Chapter 1

My name was Louise Savoy.

Everyone in the room began laughing hysterically. All I could hear between their lips were snide comments and gossip about me.

"I'm really excited. This time, I'm going to make her crawl on the floor and act like a dog."

"How boring. Didn't we do that already? What if we let her spend a night with Taco instead?"

"That's perfect. She'll probably wet her pants. Hahaha…"

Taco was the Mastiff raised by Daniel Trahan and his childhood sweetheart, Callie Reed. I had always been terrified of dogs.

Whenever I got into an argument with Daniel, I had to kneel and plead for his mercy. On top of that, I had to satisfy all his friends before he would even agree to see me.

I never hesitated to cast aside my dignity and let them have their fun. I did it all just to win Daniel back.

This time, however, they were going to be disappointed. I would no longer give them the chance to humiliate me.

It was clear that Daniel's thoughts mirrored those of his friends. He tossed the divorce papers carelessly, letting the thin sheets drift across the floor.

"Louise, I'm giving you one chance to back down. Take the divorce papers and destroy them. Miss it, and it'll be too late. When you come to me in tears, you'll have to do whatever they say."

Daniel looked at me indifferently. Holding Callie close, he gently kissed the top of her head.

I bent down and slowly picked up the divorce papers from the floor.

Just then, a taunting voice reached my ears.

"What's the matter, Dan? Are you feeling pity for your wife? You know she'd obediently pick up the papers. Why are you letting her off the hook? Aren't you going to let us enjoy ourselves?"

Daniel laughed scornfully. "Wife? She doesn't even deserve that title. The only woman I call my wife is Callie. Louise is nothing more than a maid to keep the bed warm."

Feeling aggrieved, Callie finally broke her silence. "Dan, don't say that. I'm not the one who holds that title legally."

"It's merely a piece of paper. Everyone knows you're the one in my heart. I'd be disgusted if Louise even dared to carry your shoes."

Daniel glanced at me as I stood up.

"Besides, who says you can't enjoy yourself? Do whatever you like. Just make sure Louise survives. She loves me enough to give her life for me. At this point, she's almost like a dirty rag I can't get rid of."

A pang struck my heart; I felt worthless.

Back when Daniel was hunted by his enemies, I took a stab for him. Even now, my shoulder couldn't handle heavy loads.

Not only did Daniel fail to thank me afterward, but he also behaved as if I couldn't survive without him. His cruelty toward me only deepened.

With a sniff, I carefully slid the divorce papers back into the folder. "We're already in the middle of a divorce. You have no right to treat me like this."

Daniel let out a cold laugh. "You can't even bring yourself to destroy the papers I signed. Why are you still pretending to be righteous?

"And what's all this nonsense about rights? Return the millions you took from my family first, and then we can discuss rights. You're getting utterly shameless. How dare you threaten me?"

Daniel had no idea that my cautious handling of the divorce papers signaled my desire to end things.

I clenched my fist so tightly that my fingernails cut into my palm.

I was an orphan, taken in by the Trahan family. At 18, I was diagnosed with leukemia. It was Daniel who begged his parents to pay for my treatment.

At that time, I respected and admired him. When my adoptive parents proposed that I marry him to help him settle down, I agreed without a second thought.

Daniel didn't refuse either. But just three days after the wedding, he unexpectedly brought Callie home and lavished her with affection.

From that point on, my life took a steep downward turn. My body was covered with countless scars that would never fade. I was confined to a bedroom with nothing but a single bed.

I survived on Taco's leftovers, endured endless contempt, and lived a life far beneath a dog's. All of this suffering was caused by Daniel.

Without a second thought, I said, "You want the money, huh? Fine, I'll give it back."

Thrilled by the chaos, Daniel's friends shouted, adding fuel to the fire. "Well, Dan, your wife clearly wants a divorce. Looks like we won't be having any fun today."

Pretending to be sincere, Callie tried to intervene. "Stop it. No matter what happens, Louise is Dan's wife. He wouldn't want to harm her. Let's just move on."

Daniel's expression darkened instantly. When he saw the intact divorce papers in my hand, a devilish smile spread across his lips.

"Who says you can't have some fun? I gave her a chance to back down, but she didn't take it.

"Besides, what's all this nonsense about paying me back? You're just an orphan, for heaven's sake. You might as well amuse me a bit. I'll begrudgingly reduce your debt.

"Someone, lock her in with Taco. I want to see just how hard he can bite today."

I stepped back in terror. A chill instantly coursed through my body.

Back at the orphanage, the director had locked me up with a dog for an entire day and night as punishment for missing my nap.

Since that time, the mere sight of a dog would make my body tremble uncontrollably. I'd feel dizzy and nauseous.

The bodyguards yanked me across the floor. In no time, they shoved me into the dog cage.