Chapter 2

Ethan’s eyes glinted with malice, like a snake tightening around my neck, suffocating me.

Beside him, Lydia twisted the knife deeper into my wounds.

“I’m already carrying Ethan’s child,” she said, her voice dripping with smugness. “The two of you have been married for years, and yet… no baby, Willow.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Lydia’s grin widened, her tone as sweet as arsenic. “It’s because Ethan’s been drugging your food. You’re barren now. A hen that can’t lay eggs. Isn’t that hilarious?”

I stared at Ethan—the man I used to share my life with, whose every touch once felt tender—and then at Lydia, whose flat stomach now carried his child.

Hate surged through me, so fierce and hot that I thought it might burn me alive. I clenched my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter.

“I’ll make sure you both pay for this,” I spat, my voice trembling with rage.

But Ethan only laughed as if my words were a joke. Without another word, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me like a ragdoll to the basement.

Ethan knew I was scared of the dark.

And so, he locked me in a pitch-black basement, where the damp air clung to my skin and the silence was broken only by the occasional drip of water.

Standing in the doorway, he sneered down at me.

“From now on, this is where you’ll stay. Take your time reflecting on all the terrible things you’ve done to me.”

I’ve been afraid of the dark for as long as I can remember.

The moment the door slammed shut, the fear wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. My chest heaved, and I clawed at the walls, desperate to find something—anything—to hold on to.

When the door opened again, I rushed forward, throwing myself at Ethan’s feet.

“Please,” I sobbed, clutching at the hem of his pants. “Don’t leave me here. I’ll do anything. Just don’t leave me in the dark.”

I begged with every ounce of dignity I had left, lowering myself to a level I never thought possible.

Ethan’s only response was laughter—cold, heartless laughter that echoed off the damp walls.

“Oh, did I forget to mention something?” he said, crouching down so his face was level with mine. The dim light from the hallway cast shadows over his sharp features, making him look almost inhuman.

“Willow,” he drawled, his voice sickeningly soft, “do you remember that time you were locked in the equipment room overnight as a child?”

My entire body froze.

“That was me,” he said casually.

Ice shot through my veins as he continued, his tone almost conversational.

“I planned it all. Timed it down to the minute. And then, when I showed up the next morning to ‘rescue’ you…” He smiled, as if savoring the memory. “You thought I was your savior. You fell for me completely after that, didn’t you?”

I couldn’t breathe.

“You were so easy to manipulate,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “And look at you now. Everything you are, everything you’ve done—it’s all because I made you believe in me. I’ve had you wrapped around my finger this whole time.”

The weight of his words crushed me, like a boulder pressing down on my chest.

I let go of his pants and scrambled backward, away from him, as though the darkness behind me was less terrifying than the man in front of me.

He straightened, his shadow stretching long against the walls.

“To me, you’ve always been nothing more than a toy. Something I could control, something I could break,” he said.

And then, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Now, back in the present, I stood in front of Ethan as he tried desperately to save face.

His expression shifted between anger and forced composure, the weight of the crowd’s murmurs pressing down on him.

People in the audience were whispering to one another, casting glances at me and then back at Ethan.

“Did he do something to upset her?”

“Why would she humiliate him like this? He’s nothing without her family’s support.”

“Isn’t her family the most powerful in Riverton? If she’s mad at him, he’s finished.”

The Linwood name carried weight in this city. As the only daughter of the Linwood family, I had been spoiled and protected my entire life. Everyone in Riverton knew that Ethan’s rise to power had been made possible only because of me. Without the Linwoods, he was nothing.

Ethan must have realized this as well.

Though his face had darkened, he quickly plastered on a smile and stepped forward, reaching for my hand.

“Willow,” he said, his voice soft and full of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

I stepped back, dodging his touch.

“I don’t understand,” Ethan said, his forced smile faltering. “You told me once that if I ever proposed, you wanted the whole world to witness it. You wanted everyone to see how happy you were. That’s all I wanted to do—make you happy.”

He paused, his voice growing quieter.

“If I did something wrong… tell me. I’ll fix it.”