Chapter 3

"I know you have cameras all over this house. If you actually wanted the truth, you could find it anytime. You're just tired of me.

"If you've already decided I did it, what difference does an apology make?"

Corinne stared at me, her expression frozen. Something seemed to hurt. Without thinking, she loosened her grip on my shirt.

However, a moment later, as though remembering something, the softness in her eyes vanished and only anger remained.

"I always thought you loved me and that you were willing to sacrifice for me. I never imagined you could be this jealous or this vicious!

"Malcolm is a good person. How could you do that to him?

"From now on, no one is allowed to give him any medicine. He shall not set foot outside this room until the pain is enough to make him apologize to Malcolm!"

She wanted to see regret on my face, or fear, but I was perfectly calm.

Corinne left. The room felt heavy in her absence. Lyle stepped in, glanced at the overturned bowl of soup on the table, and feigned surprise.

"Sir, why'd you spit out your food? How are you supposed to recover if you don't eat?

"If the food wasn't to your liking, you should've said something. I'll have the kitchen make you another serving right away."

Lyle shot me sidelong glances as he spoke, barely hiding a smirk. His voice dripped with mockery. He took his time clearing the dishes and deliberately brought up my son, Landon Cavell.

"You've been stuck in this room, so you probably haven't heard. Landon called Mr. Innes 'Dad' out in the yard yesterday.

"All those years of thankless work and neither kid even wants to call you their father anymore. Some dad you turned out to be."

His eyes dropped to my knees with a mocking grin.

"I heard the bones have shattered. Without the right medicine, you'll probably never walk again."

I laughed coldly. "I am the husband of Cavell Group's CEO and the company's vice president. Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

I pretended not to see the hatred flash across Lyle's face and carefully straightened my legs.

He glared at me, then seemed to think better of whatever he was about to say. He lifted his chin and walked out.

The way things were going, I was starting to doubt whether I would still be alive by the time the System came back. If Corinne ground me down before then, would I even be able to return to my original world?

A week passed. The meals grew worse. Sometimes there was not even a bowl of soup. On more than one occasion, the food arrived spoiled.

I did not dare touch any of it. When no one was looking, I sent word to Dalton, a member of the household staff I had helped once before, along with enough money to ask him to smuggle in instant meals and clean water.

A few days later, just as the System was about to pull me out, Malcolm walked in and interrupted the summons.

He arrived, followed by several attendants, chin raised, eyes full of contempt.

"Gavin, it's such a shame your legs haven't healed. I wish I could've taken care of you."

Then he wrinkled his nose as though he had caught a foul smell and pressed a hand over his mouth.

"How has the staff been looking after you? This room has a terrible odor. If Corinne found out..."

He let the sentence trail off and smiled.

"Then again, she won't even let you go to a hospital. Why would she care about a little mess? Isn't that right, Gavin?"

I looked past him and saw Elise and Landon standing behind Malcolm. They clung to the hem of his jacket, staring at me with a mix of disgust and confusion. Elise stepped forward and scolded me in that petulant little voice of hers.

"Dad, Malcolm just wants a real apology. Who are you trying to impress by being this stubborn? No matter how much you deny it, it doesn't change the fact that you hurt him!"