Confusion clouded my eyes as I stared blankly at the lavishly dressed woman before me.
"White roses symbolize purity, yet this bouquet is stained."
As soon as she spoke, murmurs rose from the surrounding crowd.
"There's blood on it!"
"Doesn't she know receiving blood-stained flowers is the worst taboo in our line of work? I hear it brings a curse."
The mutters reached my ears, but before I could gather her thoughts to explain, Christian knocked the bouquet from my hands and onto the floor.
His expression darkened instantly. His eyes, fixed on me, were filled with fierce displeasure as he snapped, "Serena, I never imagined you could be such a vicious woman."
"Someone, take her to the main hall and punish her according to the family rules," he ordered.
Christian didn't spare me even a trace of dignity, publicly ordering my punishment. I knew how brutal his family's punishments were.
Years ago, when he insisted on marrying me, he was given one hundred strikes. His back was bloody and raw, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to give in.
It wasn't until the last strike that I couldn't bear to watch anymore.
Throwing caution to the wind, I cried out and rushed forward, forcibly taking the blow for him. That single strike knocked me unconscious for an entire day.
Now, they roughly forced me to kneel before Jocelyn.
I struggled wildly, resisting with all my might. "Let go of me! Christian, you can't treat me like this!"
Jocelyn, standing nearby, shook her head as if disappointed by my defiance. "Serena, Chris is doing this for your own good. I know you blame me for stealing his love, but you shouldn't resort to such underhanded methods to harm others."
I stared hatefully at the woman who had stolen everything from me, wishing I could rush forward and take her down with me.
I barely opened my mouth when the butler rushed over. He whispered something into Christian's ear and suddenly, every eye in the room was fixed on me.
"Who would've thought the seemingly noble and magnanimous Mrs. Leighton is such a promiscuous woman? No wonder Mr. Leighton fell for someone else."
"Mr. Leighton and Miss Stone share true love. Unlike her, who plays around so recklessly."
Hearing this, my heart lurched violently. It turned out someone had leaked the news of my visit to the hospital for an abortion to the media. Now, reporters and paparazzi swarmed outside the Leightons' residence.
In an instant, I became the focus of public scorn.
I looked at my phone, which was filled with hot searches bearing my name.
"Serena Clarke, the wealthy wife of Christian Leighton, couldn't stand the loneliness and got pregnant after an affair."
"Wife of capital's richest man is pregnant, but the baby isn't her husband's."
…
My mind went completely blank. My dull, empty eyes drifted to Christian, but he showed no intention of defending me.
Of course, even that man believed the baby in my belly wasn't his.
Soon, I was placed under house arrest. The servants roughly threw me into the basement.
As I stared into the pitch-black, damp and gloomy space, my entire body trembled uncontrollably. I cried out in despair and helplessness, but Christian only watched me indifferently.
"When you're ready to admit whose child this truly is, I'll let you out," he said.
I knew he was forcing me to confess.
As the last glimmer of light vanished, I was engulfed by darkness and an overwhelming sense of terror instantly washed over me. Trembling, I curled up in the corner.
How could Christian not know that darkness was my greatest fear?
I couldn't help but recall how, in the past, Christian would keep every light in the house on 24/7 because I was afraid of the dark. Just to make me feel safe.
Today, he was personally throwing me into this endless abyss.
My hands and feet slowly grew cold, then numb and finally stiff.
But his words echoed relentlessly in my ears. "I've already contacted PR. We're going public with a live stream tomorrow."
I've known him for so long; I knew this was a notification, not a discussion.
I refused like a madwoman, screaming and questioning him. Still, all it got me was being locked in the basement, supposedly to "clear my head."
My consciousness gradually faded.
After a long while, the basement door opened. I didn't know how much time had passed, but that night felt impossibly long.
I was dragged out and taken to the study, like a lump of mud.
