Chapter 1

Chapter 1

By the tenth day of being locked in the basement, my body had already begun to give off a foul stench.

During that time, I tried countless ways to escape, but nothing worked.

This basement had been built three years ago specifically for me. It had only one exit.

Just as I sank into utter despair, a thin sliver of light suddenly seeped through the crack beneath the door.

Hunger had left me so dizzy I could barely stand. Carefully cradling my belly, I crawled toward the stairs.

A pair of exquisite black handmade leather shoes appeared before my eyes. Their owner stepped down on my hand.

I looked up at him. With my other hand, I clutched the hem of his pants and made one final plea. “Lu Jingnian, I really didn’t know Song Shuyao was pregnant. Back then, she only said she wanted to borrow money from me for medical treatment…”

Lu Jingnian grabbed me by the hair. His brows drew together in disgust. “You think I’d believe you? What right does someone like you have to say Yaoyao’s name? Do you have any idea how wonderful Yaoyao was? Even as she was dying, she told me about your secret crush on me. She told me to forget her and take good care of you.”

He spoke with a frenzied look on his face.

Me? In love with Lu Jingnian?

That was from a long, long time ago, before Song Shuyao had even gotten together with him.

Even the fact that they had ended up together, and that the child Song Shuyao carried was his-I only learned all of that after Lu Jingnian imprisoned me.

But now, no matter how I explained, it was useless. Song Shuyao was already dead.

The child in my belly stirred uneasily.

In the end, I still could not bear it. It was already a living being.

Holding back my tears, I looked at Lu Jingnian and continued, “You can kill me to avenge Song Shuyao, but this child isn’t only mine. It’s yours too. Please, let it live, all right?”

“Child? You really are laughably stupid. How could I possibly let a bitch like you get pregnant with my child? I found you some random man instead. If anything, you got off easy.”

It felt as if lightning had struck me five times over.

No wonder! No wonder! After we got married, the number of times he touched me could be counted on one hand.

And most of those times, I had barely been conscious. He only told me I was too tired.

Thinking back now, he must have drugged me and planned it all from the very beginning.

At that thought, hatred swallowed me whole.

While Lu Jingnian was briefly distracted, I opened my mouth and bit down on the web of his hand with nearly every ounce of strength I had left.

The taste of blood filled my mouth. I wished I could drag the man before me down to hell with me.

A sharp blade pierced my abdomen, and violent pain swept through every nerve in my body.

My hands and feet were bound. I could not even beg for a quick death.

Lu Jingnian held the blood-soaked infant up in front of me and said, “Cheng Yuan, you killed my child and Yaoyao. Now it’s finally your turn.”

My eyes stayed wide open, staring fixedly at him.

I hated him! I hated him so much!

All I had done was lend someone money. All I had done was feel a flicker of affection for this man when I was young and foolish.

Why? Why? Why did I have to end up like this?

I couldn’t accept it! I couldn’t accept it!

Why did I have to suffer such a brutal, agonizing murder? Why could the people who hurt me shamelessly push all the blame onto me?

Even if I had to become a vengeful ghost, I would carve out his heart, cut out his tongue, and tear every inch of flesh from his bones to repay this blood debt.

Perhaps my obsession was too deep, because a hazy white fog suddenly rose before my eyes.

When I opened them again, I had actually returned to the day Song Shuyao came to borrow money from me.