Third Person’s POV
At the wedding of Hazel Rhodes and Dominic Blake, chaos erupted when a woman claiming to be Dominic’s lover from a past life stormed in with a group of people.
They wrecked the entire ceremony, and that woman slapped Hazel nine hundred and ninety-nine times across the face.
Then, teary-eyed and feverish with emotion, she turned to Dominic and shouted, “Dominic! You and I are soulmates. I’ll haunt you for life until you come back to me!”
Fury flashed in Dominic’s eyes. In front of everyone, he broke her limbs with his own hands and threw her into the slums, leaving her to be tormented by others.
But the woman didn’t give up. She kept finding ways to interfere in Hazel and Dominic’s marriage.
The first time she tried, Dominic ordered his bodyguards to smash a thousand bottles over her head, causing her to end up in the ICU for six months.
The second time, he made her infamous by spreading her photos all over the internet, then dumped her into the sea and left her to die.
By the tenth time, Dominic finally lost it. He hit the gas and rammed straight into her, only to plunge off a cliff himself with her.
It took seven days and seven nights for Hazel to find him at the bottom of the mountain. Her hands were torn and bloody from scraping against tree bark, but she never cried out in pain.
Fortunately, Dominic survived, but his brain injury was severe.
When he woke up, his memory was scrambled, and he no longer loved Hazel.
Instead, he loved Caroline Summers, the woman who claimed to be his lover from a past life.
From then on, Dominic treated Caroline like a precious jewel. She only needed to say, “Whatever I’ve been through, Hazel has to go through too.”
And Dominic obeyed.
He had Hazel’s tendons cut from her hands and feet, then threw her into a crowd of beggars. He also made her kneel in the freezing snow and smashed a thousand bottles against her.
Despite everything, Hazel never gave up. She tried again and again to bring his memories back, even though each attempt only earned her more pain.
Finally, she discovered a method that might help him remember.
Overwhelmed with hope, she rushed to find him, only to freeze at the door when she overheard Dominic’s conversation with his friends.
“Bro, when are you gonna tell your wife you never actually lost your memory? You’ve been pretending this whole time.”
“Is Caroline really worth it? You’ve been torturing your wife for her. Aren’t you afraid she’ll give up on you completely?”
Through the crack in the door, Hazel saw Dominic exhale a smoke ring, his tone lazy and cold. “She won’t. Hazel loves me so much. She’d never leave.”
“Dude, we all saw how much you used to love her. What made you fall for that lunatic Caroline?”
“Because she’s crazy enough to love me back. Even after everything I did to her, when I was falling off that cliff, she still held onto me just to kiss me. She’s not afraid of dying… only of me not loving her,” he explained.
His words came out calm, almost gentle, but every syllable felt like a knife slicing through Hazel’s heart.
“Hazel could never do that. No matter how much she loves me, she still puts her family first. But Caroline is different, one look from me and she’s completely lost,” he added.
“You’re really risking it, dude. You hurt your wife this much for a woman who came out of nowhere. Careful, you don’t burn yourself alive.”
“I hurt Caroline too many times for Hazel’s sake. This is what Hazel owes her,” he coldly replied.
Outside the door, Hazel trembled uncontrollably, her breath caught in her throat.
She couldn’t believe it. The man who once swore he loved her more than life itself had been lying to her all along just to avenge another woman.
They’d been childhood sweethearts and grew up together.
When Dominic was five, he lost his parents in a car crash right before his eyes. The trauma left him with severe psychological scars that he would often hurt himself and refuse to let anyone near.
The only one who could calm him down was Hazel.
She didn’t care about the danger. She stayed by his side, took care of him, brought him to therapy, and tried every possible way to make him smile again.
Countless nights, when his illness acted up, he’d clutch her tightly and whisper in a broken voice, “Hazel, you’re all I have left. Don’t leave me. I swear to God, I’ll only ever love you in this life. If I break that promise, may lightning strike me dead.”
But that childhood promise turned into the sharpest blade.
Tears blurred Hazel’s vision as she stumbled out of the building. Her hands shook as she pulled up the county clerk’s office website and filed for divorce.
[Your divorce application has been submitted successfully. The cooling-off period is one month. If either party withdraws during this period, the application will be void.]
She then bought a one-way ticket abroad, set for one month later.
She was leaving Dominic, leaving him forever.
Third Person’s POV
Just then, Hazel’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Caroline, probably another one of her arrogant little videos showing off the latest gift Dominic had bought her.
But Hazel didn’t want to see it. She was about to close the message when another text popped up, one that made her scalp prickle and her stomach drop.
[Bitch. Since you refused to bark like a dog for me, I’ll let your mother do it instead.]
Hazel froze. Her hand trembled as she tapped the video open.
One glance and her world collapsed.
Caroline had tied her sick mother to the back of a car and was dragging her through the streets of the city.
Her mother’s cries echoed through the wind, but the car sped faster and faster.
Moments later, all that was left of her mother was a mangled, bloody mess on the road.
Watching that, Hazel broke down. She called the police and rushed to the scene as fast as she could.
But by the time she arrived, Caroline was gone. Only her mother lay there on the cold asphalt, barely breathing.
Hazel didn’t stop to think. She carried her mother to the nearest hospital, but when she handed over her mother’s ID, the doctor shook his head.
“Sorry. We can’t admit her. Miss Summers has given strict orders.”
Because of that, she tried another hospital, a total of five, but every single one turned her away.
Hopelessness clawed at her chest. With nowhere else to go, she went to the only person who could help, Dominic.
But at that very moment, Dominic was hosting Caroline’s lavish birthday party.
He’d ordered a custom cake worth over a hundred grand and filled the entire villa with gifts for her. Influential guests, celebrities, and business elites were all there to wish Caroline a happy birthday.
Hazel stumbled through the doors, her clothes torn and covered in dust. She made it to Dominic’s side, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed right at his feet.
“Dominic, please, save my mom! Caroline told the hospitals not to treat her. She’s dying!”
Dominic frowned slightly, caught off guard by her desperation. Just as he was about to speak, Caroline clung to his neck, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Darling, did you forget what she and her mother did to us?” she whimpered. “You might not remember it now, but they’re the reason we were torn apart. If it weren’t for my love for you, for fighting my way back through all that pain, I’d never be standing here today.”
As she spoke, she deliberately lifted her sleeve, revealing the scar on her arm, the one left from when Dominic had once broken it himself.
“Look at this, it still hurts to this day,” she said softly, voice trembling for sympathy.
In that instant, whatever trace of compassion Dominic had in his eyes turned cold, then he gave a chilling order to his men, “Get her out of here. Don’t let her ruin Caroline’s birthday.”
The guards quickly moved toward Hazel, but she broke free and threw herself in front of him, tears streaming down her face. “Dominic, please! I’m begging you, for my mother’s sake. She raised you when you had no one. Please save her! If she dies, I won’t live either.”
Something flickered briefly in Dominic’s eyes, but his tone remained emotionless. He tilted his chin toward the swimming pool nearby. “See that pool?”
Hazel blinked, confused.
“Jump in,” he said flatly. “Hold your breath for ten minutes, and I’ll save your mother.”
Her face went pale. For a second, she couldn’t even breathe.
He knew she was terrified of water.
When she was eight, she’d been kidnapped by one of her father’s business rivals and thrown into a well. She’d nearly drowned that night. If her father hadn’t found her in time, she wouldn’t have survived.
Since then, she could barely handle being near water. Baths were the only exception. Even so, the memory of seaweed wrapping around her ankles, dragging her down while she struggled for air, still haunted her to this day.
She swallowed hard, voice trembling. “You know I’m terrified of water, Dominic. If I stay under, I’ll die.”
But he only sneered. “Then you’d better start preparing for your mother’s funeral.”
She stared at him, searching for a hint of mercy, but found nothing. The last of her love for him disintegrated right then and there.
Slowly, she stood up. Her expression was numb, her voice quiet. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you have to keep your promise. If I last ten minutes, you’ll save her.”
Without waiting for an answer, Hazel took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the pool.
Third Person’s POV
The moment the icy pool water wrapped around Hazel’s body, the memory of drowning hit her like a vise tightening around her throat. Her chest burned as she fought the urge to breathe, but panic clawed at her mind until she couldn’t hold it anymore.
The second she gasped, water rushed into her mouth, flooding her lungs. She coughed, choked, and instinctively kicked upward, but she didn’t break the surface. Instead, she forced herself deeper, determined not to give up.
Her mother was still waiting. She had to last ten minutes.
Outside the pool, guests gathered at the edge, watching her desperate struggle beneath the water. Some turned away, pity and discomfort written all over their faces.
Caroline, on the other hand, stood off to the side with a faint, satisfied smile curving her lips.
Meanwhile, Dominic’s expression grew darker by the minute. His grip on the armrest tightened until his knuckles went white.
Finally, ten minutes passed.
“Get her out,” he ordered sharply.
They pulled Hazel from the water. Her body was pale and trembling, her lips nearly blue. She’d swallowed so much water that she could barely breathe, but even then, she forced herself to speak, her voice shaking. “I did it… Now please… save my mom.”
Dominic frowned, pulling out his phone to make the call. But before he could finish dialing, Caroline let out a small, startled cry.
He turned immediately, only to see a thin line of blood running down her finger.
Without a second thought, he hung up the phone and rushed to her side.
“Dominic!” Hazel gasped, clutching at his pant leg. “Help my mother first—”
But he yanked his leg free, his voice cutting cold as ice. “Do you have any idea how severe Caroline’s blood phobia is? If anything happens to her, can you take responsibility?”
And with that, he left without looking back.
“But my mom—” Hazel’s voice broke as she tried to follow, but her body gave out. The room spun, her vision blurred, and then everything went dark.
Before she lost consciousness, she vaguely heard Dominic’s distant voice giving orders. “Send her to the hospital. And make sure the best doctors treat her mother. Don’t let anyone die.”
When Hazel woke up, she was lying in a hospital bed.
She ripped out the IV line, trying to get up, but just then, her phone rang.
The voice on the other end was calm, almost apologetic. “Are you Mrs. Rhodes’s family member? I’m sorry… but she didn’t make it. She passed away due to delayed treatment.”
For a moment, Hazel couldn’t breathe.
“No… no, that’s not possible. Dominic said he sent the best doctors! My mom—she can’t be dead!”
The doctor hesitated before sighing quietly. “There was a chance to save her. But just as we were about to begin surgery, Mr. Blake called all the specialists away since Miss Summers had an allergic reaction to her medication. He ordered every available doctor to treat her instead, and your mother received no care… so…”
His words were like a thunderclap. Hazel froze, her blood running cold. The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a dull thud.
She didn’t remember how she got to her mother’s room. When she pushed open the door, a doctor was just pulling the white sheet over her mother’s face.
“Mom!”
She stumbled forward, tears streaming down her face, and fell to her knees beside the bed.
“Mom, please wake up! Don’t leave me, please!”
But her mother, who always wiped her tears, lay still, forever silent.
Hazel broke down, sobbing until her body shook.
Around her, the doctors exchanged silent, pitying glances.
Outside the room, two nurses walked by, whispering to each other.
“Miss Summers just had a small cut on her finger,” one said. “It would’ve healed on its own in a few hours. But Mr. Blake pulled every senior doctor over for her treatment. Guess his love for her is the real deal.”
“You’re telling me. I even heard he made his wife hold her breath underwater just to make Caroline happy. She nearly died, and he hasn’t even visited her once. That man’s heart… it’s made of stone.”
Their voices faded down the hall, but every word sliced deeper into Hazel’s chest.
Her sobs turned into trembling rage. The veins on her hands bulged as she gripped the bed rail.
She hated them. She hated Caroline. And she hated Dominic even more.
Because of them, her mother was gone. Because of them, her life had fallen apart.
They didn’t deserve forgiveness. They deserved to pay!
The next day, Hazel handled her mother’s funeral alone. She stood silently as the coffin was sealed and the cremation began.
The woman who once shielded her from every storm was now reduced to ashes, a small urn she held carefully in her trembling arms.
Tears streamed down her face again, uncontrollable, endless.
That night, she returned home, clutching the urn close to her chest.
But when she pushed open the door, she froze.
Dominic was sitting on the couch, rubbing his temples as if waiting for her.
When he looked up, his expression was cold, his tone even colder. “You’re back?”
Before she could answer, he tossed a document onto the table in front of her. “Caroline only went after your mother because you refused to apologize and bark like a dog. She might’ve gone too far, but did you really have to call the cops?”
His eyes narrowed and continued, “She’s still being questioned at the station because of you. Sign the statement of forgiveness, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”
Third Person’s POV
Hazel let out a bitter laugh.
“A bit too much?” she repeated, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Her mother was dead. And he had the nerve to call that “a bit too much”?
Locking Caroline in an interrogation room was far too lenient. That woman should’ve been rotting behind bars for the rest of her life.
Without hesitation, Hazel grabbed the agreement from the table, tore it into shreds, and threw the pieces right into Dominic’s face. “Even if you kill me, I’ll never sign it! I want Caroline to spend the rest of her life behind bars!”
Suddenly, a sharp slap cracked through the air. Hazel’s face snapped to the side, five bright red fingerprints blooming across her pale cheek.
For a brief second, guilt flickered in Dominic’s eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by his usual cold indifference.
“Hazel,” he said harshly, “I already sent the best doctors to treat your mother. How much longer are you going to keep making a scene?”
Her ears rang from the slap, but his words hurt even more. Hazel clenched her fists, her voice trembling with fury. “You never cared enough to find out what really happened! Your precious Caroline took all the doctors away! My mom never got treatment! She’s dead!”
But while she was saying her last words, Dominic’s phone rang, covering them.
The moment he saw Caroline’s name, his expression softened, and he answered immediately.
“Dominic,” Caroline’s sweet, tearful voice came through, “didn’t you say you’d get me out? They’re being so mean to me here. I’m scared, I really am…”
The coldness in Dominic’s eyes melted away. His voice turned gentle as he replied, “Be good. Don’t be scared. I’ll get you out soon.”
When he hung up, he gave his men a cold look, the kind that needed no words.
Quickly, two bodyguards grabbed Hazel by the arms. The urn she’d been holding slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor. Her mother’s ashes spilled across the tiles.
Dominic froze for a second, his eyes narrowing before a mocking smile tugged at his lips. “What’s this? Ashes? Hazel, are you cursing your own mother now just to frame Caroline? Impressive.”
“I’m not!” she cried, her voice hoarse. “That really is my mom’s ashes! She—”
“Enough!” Dominic cut her off sharply. “I had top doctors on your mother’s case. They could even bring a dead person back if they had to. Besides, Caroline said your mom just had a small cut, nothing serious. She couldn’t possibly have died. So, what exactly are you trying to pull here?”
He slammed another document down on the table and ordered, “Hold her down. Make her sign it.”
“No! Dominic, you can’t do this to me!” Hazel screamed, thrashing wildly.
But she was no match for the two men holding her. Her trembling hand was forced down onto the paper, dragging out a crooked signature.
Only when it was done did Dominic’s expression relax. He pocketed the signed document, turned his back on her, and walked away without a second glance.
Hazel crumpled to the floor like discarded fabric. One of the bodyguards even stepped on her mother’s ashes on the way out.
Her hands shook as she tried to gather what was left, scooping the ashes back into the urn piece by piece. But no matter how hard she tried, half of it was gone.
Tears streamed down her face, each drop burning as it hit the cold tile floor.
“Mom…” she whispered brokenly. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you.”
Third Person’s POV
That night, Hazel didn’t sleep a wink. She tore through the apartment, pulled out every gift Dominic had ever given her, and stuffed them into trash bags. If he was no longer the man she thought he was, she didn’t need reminders of him lying around.
After throwing the bags away, she went out again to pick a gravesite for her mother and buried her beside her father. By the time everything was done, it was already evening. Hazel planned to go home and try to rest, but a familiar Maybach suddenly blocked her path.
Before she could react, Dominic stepped out of the car and grabbed her wrist. “Caroline says you’re holding a grudge and that we should make peace, so she arranged a little gathering. I’m taking you there.”
Hazel pulled and fought, but he was too strong. He dragged her into a private room where his friends, who used to laugh and curry favor with her, clustered around Caroline, doting on her until she couldn’t stop smiling.
It felt like an invisible hand had seized Hazel’s chest. She could barely breathe.
Dominic shoved her toward Caroline and said in a voice that left no room for argument, “Get along with Caroline. Stop making trouble.”
Caroline’s eyes flashed with something sharp. She raised a glass and pushed it in front of Hazel.
“Hazel,” she cooed, “I’ve thought it over. I was wrong before. This one’s for you. Let’s put the past behind us, shall we?”
Hazel dug her fingers into her palm so hard the pain bit through. She would never let those crimes be forgotten. She wanted Caroline to pay with blood, if that was what it took. And she would not spare Dominic either.
Seeing Hazel refuse to play along, Caroline lifted the glass as if to drink and then, theatrically, poured the whole thing into her own lap.
“Oh, Hazel, I know you hate me, but you don’t have to treat me like this,” she said, feigning hurt. “This dress was a birthday present from Dominic. I hardly ever wear it. I put it on today just to patch things up with you.”
Before Hazel could answer, Dominic’s displeased voice cut in beside her ear. “Hazel! Didn’t I tell you on the way here to behave and not upset Caroline? Did you just ignore me?”
Hazel shot back, “I didn’t do it. Check the cameras if you don’t believe me.”
Dominic’s eyes turned cold. “Do you think being righteous clears you of suspicion?” he snapped. “Apologize to Caroline. Now!”
“I won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?” Hazel shot back.
Dominic’s patience vanished. He sneered, “If you won’t apologize, then drink everything on that table.”
The bottles on the table were high-proof liquors that would make a non-drinker sick and could tear a stomach lining apart. Hazel was someone who never touched alcohol. A single bottle would likely make her vomit blood.
“You know I don’t drink,” she protested, certain he knew this.
But Dominic, caught in anger, didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. He barked orders, and two men held her down while another forced a bottle to her lips and poured.
“Hazel,” he warned, voice flat and merciless, “I told you my patience has a limit. Don’t push my limits.”
Third Person’s POV
The liquor burned down Hazel’s throat like fire, searing her stomach until it felt as if her insides were being torn apart. The liquid even spilled out through her nose as she choked and gasped for air.
She grabbed Dominic’s wrist, her voice raw and hoarse, like sand scraping against stone. “It hurts… please—let go of me… I can’t drink anymore…”
Even under the dim lights, her face was turning a deep, alarming red. She looked seconds away from collapsing.
For a moment, something flickered in Dominic’s eyes—hesitation, maybe even pity. His grip also loosened slightly.
But Caroline quickly stepped in, her tone soft and falsely concerned.
“Forget it, Dominic,” she said sweetly. “As a woman, I can’t bear to see another woman suffer. Just let her go. I’ve already endured so much in my life; a little more doesn’t matter. I only feel guilty that I didn’t take better care of the dress you gave me.”
Her pitiful tone hit him like a dart straight to the chest, making Dominic’s expression harden again. Without another word, he grabbed another bottle and poured it down Hazel’s throat.
The second wave hit harder. Her vision blurred, her stomach churned violently, and then she couldn’t hold it back anymore. She vomited all over the floor.
The room filled with murmurs of disgust as the men around them covered their noses and stepped back.
Dominic instinctively took a step forward, wanting to help her, but the moment he caught Caroline’s cold, wounded gaze, he froze. His hand fell back to his side and frigidly said, “Caroline is the most important person in my life. Anyone who upsets her also upsets me. If you ever make her unhappy again, Hazel, I’ll make sure you suffer worse than this.”
Hazel wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then looked up at him with glassy, tear-filled eyes.
“Dominic,” she asked softly, her voice trembling, “you mean that, right? Caroline’s the one you love most?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate for even a second.
Hazel let out a faint laugh—broken, bitter, and hollow. She looked at him for a long moment before staggering to her feet. Then, without a word, she pushed him aside and walked toward the door.
The moment it closed behind her, voices sounded from inside the room.
“Dude, it’s late. Are you really letting her walk home alone? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” one of his friends asked.
Dominic gave a low, dismissive chuckle and pulled Caroline into his arms. “What’s that got to do with me? I have Caroline now. Why should I care if someone else lives or dies?”
Outside, Hazel laughed through her tears.
He used to promise her that as long as she stayed by his side, she’d never be hurt again. Now he said her life and death had nothing to do with him.
But that was fine. Soon, she’d leave him forever, and he’d never find her again.
It was past midnight. There were no taxis in sight, so Hazel could only walk home. Her stomach churned painfully, and before long, she threw up again. Only this time, it was blood.
She sank weakly against a cold wall, clutching her stomach as if knives were slicing her from the inside out.
Then, a group of men appeared at the mouth of the alley. One of them pointed at her.
“There she is!”
A chill ran through Hazel’s body. Panic surged through her veins. She pushed herself up and tried to run. But before she could take two steps, one of them grabbed her by the hair and yanked her backward.
“Where do you think you’re going, you little bitch?”
Third Person’s POV
“Who are you? What do you want?!” Hazel warned, backing away and reaching for her phone to call the police.
But a sharp-eyed thug saw the move and slapped her hard across the face.
“You bitch, trying to call the cops?” he spat.
Fear flashed through Hazel’s eyes.
“I haven’t done anything to you. Why are you picking on me?” she demanded.
The gang members laughed, ugly grins spreading across their faces.
“You pissed off the wrong person,” one of them said. “And that person told us to teach you a lesson.”
Before she could react, a steel pipe came down and smashed into her knee. Hazel fell to the ground with a thud; the pain ripped through her so fiercely she couldn’t hold back the tears.
Without giving her a moment, pipe after pipe rained down on her like hail. Her screams of pain echoed through the alley as bones cracked beneath the blows. Yet, no one came to help.
As darkness closed in, she saw her dead mother, smiling and waving at her, as if to say it was all right.
When she came to again, she was in a hospital bed. Dominic sat nearby, with dark circles under his eyes that showed he’d been there a long time. For a rare instant, pity softened his expression. His voice was unusually gentle as he asked, “You’re awake. Do you feel okay anywhere?”
Hazel didn’t answer. She asked instead, “How long was I out?”
“Five days,” he said.
Her hand clenched into a fist at that. Five days, proof of how vicious they’d been. She reached for the phone on the table to call the police.
But Dominic grabbed her wrist. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Calling the police, of course.”
He frowned. “No need. Those thugs were arrested.”
Hazel snorted. “They were arrested, yes. But whoever hired them hasn’t been.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow. “The thugs said they were just in a bad mood and happened to run into you. They said no one ordered them to do it.”
She laughed in disbelief at how confidently he defended that lie. It was impossible that no one had hired them. She had seen the woman clearly before she blacked out. Even if the face were burned to ash, she would recognize it. It was Caroline. She’d watched that woman hand money to the thugs, kick her in the face, and say, “Good job. If the police ask, tell them it was just venting. I’ll pay you a fortune when you get out, enough to set you for life.”
Hazel yanked her arm free from Dominic and said coldly, “It was Caroline. I saw her with my own eyes. She will pay for what she did.”
Ignoring Dominic’s protests, she dialed the police.
It didn’t take long, and the police found surveillance footage showing Caroline handing money to the thugs, confirming Hazel’s claim. Hazel refused any private settlement and demanded that the law put the woman behind bars.
Caroline wept, makeup streaked, eyes full of venom as she glared at Hazel. But Hazel ignored her and left the station.
The next second, a van pulled up in front of her, and strong hands forced her inside. She tried to scream, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar face.
“Dominic? What are you doing? Why are you taking me?!” she cried.
He lounged in the passenger seat, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Hazel, you’re really insubordinate. It irritates me.”
With a single look from him, someone dragged out a large yellow dog. The animal was emaciated, its body marked with whip scars and dried blood; it looked close to death. But the moment it saw Hazel, it thumped its tail weakly.
Hazel went pale and rushed forward, scooping the dog into her arms and choking on its name.
“Cooper! Cooper!” she sobbed.
“You could have aimed that anger at me, Dominic. Why hurt a dog?” she cried.
Third Person’s POV
Cooper had been with Hazel since she was a child. She and her mother had raised him together, so he wasn’t just a pet; he was family. Since her mother was gone now, Cooper was all she had left. So why did Dominic have to destroy the last bit of comfort she had in this world?
Seemingly not to care, he tossed a statement of forgiveness onto the table in front of her and coldly said, “Caroline is someone very precious to me. That day, when you dirtied her dress, she acted impulsively. It wasn’t her intention to have you beaten. You don’t need to send her to prison. Sign this agreement, and I’ll let your dog go.”
Hazel’s anger flared. “Not her intention? Her people nearly beat me to death! Do you think they would’ve done that if she hadn’t ordered them to?”
Dominic frowned, his voice turning sharp. “You provoked her first. If you hadn’t, none of this would’ve happened. I’ll talk to her later, but for now, sign it.”
Hazel let out a bitter laugh. “And what if I don’t? What are you going to do? Beat me the way you beat Cooper? Go on then, just kill me now!”
For a moment, Dominic froze, irritation flickering in his eyes. “If you don’t sign, then that dog doesn’t need to live.”
Right after his words, one of his men grabbed Cooper and shoved the trembling dog toward the open side door of the moving van. The car was speeding down the highway, and behind them, a string of vehicles followed closely. If Cooper fell out now, he’d die instantly.
Hazel broke down. She had no choice, so with her hands shaking, she picked up the pen and signed the paper. Her signature wobbled across the page, every stroke trembling with pain and humiliation.
She never imagined that Dominic would force her to sign two statements of forgiveness, both times for Caroline. Once upon a time, when she’d only scraped her knee, he’d been the one whose eyes turned red with worry.
She threw the paper in his face and spat, “Get out of my sight! Don’t you ever show up in front of me again.”
Then she pulled Cooper into her arms, shouted for the driver to stop, and stormed out of the car without looking back.
Her figure disappearing into the distance stabbed something deep in Dominic’s chest. He tightened his grip on the agreement, unsure for the first time if he’d gone too far.
He used to treat Hazel like she was his entire world. But now, after hurting her again and again for Caroline’s sake, would she finally give up on him?
No. He shook the thought away almost immediately. Hazel loved him so much. She’d stayed by his side even when he pretended to have lost his memory. She wouldn’t leave him.
Still, he couldn’t keep lying to her forever. Once this was over, he’d cut ties with Caroline for good. He was tired of the amnesia act. It was time to go back to the woman he truly loved.
When that time came, he’d comfort Hazel and make things right again, and she’d forgive him, like she always did.
The unease in his chest faded at the thought. He looked up and ordered his driver, “Take me to the station.”
Days passed. Neither Dominic nor Caroline showed up again, but Hazel often saw their names on the news.
[Breaking! CEO Dominic Blake was spotted watching the sunset by the sea with his sweetheart, looking every bit the loving couple.]
[CEO Dominic Blake buys out luxury brand KJ after his lover mentions she likes variety in her jewelry. Sources say he’s having a private collection designed just for her.]
When Hazel had been with him, he’d never gone public about their relationship. His possessiveness had made him hide her from the world. He’d only ever said he was married, that he loved his wife deeply.
So, the public assumed Caroline, the woman always seen at his side, was his wife.
Hazel didn’t react much to the news. She stayed home, quietly caring for Cooper. And as the day of her departure drew near, she surprisingly found herself beginning to look forward to it.
Third Person’s POV
During that time, the private investigator Hazel had hired brought her good news. He sent over a massive 128-terabyte folder filled with evidence of all the shady things Caroline had done behind Dominic’s back. Every single piece of it was enough to destroy their so-called love.
She couldn’t wait to see the look on Dominic’s face when he finally saw it, the regret, the realization that he’d hurt her for a woman like Caroline.
Before she knew it, the cooling-off period for their divorce was over. The county clerk’s office called to let her know she could pick up her divorce papers that afternoon. Hazel readily agreed.
As she packed her things, preparing to leave the city that same night, Caroline suddenly showed up at her door.
It had only been a few days, yet Caroline already looked radiant, her skin glowing, her entire body wrapped in luxury. She was dressed head to toe in designer brands, clearly spoiled under Dominic’s care.
Hazel frowned, her tone sharp. “What are you doing here?”
Caroline folded her arms, a mocking smile playing on her lips. “What do you think? I came to laugh at you. You and Dominic might have grown up together, but so what? In the end, he still chose me. He even pretended to lose his memory just to trick you.”
She paused, then rested a hand lightly on her belly. “Dominic’s been keeping me in bed every night these days,” she said, her tone deliberately smug. “And now, I’m carrying his baby. Once our child is born, he’ll divorce you for real, and then I’ll be his wife.”
Hazel’s fingernails dug deep into her palms as she let out a cold laugh. “You don’t need to wait for the baby to be born. Dominic and I are already divorced. Congratulations, you’re Mrs. Blake now.”
With that, she grabbed her suitcase and turned to leave.
But Caroline blocked her path, a wicked glint in her eyes. “Oh, so that’s your new trick, huh? Trying to make Dominic feel sorry for you again? Not this time. I’ll make sure he despises you completely, so he’ll love me even more.”
Before Hazel could react, Caroline snatched a vase off the table and smashed it over Hazel’s head.
Blood poured down her forehead, blurring her vision.
Just then, the door burst open, and Dominic rushed in, drawn by the commotion.
Caroline immediately ran into his arms, tears brimming in her eyes. “Dominic, please help me. Hazel hit herself with the vase to frame me! You know I wouldn’t hurt a fly. How could I possibly do something so cruel? I didn’t do anything; you have to believe me.”
Dominic’s expression softened with pity. He pulled her into his arms protectively and murmured, “Silly girl. If I don’t believe you, who would I believe?”
Then his gaze hardened as he turned toward Hazel. “Caroline came here to check on you out of kindness, and this is how you repay her? I’m beyond disappointed. Apologize to her right now.”
Hazel stared at him in disbelief. “After everything we’ve been through, you’d rather believe her than me?”
Dominic frowned impatiently, unwilling to hear another word. “If you won’t apologize, then I’ll make sure Caroline gets justice myself.”
Right after he spoke, the sound of Cooper’s anguished cries came from outside.
Hazel froze. She ran out, heart pounding, and what she saw made her world collapse.
Cooper lay on the ground, hit by a car. His body was twisted, his insides crushed and spilling out onto the pavement.
She stood there, trembling uncontrollably. Dominic had killed the last living piece of her mother.
Something in her broke completely.
She stormed back inside, grabbed a baseball bat, and swung it toward Dominic. Before she could strike, his men grabbed her and knocked her unconscious.
When she came to, it was already afternoon.
The house was a wreck, Cooper’s lifeless body still lying outside. Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable, until her whole body shook with the weight of regret, regret for ever meeting Dominic, regret for ever loving him.
She didn’t know how long she had cried before a call from the county clerk’s office broke through her daze.
Wiping her tears, she buried Cooper, cleaned herself up, and went to collect her divorce certificate.
The bold red word “Divorced” stamped on the document made her exhale a long, shaky breath.
Finally, it was over.
That night, she boarded a plane out of the city.
Before she left, she hired a hacker to spread evidence of Dominic’s infidelity all over the internet. Then she uploaded the entire 128-terabyte folder of Caroline’s crimes straight into Dominic’s computer.
When everything was done, she pulled out her SIM card, tossed it in a trash bin, and walked away, leaving her past, and everyone in it, behind for good.
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