Chapter 3

Julie had completely given up on Samuel. That very evening, she contacted a lawyer to draft divorce papers for her. At the same time, she hired a professional team to erase all traces of her existence. "I want to disappear completely and erase everything that proves I ever existed. How long will it take?" she asked over the phone. "At least a week," the other party replied. Hearing this, Julie paused for a moment. Samuel had said that Cynthia only had one week left. After that, everything would be over. He would return to his family and love Julie with all his heart. Thinking of this, Julie couldn't help but laugh. She wanted to point at his nose and tell him, "Samuel, do you really think the world works that way? After you've had your fun, you can just come back like nothing happened. Do you expect me to wait for you? No, I won't be waiting. And you won't be able to come home either. When you want to return to the family, you'll find that you no longer have a home." "Alright, one week it is," she said without hesitation. "I've transferred the money. Make sure I completely disappear, leaving no clues." The next morning, that defiled string of rosary beads reappeared on Samuel's wrist. Julie felt a wave of nausea rise in her chest. She couldn't even finish her breakfast. However, Samuel wore an expression of someone expecting praise. "Julie, I found the rosary you gave me. It's the symbol of our love. I'll wear it for the rest of my life. I won't ever lose it again." Just as he finished speaking, Cynthia suddenly doubled over in pain across from them. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, convulsing on the floor. "Cindy! What's wrong?" Samuel rushed over and picked her up in his arms. At that moment, both children suddenly burst into tears. Anna pointed at Julie and shouted, "Daddy, it was Mommy! She put mango juice in Aunt Cindy's food! Aunt Cindy's allergic to mangoes! Mommy's trying to kill her!" Samuel frowned. He instinctively defended Julie. "Anna, don't say that. Julie wouldn't do something like that." But the next second, Lucas Lloyd, Anna's twin brother, suddenly rushed over. He covered Anna's mouth and said nervously, "Stop it, Anna! If you keep talking, Mommy's going to kill us!" As he spoke, he deliberately tugged up his sleeve, revealing his scarred arm. The arm was covered in bloody marks, one after another, as if whipped with a barbed lash. Samuel's pupils constricted. He looked up at Julie, disbelief written all over his face. "Did you do this to them?" Julie's face remained calm. "Would you believe me if I said no?" Back when they got married, he'd promised to trust her unconditionally. But now, Cynthia was lying in a pool of blood, and the two children were covered in wounds. All Samuel felt was rage. "They're only five years old. Why would they lie? And in this house, who else would dare lay a hand on them except you? Julie, they're just five. How could you be so cruel?" Cynthia was still convulsing on the floor. Samuel didn't bother saying anything else. He picked her up and turned to leave for the hospital. But just then, Julie suddenly felt her breathing become difficult. Her throat felt blocked, and red rashes quickly appeared on her body. It was a typical allergic reaction. "Juice… I'm allergic to pineapples…" she gasped, clutching her neck. All she'd had that morning was one glass of juice. Everyone in the house knew about her allergy. The maids were always careful, and they'd never add pineapples when making it. Anna shot her a smug look. She was the one who had added the pineapples. "Sam…" Julie struggled to breathe. She tried to call out to Samuel, hoping he would take her to the hospital with him. However, Samuel merely gave Julie a cold glance. "Julie, stop pretending. Who in this house doesn't know you're allergic to pineapples? Who would dare put them in your drink? You've done something wrong. And instead of admitting it, you're faking an allergy for attention. I'm truly disappointed in you." With that, he turned and walked away, carrying Cynthia in his arms. Julie was left alone, collapsing to the floor. She cried for help, but no one answered.