Chapter 5

My entire body hung in midair.

A punishment rod, thick as a baby's arm, slammed into my lower abdomen again and again. Pain tore through me, and tears mingled with sweat as they streamed down.

Michael turned his face away.

“The Hernandez family has always disciplined like this. If you're going to marry me, you'd better get used to it. It's for your own good.”

I bit down so hard I tasted blood.

I glared at him with all the hatred in my bones.

By the eighteenth blow, my vision went dark, and I lost consciousness.

In those last blurred seconds, I thought I saw him running toward me in a panic.

When I opened my eyes again, Michael, who should’ve been away at school, was sitting at my bedside.

“I delayed my enrollment. As long as you’re alright, nothing else matters.”

I shut my eyes, unwilling to look at him.

“Abigail, I’ll marry you in this life,” he said quietly. “But you need to change that temper of yours.

“You should’ve known how I felt in the last life.”

“This time, I’ll give you the title, but you’re not allowed to interfere with anything between me and Emily. Her family is off-limits.”

I opened my eyes and stared at him coldly.

“Michael.”

I cut him off coldly.

“Just admit you’re after the benefits of our family alliance. No need to pretend you’re making sacrifices, like I owe you anything.”

“I won’t marry you.”

He froze, then frowned. “Don’t throw a tantrum.”

“I’m not. I just no longer have anything to do with you.”

His expression turned sharp.

He stood, eyes dark. “Do you really think you have the right to refuse?”

He was right.

In their eyes, I was the chosen daughter-in-law of the Hernandez family, groomed to serve a man, raise his children, and stand silently behind his achievements.

No voice. No future. Just an accessory to someone else’s life.

Of course, I had no right.

But when I looked down at the message from my professor, something in me stirred.

My eyes stung as I smiled through the tears.

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“Enough.”

He snatched the phone from my hand.

“A Hernandez daughter-in-law isn’t allowed to use electronics without permission.”

“I’m confiscating this. I’ll check on you through the landline once a month. I’ll visit again during winter break.”

With that, he turned and walked away, my phone in his hand.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The ever-composed Althea Hernandez rushed in, breathless.

“Son! Something’s happened! Don’t leave for school yet!”

Michael glanced at his phone and froze.

“Stock prices hit limit down? How is that even possible?!”

A cold jolt shot through him.

He spun around and unlocked my phone with trembling fingers.

The moment he read the professor’s message, his whole body stiffened.

I leaned against the headboard, lips curving into a slow smile.

“Michael… surprised it was me?”

His hand holding the phone shook.