After husband forced me to apologize to his mistress, he regretted it.

There were only a few rides heading back to San Antonio, and the soonest one she could book was two days away.

But Patsy didn’t mind waiting. As long as she could go back home, that was enough.

As dusk fell, the doctor reminded her to rest. But she couldn’t close her eyes for even a second.

She sat by the bay window for a long time, and only when her throat felt unbearably dry did she finally step out to get some water.

The moment she reached the stairway, voices from downstairs drifted up to her.

“So you really just married her for revenge, Cornell? I thought you were just making things up to look good.”

“Yeah, man. Back when you got married, your stupid vows even had all of us tearing up. Who would’ve guessed you actually hated her that much?”

“What’s so unbelievable about that? That bitch—when Cornell hit rock bottom, she couldn't wait clinging to some big shot instead. She didn’t even bother hiring a lawyer, and when she saw Aunt Elspeth jump off the building, that bitch didn’t lift a damn finger to save the poor woman. Patsy’s practically a murderer!”

Patsy’s fingers tightened on the railing until her knuckles turned white.

A bitter smile curved her lips as she thought, ‘If I were a murderer, then every single one of them was an accomplice!’

Where were they when Cornell’s world fell apart?

When the McDermotts were destroyed overnight, bankrupt and stripped bare, and both Cornell and his father ended up in prison, where were his so-called friends?

What could she—a powerless outsider—do? She couldn’t even find a lawyer willing to take the case just because she was connected to the McDermotts.

When she learned Cornell had taken the blame for his father and would spend life behind bars, her hair turned white in a single night. She could only cry and cry until her vision blurred.

She had no other choice. In the dead of winter, she knelt outside his friends’ doors, begging for help. But not a single one of them came out to see her!

In the end, it was a friend who pulled strings and introduced her to a powerful man from France.

That man promised her this: stay by his side, and in two years, Cornell would walk free. Not only that—he’d make sure the McDermotts still had roots to stand on.

She didn’t hesitate. For Cornell’s sake, she would give him anything.

And so began those two years of hell—thrown into a blood-soaked arena, tortured until her body was nothing but scars.

The day Cornell’s mother jumped, someone sent word that she wanted to see Patsy.

She broke her left leg escaping, dragging herself across the city, only to find out it was a lie—his mother hadn’t wanted to see her at all. Elspeth had wanted to die.

Patsy clawed her way upstairs with a numb, lifeless leg. But she was still one step too late.

She was able to touch her mother-in-law’s hand. But Patsy couldn’t save her.

And those so-called brothers of his, where were they?

When she arrived, they were downstairs recording the scene, watching it like it was a show.

She could still hear their voices as if it were yesterday.

“Jump already! What’s with the act? Boring as hell!”

“Damn, Cornell’s mom actually looks pretty hot for her age. If she weren’t insane, I’d take her for a ride myself.”

When the police asked if anyone would go up to talk Elspeth down, every last one of them shook their heads.

Patsy was the only one who tried to go upstairs.

And now, these same men sat there together, shamelessly condemning her.

Patsy almost laughed out loud. But she didn’t bother to explain. No one would believe her anyway.

Her grip tightened around the water glass as she prepared to step forward. That was when his voice cut through the noise.

“Can you all shut the hell up?”

The sound of his anger made her heart jolt. After feeling numb, some part of her still reacted.

He was the same as the man she knew—never allowing anyone to judge what was his. Not even if he hated her.

But the next words rooted her to the spot.

“Stop making me lose my appetite. Do you want me to puke my dinner because of this crap? And those vows? Please. They were ripped off the internet. If you idiots cried at that, maybe you need a brain scan. I’ll give you a discount on our company’s new machine.”

He laughed. “You like bringing her up so much. Should I gift-wrap her for you? You can have her for a couple of days. I’ll even throw in a venue and cameras.”

The room erupted in hoots and jeers, everyone shouting they didn’t want her, even as their eyes gleamed like wolves.

Cornell scanned their faces and made a call to his assistant, Roald Riggs, telling him to make arrangements.

The living room erupted in fawning praises while Patsy’s eyes reddened.

Her flickering gaze brimmed with self-mockery—mocking her own stupid feelings, her one-sided love.

Two years later, and she was still foolish enough to believe he might defend her.

But her heart… God, it hurt so bad, like it had been ripped open.

Because those so-called crappy vows were the faith that carried her through the past two years.

When Cornell walked out of prison, she hadn’t expected to return to his side. The man who’d owned her wouldn’t let her go that easily.

But fate twisted again—the tycoon fell ill and slipped into a coma. And just like that, Cornell took her back.

She would never forget their wedding day. The moment the doors opened, he ran toward her.

They collided in their wedding attire, laughing like they had promised when they were young.

There was no priest because he insisted the vows would mean more if he said them himself.

But when he spoke, he cried so hard he could barely stand. His hands shook as he held the rings.

He knelt before her, devotion shining in his tear-filled eyes.

“Patsy, ten years isn’t enough. Even if I live to a hundred and eight, I’ll still love you without holding back. Even if you betray me, even if you stop loving me, even if you leave me… I’ll still love you. Loving you is carved into my bones. Maybe you don’t understand now, but when we lie side by side in our coffin, crossing into the next life, you’ll know. Will you marry me?”

She never imagined those vows would shatter the very night they wed.

She waited for him in the bridal suite, only for him to return covered in someone else’s kisses—and tell her to move into the guest room.

Later, she learned the truth. He hadn’t married her out of love but out of hatred, one that sank into his bones.

And still, she clung to hope. No matter how many times he hurt her, she explained and explained, praying that one day, things would return to what they once were.

She wasn’t stupid. It was just that Cornell’s vows had been too beautiful.

She had loved him for ten years. She knew the love in his eyes hadn’t been fake. She knew those words had come from the heart.

But in the end, all that certainty crumbled the day her grandmother died.

Patsy was done waiting. She was done explaining. She surrendered.

Whether those vows had been copied online or spoken with sincerity, she didn’t want them anymore.

If anyone was to blame, it was Cornell and his flawless act. He had fooled her for so long.

With a trembling hand, Patsy wiped the tears streaming down her face. Her chest felt so tight she could barely breathe, and she exhaled hard to ease the ache.

At least now, she was awake. At least now, he could never fool her again.

She didn’t go downstairs. Instead, she shut the door, blocking out the chaos beyond it.

Burying herself in the comforter, she lay still for a long while before finally rising to fold her grandmother’s clothes.

That was when the door swung open.

Cornell stood there, his face a thundercloud, his gaze fixed on the garments in her hands.

“Where do you think you’re going?”