womb.” He’d once kissed my fingertips after we made love, promising, “Eve, just wait a little longer. Soon, it’ll just be the two of us.” But now, he stood beside Seraphina, holding *their* child, looking at me as if I were a wicked stranger. When the freezer door opened again, my frozen fingers dug desperately into my palms. This time, I wouldn’t wait. I dialed Mrs. Harrington’s number. “I’m willing to leave Liam,” my voice was eerily calm. “But I have one condition: I want you to send me somewhere he’ll never find me.” A satisfied laugh crackled from Mrs. Harrington’s end. “If you’d been this sensible earlier, wouldn’t things have been easier? One trip to the freezer taught you manners, it seems. A street vendor like you, worthy of our Harrington family?” “We’ll arrange everything in half a month,” Mr. Harrington’s voice was laced with contempt. “Then, don’t ever appear before Liam again.” The call ended. I stood by the villa door, my fingertips trembling. In the living room, Liam was bouncing Lily on his knee, while Seraphina leaned on his shoulder, smiling tenderly. A perfect family of three, filled with joy. I stood there, my heart feeling like it had been violently torn out. “Miss Evelyn, you’re back?” Seraphina spotted me first. Her spine stiffened immediately. Liam, almost instinctively, passed our daughter to the nanny. “Take her upstairs.” His gaze, sharp as a blade, pierced my heart. He was afraid I’d harm his child. The man who’d once said, “I’ll only acknowledge the child born from your womb,” now guarded against me like a murderer. Once Lily was taken away, Liam walked over, reaching out as if to check me. “You’re back. In the freezer… were you hurt?” I looked at the man who’d once taken ninety-nine lashes for me, a bitter ache swelling in my chest. I turned my head, dodging his touch. He frowned, then began to explain. “Eve, last night, under those circumstances, the more I protected you, the harsher their punishment would have been.” “Besides, we’re leaving soon. I didn’t want any complications. And the child is innocent, why would you—” “I told you it wasn’t me!” My eyes suddenly welled up. Liam seemed startled by my intense reaction, pausing a moment before softening his tone. “Alright, alright, it doesn’t matter anymore.” *It doesn’t matter anymore.* Those four words felt like an ice pick driven into my heart. He still didn’t believe me. As the atmosphere grew tense, Seraphina walked over, gently touching her belly. She feigned sincerity. “Miss Evelyn, I should apologize too. I was so frantic then. You don’t have children, so perhaps you can’t understand a mother’s feelings…” She raised a hand to smooth her hair, the vintage diamond bracelet on her wrist glinting softly under the lights. My eyes narrowed. I snatched her arm. “Where did you get that bracelet?” “Seraphina liked it, so I gave it to her,” Liam said, pulling my hand away. “Consider it your apology to her.” “That’s my mother’s heirloom!” My voice trembled. “How could you give it away? You know how important it is to me!” I reached out to snatch the bracelet back, but Seraphina suddenly stumbled backward, clutching her belly and crying out in pain. “Ah… my stomach…” “Evelyn!” Liam instantly pushed me away, his eyes chillingly cold. “She’s carrying my child! Haven’t you caused enough trouble?!” His force was too great. I was thrown violently against the corner of the coffee table, my head hitting it hard. Blood instantly gushed out. But Liam didn’t even glance back. He scooped Seraphina into his arms and rushed out. “Liam…” Seraphina whimpered, leaning against him, her voice weak. “Will the baby be alright…?” “Don’t worry, I’m here,” his voice was sickeningly tender. “You’ll be fine, and the baby will be fine.”
When Liam rushed out of the villa with Seraphina in his arms, I was still slumped on the floor, blood streaming down my neck from the back of my head. I watched his retreating back, so desperate, so frantic. He didn’t look back even once. The throbbing pain in my head was unbearable. Suddenly, I remembered, he used to be just as anxious about me. Back then, I ran a small fish stall in the local market. My hair was always in a simple ponytail, and I never wore makeup. My unassuming beauty earned me a quiet nickname among the vendors: “The market’s unassuming pearl.” The first time Liam saw me, he stood by my stall for two whole hours. Finally, he pulled out a black card, holding it out to me. “Come with me. You’ll never have to touch this stuff again.” I might have been poor, but I had my pride. I paused, then pushed the card back into his hand. “No, thank you, sir. I earn my living through honest work. There’s no shame in that.” He gazed at me silently for a long time, then handed me a business card, his fingers long and clean. “My name is Liam Harrington. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I didn’t think much of it. But the next day, he indeed returned. He drove a black Maybach and stood in the reeking market in a crisp suit, completely out of place. For three months, the city’s most eligible and notoriously reserved bachelor did many outrageous things to pursue me— I refused his roses, so he had expensive, air-freighted seafood delivered to my stall every day. I avoided his luxury car, so he’d walk through the reeking, fish-scented market on foot. I told him we lived in different worlds, so he’d squat beside my fish-scaled wash basin and scale fish for me, his aristocratic hands covered in grime. He stood in my fish market for three whole months. I’d refuse him once, and he’d come back a second time, a third, a fourth… I wasn’t unmoved. I was just too aware of the gulf between us, so I couldn’t, didn’t dare, fall for him. Eventually, I finally said yes, because he took a splash of sulfuric acid meant for me, thrown by a rival vendor. It left a raw, ugly scar across his back. He was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, yet he still smiled and said to me, “Eve, remember, you owe me your life. You’ll spend a lifetime repaying it.” Tears streamed down my face, hot and scalding against his palm. After we got together, he pampered me shamelessly. I cut my finger slicing fish, and he called a private doctor in the middle of the night. I casually mentioned liking a certain cake, and he immediately bought the entire pastry shop. When I had period cramps, he’d stay up all night, gently rubbing my stomach. Once, I tripped and scraped my knee. His eyes turned red with worry, and his hands trembled the whole way to the hospital as he carried me. The doctor laughed, saying it was just a superficial scratch, but he insisted on an X-ray, terrified I’d fractured a bone. And now— I looked down at the pool of blood on the floor and suddenly laughed. As I laughed, tears started to fall. I hailed a cab to the hospital alone. After my wound was treated, I was still so dizzy I could barely stand. As I stepped out of the examination room, my wrist was suddenly grabbed fiercely! “Evelyn!” Liam’s voice was tight with anger. “Seraphina almost miscarried, and you’re still not giving up? You followed her to the hospital to cause more trouble?” I turned and saw his tightly furrowed brow and the coldness in his eyes. He was in a suit, as aloof and distinguished as ever, but the cloying scent of Seraphina’s perfume still clung to him. “I came to the hospital…” My voice was barely a whisper. “Not for her.” I slowly raised my hand, pointing to my bandaged forehead. “I was hurt too.” Liam’s expression froze. Only then did he notice my pale face and the gauze on my temple. “You said you’d take me away once she had the baby,” I looked at him, my eyes red-rimmed. “But now, can you even see me anymore?” Liam’s brows furrowed deeper. He reached out to touch my wound. “What happened?” “You pushed me,” I said calmly. “I hit the table corner.” Liam’s pupils contracted. He seemed to recall the scene then. His anger immediately dissipated. He pulled me into his arms. “Eve, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. I was just afraid something would happen to Seraphina. She’s pregnant, and if anything went wrong, our departure would be delayed again…” I let him hold me, my eyes vacant. I’d heard these words too many times. “I understand,” I pushed him away. “Go take care of her.” I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist again. “Eve, no matter what, you have to believe I only love you. Everything I’m doing is just so we can leave sooner.” He gently stroked my bandage. “I’ll have the maid look after you. Don’t let your wound get wet.” With that, he let go of my hand and turned towards Seraphina’s hospital room. I stood there, watching his tall figure slowly disappear. I suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face. “I don’t believe it anymore…” I whispered. “Liam, I don’t believe it at all.”
In the following days, I received provocative photos from Seraphina almost daily. In the pictures, Liam was gently coaxing Lily, his eyes soft and tender, while Seraphina leaned on his shoulder, smiling sweetly. My fingertips trembled as I scrolled through them. There were photos of him staying by Seraphina’s hospital bed late at night, of him personally feeding her soup, and of him holding their child, his eyes full of doting affection. Each image felt like a knife carving into my heart. But as the pain continued, I suddenly realized I couldn’t feel it anymore. Perhaps my heart had utterly died the moment I was locked in that freezer. I was about to block Seraphina when my phone buzzed again. It was a picture of my vintage diamond bracelet, being playfully handled by Seraphina. 【Want your mom’s heirloom? Come and get it.】 I shot up, my vision momentarily blurring. But I didn’t care. I grabbed my jacket and rushed out. In the VIP room, Seraphina was softly humming a lullaby to Lily. “Daddy loves his little baby, doesn’t he? Daddy comes to see us every day…” She looked up and saw me, her smile widening. “You’re here. Did you know? Since I’ve been hospitalized, Liam hasn’t even gone to work. He’s been here, looking after Lily and me.” My nails dug deep into my palms. I didn’t want to hear it. “The bracelet?” Seraphina slowly picked up the diamond bracelet from the bedside table and dangled it. “You mean this?” She curled her lips, her smile cruel. “How about this: you kowtow to me three times, and I’ll give it back to you.” I trembled. “Don’t push your luck.” “And what if I do?!” Seraphina’s eyes were filled with disdain. “Evelyn! You’re nothing but a lowly, despicable street vendor. I’m the heiress of Albright Corporation, the woman the Harringtons chose for Liam! What makes you think you’re in my league? Asking you to kowtow is an honor!” She made a show of loosening her grip. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t bow, I’ll smash it.” “One, two—” I bit down hard on my lip, my eyes stinging. My knees hit the floor with a thud. Three loud thumps later, my vision swam. Seraphina laughed. “You look truly pathetic, bowing like that.” She stood up, looking down at me. “But I won’t give it to you.” With that, she raised her hand— “Smash!” The diamond bracelet hit the floor, shattering into several pieces. I trembled, rushing forward to pick them up, when the door suddenly burst open! Liam, Mr. Harrington, and Mrs. Harrington stood in the doorway, their faces grim. “What are you doing?!” Mr. Harrington demanded sharply. Seraphina’s face instantly twisted. She cried and threw herself into Liam’s arms. “Liam! I don’t know what happened, she just burst in here, pinching and hitting Lily…” She pulled open Lily’s clothes, revealing several dark bruises! I was incredulous. “I didn’t!” I shook my head frantically, but Mr. Harrington was already striding towards me. “Smack!” The slap made my vision swim, my ears ring, and blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. “Vicious woman!” Mr. Harrington’s voice seemed to come from a distance. “How could you harm such a small child?!” Mrs. Harrington spoke coldly. “The last punishment was clearly too light. Guards! Drag her out and give her twenty lashes!” Liam clenched his fists, taking a step forward. “Mom—” “You’re still defending her?!” Mrs. Harrington interrupted sharply. “She hurt *your* biological daughter! Even if you eventually abandon her at the old estate and run off with Evelyn, that won’t change the fact that Lily is your flesh and blood!” I trembled, instinctively looking at Liam. He still stood there, his long fingers clenched white, knuckles pale. He looked at me, his eyes filled with such struggle, such pain… Finally, they slowly settled into a terrifying calm. He slowly turned his face away. I stared blankly at his averted face, my heart feeling like it was being violently torn apart. But the next second, my lips slowly curled upwards, and I laughed. I laughed at myself for being so foolish, for actually believing he would take me away. I laughed at myself for being so stupid, for thinking those vows could outweigh blood ties. I laughed at myself for being so naive, for still hoping he would choose me at the last minute! I was dragged to the hospital’s outdoor corridor. Bodyguards held my shoulders, forcing me to kneel. The first lash came down, and pain made my vision swim. In a daze, I remembered— The day I learned the Harringtons were desperately trying to prevent us from being together, I, with tears in my eyes, broke up with him. That night, it poured rain, and he stood outside my apartment building all night. The next day, he had a fever of 104°F, almost developing pneumonia. When I went to see him, he was delirious with fever, yet he clutched my hand and said, “Eve, remember, even if the whole world is against us, I only want you.” The second lash fell, and I bit through my lip, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth. I remembered the time he flew back from abroad overnight, just because I’d sent a text saying “Miss you” in the middle of the night. The third lash, the fourth lash… Each lash felt like it struck my heart, hurting more than the wounds on my back. By the fifteenth lash, I could almost hear his pained voice in my ear: “How did you get hurt again? Let me see…” By the nineteenth lash, I was already in a daze from the pain, my ears ringing. I vaguely heard someone calling my name, but I couldn’t tell if it was reality or hallucination. The last lash came down, and I finally couldn’t hold on. My vision went black, and I completely passed out.
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