Chapter 7

Blaine lunged forward, kicking the man away:

"Get the fuck away from her! Don't you dare touch Scarlett with your filthy hands!"

Mr. Shaw, his eyes bloodshot, charged over like a madman and ripped off the white sheet covering my body.

My mutilated form was exposed before him.

Both legs below the knees were a mangled mess of flesh and bone, with stark white fragments jutting out grotesquely.

Mr. Shaw froze in place, unable to utter a word for what seemed like an eternity.

After a long while, he reached out in a daze, gingerly caressing the horrific wounds on my legs.

These wounds were his own handiwork, a masterpiece of his creation.

He stared at my face, transfixed, and in a trance-like state, reached out to gently pinch my cheek.

This intimate gesture startled me.

For seven years, he had always been cold and distant towards me, with such affectionate acts between us as husband and wife being few and far between.

I wouldn't be naive enough to think he actually loved me.