Chapter 2

My stomach churned, and my throat tasted like blood. Yet, I just swallowed hard and forced a pathetic smile at Chelsea.

"Understood, Ms. Herrera."

Chelsea's eyes widened slightly at that.

She probably still remembered how stubborn and ruthless I used to be. Back when I discovered that she had been secretly transferring my family's company assets under her name, I literally overturned the table in her face, ready to fight her to my death.

However, she moved faster, conspiring with outsiders to frame my parents instead. She saddled them with enormous debt and drove them both to despair, which caused them both to jump to their deaths.

Their funerals had barely been over when Chelsea then stormed into the company with Derrick in tow and forcefully took over everything.

I was outraged and immediately went knocking on their doors, thinking of dragging them down to hell with me. However, I didn't even manage to lay a finger on her before I was subdued by her bodyguards.

She then forged a mental report following a forced mental evaluation before exiling me to a deserted island in international waters, completely isolated from the world.

It was ostensibly for my recuperation, but in reality, it was simply to break my spirit and grind down my temper and all other hard edges in my personality.

Meanwhile, she and Derrick comfortably enjoyed the wealth and status accumulated by generations of the Archer family.

At that moment, a piercing pain shot through my lower abdomen, and I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. I supported myself up by holding on to the ropes and slowly made my way out of the boxing ring.

Chelsea looked at me, her eyes filled with a complex emotion. In the end, she only said, "Go treat your wounds."

I nodded and walked alone into the broom closet, also my makeshift bedroom, completely unaware of the vicious, malicious look Derrick was giving me from inside the ring.

I closed the door behind me, shutting out the sounds from outside.

Then, I looked at my bruised and swollen face in the mirror, followed by the hundreds of scars, both large and small, littered all over my body.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and carefully disinfected my bloody wounds.

When I fed Dobey again that night, it went berserk. It pounced on me, toppling me over, while Derrick watched viciously from the side. It wasn't until Chelsea appeared that he finally said, "Jacob Archer! What the hell did you do to Dobey? Did you feed him something weird again!"

By the time Chelsea got someone to drag the doberman off my body, my flesh had been mostly ripped apart by its vicious jaws.

Using the last of my strength, I stood up and immediately adopted a contrite posture.

Chelsea then slowly lowered her raised hand that was undoubtedly about to strike me.

I returned to the broom closet. The stinging pain of the alcohol disinfectant felt like shards of glass cutting through my entire body.

Derrick slowly pushed open the door and disdainfully kicked the dog bowl of food toward my feet.

"Dobey's leftovers. They're all Grade-A meat. Finish every scrap and don't you dare waste anything! Might as well let it do something for your body."

I respectfully picked up the leftovers and bowed down to thank him. "Thank you, Mr. Carpenter."

He didn't say anything and just grinned evilly while staring at me.

I immediately knew what he meant and began stuffing all the leftover meat into my mouth, chewing on it while barking like a pathetic dog.

"Woof… Woof…"

He spoke only after he was satisfied with my performance. "Good boy. Come with me in a bit."

I hurriedly cleaned up the mess on my face, not daring to dawdle at all. The wounds on my body tore open again, and the pain made me break out completely in cold sweat.

Chelsea was leaning against the couch in the living room as she sipped on some alcohol. Her hand froze for a moment when she caught sight of my deathly pale face.

"There's no need for you to bark like a dog next time, Jacob," she said in a deep voice. "Nobody will punish you as long as you're obedient."

When we first dated, the first thing she did was to quit drinking to please me. And when I casually mentioned how well-mannered a random young woman was, she spent half a year studying proper etiquette, even enduring blisters on her feet without a single complaint.

"I'm willing to suffer any hardship as long as you love me, Jake!"

These vows from back then still seemed to echo in my ears, but now, everything had completely changed.

The sudden roar of Derrick's luxury sports car at the door snapped me back to reality.

"What the hell are you waiting for, Jacob Archer!"

I jumped in shock and immediately ran out the door, only to hear Chelsea's low, suppressed voice behind me.

"You've changed, Jacob."