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00:00In the third year of being locked in a cage at an abandoned electronics processing plant on the outskirts of
00:05the city.
00:06That day, because I had skipped one round of a simulated telecom fraud drill,
00:10I was beaten with an electric baton until I was covered in blood.
00:14Through blurred vision, I saw Vincent Lloyd's luxury car.
00:18I crawled forward with all my might, my fingernails digging into the mud, breaking without me even feeling the pain.
00:24Vincent, save me!
00:26But the next second, Derek Voss, the plant supervisor who had once broken my leg, bent down to open the
00:32car door for him.
00:34Mr. Lloyd, rest assured, Madam has been pretty well trained.
00:38Suddenly, I understood. These three years. He had personally sent me here.
00:42Vincent Lloyd looked at me, drenched in blood, and his expression darkened.
00:47Who told you to be so harsh?
00:49Derek was so frightened, he immediately bowed his head.
00:51I'm sorry, Mr. Lloyd. It was the actors below who didn't know their limits.
00:55Vincent crouched down and touched my face.
01:00Elaine, I'm here to take you home.
01:02You will still be Mrs. Lloyd.
01:05Chloe Wells just has poor health and needs my care.
01:08Don't bully her like you used to.
01:10I lowered my eyes and said softly,
01:12Okay.
01:13Vincent paused.
01:14He probably hadn't expected me to be this obedient now.
01:17But I hadn't learned my lesson.
01:19And I hadn't forgiven him.
01:20It was because the doctor at the temporary clinic had said my internal organs were already failing.
01:25And that I had, at most, two days to live.
01:28As the car door closed, I finally left that abandoned factory disguised as a gangster hideout.
01:34I had once waited for this day for three full years.
01:37But now that I was actually sitting in Vincent's car, I didn't cry.
01:41Nor did I ask him why.
01:43The people at the factory had said that asking too many questions was against the rules.
01:47I placed my hands on my knees and sat up straight.
01:50Blood slowly seeped through my cuffs, staining the luxury car's leather seats.
01:55I noticed and frantically wiped it with my palm.
01:57Vincent frowned.
01:59Stop wiping.
02:00My hand froze in midair, and it took me a while to pull it back.
02:04Do I need to pay for the seat?
02:06I don't have any money right now.
02:08I can pay it back slowly in the future.
02:11Vincent's face darkened.
02:13Elaine, this isn't the processing plant.
02:15I recalled how Derek had bent over respectfully, and suddenly everything became clear.
02:20So I hadn't been abducted and sold.
02:22So the gang ransom, the threat of breaking legs if I tried to escape, all of it was just
02:27a show put on for me.
02:28But the convulsing pain of the electric the palm of my skin was real.
02:31When I lay in the mud, calling out for Vincent to save me over and over, the blood I coughed
02:36up from my throat was real.
02:38They thought it was all just an act.
02:40But I had truly suffered for three years.
02:42Vincent draped a wool blanket over me.
02:44I instinctively shrank back.
02:46His hand stopped in midair.
02:48Afraid of me?
02:49I shook my head.
02:50No.
02:50I clenched my blood-stained cuff in my palm.
02:52I'm dirty.
02:54The blanket won't wash clean.
02:56The car was silent for a few seconds.
02:58Vincent's voice dropped a little.
03:00From now on, you don't have to speak so carefully.
03:02I nodded.
03:03He seemed dissatisfied with my numb, submissive look.
03:06He added,
03:06Once we're back at the estate, you are still Mrs. Lloyd.
03:11All the servants at the estate still acknowledge you.
03:14Chloe is staying in the master suite on the third floor.
03:17Because she's frail, she won't be moving out for now.
03:20Don't argue with her like before.
03:22Let the past three years be water under the bridge.
03:24I kept my eyes lowered.
03:26Miss Wells can stay wherever she likes.
03:28If she doesn't want to see me, I'll stay in a side guest room farther away.
03:32Vincent's brow furrowed.
03:34I brought you back, not for you to hide from people.
03:37I fell silent.
03:38Those above don't like being talked back to.
03:41Sure enough, his next sentence was,
03:43But Chloe is very unwell.
03:45You mustn't upset her.
03:47I placed my hands back on my knees.
03:49I won't frighten her.
03:50Vincent looked at my obedient, bowed head, and sounded a bit irritated.
03:54Elaine, I'm discussing this with you, not giving orders.
03:57I was taken aback.
03:58Just then, his phone rang.
04:00On the screen flashed Chloe Wells' name.
04:02He glanced at it and answered.
04:04On the phone, the woman's voice was soft and weak.
04:07Vincent, have you picked up sister yet?
04:10Sister's comes after.
04:12Will she show grudge against me?
04:15She won't.
04:17She's learned to be sensible.
04:18My fingers curled slightly.
04:21After he hung up, his personal assistant, Carter,
04:23handed over a brown paper bag from the front seat.
04:26Mr. Lloyd, from the doctor at the plant.
04:29He said Madam's examination report should be reviewed immediately.
04:32Vincent took the bag but didn't open it.
04:34Give it to Dr. Hale, the estate's private physician, to look at.
04:37That doctor said the situation is very critical.
04:40Vincent said coldly.
04:42People at the plant are used to exaggerating conditions to gain sympathy.
04:46First, back to Lloyd Estate.
04:47The brown paper bag was tossed aside.
04:50Through the passing streetlights outside the window,
04:52I saw the corner of the report sticking out of the bag.
04:55There was a line of English diagnostic notation, folded over.
04:59Extremely high risk of multiple organ failure.
05:02Lloyd Estate arrived quickly.
05:03A servant took Vincent's suit jacket and cautiously stole a glance at me.
05:07I stepped out of the car.
05:09The servant led Lloyd and me into the manor hall.
05:11Mr. Lloyd, Miss Wells is staying in the master suite on the third floor.
05:15As for the ladies' room...
05:17But before he could speak, soft footsteps came from upstairs.
05:20Chloe Wells, draped in a white knitted cardigan,
05:23stood at the top of the spiral staircase.
05:26Her eyes were red-rimmed as she looked at me.
05:28Sister, you're finally back.
05:30Seeing her come down slowly, my knees instinctively buckled.
05:34Miss Wells, I won't touch the master bedroom.
05:37You have light sleep and a weak constitution.
05:40I can stay in a remote side room.
05:42Chloe stood on the stair step, her face turning pale.
05:45Sister, what are you doing?
05:46She hurried down and reached out to help me up.
05:49But I immediately flinched away.
05:51Chloe's tears fell instantly.
05:53Vincent, is sister still blaming me?
05:56Vincent quickly stepped in front of me, his expression cold.
05:59Elaine, stand up.
06:01I braced myself against the cold marble floor and slowly rose.
06:04Standing up too fast, my vision suddenly went black.
06:07Vincent reached out his hand.
06:09As if to help me, Chloe gave a light cough.
06:12Vincent's outstretched hand paused in midair.
06:14And he turned back to look at her first.
06:17Why are you coughing again?
06:18It's nothing.
06:20Probably just from coming down the stairs too quickly.
06:22Vincent frowned deeply.
06:24Go upstairs and rest.
06:26She looked at me.
06:27But sister just came back.
06:29I want to keep her company and talk.
06:31Vincent said.
06:32She's exhausted in body and mind and needs quiet.
06:35He instructed a servant to take me to the west side guest room.
06:38Madam, please take a bath first.
06:40I looked at that glaringly white bed.
06:43Can I touch the bed only after I've bathed?
06:45The servant's eyes reddened.
06:47Of course not.
06:49In the bathroom, warm water poured down.
06:51The pain all over my body made it almost impossible to stand steady.
06:55The person in the mirror was gaunt beyond recognition.
06:58My shoulders, abdomen, and legs were covered in crisscrossing scars of varying depths.
07:03The old injury on my left leg kept flaring up, making me limp when I walked.
07:08With every breath, my chest felt like shattered glass scraping against my internal organs.
07:13The doctor at the plant's temporary clinic had told me my organs were severely damaged.
07:17I asked him if there was still a chance for treatment.
07:20He was silent for a long time.
07:22Then said.
07:23Three months ago there was still hope.
07:24Three months ago, I was still waiting day after day for Vincent to come and save me.
07:29Now he had finally come to take me out of that cage.
07:32But I no longer had three months.
07:34After my bath, I changed into the soft nightgown the servant had brought.
07:38As I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Vincent sitting on the guest room sofa.
07:42I stopped in my tracks.
07:43Do you need to use this room?
07:45I can leave right away.
07:47Beside him was a first aid kit.
07:49Come here.
07:50Let me treat your wounds.
07:52I walked over slowly and instinctively knelt before him.
07:55Vincent's face darkened instantly.
07:57Sit on the bed.
07:58I didn't move.
07:58He repeated in a low, suppressed voice.
08:01Elaine, I said sit on the bed.
08:03My body trembled uncontrollably.
08:05And I quickly sat down on the edge of the bed.
08:07He paused for a moment.
08:09He picks up the medicine box.
08:10Stands up.
08:11Walks to the bedside and opens it.
08:13Then he crouched down and began treating the festering wound on my calf.
08:17When the antiseptic touched my broken skin, my fingers went white with pain.
08:21Vincent looked up at me.
08:23Does it hurt?
08:23I shook my head lightly.
08:25He let out a cold, quiet laugh.
08:27Now you can endure all the pain.
08:29Before, just a scraped knee would make you cling to me and cry for a long time.
08:34I gazed quietly at his hands.
08:35After a long while, I said softly,
08:38Back then, no one punished me arbitrarily.
08:41Vincent's hand suddenly stopped mid-motion.
08:44Mr. Lloyd, Miss Wells says she has stomach cramp.
08:46Vincent stood up almost immediately.
08:48Wait here for me to come back.
08:50I looked at the still-open medicine kit.
08:52Should I put the cotton swabs away?
08:54Vincent frowned.
08:55I immediately withdrew my outstretched hand.
08:58I won't touch anything.
08:59Wait for you to come back to finish the dreading.
09:01I paused and corrected my habitual phrasing.
09:04Wait for you to come back to deal with the wound.
09:07Vincent's expression was frighteningly dark.
09:09Don't move anything.
09:11I sat quietly on the bed.
09:12My hands properly placed on my knees.
09:15I never touched the medicine kit again.
09:17Late at night, a suffocating pain suddenly seized my chest.
09:20A thick, metallic taste rose in my throat.
09:23I staggered into the bathroom, braced myself against the sink, and vomited a mouthful of blood.
09:29I hastily turned on the faucet, washing away the bloodstains.
09:32Then I crouched down, wiping every trace of blood from the floor tiles.
09:36Mustn't get anything dirty.
09:37Get it dirty, and you get punished.
09:40The bathroom door suddenly swung open.
09:42Vincent stood at the threshold.
09:43He watched me kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the tiles.
09:46His brow tightly knitted.
09:48What are you doing?
09:48I looked up at him.
09:50I'll have it clean in a moment.
09:52His gaze fixed on my colorless lips, still stained with blood.
09:55Did you cough up blood?
09:57Vincent stared at me in silence for a long time.
09:59Finally, he said flatly,
10:01Tomorrow, Dr. Hale will come and give you a full checkup.
10:05I nodded lightly.
10:06Do I need to fast for the checkup?
10:08He seemed choked by my question and gave no answer.
10:11Because from upstairs came Chloe's faint call.
10:14Vincent!
10:15Vincent closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions.
10:18When he opened them again and looked at me, his voice carried a trace of weariness.
10:22Get some rest first.
10:24Chloe is very emotionally unstable tonight.
10:26I replied softly.
10:28You don't need to explain anything to me.
10:31I know the order of priorities.
10:34Vincent's face cooled.
10:35Elaine, no one is putting you last.
10:37I looked at the water stains on the floor and said nothing.
10:40But he still turned and walked quickly toward the master suite on the third floor.
10:43The next morning, the private physician, Dr. Hale, arrived at the estate on time.
10:49He conducted a series of examinations, and his expression grew increasingly grave.
10:53Vincent sat on the sofa nearby, handling Lloyd Group business on his tablet.
10:57Mr. Lloyd, Madam's physical condition is extremely poor.
11:01Severe malnutrition, multiple systemic infections, and serious anemic complications all present.
11:07I strongly recommend immediate transfer to Mercy General Private Hospital for a comprehensive, in-depth examination.
11:14Vincent glanced up.
11:15Is there any immediate life-threatening emergency?
11:17The doctor hesitated.
11:19At this moment, we can't determine that.
11:21Vincent put down his tablet.
11:23Then schedule the hospital visit for tomorrow.
11:26Tonight, we have the family dinner to deal with.
11:28Dr. Hale tried to continue persuading him, but Vincent had already turned his gaze to me.
11:33Elaine, tonight all the Lloyd family elders will come to the estate for dinner.
11:38After three years away, it's only proper that you meet them.
11:42I instinctively pulled my cuffs down to cover the dense network of scars on my arms.
11:46In the past, your conflict with Chloe left a psychological shadow on her.
11:51Tonight, in front of all the elders, you will offer a cup of tea and apologize.
11:57Then all past grievance will be put to rest.
12:00So my three years of unrelenting darkness could be brushed aside with a single, light sentence.
12:04In the evening, a servant brought a cream-colored long dress.
12:08I stared at the dress, dazed for a moment.
12:11I had never liked light-colored clothes before.
12:14Vincent knew that.
12:15He used to tease me.
12:16Your closet looks like a palette full of colors.
12:18Miss Wells said that when you wear lighter colors, you look less intimidating.
12:21As night fell, the Lloyd estate banquet hall was bustling.
12:25Chloe sat quietly beside Vincent.
12:27When she saw me enter, she gave a soft smile.
12:30Sister looks beautiful in that dress.
12:32If it doesn't offend your eyes, that's good.
12:35Aunt Martha Lloyd, one of the family elders, frowned as she looked me over.
12:38How did you get so thin?
12:43Vincent, didn't you say you sent her away for quiet recuperation?
12:47There was a minor hiccup along the way.
12:49Chloe spoke softly, her tone frail.
12:51It's all my fault.
12:52If I weren't so sickly all the time, sister wouldn't have harbored it so much resentment.
12:58Vincent looked at me blandly.
12:59I replied instantly.
13:01I don't harbor resentment.
13:02The banquet hall fell silent for a moment.
13:04I continued calmly.
13:06In the past, I was childish and overly aggressive.
13:09I always put you in a difficult position.
13:12And I always made Miss Wells anxious.
13:15Elaine, that's not what I meant.
13:17I looked up at him.
13:18Then teach me the rules again.
13:20All the Lloyd relatives present exchanged glances.
13:23Vincent tightened his grip on his wine glass, his voice hardening.
13:26In the past, her personality was too sharp and stubborn.
13:30Now that she's quiet and twi-isle, that's not a bad thing.
13:34Yes.
13:35There was nothing wrong with that.
13:37The Mrs. Lloyd they expected had always been this numb and submissive.
13:41At dinner, Vincent instructed the kitchen to heat a glass of warm milk and placed it before me.
13:46You always like drinking this before bed.
13:48I was stunned for a second.
13:50The glass was warm.
13:51The heat enveloping my palm.
13:53For a brief moment, I was transported back to years past.
13:56I'd be curled up on the living room sofa watching a show.
13:59And Vincent would bring me warm milk, scolding me for not wearing socks.
14:03I'd kick him lightly, and he never got angry.
14:06Back then, I naively believed he truly loved me.
14:09At that moment, Chloe gave a soft cough.
14:12Vincent's attention immediately shifted entirely to her.
14:15Cold?
14:16Chloe shook her head gently.
14:17I'm fine.
14:18Vincent had already draped his custom suit jacket over her shoulders.
14:21She thanked him softly.
14:24I lowered my head and drained the entire glass of warm milk in one go.
14:27It was scalding hot, but my tongue could taste nothing at all.
14:31After dinner, the servant brought in the tea set.
14:33Vincent looked at me.
14:35Elaine.
14:36I picked up the teacup and walked slowly to Chloe.
14:40Miss Wells?
14:41Everything before was my fault.
14:43From now on, you need not fear me anymore.
14:46I will not put you in a difficult position again.
14:48Chloe's eyes reddened.
14:50Sister, you don't have to say that.
14:52She reached out to take the teacup.
14:54I don't know if the tea was too scalding, but her fingers suddenly recoiled, knocking
14:59the cup out of my hand.
15:00The white porcelain cup slipped from my grasp, and the boiling tea splashed all over her light
15:05colored skirt.
15:06Chloe let out a gasp.
15:08Vincent was on his feet in an instant, shielding Chloe behind him.
15:12Elaine!
15:13Vincent stared at me.
15:14His eyes held suppressed fury, mixed with heavy irritation.
15:18I thought you had truly learned to behave and stop making trouble on purpose.
15:23I felt my blood run cold.
15:25Drop by drop.
15:26I pulled back my scalded hand and looked up at Vincent.
15:29Do I need to offer tea again?
15:31Or should I go outside and stand as punishment?
15:34The banquet hall fell completely silent.
15:37A dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen.
15:39Blood began to trickle down my leg.
15:42I clenched my skirt tightly, not daring to let anyone see my disgrace.
15:46Vincent gave the order in a cold voice.
15:49Tonight you will rest in the west room first.
15:52Tomorrow morning go to the hospital checkup.
15:54Don't cause any more ugly scenes.
15:56The servants helped me leave the banquet hall.
15:58As I reached the corridor entrance, I heard Chloe sobbing softly.
16:02Vincent gently soothed her.
16:04Don't be afraid.
16:05She's back at the estate now.
16:07From now on I will keep my eyes on her at all times.
16:10Keep his eyes on me.
16:11Like watching over a pet finally locked back in its cage.
16:14I twitched the corner of my mouth slightly.
16:16A faint smile spreading.
16:18My mouth was filled with the strong taste of blood.
16:21Late at night, I developed a high fever.
16:24My body burning up.
16:25I curled up on the carpet in the guest room.
16:27My lower abdomen felt like it was being torn apart.
16:30Yet my skin was shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
16:33A servant came in with warm water in the middle of the night.
16:36Saw me collapsed on the floor and screamed in terror.
16:40Madam!
16:41The lights in the room were turned on.
16:43The private physician, Dr. Hale, soon rushed over.
16:47After taking my temperature and seeing the blood spreading beneath me,
16:50his expression changed drastically.
16:52Immediately transport her to Mercy General Emergency.
16:55The servant frantically called Vincent.
16:57At that time, he was at the hospital accompanying Chloe for a follow-up examination.
17:01After the family dinner, Chloe had said she felt tightness in her chest and shortness of breath.
17:06So Vincent had driven her to the hospital himself.
17:09When the call connected, the servant's voice trembled uncontrollably.
17:13Mr. Lloyd, Madam has eye fever and is unconscious, with heavy bleeding from below.
17:19There was background noise on the other end of the line.
17:21One could tell Vincent was frowning.
17:24Isn't Dr. Hale already at the edit looking after her?
17:26The physician grabbed the phone, his tone urgent.
17:29Mr. Lloyd, Madam's condition is extremely critical.
17:32She must be sent to the emergency room immediately.
17:34There was a moment of silence on the other end.
17:37Then Vincent's voice came through.
17:39I'll have the driver turn back to the estate to pick her up.
17:42The physician's tone grew more insistent.
17:44It would be best if you came back yourself.
17:45She's delirious and keeps calling out for you.
17:48Vincent lowered his voice, impatient.
17:50Chloe is still in the middle of her specialized tests here.
17:52Take her to the hospital first.
17:54Don't delay the treatment process.
17:56Chloe's frail voice came from the other side of the receiver.
17:59Vincent, are you leaving?
18:00It's okay.
18:01Go check on your sister.
18:02I can manage here alone.
18:04Vincent was silent for a long moment.
18:06Finally, he said to the physician,
18:08Take her to the hospital first.
18:09I'll come over later.
18:11The call ended.
18:12The servant and physician tried to help me onto the stretcher.
18:14I clutched the bedsheet tightly and murmured,
18:17Is he prioritizing Ms. Wells again?
18:19The servant wept and shook her head in denial.
18:21But I let out a faint sigh of relief.
18:23Then that's right.
18:25She's more afraid of pain than I am.
18:27The physician was frantic.
18:29We can't delay any longer.
18:31Together, they lifted me into the ambulance.
18:33During the ride, I briefly regained consciousness.
18:35I stared at the neon lights racing past the window.
18:39The lights were bright and glaring.
18:40So different from that dark, oppressive abandoned factory.
18:44I softly asked the servant beside me,
18:46Is this going home?
18:48The servant held my hand tightly, tears streaming down her face.
18:51Madam, we're going to the hospital.
18:53I shook my head gently.
18:54I want to go home.
18:56Not the Lloyd estate.
18:58My mother, Mrs. Kane's little house.
19:00My mother had passed away many years ago.
19:02When death approaches,
19:04One instinctively longs for the only safe haven they ever knew.
19:07The ambulance arrived at the hospital entrance.
19:10Vincent received the news and was about to go check it out at the front door.
19:14But then an urgent message came from Chloe's side.
19:17During a follow-up examination,
19:18She lost control of her emotions
19:20And nearly fell down the stairs.
19:23Vincent gave up going to check on the ambulance
19:25And rushed to the stairwell instead.
19:27Vincent arrived at the stairwell and steadied Chloe,
19:29Who looked pale,
19:30While calling the physician on the phone.
19:32His voice could not hide his agitation.
19:34How is Elaine now?
19:36The physician answered truthfully.
19:38Her condition is very poor.
19:39Get her into the emergency room for immediate treatment.
19:42He spoke coldly into the phone to the doctor on the other end.
19:45She has always been best at using illness to frighten me and gain my attention.
19:49Now that she's being so obedient,
19:51Surely he won't actually cause in her death the matter.
19:54She endured for three full years.
19:56She can endure this short while longer.
19:57Chloe absolutely cannot have anything happen to her.
20:00The physician was stunned.
20:01Mr. Lloyd, Madam is not faking her illness.
20:04Vincent was silent for a few seconds on the other end.
20:07I'll come over as soon as I've taken care of things with Chloe.
20:09In the end, he never came.
20:11Before I was wheeled into the emergency room,
20:14I suddenly grabbed the physician's white coat sleeve.
20:17Has Vincent come?
20:18The physician was silent,
20:20Unable to offer any words of comfort.
20:22It seemed I understood everything at last.
20:24I slowly released my grip and murmured the rules that had been etched into my bones in that factory.
20:30Whatever the manager says, they obey it.
20:33Do not cry.
20:35Do not ask why.
20:37Do not cause trouble for anyone.
20:40Do not wait for anyone to come and save you.
20:43When I reached the last line,
20:45I suddenly felt like laughing.
20:47So it turned out there was never any gang hideout.
20:50No so-called telecom fraud ring.
20:52No one had actually forced me to participate in fraud.
20:55And yet I still dared not stop reciting.
20:58Because even though the punishments were fake,
21:00the pain they inflicted was real.
21:02The physician, red-eyed, tried to persuade me.
21:05Miss Kane, please stop reciting.
21:08I could not hear a single word.
21:10My mind held only one thought.
21:12If I recited the rules wrong, I would be punished.
21:16At 4.17am, the red light above the emergency room went out.
21:20By then, Vincent had just settled Chloe.
21:22His phone rang.
21:23It was Dr. Hale calling.
21:25He answered, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
21:28How is she?
21:29There was a long silence on the other end.
21:31Then the physician's hoarse, broken voice came through.
21:34Mr. Lloyd, until her very last moment,
21:37Madam was still asking when you would come to save her.
21:40Vincent's hand holding the phone froze.
21:42The physician continued.
21:43You don't need to come now.
21:45She has passed away despite all efforts.
21:47Vincent thought he had misheard.
21:49He is standing in the hospital's follow-up examination room,
21:52beside Chloe's pale and weak face.
21:55Those cold words echoed in his ears over and over.
21:58His brow furrowed deeply.
22:00What did you say?
22:01The physician choked up on the other end.
22:03Miss Kane's resiccation failed.
22:05She has been confirmed dead.
22:07Vincent was silent for a few seconds,
22:09then let out a cold, bitter laugh.
22:11She had you make up this lie to appease me again?
22:14Put her on the phone.
22:16The physician said nothing.
22:17Vincent's voice turned ice cold.
22:19I said, put a Lason on the phone.
22:22Through the receiver came the sound of uncontrollable sobbing.
22:25It was the old servant who had been with the Lloyd family for many years.
22:29Mr. Lloyd, Madam is truly gone.
22:32Even at the end, she was still hoping you would come take her home.
22:36The color drained from Vincent's face.
22:38Chloe gently tugged at his suit sleeve.
22:41Vincent.
22:41He suddenly shook off her hand and turned,
22:44racing toward the emergency room like a madman.
22:47Vincent burst in front of the emergency room.
22:49Dr. Hale is standing at the entrance of the emergency room.
22:52Mr. Lloyd, please accept my condolences.
22:54Vincent roughly shoved the physician aside.
22:57Get out of my way!
22:58The gurney, covered in a white sheet, was slowly wheeled out by the medical staff.
23:03Vincent stood there, not daring to reach out and lift the sheet.
23:06He stubbornly believed that as long as he did not lift it, Elaine had not left.
23:11She was just pretending, as she had before, to frighten him with a dramatic scene.
23:16In the past, I had also said harsh words.
23:19Vincent, if you keep staying by Chloe's side, I will leave you for good.
23:23He never took it seriously back then.
23:25Because the next morning, I would still get up early to prepare his breakfast.
23:29I would still carefully straighten his tie.
23:31I would still, before he left, put on a fierce act and tell him,
23:35Come home early.
23:37He had always been certain that I would never truly leave him.
23:40So this time, he held the same belief.
23:42Elaine would not die.
23:44Elaine was just deeply wronged and wanted to make him feel guilty and heartbroken.
23:48Vincent slowly reached out and lifted the white cloth covering the face.
23:52My face was exposed to the air.
23:55I had wasted away beyond recognition.
23:57Sunken cheeks, bluish lips, eyes tightly shut.
24:01No breath, no warmth.
24:03Vincent stared at me for a long time, then suddenly gave a hollow laugh.
24:08Elaine, stop pretending.
24:10He reached out and touched my cold cheek.
24:12Dr. Hale reported the time in a low voice.
24:14Time of death, 4.17am.
24:17Vincent seemed not to hear.
24:19He bent down and held my stiff body tightly in his arms.
24:22My body hung limply.
24:24No longer would I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck playfully.
24:28A broken, hoarse sob escaped his throat.
24:32No one answered him.
24:33A servant tearfully handed over a crumpled little booklet.
24:37Mr. Lloyd, this is what Madam clutched in her hand until the very end.
24:41On the cover was a handwritten English title.
24:44Obedience record.
24:45The first page contained the rules I had copied over and over in that abandoned factory.
24:50Whatever the manager says, obey it.
24:53Do not cry.
24:54Do not ask why.
24:55Do not mention that you have a home.
24:57Do not wait for anyone to come and save you.
25:00Every page after that was filled with the same passage.
25:03Copied densely over and over.
25:05The last page had light, messy handwriting.
25:08Did Vincent come today?
25:10Next line.
25:11He came.
25:12One more line below.
25:14But he didn't come to save me.
25:16Vincent's fingers suddenly tightened, crumpling the booklet out of shape.
25:20A thin sheet of letter paper slipped out from it.
25:22The handwriting was crooked and slanted.
25:24Many places smeared with dried bloodstains.
25:27They lied and said this was an overseas gang hideout.
25:30They kept humiliating me, calling me filthy, saying I deserved to be punished.
25:35My only hope was to stay alive and wait for Vincent.
25:38The last line was faint and weak.
25:40As if written halfway, with hands too weak to hold the pen any longer.
25:45Vincent strained to make out the complete sentence.
25:48If all of this was just an act, then why did it hurt so much?
25:52He stared at that line, unable to hold himself up any longer.
25:55Both knees crashed heavily to the ground.
25:58On my death certificate, the cause of death listed a long string of medical terms.
26:03Multiple organ failure.
26:04Severe systemic infections.
26:06Chronic severe malnutrition.
26:08Delayed treatment after sustaining injuries from violence.
26:12Dr. Hale handed him the original diagnostic report that he had casually set aside in the car that day.
26:17Mr. Lloyd, this is the initial examination sheet from the temporary abandoned factory.
26:23Everything is clearly courted there, there.
26:25Vincent stared at the brown paper envelope.
26:27In an instant, he recalled the scene inside the car that day.
26:31Assistant Carter had warned him of the urgency.
26:33But he had casually said he would look at it later.
26:36All because Chloe's call had come in at that moment.
26:39All because he was certain I still had plenty of time.
26:42All because he believed that prison was merely a controlled farce.
26:46That the hired actors would not truly hurt me.
26:48He opened the report envelope.
26:51At the very bottom of the page was a handwritten note from the physician.
26:55Recommend immediate transfer to hospital ICU.
26:58Extremely high risk to life.
27:00Vincent stared at those words.
27:02His mind kept replaying the scene from that day in the car.
27:05When I had spoken softly.
27:07I can stay in a side room farther away.
27:10I won't scare Ms. Wells Housewells.
27:12How had he not understood back then?
27:14That was not meekness or consideration.
27:17That was the last survival instinct of a person who had been utterly crushed.
27:22Assistant Carter delivered the entire set of surveillance footage hard drives.
27:26Vincent sat on a bench in the hospital corridor.
27:28Playing them segment by segment.
27:30The first year, I was still fighting back with everything I had.
27:34In the footage, I was held down in the muddy ground by several actors.
27:38My throat raw and bleeding from screaming.
27:40Vincent will definitely come to me!
27:43Just you wait!
27:45He will find this place!
27:48The ringleader Derek laughed and taunted.
27:49You really believe that?
27:51I lifted my tear-streaked face.
27:53My gaze unwavering.
27:54He is my husband.
27:55He loves me deeply.
27:58He will never abandon me.
28:00Watching this, Vincent's hands began to shake uncontrollably.
28:03The second year, I no longer shouted.
28:05Only when the beatings became unbearable would I ask quietly,
28:08Has Mr. Lord called the police yet?
28:11Has he still not found this place?
28:13The third year, I had become completely silent and numb.
28:17In the footage, I knelt on the freezing concrete floor, reciting the rules over and over.
28:22Whatever the manager says, obey it.
28:25Do not cry.
28:26Do not ask why.
28:28Do not mention that you have a home.
28:30Do not wait for anyone to come and save you.
28:33Derek watched coldly and asked,
28:34Still waiting for your husband?
28:36I was silent for a long time.
28:38Then, in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible, I answered,
28:43Yes.
28:44Derek kicked me hard in the shoulder.
28:46Fool.
28:47If anyone truly cared about you, why would you be here?
28:50I crashed to the ground, then pushed myself up and continued reciting the rules.
28:55Vincent slammed the laptop shut.
28:57His breathing was rapid and labored, as if someone had a hand clamped around his throat,
29:02cutting off his air.
29:04Carter stood quietly nearby, not daring to speak.
29:07After a long, heavy silence, Vincent asked in a low voice,
29:11In the first year did she ask about me every single day?
29:15Carter bowed his head and replied softly,
29:18Yes.
29:18The factory records show that Madam asked every day whether you had come.
29:23Later, the questions grew fewer.
29:26Until finally, she stopped asking altogether.
29:29Vincent closed his eyes tightly.
29:31He finally understood that the most desperate ending was not my death.
29:35It was that I had once trusted him without reservation,
29:39and he had personally built a false hell,
29:41wearing down that boundless love until nothing but ashes remained.
29:45When Chloe Wells was summoned back to the Lloyd Manor,
29:48she thought Vincent was merely suffering from a bout of low spirits.
29:51She wore a pale-colored dress, her eyes red and watery, looking fragile.
29:55Vincent, I'm utterly heartbroken over my sister's passing, too.
30:00But don't blame yourself so terribly.
30:03She was always frail to begin with.
30:05No one could have foreseen such a tragedy.
30:08Vincent sat quietly on the sofa.
30:11Laid neatly across the coffee table were bank transfer receipts,
30:14renovation blueprints for the abandoned factory,
30:16full audio call recordings,
30:18and a signed commission form for the so-called emotional correction program.
30:21At the sight of all the evidence spread out before her,
30:25Chloe's face stiffened and drained of all color in an instant.
30:28Did you pay extra to make them torture her worse?
30:30Chloe's lips turned bloodless.
30:32What are you talking about?
30:34The cold water shower punishment.
30:37The electric shock torture.
30:39Cutting off all her pain medication entirely,
30:42and forbidding her from ever uttering my name.
30:46Vincent recited every single method of torment slowly and clearly.
30:50Chloe's complexion lost the last trace of color.
30:52He pressed on with his questioning.
30:54You ordered them to escalate the punishment
30:56every time she said I'd come save her, didn't you?
30:59Tears flooded down Chloe's cheeks at once.
31:01Vincent, I was just paralyzed by fear.
31:04My sister targeted me relentlessly back then.
31:07I was terrified she'd come back and turn against me again.
31:11Vincent stared at her evenly.
31:12So you told them to withhold all her painkillers?
31:15Chloe shook her head wildly in denial.
31:17I did! I didn't do that!
31:20Vincent tapped his phone and played a recording.
31:22Chloe's voice echoed crisply from the speaker.
31:25She's always so certain Vincent will come rescue her, isn't she?
31:28Then let's make the act far more convincing.
31:32The more she believes it, the harsher you make the punishments.
31:36Don't contact me until she stops mentioning his name entirely.
31:40Once the recording ended, a suffocating silence descended over the living room.
31:45Chloe's face turned as white as paper.
31:47Vincent fixed his eyes on her.
31:49Did you truly believe this was all just an act from the very start?
31:53Chloe let out a bitter, tearful laugh.
31:56Vincent, don't look at me with such cold eyes.
31:59You were the one who rented and built that detention site,
32:01and you paid to hire every single actor there.
32:05You said she was far too headstrong, and needed her rough edges worn down.
32:10Now that she's gone, you're trying to shift all the blame onto me to clear your own name?
32:15Vincent fell silent.
32:16Every word she spoke rang true.
32:18He was the one who had first pried open the gates to that living hell.
32:22Chloe had merely tossed fuel onto the darkness within.
32:24After a long pause, Vincent picked up his phone and dialed the police hotline.
32:29Chloe's face twisted in panic.
32:32You can't do this to me!
32:35You promised you'd look after me for the rest of my life!
32:39Vincent watched her calmly, his eyes hollow and devoid of any warmth.
32:43I once promised Elaine I'd protect her for the rest of hers too.
32:45He paused for a beat, his voice rough and broken.
32:48And I failed to keep that promise just as I'll fail this one for you.
33:10Derek Voss kept shouting his innocence as he was escorted away by the police.
33:14The police conducted an on-site investigation of the derelict electronics factory disguised as a gang hideout.
33:21It stood on a remote wasteland on the outskirts of town.
33:24The surrounding high walls had been hastily raised and thickened.
33:27The cold water punishment chamber was converted from an old storage warehouse.
33:32The so-called script rehearsal room only held a few outdated desktop computers and headsets with broken wires.
33:38All the mock scam calls I was forced to make were answered by temporary actors hired for money.
33:44The voices on the other end hurled constant insults and humiliation, deliberately goading me into making mistakes.
33:50That gave Derek a pretext to subject me to physical punishment.
33:53The sign plastered with foreign script, made to look like an overseas gang emblem, was also a prop rushed out
33:59overnight by a prop company.
34:01Vincent's lawyer urged him not to voluntarily hand over the personally signed Emotional Correction Commission form.
34:06Vincent stared at a handwritten note he had scrawled on the paper.
34:10No permanent bodily harm.
34:12No loss of life.
34:13A bitter, self-mocking laugh escaped him.
34:16She's already gone.
34:17What point is there in preserving my own spotless reputation?
34:21He packed all the documents into an evidence bag and handed them over to the police.
34:25On the day of my funeral, a cold, unceasing rain poured from the sky.
34:29Vincent did not bury me in the exclusive aristocratic cemetery reserved for the Lloyd family.
34:34Following the fragmented wish I'd stammered out on my deathbed, he laid me to rest in the peaceful public cemetery
34:40beside my mother, Mrs. Kane.
34:42Only my name was carved into the tombstone, Elaine Kane.
34:46There was no title marking me as Mrs. Lloyd, no inscription naming me the wife of Vincent Lloyd.
34:51Nothing but the name that belonged solely to me.
34:54Vincent stood before the grave.
34:57Elaine, I've brought you home.
34:59The frigid headstone offered no reply.
35:01For three long years I'd waited desperately to hear those words.
35:05Now I would never need them again.
35:07On the day Chloe's trial commenced, Vincent arrived at the courthouse right on time.
35:12Clad in a standard prisoner uniform, Chloe looked gaunt and haggard.
35:15When she spotted Vincent in the spectator gallery, a flicker of hope instantly lit up her eyes.
35:21Vincent, you've come to save me, haven't you?
35:24Vincent spoke in a calm, steady tone.
35:26I am here to testify in court.
35:27All color drained from Chloe's face in an instant.
35:31Inside the courtroom, Derek laid out the entire truth without reservation.
35:34It had been on Vincent's instructions that his assistant rented the hideout premises.
35:38Every person cast as thugs and supervisors were temporary actors paid wages for their roles.
35:44Vincent had only given one instruction.
35:45Do not make it feel too fake.
35:47Make her genuinely terrified from the bottom of her heart.
35:50Vincent Lloyd only ordered the initial confinement.
35:54But Chloe, she wanted more.
35:56She transferred money to the guards for the cold treatment.
36:00Bar me from saying I had a home and stop me from clinging to any hope of rescue.
36:05Footage from surveillance cameras played across the large courtroom screen.
36:08A hush fell over the entire chamber.
36:10Only my numb, hollow voice echoing through the space.
36:13In the footage, I knelt on the concrete floor.
36:19Blood trickling from my forehead where I'd struck it against the ground.
36:22My lifeless voice repeated the lines over and over.
36:25I must obey every word the supervisors say.
36:28No crying.
36:28No asking for reasons.
36:30No mentioning I have a home.
36:31No waiting for anyone to come save me.
36:33Seated in the gallery, Vincent's face turned ashen and devoid of all life.
36:37For the first time, he watched in full, unflinching view how I had been broken piece by piece.
36:43Day after endless day, Chloe completely lost control of her emotions and screamed hysterically.
36:48Turn it off!
36:49Stop complaining!
36:51She whirled sharply to face Vincent, her eyes blazing crimson.
36:54What right do you have to sit there judging me?
36:58You were the locked-er in that cage with your own hands!
37:01You said it didn't matter as long as no one died!
37:05Vincent Lloyd, are you even a fraction more innocent than I am?
37:09Dead silence swept the courtroom.
37:12Derek's eyes welled with tears as he turned to accuse him on the spot.
37:15Mr. Lloyd, you cannot shift all blame onto us.
37:19This whole Ferris was planned and ordered by you.
37:21You rented the premises yourself.
37:23You explicitly demanded that your wife believe she had been abducted and trafficked by gang members.
37:29You said only overwhelming terror would make her docile and obedient once she returned to the manor.
37:34Vincent slowly rose to his feet.
37:36Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto him.
37:38After a long, heavy silence, he spoke openly and without evasion.
37:42I am steeped in sin.
37:43I am far from innocent.
37:45And I will bear every consequence that belongs to me.
37:48When the trial drew to a close, Chloe received a lengthy prison sentence.
37:52Derek and every single staff member who took part in the staged performance and physical abuse were all convicted without
37:58exception.
37:59Vincent voluntarily cooperated fully with all police investigations and evidence collection.
38:03The massive Lloyd group was thrown into turmoil and collapsed, its stock prices plummeting.
38:08He fell from the pedestal of a revered elite tycoon, his reputation utterly ruined beyond repair.
38:13A swarm of reporters surrounded him, shouting questions.
38:17Mr. Lloyd, do you regret what you've done?
38:19Vincent slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes empty and desolate, devoid of any glimmer of light.
38:24The word regret is far too shallow to atone for my crimes.
38:27With my own two hands, I built a living hell just for her.
38:30The pivotal evidence played in the final phase of the trial was the on-site identification footage recorded when Vincent
38:36visited the abandoned factory one week before the court hearing.
38:40It was the first time he had walked through every corner of this fake prison in full.
38:44The hideout was not overseas at all.
38:46It nearly occupied an abandoned electronics factory on the outskirts of town.
38:50The outer iron gate was covered in rust.
38:52The artificially aged mottled paint on the walls peeled off in large patches after years of rain erosion.
38:58From a distance, the place looked utterly authentic, and it had fooled me completely for three whole years.
39:04In the video, Vincent stood before the iron gate, lingering for a long time, unwilling to step inside.
39:10The police officer escorting him asked softly,
39:13Sir, would you like to continue the tour?
39:15His voice was hoarse and parched, barely audible.
39:18I'll see it all.
39:19He slowly pushed open the rusted iron gate and stepped inside.
39:22The first room was the script rehearsal chamber.
39:25The headset I had worn every single day still sat on the desk.
39:28Printed posters listing punishment rules were taped to the walls.
39:32Failure to complete one mock drill results in one electric shock.
39:35Crying or resistance means overnight confinement in the cold water room.
39:39Mentioning family brings intensified physical torture.
39:42Any attempt to escape will result in broken legs.
39:45Vincent reached out and brushed his fingers lightly over the poster.
39:48Back when his assistant Carter had submitted the full renovation plan for his review,
39:52he had only glanced over it casually.
39:54He had tossed off a casual order.
39:56Don't make it look too fake.
39:58Make her truly terrified down to her core.
40:00At that time, he had foolishly believed that if I lived in fear and submitted obediently,
40:05I would stop clashing with Chloe.
40:07He had even daydreamed about making amends to me once I returned to the manor.
40:11Gifting me fine jewelry, buying a standalone villa, taking me on seaside vacations to soothe my heart.
40:16He thought he was merely taking a detour to get a docile, compliant wife.
40:20Yet at the end of that detour lay a cold death certificate.
40:24Vincent walked deeper into the compound.
40:26The second room was the cold water punishment chamber.
40:28As the door swung open, damp, frigid mist washed over him.
40:32Large, dark mold stains lingered across the corners of the walls.
40:36An old plastic bucket sat on the floor.
40:38This was where I had knelt knee-deep in icy cold water all night long, countless times.
40:43At first, I had cried and called out endlessly,
40:46Vincent will come save me.
40:48Later, they issued an order forbidding me from hoping for rescue,
40:51and I dared not utter a single word of longing ever again.
40:54Vincent leaned against the cold wall and slowly sank to his knees.
40:58He squeezed his eyes shut tight.
41:00My numb, compliant voice echoed as if ringing in his ears once more.
41:03I will obey all orders.
41:05I will not cause any trouble.
41:07I will no longer wait for anyone to come save me.
41:10He jolted his eyes open.
41:12The cold water room stood empty, devoid of my figure.
41:15Only his own ragged, stifled breathing filled the silence.
41:18Further inward lay the tiny cubicle where I had lived for three years.
41:22A thin, worn plank served as a bed,
41:24paired with a half-rotted, foul-smelling thin blanket.
41:27The walls were crisscrossed with countless nail scratches of varying depths.
41:31The police told him,
41:32Every mark had been carved bit by bit by my fingernails, day after day.
41:37Vincent stepped slowly toward the wall.
41:39The printed punishment rules posted there,
41:41the stun guns bought online,
41:43and the later installed iron gates.
41:45Every single prop was backed by purchase receipts.
41:48To outsiders,
41:49it all looked like a commercial performance whose expenses could be tallied and reimbursed.
41:53Only the dried, blackened bloodstains in the corner could never be written off or erased.
41:58The deep and shallow grooves carved by fingernails into the wooden plank could never be wiped away either.
42:04When pain racked my body and left me trembling,
42:06no one had ever leaned down to whisper a single word to comfort me.
42:10Elaine, don't be afraid.
42:11This is all just an act.
42:12At the very bottom of the wall,
42:14Vincent spotted a faint line of writing.
42:16The characters were crooked and blurry,
42:18nearly faded away entirely.
42:20Vincent didn't come today either.
42:22Beneath it lay another line,
42:23crossed out countless times over and over.
42:25Only three clear words remained in the end,
42:28still waiting.
42:29Vincent stared at those three words,
42:31every ounce of strength draining from his body in an instant.
42:34I had not given up on him completely from the very first day,
42:38nor had despair only settled in by the second year.
42:40Day after day,
42:41I had carved all my longing onto the frigid walls.
42:44He dropped to his knees before the worn wooden plank,
42:47pressing his forehead hard against the cold concrete floor.
42:50Shattered, suppressed sobs burst forth from deep in his throat.
42:53Elaine, stop waiting.
42:57I don't deserve you.
42:58No sound echoed back to him in the empty cubicle.
43:01Once the criminal verdict was handed down,
43:03Vincent was sent to prison to serve his sentence.
43:06Years later, upon his release,
43:08the first thing he did was buy the abandoned electronics factory with his own money.
43:12He tore nothing down.
43:13The iron gate, cold water punishment chamber.
43:16Everyone around him said Vincent was spending the rest of his life atoning for his sins.
43:20Only he knew the truth.
43:22The crimes he committed could never be repaid.
43:24I had died inside this fabricated hell,
43:27and this cage that devoured my life had been built by his own hands.
43:31Every year on the anniversary of my death,
43:33he would first visit the abandoned factory,
43:35then head to the peace cemetery to see me.
43:37Each time he left,
43:38it felt as though a part of him had died.
43:41On this day,
43:42he returned to the cemetery once more.
43:44A torrential downpour blurred his vision.
43:46He clutched a bouquet of white camellias to his chest.
43:49My favorite flower when I was young.
43:51Yet the version of me on the tombstone was frozen forever at 24.
43:55Bright-eyed,
43:56with a proud,
43:56vivid smile.
43:57That was Elaine Kane,
43:59before he cast me into hell.
44:00Vincent knelt before the grave and gently set down the flowers.
44:04Elaine,
44:04I've come to take you home.
44:06A cold gust swept across the headstone,
44:09and the white camellias tumbled down into the muddy rainwater.
44:12Just like the hands I'd stretched out,
44:14scrambling desperately toward him all those years ago.
44:16Only this time,
44:17I would never wait for him again.
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