When Callista Whitaker accidentally showed up in the same outfit as her fiancé's childhood friend, he had someone strip her right there on the spot.

He even made her sign a commitment letter promising never to use anything similar to Harriet Brennan's.

Leering eyes roamed across her exposed body.

Callista's chest tightened as a wave of humiliation washed over her.

She covered her private parts and signed the commitment letter, her teeth clenched in hatred. Then she glared at her fiancé, Giovanni Hackett, her eyes bloodshot.

"Can I put my clothes on now?"

"Yeah," Giovanni said, casually blowing out a smoke ring. The amusement in his eyes cut her to the bone. "But you've got to pay a little price."

With that, he signaled the bodyguard to bring over a dog costume.

"Aren't you always trying to steal Hattie's spotlight? Here's your chance.

"Put it on, and we can put this behind us."

A sudden bright light struck Callista, so blinding that she could barely breathe.

Clearly, he meant to strip her of all dignity.

Callista had lost count of how many times Giovanni had ignored what was right, all for Harriet.

When Harriet failed her SAT at 18, Giovanni swapped their scores, leaving Callista stuck with only a high school diploma.

When Harriet hit someone while driving under the influence at 20, Giovanni didn't hesitate to send Callista to prison to take the fall for her.

At 23, Harriet plagiarized Callista's design. And Giovanni paid off the media to spin the story, painting Callista as the culprit.

Now, just because Harriet had spent the night upset about showing up in the same outfit as her, Giovanni had Callista stripped down to her underwear in front of everyone, exposing her to the leering gazes of those wealthy playboys!

"What? You don't want to?" Giovanni stubbed out his cigarette, his icy glare cutting into Callista. "It's either the dog costume or nothing at all."

A burst of laughter filled the private room.

"Mr. Hackett, your simp seems a bit disobedient today!"

"Who cares! I'll bet 15,000 dollars that Callista will be on her knees barking like a dog in under a minute!"

"I say we don't even wait that long. Come on, guys, let's give her a hand!"

Before Callista could so much as move, a few of Giovanni's friends jumped in and forced the dog costume onto her.

They held her down on the ground as crude comments filled the room.

Callista instinctively tried to fight back, but Giovanni's cold voice cut through. "Don't forget our agreement."

Her face went pale, and she froze right there.

When Mariam Whitaker, her mother, married Giovanni's father, Howard Hackett, Giovanni had made Callista sign an unfair agreement.

It required Callista to do whatever he demanded. Say no, and he'd circulate gossip painting Mariam as a homewrecker, ruining her.

Back then, Mariam was struggling with severe depression and had a strong urge to end her life. How could Callista let Giovanni get under her skin like that?

She had no choice but to sign the agreement, and from then on, everyone in their circle mocked her as a simp.

Whenever Giovanni demanded something, Callista would comply without question.

Honestly, Callista couldn't even remember how she'd made it back to the Hackett's villa.

All she knew was that she was still stuck in that heavy dog costume.

Her body was covered in bruises, and tears streaked with blood smeared her face. Passersby cast strange, lingering glances at her.

Her heart ached deeply. But just the thought of her mother at home—arranging flowers and waiting for her return with pure joy—brought a faint spark of light to Callista's dim eyes.

She changed, pulled herself together, and stepped into the courtyard with a forced smile.

Right then, a sharp bang rang out.

Someone fell from above, landing right at her feet.

Screams of terror filled the air. Callista slowly lowered her head, her eyes going wide.

Amid the lush greenery, she saw her mom's face.

It was covered in blood, and her eyes were open wide in a haunting stare!

The sight hit Callista like a punch to the gut.

"Mom?" she murmured, only now able to make sense of it all.

A sharp pain seared through her chest. With a heavy thud, she dropped to her knees.

Shaking all over, she grabbed Mariam's hand, which was no longer warm.

Suddenly, she let out a desperate scream. "Mom!"

Mariam's phone screen was still glowing, displaying a news article about Howard's affair.

"Social climbers! The mother and daughter seduced the Hackett father and son, driving the wife to her death!"

At the bottom of the news piece were anonymous records of Callista and Giovanni's hotel stays over the years, plus videos of Callista being humiliated in multiple scenarios.

The vicious remarks cut into Callista like icy daggers to the heart.

"No wonder Sir Hackett got divorced back then. That disgusting woman seduced him!"

"How shameless! The mother seduced Sir Hackett. And now the daughter is after Mr. Hackett!"

"These two bitches even drove Sir Hackett's wife to death! They're basically murderers!"

Remarks like this went on endlessly.

In her last moments, Mariam recorded a message for Callista.

The message in the recording was brief, but it reduced Callista to uncontrollable sobs.

"Calli, will you only get a chance at happiness once I'm gone?"

Fuming, Callista called Giovanni, demanding an answer.

Those hotel check-in records and videos could only have come from him and his friends.

But Giovanni just laughed mockingly. "Aren't they just telling the truth? If your mom hadn't seduced my dad, my mom wouldn't have taken her own life! Your mother got what she deserved!"

Callista was overwhelmed with sadness.

The truth was—Howard had forced Mariam to marry him years ago.

But instead of blaming Howard, Giovanni took all his anger and hatred out on Callista and Mariam!

It was simply ridiculous.

Callista kept performing CPR on Mariam, pouring out her heart in an attempt to bring her mother back to life.

Her voice turned hoarse, leaving her unable to speak. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Finally, she accepted the fact that her mother was gone.

Callista numbly wiped the blood off Mariam's body and stayed by her side in a daze for an entire day and night.

After Mariam's funeral, Callista, consumed by despair, called the national figure skating team.

"Mr. Foley, I'll take part in this year's international figure skating competition."

Her mom had given her life to set her free.

She would forge a bright and successful future for herself!

The coach, Robert Foley, was very excited. "Calli, once you say yes, there's no turning back! I'll start making plans right away!"

Callista looked down for a moment. "I won't change my mind."

The figure skating competition was taking place in Vancouver, a chill city with a laid-back vibe.

Callista was thinking about settling there after the competition wrapped up.

So she headed over to the immigration office to sort out her paperwork.

Since the immigration process would take about a month, she went ahead and bought a plane ticket for next month.

At the same time, her social media feed was blowing up with Giovanni's latest post.

Those cringy photos from the night she got totally humiliated.

They were such a stark contrast to Harriet's stunning, glowing pics.

Callista found herself staring at the screen for ages, and then it hit her. Giovanni used to treat her like that, too.

But his way of showing affection was really messed up.

He'd scare off anyone who picked on her, yet he never hesitated to throw nasty comments at her himself.

He'd act like she belonged to him while turning her into someone everyone else couldn't stand.

He'd share his thoughts with her but kept guarding against both her and her mom in all sorts of ways.

***

Callista was 18 at that time. She honestly thought Giovanni was just a kid who needed some love to grow up.

It wasn't until Harriet came back to town and Giovanni, tipsy, let his true feelings slip. "Hattie, I've missed you so much."

Callista finally got it; Giovanni's fickleness stemmed from his seeing her as a stand-in for Harriet.

From that point on, the little sparks of affection Callista had felt in her heart, those moments when Giovanni had opened up to her with teary eyes, all turned to dust.

Callista wiped him off social media with a cold look and then casually called a taxi to head back to the villa and pack her bags.

As soon as she walked in, Callista spotted Giovanni slumped on the couch, looking all dark and moody.

He slammed a check down in front of her.

"Two million dollars, this is for you and your mom.

"I'll tell everyone that your mom took her own life because she was depressed. It has nothing to do with the Hackett family."

Callista couldn't help but laugh, but it was pure anger.

What was this?

Bribe money from a killer?

She ripped the check into shreds without a second thought and started heading upstairs.

But Giovanni suddenly grabbed her wrist hard. "Callista, you really upset Hattie. What gives you the right to lose it here? Or do you think two million dollars isn't enough?"

Giovanni pulled out another stack of cash and tossed it at her face, his voice dripping with disdain. "Money? The Hackett family has loads of it. But if you're crazy enough to think you can marry me, forget about it!"

Callista's cheek burned from the hit, but she looked straight into his eyes, which were filled with mild anger. "Giovanni, I've never even considered marrying you.

"And my mom didn't care about marrying your dad either."

Seeing her stand firm like that enraged Giovanni. "Callista, do you really think just because your mom's gone, I don't have anything over you anymore? Let me tell you. You'll regret this!"

With that, he slammed the door and stormed off.

The next day, as soon as Callista stepped outside, she found herself surrounded by a bunch of reporters.

"Ms. Whitaker! There's a rumor going around that your mom became Mrs. Hackett by wrecking someone's marriage back in the day. Is that true?"

"Ms. Whitaker, Mr. Hackett says you messed with his engagement to the Brennan family's daughter. What do you have to say about that?"

"Ms. Whitaker, did your mom take her own life out of shame after being caught having an affair in public?"

***

These cold and harsh questions felt like sharp daggers aimed right at her ears.

Callista quickly realized that whether her mom was alive or gone, she would always be her soft spot.

But Giovanni, just to keep his grip on her, even went as far as trashing the reputation of someone who was already gone.

Callista quickly shooed away the reporters and rushed over to the nearest police station to file a report, but no one wanted to take her case.

Watching the public opinions turn against her mom more and more viciously, Callista called up Giovanni.

Half an hour later, she found herself back at a bar.

The bright lights lit up the crowd dancing wildly on the floor, perfectly capturing that wild lifestyle filled with booze and luxury.

Giovanni lounged in the center seat, sizing her up casually. "I'll give you two options. Either keep being my dog, or I'll make sure your mom can't rest easy even in hell!"

Callista felt like her heart was getting ripped apart by some invisible force.

But she couldn't cut ties with Giovanni right now. She needed to get out of here.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she nodded in embarrassment. "I'll keep obeying you. Just promise me you'll help shut down all this public drama."

The smile in Giovanni's eyes was barely there. "Alright, show me you mean it.

"Now, get down on your knees and apologize to Hattie in front of everyone, and I'll let you off the hook this time."

Callista clenched her fists so tight that her nails dug into her palms, but she didn't seem to feel anything.

She slowly walked over to Harriet and then dropped to her knees with a thud. Her voice shook as she tried to hold it together.

"I'm really sorry... I shouldn't have worn the same outfit as you, shouldn't have taken your moment, shouldn't have made you upset for days. Please forgive me."

Onlookers around were whispering to each other, their eyes flicking back and forth between Callista and Harriet.

"Wow, I can't believe someone's actually kneeling to apologize just for wearing the same outfit!"

"Mr. Hackett really spoils Harriet way too much!"

***

Callista knelt in the middle of the crowd, her heart feeling like it was breaking.

Harriet, on the other hand, asked the waiter to bring over ten bottles of strong liquor and then said with a grin, "Hey, Ms. Whitaker, if you drink all this alcohol here, I'll totally forgive you!"

Her cute doll-like face lit up with a big smile.

But Callista could see that deep down in her eyes there was nothing but malice and triumph.

Callista instinctively glanced at Giovanni, ready to remind him that she was allergic to alcohol.

But it felt like Giovanni had already seen this coming. A sneer slipped from his thin lips. "So what if you're allergic? Callista, no one here is going to cater to you."

His words cut deep, sharp as ice.

It was almost like he'd completely forgotten that he was the same Giovanni who, years ago, had smashed the wine glass in her hand because he was mad she didn't know how to take care of herself.

Callista didn't say anything else. She just poured the alcohol down her throat in silence.

The strong liquor felt like it could burn a hole right through her stomach. The pain made her frown hard, and cold sweat dripped down her face.

After chugging ten bottles of strong liquor, any leftover feelings between her and Giovanni were gone for good.

Callista pushed through her discomfort, her eyes blazing as she glared at him. "Are you happy now?"

"Happy?" Giovanni pulled Harriet closer, his voice loving. "Babe, how else do you want her to say sorry?"

Harriet's cheeks turned pink, but the look she shot Callista was full of contempt. "How about making her wear a maid outfit and give our friends a taste of some kneeling service?"

As if that wasn't enough, Harriet added with a grin. "Don't worry, Ms. Whitaker. As long as you keep my friends entertained, I'll have Giovanni pay you.

"How does 500 dollars an hour sound? That's the same price as that bottle of wine your mom stole from my place."

At those words, Callista went completely pale.

Back then, Harvey Whitaker, her dad, had just passed away, and there was no one left to help the family out.

Mariam had found a job as a maid at the Brennan's residence through an agency. But because she was so pretty, Harriet's dad kept bothering her.

She was even framed by Harriet, and she got accused of stealing and kicked out of the house.

Mariam ended up living a really tough life.

From being falsely accused of stealing wine to being slandered for having an affair, finally, all of it drove her to take her own life.

The real victims were left feeling guilty, while the ones who did wrong walked away without a care in the world.

How messed up is that?

Callista gritted her teeth, her voice suddenly sharp. "My mom never stole wine, and she definitely didn't have an affair!"

As soon as she said that, laughter erupted all around them.

Only Giovanni frowned in annoyance. "Callista, do you really want to argue about this right now? Are you seriously going to claim that Hattie did your mom wrong?"

"You'd better understand that spreading rumors is illegal."

"Then call the cops," Callista shot back coldly. "Let them investigate and find out who's spreading these lies!"

Giovanni shot Callista a sneer and said, "Well, this is the capital, and I'm the one in charge here.

"Before I lose my cool, just do what Hattie tells you."

Callista felt tears welling up in her eyes, but in the end, she gave in and put on the maid's uniform.

Her delicate face took hit after hit. Her clean hands held wine glasses filled with bitterness, and her self-respect was shattered.

It wasn't until everyone had left that Giovanni finally eased up. "If there's a next time, it won't be so easy for you."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Harriet's waist and hopped into the car.

The car started shaking like crazy, and every now and then, moans of pleasure came from inside.

In a daze, Callista felt like she was seeing flashes from the past.

Giovanni forced her into intimate moments in the car, throwing hurtful words at her while holding her so tight it felt like he wanted to crush her.

Callista used to think that maybe he had some feelings for her and that all those mean things he said were just because he felt guilty about his mom.

She never imagined that Giovanni only wanted to humiliate her, to get back at her.

Tears blurred her vision. Then everything went dark before her eyes—she fainted.

When she woke up again, she found herself hanging hundreds of meters above the ground.

She barely lowered her head, yet the terrifying sense of weightlessness slammed into her.

Callista's eyes went wide with fear. She tried to scream for help, but with her mouth gagged, all that came out were muffled sounds.

The biting cold wind whipped against her thin body, making her sway unsteadily like she might topple over any second.

It wasn't until heavy rain started pouring down from the sky that Giovanni's icy voice cut through. "Callista, I really underestimated you.

"I told you to come and apologize and admit your mistake, yet here you are with a tiny camera trying to record everything.

"But do you honestly think there's a single media outlet in Boston that would dare go up against the Hackett Group? Who do you think is going to air those videos for you?"

At his words, a chill settled deep in Callista's heart.

Callista should've figured this out sooner.

Giovanni had ties in both legit and shady circles. Nobody dared to cross him, not wanting to risk their own necks.

Still, she held on to hope.

Hope that there'd be someone like her.

Someone who would fight for the fairness and justice lost over time and darkness, even if it meant walking alone into the long night.

Giovanni's icy voice cut through again. "Callista, you're gonna pay for your foolishness!"

Suddenly, the rope tying her up loosened. Callista felt like she was on one of those drop tower rides, falling fast at first, then slowly rising back up, only to come crashing down hard when she least expected it.

This cycle kept repeating itself over and over, each time pushing the limits between life and death.

A jumbled mess of feelings—anger, hurt, despair—swelled up in Callista's chest, but she felt like she couldn't even speak.

She thought, "When there was no one to turn to for help, did her mom go through this same pain too?

"Is that why she chose death without a second thought?"

Callista had no idea how long it took before the bodyguards pulled her back onto the rooftop.

She slumped down on the ground and slowly lifted her head to look at the guy in front of her.

Bitter tears rolled down her cheeks as Callista let out a choked laugh. "Giovanni, what do you want from me... just to finally let my mom and me be?"

She didn't want to live another day where it felt like her life could fall apart the moment she opened her eyes.

And she definitely didn't want her mom to still carry that awful stigma even after death.

Looking at the almost desperate look in Callista's eyes, Giovanni felt a bit annoyed. He instinctively reached out to help her up, but suddenly snapped back to reality.

His face turned cold instantly. "Callista, you're never getting rid of me for the rest of your life!"

After saying that, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Callista sat alone on the rooftop for quite a while, not even noticing when Giovanni had left.

The next day, Giovanni publicly announced his engagement to Harriet and left for a pre-wedding trip with her.

The beach, the sea, the sunset... all became witnesses to their love story.

Meanwhile, Callista bounced back quickly from her injuries and just went through the discharge process.

First, she went back to the Hackett's villa to pack her things before heading off alone into the deep mountains and forests to clear her mind.

Over the next week, Callista enjoyed a pretty chill and comfortable life.

But she never thought she'd run into Giovanni, Harriet, and their crew out here for a hike. Even in these deep mountains and old forests.

Callista planned to just ignore them, but then Giovanni called out, "I'll give you 15,000 dollars. Show us the way."

So selfish, arrogant, and totally full of himself.

Callista couldn't help but think. What on earth did she ever see in him back then?

Just as she was about to say no, a bright flash zipped across the sky. A terrifying bolt of lightning came crashing down like a sharp sword.

Boom!

It hit the hillside and trees right in front of her, taking them down instantly.

And worst of all, some sparks flew up, and before long, the whole forest was ablaze.

"Run!"

Callista shouted without thinking and took off toward the base of the mountain.

The others instinctively followed her, but no one could match her speed. Some even panicked and got caught in the flames, losing their lives in the chaos.

In the end, only Giovanni and Harriet managed to keep up with Callista.

Flames whipped around wildly, leaving painful blisters on Callista's exposed skin. The fire licked at her calves, burning them and leaving angry red marks behind.

Just when they were about to reach safety, something yanked her back hard.

Giovanni urged her urgently. "Slow down! Hattie's hurt!"

Following his gaze, Callista glanced over and couldn't help but laugh in frustration.

"A tiny scratch that isn't even bleeding. How is that a cut?"

They might not care about their own lives, but she still wanted to stick around.

At her words, Harriet's eyes filled with tears, looking like she was about to cry. "Giovanni, am I holding you guys back? It's fine, you go ahead. I'll catch up."

But just then, a tree on fire suddenly started to fall toward them.

"Watch out!"

Giovanni suddenly pushed Callista out of the way to take the hit, while he scooped up Harriet and dashed toward the foot of the mountain.

He stood firm, not hesitating for a second.

Harriet, who was cradled in his arms, shot a smug smile at Callista as if she was taunting her. "Giovanni doesn't give a damn about your life or death at all."

At that moment, Callista could almost hear her heart breaking.

A sharp pain pierced through her back, and everything went black. She passed out cold.

When she finally came to, Callista realized her whole body was wrapped in bandages. The pain made her gasp sharply.

The doctor was filling Giovanni in on Callista's situation. "Ms. Whitaker's burn area is pretty extensive. She needs to have a skin graft."

Callista had thought Giovanni would say no to the skin graft.

But surprisingly, he went along with what the doctor suggested.

A spark of hope ignited in her deadened heart, but Giovanni's next words shattered it.

"However, the skin graft has to be done without any anesthesia at all.

"Whether she can get through this really depends on her own strength."

Callista felt like her heart was being ripped apart, and her eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

She managed to croak out, "W-why?"

But all she got back was Giovanni's furious shout, sharp as a knife. "How can you even ask that?

"If you hadn't rushed ahead without waiting for her, how do you think she almost got hit by that tree?

"You should be thankful you took the hit for her. Otherwise, you'd be in the morgue right now!

"So I'll let you live... But trust me, it's going to hurt!"

Every word he said cut deeper than anything else could, tearing apart her heart and soul.

Callista shut her eyes and suddenly burst out laughing.

As she laughed, big tears streamed down her face one after another.

In a daze, with a blank look on her face, she was pushed into the operating room like a shell of a person.

The moment the door to the operating room closed, several nurses rushed in. They held down Callista's hands and feet and strapped her tightly to the table.

Callista didn't fight back. She just lay there quietly, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes.

The second the scalpel cut into her skin, an intense wave of pain shot through her whole body.

Callista's body shook instinctively, but she gritted her teeth and stayed completely quiet.

The scalpel cut through her skin little by little. Fresh blood oozed from the wound, dripping down and turning the operating table red.

Her fingers clutched the edge of the table so tightly that they turned white, her nails almost digging into her own skin. But she didn't make a sound.

Her mind started to fade, and all she could hear was the cold ticking of the medical equipment in her ears.

***

Callista was jolted awake by the nurses' chatter.

"Mr. Hackett is so sweet to Ms. Brennan! He not only cleared out the whole top floor for her, but he also comes to hang out with her every day and even feeds her!"

"Right? I heard they're getting hitched in two weeks. They make such a cute couple, a handsome guy with a gorgeous girl!"

"That Callista, the homewrecker who tried to come between Mr. Hackett and Ms. Brennan, must be so mad right now!"

Callista didn't say a word the whole time. She just listened quietly and counted down the days until she could finally leave.

Just like that—only two weeks left.

The door to the ward suddenly swung open, and Harriet strolled in slowly.

Her cheeks were rosy with health. She didn't look like someone who belonged in the hospital.

Callista smirked a little. "Back on the mountain, you were just buying time, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I totally was," Harriet said without missing a beat, her smile full of victory. "But it's too bad that you actually managed to dodge death.

"You saw it too. Giovanni's one true love is me. You're just a toy he can toss aside whenever he feels like it! What makes you think you deserve to stick around him for so long?"

After saying that, she suddenly slapped her own face really hard.

While hitting herself, she cried out in frustration. "Ms. Whitaker, if you've got any issues with me, just take it out on me! I can apologize to you, but please don't hurt my family!

"Back then, your mom seducing my dad wasn't enough. Now you want to go after him, too, and tear our family apart?"

Callista was completely shocked.

She reached out to stop Harriet when Giovanni rushed in and forcefully pushed her hand away.

With tears streaming down her face like flowers in the rain, Harriet threw herself into his arms, still looking shaken. "Giovanni, I only came here to visit Ms. Whitaker because I wanted to be nice, but she's so mean to me.

"She even said she wants not just you but also... my dad!

"You know how my dad used to have a thing for her mom. He won't stand a chance against her. Then what happens to my mom?

"Giovanni, can you help me talk some sense into her?"

Giovanni stared at Callista in shock, his anger burning like a raging fire, ready to consume the whole room.

"Callista, you're just hopeless!"

Callista tried to explain herself, but Giovanni wouldn't hear any of it.

He even raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, leaving her cheek red and throbbing.

He said coldly, "You and your mom are both pathetic! Why didn't she take you with her when she passed away?

"Since you love sleeping around so much, I'll make that happen for you!"

With that, he picked up Harriet and turned to leave without giving Callista another look.

Callista's eyes went wide, and it felt like the blood in her veins just froze.

Not long after Giovanni left, a bunch of ragged beggars stormed into her room.

There was a greedy, wild look in their eyes. They grabbed at Callista like snakes ready to strike, tearing at her clothes and trampling all over her dignity.

Callista shook with fear, tears streaming down her face.

"Giovanni! Help me! Please! Don't leave me here!"

Callista gathered all her strength and lunged for the door, desperate to grab onto the edge of Giovanni's clothes.

But just as her fingers barely touched his shirt, he coldly swatted her hand away.

"When you make a mistake, you've got to face the consequences."

Hearing that, Callista dropped to her knees and started bowing frantically. Her forehead hit the floor with heavy thuds.

"Giovanni, I was wrong! Please let me go! I can't stay with these guys! I'll die!

"Giovanni!"

She screamed in pain and despair, tears mixing with blood as they dripped down and stained the floor red.

But Giovanni just scoffed, "With a body like that, who are you to be picky?"

After saying that, he walked away without even looking back, treating her like she was nothing but trash.

The group of beggars jumped on her all at once, pulling Callista onto the bed. Their heavy breathing and wild laughter felt suffocating.

Giovanni's cruel words kept ringing in her ears.

It was like an invisible hand had wrapped around her heart so tightly that it hurt to breathe.

Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, a nurse burst in with some security guards who chased the beggars off.

There was no sadness worse than having a dead heart. Callista couldn't even cry.

She curled up under the blanket, her body covered in cuts and bruises.

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there before she finally got up and walked to the window to stare at the sky.

If her mom saw her like this now, she'd definitely be disappointed too, right?

In a daze, Callista made her way to the cemetery.

She wanted to visit her mom, tell her about all the pain and hurt she was feeling, and then say goodbye for good.

But when she got there, she saw a bunch of people digging up Mariam's grave.

The fresh flowers that Mariam loved the most were smashed to bits by them, and the photo on her tombstone was all covered in dirt.

Callista's heart dropped. She rushed forward, pushed them away, and yelled in a panic, "What are you doing?"

But how could she possibly go up against a bunch of big guys?

They didn't hold back at all. They shoved her aside and kept digging up Mariam's grave.

"Weren't those beggars enough for you last night? Now you're messing around with men again?" Giovanni's mocking voice came from behind.

Callista turned to see where the voice was coming from, and her eyes landed on Giovanni and Harriet holding hands tightly, their fingers intertwined.

That sight hurt her eyes and cut deep into her heart.

Harriet flashed a sweet smile and said, "Ms. Whitaker, what you said yesterday was just ridiculous. Of course, Giovanni got a bit mad. He can't just punish you and ignore your mom, too.

"When Giovanni cools off, I'll get someone to clean up your mom's grave. How does that sound?"

Her smug little look was infuriating, and her words felt like poison.

Callista felt the blood freeze in her veins. She stared at Giovanni in disbelief. "Giovanni, have you lost it?

"If you've got an issue, take it out on me! What kind of person digs up my mom's grave?"

She yelled with all her might, but her voice couldn't compete with Giovanni's casual reply. "Keep digging."

A worker was holding Mariam's urn and asked Giovanni, "Mr. Hackett, what should we do with this urn?"

"No!" Callista shook all over. Somehow, she found the strength to break free from her restraints.

She rushed forward, grabbed Mariam's urn, and held it tight against her chest. "Giovanni, have you forgotten how my mom treated you back in the day?

"Who took you to the hospital when you had a fever in the middle of the night? Who covered for you and begged your dad not to be too hard on you when you got into trouble at school?

"Have you really forgotten all that?"

Her mom had always been so good to him, hoping that love would soften his heart.

But no one could've guessed that, even until her last moments, her mom never got a single bit of kindness from Giovanni.

Looking at Callista with her red, puffy eyes, Giovanni felt a rare pang of sympathy. Without thinking, he reached out to wipe away her tears like he used to do.

But Harriet quickly grabbed his hand and playfully said, "Giovanni, didn't you promise me you'd get revenge?"

As soon as she said that, Giovanni snapped back to reality and kicked Callista hard in the chest.

He coldly ordered, "What are you waiting for? Dump this bitch's mom's ashes!"

Callista fell to the ground as they pried her fingers open roughly. "No! You can't do this!"

She tried to get up and grab the urn back, but Giovanni shoved her aside violently. All she could do was watch helplessly as they poured her mother's ashes into the filthy, stinky river.

At that moment, it felt like her heart just stopped beating.

Callista stared blankly as she crawled over to the empty urn, completely forgetting about the pain.

"Calli, you've got to be strong.

"Calli, I love you.

"Calli, life is short. You need to find happiness."

***

Her mom's words echoed in her mind like some kind of magic spell.

They felt so warm and inviting.

So much so that Callista even thought about joining her mom.

"Have you admitted your mistake?" Giovanni's cold, selfish voice cut through beside her.

But Callista didn't want to hear anything, didn't want to reply, and definitely didn't care what Giovanni was planning next.

To her, Giovanni had already wrecked her whole world.

Nothing else mattered anymore.

Seeing that Callista wasn't even going to acknowledge him, Giovanni got really angry out of embarrassment.

To make things worse, Harriet added fuel to the fire from the sidelines. "Giovanni, looks like Ms. Whitaker is set on not admitting her mistake. Is she trying to challenge you?"

Bang!

Out of nowhere, Giovanni kicked over the tombstone next to him and stomped down hard on Mariam's photo without a second thought.

"Callista, since you won't accept a toast and are forcing me to make you drink a forfeit, then..."

"Then what?" Callista's face was blank at first, but then she suddenly forced a sad smile. "I've admitted my mistake, apologized, and even bowed down. But have you ever let me off the hook?"

She really couldn't figure it out either.

She thought, "Why did the innocent have to kneel and apologize?

"And why did the guilty one get off scot-free?"

This world just felt so unfair to her.

Callista slowly got up and looked straight at Giovanni. "So, what's your punishment this time? Making me kneel in a maid outfit? Finding guys to hurt me? Or forcing my loved ones into danger?"

She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted, her voice barely above a whisper in the wind. "Giovanni, I'm done. Just end it."

Somehow, a wave of unease washed over Giovanni's heart.

But Harriet suddenly jumped in. "Ms. Whitaker, even if you're trying to play the victim by hurting yourself, don't joke about stuff like this!

"Honestly, nothing matters more than death itself. We were just messing around with you. There's no need to get all dramatic and talk about dying.

"Giovanni, you can't really buy into her self-harm act, right?"

The doubt and confusion in Giovanni's eyes disappeared in a flash. He scoffed. "If you want to die so badly, then go for it."

With that said, he told his group of tough guys to toss Callista into a pit and bury her alive.

At first, the group of big guys hesitated to step up, but then they heard Giovanni shout, "Bury her! I'll take the heat for whatever happens!"

He didn't really think Callista wouldn't be scared when facing death.

But to his surprise, Callista stayed quiet. She just let them bury her alive without a word.

The mud mixed with rainwater pressed down hard on her body, yet she never begged for mercy.

It wasn't until they were about to cover her face with mud that Giovanni angrily yelled for them to stop.

"Callista, I'm letting you off this time. You stay here tonight and think about what you did!"

After saying that, he turned around and walked away with Harriet.

Callista stared up at the sky, her eyes empty and dull, letting the rain wash away her tears.

Her mind was filled with memories of her mom.

She loved bright, colorful flowers, so her mom planted a whole yard full just for her.

She loved playing on a swing, so her mom made one by hand and played with her like crazy every day.

When she said she was scared that the road ahead would be tough, her mom would gently tell her, "Do good things, and don't stress about what's coming."

What her mom taught wasn't wrong; she had taken it to heart.

But somehow, all of that didn't seem enough to fight off the darkness before dawn.

When the first bit of golden light broke through the clouds and hit Callista's face, she could almost hear her mom's heartfelt words.

"Calli, stay strong, be kind, and find your happiness."

At that moment, all the heaviness faded away, and the golden light flooded in.

Callista felt like she was starting fresh. She looked down at her buzzing phone.

"Ms. Whitaker, your immigration process is all set. Please go ahead with the final confirmation."

"Calli, it's time to start your journey!"

Two hours later, Callista finally showed up at the place she'd seen in her dreams a million times.

The coach solemnly draped the team badge that had once been hers around her neck.

"Calli, welcome back to the team!"