Once the Love Was Dead

Blair melted into Donovan's embrace, flashing me a sickly sweet, triumphant smile.

"Juliet has always been so bold. Donovan, this gift is perfect for her."

"But since you've been with me, you haven't laid a finger on her. It's no wonder she's so desperate and pathetic, the poor sexually starved thing."

"I'm not a petty woman. She is your wife in name, after all. Why don't you find a day to satisfy her? Otherwise, with you tormenting me all the time, my body can barely handle your intense demands."

At her words, Donovan's gaze on me instantly curdled with disgust.

"Touch her? The thought makes me want to puke."

He turned and affectionately nuzzled Blair's nose.

"Baby, I only like pure, self-respecting women like you. After the gala, I'll buy you that new yacht."

Watching their sickeningly sweet display, I closed my eyes as tears streamed down my face, finally consumed by a profound despair.

"Donovan," I said, my voice slow and hollow, "let's get a divorce."

Hearing this, Donovan glanced at me and burst out laughing.

"Juliet, what right do you have to ask for a divorce?"

He rose, leaning over me to savor the pain on my face. He swiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, the touch rough and dismissive.

"Have you forgotten our prenup? You'll get nothing if you leave me. I plan to torture you for a lifetime, Juliet. This is just the beginning."

"As long as I say no, you can forget about a divorce. Not in this lifetime."

And so, to punish me for my "disobedience," Donovan gave Blair an access card to our penthouse.

The living room, the kitchen, the study, the walk-in closet.

Everywhere I had been, the next day I would find traces of their intimacy deliberately left behind.

I started suffering from insomnia, spending night after night wide awake. I began seeing a therapist and taking various anti-anxiety medications.

Until one day, Blair burst into my room, holding a tablet.

"Juliet, I can't believe after all these years, you're still so useless."

"Seeing you live like a dog every day… even I, your dear little sister, am starting to feel sorry for you."

"Fine, I'll be merciful and let you die knowing the truth! I was the one who drugged you and Jasper."

On the tablet she was holding, a surveillance video clearly showed her pouring a white powder into my drink.