Chapter 7

Two bodyguards stepped in at the command, their faces expressionless as they moved toward Eliza.

Eliza struggled with everything she had, but her resistance was useless. She could do nothing as the bodyguards dragged her out of the room.

The basement was tiny, windowless, and lit by a dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. She had been terrified of the dark and enclosed spaces ever since she was a little girl. Connor knew this, yet he had ordered her locked in there.

Time lost all meaning. Just as she was drifting in and out of consciousness, driven almost mad by the darkness and silence, the door to the basement cracked open slightly. Two small figures quietly slipped inside.

It was Leo and Maya. They were clutching a black cloth bag, their faces displaying a twisted mix of fear and mischievous excitement.

“Mommy, Daddy locked you in here so you’d think about what you did. But I don’t think… this is enough. Sofia said you’re scared of the dark and of these little things too… So, we brought you some friends…”

With that, they hurled the black cloth bag straight at Eliza, snapping the opening of the bag loose. Dozens of writhing garter snakes and squeaking rats rushed out from the bag, instantly swarming toward Eliza.

“Aagh!” A sharp, agonized scream tore from Eliza’s throat.

Terrified, she jumped up and dodged frantically, but the basement was simply too small. Those creatures kept brushing against her ankles and crawling over her arms.

The darkness, the tight space, and those horrifying live creatures were pure torture!

Eliza curled up in the corner, trembling from head to toe. Tears streamed down her face, but she could no longer make a sound. She was too gripped by terror to speak.

At the doorway, Leo and Maya watched their mother, who was consumed by horror. They exchanged a glance, and a chilling look of satisfaction lit up their faces, as if revenge had finally been served.

Then, they quietly shut the door. They locked her in with the snakes and rats, leaving her trapped in endless darkness and fear.

By the time the door was unlocked again, Eliza was deathly pale. Her eyes were hollow, and she barely looked human.

Once they brought her out, she locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to see anyone. Even her meals had to be pushed through the crack of the door by Hazel, who did so nervously.

That was until one day, Leo and Maya suddenly came knocking on her door. They stood at the door with their heads bowed, holding crookedly drawn apology cards in their hands.

“Mommy… we were wrong,” Leo whispered.

“Can you please forgive us?” Maya’s eyes were red. “We promise to be good from now on.”

“Will you come play a puzzle with us? We just bought a new box, and it’s really hard...”

Their sudden change in attitude did not warm Eliza’s heart. On the contrary, it made her weary.

She did not open the door. Instead, she returned to her bed, picked up her phone, and tapped open Instagram.

Sure enough. Sofia had posted a new update just ten minutes ago.

It was a meticulously edited short video. The setting was a romantic Italian restaurant with flickering candlelight and a violinist playing at the side.

In the video, Connor sat across from Sofia, gently slicing a steak for her. Sofia rested her chin on her hand, gazing at him with a sweet smile.

The caption read, “Happy Valentine’s Day. Thank you for being by my side and making this day so special.”

So that was it.

The corners of Eliza’s mouth twitched into a cold, bitter smile.

The two kids’ sudden attempts to act sweet and apologize were just a distraction. They wanted to keep her busy so she would not have the time or energy to ruin their Daddy and Sofia’s Valentine’s Day date.

Those were the children she had carried for nine months and nearly died during labor. This was the husband she had loved for over a decade, the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

She opened her text messages with Connor and forwarded Sofia’s video right to him.

[I wish you both happiness.]

Connor’s call came in almost the next second, but Eliza did not answer.

Soon after, a text from Connor popped up.

[Eliza, what are you up to now? What do you mean wishing us happiness? You put your hands on Sofia last time, so I’m just taking her out for dinner to apologize on your behalf. It just happened to fall on Valentine’s Day. Stop making a scene over nothing. Fine, I’ll bring you a gift when I come home tonight.]

Apologize on her behalf? Take her out to dinner? It just happened to fall on Valentine’s Day?

She let out a self-deprecating laugh and turned her phone off. She kept her bedroom door locked, shutting out the anxious shouts and banging from the two children outside.

It was not until evening that the bedroom door was kicked open with a bang. Connor burst in, furious. His face was livid, and his eyes burned with rage.

“Eliza Lowry! I’ve explained everything to you! You beat Sofia up so badly last time that I felt guilty, and I just wanted to make it up to her with a meal! It just happened to be Valentine’s Day! Why do you have to be so vicious? Why did you sell that video to the paparazzi? Now the internet is flooded with reports calling Sofia a homewrecker! Do you have any idea that Sofia suffered a complete breakdown and attempted suicide because she couldn’t handle the backlash?”