Chapter 7

Emily's friends watched Andrew's car disappear down the road, the taillights vanishing into the night. They trembled with rage, but there was nothing they could do. Their only option was to rush the heavily injured Emily to the hospital. When she woke up in the hospital once more, the only person beside her was a nurse. "You're awake, Ms. Jamison! Thankfully, your friends brought you to the hospital in time, but they had to leave to attend to some emergencies at their companies. They instructed us to inform them when you wake up." "It's fine," Emily said hoarsely. "They're very busy. Don't bother them." The nurse looked at her with pity as she said, "But you need someone to look after you—" "I'll be fine by myself," Emily interrupted before closing her eyes, hiding all traces of her fragility. The long, lonely days of recovery stretched on. She ate alone, changed her own bandages, and took care of herself. On the day of her hospital discharge, she completed the paperwork herself before heading back to the villa. She began cleaning up the place, tossing out all of the clothes and gifts that she'd carefully selected for Andrew without him ever sparing them a glance. She also threw out all of the matching items she'd gotten for them. Just as she dragged her exhausted body around to clear out the last pile of trash, the front door opened. Andrew came in with his arm wrapped around Lucy's waist. Without even glancing at Emily, who was in the middle of throwing the things out, he said to his butler, "Lulu has been feeling unwell lately and needs to recover in peace. She'll be staying here for a while. "Prepare the bedroom with the most natural light and replace everything with new ones according to her preferences. She likes pink. The bed linens must be made of silk, and the curtains must block out all light. Make sure there are fresh white roses in the room every day, and her meals…" He went on and on in a serious voice, giving the clearest instructions. From the staircase, Emily listened, each word made her heart feel as though it were casked in ice. She recalled what it'd been like when she first moved into the villa. Andrew simply instructed Ian to take her to a guest room, saying, "If you need anything, talk to the butler about it." So this was the stark difference between someone who was loved and someone who wasn't. With her head lowered, she continued making her way up the stairs. "Hold it!" Lucy shouted, her eyes red as she pointed at Emily's dress. "Why are you wearing matching clothes with Andrew?" Emily blinked, startled. It was only then that she noticed how Andrew was wearing a deep blue shirt while she was wearing an old, deep blue dress. It was just a similar shade of blue. Just as she was about to speak, Lucy flew into a tantrum, refusing to drop the matter. "Andrew belongs to no one but me! I'm the only one who can wear the same color as him! Take that dress off, now!" Emily couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "This is just a coincidence—" "I don't care! Take it off!" Lucy shrieked before throwing herself into Andrew's arms and sobbing. "Look at her, Andrew! She's bullying me!" Scowling, Andrew didn't even hesitate to instruct the maids, "Didn't you hear what Lulu said? Take her dress off." "Andrew! How dare you!" Emily exclaimed as she backed away in terror. Alas, the maids obeyed no one but Andrew. They immediately came forward and ripped her dress off in spite of her struggles and cries. The dress tore with a piercing sound. Soon, Emily was standing in the living room in nothing but her underwear, right under the gazes of all the staff, some pitying and others scornful. The fury, shame, and despair threatened to send her into a breakdown. Andrew's icy voice rang out. "Pay closer attention next time. Don't ever wear the same color as me, or Lulu might misunderstand and get upset. Otherwise, it won't be as simple as getting you to undress." Trembling violently, Emily fled back to her room in a state of complete disarray.