The Day I Disappeared, My Husband Went Crazy

The seventh anniversary of my marriage to Dimitri Romanov became another public execution disguised as entertainment.

The underground hall beneath the Pentagon X Syndicate mansion looked more like a private theater than a torture chamber tonight. Above the chamber, a glowing livestream countdown burned across the screen.

ROMANOV PUNISHMENT NIGHT VII

More than 5 million viewers were already connected before the stream officially started.

“Romanov’s wife is still alive?”

“She deserves worse.”

“Raise the temperature lower.”

“How much to make her beg?”

I couldn’t stop shaking.

“Dimitri...” My lips barely moved from the cold. “Please... I can’t do this anymore.”

Outside the glass chamber, Dimitri sat calmly on a leather sofa with one leg crossed over the other. A crystal whiskey glass rested lazily between his fingers while several mafia executives stood behind him like silent shadows.

CEO of the Romanov Empire.

King of the underworld.

And my husband.

He glanced toward one of the screens displaying the donation rankings before finally looking at me.

“You can’t even survive one hour?” Dimitri asked coldly. “My parents spent their final moments trapped under freezing water screaming for help. Did anyone save them?”

Pain wrapped around my chest so tightly I thought my ribs might crack.

“I already said I’m sorry...” My voice broke apart. “M-my parents died too, Dimitri. They paid for it with their lives...”

“Paid?” Dimitri stood slowly.

The underground hall fell silent immediately. He walked toward the chamber until his reflection appeared beside mine in the glass.

“You think their deaths paid for mine? My mother was pregnant.” His fingers tapped lightly against the glass. “Do you know what the rescue team said after they pulled their bodies from the river?” His eyes darkened. “They said my father was still holding her hand underwater.”

I lowered my head immediately.

“I know...” I whispered weakly. “I know, and I’m sorry...”

Sorry.

That word had become my entire existence.

Seven years of marriage. Seven years of punishment. Seven years of surviving the hatred of the man who once loved me enough to burn down the world for a single tear.

Dimitri stared at me for a long moment before glancing toward the livestream monitor beside him.

A new donation alert suddenly exploded across the screen.

[$50,000 DONATION RECEIVED]

Punishment Request:

ADD MORE ICE.

The viewers immediately spammed the comments.

“Do It.”

“Make Her Cry.”

“Romanov better not go soft again.”

The guards pressed several buttons. A loud mechanical sound echoed through the underground hall before another avalanche of ice crashed into the chamber around me.

I gasped sharply as unbearable pain spread through my bones. My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

The livestream numbers climbed even higher.

Another punishment unlocked almost immediately.

[$300,000 DONATION RECEIVED]

Punishment Request:

INTRODUCE THE SNAKES

My entire body froze.

"No..." I whispered instantly.

Dimitri didn't even blink. “Drop the snake.”

One of the guards wheeled over a large black container beside the chamber. The moment I heard hissing inside it, my face was drained of color.

"No no no! Dimitri please." My voice broke violently. "You know I'm scared of snakes!" I cried. "Please don't do this! Please..."

When we were younger, I once fainted after finding a tiny garden snake near our school greenhouse. Dimitri carried me all the way home that day while laughing softly and promising he'd never let anything scare me again.

But now? He was the one creating the nightmare himself.

The guard opened the container. Several black snakes dropped directly into the freezing water around me.

I screamed immediately. My body slammed violently against the glass walls as I tried climbing away from them, but there was nowhere to go.

The snakes twisted through the freezing water around my legs. I started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dimitri please! Please get them away from me!"

The viewers loved it. The livestream donations exploded even faster now. While Dimitri simply stood there watching me calmly while sipping his whiskey.

My entire body shook violently.

"P-please..." I cried hysterically. "I'll do anything... Dimitri please..."

But his face remained emotionless. Then suddenly, the heavy underground doors opened.

“Dimitri?”

A soft female voice echoed through the hall.

“You promised me dinner tonight.”

My entire body stiffened.

Kelsey Velasquez stepped into the room wearing a white coat over a silk dress, her heels clicking softly against the black marble floor. My best friend.

I stared at her through blurred vision. She really did look like the old version of me. The version before fear hollowed me out from the inside. Before sleepless nights. Before crying became harder than breathing.

The second Dimitri saw her, his entire expression softened.

“Baby,” he said quietly while walking toward her. “Give me a minute.”

Kelsey wrapped her arms around his arm naturally, “Why are you wasting time on her again?” she asked with a pout. “It’s our anniversary dinner too.”

The viewers flooded the comments instantly.

“OUR anniversary is crazy.”

“She stole the husband and the anniversary.”

“Romanov looks happier with Kelsey.”

Dimitri said nothing because she was right. After a moment, he sighed softly and brushed her hair behind her ear.

“Alright,” he murmured. “We’ll go upstairs soon.”

But as Kelsey walked past the freezing chamber, she suddenly stumbled against the metal livestream control panel beside it.

The system beeped loudly.

WARNING:

TEMPERATURE DECREASE ACTIVATED.

My eyes widened. More ice dropped automatically into the water while the temperature plunged lower. Pain exploded through my body so violently that my legs gave out beneath me completely.

The freezing water swallowed me whole.

I barely managed to pull myself back up coughing violently.

“D-dimitri—!”

Kelsey gasped dramatically and covered her mouth.

“Oh my God! I didn’t mean to touch it.” Then she looked at Dimitri with innocent eyes. “Shouldn’t we stop it?” she asked softly. “What if she dies?”

“She won’t die,” Dimitri answered flatly.

Then his gaze suddenly landed on Kelsey’s hand. A tiny scratch marked her finger from the edge of the control panel. His expression changed instantly.

“You’re bleeding.”

Kelsey laughed softly. “It’s nothing.”

But Dimitri still lifted her hand carefully before pressing a slow kiss against the tiny red mark.

“Does it hurt?”

Kelsey smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Maybe a little. You should make me feel better.”

Then she kissed him right in front of me. The livestream comments exploded so fast the screens nearly blurred white.

Dimitri kissed her deeper without hesitation while I stood trapped inside that frozen prison shaking so hard I could barely breathe.

After the kiss, Dimitri lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Before leaving, he glanced coldly toward the guards beside the chamber.

“Watch her carefully,” he ordered. “Don’t let her die.”

Then his eyes met mine through the freezing glass.

“The only useful thing about her,” he said calmly, “is that she’s still alive enough to suffer.”