The Day I Disappeared, My Husband Went Crazy

The seventh anniversary of my marriage to Dimitri Romanov became another public execution disguised as entertainment.

The underground hall beneath the Pentagon X Syndicate mansion looked more like a private theater than a torture chamber tonight. Above the chamber, a glowing livestream countdown burned across the screen.

ROMANOV PUNISHMENT NIGHT VII

More than 5 million viewers were already connected before the stream officially started.

Romanovs wife is still alive?

She deserves worse.

Raise the temperature lower.

How much to make her beg?

I couldnt stop shaking.

Dimitri... My lips barely moved from the cold. Please... I cant do this anymore.

Outside the glass chamber, Dimitri sat calmly on a leather sofa with one leg crossed over the other. A crystal whiskey glass rested lazily between his fingers while several mafia executives stood behind him like silent shadows.

CEO of the Romanov Empire.

King of the underworld.

And my husband.

He glanced toward one of the screens displaying the donation rankings before finally looking at me.

You cant even survive one hour? Dimitri asked coldly. My parents spent their final moments trapped under freezing water screaming for help. Did anyone save them?

Pain wrapped around my chest so tightly I thought my ribs might crack.

I already said Im sorry... My voice broke apart. M-my parents died too, Dimitri. They paid for it with their lives...

Paid? Dimitri stood slowly.

The underground hall fell silent immediately. He walked toward the chamber until his reflection appeared beside mine in the glass.

You think their deaths paid for mine? My mother was pregnant. His fingers tapped lightly against the glass. Do you know what the rescue team said after they pulled their bodies from the river? His eyes darkened. They said my father was still holding her hand underwater.

I lowered my head immediately.

I know... I whispered weakly. I know, and Im sorry...

Sorry.

That word had become my entire existence.

Seven years of marriage. Seven years of punishment. Seven years of surviving the hatred of the man who once loved me enough to burn down the world for a single tear.

Dimitri stared at me for a long moment before glancing toward the livestream monitor beside him.

A new donation alert suddenly exploded across the screen.

[$50,000 DONATION RECEIVED]

Punishment Request:

ADD MORE ICE.

The viewers immediately spammed the comments.

Do It.

Make Her Cry.

Romanov better not go soft again.

The guards pressed several buttons. A loud mechanical sound echoed through the underground hall before another avalanche of ice crashed into the chamber around me.

I gasped sharply as unbearable pain spread through my bones. My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

The livestream numbers climbed even higher.

Another punishment unlocked almost immediately.

[$300,000 DONATION RECEIVED]

Punishment Request:

INTRODUCE THE SNAKES

My entire body froze.

"No..." I whispered instantly.

Dimitri didn't even blink. Drop the snake.

One of the guards wheeled over a large black container beside the chamber. The moment I heard hissing inside it, my face was drained of color.

"No no no! Dimitri please." My voice broke violently. "You know I'm scared of snakes!" I cried. "Please don't do this! Please..."

When we were younger, I once fainted after finding a tiny garden snake near our school greenhouse. Dimitri carried me all the way home that day while laughing softly and promising he'd never let anything scare me again.

But now? He was the one creating the nightmare himself.

The guard opened the container. Several black snakes dropped directly into the freezing water around me.

I screamed immediately. My body slammed violently against the glass walls as I tried climbing away from them, but there was nowhere to go.

The snakes twisted through the freezing water around my legs. I started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dimitri please! Please get them away from me!"

The viewers loved it. The livestream donations exploded even faster now. While Dimitri simply stood there watching me calmly while sipping his whiskey.

My entire body shook violently.

"P-please..." I cried hysterically. "I'll do anything... Dimitri please..."

But his face remained emotionless. Then suddenly, the heavy underground doors opened.

Dimitri?

A soft female voice echoed through the hall.

You promised me dinner tonight.

My entire body stiffened.

Kelsey Velasquez stepped into the room wearing a white coat over a silk dress, her heels clicking softly against the black marble floor. My best friend.

I stared at her through blurred vision. She really did look like the old version of me. The version before fear hollowed me out from the inside. Before sleepless nights. Before crying became harder than breathing.

The second Dimitri saw her, his entire expression softened.

Baby, he said quietly while walking toward her. Give me a minute.

Kelsey wrapped her arms around his arm naturally, Why are you wasting time on her again? she asked with a pout. Its our anniversary dinner too.

The viewers flooded the comments instantly.

OUR anniversary is crazy.

She stole the husband and the anniversary.

Romanov looks happier with Kelsey.

Dimitri said nothing because she was right. After a moment, he sighed softly and brushed her hair behind her ear.

Alright, he murmured. Well go upstairs soon.

But as Kelsey walked past the freezing chamber, she suddenly stumbled against the metal livestream control panel beside it.

The system beeped loudly.

WARNING:

TEMPERATURE DECREASE ACTIVATED.

My eyes widened. More ice dropped automatically into the water while the temperature plunged lower. Pain exploded through my body so violently that my legs gave out beneath me completely.

The freezing water swallowed me whole.

I barely managed to pull myself back up coughing violently.

D-dimitri!

Kelsey gasped dramatically and covered her mouth.

Oh my God! I didnt mean to touch it. Then she looked at Dimitri with innocent eyes. Shouldnt we stop it? she asked softly. What if she dies?

She wont die, Dimitri answered flatly.

Then his gaze suddenly landed on Kelseys hand. A tiny scratch marked her finger from the edge of the control panel. His expression changed instantly.

Youre bleeding.

Kelsey laughed softly. Its nothing.

But Dimitri still lifted her hand carefully before pressing a slow kiss against the tiny red mark.

Does it hurt?

Kelsey smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Maybe a little. You should make me feel better.

Then she kissed him right in front of me. The livestream comments exploded so fast the screens nearly blurred white.

Dimitri kissed her deeper without hesitation while I stood trapped inside that frozen prison shaking so hard I could barely breathe.

After the kiss, Dimitri lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Before leaving, he glanced coldly toward the guards beside the chamber.

Watch her carefully, he ordered. Dont let her die.

Then his eyes met mine through the freezing glass.

The only useful thing about her, he said calmly, is that shes still alive enough to suffer.

I watched Dimitri carry Kelsey out of the underground hall, and something inside my chest finally broke apart completely.

Seven years ago, today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

I still remembered the way Dimitri used to hold me close like I was the most precious thing in his world. He would kiss my forehead gently and whisper against my skin, "Anni... you're finally my wife now. Do you know how long I've waited for this?"

Back then, his eyes were always warm when he looked at me. Now those same eyes only held hatred.

I let out a shaky laugh that sounded more broken than amused. Maybe I should've seen it coming.

Dimitri and I had grown up together since kindergarten. Everyone in the mafia world knew about us. The future heir of the Romanov Empire and the daughter of his father's closest allies.

Childhood sweethearts.

Always together.

Even the Pentagon X Syndicate members used to joke that Dimitri Romanov worshipped the ground I walked on. And maybe he really did back then.

One winter night during college, I casually mentioned wanting mango cake from a bakery on the west side of the city. It was snowing so heavily that flights were canceled and roads were freezing over.

But Dimitri still drove two hours through the storm just to buy it for me.

When I had terrible period cramps, this feared mafia boss stayed awake the entire night rubbing my stomach carefully while whispering, "Does it still hurt? Tell me where it hurts, baby."

The day he proposed to me was even crazier.

The future ruler of the Romanov Empire knelt in front of me in the middle of a ballroom full of powerful mafia families just to put my heels back on after they slipped off my feet.

Then he smiled up at me and said softly, "My princess shouldn't ever have to bend down herself. I'll spoil you for the rest of your life."

At the time, I really believed him.

God... how did we become this?

Everything changed on our wedding day.

That cursed day.

Everything changed on our wedding day.

A snowstorm covered the city that night. My parents were driving across the bridge after a pre-wedding celebration while Dimitri's younger sister, Vivienne Romanov, drove their parents home from the airport.

The bridge had a dangerous uphill curve where neither side could see clearly until reaching the top.

My parents were speeding. Vivienne was too. The moment both cars reached the peak, everything happened too fast. Tires lost control on the ice.Then both vehicles broke through the bridge rails and plunged straight into the freezing river below.

Vivienne survived but Dimitri's parents didn't. By the time rescue teams pulled them from the water, both of them were already dead inside the submerged car.

My parents survived the crash but they were arrested almost immediately for reckless driving and vehicular homicide.

The wedding hall became a funeral overnight.

And the man who once loved me the most became the man who hated me more than anyone else in the world.

Dimitri lost both parents that night. He then personally sent my parents to prison, but prison wasn't enough. Pentagon X controlled too much of the city. Everyone knew what happened to prisoners who offended the Romanov family.

During my final prison visit, I barely recognized my parents.

They were covered in bruises and cuts. So thin I could see their bones through their skin.

My mother couldn't even stand properly anymore.

The guards told me they had attempted suicide together by slitting their wrists.

They survived just long enough to see me one last time.

My father held my hand weakly while crying. "Annika..." he whispered painfully. "Y-your mother and I deserve this. We... We destroyed Dimitri's family. We should apologize to them ourselves in hell."

My mother touched my face gently with trembling fingers. "But you didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart," she sobbed. "You loved him honestly, none of this was your fault."

I broke down crying beside them. "Please don't leave me too..."

My father looked at me with red eyes. "Dimitri hates you because he loved you too deeply before," he said quietly. "Promise us something. Stay alive for seven years no matter what he does to you."

My breathing shook. "What if I can't anymore?" I asked weakly.

My mother started crying harder. "Then after seven years..." her voice cracked completely, "go and leave him."

That was the last time I saw them alive.

After they died, I became the one paying for their sins.

For seven years.

Dimitri tortured me in ways that changed constantly, almost like he enjoyed inventing new punishments.

During winter, he forced me to kneel outside the Romanov mansion while snow buried my knees.

During summer, he locked me inside overheated rooms for hours without water. If he found out I was allergic to something, he'd force me to eat it anyway while coldly watching my body react.

And every wedding anniversary, he locked me inside that transparent freezing room filled with ice water because his family died trapped in freezing water beneath that bridge. He always watched from outside the glass while I suffered.

Like tonight.

Then Kelsey appeared nine months ago.

Dimitri chose her on purpose. He turned my best friend into my replacement. Everything he once gave me belonged to Kelsey now. His affection, his softness, his protection. Meanwhile, all his cruelty stayed with me.

I should've gotten used to it already.

But every time I saw him kiss her... every time I heard him call her "Kelsey" in that soft voice he used to reserve only for me... every time I watched him spoil her the way he once spoiled me...

It still felt like someone was stabbing directly into my heart. I lowered my head slowly and reached inside my locker necklace and opened it.

In the photo, my mother and father smiled brightly beside me like we were still a normal family.

"Mom... Dad..." I whispered softly while shaking from the cold. "Just seven more days, okay? I'll hold on a little longer."

My voice broke.

"Seven more days... and I'll set myself free.

I woke up the next day like my body had been put back together without asking permission.

The guest room was quiet, too clean, too soft for someone like me. My wounds were already bandaged, and wrapped neatly.

I sat up slowly and my fingers went straight to my necklace.

My eyes drifted to the calendar on the wall and stopped.

A circle.

Today.

My birthday.

I almost laughed, but nothing came out right. I didn't even remember the last time I cared about it. Still, something inside me whispered, maybe this was my chance. Maybe just this once, things could be different.

Dimitris birthday had always been the one I used to celebrate for him, but today was mine.

Right?

So I got up.

My body still hurt when I moved, my hands burned and stiff from yesterday, but I went into the kitchen anyway. I didn't really know why I was doing it at first. Maybe I just wanted to feel like I still had control over something, even something small.

I started baking.

The first cake burned.

I stared at it for a long time before throwing it away and starting again.

Second one burned too.

My hands shook when I cleaned the pan. Blisters formed along my fingers, and I just wrapped them up and kept going.

By the time the sun started going down, I finally got it right. A chocolate cake, simple but careful. Not perfect, but it looked like something made with effort.

I stood there staring at it for a moment.

Like maybe if I looked long enough, it would mean something.

Then I went to my drawer and pulled out an old photo album. It had pictures of us from years ago, back when things still felt like they had a future. I picked a few and placed them inside carefully, my fingers shaking the whole time.

After that, I sent him a message.

Dimitri, Ill be at our usual place. I need to talk to you.

My thumb hovered over the screen for a second.

Then I hit send.

I left the mansion and went to the restaurant we used to go to. The same one we used before everything fell apart.

I arrived early.

I placed the cake on the table and the photo album beside it. My hands didn't know where to rest after that, so I just held them together tightly.

Thirty minutes passed.

Then forty.

Then an hour.

I kept telling myself he would come. He always came eventually. Even if he was late, even if he was cold, he still showed up.

Right?

But when the door finally opened, I already knew before I even looked up. Dimitri walked in. His eyes landed on the table.

"What is this?" Dimitri said flatly.

"Its my birthday today. I just thought maybe we could sit together for once."

He stared at me like I said something disgusting.

Then he walked closer and looked at the cake again.

"I stopped celebrating birthdays," Dimitri said coldly. "You forgot that?"

Before I could respond, he knocked the cake over.

It hit the floor with a heavy sound, cream splattering across my dress.

I didn't move.

"I know... But it's been years, Dimitri. I've already lost everything too. My parents are gone, I've suffered for seven years, so can't we just let it end?" My hands clenched under the table. "Cant we just start over?"

His laugh was sharp, "Start over? After what your family did?" His hand shot out and grabbed my chin hard.

I winced but didn't pull away.

"You still don't understand, do you? I watched there as my parents drowned in freezing water. My sister, screaming, nearly died; it's a miracle she managed to escape. And my grandfather? He died of shock the moment he saw their bodies." His grip tightened further. "How could I ever forget that?"

Tears started slipping down my face before I even realized it. "Im sorry," I whispered again, because that was all I ever had left.

"Dimitri!"

A bright voice cut through everything.

Kelsey stepped in wearing a white dress. She was holding something in her hands.

A glass case.

Inside it was a gun.

A customized mafia pistol, polished and engraved, expensive enough to belong in a syndicate vault.

"Happy birthday Annika, sorry I didn't prepare a gift for you," Kelsey said brightly as she walked toward Dimitri instead of me. "But Dimi, I got this for you. Its a limited piece from my familys weapons vault. I thought youd like it," Kelsey said softly.

Dimitri froze for a second. His eyes stayed on the gun. Slowly, he took it from her hands. His fingers brushed over it like he was remembering something he had lost.

My throat went dry.

Because I remembered. When I was younger, I once gave him something like that too. A small piece from my familys old stash. A gesture, a joke, a promise between us. He had smiled like I was his entire world back then. Now he was looking at her like that instead.

"I really like this, Kelsey.

Then he pulled her into his arms. Kelsey glanced at me over his shoulder and smirked, just a little too satisfied.

My hands slowly moved to the photo album beside me. My fingers touched it without thinking.

This wasn't betrayal anymore. It was a replacement.

I couldn't keep watching them anymore. The way Dimitri held Kelsey like she mattered. The way he looked at her with warmth he hadn't shown me in years. It hurt too much.

So I left the restaurant quietly before either of them noticed. The drive back to the Romanov mansion felt endless. Neon lights blurred outside the car window while tears kept falling no matter how many times I wiped them away. I pressed my hand against my mouth and forced myself not to break down completely.

Why was I still crying? Wasn't I already used to this?

By the time I got home, my chest felt hollow. The mansion was quiet, filled with cold marble floors and armed guards who avoided looking directly at me. Nobody here treated me like the wife of the Pentagon X boss anymore.

I was just the woman Dimitri hated.

I went straight upstairs to the second floor and locked myself inside the guest room. The same room I had been sleeping in for years now. Not our bedroom.

I sat on the floor beside the bed and hugged my knees tightly. The birthday dress I wore was still stained with ruined cake cream.

How pathetic.

I laughed weakly at myself before lowering my head.

About an hour later, someone knocked on the door. I wiped my face quickly before opening it.

Kelsey stood there.

Smirking.

She leaned against the doorway casually and looked me up and down.

"Wow! You look awful, birthday girl."

I stayed quiet.

Kelsey walked into the room without permission, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Dimitri's with me right now," she continued proudly. "Did you know that? He left your birthday dinner just to stay beside me."

I lowered my eyes.

"I know."

She laughed lightly. "You know what's funny? He barely even looked at you tonight."

Still, I said nothing. I was too tired to fight anymore.

Kelsey's expression slowly darkened.

"What?" she snapped. "You're not even angry?"

I looked at her for a long moment before forcing a small bitter smile.

"He chose you. Congratulations."

For a second, she just stared at me. Then her face twisted in irritation. "Now you're acting like you don't care?" she said coldly. "You're pretending you're not affected by this?"

I looked away. Because what else was left for me to say?

Kelsey suddenly laughed again, but this time it sounded sharp.

"Fine," she muttered. "Let's see how long that attitude lasts!" Then she turned and walked toward the hallway railing outside the room.

"What are you doing?"

She ignored me.

The second floor overlooked the massive entrance hall below. The drop was high enough to kill someone if they landed wrong. Kelsey placed both hands on the wooden railing and looked down dramatically.

Something felt wrong instantly. My chest tightened.

"Kelsey...!"

Before I could move, she suddenly climbed halfway over the railing.

My eyes widened.

"What are you doing?!" I rushed forward instinctively.

Then she looked at me.

The next second, she deliberately let herself fall over the edge while grabbing the railing with only one hand.

"DIMITRI!" she screamed hysterically. "ANNIKA PUSHED ME! HELP ME! PLEASE! I'M GONNA FALL!"

Everything happened too fast.

"Kelsey!" I shouted, instinctively reaching toward her.

Heavy footsteps thundered from downstairs.

Dimitri. He appeared below almost instantly, his expression changing the moment he saw Kelsey hanging there crying.

"KELSEY!"

The second she saw him, Kelsey suddenly loosened her grip.

"No!"

Her body fell. A sickening crash echoed through the mansion. Blood spread slowly across the white marble floor beneath her motionless body.

My entire body froze.

Dimitri rushed forward like a madman and dropped to his knees beside her.

"Kelsey! Kelsey, wake up!"

His hands shook while lifting her into his arms. Blood stained his expensive black shirt immediately.

Then his eyes lifted toward me.

"Annika!" he roared. "Wasn't destroying my fucking family enough for you?!"

I started shaking instantly.

"It wasn't me..." My voice cracked apart. "She did it herself, Dimitri, I swear she jumped on purpose"

"Shut up!"

The entire hall fell silent.

Dimitri stood slowly while holding Kelsey tightly against his chest. His eyes were so red they looked terrifying.

"If anything happens to her," he said in a deadly quiet voice, "I'll bury you alive beside her."

Tears blurred my vision immediately.

"Dimitri, please listen to me..."

But he wasn't listening anymore. He looked at me like I was filth. Like loving me had been the greatest mistake of his life.

Then suddenly, another voice echoed from the mansion entrance.

"Oh my God!"

Everyone turned.

Vivienne Romanov, Dimitri's sister, stood near the doorway beside several guards, still wearing a long black coat from her flight. A luxury suitcase rested beside her.

She had just returned from Spain.

For one second, shock crossed her face as she stared at the blood surrounding Kelsey.

Then her eyes slowly lifted toward me.

And instantly filled with disgust.

"Brother! What happened?"

Dimitri's jaw clenched violently.

"Annika pushed her."

Vivienne froze. Then she looked at me again like she wanted me dead.

"I knew it," she said shakily. "I knew she was dangerous. She's a murderer, just like her parents!"

"Vivienne, that's not true"

"I just came back from Spain!" she cried emotionally while pointing at me. "And the first thing I see is your wife pushing Kelsey over the railing!"

"I didn't push her!" I screamed desperately. "She let go herself!"

But Vivienne immediately moved beside Dimitri protectively.

"Brother, don't listen to her," she whispered urgently. "People like Annika never change. First our parents... now Kelsey too?"

Those words hit Dimitri like gasoline thrown onto fire. His entire expression darkened instantly.

I saw it happen. The final piece of trust inside him died right there. Dimitri looked at me with absolute hatred.

Then he turned away coldly while tightening his hold around Kelsey's unconscious body.

"Get the car ready," he ordered sharply. "Call the best surgeons now."

The guards immediately rushed into motion.

As Dimitri walked past me carrying Kelsey in his arms, Vivienne stopped beside me for half a second. Only half a second. Long enough to lean close and whisper coldly into my ear:

"You should've died seven years ago instead of my parents."

Then she walked away beside her brother.

The mansion exploded into chaos instantly.

The moment the cars arrived outside the mansion, Dimitri climbed into the backseat with Kelsey still against his chest.

I caught one last glimpse of him lowering his head desperately against her hair.

"Kelsey... stay awake. Don't scare me like this. Open your eyes."

My chest twisted painfully.

That used to be me. I used to be the one he panicked over.

Now I was just the person he blamed.

The guards shoved me into another car, and we sped toward the private hospital owned by the Romanov Empire.

The entire ride felt suffocating. Nobody spoke to me. Nobody cared that my hands were shaking so badly I could barely breathe.

....

When we arrived at the hospital, Kelsey was rushed straight into the emergency room while Dimitri followed beside the stretcher like he was terrified she would disappear if he let go.

Meanwhile, the guards forced me onto my knees outside the operating room.

Pain shot through my legs immediately.

At the end of the hallway, Dimitri stood motionless in his black suit, and Vivienne stood beside him the entire time. One arm wrapped around her older brother while softly comforting him.

"It's okay, Dimitri," she whispered gently. "Kelsey will survive. Evil people like Annika don't get to win forever."

My fingers curled tightly against the floor.

Vivienne glanced toward me and smiled coldly.

"Honestly," she sighed dramatically, "I'm not even surprised anymore."

Dimitri stayed silent. Then the emergency room light finally turned off and the doors opened. A doctor stepped outside while removing his mask.

"Mr. Romanov," he said seriously, "Ms. Velasquez lost too much blood from the fall. We stabilized her condition for now, but she urgently needs a blood transfusion."

Dimitri stepped forward immediately.

"Then do it," he snapped sharply. "Why are you wasting time talking?"

The doctor looked nervous beneath Dimitri's stare.

"Her blood type is rare. Type B negative. The hospital supply isn't enough right no

"Annika has the same blood type."

My entire body froze.

Vivienne let out a quiet laugh beneath her breath. "Perfect," she said coldly. "At least she can finally be useful for something."

My fingers trembled violently against the floor.

Dimitri walked toward me slowly.

"Take her for testing," he ordered. "If she's compatible, use her blood."

"Dimitri You really believe I pushed her?"

"You were the only one there."

"Because she came to my room!" I cried softly. "She provoked me and climbed the railing herself! Why won't you believe me even once?"

His eyes turned colder instantly. The guards dragged me up from the floor and pulled me toward the testing room.

I tried resisting weakly.

"I don't feel well..." I whispered desperately. "I already lost so much blood yesterday from the ice chamber..."

Vivienne rolled her eyes immediately. "Here she goes again," she scoffed. "Always pretending to be pitiful."

But Dimitri cut me off before I could speak further.

"Stop pretending."

Those two words crushed whatever remained inside my chest.

The doctor checked the test results several minutes later.

"She's compatible."

Dimitri answered instantly. "Take whatever Kelsey needs."

I stared at him numbly. This was the same man who once treated me like fragile glass.

When I was sixteen and got caught in heavy rain after school, Dimitri carried me all the way home because I had a fever and couldn't walk properly.

When I burned my hand trying to cook for him at nineteen, he panicked so badly he threw away every knife in the kitchen because he couldn't stand seeing me hurt.

When I had an allergic reaction at twenty, he stayed awake beside my hospital bed the entire night changing cold towels on my forehead while his eyes turned red from exhaustion.

Back then, if I felt even a little pain, he looked more hurt than I did. He used to hold me tightly and whisper against my hair:

"Anni... I wish I could take your pain instead."

But now? Now he couldn't even see me bleeding anymore.

"Kelsey... don't be scared," he murmured while holding her unconscious hand. "I'm here now. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

I closed my eyes slowly. Because once upon a time He used to say those words to me too.

After the blood transfusion, I was wheeled back into my hospital room.

The anesthesia slowly wore off, and pain spread through my body little by little until even breathing hurt. My arm throbbed badly where they kept taking blood, and my whole body felt weak and cold.

I bit my lip hard to stop myself from making any sound.

Crying wouldn't change anything anyway.

Two nurses stood beside me while changing the medicine on my arm.

"Mr. Romanov really loves his wife," one whispered softly. "He stayed outside her operating room the entire time. He looked so worried."

The other nurse sighed dreamily.

"I know. He's handsome, rich, powerful... and still that devoted. Ms. Velasquez is seriously lucky. If a man from the Pentagon X Syndicate loved me that much, I'd die happy."

Something inside my chest twisted painfully.

I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before speaking weakly.

"...I'm his wife."

The room instantly fell silent.

Both nurses froze.

Their faces turned pale with embarrassment as they finally looked at me properly.

"O-Oh... sorry, ma'am."

Then they quickly left the room.

The silence afterward felt unbearable. Only the sound of the IV drip remained.

Drip.

Drip.

I slowly turned my face away and tears slipped quietly into my hair.

Funny.

Even strangers thought Kelsey was Dimitri's wife now. Maybe everybody already forgot I existed.

After a while, I tried sitting up because I needed the bathroom. My body still felt numb and weak, but I didn't want to call the nurses again.

I carefully pushed the blanket aside and stood up.

The second my feet touched the floor, my legs gave out completely.

I crashed hard against the edge of the bed, and pain exploded through my body so suddenly that my vision turned black for a second.

A broken gasp escaped my throat.

The door outside opened slightly. Through blurry eyes, I saw Dimitri standing there.

He froze.

For one second, he actually stepped forward instinctively. His hand even lifted slightly toward me.

My heart stopped.

But then his expression hardened again.

He slowly lowered his hand and stepped back.

Like he regretted caring.

I watched him turn around and walk away.

Outside the room, I heard his assistant speak carefully.

"Mr. Romanov... if you're worried about her, why don't you just go inside?

Dimitri answered coldly and immediately.

"She deserves this."

The assistant hesitated before speaking again.

"But sir... none of this was really Miss Annika's fault. Her parents already died paying for what happened. You've punished her for seven years already."

Silence.

Long silence.

Then Dimitri finally spoke again, quieter this time.

"If I forgive her, then who'll forgive me for losing my family?"

My breathing shook violently.

By the time their footsteps disappeared, I was already crying silently on the floor.

...

The next few days passed quietly.

Nobody visited me. I slept most of the time because staying awake hurt too much. Honestly, Im glad Vivienne didnt come to my room either. It makes me sad what happened between us. We used to be so close. Our age gap is only four years, and we treated each other like real sisters. But ever since that accident, Vivienne has hated me so much. So when Kelsey came, Vivienne doted on her and even kept asking her brother to marry Kelsey as soon as possible.

One night, my phone suddenly vibrated beside me and woke me up. I reached for it weakly.

Unknown Number.

A message appeared.

Your blood saved me really well~ From now on, everything that belonged to you will slowly become mine too. Including Dimitri.

Below the message was a picture.

The moment I saw it, my entire body went cold.

Around Kelsey's neck hung a silver locket necklace.

My necklace.

Inside the small heart-shaped locket were tiny pictures of my parents. That was the last thing they ever gave me before they died.

My hands started shaking violently.

No.

No, no...

I ripped the IV needle out of my hand so fast blood splattered onto the bedsheets. I didn't even stop to clean it.

I stumbled out of the room and ran down the hallway as fast as my weak body could manage.

Every step hurt.

But I didn't care.

When I reached Kelsey's private ward, I shoved the door open hard.

Kelsey sat comfortably against the bed pillows while eating fruit casually.

The moment she saw me, she smiled slowly.

"Oh?" she said sweetly. "Look who came visiting. You really care about me that much?"

My eyes locked onto the necklace around her neck immediately. My voice shook badly.

"Give it back."

Kelsey touched the locket gently and blinked innocently.

"This?" she asked softly. "But Dimitri gave it to me himself."

Pain hit my chest so hard I almost couldn't breathe.

"No..." I whispered.

She smiled wider. "He said it suited me better. Then he told me it reminded him of the old you. The version before everything got ruined."

I felt sick.

Actually sick.

I stepped closer instinctively and reached toward the necklace, but stopped halfway because I was scared of damaging it.

That necklace still carried my parents' pictures inside. It was all I had left.

I lowered my hand slowly and swallowed my pride completely.

"Please..." My voice cracked. "Kelsey, please give it back to me. That necklace is all I have from my parents now."

She watched me quietly.

I forced myself to continue.

"You can take anything else. Money, jewelry, my room, my position... anything I still have left. I'll give it to you willingly. Just please don't take that too."

Kelsey tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment.

Then she laughed softly. "But I don't want those things." She slowly touched the necklace again while staring directly into my eyes. "The only thing I still don't have is your place beside Dimitri."

My chest tightened painfully.

"So why don't you give me that too? Give me the title of Mrs. Romanov. Divorce him and disappear properly."

I closed my eyes.

For a few seconds, I couldn't even speak.

Maybe this was how losing everything felt.

Empty.

Cold.

Hopeless.

When I finally opened my eyes again, they were full of tears.

"F-fine," I whispered hoarsely. "I'll do it."

Kelsey looked surprised for a second.

I kept staring at the necklace.

"As long as you return that necklace to me," I said weakly, "I'll give you the position of Mrs. Romanov myself. You can have Dimitri too."

The moment the words left my mouth, the ward door suddenly opened behind me.

Dimitri stood at the doorway of Kelsey's hospital room, his face terrifyingly dark. His eyes landed on me first. Then on the silver locket in Kelsey's hands.

His jaw tightened instantly. "So in your eyes, being Mrs. Romanov means less than some necklace?"

My throat tightened painfully. I looked at him for a long moment before answering weakly.

"That isn't just a necklace," I whispered. "It's the last thing my parents left me. Their pictures are inside it. Once it's gone... I really won't have anything left anymore."

The moment I mentioned my parents, Dimitri's entire expression changed. Hatred flooded his eyes immediately.

"Parents?" he repeated with a sharp laugh. "You still dare talk about them in front of me?"

Before I could react, he suddenly snatched the locket from Kelsey's hands.

I froze.

Dimitri stared at the necklace coldly while gripping it tightly in his palm.

"You know what?" he said quietly. "Maybe I've been too soft on you lately. I should've destroyed every single thing connected to your parents years ago."

Fear shot through my chest instantly.

"Dimitri... don't."

But he already turned toward the hospital window.

"No!" I screamed.

He raised his hand, destroyed the chain and threw the necklace.

Everything inside me broke apart at that moment. I rushed toward him without thinking. I just wanted to catch it. Just this one thing.

The second I collided into Dimitri, the necklace flew through the air toward the open window.

Then suddenly...

My body lost balance too.

"ANNIKA!"

His voice sounded panicked for the first time in years. I felt his hand reach for me desperately.

But he missed. The world spun violently.

Then came the impact.

Pain exploded through my body as I crashed onto the lawn below the hospital building. Something sharp pierced my palm.

The silver locket had shattered beside me. Tiny metal pieces and broken glass scattered across the grass, stained red with my blood.

But somehow...

That wasn't what hurt most.

My vision blurred badly. Far away, I heard screaming. Then footsteps. Fast. Desperate.

The next thing I knew, Dimitri dropped to his knees beside me so hard it looked painful.

"Annika!" His hands trembled while lifting me carefully into his arms. "Look at me. Open your eyes. Fuck... Annika!"

I stared at him weakly. His face looked pale. Terrified. The same expression he used to make years ago whenever I got hurt.

For a second, my chest tightened painfully. Was he... worried about me? Did he still care? Even a little?

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Dimitri roared at the hospital staff around us. "CALL THE DOCTORS NOW!"

Then darkness swallowed me again.

...

When I woke up, pain hit me everywhere at once. It felt like every bone inside my body had been shattered and rebuilt wrong. I could barely breathe without hurting.

Voices came from nearby.

"Mrs. Romanov suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries," the doctor said quietly. "She needs complete rest after this. If she doesn't recover properly, there could be permanent complications later."

Dimitri answered immediately. "Use the best medicine available. I don't care about the cost."

My heart trembled weakly.

The doctor nodded before leaving the room.

A few seconds later, Dimitri turned around and noticed I was awake. Our eyes met. For one brief second, I saw worry there. Real worry. But it disappeared so fast I almost thought I imagined it.

His expression turned cold again instantly.

"Don't misunderstand," he said flatly while walking closer to the bed. "I'm not doing this because I care about you."

I stared at him silently.

Dimitri looked down at me with those familiar cruel eyes again.

"I just don't want you dying too soon," he continued coldly. "If you die now, then all this suffering would've been pointless."

My chest hurts. Not physically this time. Something worse.

"From the moment your parents killed my family, our ending was already decided."

His eyes darkened completely.

"One of us was always going to destroy the other."

Tears slipped silently down my face.

I felt stupid. So stupid. For believing his panic downstairs meant something. For hoping there was still love hidden somewhere inside him.

It wasn't love. It was guilt. Or habit. Or maybe nothing at all.

I slowly closed my eyes. Then whispered softly, "Fine." My voice cracked badly. "Then I'll die.

The room fell silent.

A few seconds later, Dimitri frowned slightly.

"What did you just say?"

He leaned closer to hear me properly.

I opened my mouth slowly. But before I could answer, the hospital room door suddenly burst open.

A nurse rushed inside nervously.

"Mr. Romanov, Ms. Velasquez is supposed to go for another check-up, but she refuses to cooperate unless you go with her."

Dimitri's expression changed immediately. He straightened up without hesitation. Then turned and walked toward the door. Not even one more glance at me. Not one.

The second the door closed behind him, I stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time. Then I laughed quietly to myself.

Of course. What was I even expecting?

I slowly reached up and pulled the IV needle from my arm despite the sharp pain. Blood immediately slid down my skin. But it didn't matter anymore.

My time was almost over anyway. If I was really going to die... then I should prepare everything myself. Because Dimitri definitely wouldn't.

An hour later, I finished the discharge papers alone despite the doctor's protests. I left the hospital quietly wearing loose clothes over my bandages.

First, I went to a small photo studio.

The photographer smiled politely at me.

"What kind of photo would you like, miss?"

I stayed quiet for a moment before answering softly.

"A funeral portrait."

The man's smile disappeared instantly. But he still nodded gently and helped me sit down under the studio lights.

I forced myself to smile for the camera. Even though my eyes already looked dead.

After that, I went to the cemetery. The air smelled cold and empty there.

I walked slowly between rows of graves until I found a small quiet spot. Then I bought a burial plot. Not too large. Just enough for one person.

Lastly, I chose a small urn with trembling hands. Simple. White. Easy to carry.

I stared at it silently for a long time before whispering bitterly to myself, "At least this way... nobody will have to prepare it after I'm gone."

When I got back to the villa, I heard footsteps in the living room. Before I even stepped in fully, something small and white rushed toward me. My Persian cat. It rubbed against my leg instantly, purring like nothing bad ever happened here.

My breath broke. I dropped to my knees and held it tightly. "Mimi..." my voice shook as I buried my face in her fur. "You're still here..."

This was the cat Dimitri and I raised when we were eighteen. Back when he still smiled at me. Back when the world still felt like it could hold us together. I remembered him sitting on the floor with me, laughing while holding Mimi. "If we ever end up like this," he had said back then, "then we'll already be a family. No matter what happens outside."

Family.

That word hurt now. Because nothing here felt like family anymore.

Mimi brought a toy mouse and dropped it in front of me, waiting. I forced a small smile and patted her head. "Good girl," I whispered. "Mommy will make you something nice."

I cooked meat porridge with shaking hands even though my body still ached from everything. Mimi ate happily while I watched in silence, my chest tightening more with every bite she took. Three days left. That was all I had. What would happen to her when I was gone?

I couldn't let her stay here.

So I searched the whole day and finally found a retired couple of teachers. Kind faces, quiet home, a yard, and experience with cats. Safe. That was enough.

I packed Mimi's things slowly, her food, her toys, her bed. My hands shook the entire time. Then I crouched in front of her.

"I'm taking you somewhere safe," I whispered. "You'll be okay there... right? You'll forget me, won't you?"

She just purred and rubbed against my hand. I smiled even though my eyes burned.

Before I could leave, the villa door opened. Footsteps. Cold air followed. Kelsey walked in like she owned the place now.

Her eyes landed on Mimi. A slow smile curved her lips. "So this is what's left," she said. "Annika, Dimitri really did a good job breaking you. Everything you loved is already gone... and yet this little thing is still here."

I stepped back and held Mimi behind me. "What do you want?" my voice shook.

Kelsey tilted her head. "I don't want anything," she said softly, then laughed under her breath. "I'm just surprised he forgot this one."

My chest tightened. "Dimitri never said you could touch her," I said quickly. "This cat is ours. He raised her too. He wouldn't allow this."

Kelsey's smile turned colder. "You're still defending him? That's pathetic. He hates you, Annika. He hates everything tied to you. Why are you still pretending otherwise?"

She snapped her fingers.

Two bodyguards stepped inside immediately.

My body went cold. "No," I said, pulling Mimi closer. "Don't come near her."

But they didn't stop. One of them grabbed Mimi by the collar. Mimi screamed and struggled in my arms. "No, please!" I cried out, trying to pull her back. "Don't touch her!"

They shoved me hard. My head hit a huge decorative vase beside the wall. Pain exploded through me and blood instantly ran down my forehead. But I didn't care. All I saw was Mimi. Struggling. Terrified.

"Mimi!" I crawled forward. "Let her go!"

Then everything happened too fast. I pushed forward again and accidentally bumped into Kelsey. The giant vase wobbled. Then it tipped. And fell straight onto her.

A loud crash. Shattering porcelain. Kelsey screamed.

Silence followed instantly. She collapsed under the broken pieces. Blood spread beneath her. My breathing stopped.

Then Dimitri's voice tore through the villa.

"What the hell is going on?!"

He rushed in and saw Kelsey on the floor. His expression changed instantly. He ran to her, lifting her into his arms like she was the only thing that mattered.

"Kelsey," his voice softened immediately. "Look at me. Stay awake. I told you to be careful after everything."

Then his eyes snapped to me. Cold again.

"You fucking pushed her? She just had surgery. Are you trying to kill her?"

I was still holding Mimi's limp body. My whole body was shaking. "My cat..." I whispered, voice breaking. "She killed Mimi first. She didn't do anything wrong. She was just sitting there! She's just a cat, Dimitri..."

For a second, his eyes flicked to Mimi. Something passed through his face then it disappeared.

"It's better this way," he said flatly.

My breath stopped. "What?"

He adjusted Kelsey in his arms without looking at me. "Anything that proves we ever had something good, shouldn't exist anymore."

My vision blurred completely.

So that was it. Even Mimi. Even the last soft thing I had. Everything had to be erased.

Kelsey weakly spoke in his arms. "Dimitri, my head hurts... I'm dying."

He immediately softened again. He kissed her forehead gently. "It's okay, I'll take you to the hospital. Just stay with me."

Then he turned to the guards. "Lock her in the basement."

He didn't look at me again. Not even once.

They dragged me away while I still held Mimi. The basement door slammed shut. Darkness swallowed everything.

The basement door opened after I didn't know how long. My body was already half gone by then.

Kelsey walked in like she owned the place, holding a small pot in her hands. "Are you hungry?" she asked casually. "Did you miss that little cat of yours?"

My stomach dropped. Something inside me already knew. No. No, please!

She slowly lifted the lid. Steam rose up. Inside was a thick, grayish soup. My breath stopped completely.

Before I could even move, she stepped closer and grabbed my chin tightly. "Come on, bitch! Lets fix your loneliness."

And then she shoved it into my mouth.

I choked instantly. "No... no... stop!" I tried to push her away, but my body didnt listen. I was too weak, too broken to fight properly.

She held me tighter. "Swallow it! Dont be rude. Its your precious Mimi."

My vision blurred instantly. Mimi. My Persian cat. My baby. My last warmth in this house.

I tried to spit it out, but more of it went down my throat anyway. I gagged hard, tears spilling uncontrollably as my whole body shook.

"Kelsey!" I choked. "Why would you... why would you do this..."

She finally pulled away and looked at me with a bright smile, like she had just done something normal. "Because you needed closure. And Dimitri wouldve done it anyway. You should thank me."

I collapsed on the floor immediately, coughing violently, but nothing came out. Nothing. Only burning pain and emptiness.

When the pot was finally empty, she clapped her hands once like she was satisfied. "There," she said softly. "Now youve really let go of your precious mimi. Too bad she becomes soup. Yummy, right?"

Then she left laughing.

"M-mimi..." my voice cracked as I curled up on the ground. "Mimi... Im sorry..."

But there was no answer. Only silence.

I dont know how long I stayed there. Maybe hours. Maybe longer.

My body started burning after that. Fever rising fast. My wounds from before got worse, infected, aching with every breath I took. I couldnt even sit up properly anymore. Everything blurred in and out.

At some point, I felt arms lifting me. Warm, careful and familiar in a way that hurt. Someone wiped my face gently with a damp towel. Cleaned the dirt off my skin like I still mattered.

Then something cold touched my forehead wound. Medicine. Soft hands bandaging me slowly.

A voice came. "Anni..."

My heart stopped. That voice, I had heard it before. So many years ago. When I was sick. When I was crying. When I still believed he loved me.

Dimitri.

I forced my eyes open slightly. Everything was blurry, but I could see him. He was sitting beside me, his eyes red, his face tense like he was holding something back. He carefully fed me medicine, his hand steady even though his expression wasnt.

For a moment, I almost thought I imagined it. Why was he here? Why now? Did I even deserve this?

My eyes trembled as I stared at him, afraid to blink. Afraid he would disappear again.

He looked at me for a second like he wanted to say something. But then his phone rang. The sound cut through everything.

He let go of my hand immediately and stood up, walking a few steps away to answer it. "Kelsey."

"Dimitri! I just came from the hospital. They said I missed my period for over a month. I think... I might be pregnant."

My breath caught.

He didnt answer immediately.

Kelsey continued quickly, "I already thought of names. If its a boy, Skyler. If its a girl, Danica. Do you like them? I want you to choose too."

Silence.

Then Dimitris fingers tightened around the phone. Skyler. Danica.

Those names hit something deep inside him. I saw it even from where I lay. His expression changed slightly. Like he had been stabbed without warning.

I remembered those names too. Years ago. When I was still Annika. When I still smiled without fear.

"Dimitri," I had told him once while sitting in his lap, "if we ever have kids, I want a boy named Skyler and a girl named Danica. So even when were old, well still remember how we started."

I remembered how he laughed back then. How he kissed my forehead. How he said, "Then Ill give you both of them, Anni. A whole future just for us."

Now that memory felt like someone elses life.

Kelseys voice came again through the phone. "Dimitri? Are you there?"

He exhaled slowly. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Those names are fine."

My chest cracked open. Fine. Just fine. That was all it took now.

Then he added, "Im coming to the hospital now."

He hung up.

For a moment, he didnt move. Then he turned back toward me. Our eyes met.

He looked conflicted for half a second but then it disappeared again.

He walked closer slowly, staring at me like I was something already fading. I wanted to ask him something. Anything. Do you still remember me? Was any of it real?

But my voice wouldnt come out.

He stayed there for a second longer, then finally turned away.

The door closed behind him.

And the world went silent again.

I stared at the ceiling for a long time. Then I slowly closed my eyes.

So thats it. He had someone else now. Someone who could give him a future. Someone who wasnt me.

A bitter thought slipped through my mind.

Was I finally free to disappear now?

Because for the first time it didnt feel like I had anything left worth holding on to.

Dimitri never came back after that.

One day, I left the mansion for the first time alone.

I ended up at my favorite coffee shop near the river. The same little caf Dimitri used to bring me to during winter nights when we were younger. Back then, he would pull my frozen hands into his lap beneath the table and warm them while laughing softly.

Now I sat there alone.

A cup of untouched coffee rested between my hands. My body still felt weak from the fever. Then suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from the table behind me.

Vivienne.

I froze instantly.

She sat with two wealthy-looking women near the back corner of the caf, laughing casually while stirring her coffee.

"Vivienne, it's already been seven years. Annika's family took all the blame for the accident. Don't you feel even a little guilty?"

Vivienne scoffed loudly. "Guilty? For what?"

Another friend lowered her voice nervously. "For killing them." she whispered. "Everyone knows how badly Dimitri tortures Annika now. Especially those livestream punishments every anniversary."

My fingers tightened slowly around the coffee cup. The world around me started sounding distant.

"Why not just tell Dimitri the truth? That night wasn't completely Annika's parents' fault either."

Vivienne laughed. "Are you insane? If Dimitri finds out the truth, he'll kill me himself."

My heartbeat stopped.

The girls stared at her in shock while Vivienne leaned back lazily in her chair. "Dimitri and I aren't even real siblings by blood," she muttered carelessly. "My parents adopted me when I was little. After they died, I became the only family he had left. If he finds out I caused the crash..." She let out a dry laugh. "I'm dead."

My breathing turned uneven. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. Couldn't even feel my hands anymore. The caf suddenly felt too small. Too loud. Too hot.

"Besides," she said smugly, "Annika's parents are already dead anyway. Poor idiots actually believed me when I threatened their daughter."

One of the girls blinked. "Threatened?"

Vivienne rolled her eyes dramatically. "I told them if they didn't confess to the police, I'd make sure Annika disappeared and was chopped to pieces." Then she laughed while taking another sip of coffee. "And they actually sacrificed themselves for her. Pathetic."

My vision blurred instantly. Tears slipped silently down my face. No. No My parents knew. They knew the truth the entire time.

My shaking fingers slowly reached into my coat pocket. I pressed a record on my phone beneath the table. Just in case.

"You're actually crazy, Vivi. What if Annika ever finds out?"

"Who cares? Nobody believes that bitch anyway." Then she smiled coldly. "I hated her from the beginning. My brother loved her too much," Vivienne continued bitterly. "It was disgusting. So I pretended to be her best friend while secretly ruining things for her the entire time."

My body went completely numb. The elevator accident. The allergic reactions. The locked basement. The minor car crashes. The broken stairs. The "accidents."

Suddenly every memory slammed together inside my head all at once. And every single trail led back to Vivienne.

"So what now? Dimitri's really divorcing Annika?"

"Probably. He'll marry Kelsey eventually." Then she laughed softly while stirring her drink. "Honestly, watching my brother destroy Annika little by little has been entertaining."

My fingernails dug hard into my palms.

"I wouldn't even be surprised if she kills herself soon," Vivienne added casually. "If that happens, then killing my parents' secrets will disappear with her."

The girls laughed together. Meanwhile, tears slid silently down my face. But something inside me no longer felt broken. I felt angry.

For seven years, I begged for forgiveness over a crime my family didn't fully commit. For seven years, Dimitri destroyed me while the real liar and killer stood beside him pretending to cry. For seven years, my parents suffered and died protecting me.

And Vivienne laughed about it over coffee. My breathing slowly steadied. I saved the recording carefully onto my phone. Then I wiped my tears away one by one.

Because for the first time in seven years I no longer wanted to die. I wanted justice instead.

I went home that day with trembling hands and a heart that no longer knew how to forgive.

The recording kept replaying on my phone during the entire drive back. Vivienne's voice. Laughing. Mocking my parents. Mocking me.

For seven years, I thought my family destroyed Dimitri's life completely. For seven years, I begged for forgiveness. For seven years, I let him punish me because I believed maybe I deserved some of it too.

But my parents died protecting me.

And Vivienne sat in a caf laughing about it over coffee.

By the time I reached the mansion, something inside me had already broken beyond repair.

I walked into my room slowly and stared at the old family photo beside my bed. My fingers touched the cracked edge softly.

"Mom..." My voice shook violently. "Dad..."

Tears blurred my vision immediately.

"I'm tired."

The room stayed silent.

I slowly sat on the floor while hugging the photo tightly against my chest. "You told me to survive seven years," I whispered brokenly. "I did. I survived everything."

The freezing chamber. The livestream punishments. The humiliation. The loneliness. Dimitri loving another woman right in front of me.

"I really tried..." My voice cracked apart. "I tried so hard."

My shoulders started shaking violently from silent sobs. Then slowly, something colder replaced the grief inside me.

Anger.

Pure anger.

My tears stopped.

I stared at the family photo for a very long time before whispering quietly, "I'll come find you soon."

My fingers tightened around the frame.

"But before I do..."

My expression hardened completely.

"I'll destroy them first."

That night, I opened my laptop and created an anonymous account hidden behind encrypted servers and fake locations even Dimitri's people would struggle tracing quickly.

Then I ordered a plain white porcelain mask through a private marketplace account. Blank. Expressionless. Like death itself.

Afterward, I uploaded the recording from the caf.

Vivienne's confession. Every single disgusting word.

Then beneath the video, I typed slowly:

"In three hours, I will give justice to my parents who died wrongly. Wanna watch?"

The post exploded almost instantly.

Within thirty minutes, thousands of people shared it across different platforms. By the second hour, the video already had over one million views.

The comments flooded endlessly.

"This has to be fake."

"No way somebody confesses to murder this casually."

"Wait... Romanov? Like THE Romanov family? Is this an AI?"

"Another rage bait livestream."

"Watch this turn into some cringe prank."

I stared blankly at the comments while the numbers kept climbing higher.

Then suddenly my eyes landed on Vivienne's newest social media story.

A luxury five-star restaurant downtown. Champagne glasses. Designer heels. Her smiling happily beside her friends.

Like my parents never died.

Like my life was never destroyed by them.

Something dark twisted violently inside my chest.

One hour later, I sat alone inside my car across the underground parking entrance of the restaurant. The white porcelain mask covered my face completely now.

The livestream was already running.

Over three million viewers watched silently. Comments moved too fast to read.

My hands rested tightly around the steering wheel while my heartbeat echoed loudly inside my ears.

Then finally Vivienne walked out of the restaurant alone. Laughing while talking on the phone. Completely unaware.

I adjusted the livestream camera slowly toward myself.

Then I spoke for the first time.

My voice sounded strangely calm.

"In a few minutes, someone is going to die tonight."