MasukNot long after that, the Torres family's retaliation started right on schedule.At first, it was subtle. A few students who used to attend classes regularly suddenly stopped showing up, and some who had already signed up for long‑term courses requested refunds.Before long, the swimming center was practically empty, and even Mark's clinic was affected the same way.I knew this level of pressure was only the beginning. But then, one day, a piece of breaking news caught my eye."Torres Group Shut Down for Commercial Fraud and Unfair Competition—CEO Detained, Awaiting Further Investigation.I stared at Thomas's face on the screen, unable to believe my eyes for a moment.He was gaunt, his cheeks were sunken, and he had deep dark circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had aged years overnight.According to the report, the whistleblower behind the case was someone from Field Industries, a business rival of Torres Group.For some reason, the name seemed familiar. A sudden thought
Winnie's Point-of-ViewMy new life began. I decided to open a swimming school and brush up on my skills.Mark fully supported the idea. He not only provided the funds but also went with me to check out several locations that would be good for the school.Of course, I still needed to go through some systematic training to get my body back in shape.Mark, patient as ever, kept a close eye on my condition, and he'd stop the session the instant I showed signs of fatigue.At first, my body, out of shape from years of inactivity, struggled a lot. But it didn't take long for my muscle memory to kick in and for that familiar feeling of moving as one with the water to gradually return.Before long, our swimming school officially opened. I didn't go all out on advertising, simply posting about it on the community website. But to my surprise, a bunch of people signed up.Everything went smoothly. The kids were rather mischievous, but their love for swimming made them especially focused dur
Third-Person Point-of-ViewBack at the villa, Thomas ordered his men to pull up the surveillance footage of the backyard from that day.On the screen, he watched as a man pulled Winnie out of the lake. "Mark!"The second he recognized the doctor, he slammed his palm down on the keyboard in fury.When the footage was rewound, it became clear that Erica had jumped into the lake on her own. "What…"His breath hitched. He never expected that this was the truth, especially since Erica had been the perfect substitute he'd recently found."Damn it!" he roared just as Robin opened the door and came in.Ever since Winnie disappeared, life had become a lot harder for Robin. But since he was still a child, he didn't give it much thought and simply blamed her for everything."Dad, stop thinking about that woman already! Ms. Glover invited us to—""Don't mention her again!" Thomas snapped.Robin had never seen Thomas act like this. Startled, he burst into tears. "Why? Why do you keep th
I quickly ended the call, and before I knew it, tears were running down my face.Seeing me cry, Mark didn't say a word, simply offering me a tissue in silence."Sorry you had to see me like this," I said. I tried to calm myself down, but the tears kept coming, like pearls slipping off a broken string.He gave a gentle shake of his head, offering a warm, slightly sympathetic smile. "How's your body holding up? Any pain?"Wiping away my tears, I shook my head slightly."That's good. I brought you breakfast. I remember you like oatmeal. There's honey and whole‑wheat bread, too."A flicker of emotion stirred in me.Thomas never remembered my favorite foods, even after all these years of living with him. Yet Mark, who had only come by a few times to check on me, remembered them effortlessly.Just as I was about to thank him, my phone rang again.Thomas' name kept popping up on the screen. I frowned instinctively."Are you going to answer it?" Mark asked gently, his expression calm
Thomas choked, clearly unable to speak for a moment. "And what do you mean by that?""You heard me. I'm not going back, Thomas. I'm done staying in your villa as your maid, a substitute, your lover, your toy, or anything else. From now on, I only want to live for myself."The other end of the line went completely silent.Seconds later, Thomas spoke again. His earlier anger was gone, replaced by a panic I had never heard before, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "We're done? What nonsense are you talking about, Winnie? Weren't you the one begging to stay in my house back then?"I gave you everything you wanted, so what exactly are you unhappy about? Besides, are you really going to leave Robin here all by himself?"At the mention of Robin, my heart twisted painfully again.It had been for his sake that I gave up my dignity and my everything to stay in the Torres residence. But in hindsight, it was all just a big mistake.No matter how much effort I put into raising Robin, he
I never expected that I would still be alive after that.When I regained consciousness, the smell of antiseptic stung my nose, and all I could see was the white ceiling of the hospital room.A gentle male voice sounded near my ear. "How are you feeling?"Absolutely awful. That was what I wanted to say, but my throat hurt so badly I couldn't get a single word out. It felt like knives were scraping against my throat. As I forced my eyes to stay open, I caught sight of a hazy figure in a white coat.For some reason, the first thing I noticed was his hand. He had long and flawless fingers, and his knuckles were well-defined.I was sure I had seen those hands somewhere before. Nevertheless, I was too drained to think and soon slipped back into unconsciousness.For a long time after that, I drifted in and out of sleep. Days had gone by before I finally woke up for good.There was no one by my side, but a note and some pills had been left on the bedside table.The note read, "Be sur







