Elijah Tremblay was known as a total maniac in New York's social scene.

He was so crazy that five years ago when Anna Legrand wanted to break up with him, he stabbed himself over a dozen times just to make her stay.

He was so crazy that he fought his whole family just so he could marry her.

He didn't go home for three years and nearly gave his dad a heart attack from the rage.

This was a man who claimed he would do anything for her, even give up his life.

Yet, in the third year of their marriage, he fell for his therapist, Myla Castillon.

Anna's parents once caught Elijah and Myla kissing by the side of the road, and they called Myla a shameless homewrecker.

Therefore, right there on the busy street, Elijah forced them down on their knees to beg Myla for forgiveness.

When Anna showed up, she saw Elijah sitting in a chair with one arm around Myla's waist, looking down at her parents.

Her parents were kneeling on the ground while the bodyguards slammed their heads to the ground.

Their foreheads were bruised and bleeding. At that moment, they looked miserable, and their dignity was completely gone.

A huge crowd started to surround them, whispering and gossiping. Some people even started a livestream on their phones and counted out loud.

"997

"998

"999..."

Anna was shaking with rage. Immediately, she rushed forward and yelled.

"Elijah! Stop it! Stop it right now!"

She shoved the bodyguards away, helped her parents up carefully, and then turned to glare at Elijah with teary eyes.

"Elijah! They're my parents! How could you do this to them?"

Elijah looked down at her and said, "Anna, when they insult my woman, they insult me. If you slap me in the face, you have to pay for it—it doesn't matter if they're your parents."

Anna pointed a shaking finger at Myla, her whole body trembling. "Isn't she? Clinging to a married man—what else could she be but a shameless homewrecker?"

The crowd around them instantly exploded.

"Wow, so the homewrecker really came out on top?"

"How ruthless. He didn't even spare his wife's parents, huh?"

Myla put on this innocent expression and turned to Elijah. "Elijah, I'm just here to help you get better. I'll leave when you're well. If your wife can't handle it, I'll go now!"

Elijah's face turned dark immediately. He yanked Myla back into his arms and held her tight.

"You're not going anywhere. The only place you're going is by my side."

Then he turned his cold, cruel eyes back on Anna. "Anna, you're so stubborn. You never learn, do you?"

He looks scary.

Anna instinctively shielded her parents behind her and glared at him. "Elijah, what are you going to do?"

He looked down at her and said calmly, "Since your parents love calling someone a shameless homewrecker so much, why don't we carve those words right onto their faces? Let's see how they like being called that."

Anna's eyes widened in shock. "No! Don't!"

Elijah's eyes narrowed. Then, he tilted his chin at the bodyguards.

Instantly, one of them grabbed Anna's arms, while the others moved toward her parents.

Her parents were already dazed from having their heads slammed to the ground 900 times, so they were too weak to fight back.

Anna saw the humiliation on their faces and broke down. "Elijah, please! I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. Please don't hurt my parents. I'm begging you!"

She was crying and begging, but Elijah did not even blink.

"Anna, it's too late. If I don't help Myla get her revenge today, people will think they can say whatever they want about her whenever they feel like it. My woman doesn't deserve that."

Did he actually want to use her parents to make an example and show everyone what happens if they insult Myla?

As he said that, he snapped at the bodyguard, "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

So the bodyguard forced her parents to the ground, pulled out a dagger, and started carving right into their faces.

Her parents looked at Anna through tears, crying without a sound.

"Anna... We were wrong... We were so wrong... We never should've let you marry this monster..."

Anna sobbed and struggled like crazy. "Stop! Stop it!"

She struggled so hard that her shoulders dislocated.

However, the bodyguard holding her was stronger and did not let her go.

She could only watch as the blade slowly carved the words into her parents' faces, stroke by stroke.

Her mom got the word "homewrecker" cut into her cheek, while her dad got "shameless".

They were drenched in blood.

Her parents had been respected professors all their lives, and they had never suffered this kind of shame.

When they finally let her go, Anna threw herself over them, sobbing as she saw the hopeless look in their eyes.

"Mom, Dad... I'm sorry... It's all my fault."

A cold shadow crouched down next to her.

Anna stared at him blankly.

Elijah was wearing a black suit, and she had personally selected the black shirt to match it for him. He had even begged her to tie his tie that morning.

She knew exactly how many moles were on his body. Yet, right now, the man who had once loved her so much felt like a total stranger.

Elijah pushed her dislocated arm back into place and patted her cheek like she was some pet dog.

"Anna, I told you. Myla is my psychiatrist, and she's here to help me get better. So show her some respect. When I'm cured, she'll leave.

"Didn't you always want me to get better? Then behave."

His eyes swept over her parents, and the warning could not be clearer.

Anna quickly said, her voice shaking, "I'll listen to you! I'll do whatever you say! I'll be good! Please, just don't hurt my parents!"

Hearing that, Elijah smiled coldly. "Good girl."

He stood up, satisfied, and walked away with Myla in his arms.

Anna let out a shaky breath, not noticing the determination hidden in her parents' eyes when they saw her begging.

The crowd that had gathered slowly left, leaving just the three of them in the empty street.

Anna wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Mom, Dad, I'll take you to the hospital right now. I'll find the best doctors. I promise you won't have any scars..."

Her parents exchanged a glance and helped each other stand.

Her mom gently pushed her messy hair behind her ear and spoke softly, "Anna, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault. Your dad and I are too ashamed to face anyone after this. We don't want to drag you down..."

Anna felt her heart sink.

"Mom, don't say that! How could you drag me down? This is my fault. I was blind and chose the wrong person. I'll divorce Elijah and I'll take you far away..."

Her mom smiled bitterly, her eyes full of love but also something final. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl. We are old now. Besides, do you really think Elijah will let you go that easily? We won't be the chains that hold you back."

Before Anna could react, her mom suddenly shoved her back hard.

Anna stumbled, panic shooting through her chest. She reached out to grab her mom's hand, but her fingers just brushed past.

She screamed, "Mom! No!"

However, her dad had already grabbed her mom's hand, and the two of them rushed straight into traffic.

A big truck was coming right at them and in the next second...

Bang!

Two figures, still holding hands, were thrown to the ground.

The street exploded into a medley of honking, screams, and people cursing.

Anna could not see anything anymore—just the sight of her parents' broken bodies, blood spilling from their mouths.

She stumbled over step by step until she reached them, her legs giving out as she fell to her knees. Immediately, tears poured down her face.

"Dad, Mom... Please... Please don't leave me... Don't leave me all alone..."

In their eyes, there was a trace of relief. Her mom whispered, "Anna, no one can use us to hold you back anymore. Run... Run far away and don't look back..."

Her mom's hand lifted, trying to touch Anna's cheek one last time. However, it fell back down, too weak to reach her.

"Dad! Mom!"

The ambulance came, but after just a short attempt to save them, they were pronounced dead.

Anna held their bodies close and sobbed until her voice was hoarse.

Afterward, their bodies were taken to the funeral home. Anna found a quiet grave to bury their ashes, and stayed at their tombstones the entire night.

When the sky turned pale at dawn, she borrowed a phone from one of the cemetery workers and called the number she had memorized long ago.

"I need your help. Get me a fake-death drug."

There was silence on the other end for a moment before the man replied, "So you've finally decided to leave him?"

Anna stared at the photo of her parents on the tombstone, her face drained of color, and her voice rough with pain.

"I woke up too late. And the price was too high."

The man's voice turned gentle. "I'm overseas right now, but someone will bring it to you in thirty minutes."

Half an hour later, a man arrived at the cemetery gate with a small box.

"Ms. Legrand, Mr. Auclair said you must take one pill a day for four days straight for it to work."

Anna looked down at the four tiny pills in her palm. Then, without hesitating, she swallowed the first one.

She took a taxi back to the villa.

She had not come home all night. When Elijah got back that morning and did not see her, he lost it and yelled at the servants.

"She didn't come back all night?

"Are you all dead? My wife goes missing for a whole night and none of you even thought to go out and look for her?

"Get out! Get out right now!"

He grabbed a vase and threw it to the ground. The shattered pieces skidded right up to Anna's feet.

When Elijah looked up and saw her standing at the door, he froze for a second.

However, his face darkened again very quickly. His voice was icy as he questioned, "Why didn't you take your phone with you? Where were you all night? Answer me!"

Anna's phone had gotten lost by the roadside when her parents had their accident. By now, Elijah had sent someone to retrieve it.

He was gripping that phone so tightly while his face twisted with cold malice.

It was like he was not holding her phone at all, but some kind of evidence that she had betrayed him.

Anna had seen this side of him too many times over the years.

Elijah claimed he loved her more than anything, but his love was a cage. If he could not find her for a few hours, he'd go crazy.

The reason he had not even noticed she was gone until morning was probably because he had spent the night with Myla.

He always acted like he cared so much, but in the end, it was just his possessiveness talking.

Anna slowly walked up to him and lifted her eyes to look at this man who had ruined her life.

Six years ago, after school, she had found Elijah badly injured on the street while she was heading back to her tiny rental.

She had been scared at first and wanted to walk away, but he grabbed the hem of her skirt.

"Help me," he said.

She had seen the desperate look in his eyes and could not walk away. So, she brought him home and cared for him—and that was how this twisted story began.

Elijah was almost 1.9 meters tall. He was lean, strikingly handsome, and with eyes so deep they always seemed to burn with intense love.

Anna had once been swept away by his wild devotion and agreed to be with him.

Later, she slowly found out that everyone in the Tremblay family was sick in the head. They were born paranoid, dangerously obsessive, and controlling to the extreme.

Elijah's uncle had once gotten so obsessed with his wife that he thought she was cheating, lost his mind, killed her, and then killed himself.

And Elijah? He was the craziest of them all.

He secretly put a tracker in Anna's phone, listened to all her calls and messages, and beat up any guy who showed interest in her.

If a male classmate talked to her too long, he would get threatened. Even her male teacher was forced to transfer classes.

Anna had broken up with him once as she could not stand his suffocating control.

However, he snapped and stabbed himself more than a dozen times right in front of her.

He told her, like an addict, that if he could not have her, he would rather die.

In the end, she caved and came back. He swore up and down that he would not control her anymore.

Yet, just last month, she had been out shopping and a boy asked for her number.

She politely turned him down, but Elijah still sent men to beat the guy half to death.

She blew up at him, fought with him, and broke up again. That was when Elijah promised to see a psychologist.

Instead, he fell for his psychologist, Myla.

While they were at it, they even made up some so-called "healing game."

He actually believed Myla when she told him that if he just got enough love from her, maybe he would stop being such a controlling freak.

Anna's tears dripped down, blurring Elijah's handsome face.

He was not sick. This was who he really was.

He's a giant beast starved for love—feeding on it with his whole being just to feel something, even for a moment.

At the end of the day, a monster is still a monster.

How stupid she had been to think she could save him?

She blamed herself internally, "Elijah, I really regret this.

"Why did I ever fall for a monster like you and end up dragging my parents to their deaths?"

Elijah saw her crying, paused, and then pulled her into his arms, his voice suddenly gentle.

"There, there, I was just worried when you didn't come home last night. You were probably with your parents, right?

"Don't worry, I got the best doctor for them. I promise they won't have any scars. Next time you see them, just tell them to be nice and respect Myla, okay?"

"Respect?" Anna's eyes filled with a cold, vicious light. She laughed through her tears. "If you want respect, go get it from hell!"

Suddenly, she shoved the broken porcelain shard deep into Elijah's chest.

Elijah's face changed and he shoved Anna away.

"Anna!"

Even though he reacted fast, the shard still cut his chest, leaving a fresh wound.

It was not fatal, but blood quickly seeped out.

He looked down at the gash, then back at her, disbelief and hurt filling his eyes.

His voice shook as he asked, "Anna, did you just try to kill me?"

He could see the cold intent in her eyes clearly now.

"Yes, I wanted to kill you. To make you pay for my parents' lives. But I failed..."

Anna lay on the floor and looked at the broken shard in her palm.

She had used so much force that her hand was cut too. Right now, blood was dripping from her fingers.

Elijah froze. "What are you talking about? What happened to them?"

Anna's eyes were empty yet glistening with tears. "They're dead. They're all dead..."

Elijah's face darkened, but he quickly said, "Anna, even if they're gone, you still have me. I'll always be with you..."

"I regret it so much. I regret ever saving you, regret ever meeting you..." Anna turned her head, tears blurring her vision as she looked at him.

Elijah's chest tightened. Yet, before he could move, he saw her tighten her grip on the shard before suddenly slashing it toward her own neck without hesitation.

"Anna!" Elijah's eyes turned red as he lunged at her.

The sharp edge grazed the side of her neck but was stopped by Elijah at the last second.

He ripped the shard from her hand and flung it across the room.

Blood splattered.

Elijah ignored his wounds. He grabbed her neck and snarled through clenched teeth, "You're insane!"

His eyes were wide with panic as he pulled her into a suffocating hug.

Anna did not resist. She let the blood drip, her eyes hollow like she had given up completely.

Elijah stared at her blank eyes and then suddenly let out a low, twisted laugh. His voice was full of venom. "Anna, if you dare die, I'll crush your parents' bones to ashes and feed them to dogs so they can't rest in peace even after death!

"I'll torture every teacher, classmate, and friend you care about. I won't let a single one go! You're not allowed to die without my permission!"

"You monster!" Hatred burst in Anna's eyes. She grabbed his wrist and bit down so hard that she tasted blood.

Then, she passed out.

When she woke up again, she was lying in a hospital bed.

Elijah stood at the bedside. When he saw her eyes open, he let out a sigh of relief and gently touched her face.

As he spoke, his tone was so soft like a lover's coo.

"Anna, you did something foolish yesterday, but I won't hold it against you. Just be good from now on.

"I told you, Myla is just my doctor. I'm only with her for treatment because I can't bear to hurt you. I want to get better so we can be together forever, right?

"When I'm cured, I'll send her away. You're the only one I'll ever love."

"Your parents are gone," he said softly. "So, from now on, I'm your only family."

He took her hand and gently kissed her fingertips. When he spoke the word "only," she could almost see a trace of satisfaction flicker in his eyes.

Anna felt her whole body go cold. She pulled her hand back, trembling.

Elijah did not get angry. Instead, he just smiled, his eyes gentle like warm poison.

Just then, his phone rang. Elijah grabbed it and took a look before answering.

Anna heard a soft female voice on the other end, "Elijah, it's time for your follow-up today. Don't forget to come."

Elijah quickly answered, "I'll be right there."

Before leaving, he leaned down and whispered, "Anna, don't do anything stupid again. If I lose you, I'll really lose my mind."

Then he walked away without looking back, sure she would not dare try anything.

Anna stared at the door, her face blank. She then reached for her pills and swallowed the second pill calmly.

She had already known she could not kill Elijah with her own hands.

However, if she had stayed calm after her parents died, he would have gotten suspicious.

The bitter taste spread across her tongue. The moment she shut her eyes, she could see her parents lying there in blood.

"Dad, Mom, I'll run. I swear I'll run as far away from him as I can."

The next morning, when Anna got discharged and came back to the villa, she found the living room full of luggage.

Elijah was lounging on the sofa with Myla curled up in his arms. Right now, she was holding a grape between her lips. She lifted her chin so he could take it from her mouth.

He rested one hand on her waist as he bit down, turning the simple act into a deep kiss.

The woman let out a soft, flirtatious moan, and Elijah's breathing grew heavy.

It was not until he spotted Anna out of the corner of his eye that he finally pulled away from the kiss.

He got up and walked toward her, still carrying the smell of Myla's perfume.

"Anna, Myla says the reason you're acting out like this is because you have trauma from your parents' deaths. To make it easier for you to get help, she'll be staying here for a while."

Anna was so angry that she was trembling. "She's one of the people who drove my parents to their deaths, and now you want her to treat me?"

Myla stepped over to Elijah's side, looking so pitiful.

"Ms. Legrand, I really do feel terrible about your parents, but I only did what I did to help Elijah get better. It's fine if you hate me, but your mental state isn't stable right now. I have prescribed you some medicine. If you take it, you'll feel better sooner."

As she spoke, she took out a small bag of white pills.

Anna did not even glance at it. She just slapped Myla's hand away and yelled, "Get lost! I'm not sick!"

Myla's eyes turned red as she looked at Elijah. "Elijah, I'm just trying to help her. If she doesn't take her medicine, what if she hurts herself or someone else again?"

She purposely lowered her eyes as if she had been wronged.

Immediately, Elijah grabbed Anna just as she tried to storm upstairs.

She struggled with all her strength. "Elijah, I said I'm not sick! Let me go! I'm not taking anything she gives me!"

However, Elijah picked up the fallen pills and forced them into her mouth.

"Mmm!"

Anna tried to spit them out, tears welling up as she fought back.

However, Elijah pressed a hand over her mouth and whispered, "Be good, Anna. Myla's a doctor. She won't hurt you."

The pills dissolved on her tongue, leaving only bitterness behind. Only then did Elijah let her go.

Anna collapsed on the floor, gagging over and over, but she still could not get the strange pills out of her system.

"You're still hurt. I'll take you back to your room to rest." Elijah bent down, trying to pick her up.

"No! Stay away from me!" Anna rasped, her voice raw. She stumbled back a few steps, then turned and bolted upstairs like she was running for her life.

Myla spoke up just at the right moment. "Elijah, don't worry. Once you're better, you two can go back to how things used to be."

Elijah looked at the red scratch marks Anna had left on his hand and narrowed his eyes as he stared up in the direction she had run.

Back in her room, Anna locked the door, rushed to the bathroom, and forced her fingers down her throat, throwing up for a long time over the toilet.

Exhausted, she finally curled up on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

However, she did not sleep long as she was jolted awake by a nightmare.

In the nightmare, Elijah's face was covered in blood as he grabbed the hem of her dress and growled, "Don't run away!"

Then it switched. She saw her parents get hit by that truck again and again, crying out to her through their tears. "Run, Anna, run!"

"Dad! Mom!"

Anna shot up, sobbing, and realized she was alone in the empty room. No Elijah. No parents.

She buried her face in her hands and cried until she felt hollow inside.

When she finally calmed down a bit, she could faintly hear a woman's soft, intimate voice from the room next door mixed with a man's low groans.

Anna stood up, her expression blank as she shuffled out of her room. The sounds were louder in the hallway.

A bitter, mocking smile tugged at her lips. "What an interesting way to 'treat an illness'..."

She went downstairs step by step and poured herself a glass of water.

When she turned to head back up, she saw Myla stepping out of the next room in a silk nightgown.

When Myla spotted Anna, she did not even look surprised. Instead, she greeted her calmly. "Did you hear it all?"

Anna did not say a word. She just brushed past her and went back into her room.

However, Myla suddenly stepped forward and blocked Anna's way.

She lowered her voice, but her eyes gleamed with smugness. "Anna, you really are loyal. Even after your parents died, you're still clinging to him like some obedient dog."

"Shut up! You don't deserve to talk about my parents!"

Anna glared at her, her rage burning, and without hesitating, she swung her hand and slapped Myla hard across the face.

Smack!

Myla's head snapped to the side, but when she turned back, she was smiling.

"Your family was so easy to use. I just sent them an address, and they ran over all worked up, wanting to scold me.

"I just hypnotized them a little, planted some suggestions in their heads, and made them think you'd be stuck under Elijah's control because of them, so they went and died for you. Haha, I was honestly moved watching it..."

Anna stared at her in disbelief and finally remembered that Myla was a psychologist.

No wonder her parents, who had always been so strong, would choose to die like that.

Anna's whole body shook as she glared at Myla. "It was you..."

Myla just smiled, cocking her head. "So what if I did? What can you do about it?"

Before Anna could move, Myla suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the staircase railing.

She yanked Anna's hand, then suddenly let go and flipped herself over the railing.

At the same time, she screamed, "Elijah! Help!"

When Elijah ran out of the room, he saw Anna's arm reaching forward.

It looked as if she had just shoved Myla off the railing.

At the same time, Myla was hanging on for dear life, gripping the edge with both hands, her body teetering dangerously.

"Help!" Myla shrieked.

"Myla!"

Elijah rushed over and shoved Anna aside.

Just as Myla's hands lost their grip and she was about to fall, Elijah grabbed her in time and hauled her back up.

Myla fell into his arms, tears brimming in her eyes. "Elijah, thank goodness you came when you did. I almost fell..."

Elijah glared at Anna through gritted teeth. "What happened?"

Anna, knocked to the floor, pointed desperately at the security camera above them. "Elijah, she killed my parents! Check the footage. She staged the whole thing!"

However, Myla clutched Elijah's collar and said tearfully, "Elijah, don't blame Ms. Legrand. Maybe the medicine triggered her mania. I just wanted to calm her down, but she suddenly pushed me. I'm fine, let's not make it worse..."

Elijah did not even think twice before fully believing Myla. When he turned to look at Anna, his eyes were ice cold.

"Anna, I told you that Myla's the one helping me get better. She's been kind enough to help you too, but you keep making things difficult for her. Why can't you just act right?"

Anna thought she would be numb to the pain by now, but his blind trust in Myla still made tears stung her eyes.

"Elijah, you don't believe me? She admitted it! Just check the cameras and you'll see!"

Elijah's voice dripped with cold mockery. "You think I'd believe your lies? I don't even need to look at the footage to know you're lying! Anna, why do you never learn?

"Fine, if once isn't enough, then learn it ten times, a hundred times!"

He turned to the bodyguards.

"Tie her up. Hang her on the railing until she figures out how to behave. Let her down when she understands her mistakes."

The guards grabbed Anna, tied her hands tight with rope, and hoisted her over the railing.

She dangled there, the weight of her whole body tearing at her wrists until she felt like her arms would rip clean off.

Her face turned pale from the pain, but her eyes stayed cold and empty.

She looked Elijah dead in the eye, her voice steady, laced with hate. "I did nothing wrong."

Elijah waited, fully expecting her to cry and beg, but all he saw in Anna's eyes was cold indifference, stubbornness, and even a mocking glint that stung his pride.

A flicker of panic flashed through him, but it was quickly buried by anger.

Grinding his teeth, he forced out a sneer, grabbed a bucket of ice water, and dumped it right over her head.

The freezing shock made Anna's whole body tremble.

However, the man in front of her was only looking at her with coldness in his eyes.

He barked at the bodyguards, "Hang her here like this. Pour another bucket on her every thirty minutes. Let her down when she admits she was wrong and begs for forgiveness!"

Myla tugged at his sleeve, pretending to be soft-hearted. "Elijah, isn't this too harsh? She's still your wife after all. Just let it go..."

Without even glancing at her, Elijah snapped, "Since she's my wife, she should be the most obedient! She hurt you and refuses to admit it, so she'll pay for it. No one talks me out of this!"

Then he picked Myla up and carried her back to the room.

Anna stared at his retreating back and let out a soft, hollow laugh.

"Elijah, oh Elijah, you once knelt before me and swore you'd never fail me in this life. If you ever hurt me, you'd suffer ten times worse yourself.

"And now, look at what you're doing for her..."

Ice water soaked her clothes and skin, sending the chill down to her bones. Her arms felt like they were being torn apart, but slowly, numbness crept in.

Somewhere between frozen and faint, a sharp pain stabbed through her lower belly.

Anna lowered her head weakly and felt warmth spread beneath the icy cold.

Soon, bright red blood mixed with freezing water dripped onto the floor, drop by drop.

The bodyguard saw the blood pooling on the floor and immediately ran to get Elijah.

Through her daze, Anna caught a glimpse of Elijah's panicked face as he rushed in. Then, everything went black.

When she came to, she was in a hospital bed.

Elijah was at her side, and his face was all worry and softness. "Anna, you're awake? How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"

The pain in her lower belly throbbed relentlessly.

A bad feeling rose in her chest. She looked at him and asked hoarsely, "My..."

Elijah's eyes darkened. "You had a miscarriage. You lost a lot of blood, and during the procedure, to save your life, they had to remove your uterus."

"So it really was a miscarriage..."

And now she would never carry a child again.

Anna stared blankly at the ceiling as tears slipped silently into her hairline.

She did not say anything. She just lay there as if her soul had drained away.

Her silence made Elijah uneasy.

"Anna, it's fine if you can't have kids. I couldn't bear to see you suffer through childbirth anyway.

"If you want a child, I'll have Myla give me one. Then, you can raise it like your own. The kid would never know."

He made that ridiculous suggestion like it was the most natural thing in the world—telling her to raise the homewrecker's child as her own as if he was granting her some kind of favor.

Because in his eyes, she had no other choice.

Yet, Anna did not flinch. She just looked at him, her lips curling up in a soft smile. "Okay."

Elijah was surprised by how easy that was. "Really?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I can't have kids anyway."

He searched her face for a crack, but Anna just met his eyes calmly, letting him read whatever he wanted to see.

Seeing no trace of resistance, Elijah let out a breath and smiled too. "Anna, if you'd been this obedient earlier, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

Anna kept that gentle smile on her face.

Yes, she should have seen it for what it was earlier.

The very first time she saw him, she should have hardened her heart and walked away. If she had let him die back then, her parents would not have ended up like that, and she would not have lost her child either.

Elijah's phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen.

Myla's name was flashing on the screen.

He picked up the call and turned to Anna. "Anna, get some rest. There's something I need to handle at the company. I'll come back and stay with you when I'm done."

Anna nodded.

He leaned over, pressed a kiss to her lips, and got up and left.

Once he was gone, Anna's hands trembled as she pulled out the white pill and swallowed the third one.

Elijah, who had already walked out, suddenly came back in. He froze when he saw the pill bottle in her hand. "What are you taking?"

Anna looked up at him calmly. "Vitamins."

Elijah paused for a second but did not think much of it. He just said, "Tomorrow's Myla's birthday party. You made her fall and hurt her arm. So, you should attend the party tomorrow and apologize in person."

"Sure."

Satisfied, Elijah turned and left again. Anna watched his retreating figure and a mocking smile curled at her lips.

"Elijah, if you really cared about me, how could you not see through such a pathetic lie?"

Yet, of course, he had made his choice a long time ago.

Elijah did not come back until the next day. Right before the party, he just sent her a message saying he had arranged for a driver to pick her up.

Anna got up and left the hospital, but she did not go to Myla's birthday party. Instead, she headed straight for the Tremblay's residence.

She still had one last thing left to do.

The Tremblay family had always looked down on her background as they never thought she was good enough for Elijah.

And now, everyone knew how he was flaunting his new darling, Myla.

When Anna showed up, Elijah's father Gilbert Tremblay sneered, "What are you doing here at my home? Hoping we'll talk Elijah into taking you back?"

The other Tremblay family members all gave her mocking looks while whispering and pointing, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Anna met their gloating eyes head-on and said calmly, "I'm here to divorce Elijah."

The Tremblay family was stunned. "She's crazy... Completely crazy..."

Gilbert looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Do you have any idea what divorce will cost you? Our family demands 999 nails hammered in if you want to do that!"

No one could endure that!

They only had widows, but never a divorcee.

Anna let out a soft laugh, her eyes steady as a rock.

Step by step, she walked to the spot where the ritual punishment was done. Then, she lay down without flinching, and said, "Go on."

Elijah had once taken ninety-nine lashes for her. He was beaten until he was covered in blood, all for the right to marry her.

Now she would take these 999 nails to cut him out of her life forever.

At the same time, she wanted to make sure they were never tied together again, not even in death.

The Tremblay family, after their initial shock, decided that she might give up halfway, so they started the ritual. "Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

The first nail was driven in.

Anna remembered the first time she met Elijah—his face was covered in blood, yet his eyes were so bright they made her stop in her tracks and let him walk straight into her heart.

The second nail.

She remembered their first kiss. She remembered him holding her so tightly when his lips brushed hers and the frantic heartbeat she could feel through his chest.

The third nail.

She saw him getting his back whipped raw 99 times before his family as he said, "I only want Anna in this life."

The fourth nail.

Finally, the nine hundred and ninety-ninth nail.

Anna only remembered his cold, heartless back and the way her parents died so miserably.

Inside the Tremblay's residence, the silence was so heavy you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Anna in shock.

She was covered in blood and her body was riddled with wounds.

She couldn't speak anymore. Her gaze just locked onto Gilbert.

Gilbert then finally agreed to her divorce.

"Thank you..."

Anna managed a faint smile, opened her mouth, and blood spilled out.

With shaking hands, she took out the last pill from her pocket, shoved it into her mouth, and swallowed it down with the taste of blood.

As she slipped into unconsciousness, there was only relief and freedom on her face.

"Elijah, goodbye.

"I'm finally free of you."