Third Person's POV
On the day Annelise was discharged from the hospital, Raphael chartered every yacht in the city and threw an all-night celebration just to mark her recovery.
At the same time, Henrietta finally received her divorce certificate.
But just as she finished booking her flight and was about to leave the country to start a new life, a sudden, brutal blow struck the back of her head.
Quickly, her vision went black, and she collapsed unconscious.
When she woke up again, the lights around her flickered, and deafening rock music pounded in her ears.
Dazed, Henrietta sat up and realized she was lying on a yacht.
Sitting across from her was Raphael.
“Raphael?” She snapped fully awake, staring at him in alarm. “What are you trying to do now?”
He looked down at her from above and coldly demanded, “Because of you, Annelise has been unhappy these past few days. Go apologize to her.”
It sounded like the cruelest joke, so Henrietta almost laughed. “Raphael, at least try to be reasonable. I didn’t do anything wrong. What right do you have to force me to apologize to her?”
“If anyone owes an apology, it’s Annelise. She caused the death of my child and then framed me for it!” she countered.
Hearing this, there wasn’t a trace of anger on Raphael’s face. Instead, he looked calm and fully in control.
“If I remember correctly, your grandmother is still in the hospital. She’s in a vegetative state, isn’t she?” he reminded. “Tell me, if I ask the hospital to stop her treatment, do you think she’ll survive tonight?”
Henrietta’s scalp went numb. Disbelief filled her eyes.
When they got married three years ago, Raphael had promised her he would take good care of her grandmother.
And now, for Annelise, he was threatening her grandmother’s life just to force an apology.
All the humiliation and rage she had been holding back exploded at once. Henrietta rushed forward and slapped him hard across the face.
“Raphael, you’re a fucking monster!”
The noise drew Annelise over. Seeing the scene, her eyes instantly reddened.
“Henrietta, what are you doing? I kindly invited you here to relax. If you didn’t want to come, you could’ve refused. Why would you hit my brother?”
The moment she started crying, Raphael couldn’t stay seated.
He immediately pulled her into his arms and coaxed her gently.
“Don’t cry. It hurts me to see you like this.”
Then he turned and glared viciously at Henrietta.
“Apologize.”
The threat in his eyes was unmistakable. If Henrietta refused, he would end her grandmother’s life without hesitation.
Just then, the music cut off abruptly. Countless contemptuous, gloating gazes fell on Henrietta.
Swallowing all her humiliation, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and apologize.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have upset you or made you sad. Please forgive me.”
But Annelise wasn’t satisfied.
“You hit my brother. You should apologize to him, too.”
Henrietta bit her lip until it nearly bled and looked at Raphael.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you.”
Two apologies, and the surrounding crowd burst into mocking laughter.
“This is Mrs. Ravenscroft? How pathetic.”
“Mrs.? Please. She’s just a shameless woman who climbed into Mr. Ravenscroft’s bed.”
“Exactly! When Mr. Ravenscroft suddenly announced he was marrying his secretary, everyone said Henrietta seduced him!”
The gossip cut like poisoned blades, stabbing straight into Henrietta’s heart.
Yes.
Her marriage to Raphael had been a mistake from the very beginning.
She had treasured him like her entire world.
And yet he had just treated her as nothing more than a substitute.
How tragic.
How ridiculous.
Seeing Henrietta’s face streaked with tears, Annelise smiled faintly with satisfaction.
She then hypocritically helped Henrietta up from the cold floor as she sweetly said, “Henrietta, the floor is cold. Don’t kneel there. Come, let’s enjoy tonight’s celebration together.”
After several rounds of drinks, Annelise complained that things were boring and suggested playing something “fun” to liven things up.
“Henrietta, didn’t you study dance before? Why don’t you dance for everyone and lighten the mood?” she suggested.
Before Henrietta could refuse, Annelise had a server bring over a dance outfit—something closer to erotic lingerie, barely covering anything that mattered.
Clearly, it was humiliation, plain and brutal.
Yet Raphael only watched coldly and even issued a threat.
“If Annelise tells you to do something, then do it.”
Thinking of her grandmother lying helpless in the hospital, Henrietta clenched her teeth.
In the end, she had no choice.
She put on the vulgar outfit and danced under the blinding, vicious spotlight—exposed, degraded.
She danced until dawn.
Four full hours.
Finally, her strength gave out. She collapsed and was sent to the hospital.
When she opened her eyes again, Henrietta didn’t stop to think. She ran straight to her grandmother’s ward.
She had to make sure her grandmother was still alive.
But the moment she reached the door, she saw medical staff covering her grandmother with a white sheet.
Blood rushed to her head. She lunged forward.
“What are you doing?! What happened to my grandmother?!” she lashed out.
The attending doctor spoke with grief. “Mr. Ravenscroft called early this morning… He said that because you didn’t finish the dance, he ordered us to stop all treatment. The elderly patient couldn’t withstand the shock and passed away.”
In that instant, the world collapsed around her.
All Henrietta could see was her grandmother lying under that white sheet.
“Grandma…” She threw herself onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. “Grandma! Didn’t you say you’d watch me have children, watch me be happy? Open your eyes and look at me!”
“Grandma, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you and married Raphael. But I’ve already divorced him. Please, wake up and look at me just once, okay?”
She cried until her chest tore apart and her eyes were bloodshot as if they might bleed.
Only when night fell did Henrietta finally regain a shred of clarity.
She arranged a simple funeral for her grandmother and buried her beside her child’s grave.
From that moment on, she had no more weaknesses.
Henrietta blocked all contact from Raphael and Annelise, then booked a flight leaving that very night.
At last, dragging her suitcase behind her, she disappeared into the endless darkness.
She has no intention of sparing Raphael and Annelise.
They took the lives of her child and grandmother.
She will piece together every shred of evidence, and the moment it is complete, Raphael and Annelise will face their judgment!
