After my husband, Derek Jarrow, abused me for the 98th time, all because of Gemma Ravell, I finally gave up all hope. My heart was shattered, and I accepted the advances of his closest friend, Zion Valemont.

He promised to help me fake my own death, give me a brand-new identity, and marry me overseas.

But after I swallowed the fake-death pill Zion gave me, I regained consciousness too soon inside the coffin.

I couldn't move a muscle, trapped in my own body, as I listened to muffled voices outside. Zion was speaking with someone.

"Mr. Valemont, you had Derek abuse Remi Ravell, then pretended to rescue her so you could gain her trust completely. Why go so far as to bury her alive after faking her death?"

"It's the only way the Ravell family will believe she's really gone. Only then can Gemma truly secure her place as heir, and no one will ever mention her illegitimate birth again."

There was a hesitant pause. "But won't it be too long to leave her buried for seven days until after your wedding with Gemma? What if something happens?"

"The fake-death drug lasts five days. I've already had water, food, and an oxygen tank placed inside the coffin. She won't die."

***

In the suffocating darkness, panic crashed over me, my heart twisting in agony.

So it was Zion who made Derek abuse me. Then he came to me as my savior, convincing me to fake my death so I could be with him, making me give up everything.

But the man who promised to marry me planned to bury me alive, only to marry Gemma after.

Now, I'd awakened too soon—and there was no water, no food in this coffin at all!

The cramped, narrow space pressed in on me, stealing my breath.

Through the wooden boards, Zion's voice sounded muffled, but every word stabbed into me like a blade, pinning me in place.

"When Gemma's illegitimacy was exposed, her engagement to Derek was given to her younger sister, Remi. Gemma lost her chance at love, so I'll help her win power and position instead. I promised Gemma I'd always have her back.

"As for Remi, I've had Derek torment her all these years to punish her. Letting her go now is a kind of mercy. She loves me so much—she'll stay lost forever in the dream I spun for her."

The other person hesitated, voice tinged with guilt. "But Remi doesn't know that faking her death means actually being buried alive for seven days. That's too risky. She's terrified of the dark, and she's claustrophobic. What if something goes wrong in there...?"

"It won't!"

Zion's tone brooked no argument.

"The Ravell family is careful. The act has to be perfect. Seven days—she'll only be conscious for two at most. What could happen? Besides, Derek always locked her in a closet after beating her. She should be used to it by now.

"Gemma waited five years for this chance. We can't risk anything going wrong. Once it's all over and I'm married to Gemma, we'll get a fake marriage certificate abroad to fool Remi. We'll keep her comfortable and well-fed, and she'll never be able to return home."

Their footsteps faded away, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make a sound.

The drug left my mind clear, but my body was paralyzed. I couldn't even speak.

Claustrophobia gripped me. I bit down hard on my tongue, forcing myself to stay calm. My back was drenched in cold sweat.

The pitch-black darkness reminded me of the five years I'd spent married to Derek.

Every time he abused me, he'd lock me in the closet afterward.

The memories crashed over me like a tidal wave, my stomach twisting in pain.

Two years ago, after being locked in the closet once again, it was Zion who opened the door and set me free.

In that moment, I thought I saw an angel—someone who could banish all the shadows from my life.

From then on, Zion began to pursue me relentlessly.

He cared for my battered body, soothed my shattered heart, and told me to fight back against the abuse.

How foolish I was to think I'd found my salvation.

I never realized that everything I suffered was orchestrated by Zion himself!

He had Derek hurt me, then played the hero to heal me—all for the sake of my sister, Gemma.

I bit down hard on my lip, desperately willing my body to move.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening outside.

The click of high heels was followed by a bright, girlish voice.

"Zion, are you sure nothing will happen to Remi if she's buried for seven days? She's being buried today—she's still my sister, after all. Isn't this just too cruel?"

It was like I'd found a lifeline. Inside my mind, I screamed for help, "Save me!"

Please, just open the coffin and look at me—just once, and you'll see I'm already awake.

I don't want to be buried alive. I don't want to suffocate in this darkness!

But no one could hear my silent screams. The only response was Zion's cold, emotionless voice.

"Gemma, you're still too soft-hearted. We've planned for this day for so long—we can't let everything fall apart now.

"Have you forgotten how Remi stole everything from you? If it hadn't been for her mother, your status as an illegitimate child would never have come out. Your mother wouldn't have died, you would've married the man you loved, and you never would've been cast out of the Ravell family!

"Don't worry. When all this is over, I'll make it up to Remi."

My whole body trembled uncontrollably, my limbs numb and spasming, as if a thousand needles were stabbing into my flesh.

The taste of blood filled my mouth. I swallowed the metallic tang clawing at my throat.

Zion, I don't want your so-called redemption!

Just let me out. I'll give up my place as heir, disappear forever, and never bother either of you again!

It sounded like Gemma was crying. Her voice was choked and shaky. "Zion, you're so good to me. Every time I was upset, you'd go out of your way to provoke Derek, make him abuse Remi, and then send me the photos and videos.

"Watching Remi, beaten and bruised, kneeling on the floor and begging for mercy, or seeing her locked in that closet for three days and nights, starving and dehydrated—it always made me feel so much better."

Zion pulled Gemma tightly into his arms, letting out a low sigh.

"As long as you're happy, hurting Remi a thousand times, ten thousand times, is worth it. She owes you all of this."

Inside the coffin, my tears came pouring out.

It felt like something heavy had crashed into my chest, crushing my heart.

Zion, is this how you've always seen me?

How can people be so cruel?

So every time I was abused, it was you pulling the strings.

You were so gentle to my face, while behind my back, you used videos and photos of my pain to please another woman.

I laughed silently, tears slipping from the corners of my eyes and soaking into the wood beneath me.

Maybe the pain was too much, because suddenly a surge of strength I'd never felt before shot through my body.

My fingers could move!

No matter how much I hated those two monsters, all I wanted now was to survive.

I scratched at the coffin lid with my nails, leaving faint marks, hoping someone—anyone—would hear the sound.

But my brief hope was shattered in the next moment.

From outside, I heard the sounds of a passionate kiss.

I could feel Gemma pressed against the coffin, her back tight against the wooden boards.

I pounded desperately with my fingers, but the two of them were lost in each other, oblivious.

Zion and Gemma's ragged breaths mingled together, their bodies slamming into the coffin, making it creak and groan.

My feeble cries for help were drowned out without effort.

Zion, even as he moved against her, whispered his devotion. "Gemma, do you know how long I've waited for this day? Finally, you've let Derek go and agreed to marry me.

"For you, I forced myself to seduce Remi. Even that night with her, all I could think about was you."

I shut my eyes tight, clenching my teeth, forcing myself not to listen to those sickening sounds.

I thought my will to live was stronger than my hatred for them.

I was wrong. My hatred was overwhelming.

The more I once loved Zion, the more I despised him now.

And I hated myself even more for falling for two men who never hesitated to hurt me.

I don't know how much time passed before the world outside finally fell silent.

Just as I was sinking into despair, waiting for death, the coffin suddenly cracked open—a sliver of light breaking through.

A blinding white light stabbed at my eyes.

The first thing I saw was Gemma's flawless, beautiful face.

Her cheeks were flushed, her hair and clothes a mess—clear evidence of what she and Zion had just done.

I locked eyes with her, pleading for help, hoping she'd have even a shred of mercy left in her.

But Gemma didn't seem the least bit surprised that I was awake. She looked down at me with a sneer, her eyes filled with contempt.

"Tsk, tsk. How pitiful. You're about to be buried alive. Zion's off taking care of the funeral arrangements, so, dear little sister, I thought I'd come keep you company.

"Five years ago, your mother uncovered my identity. To clear your path, she drove my mom to her death and had Dad kick me out of the Ravell family! And as if that wasn't enough, you stole my wedding—Derek was supposed to marry me, not you!

"For five years of marriage, you let Derek abuse you for five years. I never thought you'd endure it for so long, refusing to divorce him. I had no choice but to send Zion to seduce you. You were so stupid—you actually fell for him. Weren't you fantasizing about running off to marry Zion overseas? You stole my marriage, so I'm stealing yours!

"Finally, your mother is dead, and I tampered with your fake death drug. Once you're buried, you'll be forced to watch yourself die. The day you die will be the day Zion and I get married."

Gemma spoke each word with cruel precision, and I felt my heart grow colder with every syllable.

The hope that had flickered inside me was snuffed out all over again.

Gemma curled her lips into a satisfied smile, practically glowing with delight.

She pulled out the water and food that had been set aside in the coffin, tossing them carelessly. "You're going to die anyway—no point letting you have these. I'll leave you the oxygen tank, though, just to keep you alive a few days longer. Too bad you won't get to see my wedding to Zion."

She slammed the coffin shut, cutting off the last sliver of light.

My fingers dug so hard into the wooden boards that my nails nearly broke.

My eyelids grew heavy. Exhausted, I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I came to, the sound of voices and laughter drifted from outside.

My funeral had begun.

Guests chatted and joked, their laughter echoing, not a single person grieving for my "death."

"Ms. Remi finally got beaten to death. Derek left her a wreck, but she still wouldn't divorce him for the Ravell family's sake."

"She deserved it! She stole Gemma's man, and Gemma's prettier and more capable anyway. If Gemma hadn't been exposed as illegitimate, Remi never would've had a shot."

"Exactly. She even drugged Derek just to marry into the Jarrow family. Shameless! Then she lost the baby right after the wedding—what a joke. Now she's dead, and Derek won't even show up to the funeral."

"Gemma's the lucky one. Sure, she suffered five years ago, but now Remi's gone, and she's the only heir to the Ravell family. In a week, she'll marry the Valemont Group's only son. Who'd dare call her illegitimate now?"

They gossiped about my family and my marriage, mocking and belittling me without restraint.

No one knew that the woman lying in the coffin was still alive, desperately waiting for death.

The priest finished his prayer, and it was time to lower me into the ground.

I struggled in vain, feeling every second slip away, but no one came to save me.

They carried me to the cemetery, and just before I was lowered into the grave, I heard Zion leaning close to my coffin.

With all the strength I could muster, I forced three words from my throat. "Help... help me."

But through the thick wooden boards, Zion couldn't hear my cries for help at all.

"Remi, don't worry. Seven days will pass quickly. After seven days, I promise I'll dig you up and take you overseas, where you'll live the happiest life imaginable."

It was the voice I knew best—so gentle, so warm—and yet I was trembling all over.

Tears blurred my vision, streaming down my cheeks, but I couldn't even lift a hand to wipe them away.

Zion, why are you doing this to me?

I'd rather you just killed me outright.

I won't survive seven days. I won't even get to see you pretend to marry me, like you promised.

A crushing panic closed in on me, every sound from the outside world suddenly razor sharp.

I heard the coffin being lowered into the grave, heard people whispering above me.

"She got what she deserved..."

"Good riddance..."

"She should've died a long time ago..."

I listened as shovelfuls of dirt rained down on the coffin.

Gradually, the voices faded away, until there was nothing left—only the silence of death, the pitch-black darkness pressing in on me.

I drifted in and out of a dazed sleep for what felt like forever, until finally I realized I could move my body again.

I fumbled around inside the coffin, finding only a single oxygen tank.

No water, no food—I wouldn't last long.

I tried everything I could think of, but there was no way out.

Claustrophobia sent my head spinning, and cold sweat poured down my face.

Memories of all those times I'd been locked in closets came rushing back. I clutched my head and sobbed, screaming until my voice was raw.

Above ground, not a single sound could reach.

This coffin felt like the gaping maw of some monstrous beast, ready to swallow me whole.

How I longed for even the faintest glimmer of light—just a sliver, anything at all.

On the brink of a breakdown, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.

"That's right! The Luminous Gem!"

The day I promised Zion I'd give up everything and run away with him, he bought that one-of-a-kind Luminous Gem at auction for 5 million dollars and gave it to me as a token of his love.

I always told him he was the light in my life, shining through the ashes of my past.

Zion had said, if I ever found myself lost in darkness again, I should take out the Luminous Gem. Its glow would be like he was right there beside me.

I fumbled desperately, pulling the Luminous Gem from my pocket. Even the faintest light would be enough to keep me going!

But once again, I was disappointed.

Why? How could this be?

The Luminous Gem sat in my palm, completely dark.

My hand fell limply to my side as I remembered—just a few days ago, Gemma had a Luminous Gem too.

She said she was about to be married, and her fiancé had given it to her as a wedding gift.

Back then, I didn't know her fiancé was Zion.

There was only supposed to be one Luminous Gem in the entire world.

I had trusted Zion's love, never doubting for a second that the one he gave me was real.

I'd even acted like a fool, warning Gemma that hers might be a fake, never seeing the mockery in her eyes.

Turns out, I was the one being played for a fool all along.

I started laughing—soft at first, then louder and louder, my laughter echoing harshly in the suffocating darkness.

Trapped in the coffin, I lost all sense of day and night. Hunger gnawed at me until I actually started chewing on the wood.

I clawed at the lid in a frenzy, desperate to break free—until every single one of my fingernails was ripped off.

Filth was everywhere, my own waste mingling with the already thin, stale air, filling it with a suffocating stench.

I don't know how many days passed before, at last, I died in agony.

But then, unbelievably, my soul drifted free, rising up from the earth toward the surface.

For a moment, I thought I was finally free. But instead, I was yanked—helplessly—straight to Zion's side.

I watched coldly as Zion helped Gemma pick out her wedding dress.

"Zion, our wedding is in two days," Gemma said, her voice sweet and wistful. "Honestly, I wish Remi could be there to witness it. What a shame."

Zion pulled her close, frowning slightly. "By now, Remi should be waking up. I wonder if I left her enough supplies, or if she's scared down there..."

At that, Gemma's face changed, her smile faltering for a split second before she forced it back on.

"I never thought Derek would be so sharp. He started getting suspicious and insisted on opening the coffin for an autopsy. Remi's dead—shouldn't he be happy about that?"

Zion snorted, his expression unreadable.

"She was just a toy, nothing more. Don't worry—I won't let anyone ruin our plans. Forget about opening the coffin early. What's the harm in letting Remi stay in there a few extra days?"

The two of them were wrapped up in each other, lost in their own world.

Watching them, my heart twisted painfully. So this is what it looks like when someone truly loves another.

To them, I was nothing but a cheap plaything, something to be discarded and forgotten.

Gemma leaned into Zion's arms, her face clouded with worry.

"What if Remi figures everything out and tells Dad?"

"She won't. She's not that smart."

Zion's voice was full of mockery and scorn.

"It's been five years, and she still hasn't realized I was the one who drugged her and Derek back then. She just kept swallowing her misery, enduring Derek's abuse.

"Even her mother's death was my doing. Yet she treated me—the one who killed her mom—as her whole world. Pathetic."

The bloody truth was laid bare, and it felt like my heart was being torn apart.

So this was it.

I was such a fool. I thought I was just unlucky, but my whole life had been scripted as a tragic farce from the start.

And yet, I'd still dreamed of a future with this man.

I laughed—wild, broken laughter. My whole life, I'd been invisible, disposable.

Even my breakdown now went unseen.

Two days later, Gemma and Zion held their wedding.

Gemma wore a snow-white gown, the legendary Luminous Gem glittering at her throat.

Jealous eyes watched from every seat in the house.

When they exchanged rings, I heard Zion's doting voice.

"I want everyone to know—even though you're an illegitimate child, you're worthy of the real Luminous Gem. Remi was only ever fit for a fake."

I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

That fake Gem, by now, must be crawling with maggots.

Just then, someone burst into the venue, stumbling and breathless, shouting, "Bad news, Mr. Valemont! Derek broke into the cemetery and dug up Ms. Remi!

"Ms. Remi—she... she's already dead!"