Chapter 1

Everyone burst out laughing. "Come on, Oliver. When it comes to being a flirt, who could outdo the woman beside you?"

Soaking in the leering attention of the crowd, Caroline Prescott swayed her hips as she settled into Oliver Reed's lap.

He pulled her close, leaning into a long, performative kiss right there in front of everyone. Then, he said, "That's different. Caroline only gets to show that side of herself to me. This one is here to entertain the room."

I could hardly believe that the crude, shameless man sitting in the audience was my husband. In my memory, he was the kind of man who had been too shy to hold my hand.

It was exactly because of his innocence and awkward sincerity that I had chosen him from among all the wealthy heirs who pursued me back then, even though his family background had been the weakest of them all.

Moreover, I even used my family's influence to pave the way for him until he became the richest man in Jeston. I never imagined he'd cheat on me behind my back.

Wearing a fox mask, I was dragged onto the stage by the staff. They secured me to an iron frame, and the thin layer of fabric was removed, leaving me exposed before the entire room.

A staff member pulled out a measuring tape and took my measurements before broadcasting them onto the massive screen behind me.

A wave of humiliation crashed over me. I tried to struggle, but I couldn't move at all. All I could do was listen in despair as the crowd picked me apart.

"She's got a hell of a body. Just looking at her is getting me worked up."

"Those measurements… That's the golden ratio right there. I could spend a year just playing with those breasts."

"With a body like that, she'd never struggle to find clients. Why would she end up in an auction like this?"

"Maybe this is exactly what she's into."

Hearing the chatter, Oliver curled his lips and said, "My Alex has a perfect figure, too. I didn't expect this woman to resemble her so closely. No wonder she kept throwing herself at me earlier. She obviously came prepared."

My eyes stayed fixed on Oliver.

He had once told me that my eyes were like stars, that they were something no one else in the world could ever have. He had said that no matter when or where, he would know it was me the moment he saw my eyes.

But now, disgust laced his tone as he instructed the staff, "Just get on with it. The way she keeps trying to seduce me is making me sick."

The staff brought out the three metal clips and attached them to my private areas. The second it was turned on, a powerful current coursed through my body.

My wrists and ankles were bound, and my mouth had been gagged. I couldn't move, and I couldn't speak. All I could feel was my muscles seizing.

In the audience, Caroline leaned back into Oliver's arms with a laugh. "Oliver, doesn't she resemble a sitting duck? She's completely at someone else's mercy."

Oliver spared me a glance and said, "She's not making a sound. It's too boring. Take the gag off and make her cry. I'm sure the crowd would enjoy that."