Chapter 1

"Jennifer Harvey was so good to me when we dated back then," Cody Lawson said. "We'd stay up all night counting stars. We climbed Mount Rush on a whim. We backpacked through Turrope. We even watched the Northern Lights and took photos together in the Graften Islands.

"My parents adored her, too. When they found out she was an orphan, they bought her an apartment and helped her land a job. They treated her even better than they treated me. We were already planning to get married…"

At this point, the comments section in the livestream exploded.

"With a girlfriend that wonderful, how could he stoop so low as to go work at a host club? Is money really that important to him?"

"And here I was, feeling sorry for him when I saw him get slapped 99 times on Ms. Harvey's order and forced to kneel outside the villa. Serves him right! Anyone who betrays such genuine love deserves to rot in hell!"

"I heard his mother was a teacher and his father a retired police officer. They must be absolutely devastated to have a money-grubbing son like him!"

Seeing this comment, Cody's smile grew even more radiant as he replied, "That's not possible. They're both dead."

The comments went quiet for a second.

Cody continued, "That day, Mr. Sweeney had a spat with his fiancée, and in a fit of spite, he complimented my girlfriend on her beauty.

"That very night, my girlfriend was thrown into the deep sea, leaving not even a trace of her remains behind. Her body couldn't be found anywhere.

"Mr. Sweeney was extremely pleased that his fiancée cared enough to be jealous, and he was perfectly content. No one gave a second thought about my girlfriend or her body.

"Only my parents refused to let it go. They repeatedly protested in front of Harvey Group and reached out to the media, desperate to seek justice for her. Eventually, that angered Mr. Sweeney.

"As a result, my father was locked in a cold-storage unit and left to freeze to death. My mother was publicly humiliated and, unable to bear it, took her own life by slamming her head against a wall.

"Even my seven-year-old brother, Cayo Lawson, was driven into severe depression from the bullying, and I had absolutely no money to pay for his treatment."

Andrew Lloyd listened, stunned. "So… You joined Nirvana Host Club because—"

"Because I needed to earn money for his medical bills," Cody said, his tone casual. "But you know, when a person is consumed by hatred, they're bound to do some foolish things.

"I heard that Mr. Sweeney's fiancée was a woman with immense reach and influence, and she often frequented the club. So, I worked my way up to become the star performer, doing everything I could to get close to her. My hard work paid off, and I eventually got to meet her—"

Something dawned on Andrew just then, and he held his breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Cody's smile remained on his face, though it was now heavy with bitter irony. He continued, "The head of the Harvey family was a mysterious, low-profile figure. It was only then that I discovered who she really was—Jennifer Harvey."

The woman he had loved and shared his life with—and the fiancée who indulged Titus Sweeney, enabling his reckless, tyrannical behavior—turned out to be the same person.

Andrew's eyes widened. He blurted, "Is that why you stabbed Titus back then?"

Cody lowered his gaze to the crisscrossing scars on his wrists, and his expression went distant. Even now, he could never forget the day he discovered the truth.

Jennifer had sat there with her legs crossed, a slender cigarette between her fingers. Her striking, delicate features appeared somewhat blurred through the haze of smoke.

She said, "Since you've figured it out, there's no point in hiding it from you anymore. I'll admit it was wrong of me to fake my own death and scare you, but you know how it is. Given who I truly am, you know that getting entangled with certain people can lead to a lot of trouble.

"But I can't deny that I've missed you, too, during this time. Tell you what, why don't you stay by my side and keep me company? Name your price. How much do you charge per month?"

Cody stared at her in disbelief, his lips trembling. "My parents… They're dead."

Jennifer froze, a flicker of surprise and regret crossing her eyes. "That's new information to me. My condolences."

They died because of you! They were killed by the very fiancé you cherish so dearly!

Tears welled up and spilled over. Cody gripped the knife he had been hiding against his chest, wanting to scream those words at her.

But just at that moment, Titus stepped forward, his tone gentle and persuasive. He said, "Don't worry. Since you've both known each other for a while, Jennifer will make sure they're given a proper burial.

"If you want to be with Jennifer, go ahead. Don't worry about a thing. This sort of arrangement is common in our circle, and it doesn't bother me at all."

"Let go of me!"

Cody pressed the tip of the knife against Titus' chest, but before he could lose control, he suddenly remembered his father, Dominic Lawson.

Dominic had been a police officer his whole life. Back when he was still alive, he used to pat Cody's head and say, "No matter what happens, you should never commit a crime or hurt anyone…"

Cody's eyes turned bloodshot, and his grip on the knife began to loosen. However, Titus lowered his voice and sneered, "You idiot. You can't even seize an opportunity when it's handed to you, can you?"

In the next instant, he grabbed Cody's hand and plunged the knife into his own body.

Everything that followed was a blur of chaos.

Blood pooled on the floor, and the wail of an ambulance siren pierced the air.

Even though Cody desperately tried to explain that he hadn't done it, Jennifer had him sent straight to prison. She looked at him with eyes full of cold, profound disappointment, saying, "If you did something wrong, you must be punished for it. Take this time to reflect on your actions."

The next five years Cody spent in prison were like one long, agonizing nightmare.

He was forced to eat rotten food and crawl on the floor between the other inmates' legs like a pathetic dog. He also took multiple beatings every day, and his limbs were broken, healed, and broken again, over and over.

Even when he reached the depths of despair and tried to end his life by slitting his wrists, they would just bring him back barely to life. He was trapped in an agony from which there was no escape.

Even now, he would still dream of that hellish time, waking up drenched in a cold sweat whenever it happened.

Cody didn't answer Andrew's question directly, choosing instead to share only a few fragments of his time in prison.

Andrew was stunned once more. "So, is that why you did those things after you got out?"

"Yeah. After five years of torture, my only thought was to get into Ms. Harvey's good graces and strip Titus of his protection, making him pay for all the blood he'd ever shed.

"To that end, I became Ms. Harvey's lover, playing the jealous rival, provoking Titus at every turn… And as you've all seen, it didn't work. Ms. Harvey gave me cars and a villa, and paid for Cayo's medical bills, but she refused to get pregnant with my child, and she'd also punish me just to shield Titus."

Cody shook his head, finding it almost amusing. "I was so naive. No matter how much she might dote on a boytoy, she would never let a single hair on her beloved husband's head be harmed."

Andrew was left speechless for a long moment. Glancing at the livestream comments, he asked one final question.

"But you're so deferential and respectful toward Titus now. Have you simply accepted your fate?"

"I suppose so."

Cody looked directly into the camera. A single tear escaped the corner of his eye, tracing a path down his handsome face.

"I'm sick. The doctor says I won't live past Christmas," he said with a bitter smile. "I only hope that, in return for my recent good behavior and obedience, they might look after Cayo on my behalf after I'm gone."