Chapter 002

For a moment Camila saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But it was quickly dismissed.

Tears streamed down Camila's face as she repeated, as though trying to jog his memory, "I gave you my kidney."

"And you were paid for it!" Lawson spat.

"Paid for it?" she repeated, her voice trembling. "You think my kidney was for sale? You think I would have given it to you if I didn't love you?"

"Stop being dramatic, Camila," Lawson said, his voice cold. "Our marriage was based on a clear understanding: I needed a kidney, and you needed financial stability. You can't claim ignorance now."

"I thought I was your wife," Camila whispered. "I thought I was the person you loved. But I was just a means to an end, wasn't I? A way for you to get your health back?"

"If that's the way you see it then, so be it." Lawson replied, his words devoid of any remorse.

"You know I didn't sign up to be a broodmare or a kidney donor. I thought I was marrying a man who would love and respect me, not use me for his own convenience."

Lawson shrugged. "Camila, you're getting upset over nothing."

"You've destroyed me, Lawson. You've taken everything from me: my love, my trust, my dignity…" She trailed off, feeling drained of words.

It was clear as day that her feelings didn't matter; her love didn't matter; nothing mattered to him. And it hurt her that she didn't realize this sooner. Now she was paying the price for loving a man so badly.

"You're ungrateful," she croaked. "You're ungrateful for my kidney, for my love, my support, my sacrifices." Tears poured out like a fountain as she spoke, and Lawson looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"Let's just make this clear, Cami. I don't want to divorce you as a token of my appreciation. Let's just have an open marriage."

Camila laughed, the sound mirthless and filled with bitterness. "Fuck you and your open marriage. Do you hear me? Fuck you!" she spat, and her voice echoed all over the place. She was certain that everyone in the living room could hear.

"Fine. If that's how you feel," Lawson shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe we shouldn't be together. But let's not forget, I've given you a life of luxury and comfort."

. "You've given me nothing but pain and humiliation. And you'll regret every word you say." She declared and pushed past him, going for the locket beside their bedroom.

Lawson gazed after her in confusion, wondering what she was up to. But then Camila grabbed the car keys and her phone and headed for the door. Lawson's confusion turned to alarm as he realized she was leaving. He quickly recovered and strode after her, grabbing her arm to spin her around.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

Take your hands off me!" she spat as she struggled to broke free. She had to escape the toxic marriage.

With quiet dignity, Camila turned and walked away, leaving Lawson standing alone in the room.

The moment she stepped foot in the living room, her mother-in-law and Diane's attention snapped towards her, and Camila quickly wiped the tears from her face.

Diane had already made herself feel at home, swirling a glass of water in her hand as Camila walked past. A triumphant smile still etched on her face.

"Where are you going?" her mother-in-law sounded behind her, but Camila didn't stop. She kept walking, her eyes fixed on the door ahead.

"I'm talking to you," she hollered, but Camila ignored her again. She could feel the weight of their gazes on her, but she refused to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. She pushed open the door, taking a deep breath as she walked towards the parking lot. Her focus was on getting as far away from him and his toxic family as possible, at least for now, until the fog in her head clears.

She reached the car and yanked open the door, and as she attempted to slide into the driver's seat, a familiar voice called out.

"Ma'am." It was the butler, his eyes widened in alarm as he realized Camila was about to drive away. He rushed to the driver's side door, pounding on the window.

"Ma'am, please don't drive the car!" he exclaimed, his voice urgent. "It's not safe! The AVR system was just repaired a few days ago, and it hasn't been properly tested yet."

Camila hesitated for a moment, her hand on the gearshift. But then her face hardened, and she put the car in gear.

"I don't care," she said, her voice cold. "I'm not staying here another minute."

The butler's face fell, and he stepped back as Camila pulled away from the curb. He watched in concern as the car disappeared into the distance, wondering if he should call Mr. Lawson and report the situation.

Camila's eyes blurred as tears flowed down her cheeks. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to focus on the road ahead. But her mind was a jumble of emotions, her heart heavy with the weight of Lawson's words.

She couldn't believe what had just unfolded. Not only had he cheated, but he had reduced their relationship to a mere transaction. He even mentioned an open marriage now, of all times, after cheating on her.

Camila's sobs grew louder. She felt like she was losing herself, like she was drowning in a sea of pain and heartache.

She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she had to get away. Away from Lawson, away from his toxic family, away from the memories that haunted her.

But she knew one thing—she would never go back to Lawson and never again subject herself to his cruelty, indifference, and the insults from his mother.

She slid one hand off the steering wheel and wiped her tears away, but more poured out like a torrent, and she found herself breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.

Marrying Lawson was the biggest mistake of her life. She was fully aware that Lawson was in love with Diane, yet when Diane rejected Lawson's marriage proposal, she accepted the arranged marriage offer from his father. Now she felt like a fool for entering a marriage devoid of love, in which she had to sacrifice a kidney in the name of affection.

But what did she get in return for her sacrifices? A cold shoulder from Lawson, humiliation from his mother, and Diane getting her way all over again.

The feeling of regret was suffocating, making it hard for her to breathe.

As Camila drove, the city lights gave way to the dark stretch of highway. She had been driving for what felt like hours. The tears hadn't subsided, yet there was a numbness that had settled over her.

She accelerated, the speedometer climbing higher and higher. The wind rushed past her, whipping her hair into a frenzy.

But as she rounded a curve, the car's wheels suddenly locked up. The steering wheel jerked out of her hands, and the car skidded across the lane.

Camila's heart almost leaped out of her chest as she kept slamming on the brakes, trying to get the car to slow down. But they didn't respond.

"Come on, come on!" she hollered, hitting the panel with all the strength she could muster as though her life depended on it. Her eyes widened at the windshield, her legs trembling as she kept slamming on the brakes.

All her attempts were futile. The car continued to skid, heading straight for the guardrail.

"No, no, no," she mumbled, but it quickly turned into screams as panic set in.

The highway was packed with cars, and Camila's skidding vehicle was heading straight for a tanker truck just a few meters away. The truck's large, cylindrical body loomed before her, a potentially explosive payload that made her blood run cold.

Camila's screams grew louder as she frantically tried to regain control of the car. But it was too late. With one last ditch effort, she steered the wheel to the left, but the car still crashed into the side of the tanker truck with a deafening impact, sending Camila’s face slamming against the steering wheel.

The sound of crunching metal and shattering glass filled the air as Camila's world went dark, accompanied by searing pain in her face.