I finally made it to the day of the party. After getting ready casually, I slipped into a dress. I figured leaving early might keep trouble away.
But the second I opened my door, Shanna dumped an entire pot of scalding coffee all over me!
My arm turned red instantly. She leaned in with fake concern, but her fingers dug hard into the burned skin.
The pain was unbearable; I shoved her away. She shrieked dramatically and staggered back.
She was about to fall off the second floor when Leland rushed over and caught her just in time.
Without even asking what happened, he rounded on me, shouting, “Charmaine! What the hell is wrong with you?! You can’t go one day without causing trouble? Apologize to Shanna right now!”
Shanna’s eyes reddened as she pretended to stop him.
“Forget it, Leland. I just wanted to pour your fiancée a cup of coffee. It’s fine if she didn’t appreciate it… I’m okay…”
Her act only made Leland angrier.
“Charmaine! Apologize to Shanna right now, and beg for her forgiveness. Otherwise, you’re not going to the party later!”
My whole body trembled.
At tonight’s party, everyone would be attending with their partners. I was still his official fiancée, yet he was willing to throw even that away for Shanna.
Of course, he was. If he ever cared, would he have abandoned me ninety-nine times during our supposedly wedding ceremony?
Thinking about how I only needed to endure today before I could be free pushed me forward, I swallowed my pride, looked at Shanna, and forced the words out.
“I’m sorry.”
That made her lips curl with triumph.
Leland pulled me up like he was doing charity.
“You’re about to become my wife. Can you behave for once, please?”
I forced down the wave of nausea and said nothing more.
On the way to the party, I sat in the back while Shanna claimed the passenger seat, laughing and chatting with Leland like I didn’t exist.
When we got out of the car, she deliberately stepped on my dress and ripped the hem.
“Oh no! Sorry! Didn’t mean to!”
Before I could even react, Leland was already frowning at me, asking why I didn’t pick a sturdier dress.
He said I was embarrassing the LaVeaus, so he let Shanna take his arm while I had to follow behind them.
People around us whispered and pointed, but I tuned it all out. All I cared about was how I could escape soon.
Eventually Leland went off to socialize. Just as I was about to slip away, Shanna cornered me in the back garden.
She was holding a sharp pair of scissors and spoke to me with ill intent.
“Charmaine, I was supposed to bring Hawkeye here, but you poisoned him to death. So tell me… how are you going to make it up to me?”
I stepped back, my voice cold.
“Leland’s not here. You don’t need to pretend anymore.”
Her smile twisted.
“I’m not pretending. Leland already believes you killed my dog,” she replied. “My dog is gone… so you can replace him. Now… be my dog.”
As soon as she said it, Leland’s personal bodyguards grabbed me, one on each side.
I shouted in a panic. “Think this through! Leland won’t let you get away with this!”
Without flinching, the bodyguard answered, “Sir Leland told us to follow Miss Shanna’s orders.”
I was pinned so hard that I couldn’t move. Shanna came over, dumped a bucket of filthy water over my head, then lifted the scissors and shredded my dress into pieces!
I struggled, but she grabbed a metal rod and swung it down, snapping my leg!
By the time she was done, I was beyond recognizable and barely breathing. She tossed a dirty piece of fur over me, looped a cold chain around my neck, and dragged me forward like I was livestock.
At this point, I was completely powerless, unable to resist.
As we passed the cliffside, I saw the signal from Galen down below—the one we had planned.
I used everything I had left to lunge toward the edge.
But Leland, who came looking for Shanna at that moment, misunderstood and thought I was trying to hurt her.
He ran up and kicked me square in the chest… hard.
In front of everyone, my body flew off the edge of the cliff.
But all I felt… was relief—a lightness I’d never felt before.
As I closed my eyes, one final thought settled in—at last… I was free from Leland!
