Chapter 4

Mia POV

Caleb locked me in the basement and didn't even send food down.

"Go reflect on your mistakes. You'll come out and eat when you admit you were wrong."

Over the years of being kidnapped, I had developed severe stomach problems.

I also had nyctophobia; I had to sleep with the lights on, or I would tremble uncontrollably.

Caleb knew all this.

He had seen me white-faced with stomach pain and had stayed up all night caring for me; he had cried with concern when he saw me huddled in a corner, shivering.

Yet, he still did this to me because of Willow.

I laughed, a truly bitter laugh.

This stalemate lasted three days.

On the evening of the third day, huddled in the corner, I received an audio message from Willow:

"Back then, I was afraid of her rude and unreasonable personality, which is why I faked her kidnappings."

"You wouldn't believe it, there was a girl who sent Caleb a love letter once, and Mia had her face disfigured."

"Honestly, I somewhat regret impulsively rushing into marriage with her back then."

My heart felt a dull ache, and I gritted my teeth, suppressing a surge of bitterness.

Caleb only remembered me disfiguring that person's face but forgot that the girl had deliberately pushed me down the stairs first.

At the time, that girl had sent him a love letter only because she had made a deal with someone.

To date him and sabotage his grades to knock him from the top of his class.

I hadn't told him these things.

But it made him wrongly believe I was jealous.

After he got involved with Willow, he feared I would harm her, so he chose to hurt me instead.

I suddenly felt like a complete joke.

As if the audio wasn't enough, Willow continued.

"Mia, that day you escaped, you heard the sounds from the mansion, didn't you?"

"Your husband plans to take me to Australia to buy a vineyard as compensation. Guess what, will you be kidnapped again?"

She sent me details of all the places she and Caleb had visited over the years and what they had done.

Last month, they drank wine under the Eiffel Tower.

At that time, I was abandoned in a desolate area, listening to wolves howl for nights.

Last winter, they went to the Southern Hemisphere to enjoy spring.

At that time, I was being harassed with lewd comments by kidnappers, too terrified to sleep, clutching my clothes in fear for a week.

They traveled the world.

And these locations were all places Caleb and I had wished to visit together when we were kids, huddled under blankets.

It turned out that the wishes two people made together could be fulfilled with someone else.

While I prayed countless times for Caleb to save me from my predicament, he was gently kissing Willow, laughing so happily.

The contrast was too stark; my stomach clenched physiologically, the pain making me break into a cold sweat.

Eventually, I even threw up a mouthful of blood.

I fainted.

I woke up again in a hospital, with an IV drip in my arm.

Caleb sat by my bed, his eyes shadowed with dark circles, clearly having stayed up all night to care for me.

We looked at each other in silence.

After a long time, he sighed deeply and was the first to lower his head.

"Alright, it's my fault. I shouldn't have said such harsh things. My mistake."

"But you also have to understand me. You slapped me in front of our guests; where does that leave my dignity?"

"But you can't bully Willow anymore. You're so strong; how could a fragile young woman like her withstand your slap?"

He still thought it was my fault, but I no longer bothered to explain.

Whether he believed me or not, it didn't matter anymore.

Seeing my silence, Caleb thought I was still angry. He took my hand and coaxed,

"Alright, don't let this affect our relationship. Your birthday is in two days. For the past few years, you were either kidnapped or I was busy, so we never celebrated properly. This year, how about I take you to your favorite restaurant for your birthday?"

I pulled my hand away, closed my eyes, and said nothing.

There were still twenty days until the divorce was finalized.

Just twenty more days to endure.

On my birthday, a driver picked me up and took me to a private dining room at a restaurant.

After sitting down, it wasn't Caleb who arrived.

"Well, well, isn't this Caleb Hayes's little... woman? Why are you alone? Did Caleb leave you lonely?"

I looked over; it was Victor Thorne, a business partner of Caleb's.

He seemed to have been drinking, his face flushed, as he steadily advanced towards me.

I immediately realized his intent, and my scalp tingled with dread.

"What are you doing? Get away! Or I'll call for help!"

My threat had no effect. He lunged at me, pinning me to the ground with one hand and fumbling with my clothes with the other.

"Blame your husband! He's ruined my plans too many times. Today, I'm going to make him taste what it's like to have his wife humiliated!"