Chapter 3

After falling asleep, I had woken up with a full bladder, probably from drinking all that liquid.

Even though my limbs felt heavy and weak, I refused to wet the bed.

Mustering the last ounce of my strength, I forced my eyes open.

Ethan wasn't beside me. Then, faint murmurs drifted in from the stairwell outside our door. It was Ethan's voice.

I dragged myself out of bed, crept to the door, and slipped into the corridor. Peering around the corner, his words hit me like a barrage of bullets.

Ten times. Promotion. Tomorrow night.

Every syllable drove like a dagger straight into my heart, tearing my soul to shreds.

I clamped my hands over my mouth, my skin ice-cold, my vision spinning.

A suffocating wave of hatred threatened to swallow me whole.

I needed to figure out what was going on. Forcing my shivering legs to carry me back, I crawled beneath the covers and pretended to be fast asleep.

A few moments later, Ethan walked back into the room.

I felt him brush a gentle kiss against my forehead, muttering under his breath, "I'm sorry, Nora. Just one last time."

I kept my eyes shut, fighting with every fiber of my being to suppress the violent trembling of my body fueled by pure, unadulterated hatred…

Early the next morning, Evelyn returned from the countryside.

That day, so many puzzle pieces that I had overlooked in the past suddenly clicked together.

For instance, the warm milk at night and in the morning was only served on the days Ethan and I were supposedly "intimate."

For instance, whenever she handed me the milk, Evelyn stood over me, watching like a hawk until I drained every last drop.

For instance, the weirdly triumphant glint in Evelyn’s eyes every time I finished it, and the uneasy, guilty way Ethan looked away.

And… every single time, Ethan would claim he had to go grab a condom, yet I had never once found a single used wrapper in our trash can.

That morning, I acted as if everything were perfectly normal. After drinking the milk, I said goodbye and left for work.

The moment I walked out of the building, I took the remaining milk from my travel mug straight to a private toxicology lab.

I paid a hefty rush fee to guarantee results within eight hours.

All day at work, my stomach churned as if I were being roasted over an open fire.

I couldn't bring myself to believe that the man I had spent ten years loving was a cuckold freak willing to pimp out his own wife just for a promotion!

When I got home after work, Evelyn greeted me at the door, her fleshy face splitting into a sickening, fake smile.

"Oh, Nora, you're back! Come, come, sit down. Mom warmed up another cup of milk for you tonight. Drink it up, sweetie, it works wonders for your sleep."

I took the mug and brought it to my lips, watching Evelyn out of the corner of my eye.

That sly, calculating smirk on her face made my stomach turn.

I pretended to set the mug down. "Mom, my stomach is really upset today. I think I'll pass."

Evelyn's voice instantly shot up an octave, piercing and harsh. "Pass?! How can you pass? You have to drink it!"

She reached out aggressively, practically trying to force the rim against my teeth.

Seeing me down the entire glass under her pressure, her face smoothed back into a warm, gentle mask. "Good girl, Nora. You really are the lucky star of our family."

As she spoke, her disgusting gaze swept up and down my body, inspecting me like an appraisal.

Suppressing the bile rising in my throat, I choked out, "Mom, I'm going to take a shower."

"Go on, go on! A warm shower is wonderful!"

I rushed into the master bathroom, locked the door, and shoved my fingers down my throat, gagging violently until every drop of milk was vomited into the toilet!

Gripping the edges of the sink, I stared into the mirror, my eyes bloodshot and brimming with tears from the retching.

"Ethan! Evelyn! If you two really are this demonic, then don't blame me for what comes next!"

That night, everything started out just like before.

Having purged the drugged milk, my mind was razor-sharp, completely free of the usual heavy fog.

Just as expected, after blindfolding me, Ethan slipped out of bed, whispering that he was getting a condom. A minute later, another man slid under the sheets.

The moment he entered me, the sheer difference in size made me gasp!

Every previous time, my mind had been so drugged and disoriented that I hadn't even noticed!

I listened to his breathing, my hand trailing across his broad back until my fingers found the raised scar…

It was him.

In a split second, I ripped the blindfold off my face.

The man was caught completely off guard by my sudden move. Startled, he shuddered and released inside me.

I glared at his unfamiliar, striking face. "Who the hell are you?!"