Chapter 3After My Diagnosis, My Cruel Wife Went Crazy

Seraphina locked me in a room and forbade me from leaving. But my stomach rumbled, a hollow, aching sound. I missed the simple piece of bread Lily would buy for me.

That evening, the mansion was alive with noise and laughter. Seraphina was hosting a family dinner.

A servant brought me downstairs and pushed me into a chair at the dining table. The table was laden with incredible food, but I was too scared to touch anything.

Seraphina sat at the head of the table, with Flynn beside her, looking for all the world like the man of the house.

"Go on, eat," Seraphina said, her gaze cold. "Aren't you hungry?"

I looked at the steak on my plate. It was rare, bleeding onto the porcelain. I was afraid of blood.

I shook my head, my eyes drawn to a small piece of cake in front of Flynn. It looked so sweet.

Flynn noticed me staring. He smiled and pushed the plate toward me.

"Go ahead, Asher. Don't be shy. Help yourself."

I gulped, my mouth watering, and slowly reached for it.

Just as my fingers brushed the edge of the plate, a searing pain shot through my inner thigh. Under the table, Flynn's hand had clamped onto my leg, his fingers digging in with vicious force.

It was a dead man's grip.

"Ah!"

My hand jerked back in pain. The plate tipped over, sending the cake tumbling onto Flynn's white trousers, smearing cream all over the expensive fabric.

"My suit!" Flynn roared in faux outrage. "Asher, if you didn't want it, you could have just said so! Why did you have to ruin my clothes?" His voice cracked with feigned hurt. "Sera gave this to me! It's a limited edition!"

Seraphina slammed her hands on the table and shot to her feet.

"Asher!" she raged, her eyes boring into me. "Is your jealousy really so pathetic? You can't even stand the sight of a new suit?"

Terrified, I scrambled under the table, hugging my head and trembling.

"I didn't... The mean mister pinched me... it hurts..."

Seraphina didn't believe a word.

"Get out from under there!" she commanded. "Get out here and eat that cake off the floor!"

I didn't want to come out, but I was more afraid of being hit. I crawled out and knelt on the carpet, reaching for the cream-smeared mess.

Beside me, Flynn pretended to dab at his trousers. His polished leather shoe discreetly crushed a fallen glass, grinding the shards into the creamy pile on the floor.

I didn't see it. I just knew I had to obey if I wanted to eat.

I scooped up a handful of cake.

Sharp slivers of glass dug into my palm, and blood began to well up, bright red against the white cream.

"Waaah!" I howled in pain, holding up my bleeding hand for Seraphina to see.

"Ma'am, it hurts... It's bleeding..."

The blood dripped onto the white carpet, a series of stark, shocking crimson dots.

Seraphina's breath hitched, her heart lurching in her chest. She instinctively moved to stand.

But then Flynn clutched his chest dramatically. "Sera, my heart... I feel so tight... I think the shock..."

Seraphina froze.

She looked from Flynn's pained expression to my blood-soaked hand.

Finally, she turned away, her heart hardening once more.

"Take him downstairs."

"No bandages. And no food."

"Let him learn his lesson."