Chapter 1
The air reeked of sex, making my stomach churn. I turned to leave, but Lucas suddenly called out to me.
He threw a thong in my face.
“Wash it before you go. You’ve been doing this for five years, should be second nature by now.”
I dug my nails into my palms until blood dripped onto the floor. Only then did I slowly bend down, cradling my belly, to pick up the underwear.
In six years, he had brought Ruby home to fool around ninety-nine times.
And I had washed ninety-nine pairs of various underwear.
I still remember the time I refused because of a fever. He forced me to kneel in the snow for a day. I was unconscious for three days and nights.
The doctors issued countless critical condition notices.
I had endured for six years; one more time wouldn’t matter.
Bearing the mocking gazes of everyone around, I numbly scrubbed the underwear. Unexpectedly, Lucas’s hoarse voice broke the silence.
“If you get on your knees and beg me now, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ruby suddenly collapsed, clutching her chest and gasping for air.
Ethan’s face changed instantly. He held Ruby anxiously, fumbling like a lovesick teenager.
“Where’s her inhaler? The inhaler!”
Lucas’s panicked expression made me momentarily dazed.
Last night, when I had slipped and fallen hard, Lucas was about to leave to pick up Ruby.
Even though I was lying in a pool of blood, clutching his pant leg and begging him to take me to the hospital, he stepped over me without a change in expression.
Before I lost consciousness, I heard him speaking tenderly on the phone.
“Just buying vanilla flavor isn’t enough. We’ll try all the flavors tonight.”
I lowered my gaze, hiding the self-mockery in my eyes.
While his heart and eyes were full of Ruby, I dropped the underwear and stood up to leave. But before I could reach the door, a strong hand yanked me back.
“Aria, you know Ruby is allergic to perfume, yet you sprayed it on her clothes. How could you be so vicious! Take off your clothes!”
My ankle slammed against the coffee table, and I turned pale from the pain.
But it was nowhere near as painful as Lucas’s words. It felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen, even my vocal cords were trembling.
“You… want me to take off my clothes?”
“You’ve always been so cheap, why act like you have dignity now?”
Lucas stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes full of disgust and hatred.
After marrying Lucas, when I begged him to have a good life together, he called me cheap.
When I swallowed my pride and tried to please him in bed, I was cheap.
When I brought him stomach medicine in the pouring rain, interrupting his “good time,” I was even cheaper.
For six years, I couldn’t bear to hear it anymore.
I dug my nails deep into my flesh, forcing words through gritted teeth.
“Fine, I’ll strip.”
With that, I began removing my clothes with shaking hands.
My outer garment fell to the floor.
Despite it being summer, goosebumps immediately rose on my exposed arms and shoulders.
I reached behind to unzip my dress, the thin collar slipping down.
Half of my shoulder and the curve of my chest were exposed.
Immediately, lewd whistles and laughter erupted around me.
I couldn’t help but tear up, but my hands didn’t stop. I gritted my teeth and continued undressing.
Lucas’s gaze grew increasingly heated, his chest heaving more and more.
Just as the dress was about to fall completely, he whirled around and threw his jacket over me, his face ashen, nearly grinding his back teeth to dust.
“Aria Shaw, you’re truly disgusting!”
I clutched the dress tightly, looking at him impassively. “Can I leave now?”
“Get out! If you have the guts, go die out there!”
“Lucas, I feel so awful…” Ruby moaned, and he immediately rushed to her side.
I didn’t hesitate to walk towards the door, getting into the car that was already waiting outside.
Even as I rushed to the airport and heard the boarding announcement, I felt dazed.
I lifted my foot to walk forward, my steps getting faster and faster.
Suddenly, two bodyguards appeared in front of me, blocking my way.