Daniel glared down at me, his tone as sharp as ice. “Stop pretending to die. Crawl over here right now and bow to Vivian.”
I stared at the sight of him holding Vivian, lips pressed into a rigid line.
My heart was already frozen. Every word out of his mouth was a cruel joke. I would never believe him again.
Vivian wrapped her arm around Daniel’s, shooting me a smug glance as she spoke in a falsely kind tone. “Mr. Miller, let it go. People might say I’m abusing your wife.”
“No.” Daniel patted her hand, his voice terrifyingly firm. “I have to get justice for you.”
Vivian’s face lit up, rubbing against him affectionately. “Darling, you’re so good to me.”
The sight seared my eyes, my trembling only growing worse.
I didn’t know if it was the cold, or my heart breaking completely.
Forcing myself up from the ground, my lower body numb as if chained by iron, every move weighed a thousand pounds.
Instinctively, I stroked my swollen belly, trying to share warmth with my baby. But the chill had long stolen the heat from my hands.
“Emma Carter, stop putting on that pitiful act.” Daniel’s voice lashed out like a whip.
“Don’t think you can win sympathy with that look. Not from me. Get on your knees, apologize to Vivian, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
I lifted my head, eyes frozen over with cold fury, and spat out two words: “Dream on.”
“You dare!” Fire blazed in Daniel’s eyes. He shouted, “Men!”
Two security guards in suits entered, each carrying a heavy bucket dripping with condensation.
“Make sure she learns her lesson!” Daniel barked.
They seized me—one pinning my arms, the other lifting the bucket—then dumped the icy water straight over my head.
The freezing torrent drenched me, seeping through my thin clothes, pressing against my skin like blocks of ice.
I shuddered violently, nearly suffocating from the cold.
That moment shattered the last trace of hope in my heart.
To him, I was never a wife—only a tool to please Vivian.
Vivian covered her mouth in feigned concern. “Darling, let it go. She’s already like a drowned rat.”
Daniel squeezed her hand, his eyes dripping with indulgence. “You’re just too soft-hearted. That’s why she bullies you. Did she think about you climbing the stairs in this heat while she sat in the elevator?”
Water streamed off my clothes, pooling at my feet before freezing into a thin sheet of ice.
My body shook uncontrollably, my jaw aching from the chattering of my teeth.