Chapter 1

Willow clutched her stomach in pain as heavy snow fell. It felt as if a knife had scraped her insides. She had almost fallen to the ground in agony several times. However, she still pounded on the door of Lakecoast Villa stubbornly. "Please, Zayn. Lend me 50 thousand dollars. Aaron's really your flesh and blood! "He'll die if he doesn't undergo surgery soon. I beg you, please save him!" Willow pleaded. The pain had become even more excruciating, causing her to spasm uncontrollably. She tried to keep her back straight, only to curl up in a ball from the pain. The pain from late-stage stomach cancer was truly unbearable. Gritting her teeth, Willow continued to pound at the tightly closed door. "Please, Zayn. I'll do anything you ask as long as you're willing to lend me the money! Please—" Her lifeless eyes lit up when the villa's door was pushed open with a loud bang. "Is Zayn finally willing to see me?" she asked. Stepping out, the butler, Arthur Wright, hung a signboard on the door expressionlessly. Then, the door was locked forcefully again. Willow staggered when she saw the words on the board. Tears streamed down her face. 'Willow Sanford and dogs are not allowed inside.' Willow's sobs turned into laughter. In Zayn's eyes, she was more inferior than a dog! He had all but deemed her as a vicious woman. Four years ago, she detested him for being poor. Aborting their child without hesitation, she broke up with him to marry into the elite Mayers family. She had even hired someone to break his legs. That wasn't the truth, though. However, he didn't believe her explanations. The snowstorm gradually grew heavier. The harsh wind seeped into Willow's heart along with the frost. She could no longer discern what was colder—her body, or her heart. A few dead leaves were stuck to her right arm. Willow subconsciously raised her left arm to brush them off, only to realize that she could no longer move it. Her left arm had been disabled during the four years she was imprisoned by Skyler Dawson and Louis Mayer. Zayn could never imagine the things she had experienced in the past four years. At times, even Willow found herself unwilling to recall it. Whenever she did, all that appeared was a bloodstained abyss of hell. There was no longer a shred of light left in her heart. … Three days later, Willow finally saw Zayn. They were husband and wife, yet he had arranged for her to live in a small apartment called Bordello. Bordello, named after the word 'brothel'… It was such a fitting metaphor. Usually, it was nearly impossible for Willow to find Zayn. He would only come to the apartment when he wanted to torment her. That way, he could trample on her dignity ruthlessly. Zayn threw her on the floor roughly. Fixing his shirt slightly, his suit remained impeccable as he exuded an arrogant air. There was only a chilling coldness left in his dark gaze. Looking down upon her disheveled state on the floor, he spoke up, "You're not Skyler. Get out!" Willow's stomach spasmed in pain. Pressing against her stomach, Willow's lips quivered in pain. However, the pain of late-stage cancer was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Skyler Dawson… Once again, he had mistaken her for Skyler. Zayn once told her that he could only lay eyes on her when he envisioned her as Skyler. Otherwise, he would feel nauseated. He wasn't like this before. Back then, she was the woman he adored dearly. Willow struggled to crawl in front of Zayn when her senses returned. Reaching out, she grabbed his hand tightly. "Zayn, can't we get along in the future? I know you have a lot of misunderstandings about me. I can explain… "The reason I broke up with you four years ago was because Skyler kidnapped Grandma. Skyler threatened me with Grandma's life—" All of a sudden, Willow felt a pain around her neck. Zayn had grabbed her neck so tightly that the rest of her words were cut off.