Chapter 4

But her scream cut off after only two seconds.

Because I had reacted instantly, grabbing her wrist with a iron-clad grip, keeping her suspended.

"You idiot. You used this exact same trick five years ago."

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't be prepared?"

Five years ago, she had intentionally slipped on the garden steps and claimed I pushed her.

Julian had defended her blindly, launching into a massive fight with me. We almost didn't make it to our first wedding.

Chloe froze.

I tilted my head, flashing her a wicked smile.

Then, I raised my free hand and slapped her across the face with everything I had, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

She stared up at me in utter disbelief.

"You..."

Right at that moment, Julian’s hurried footsteps echoed from the upper hallway.

Chloe scrambled up, clutching her red, swollen cheek. Tears flooded her eyes as she ran toward him.

She threw herself into Julian's arms, weeping pitifully.

"Julian, I was just asking her about Lily's condition because I was so worried. But she slapped me without saying a word! She still hates me and Lily!"

"You can't let her do the surgery! She is going to kill our daughter on purpose!"

Julian looked at Chloe's swollen face, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.

He mumbled a few comforting words, kept his arm around Chloe, and walked toward me with a furious expression.

But the moment they stepped around the corner and saw me,

Both of them froze in absolute shock.

I was collapsed on the floor, looking completely manic.

I was violently slapping my own face, over and over, hard enough that blood was trickling from the corner of my mouth. But I didn't stop.

The moment I saw them approach, I scrambled backward on my hands and knees.

I bowed my head repeatedly, hitting my forehead against the floor, screaming in terror.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Chloe!"

"I didn't mean to! I was just so scared!"

"If I don't hurt you, they will hurt me! I'm sorry, Chloe! Please forgive me! Please!"

As I screamed, I raised my hand and whipped myself across the face again.

Julian was horrified by my self-harming behavior. He immediately realized something was deeply wrong with my mental state.

He rushed forward, grabbing my wrists to stop me.

"Elena! What are you talking about?!"

"No one is going to hurt you! What is wrong?!"

I thrashed violently in his grip, my eyes wide with sheer panic.

"Don't beat me! I'll be good!"

"I'll go back to my cell! Just please, don't use the tasers on me! Please!"

In my frantic struggle, my silk robe slipped off my shoulders, exposing a large area of my back.

Covering my skin were thick, jagged, horrific scars.

Julian sucked in a sharp breath.

A terrifying realization dawned on him.

"Elena... did they... did they abuse you in prison?"

Hearing the word "prison," I shrieked and covered my ears, violently denying it.

"No! No! Don't say it out loud!"

"I'm fine! I didn't get beaten! If I talk, they'll lock me in the dark room again! Shh! Don't say anything!"

Then, as if remembering something, I crawled back toward Chloe, grabbing the hem of her pants, begging through my tears.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to slap you! You can slap me back! Please, just slap me back!"

Chloe staggered under my frantic pulling.

She had absolutely no idea what kind of game I was playing. She turned to Julian, her voice desperate.

"Julian, she was perfectly fine a second ago!"

"Don't let her fool you! She's acting! She's doing this on purpose to—"

"Enough!" Julian roared, his face dark with rage.

"Can't you see how terrified she is?! Look at the scars on her body!"

"I will investigate every single thing that happened to her in that prison. Right now, I am taking Elena to see a psychiatrist."

Without another word, Julian scooped me up in his arms and rushed out of the mansion.

Resting my head against his shoulder, I looked over his back and flashed Chloe a triumphant, mocking smirk.

An hour later, the psychiatrist diagnosed me with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) triggered by severe prison abuse.

It was a temporary psychotic break.

He prescribed some sedatives and advised that I needed rest and a sense of absolute security.

Julian’s heart was bleeding with guilt. He held me close, whispering endless promises, swearing he would take me to the courthouse to remarry the moment I felt better.

He promised no one would ever hurt me again.

Outside the consultation room, Julian was screaming at his assistants over the phone, demanding a full investigation into my prison records.

Inside the room, only Dr. Adrian Carter and I remained.

My eyes were completely clear and calm. I held out my hand.

"Do you have it?"

Adrian handed me a small medicine bottle, his expression filled with worry.

"Elena, if you want revenge, I can think of a thousand safer ways to help you. You don't need to put yourself through this torture of remarrying him."

I gripped the bottle tightly, my voice strained with unspeakable pain.

"No. If I use anyone else's hands, I won't be able to look Leo in the eye when I die. I have to do this myself."

"In this state, a spouse is the primary legal guardian."

"Once this drug takes effect and Julian’s brain turns to mush, I will have legal control over everything he owns. I will feed him a taste of his own medicine."

Adrian didn't push further. He simply handed me another document from his desk.

"Everything is set. I made sure Chloe 'accidentally' discovered this file."

"What is your plan?"

I smiled, visualizing the beautiful chaos to come.

"Chloe is convinced I am going to murder Lily during the surgery. She will try everything to stop it. Since she can't stop the surgery itself, she will do exactly what this leaked file suggests—she will convince Julian to secretly swap my 10% concentration drug for the 5% one."

"But what if... the 5% concentration is actually the one that causes fatal complications?"

I paused, my smile widening into something dark and hollow.

"That means... the two of them will physically murder their own daughter with their own hands."

"I can't wait to see their faces."