Chapter 2

"You told me that I could leave if Armie never fell in love with me within three years. That time has long since passed," Arya said.

Gloria had already learned of her great-granddaughter's death. The news devastated her, but she still wanted to persuade Arya to stay.

Before she could speak, Arya cut her off, "I know what you're about to say, so let me stop you right there.

"I could tolerate Armie cheating on me with Nancy. I endured it all for Millie's sake. But my daughter's gone now. He killed her. There's no way, in any possible universe, that a mother could forgive her husband for doing that."

The conviction in her voice and the tears in her eyes pierced Gloria's heart. Regret twisted inside her like a knife. It hurt to see Arya reduced to this.

"We owe you so much, Arya. I'm too ashamed to even ask you to stay. I'll make the necessary arrangements for your divorce. You'll also receive half of the Simmons family's wealth. I only hope that's enough compensation for everything you and Millie endured."

After receiving Gloria's approval, Arya moved forward with the next steps of her plan.

First, she booked a flight for the following week. Then she hired a lawyer to build a case against Armie and Nancy.

Once everything was in place, she turned off her phone and forced herself to sleep.

She had been so overwhelmed with work that she barely found time to eat, and that was before she rushed home from abroad to save her daughter. Now she had lost both her job and her child.

It felt as though her life had ended.

At last, exhaustion overtook her. Arya closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

…

A suffocating sensation jolted Arya awake.

She snapped her eyes open. Her hands were bound. She was trapped inside a transparent tank, partially submerged in water that continued to rise. Snakes writhed around her, their fangs scraping and biting at her skin.

Armie stood outside the tank, watching her with a cold, unreadable expression.

"What the hell is this?!" she shouted.

"You've been disobedient, Arya," he said flatly. "You stabbed Nancy last time. She begged me to spare your life, so I did. But now you're suing both of us? For what? Just because we left Millie in a suitcase?"

*Just?*

He made murdering his own daughter sound like a minor inconvenience.

The memory of Millie's broken body inside that suitcase ignited a blaze of fury within her. She wanted nothing more than to kill him and Nancy where they stood.

"You're a fucking monster, Armie Simmons! Locking our daughter in a suitcase wasn't enough for you, was it, you sick bastard? Now you've locked me inside this torture chamber! Did you even realize you mur—"

"Enough!" he barked. "I didn't come here to listen to your hysterical rambling. I want you to drop the lawsuit and apologize to Nancy, along with Millie. Do that, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened."

Arya burst into laughter. "Fuck you! Drown me, you son of a bitch. I'm never dropping the charges!"

She intended to charge him with manslaughter and expose every abuse and humiliation she had suffered throughout their eight-year marriage.

The water climbed to her nose.

Every breath became a struggle. She rose onto her tiptoes to keep her face above the surface, but her footing slipped, and she splashed back into the rising water.

It pulled her under.

Maybe she really was going to see Millie sooner than she had expected.

Suddenly, someone threw a net into the tank and hauled her out.

Armie grabbed her chin and squeezed hard enough to force her to meet his eyes. "I underestimated your stubbornness, Arya. I was willing to give you and Millie a chance to apologize to Nancy for my grandmother's sake. But you spat on my mercy.

"You forced my hand. You'd better hope your lawyer has someone powerful backing them, because anyone who helps you with this case will face my wrath."

With that, the devil walked away.

Arya's phone suddenly vibrated.

Her lawyer was calling.

"Miss Alexander, are you trying to get me killed? Mr. Simmons had someone in the authorities suspend my business for an 'investigation.' Everyone at my firm has already been blacklisted across the industry—"

She couldn't hear another word.

A sharp ringing filled her ears. It felt as though someone had slapped her across the face.

Arya had always known Armie could be ruthless, but she had never imagined he would turn that ruthlessness against her.

How had it come to this? How had he become this person?

He had once been her savior in high school.

When she first transferred in, she was bullied and ostracized. Armie brought her into the student council and told her to prove herself through hard work and ability.

She struggled with math and physics, so he tutored her every day after school and encouraged her to aim for the country's most prestigious universities.

When she came down with a high fever, he personally took her to the hospital under the pretense of looking after one of the student council members. He reminded her to take care of herself because no amount of money could ever buy back someone's health.

His words were sharp, and he often came across as aloof and difficult, but beneath that exterior, he had always been kind to her. His support inspired her and gave her the confidence to become a better version of herself.

Then, on the very day Arya received her acceptance letter from Svavard University and gathered the courage to confess her feelings, Nancy returned from abroad.

It was the first time she had ever seen Armie come close to tears.

Only then did Arya realize the truth. The only reason he had treated her so well was that she resembled Nancy.

She hadn't even been his second choice. She had been nothing more than a substitute.

At least, being someone's second choice meant there was a chance they might choose you someday. A substitute, however, was nothing more than a cheap imitation destined to live in someone else's shadow.

Their marriage had simply become another extension of that reality.

Nancy's shadow had never stopped hanging over it.

"Listen to me, Miss Alexander." The lawyer's voice pulled her back to reality. "Don't fight him. You can't win."

The lawsuit was withdrawn against her wishes.

Arya felt her heart sink.

With her mind numb, she stumbled to the hospital to have her injuries treated. She had just finished the admission paperwork for a short stay when the door to her room swung open.

Nancy sauntered inside and dropped a trash bag onto her lap.

Millie's urn was inside.