From Roses to Ashes

At that instant, Daisy Hawthorn felt chills down her spine.

"Anyway, you already altered all her reports. She still thinks she can't get pregnant because of her own poor health," Dario Verdant said.

Daisy reached for the wall for support as her knees nearly gave out.

Every medical exam from the past three years flashed through her mind. Every report had carried the same diagnosis.

[Premature ovarian failure.]

She had truly believed she was the reason they couldn't have children, and she'd felt guilty about it.

She knew Dario wanted an heir. She wanted a child of her own too.

To get pregnant, she endured endless injections and medications.

Each time, Dario would hold her tightly and say, "Baby, I love you. It doesn't matter whether we have kids or not."

Back then, she had been so touched she thought she'd found real love.

Now she realized it had all been a lie.

"What about Ms. Rosette?" Martin Lawrence asked hesitantly.

The name made Daisy's heart clench.

Julia Rosette was Dario's childhood sweetheart, the Verdant family’s doctor, and his ex-fiancee.

"After Julia's father betrayed the Verdant family and was executed, she could never become my wife," Dario said with a sigh. "She's lost everything now except me. Since she can only be my mistress, the least I can do is give her a child."

He paused before continuing. "As for Daisy, she's only an orphan. She's easy to control. I only married her to cover for Julia. Once Julia gives birth, I'll have the child address Daisy as Mom."

Daisy stood outside the room. Her body went numb.

It felt like invisible hands were crushing her throat and chest until she could barely breathe.

She didn't even remember how she left the hospital.

The May sun in Sicily was scorching hot at noon, but she felt cold to the bone when the rays of sunlight hit her face.

She slowly crouched down and hugged her knees as tears streamed silently down her face.

Her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Dario.

[Daisy, don't forget to take your medicine today.]

She stared at the text. The image of him gently feeding her those pills surfaced in her mind, and she suddenly felt nauseous. She doubled over and threw up.

She then called her best friend, Mia Anderson.

"Daisy? What's wrong? Where are you?" Mia's anxious voice came through. She was abroad.

Daisy said hoarsely, "Mia, I want a divorce."

Silence filled the line for several seconds.

Mia asked softly, "Are you being serious?"

Daisy closed her eyes. "Yeah."

She remembered Dario kneeling before her three years ago and making a promise. "Daisy, I love you. You're the only woman I'll ever love," he'd said.

Now, she found it all hilarious.

Did Dario ever truly love her?

She didn't know anymore.

"Also, I agree with what you mentioned before." Daisy's voice was eerily calm.

Mia didn't press on. "Okay. My brother will come pick you up in a week."

After hanging up, Daisy slowly rose to her feet.

A Maserati pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down. Julia sat in the driver's seat with a smug smile. "Daisy? What are you doing here?"

Daisy stared at her. "Are you Dario's mistress?"

Julia didn't deny it.

She stepped out of the car and smiled. She spoke as though she was talking about something amusing. "So what if I am? Dario and I were engaged long before you showed up. If we're talking about who deserves him, you don't even qualify. Besides, an orphan like you should feel honored to become Donna Verdant.

"If my father hadn't fallen from power, do you really think you could've married Dario? You probably don't know this, but every time Dario leaves your bed, he comes straight to mine. That's because you can never satisfy him."

Daisy trembled with rage. Without hesitation, she slapped Julia across the face.

Julia's head snapped to the side, and blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Covering her cheek, she screamed, "How dare you slap me? Who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think you're Donna Verdant? You wretch! No one's ever laid a finger on me!"

She then burst into tears and shouted dramatically, "Dario! Help! Daisy's gone crazy! She hit me!"

Before Daisy could react, hurried footsteps approached from behind.

Dario wrapped an arm around Julia and looked up at Daisy.

"Daisy."

In three years of marriage, this was the first time he had spoken her name with such coldness.

He took a step forward. His voice was deep. "The Verdant family has rules. Anyone who intentionally harms another person must be punished."

He tilted his chin slightly upward. Two bodyguards immediately closed in.

One of them kicked Daisy behind the knee, forcing her to the ground.

The first slap landed.

Daisy recalled Dario carrying her to the bed on their wedding night. He promised he would never let anyone hurt her.

The second slap landed.

She recalled the time she sprained her ankle. Dario crouched beside her and gently massaged her leg.

By the tenth slap, Daisy's face was swollen, and blood stained the corner of her mouth.

Through it all, Dario simply stood there with Julia in his arms. He watched her get beaten without a trace of emotion.