Chapter 4

Nissa's forehead slammed hard against the cold floor.

She heard Charlotte gently saying, "Enough, don't make things harder for her. Just let her go, please."

It was Nissa who was forced to kneel, yet it was Charlotte who got to play the kind-hearted one.

Benjamin, cold-faced, let go of Nissa at Charlotte's words, then carefully carried Charlotte in his arms and rushed to find a doctor.

Charlotte's burn was serious. Even as the doctor treated her wound, she clenched her teeth and refused to shed a single tear.

The tears that welled in her eyes trembled like fragile pearls.

As Nissa approached the examination room, she overheard Benjamin's chilling voice.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she pays for this."

Charlotte responded softly, "She's your wife! Please don't ruin your marriage because of me."

She discreetly wiped away her tears as she spoke. The more understanding and gracious she acted, the more Benjamin's heart ached for her.

In his mind, he was already convinced. Nissa must have been jealous. That was why she hurt Charlotte with boiling water.

He stood abruptly, ready to storm out and settle the score with Nissa, only to find her standing silently outside the door.

Nissa did not flinch.

Instead, she handed him her phone.

In her Notes app, she wrote everything down; The full story, the truth of what happened.

But Benjamin, consumed by rage, did not even glance at it. He swatted her hand, sending the phone flying across the room.

It crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces.

Nissa froze.

She instinctively moved to pick up the pieces, but before she could reach them, Benjamin grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall.

Her petite frame was completely overpowered, like a sparrow caught in the jaws of a wolf. She had no strength to resist.

Tears welled in her eyes as she whimpered, pleading silently, her lips mouthing desperate sounds.

But Benjamin showed no mercy.

He leaned in close, his voice low and full of menace, whispering against her ear, "Want to know for yourself what it feels like to be scalded with hot water?"

A terrible chill ran down her spine.

Nissa shook her head, terrified, her hands frantically signing for mercy.

Benjamin only sneered.

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the bathroom, twisting the faucet open to full heat.

He turned the showerhead toward her and let the hot stream pour directly over her body.

The water was not hot enough to cause lasting injury, but it was more than enough to cause great pain.

Nissa twisted and scrambled inside the narrow space, gasping in pain like her skin was being stripped away.

Benjamin watched her with cold indifference. Her helpless thrashing seemed to amuse him.

With an annoyed click of his tongue, he finally turned off the water.

"Come here!" He ordered sharply.

Nissa trembled where she huddled in the corner. She did not dare move.

Benjamin scowled, displeased. "I've been too lenient with you. That's why you've forgotten your place."

His voice dropped even lower. "Maybe cutting off your sister's medical bills will remind you of your place."

At the mention of her sister, Nissa's head snapped up, eyes wide, face pale.

Tears poured from her already red-rimmed eyes. She scrambled forward on hands and knees, clutching desperately at his pant leg, begging without words.

Benjamin's expression did not change. Only the corners of his lips curled slightly, cold and cruel.

The silence terrified her even more. She bent low, forehead to the floor, and began to beg in earnest.

Each time her forehead hit the floor was harder than the last, until blood bloomed faintly against the tile.

Benjamin's eyes flickered. He reached down, grabbed her chin, and forced her head up.

"This is my final warning," he said coldly, "stay away from Charlotte. A woman like you doesn't even deserve to shine her shoes."

Nissa nodded through her tears, face stained with blood and water. She did not dare make a sound, didn't dare resist.

She knew he would do it. He would let her sister die if she dared disobey.

Benjamin turned and walked away.

Nissa remained kneeling on the floor, her back arched, curled into herself like a wounded animal.

She could not even cry anymore. All the pain, the bitterness. She could only swallow it back down into her chest.

But now, one thought burned fiercely in her heart. She had to leave. She could not afford to stay even a moment longer!