Chapter 1
In the darkness, a sense of suffocation overwhelmed me. My heart was gripped with pain. So, it was Scarlett who made my wife torture me, and then she came to pursue me, making me agree to fake my death and give up everything to be with her. This woman who said she would marry me was going to hold a wedding with Liam after burying me alive. But now I’ve woken up early, and there’s no water or food in the coffin at all! The cramped space made it hard to breathe. Through the wooden board, Scarlett’s voice sounded muffled but pierced through me like a sword, pinning me to the coffin. “When Liam’s identity as an illegitimate child was exposed years ago, his engagement to Olivia became his brother Lucas’s. Liam lost love, so I want to help him gain power and status. I promised Liam I would be his backbone.” “As for Lucas, to punish him all these years, I had Olivia torture him physically. Now letting him leave is a kind of relief. He loves me so much; he’ll forever be immersed in the beautiful dream I’ve woven for him.” The person beside her hesitated and said reluctantly: “But Lucas doesn’t know that faking death requires actually being buried. Burying a living person underground for seven whole days is too risky. And Mr. Wilson is so afraid of the dark and has claustrophobia. What if something happens in the coffin…” “It won’t!” Scarlett’s words left no room for argument: “The Wilson family is very cautious; we must make it look completely real. It’s only seven days, and he’ll actually only be conscious for two days. What could happen? Besides, Olivia agreed to lock him in a closet after every beating. He should be used to it by now.” “Liam has waited five years for this opportunity. We must ensure everything goes perfectly. After everything is settled and I marry Liam, we’ll get a fake marriage certificate abroad to fool Lucas. We’ll treat him well and make sure he can never return to the country.” As the footsteps faded away, I couldn’t make a sound no matter how hard I tried. The fake death pill kept my mind clear, but I couldn’t move my body or speak. My claustrophobia kicked in. I bit my tongue to force myself to stay calm, but my back was already soaked with sweat. In the pitch-black darkness, I was reminded of the five years I’ve been married to Olivia. Every time she tortured me, she would lock me in the closet. Painful memories flooded back like a tidal wave, and my stomach kept contracting. Two years ago, when I was locked in the closet again, it was Scarlett who saved me. The moment she opened the closet door, I felt like I saw an angel. Someone who could dispel all the darkness in my life. Since then, Scarlett has pursued me relentlessly. She took care of my battered body, comforted my broken heart, and told me to bravely resist Olivia’s abuse. How foolish I was to think I had found my salvation. Little did I know that all the torture I endured was instigated by Scarlett! She made Olivia hurt me while pretending to be the good person who healed me. And all of this was for my brother, Liam. I bit my lip hard, trying to make my body move. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening outside. The sound of a man’s leather shoes was accompanied by Liam’s voice. “Scarlett, are you sure burying Lucas underground for seven days won’t cause any problems? He’s going to be buried today. He is my brother after all. I still feel it’s too cruel.” I felt like I had grabbed onto a lifeline, helplessly screaming in my heart: Save me! Please, just open the coffin and look. One glance and you’ll see I’m already awake. I don’t want to be buried alive. I don’t want to experience the pain of suffocating in darkness!