Chapter 3

Vivienne supported Gunner as they walked into the house.

I dragged my battered body behind them like a beggar.

The maids rushed forward, bowing deeply. "Welcome home, Ms."

When they saw me, they covered their noses and mouths, their eyes filled with contempt.

"Take Dashiell to bathe and change clothes. He's filthy all over. People might think someone's been abusing him."

Bitterness welled up inside me. Wasn't it you who had me abused?

A maid twisted her fingers nervously and said, "I'm sorry, Ms, but Mr.Gevano's clothes were all thrown out when we tidied up earlier..."

"Well..."

She glanced at the butler nearby, who reluctantly said, "If Mr.Gevano doesn't mind, he could wear some of my clothes for now."

"That won't do!"

Gunner took on the air of the master of the house, scolding the butler. "Mr.Gevano is Vivienne's husband, after all. How can he wear your butler's clothes? People might think we can't afford to buy clothes."

Vivienne frowned and said, "What's wrong with wearing the butler's clothes? You think he's still the young master he used to be, needing a designer to come to the house to tailor his clothes?"

"Hurry up and change, then let's eat. Don't make such a fuss!"

I nodded repeatedly, "I'll change, I'll change. It's okay, I can wear anything..."

The clothes I'm wearing now are the ones I had on the day I was sent to the dungeon.

In the dungeon, those women would always strip me naked, forcing me into all sorts of humiliating poses.

They cracked their whips and rode me like a horse, and if I had crawled too slowly, I would have been whipped until I was covered in blood.

I kowtowed to them, begging them to let me put on clothes.

But they stepped on my body, saying that if I wanted to be a dog, I should have the resolve of a dog, and dogs shouldn't wear clothes.

Now, being able to wear the butler's clothes, I'm already thankful to god.

Following the butler to the room, he grabbed the clothes and threw them at my face.

The impact made my head hit the wall behind me, and I felt dizzy for a moment.

The butler's face changed to one of disgust, and he said coldly, "Don't bother returning the clothes, I find them filthy."

Just over half a year ago, I was still the master of this house.

Now even the servants can bully me at will.

However, the humiliation and torture in the dungeon have already numbed me to such fluctuations of emotion. Able to leave that hell, even being a beggar would be much better.

Taking off my clothes, under the light I saw clearly the scars covering my body, unable to find a single patch of intact skin.

Because of the pain, it took me over an hour to clean my body.

Just as I was walking down the stairs, I heard Vivienne's angry shout: "Dashiell, what's with your attitude, making us wait for over an hour?"

"The Gevano Estate went bankrupt long ago, do you still think you're some big shot?"

Although I was already numb, hearing those words still filled my heart with sorrow.

When I was locked in the dungeon, one day after they tortured me until I was covered in wounds, they told me the news of my parents' accidental death.

The Gevano Estate's businesses went bankrupt as a result, erased from the business world.

At that moment, I almost bit my tongue to kill myself.

Yet strangely, I still harbored a glimmer of hope that Vivienne cared for me in her heart.

"What are you spacing out for, get over here now!"

I held back my tears, forcing myself to quicken my pace despite the pain.

I picked up a bowl from the table, squatted on the ground and shoveled large handfuls of food into my mouth with my hands.

Vivienne stared at me blankly for a long time, then suddenly exploded in rage:

"Dashiell, what the hell are you doing?"

"Pretending to be a dog to gain sympathy?" "Do you want me to arrange a doghouse for you?!"