Chapter 1

On a whim, my older sister, Lilith Moore, had run away to escape her wedding. Thus, I was sent to serve Charles Bowman, the scion of Grouchester, in her stead. However, the moment Lilith returned, I was immediately tossed to the side. For the past three years, I had been the one who had stayed by his side and taken care of him. I was also the one he had humiliated for his entertainment. Everyone thought I was madly in love with him. Even Charles himself believed so. However, on the day that he proposed to me with great fanfare, I tossed the ring in his face. The smile on my face was both cold and unfeeling. "We're just having fun. Don't tell me you took me seriously?" … "Shay, I lost the best. You're to spend the night with him." I had been with Charles for four years when he wagered me off at the poker table. He had lost me to his rival, Horace Langsten. At that moment, I was sitting in his lap, dressed in a dress made from a light fabric, and holding a lighter so I could light his cigarette. When I heard his words, I nearly burned myself on the flame, and my eyes immediately misted over. "Charles, I don't want to be with him. I'm yours alone." In my panic, I leaned in to try to kiss him, but he merely stopped me absentmindedly. He ruffled my hair affectionately and said, "Be a good girl, Shay." Then, he tossed me onto the poker table like I was a piece of trash. The overhead lights shone down on me as I curled in on myself, feeling the brunt of the scornful gazes from those around. They had a right to feel contempt. I was someone who could only stay in the shadows, a mere plaything that Charles entertained himself with. I wasn't even fit to be called a lover. The person he truly loved was Lilith, my sister in name, and a princess who had received all the love since the day she was born. I, Shayla Moore, on the other hand, was the illegitimate child that the Moores had reclaimed a few years ago. To the public, I was the younger Ms. Moore, but truthfully, I was no different from the help. Three years ago, Lilith had escaped the country on the eve of her wedding to Charles. Not long after, I found my way back to the Moores and took the opportunity to replace Lilith, shamelessly crawling onto Charles' bed. Since then, he had firmly believed that I had forced Lilith to leave the country and that I was nothing more than a gold digger. Thus, he subjected me to endless humiliation. Right then, Horace's predatory gaze lingered on me as he sought confirmation. "Charles, are you sure? A beauty such as her will likely be half dead by the time I'm done with her." Everyone in the circle knew Horace had certain violent proclivities. Any woman who had spent the night with him would always be seen with bruises littered over her body, and they would always tremble at the mention of his name. I turned my head around to plead with Charles. "Charles, please…" "As beautiful as she is, you still get sick of the same thing after three years." Charles ignored my pleas and slowly lit a cigarette. Then, he made a request. "Do whatever you want with her, but do it here." "Very ruthless of you, Charles. And very kinky, too." Horace wasn't one to deny someone else's pleasure. As he stalked toward me, he said, "Since Charles wants a live show, I can't very well say no." He grabbed onto my ankle and dragged me under him. With tears in my eyes, I stretched a hand out to Charles as I cried and begged, "Charles… Save me… I'm really scared…" Wisps of smoke curled around him, making it so I was unable to see his expression clearly. Instead, I heard him cough a few times and, with a voice as cold as ice, say, "Don't embarrass me, Shayla." Hearing his cough, I bit down on my lip hard. My manicured nails broke from pressing against the table, and blood seeped from my fingers. I tried my best to squeeze out a smile. "I'll do what you say, Charles. You have a heart condition. Don't get upset." Charles had congenital heart disease, so he needed to avoid dramatic surges in emotions. Three years ago, before his wedding to Lilith, he had risked his life to undergo a heart transplant. I figured he must have truly loved her and had wanted to grow old with her. In the end, Lilith ran off. And though his surgery was a success, the news still dealt him a massive blow , and he nearly died because of it. For the past three years, I was the one who had stayed by his side night and day and helped him through those horrible, pain-filled moments. Who knew that after all that, he would just hand me off to someone else? While I was lost in my thoughts, Horace had already lowered his body onto mine, and cheers erupted from the sidelines. I started to struggle. I used everything I had to fight back. I knew Charles very well after spending three years with him. He was an extreme clean freak when it came to certain things. Usually, if any man so much as touched me accidentally, he would bathe me himself. So, if Horace really did do anything to me tonight, Charles would definitely not want me anymore. While struggling, my fingernails scratched Horace across the neck. He slapped me hard across the face, and then he grabbed my hair and smashed my head against the table. Though dazed, I could feel one of his hands around my throat while the other pulled on my dress. His smile was sinister as he warned, "Acting all tough? I like that. Go on. Keep fighting me!" With that, he twisted my arm with one hand, and the other snaked out to fully rip my dress open. "Enough," someone finally spoke out at the critical moment. It was none other than Charles. His voice was calm, and his expression unreadable. "I said you could play with her, not kill her." I raised my head with much difficulty and locked eyes with him. "Charles," I whimpered. He averted his gaze and turned to Horace instead. "Let her go, and that piece of land upstate is yours." A woman for a piece of land—clearly a worthwhile trade. When Horace let me go, I hurriedly crossed my arms across my chest and shot Charles a sweet smile. "I knew it, Charles. I knew you wouldn't have the heart to—" "Lily, are you happy with this proof that you wanted?"