Chapter 3

The moment he walked into the bedroom and shut the door, I cut straight to the chase.

"I want a divorce. I'll walk away with nothing. Not a single cent."

"I've spent this past year atoning day in and day out. I can't stay in this house anymore."

Without hesitation, Justin snatched the divorce papers from my hands and ripped them to shreds.

"Has Chloe recovered? No! Then your debt isn't paid!"

"Let me make one thing clear: until she is fully healed, you aren't going anywhere!"

"Walk away with nothing? Even if you paid me, it wouldn't cover the hundreds of millions the Vance Group lost because of your screw-up!"

My knees gave out, and I sank onto the floor. Ever since Chloe fell ill, my life had devolved into an inescapable hell.

At first, Justin and Evelyn maintained a veneer of civility.

Over time, their patience wore completely thin. Using Chloe's fragile condition as an excuse, they eventually demoted me to her personal live-in maid.

Cleaning up her waste, feeding her meals, wiping her down—I was forced to handle every degrading task myself.

And whenever Evelyn was in a foul mood, she made sure to discipline me using their ruthless "family rules."

Justin knelt beside me, his thumb gently tracing the scars on my wrists. Perhaps realizing his tone had been too harsh, his expression softened.

"Honey, I know how hard this is on you. Just hold on a little longer, okay? The reason I've been away so much lately is that I'm consulting top neurologists abroad."

"Once Chloe gets better, everything will go back to the way it—"

Before he could finish, a piercing wail echoed from the hallway.

Chloe stood outside the door, her hands covered in blood, shards of broken porcelain sticking to her palms.

Evelyn rushed over, glaring at me with venom. "Look what you've done! Chloe saw the mess on the floor and tried to pick up the broken pieces to help!"

"Such a sweet girl, and look at her now..."

Justin turned toward me, his brow furrowing with utter irritation.

"Can't you even manage a simple cleanup?"

"Go get the first-aid kit and bandage her up!"

While I patched up her cuts, Chloe stayed quiet. Instead of crying, she leaned in close and whispered with exaggerated sweetness, "Natalie, don't be scared. It's not your fault. I was clumsy."

Justin smiled warmly at her words.

"See, Natalie? Even after everything, she doesn't hold a grudge against you. Everything started because of your mistake, and you still want to run away?"

"If you pack up and leave now, won't that just prove to the world that you're an unrepentant coward?"

His words hit hard.

Ever since the malpractice scandal, I had lost everything.

I had quietly submitted applications to research clinics and small community practices, but every single one rejected me on the spot.

Once I finished wrapping Chloe's hands, Justin took my arm and led me back into our bedroom.

"Let's have a baby, Natalie. Once our child is born, you won't feel so empty and exhausted all the time."

I flinched and pushed him away. Ever since that fateful surgery, we hadn't been intimate once.

Before he could say another word, Evelyn pounded frantically on the door. "Natalie, get out here right now! Chloe started her period and panicked! She’s crying hysterically and won't let anyone near her except you!"

I rushed into the guest bathroom. Chloe sat on the floor, fresh blood staining her sweatpants.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at Justin, sobbing like a terrified child.

"Justin, I'm bleeding... Am I going to die? I'm so scared!"

The metallic stench of blood hung heavy in the air. Justin grimaced at the messy scene.

"Natalie, clean her up."

Nausea churned in my stomach, and I shoved past Justin, my voice trembling with exhaustion.

"I'm your wife! Isn't waiting on her day and night enough?"

"Now you expect me to handle her intimate hygiene too? The Vance family is worth billions—can't you afford a single professional nurse?!"

Perhaps my tone was too sharp; Chloe shrank back, trembling like a leaf, shaking her head frantically.

"No... no stranger! I don't want anyone else! I only want Natalie! I'm scared!"

Justin spread his hands helplessly. "You see that, Natalie? She only trusts you."