Chapter 4

Selena forcefully pulled her hand back. "You're overthinking it. I don't care whether Edmund loves me or not." Claire was rendered speechless when she heard that. But then, her gaze landed on Selena's hair, and a trace of contempt appeared on her face. "If you don't care, then why did you cut your hair? Isn't it just a trick to play hard to get, hoping that Edmund will look at you differently? You're a fool! I'll make sure you understand that no matter what you do, a substitute is still just a substitute. You will never win against me." Before she could finish speaking, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the stairs. Claire's expression changed, and she instantly started pleading with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ms. Crawford, I didn't mean to ruin your happiness. If you're upset, I'll leave right away," Claire cried pitifully. Then, she suddenly slammed her back against the door and collapsed weakly to the floor. In the next second, Edmund rushed over swiftly. He looked very distressed as he scooped Claire into his arms. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked with concern. But when he turned to look at Selena, the worry in his eyes was instantly replaced by anger. "Selena, who gave you the nerve to hurt Claire? Apologize to her immediately!" "I didn't do anything. Why should I apologize?" Selena countered. In their five years of marriage, this was the first time she had ever defied him. Edmund's anger flared even more. "You were in the wrong. How dare you talk back to me and remain unrepentant! If that's the case, I should lock you up so that you can reflect on your actions. You can come out when you're ready to apologize!" Selena's face blanched instantly. When she was a child, she had been locked in the basement for a whole day and night back at the orphanage. Because of that, she developed severe claustrophobia. She started shaking violently as she pleaded, "No… Check the surveillance footage. I-I swear I didn't push Claire…" For the first time, Edmund saw genuine fear in her eyes. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. But Claire tugged at his hand with tearful, reddened eyes. "Forget it, Edmund. I shouldn't have come back and disturbed you. Maybe I should just move abroad again…" Claire's sudden departure without saying a word five years ago had left Edmund heartbroken. So, panic immediately surged within him when she mentioned leaving again. Without another thought, he turned and yelled at the bodyguards behind him. "What are you standing around for? Take Selena away!" And so, Selena was forcibly dragged to the dark room. At first, she gritted her teeth, trying to resist the fear welling up inside her. But as time passed, memories from the past flooded back, and she could no longer hold back her screams. "Let me out! Please, I'm sorry! I won't do it again. Edmund, I'm begging you, please let me out…" But no one outside responded. Selena bit her lip until it bled. Her fingertips were stained with blood as she curled up in a corner, trembling uncontrollably. She pressed the ring on her necklace tightly against her heart. Softly, she whispered Herman's name over and over again. If he were still here, he would never let her suffer like this. Only when Selena was on the verge of a complete breakdown did the bodyguards finally let her out of the room. They told her that Edmund had taken Claire on a trip to cheer her up. "Mr. Gilead said that you should stay home and reflect on your actions. When he returns, he wants you to sincerely apologize to Ms. Jewitt." After being locked up for a full day and night, every bit of strength had been drained from Selena's body. She nodded numbly and dragged her drained body back to her bedroom. She told herself that it was just one more month, and she only had to bear with this a little longer. Soon, all of this would finally be over. After sleeping for an entire day, Selena finally regained a bit of strength. She got up and made herself dinner. Even though she had no appetite, she forced herself to eat in large bites. When she was 18, she had secretly started dieting to lose weight and had fainted from not eating. At that time, Herman had been overseas on a business trip. The moment he found out, he took a ten-hour flight just to rush back to her side. The moment he saw her, his eyes reddened with emotion. Now, Selena's body was even thinner than it had been back then. Before she went to see Herman, she had to get back into her best condition. Otherwise, he would be worried when he saw her. One night, just as Selena finished making her dinner, Michael Chapman suddenly burst in with an anxious expression. He was a good friend of Edmund's. He exclaimed, "Come with me! Edmund needs you!"