Chapter 1

Frederick Burke's grip made the skin on my arm ache, but I didn't pull away.

As I tried to stand, a wave of dizziness hit me. I was about to collapse when Frederick caught me, steadying me in his arms.

"You've gotten so thin. Didn't I have food sent to you every week?" he asked.

But in truth, no one had brought me a single thing during the five months I had been stranded in this godforsaken wilderness. To survive, I had eaten worms, bugs, and even rotting animal carcasses.

Compared to Colette Reeves, standing by Frederick's side, I was unrecognizable. I looked like a homeless woman, my hair a tangled mess.

Colette was his secretary and the one in charge of delivering my food.

When Frederick turned to her, she bit her lip and put on a wounded expression, saying, "Ana, I know you've never liked me, but you can't accuse me just because you're upset Freddie left you out here.

"I spent so much time every week picking out food for you. Look! I even kept the receipts."

Having said that, she pulled out a stack of printed invoices. Each one listed a different set of items, week by week.

Then, she flipped the narrative, painting me as a manipulative woman. "Ana, are you starving yourself just to make Freddie feel sorry for you? Oh, come on. He's not going to be mad. Just eat the food you've been hiding, okay? Your health matters more than anything."

The second Colette finished speaking, the way Frederick looked at me changed. He had always despised deceitful women, so he immediately let go of me.

With that, I crashed to the ground.

It had been ages since I last ate. I had scavenged every edible plant and animal in the area. On top of that, months of radiation exposure had left my body unhealthily weak.

That fall made it nearly impossible for me to stand again.

Frederick looked down at me with a frown and spat, "Enough with the act. Get up!"

Colette stifled a laugh. "Yeah, Ana, come on. Weren't you the one who always said women should be strong and independent?"

Unable to watch any longer, someone nearby stepped forward. As soon as he crouched beside me, Colette let out another giggle.

"Ana, you're still the pageant queen, huh? Even looking like this, you've got men falling over themselves to take care of you. I'm jealous!"

Three years ago, I was the beloved daughter of the Sherman family. I was adored by everyone, and it was Frederick who had pursued me with relentless passion.

In the end, I fell hard.

Even after we got married, he'd come home every night without fail, no matter how busy he was. He bought me rare, beautiful things just to see me smile. Once, he lit up the entire city skyline with fireworks for my birthday.

However, all of that changed the moment Colette returned from overseas.

Frederick—once so strict about keeping work and his personal life separate—hired her as his secretary. He even paid her a ridiculous salary. Worse, he'd spend the night away from home every time she called.

I cried, fought with him, and did everything I could to make him see how much it hurt me. All my efforts were meant to show him how much I hated how close he and Colette were.

Unfortunately, all I did was drive him further away. Eventually, he grew tired of me.

After that, Sherman Group went bankrupt, and my parents threw themselves in front of a train.

I barely made it back home in one piece, only to find Colette standing in my bedroom in nothing but lace lingerie. Meanwhile, Frederick stood before her, his shirt half unbuttoned.

Furious, I shoved her. I didn't even push her that hard, yet she fell right out of the second-floor window.

The very next day, Frederick dumped me in the middle of nowhere. And just like that, I was left to survive five months alone.

Now, the same man who had abandoned me stood there with an icy expression.

"What's wrong, Anastasia? Planning to become a prostitute now that you're not an heiress anymore?" he mocked.