When I woke up, I found myself still lying naked on the couch, with only a small blanket covering me.
Oliver was gone. Around me, a dozen women were chatting noisily.
I invited them into my room and opened the wardrobe. Inside, it was filled with clothes I had custom–made, each one was a unique piece. The women looked on in amazement.
Fortunately, with the Paget family now in control, no one dared to search Oliver’s house. These dresses–originally belonging to the Talbot family, just like me–were safe.
“Take whatever you like,” I offered.
Sally Harmon stood before me, scrutinizing me with suspicion.
“You’re being too kind. What’s your game this time?” she asked.
I simply shook my head and kept quiet.
After going through the Talbot family’s belongings, it was time to deal with my own.
Oliver despised me so much that once I was gone, he’d likely destroy every single one of these dresses.
These proud creations by designers should at least have some use before that happened.
Several young women couldn’t resist and eagerly began trying on the clothes, exclaiming, “The texture is amazing!”
Meanwhile, a few women my age stood with their arms crossed, wary and wondering about my intentions.
I wasn’t bothered as I rifled through drawer after drawer. Stunning bags and watches appeared, their gleam lighting up
the women’s faces.
That’s when I realized these girls all bore some resemblance to me- the newcomer, Sally, had even undergone surgery to look almost exactly like me, making her the favorite.
But none of that mattered anymore. Whether Oliver loved me or not was irrelevant.
I only had two days left anyway.
The roar of a sports car broke the garden’s silence. Nora, who had been still, leaned out for a look, then suddenly moved forward to pick out clothes.
When Oliver walked through the door, Nora let out a sudden scream, holding up a dress.
Half of its sequins had been cut off at some point, and its sharp edge had sliced into her slender leg, causing blood to gush out immediately.
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Chapter 3
288 Vouchers
I recalled that Oliver had once been mesmerized by her smooth, fair legs and had given her the largest room in the guest wing.
He rushed over, lifted Nora into his arms, and softly blew on her injury with evident worry.
Tears welled up in Nora’s eyes. “It’s my fault for being so clumsy. Melisa was just trying to be nice by giving us clothes. I’m the one who messed up by choosing the outfit with a hidden blade.”
Oliver’s expression grew more threatening.
“Melisa, I’ll give you one chance to explain.”
I shrugged. “What is there to explain? Some women are just overly dramatic. Since you refuse to let me divorce you, I’m still your wife. What’s wrong with teaching your mistress a lesson?”
“Melisa, I’ve told you–your role is to serve them. Who gave you the authority to act like the head of the Paget family and discipline my women?”
His anger was evident as he handed a whip to the butler.
“For every injury Nora suffered, you’ll pay a hundred fold.”
The whip lashed against my legs, its barbed ends tearing into my flesh, yet the first ten strikes felt like nothing.
The emotional pain far outweighed the physical.
On the eleventh strike, the whip cut to the bone. Watching it hit the exposed bone finally brought tears to my eyes.
Oliver squatted down beside me. “Feeling the pain now? Get on your knees, bark like a dog for the camera, and say, ‘Melisa and everyone in the Talbot family are Oliver’s dogs!‘ Then bow to Nora and beg her for forgiveness. Maybe then I’ll consider letting you go.”
I kept my mouth shut, scoffing disdainfully through my nose, which only led to more vicious blows from Oliver’s baseball bat.
