It turned out that Lucas had known about the beating I took all night.
I forced a smile and said, “Mr. Powell, don’t worry. It’s probably just the hormones from late pregnancy.”
Mr. Powell nodded, though his eyes were filled with even more concern.
“Yvette, you’re a good girl. Marrying into the Powell Family is their good fortune.”
After a moment, he gently placed a dish in my plate as he said, “I’ve booked an island in the United States. Before my grandson is born, you and Lucas should spend some peaceful time together.”
Lucas quickly agreed without hesitation. The island was quiet and beautiful, surrounded by fresh sea air. For the first time in a while, I felt a bit relaxed. Unfortunately, Veronica came along too.
Once we arrived, the two of them completely dropped their act. On this empty island, they stuck together every single day, not even bothering to hide their affair anymore. I could only watch silently as the man who was legally my husband held another woman in his arms.
That day, Veronica looked at me from where she lay on Lucas’s chest, a smug smile on her face.
“Do you really enjoy picking up what I’ve thrown away? Go ahead then,” I said calmly.
Lucas’s expression darkened and he slapped me hard across the face.
“What did you just say?”
The blow knocked me off balance, which caused me to fall to the ground. My cheek burned, but inside, my heart was frozen solid. Before I could stand, Veronica kicked me again and again until I could barely move. Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes catching on something near me.
She waved a hand and said smugly, “This is mine now.”
My vision blurred with pain, but I forced my eyes to focus. It was the Jesus and Mother Mary’s pendant. I had always kept it hidden in the deepest pocket of my clothes.
I reached for it, but Veronica crushed my hand under her high heel. The sharp heel pierced my skin and blood began to flow.
“You want it back? Keep dreaming. You’ll never get it again,” she said as she sneered.
Her words echoed in my ears as my world turned hazy. Then, Lucas grabbed me by the collar and dragged me away. He locked me in the basement of the estate. No one ever came here. The room was full of dust and cobwebs.
My husband tied me up and opened a small cage he was carrying. Inside were rats, their eyes glowing faintly green. I used to think the worst pain came from wounds, but no … it was being betrayed by the person you trusted most.
Cold air filled the basement. The only sounds were the squeaks of rats and the ropes rubbing against my skin. I was terrified of rats, but this time, I silently thanked them for gnawing through the ropes and setting me free.
A month earlier, I had already gone to court and filed for divorce. Moreover, I had carefully wrapped the papers and asked the butler to deliver them to Lucas’s bedside. After the call, I destroyed my SIM card and threw my phone into the sea.
Three days later, Lucas and Veronica finally realized I was gone. The basement was a mess. Rats were everywhere with blood on the floor. Lucas felt a flicker of panic but quickly covered it with mockery.
“She probably fainted somewhere,” he said coldly.
“She’s scared of rats, remember? How pathetic.”
But Lucas then suddenly remembered the fear in my eyes when I had seen a rat before. He grabbed his phone and tried to call me, but the line was already dead. Veronica started searching for me. Of course, she had her own reason. She still needed my unborn child’s kidney.
What neither of them knew was that a man had already been waiting nearby, his yacht anchored off the island, ready to take me away.
