Chapter 3

In Sandy's eyes, my collapse from sheer agony was nothing but another act of defiance and refusal to admit I was wrong. The brief flicker of pity she had felt for me vanished the instant she saw Luke's tears.

"Since you're so determined to act tough, let me give you a little something extra."

The viewers in the livestream began speculating about what other humiliation she had in store for me.

The next second, Luke cried out in alarm, "Scorpions! There are so many of them!"

I faintly heard a rustling sound beside me, and my heart sank.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a dense, black mass of scorpions swarming toward me from just a few feet away.

Sandy knew perfectly well that I wasn't afraid of anything except bugs. Even seeing them was enough to make me want to throw up.

She looked down at me with an air of superiority as I lay there, my face deathly pale.

"Are you going to admit you were wrong now?"

I opened my mouth, wanting to surrender, but not a sound came out.

Sandy had no idea I was already too weak to speak.

The next second, she snorted coldly and slammed the car door shut. Then, she retreated 100 yards away.

Terror washed over me, bringing on another cold sweat. My teeth chattered as I clenched my jaw in a desperate bid to suppress my fear.

But when I watched helplessly as scorpions crawled over my ankles, calves, stomach, and even my face, my mind went completely blank.

I wanted to run, but I no longer had the strength. All I could do was force my eyes shut and feel one scorpion after another crawling over my body.

In the scorching heat, the scorpions were especially aggressive. Their sting left my flesh swollen and burning, and the venom spread twice as fast as it normally would. The pain was so intense that my whole body convulsed.

Despite the blazing sun overhead, I felt as though I'd been plunged into an ice-cold abyss. All I could feel was the pain intensifying, as if countless needles were stabbing into my flesh.

I had no idea how much time had passed. Only when the scorpions finally began to retreat did I dare to draw a deep breath.

I writhed on the ground in agony, retching uncontrollably. My stomach was completely empty, and there was nothing left to throw up. All that came out was bile mixed with sand.

The places where I'd been stung were red, horribly swollen, and frighteningly hot to the touch.

Harvey tied me to the front of the motorcycle again.

Sandy glanced dismissively at my miserable state and agreed with the viewer's insult.

"He really is disgusting."

Luke stood nearby, putting on a show of concern.

"Clifford, are you okay? Stop taking your anger out on me. Your health matters more than anything. Is it really so hard to swallow your pride and apologize to your own wife?"

His eyes, however, were filled with undisguised glee.

The comments in the livestream came even faster.

"How is Clifford still alive after all this? He's like a cockroach that just won't die!"

I lay sprawled on the sand, trembling uncontrollably. Blood, vomit, and sand were smeared all over my body.

Sandy stepped out of the vehicle and planted her high heel on my face.

"Clifford, are you going to admit you were wrong, or do you want to keep suffering? I don't want to put you through this either, but you're leaving me no choice when you won't give me a way out."

Luke followed her out of the vehicle.

"That's right, Clifford. I understand why you won't get on your knees. After all, a man's pride is worth more than gold. How about saying a few nice things to make us happy instead?

"Honestly, look at the state you're in now. Surely bowing your head and admitting you were wrong isn't that difficult? At this temperature, just one hour is enough to kill someone. And you've already lasted 40 minutes, so don't be stupid."

So, 40 minutes had already passed.

I struggled to lift my head, looking at Luke's smug expression before turning to the woman I had loved for four years. A desperate, defiant courage surged through me.

I spat at them.

Sandy's expression darkened instantly. She hadn't expected me to remain so stubborn even at this point, let alone look at her with such defiance.

An exasperated laugh escaped her lips. She then snatched the bottle of water from Luke's hand and hurled it to the ground, spilling every last drop.

"Very well. I gave you a chance, yet you refused to take it. Let's keep going then."