Chapter 3

Fainted from the cold?

I'd only turned on the AC for half an hour.

When I left Everett's office, Nina was still laughing and making plans with her girlfriends to hit the bar that evening!

Just as I was about to clarify, Everett's expression instantly changed, his tone turning ice-cold:

"Someone get in there and strip off her coat! She thinks she's so delicate? Today I'll make her experience what it's like to be poor!"

He bent down to pick up the coat, gently draping it over Nina while looking at me coldly:

"When you admit your mistake, then you can come out! The doctor said my son is perfectly healthy. Don't think you can use this as an excuse to avoid punishment!"

With that, he scooped Nina up in his arms, his voice overflowing with tenderness and affection:

"Nina, during your period you can't let your feet get cold. Today, stay in my arms. Let's see who dares say anything!"

The moment Everett sat down with Nina in his arms, a group of men charged toward me with malicious grins.

I clutched my nightgown tightly, shrinking into the corner.

But no matter how much I struggled, I was no match for several men.

"Riiip..."

The thin nightgown tore in half.

Instantly, the frigid air crept through every pore into every corner of my body.

They gleefully stripped off my nightgown, and as they left, they flashed Everett knowing smiles.

"Boss, you've got great taste! Your wife's figure—curves in all the right places!"

"Thanks for letting us take care of your wife!"

Left in only my underwear, I curled up on myself.

My skin, which had retained some warmth, stuck to the frozen floor. Any movement would tear away a layer of skin.

Heart-wrenching pain shot from the torn flesh straight to my core.

Blood seeped continuously from the wounds, starkly visible against the blindingly white freezer.

Everett clearly noticed. He set Nina down and approached, about to speak as he looked at the blood slowly reaching his feet—

But Nina ran up from behind, touching the traces of blood through the glass with a trembling voice:

"Lana, just apologize. With all of Everett's friends watching, if you don't apologize, he can't back down..."

I stared hard at Nina.

"Why should I apologize! That day you were clearly enjoying the AC too, and you were even making plans with your girlfriends to—"

Hearing my words, Everett looked at Nina with a hint of barely perceptible doubt.

But before I could finish, Nina slapped herself across the face and dropped to her knees with a "thud."

Grabbing Everett's hand, she said in a trembling voice:

"Everett! I just can't bear to see her suffer like this. If she still won't apologize, then I'll kneel out here with her!"

Seeing Nina kneel, the doubt in Everett's eyes instantly vanished.

He quickly bent down to help Nina up, then looked at me with utter disgust:

"Lana, you've been spoiled rotten. All these years Nina has endured your treatment in silence. Now, even though this is clearly your fault, she's willing to suffer alongside you for my sake. You don't deserve it!"

"Today I'm going to fix that entitled attitude of yours! If you don't apologize, don't even think about getting out!"

With that, he waved to the people behind him:

"Go! Bring in more ice blocks and surround her with them! Then pour water over everything so she sticks to that ice!"

The moment Everett finished speaking—