Chapter 2

The day of Angelina's engagement party arrived in the blink of an eye. The maids helped me into a gown. It was the same size that I used to wear, but at that moment, it hung a little loosely on my frame.

Angelina and Henry looked like a perfect couple as they stood under the spotlight and accepted everyone's blessings. The lights were glaringly bright. My face slowly paled as my body trembled.

There were countless days and nights when I was shoved into a dark room and "disciplined". Four cameras were set up around me to record the entire process of my humiliation from all angles.

I gritted my teeth and straightened my posture. However, I was violently triggered when I heard the sound of a whistle.

"Huh? Where's that whistling coming from?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin and reflexively reached behind me to unzip my gown. It was already loose on me, so it slipped off my frame when it was unzipped, exposing my body to everyone present.

Everyone turned their attention toward me. The reporters lifted their cameras and frantically snapped photos.

"The heiress of the Sharpe family strips in public."

There wasn't a single media outlet that wouldn't want such a sensational headline.

Henry's expression darkened, but he was also the first one to snap back to his senses. He shrugged his coat off and draped it across my shoulders. He had a cold look on his face when he swept his gaze across the reporters.

"No photos. Anyone who mentions what happened here will be making an enemy of Fuller Group."

The reporters shot reluctant looks at me before unwillingly dispersing.

Mom and Dad were utterly stunned. They never could have imagined that I would do such a thing. Meanwhile, Angelina's eyes flashed. Her face was flushed when she exclaimed, "Char must be mad at me and Henry. That's probably why she resorted to such tactics to attract the attention of the men here."

The hesitance in Henry's eyes disappeared the moment he heard her words. His gaze turned icy again.

Dad was beyond frustrated. His hand was shaking when he pointed at me and snapped, "You damned wretch! You already ruined Angelina in the past. How dare you cause a scene during her engagement party? Lock her in the basement so that she can reflect on her actions!"

The maids dragged me toward the basement. The pitch-black darkness seemed to swallow me from all sides in an instant, making me feel as if I was once again trapped in the small, dark room.

I frantically banged on the door, but the only response I got was a scoff from Angelina. My heart immediately plummeted into my gut.

During my time at Trueheart Academy, I would get locked in the dark room whenever I made a mistake. The room was pitch-black. I wasn't given any food or water, and I was also blindfolded and tied to a chair.

My other senses were infinitely amplified since I couldn't see. All of my nerves were assaulted by hunger and pain. Every second that ticked by ate away at what little rationality I had left. As a result, I developed an extreme fear toward dark and isolated environments.

As my consciousness began to fade, I could vaguely make out a figure picking me up. When I woke up again, I found myself in the hospital.

Henry was looking at me with a slight frown. "You're awake? The wounds on your body and those scars… What happened to you?"

I stared at him in a daze as his gaze lingered on my body. I had no idea where to start. Shouldn't he know about everything? Why was he pretending to be clueless and questioning me instead?

I was "disciplined" on my first day at Trueheart Academy. Angelina had stood behind the screen and admired the way I was assaulted. She was also the one who told me the truth.

"I wasn't actually assaulted, Charlotte," she said. "But Henry specifically sent you here to enact justice on my behalf. After all, I can only 'escape my demons' if you become tainted too."

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I stared at Henry. In the past, he was the one who held my hand and told me that he wanted to marry me, assuring me that he didn't mind that I grew up in the sticks.

However, Angelina was able to easily sway him to her side with a simple scheme. Perhaps his so-called love didn't mean a thing from the very beginning.

I turned my head away with a look of disdain. My tears blurred my vision.

Angelina's high heels clacked loudly against the floor as she entered the hospital room. The corners of her lips curled up into a smile as she gazed at my back.

"I dropped by Trueheart Academy to get to the bottom of things, Henry. They told me that, for the past three years, Char was always…"

Her hesitant expression made Henry even more anxious. "Always what?"

"She was always ignoring the instructors and threatened them with self-harm. Also… She seduced them, using her body in exchange for better treatment," Angelina said while hanging her head, her voice becoming smaller and smaller.

Henry looked even more upset than before. He hauled me up from the bed and hissed, "How shameless can you be, Charlotte?"