Chapter 2

Kim's POV

The space inside and outside the door went dead quiet. All I could hear was my own slightly ragged breathing.

With a sharp click, the door swung open, revealing Anson's strikingly handsome face. His collar was a mess, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. "When did you learn to threaten me with divorce, Kim? Where was all this backbone when you begged me to save your dad and help with your mom's treatment?"

Each word landed on my shoulders like a heavy blow, and I instantly deflated like a balloon with all the air punched out of it.

He was right. Back then, Dad was in the hospital for two whole months after the car crash, draining every cent of our savings, and Mom had worked herself sick. If Anson hadn't stepped in, I never would've made it to where I was now.

We first met during the summer when I was 15. He'd come to our small town for a summer camp. He'd grown up being shuttled around in private cars, so he'd looked lost after getting onto a crowded city bus. I'd swiped my card for him so he could ride it.

After that, every time I came home from skateboarding, I'd see him waiting for me at the bus stop.

I knew he didn't belong there, but I'd still fallen hopelessly into the trap called Anson Granger. Our fingers had brushed on the bus, we'd stolen kisses in hidden corners, and we'd lain under the night sky, talking until dawn.

It wasn't until he left that I found out he was the heir to Granger Group. We were from completely different worlds.

In the ten years that followed, I'd imagined our reunion countless times, but never once had I thought it would happen again because of Dad's car crash. Anson had appeared like an angel, and with just a wave of his hand, the crushing cost of the surgery had vanished.

He'd said, "Kim, I told you we'd meet again. If you don't want to take my money for nothing, then let's get married."

At the time, I'd thought that was love. I hadn't understood that he'd just been chasing a novelty, and I definitely hadn't understood that to him, I was so much easier to control than the heiresses from his world.

I met Anson's gaze with tear-filled eyes. Suddenly, I just felt drained. I was tired of pretending I didn't see the women he brought home. Tired of putting on a show of being a loving couple in front of the media and outsiders. Tired of going along with this drama, he and Winona put on inside our home…

I said, "I'll pay you back the money sooner or later. Anson, let's get a divorce. Right now, I need to go to the hospital to see my mom."

Anson's gaze turned dark and razor-sharp. He slammed the door shut, grabbed my chin, and pinned me against the wall. He snarled, "You think you can pay me back? What you owe me, you'll never pay off in this lifetime. Don't even think about getting away from me!"

With that, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed me hard.

The thought of how he'd just been intimate with Winona made my stomach churn.

I used to love the way he smelled—like a lone pine by the winter sea. Now, all I could smell was cloying rose perfume, the scent Winona always wore.

I sank my teeth into his lower lip as hard as I could. When he jerked back from the pain, I shoved him away with everything I had and swung my hand toward his face.

However, the slap that I'd put all my might into never landed on Anson. At some point, Winona had rushed over and thrown herself in front of him. My hand caught her instead, making her stumble.

Anson quickly caught her, one hand gently cupping her cheek where my slap had left a bright red print. He glared at me and spat, "How dare you, Kim!"

If looks could kill, I'd already be six feet under.

Winona nestled into his arms and nuzzled against him. "I'm okay. It's just… Mrs. Granger doesn't look very stable right now, Anson. She actually tried to hit you…"

Anson's eyes went cold as they locked onto me, and I felt my blood turn to ice. I knew him well enough to tell that he was truly angry now. My mind went blank, and I didn't have time to think. I just turned and bolted out of the room.

"According to the Granger family's rules, one must be punished for their mistakes. Someone, take Kim to the basement. No one is allowed to let her out without my permission."

His calm tone turned into shackles around me. After giving out that order, he scooped Winona up in his arms and walked off with her. "Are you happy now, my little housekeeper?"

No matter how hard I cried and begged, he never looked back. Only Winona turned her head to give me a look full of contempt and smugness when she heard my hoarse pleas.

By the time I was thrown into the basement, I couldn't make a sound after sobbing my heart out.

I didn't understand how things between Anson and me had gotten to this point. All I knew was that I must have taken every wrong turn possible. That was why I'd been stopped for such a ridiculous reason. That was why I couldn't even see Mom one last time.

I cried myself to sleep in the dark. In my dream, I saw the Anson from our youth again. He stood tall at the bus stop and waved at me. But when I got closer, he frowned.

"What happened to your knee?" he asked.

I waved it off. "Some jerks were picking on someone, so I stepped in. How about that? Pretty badass, right?"

Anson didn't smile like I did. Instead, he ran to the pharmacy nearby and bought antiseptic and bandages. Then, he chided me for not knowing how to take care of myself.

He said that he would protect me from then on. My heart fizzed like a soda that had just been cracked open.

But in the next second, the gentle pressure of his hands treating my wound suddenly turned rough, and he shoved me hard to the ground.

I woke up with a gasp, my shirt soaked through with tears. I didn't dare fall asleep again, but my injured, exhausted body wouldn't listen to me.

Every time I drifted off, that sharp pain of Anson shoving me would jolt me awake again. It happened over and over. I had no idea how long it went on, but it left me on the brink of despair.

Then, I thought I was hallucinating.

A beam of light spilled down from above, and someone called my name.