My husband was a mob boss. When his brother, Ralph Gildon, died, he took his sister-in-law as another wife. I may have been his lawful wife, but his heart was never mine—it was hers.

He praised me as his perfect wife in public, having no qualms about forcing me to drink countless shots on his behalf. Yet, he once chopped off a man's hand, all because the man offered his sister-in-law, Vanessa Snider, a sip of fruit wine.

He posted my photos online, proclaiming he wanted the world to see my beauty, all while keeping Vanessa hidden away.

Predictably, his enemies saw the photos and kidnapped me. I called him for help, but he said, "Rosa, Vani is pregnant with my child. Her safety is my priority now. I'm sure it's what Ralph would have wanted.

"Just hang in there. I'll come for you after her morning sickness lets up."

He never came. For an entire year, my captors violated me again and again, leaving me with a broken leg.

When I finally escaped and stumbled home, bloodied and broken, I found my daughter locked in a dog cage, scavenging for food while clinging to my photograph.

Meanwhile, my husband, his face glowing with joy, was hosting a celebration for his new son—the child he had with Vanessa—and announcing that they were getting married.

With tears in my eyes, I gathered my emaciated daughter into my arms. "We're leaving, sweetheart," I whispered. "He never deserves to be your father."

***

When I rushed into the courtyard of the Gildon's mansion, my husband, Elliott Gildon, was slipping the emerald ring—the symbol of the Gildon family hostess—onto Vanessa's finger, his eyes filled with affection.

Then he announced to everyone they'd get married in three days.

Vanessa, cradling their one-month-old son, leaned into him with a bashful smile. They were the perfect image of a blissful couple.

As Elliott turned with a smile, his gaze accidentally locked with mine.

My face was covered in blood. Yet, he still recognized me after so many years of marriage.

He instinctively tried to stride over, his eyes brimming with joy. "Rosa..."

But just then, Vanessa clutched his sleeve, whispered, "Elliott..."

Her voice had a pleading edge. Elliott realized something and paused abruptly, the words dying on his lips.

The joy in his eyes melted away, replaced by a mix of guilt and unease.

The guests, who had been offering their blessings, saw me covered in blood and dirt, and their eyes were instantly filled with contempt. "It's a big day for the Gildon family. Who is that filthy creature? What a jinx."

Just then, another murmured, "Wait. Am I the only one who thinks she looks a bit like Mr. Gildon's late wife, Rosalind Osborne? But didn't he say she was kidnapped and killed by one of his enemies a year ago? Vanessa became his rock through his grief, and that's why they fell in love and even had a baby boy. Only then did he finally move on."

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. Late wife? Who said I was dead?

"Is she really Rosalind? She didn't die? Does that mean... Vanessa is the homewrecker?"

"Rosalind is still alive, yet Vanessa eagerly slept with Mr. Gildon—her late husband's brother, no less. My, my..."

Vanessa heard their whispers clearly, and her face went pale. She shot a resentful glance at me, a clear sign that she had recognized me, too.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She made a move to take off her ring, saying with a trembling voice full of hurt, "You heard what they say, Elliott. You should take this ring back. And cancel the wedding. I'm just a widow... I can't have my reputation tainted like this. All I want is to be with you and our son."

Her little charade worked perfectly, breaking Elliott's heart. He swiftly slipped the ring back onto her finger and reassured, "Don't be silly, Vani. You gave birth to the Gildon family's heir. That's a contribution no one can ever take away from you. You deserve all of this—the ring, your place as the lady of the house, everything."

My eyes widened in utter disbelief. What a bastard! Elliott had promised me that our daughter would be the sole heiress to the Gildon family!

And that emerald ring—it wasn't just a symbol of the family's hostess. It was the very ring he held when he proposed to me.

To prove his devotion, he had even carved the letter "R" into it, for my first name, Rosalind.

My gaze locked onto the ring, and a sharp pang of anguish shot through my entire being.

The "R" had been erased without a trace, replaced by a stark, mocking "V"—for Vanessa.

Suppressing the pain, I was just about to reveal my true identity when Elliott stepped in front of me. His words hit me like a thunderbolt, freezing me in place. "Rosa is dead. This woman is nothing but a beggar. And I will deal with anyone who dares to slander Vani again."

I gaped at him. "Elliott... what did you just say? Who am I again?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. He then leaned in close and whispered, "Rosa, you heard the whispers. If I admit who you are now, Vani's reputation will be ruined.

"Ralph entrusted her to my care. I can't let her suffer. You've always been kind and understanding. Just... bear with it for now, alright?"

Then he signaled to the butler to take me away, not even granting me a second glance. Before he turned around, he added pitifully that I could have some of their leftovers, calling it a charitable gesture—after all, it was the celebration for his one-month-old son.

The guests' blessings echoed through the hall once more. They were praising Elliott and Vanessa for being such a perfect match.

All that lingered in my heart was desolation.

Having worked for the Gildon family for years, the butler, Aaron Sutton, naturally recognized me. He had a maid prepare clean clothes for me and led me to a guest bedroom so I could shower.

I was baffled. The guest bedroom? Why?

Despite Aaron's attempts to stop me, I walked toward the master bedroom and pushed the door open.

The room that had once belonged to Elliott and me was now entirely different. Not a single trace of me remained.

All the decor was to Vanessa's taste, and even our wedding photo had been replaced by theirs.

Elliott had once sworn he'd fall asleep with our wedding photo as his last sight every night and would never take it down, even when he was eighty. But clearly, he had changed.

I stood motionless, staring at the affectionate smiles on their faces in the photo, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Was this why he had never come to my rescue? He didn't want me to stand in their way?

Aaron sighed, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but none came. He simply didn't know what to say.

Staring blankly at the crib in the room, I asked, my voice eerily calm, "Where's my daughter?"

Aaron hesitated, not wanting to tell me. But I kept pressing him.

Finally, he relented and told me she was in the storage shed in the backyard.

It was filthy, cold, and damp. What was she doing there?

When I found my daughter in the storage shed, a blinding, white-hot rage swallowed my vision. Immediately, an icy chill surged through me.

I stood frozen, unable to believe my eyes.

There, locked in a massive dog cage, was my five-year-old daughter, Noreen Gildon, clutching a photograph of me tightly in her arms. Crouched beside her was a wolfhound that stood nearly half the height of a grown man.

The happy, carefree child I had cared for was gone.

In her place sat a stranger with dirty clothes, a face frozen in horror, and eyes that were hauntingly hollow.

Next to her, the wolfhound slept soundly, its fangs glistening in the light.

My sweet Noreen, who had always been loved and pampered, didn't have a single tear on her face. Starving, she shot a fearful glance at the slumbering beast before carefully crawling to a plate and gulping down the food.

The image of the chubby, tender baby boy nestled in Vanessa's arms flashed in my mind, and I was instantly seething with rage and hatred.

How dare you, Elliott!

I called out, my voice trembling violently, "Noreen?"

Noreen paused before slowly looking up at me. After being frozen for quite a while, she widened her eyes in disbelief.

"Mommy, you're back?"

Almost in the blink of an eye, she burst into tears, finally having someone to lean on.

"Mommy, Vanessa locks me in here. She gives me just enough food to stay hungry. And Daddy doesn't care about me. I'm so scared... That dog almost bit me. Mommy, get me out!"

Her tone was dripping with grievances, and her pitiful call "Mommy" broke my heart. But now wasn't the time to comfort her—the wolfhound had been woken up and was now staring fiercely at Noreen.

I snatched up an axe from the corner. Aaron walked over to stop me, but I ignored him and smashed the iron lock on the cage.

I quickly gathered Noreen into my arms, then turned and raised the axe again, this time aiming its blade directly at the wolfhound.

"Mrs. Gildon, please, don't be impulsive," Aaron pleaded. "That's Mrs. Vanessa Gildon's favorite pet. It's a gift from Mr. Elliott Gildon. If you harm it, she'll be upset, and he'll be furious..."

I let out a cold scoff. Did Elliott gift this beast to Vanessa just so it could scare his own daughter?

Ignoring Aaron's persuasion, I chopped off the wolfhound's head the moment it lunged at me.

But it wasn't enough. I was still seething with rage. So, I turned the axe on the cage itself, swinging it until the cage became broken pieces.

The commotion reached Elliott, who came rushing over. His eyes fell on the scene, and he immediately laid into me. "Rosa, what's this about? You've been home for five minutes, and you're already causing a scene? Is this some pathetic attempt to tell the guests who you really are? You've terrified Bobby—he hasn't stopped crying. It's already a long day for Vani, and now she has to soothe him because of you. Just cut it out already, OK?

"I know the past year has been a torment to you. I promise I'll explain everything to you later. But, the bottom line is, Vani's reputation can't be tainted whatsoever."

How ironic. Bobby? As in Baby?

What did that make me and Noreen?

I hissed, "Your heart shatters so easily at the sound of Vanessa's son crying, Elliott. But have you forgotten? Noreen is your daughter, too. How could you just stand by and watch that woman lock her in a cage, let a dog terrorize her, and starve her? You're being so unfair!"

Elliott seemed baffled, as if he had just noticed how Noreen looked. "What are you talking about? Noreen is my daughter. Why on earth would I ever allow that to happen to her?"

His response left me stunned. Could it be... he truly didn't know any of this?

Frowning, he ordered Aaron to summon Vanessa. The moment she stepped into the backyard, she burst into tears. "Elliott, Rosa has completely misunderstood me. Noreen is such a sweet girl. I'd never, ever do something like this to her.

"You know how much Noreen loves playing hide and seek, don't you? She was pestering me to play with her earlier, but I was so busy with the guests. Before I could even find a moment to look for her, she locked herself in the dog cage. I had no idea she was so bold..."

Anxious, Noreen looked at me. "Mommy, I didn't..."

Vanessa continued, "Noreen, I know you hate me for taking Rosa's place. But you shouldn't tell such lies together with her." She paused, her gaze falling upon the dead dog on the ground. "And you actually killed Rocky? That was a gift from Elliott. How could you be so cruel? Do you really hate me that much?"

Hearing this, Elliott immediately slapped Noreen hard across the face, his expression dark and grim. "How dare you slander Vani! Since you've learned to lie at such a young age, who knows what you'll become? As your father, I will teach you a lesson today."

His violence left Noreen frozen in place. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

The sight shattered my heart, and I shoved Elliott away with all my strength. "How dare you slap her! You don't deserve to be her father!

"You know perfectly well that Noreen is terrified of dogs. Why would she ever hide in a dog cage? And look at her! She's all skin and bones. Do you honestly believe she could lift that heavy lock by herself?"

A flicker of hesitation flashed in Elliott's eyes, while Vanessa cried even harder. "Forget it. I know I'm unwanted in this family. Blame it all on me, alright? I'll leave. I'll take Bobby and go be with Ralph right now!"

With that, she turned as if to run out.

Elliott watched her retreat, his face etched with worry. Then he shot me a fierce glare. "Rosalind, good job on raising such a great girl—a liar and a bully. I won't be surprised if she starts picking on Bobby next.

"Ralph died young, and I'm the only one Vani has to rely on. And you can't even find it in your heart to tolerate her? I never knew you could be so cruel and unreasonable."

With that, he immediately chased after Vanessa, leaving me and Noreen behind.

Noreen stared at his retreating figure motionlessly, her eyes tinged with reluctance and sadness. "Mommy, is it because I'm a girl? Is that why Daddy likes Bobby and Vanessa instead of us? I'm sorry, Mommy. It's all my fault."

After Elliott slapped her, she didn't harbor any resentment at all. Instead, she blamed it all on herself.

With tears in my eyes, I held her in my arms. "It's not that. Noreen, you're the sweetest kid in the world. This has nothing to do with you.

"We're leaving, sweetheart," I whispered. "He never deserves to be your father."

With Noreen in my arms, I returned to the guest bedroom and asked Aaron to call a private doctor to give her a rabies vaccine.

Noreen told me that over the past year, Elliott had poured all his love and attention onto Vanessa and Bobby—who was still a fetus at the time—and had never cared for her.

Behind his back, Vanessa had been scaring Noreen. Several times, Noreen went to him to tell him the truth, but Vanessa always called her a liar, and he always believed Vanessa.

It was also Elliott and Vanessa who had told Noreen that I had been killed by villains.

Every day, Noreen would cry while clutching my photo, refusing to let Rocky come near it—even if it meant she'd get bitten instead.

After a long time, I finally soothed Noreen to sleep. Looking at the tear stains on her face, I felt torn.

When I had told her we were leaving, she hadn't said a word. I knew she still couldn't bear to leave Elliott.

Though he despised her for being a girl he believed was destined for nothing great, she still craved his fatherly love deep down.

Should I give Elliott a chance for Noreen's sake?

Lost in thought, I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace, the potent, creamy odor of milk from someone who had recently given birth washing over me.

"Rosa, you're still alive. This is wonderful. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you safe and sound."

Elliott kissed the back of my neck. "I promised Ralph I would protect Vani and preserve his bloodline. At the time, she was pregnant with my child and had severe morning sickness. I had to stay by her side, which is why I couldn't come to your rescue immediately.

"Later, I used all my resources to look for you, but I only received news of your death. It shattered my heart."

Doing my best to suppress the nausea rising within me, I pushed him away and asked flatly, "What about now? I'm back. Are you still going to marry her?"

He looked at me helplessly. "How is that possible? You are my only wife. The wedding is just a formality I must go through with her. We will not get a marriage certificate.

"I have to give her and Bobby a proper status to prevent them from being criticized.

"It's all for show, Rosa. You and I are the real couple. You've always been so understanding—I know you won't mind this, right?"

So, he still planned to keep me as his late wife, to let me endure a lifetime of humiliation?

Consumed by lust, he began to tear at my clothes. "Rosa, Vani has given birth to my son. Now we must hurry. I want a son of ours, too."

The faint milk stains on his trousers were still visible. Along with the sickly trace of Vanessa's perfume, it was a revolting testament to exactly what they had been doing.

A wave of nausea hit me. Just then, a knock came at the door—it was Vanessa's maid. "Mr. Elliott, Ms. Snider is having trouble breastfeeding. Perhaps someone upset her today. Her milk has stopped, and she's in agony—her breasts are hard as rocks. She's weeping from the pain, and Mr. Bobby is starving. Would you please come and take a look?"

Instantly, Elliott shoved me away. My leg, which had been broken before, buckled beneath me, and I crashed to the floor. But he simply turned a blind eye.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? You're so useless!" he snapped.

"Vani won't breastfeed him again. Hire a wet nurse—no, hire several! I won't let her feel a moment's pain. And of course, I won't have Bobby going hungry ever again!"

He hurried out, leaving me stunned and alone on the floor.

When he had first brought Vanessa home, I had just given birth to Noreen. The news enraged me, and soon after, I, too, was struggling to breastfeed. The pain in my breasts was so immense that I writhed in agony on the bed.

I begged him to find a wet nurse, but he refused. "Rosa," he said, "I'm the gang leader. As my wife, you need to be strong. This pain shouldn't be a thing to you.

"Besides, I don't trust outsiders. What if they're spies sent by my enemies? I won't jeopardize Vani's safety for this.

"I'm not getting a wet nurse for you. You're gonna have to breastfeed Noreen. Rosa, you've always been so understanding. You'll just have to bear it."

But now? It seemed he was willing to say yes to everything, just so that Vanessa could feel better.

Since when did he stop using her full name and start calling her "Vani"? Since when did he tacitly agree to the servants treating her as his rightful wife?

What did that make me?

"Mommy, don't cry."

Before I realized it, Noreen had woken up. She climbed out of bed and gently stroked my cheek.

Only then did I feel the tears streaming down my face.

She held me tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "Mommy, this is the hundredth time Daddy has abandoned us for Vanessa.

"I've made up my mind. Let's leave. I don't want Daddy anymore."

It turned out that Noreen had known everything all along. She had simply chosen to give Elliott a hundred chances.

Now, he had finally exhausted every last one, shattering her final shred of hope in him.

I hugged her back, smiling through tears. "Alright. I'll take you to leave."

Early the next morning, Vanessa came to knock on my door, inviting me to go shopping. She insisted it was to make up for her neglect of Noreen.

Slipping her arm through Elliott's, she cooed, "Elliott, you must come with us and pay the bills. Rosa has suffered so much this past year. It's only right that we properly compensate her."

From her posture to her tone, everything seemed to suggest she was the lady of the house.

My silence annoyed Elliott. "Rosa, Vani is being generous. She was in agony all night because her milk stopped—all because you and Noreen upset her yesterday. But she's generous to let it slide. Don't push your luck."

It seemed he had forgotten that the walls were far from soundproof. I had been forced to endure the sound of their sickening moans all night.

A sick feeling still churned in my stomach, but I swallowed my words and simply nodded.

At the mall, Elliott and Vanessa always walked ahead of me, their arms linked.

He was in a custom-tailored suit, and she was draped in a limited-edition designer dress. They were the picture of a perfect match, basking in the saleswoman's flattery.

Meanwhile, I limped along behind them. My worn-out clothes drew scornful glances from the same staff.

Whenever someone curiously asked who I was, Elliott would shoot me a glance before offering an awkward smile. "She's a maid from the household. My wife insisted on buying some new clothes for her."

One saleswoman fawned over them with a smile. "Mr. Gildon, Mrs. Gildon, you're not only a stunning couple but so incredibly kind-hearted. To show such generosity to your maid... People with hearts like yours are destined for a long and happy life together."

On the way back, a dozen masked motorcyclists in peaked caps forced our car to the shoulder.

They surrounded us, smashed the windows, and demanded 15 million dollars. Elliott was unmistakably their target.

"Fifteen million is nothing to me," Elliott said. "But I don't carry that kind of cash. Let us go, and I'll withdraw it right away."

The leader scoffed, "Mr. Gildon, do we look like fools to you? We heard you're getting married. So, which one is the lucky bride? We'll take her as our hostage. For every hour you're late, she'll lose a finger."

Vanessa and I looked at Elliott simultaneously. These were clearly ruthless thugs, and their promises were worthless.

Elliott was clearly thinking the same. After a tense silence, he shoved me forward. "Take her. She's my fiancée. You can verify it online—her photos are everywhere. Now, let us go."

I could only gape at him, utterly stunned. Was this the reason for his enthusiastic online posts?

To build me up as a human shield for Vanessa?

To warn Elliott not to try anything stupid, the leader cut off one of my fingers without hesitation. Blood gushed out immediately.

All the color drained from my face. Through a haze of blinding pain, I fixed my gaze on Elliott. "Elliott, are you sure you won't regret this?"

A wave of guilt visibly overwhelmed him under my intense gaze. He tilted his head away. "Rosa, Vani has no one else to depend on but me. I made a vow to protect her. Just... endure this for a little while. I will make it up to you.

"I'll withdraw the money right now. Then I'll come back for you."

After saying this, he grabbed Vanessa's hand and left without hesitation.

Staring blankly at their retreating figures, I suddenly realized my marriage had been nothing but a ridiculous joke.

Two hours past the agreed time, I lost two more fingers.

The leader grew impatient and sent a scout to the Gildon's mansion. The man returned soon after, fuming. "Fuck! We've been played!

"You know what the butler said? That Mr. Gildon was 'tucking his beloved in' and didn't have time for me! The bitch who left with him is his real fiancée. This one here is just a decoy!"

A fresh wave of pain shot from my hand through my entire body, but suddenly, the physical agony was nothing compared to the utter devastation deep down in my heart.

Enraged, the leader grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back. "You bitch! How dare you lie to me! I'm gonna kill you!"

A second before the blade could slash my throat, Elliott finally showed up.

But he hadn't come with cash. Instead, he arrived with dozens of bodyguards, who swiftly subdued the thugs.

Staring at him, I let out a cold laugh. So, he hadn't been withdrawing money at all. Instead, he had spent the last two hours tucking Vanessa in.

On the way back, he bandaged my wounds while apologizing, "Rosa, I'm sorry. I can't imagine how painful this is. But... you're braver than Vani. Such scenes are too much for her to take.

"I'll totally let Ralph down if anything happens to her. Surely, you understand, don't you?"

Already fed up with his lame excuses, I waved my hand wearily. "Enough. I get it. Don't worry about it."

He nodded with a relieved smile. "I knew it. Rosa, you're as understanding as always. After I hold a wedding with Vani, I'll deal with all my enemies. No one gets to hurt you again."

Was it for me? Or Vanessa? He knew the answer better than anyone.

I took a deep breath to swallow these words back.

The day of their wedding arrived. Before leaving, Elliott took my hand. "Rosa, thank you for being so understanding. Once this is over, I'll take you and Noreen on a trip."

I smiled while straightening his tie, "Alright. Go ahead. You don't wanna keep Vanessa waiting."

He shot me a surprised look, stunned by how calm I was. After all, I had fought him over Vanessa at every turn in the past.

But time was pressing, so he didn't dwell on it and headed to the hotel.

After his retreating figure vanished from my sight, I averted my gaze. It was time for me and Noreen to leave.

In the hotel, the officiant asked, "Mr. Gildon, do you take Vanessa Snider to be your wife?"

Just as Elliott was about to respond, Aaron barged in. "Bad news, Mr. Gildon! Right after you left, accomplices of those thugs from the other day broke in and took Mrs. Gildon and Ms. Gildon away!

"They just sent a video. They... They've killed Mrs. Gildon and Ms. Gildon!"