Dorothea watched with her own eyes as everything connected to the piano burned to ash.
Meanwhile, she was pinned to the ground by the bodyguards, her cheek pressed hard against the concrete.
Every time she struggled, her skin scraped against the rough surface, sending sharp unbearable pain across her face.
But she didn’t care at all. All she wanted was to break free and hurriedly put out the fire.
By the time everything in the metal barrel had burned to nothing, her cheek was torn and bloodied, staining a small patch of the concrete beneath her.
She couldn’t hold on any longer. Darkness swept over her, and she completely lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, she found herself locked in a pitch-black, enclosed room.
Dorothea snapped fully awake.
She knew this place. It was a punishment room in the Hemenways' villa, designed for servants who stepped out of line.
The space was barely two square meters, and at unpredictable times, venomous insects would be released inside.
Her whole body trembled as she curled up in the corner, forcing herself to endure the feeling of unknown bugs crawling across her skin.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she finally heard Jimmy’s voice outside the door.
“Dorothea, why are you always so difficult? Why can’t you just behave and be a proper wife?”
“You have to understand that everything I do is because I want to keep you by my side. I love you that much.”
At last, the door opened, and she was let out.
At her bedside, the floor was littered with cigarette butts.
Jimmy had stayed there for three full days. The emotion in his eyes looked too sincere to be fake.
It took Dorothea a full week to recover. Only then did the swelling from the insect bites across her body finally start to go down.
Then came Kim’s birthday. Even though she hadn’t fully recovered from childbirth, she insisted on throwing a party.
Jimmy, of course, agreed without hesitation.
Kim looped her arm through his, acting sweet and innocent. “Jimmy, can Dorothea come to my birthday party, too? We’re going to be, like, sisters from now on. We should share everything, right?”
Jimmy turned to Dorothea.
“Dorothea, you heard her. You’ll be in charge of organizing Kim’s birthday party.”
A cruel smile tugged at his lips.
“Use the same standard as your own birthday parties. I wouldn’t want anyone saying I play favorites.”
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through Dorothea’s chest.
There was a time he had said to her, “Dorothea, I’ll be there for every birthday you ever have. And I’ll give you ninety-nine completely different birthday experiences.”
And for the past three years of their marriage, he had kept that promise.
But now, his tenderness and affection were no longer hers alone.
A week later, the yacht party was dazzling, the lights almost blinding.
Dorothea, dressed in a simple gown, moved through the crowd nonstop.
She kept a close eye on every staff member, checking every detail, making sure nothing went wrong.
At the same time, she had to greet guests, playing the role of a perfect, dutiful hostess.
Kim, on the other hand, was dressed to impress, basking in attention as she accepted compliments and gifts from every direction.
Dorothea couldn’t be bothered.
After all, she had already received a message from her mother-in-law.
In just half a month, everything would be finalized. Dorothea would finally be free of the hell that was Jimmy.
Suddenly, Kim’s gaze landed on her. “Hey, Dorothea, I don’t think you’ve given me a birthday gift yet.”
Dorothea clenched her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white, but she said nothing.
“Forget it, I won’t make things difficult for you,” Kim said with a smile. “You’re amazing at piano, right?”
She pointed toward the piano nearby. “Why don’t you play something for me?”
“Alright.” Dorothea walked over calmly and sat down at the piano. She took a deep breath and began to play.
When she finished one piece, Kim pouted. “That’s it? Play another one.”
Dorothea didn’t refuse. Her expression didn’t change as she continued playing.
When the second piece ended, Kim had already walked up behind her.
Before Dorothea could react, Kim had already slammed the piano lid down hard right onto Dorothea’s hands!
A sharp crack echoed through the yacht. It was the unmistakable sound of bones breaking.
