Chapter 1

There was only darkness as I felt suffocated as pangs of pain assaulted my heart. It turned out that Mona Sachman was the one who instigated my wife to torture me and, when Mona started wooing me, I would agree to fake my death just to be with her and give up everything I had.

This woman, who claimed she wanted to marry me, was planning to bury me alive and marry Hudson Langdon instead. However, she did not count on me regaining consciousness early without any food or water inside the coffin.

I could hardly breathe inside the cramped and narrow coffin, but Mona's muffled voice could be heard through the layer of wooden planks. It seemed like there were nails that kept my coffin tightly shut. "When Hudson's identity as an illegitimate son was exposed back then, his engagement to Sheila Edwards was transferred to his younger brother, Sean, instead.”

"Since Hudson lost the woman he loved, I will help him regain his power and status instead. I promised Hudson that I would always be there for him.”

"As for Sean, I convinced Sheila to torture him physically all these years just to punish him. It would be a form of release for him if he left anyway. I'll make sure that Sean will stay forever inside the beautiful dream I've woven for him, especially since he loves me so much."

The person with her hesitated slightly before saying, "But Sean Langdon doesn't know that faking his death means being really buried. It's too much of a risk to bury someone alive for seven full days. Moreover, Mr. Langdon is afraid of the dark and claustrophobic. If anything happens to him in that coffin…"

"Nothing will happen to him!" Mona was confident about this. "The Langdons are very detailed when dealing with things. They would have made sure everything was done well. It's only seven days. What could happen when the period of time he is fully conscious is only two days? Besides, Sheila promised me that she would lock him up inside the closet every time she was done beating him. He should be used to it by now.”

"Hudson waited five years for this chance. We have to make sure nothing will go wrong. Once everything is settled and I've married Hudson, we'll fake a marriage license overseas to trick Sean into thinking we're married. I'll make sure he lives a life free of financial worry overseas so that he'll never return again."

I used every ounce of energy I could muster, but could not make a sound. All I could do was hear their footsteps get further and further away.

The suspended animation drug I used to fake my death rendered me motionless and unable to speak, but my mind remained exceptionally clear. My claustrophobia was triggered, and I bit my tongue to force myself to calm down. My back was drenched in cold sweat.

It was particularly dark inside the coffin, and it made me think back on the five years I was married to Sheila. Every time she tortured me, she would lock me inside the closet. The painful memories washed over me instantly, and I could feel my stomach cramping.

Two years ago, Mona saved me when Sheila locked me up inside the closet after one particularly harsh beating. I thought I was looking at an angel the moment Mona opened the closet doors. Her appearance cleared the dark clouds hovering over my life.

Since then, Mona courted me fervently. She took care of my wounded body and comforted my broken heart. She was also the one who gave me the courage to stand up to Sheila's torture. What a joke it was that I had thought I had met my savior. I had no idea that Mona was the one behind my torture.

She instigated Sheila to hurt me while pretending to treat my wounds. All this for the sake of my brother, Hudson.

I bit my lips in an attempt to get my body to react to the pain. That was when I heard the door open outside. I could hear the sound of leather shoes walking closer and a man talking. It was Hudson's voice.

"Will Sean really be fine being buried underground for seven days, Mona? He's going to be buried today, and it feels too cruel to treat him like this. He's my brother, after all."

I was filled with hope that I might be saved, and I roared helplessly in my heart, "Help! I'm begging you to open the coffin to take a look inside. All it takes is one look to know that I'm awake. I don't want to be buried alive. I don't want to experience the pain of suffocating to death in the dark!"