As his gaze traveled up her arm, it fell upon her hand. It wasn't whole. The little finger was gone, leaving behind a jarring, solitary stump. In that instant, the devilishly handsome man could no longer contain himself. “What happened?!” he choked out, his voice laced with anguish. Tang Shi laughed, a wild, maniacal laugh that echoed the woman she had been five years ago, his shocked expression mirrored in her eyes. “Isn't this the gift you gave me with your own two hands? Bo Ye, I have suffered enough at your hands for one lifetime. I'm begging you—just let me go!” Just let me go! Bo Ye stumbled back, his grip on her slackening until her hand fell free. He looked up at her, his face a mask of disbelief. There was no love left in her shattered eyes, only a bone-deep hatred that burned like a self-immolating pyre. Pain washed over him, swift and unforeseen. It was the feeling of grasping something precious, only to have it slip through his fingers and shatter on the ground. A piercing, defenseless agony that pricked at him from a thousand points, spreading through his entire being. Yes… he had wanted her locked away, wanted her to spend a lifetime drowning in regret. But how had it come to *this*…? Who had brutalized her in prison? Who had shattered that pride of hers! Bo Ye stared at Tang Shi, and a violent dread began to creep into his heart. He was terrified that he no longer knew the woman standing before him. Five years of marriage… how could she now be a complete stranger? Of course, Bo Ye couldn't understand. In those five years, Tang Shi had been driven to the brink of madness. The despair had killed her a thousand times over, turning her into nothing more than a pathetic joke. When she looked up again, there was nothing left in her eyes but a monstrous hatred. Bo Ye fled from her apartment as if escaping a fire. He slammed the door behind him and stood in the hallway, his back hunched as he clawed at the collar of his shirt, gasping for air, suffocating. *Why had Tang Shi… become like this? What in God's name happened to her during those five years…?* This was what he'd wanted, wasn't it? So why… On the other side of the door, Tang Shi slid to the floor, leaning against Tang Wei as silent sobs wracked her body. After what felt like an eternity, a strangled cry tore from her throat, a sound meant to rip her very soul apart. Everything she had suppressed, all the turmoil churning just beneath the surface, now surged back with a vengeance. The memory of those dark, endless days screamed at her, threatening to drag her back into the abyss. Tang Shi trembled uncontrollably, but Tang Wei, the little boy she leaned against, kept his own small back ramrod straight. “Mommy… do you want some milk?” Tang Shi closed her eyes as hot tears streamed down her face. ****** After the tumultuous night, Tang Shi had allowed herself to believe Bo Ye would finally leave them alone. But the next afternoon, the unthinkable happened. Tang Yi called, frantic. He hadn't been able to pick up Tang Wei from kindergarten; the director said someone had already taken him. From the director's description, there was no doubt. It was Bo Ye. Tang Shi threw herself out of bed and stumbled to the drawer, yanking it open. She grabbed the bottle of pills she hadn't touched in ages and shoved a handful into her mouth. She gagged, forcing them down dry before wiping the tears from her face and pulling herself to her feet. Her red-rimmed eyes blazed with a stark hatred. She clutched the fabric over her heart, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. *It's okay… don't be afraid.* *Bo Ye, you've stolen my last hope. I will fight you with everything I have left!*