Chapter 1

The moment Margaret Reynolds woke from her three-day coma, the first person she saw was Lester Hamilton.

Her eyes fluttered open.

He was kneeling beside her bed, his eyes bloodshot. He pulled her into his arms, as if he'd just found a long-lost treasure.

"Margie, you're finally awake," he choked out. "This is all my fault. I should've kept you safe… Otherwise, you wouldn't have fallen down the stairs.

"When you were unconscious these past few days, I nearly went mad. Thank God you're fine… Thank God."

Noticing his red-rimmed eyes, Margaret knew sleep had eluded him for the past few days. Her heart ached.

"It's not your fault," she whispered, trying to comfort him.

But her words did nothing to ease his guilt.

Lester seized her hand and pressed it to his face, almost begging for punishment.

"Margie, slap me," he pleaded. "Slap me!"

"Lester!" She gasped, startled by his outburst.

Jerking her hand free, Margaret wrapped her arms around him, desperate to calm him down.

Everyone knew Margaret meant the world to Lester, CEO of Hamilton Group. He cherished her—she was the love of his life. Thus, her accident had nearly driven him insane.

"This really isn't your fault," she cooed. "I don't blame you."

She comforted him for a long while before he finally calmed down. The two held each other as if the whole world were in their arms.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Mr. Hamilton, we have a lot of pending work. Things can't be delayed any longer," said his assistant as he entered the room. "You need to handle the Hixon project as soon as possible."

Silas Jones looked troubled. Lester had been by Margaret's side for days, letting projects worth billions of dollars pile up. He wouldn't have dared bring it up if Margaret hadn't woken.

"Postpone everything," Lester said flatly, crushing Silas' hope. "I need to focus on taking care of Margie."

Before Silas could argue, Lester dismissed him.

Margaret opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Lester summoned a team of doctors. Dozens filed into the room, making it packed in an instant.

"Give her a full checkup. I don't want anything happening to her."

Margaret was about to say there was no need to make such a fuss, but the doctors were already swarming around her. Most of them were women, chatting softly while examining her.

"Ms. Reynolds, Mr. Hamilton nearly went crazy when he heard you fall down the stairs. He sped back and then stayed by your side for three whole days. He didn't sleep a wink."

"Yeah, he really loves you," another doctor chimed in. "I heard you've been together since high school. I've never seen a man this devoted."

"You're stunning too, Ms. Reynolds. You two are truly a perfect match."

It wasn't until one doctor lifted the blanket to check Margaret's body that the whole room fell silent.

The words caught in their throats, and no one uttered a single word.

Margaret's legs were gone from the knee down. Two prosthetics were in place instead. She was disabled now.

Even though it had been six months since the accident, she still wasn't used to the sympathy in other people's eyes. Her whole body tensed as she pulled the blanket back up.

"Just check my upper body," she said stiffly.

Everyone nodded sheepishly, not daring to bring up her disability. After a quick and silent examination, they filed out of the room.

A sigh of relief escaped Margaret's lips.

Her eyes were dim as she couldn't help but reach for her prosthetics, her hands trembling.

The accident was six months ago.

Having grown up together, Margaret and Lester always knew they were meant for each other since they were teenagers. They were practically inseparable. But in college, Lester had a crazy admirer—Scarlett Ross.

Everyone knew Scarlett was infatuated with him. No matter how many times he turned her down, told her he had a girlfriend, and even threw away her love letters and gifts, she refused to give up. She pestered him for years.

Six months ago, it finally dawned on Scarlett that despite her efforts, Lester would only ever have eyes for Margaret. Driven by her twisted obsession with him, she did the unthinkable—she tried to run Margaret over.

As she rammed the car at Margaret, she chanted, "Margaret, you should die! Only if you die will Lester finally notice me!"

That day would always be like a nightmare to Margaret.

She didn't die, but she lost both legs. She was paralyzed from the chest down.

Margaret used to be a ballet dancer, and she'd just received an offer from one of the world's top ballet companies. But because of Scarlett's insane actions, Margaret's dream was shattered forever.

Even now, remembering it was like a stab to the chest. Her face paled as she pulled her hand back.

Then, she noticed Lester was gone.

"Lester?" She quavered, her voice tinged with panic.

Silas immediately hurried in and said, "Ms. Reynolds, Mr. Hamilton went to Lakeview again. He'll be back soon."

Lakeview was where Lester kept Scarlett locked up. Ever since she destroyed Margaret's legs, he'd gone berserk. He swore he'd torture Scarlett until she'd regret being alive. So, he imprisoned her and tortured her every single day.

Margaret had been to Lakeview once and had seen Scarlett drenched in her blood. Death would've been an easier way out for Scarlett.

Six months had passed, but Lester still refused to let her go. If anything… he was visiting her more often.

Something stirred within Margaret. She pulled out her phone and clicked on an anonymous post she'd saved three months ago.

The title read, "He Locked Me Up After I Crippled His First Love."

The author claimed she had fallen in love with a man who was smitten with his first love. Knowing she could never have him, she was consumed by jealousy. She ran the man's first love over, and he imprisoned her.

She'd been updating her life in captivity ever since.

Margaret had only bookmarked this thread because it sounded so much like her own story. But later, the updates took a bizarre turn.

The author said that, after her crush spent almost every day torturing her in captivity, he seemed to be falling for her.

Chapter 2

In that post, the author boasted about how drastically her crush's demeanor changed. He once hated her with a passion, but now, he was willing to neglect his first love over and over again just for her.

But her story was so dramatic that few believed it.

Many people accused her of making it up for clout and unfollowed her. Some believed her, calling her shameless and disgusting.

Margaret didn't exactly know how she felt about the posts. But every time the thread updated, she couldn't stop herself from clicking it.

Sure enough, as soon as she opened it, she saw a new post.

"I said I was craving donuts, so he ditched his first love and went out of his way just to buy them for me."

Again, some people were mocking her for daydreaming or telling her to start writing screenplays instead.

Margaret stared at the screen for a while. Forcing herself to stop overthinking, she turned off her phone. While Lester was still out, she opened the drawer and swallowed a handful of sleeping pills.

Ever since she became crippled six months ago, her life had fallen apart. Depression had consumed her, and she'd been pulling herself through endless sleepless nights. It was agonizing.

With her world falling apart, Lester was her only hope left.

It was already dark out when Lester returned. The moment he stepped into Margaret's hospital room, she caught sight of the bag of donuts in his hand. Her face paled.

"W-Why did you suddenly buy these?" she asked.

But he didn't seem to notice her strange tone. Gently handing one to her, he smiled and replied, "I saw them and thought of you. Didn't you love these back in school?"

Memories of their past flooded Margaret's mind.

Back in their second year of high school, they had stayed on campus. She had always craved snacks, and he'd sneak out at night just to buy her donuts.

And every time she finished eating, he'd lean in with a grin and kiss her.

"Margie, after all that trouble I went through… don't I deserve a kiss?"

Her ears would burn as she nervously clutched her uniform, letting his kisses rain down on her. Every kiss reminded her of how sweet the donuts tasted.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Margaret nibbled at the donut he handed her.

"How's Scarlett doing lately?" she finally asked. "Are you still unwilling to let her go?"

Lester looked unfazed. "Margie, she deserves every bit of it. I won't let her off so easily. I'll make sure she pays."

Before Margaret could say anything else, he pulled her into his arms and changed the subject. "Our wedding is coming up. I'm taking you to try on dresses tomorrow. How about that?"

They were supposed to get married six months ago. But the sudden accident had forced them to cancel the wedding, delaying it until now.

Margaret glanced at her legs, her eyes dimming.

"Lester… I'm no longer who I used to be."

His brows furrowed as he held her tighter. "That's nonsense."

"I mean it." She looked up at him. "If you don't love me anymore, just tell me. I won't blame you."

She just didn't want him to lie to her.

But Lester was still as unwavering as ever. "Margie, I don't want anyone else except you. If you ever leave me, I'll just kill myself."

He looked so unyielding, as if he'd throw himself off a building if she so much as let him go. Margaret stared at him for a long time before her eyes started to redden, and she leaned against his shoulder.

…

The next day, they went to the bridal shop. Margaret sat in her wheelchair as Lester wheeled her inside.

Perhaps traumatized by the previous incident, he cleared out the entire store. He brought a whole entourage, keeping his eyes glued to her all the time as if he were terrified something might happen again.

That fierce protectiveness made even the shop owner envious.

Rows upon rows of gowns were at Margaret's disposal, and Lester kept her company without the slightest hint of impatience.

"Ms. Reynolds, you're so lucky," the owner gushed. "Such patient husbands are rare."

Margaret smiled and selected one of the dresses she liked. "I'd like to try this one."

Lester tried to follow her into the fitting room, but she stopped him.

"I can do this on my own, Lester."

Though reluctant, he let her go.

Margaret wheeled herself inside, then slowly stood up. Six months of rehab had allowed her to walk—although a bit clumsily. But she couldn't bear people watching her limp, so she stayed in the chair.

Changing took her a long time. When she was done, she didn't sit back in the wheelchair. She wanted Lester to see her standing on her own two feet.

Step by step, she trudged out, slow and unsteady. The door opened, and she immediately caught everyone's attention.

Chapter 3

The sweeping train of the wedding dress hid Margaret's prosthetic legs. The moment the curtain was drawn, everyone in the room was captivated by her beauty.

But Lester's gaze darkened. "Get out, all of you."

The others quickly snapped out of their daze. No one dared linger, and they all left.

He strode toward Margaret and captured her lips with unmatched fervor, kissing her until she could barely breathe or stand. He let go of her and placed her back in the wheelchair.

Leaning down, he cupped her flushed cheeks and murmured, "Margie, you're gorgeous. Do you know that I've been dreaming of marrying you since I was 16 years old?"

The kiss earlier had left her dress in disarray, exposing her prosthetics. But there was no trace of disdain in Lester's eyes, only overflowing affection.

Margaret's nose stung. Just as she was about to speak, his phone rang.

As he glanced at the caller ID, his expression shifted. He pecked her lips again before walking away to take the call.

For some reason, he was on the phone for a long time. When he returned, Silas was with him.

"Margie, something urgent came up. Silas will take you home instead."

Margaret nodded, not doubting him at all.

On her way back, she saw that the anonymous thread had updated again.

"Today, he went to try on wedding dresses with his first love. I called him and said I missed him, and he immediately left her for me. Doesn't this prove he loves me more now?"

Margaret stiffened. Even if she didn't want to believe that Scarlett was behind this, the coincidences were too glaring.

She stared blankly out of the window, the happiness from earlier swept away by the wind.

…

Lester returned to Vista Heights late that night. But he was attentive as usual, helping Margaret dry her hair and apply body lotion.

"What were you doing today?" she finally asked for the first time in a while.

"There was a problem with a project at the company. I had to take care of it."

He offered no more explanation, but the unease in her chest grew. After a moment of hesitation, she said softly, "I want to visit Scarlett at Lakeview."

His hands stilled, and his expression changed. "Why all of a sudden?"

Margaret's eyes never left him as she replied, "I just want to see her."

She was trying to read something in his eyes, but his expression remained unfazed. He even sounded disgusted when he mentioned Scarlett.

"There's no point," he said. "Seeing her will only bring back painful memories. Last time you saw her, you had nightmares for days. I can't let that happen again."

He kissed the corner of her lips and crooned, "Come on. Let's not fuss about her. I will make her pay for what she did."

In the end, Margaret didn't get to visit Scarlett.

But the frequent updates of that anonymous thread were tugging at her nerves—everything was too much to be a coincidence.

That weekend, Lester misread her distraction as a bad mood. He canceled his plans and stayed home to watch a movie with her instead.

Halfway through the film, his phone rang again.

As usual, he walked far enough away to make sure she wasn't within earshot. When he came back, he tucked the blanket around her legs and said, "Margie, I need to leave for work. Wait for me to come back, okay?"

Hearing him use the same excuse sent a pang of dread through Margaret. She couldn't help but grab his hand. "Can't you stay?"

Lester chuckled, gently prying her fingers away as he reassured her, "Be good and wait for me. I'll be back before you know it."

She watched him disappear through the door. This time, she finally let her instincts take over.

As soon as he left, she wheeled herself out of the villa. To make things easier for her, the house had ramps and accessible pathways everywhere.

She hailed a cab just in time to see Lester's car leaving the underground garage.

"Follow that car," Margaret told the driver, her voice tinged with indescribable anxiety.

The cab kept a steady distance.

To Margaret's horror, Lester—who claimed that he had work—was heading toward Lakeview. She watched him get out of the car and walk inside.

Her heart sank, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Why did he lie to her? Why was he here?

The color had drained from her face when she stumbled out of the cab and wheeled herself toward the villa. As she drew closer to the entrance, her heart pounded.

The door was slightly ajar. She inched forward and peered through the narrow gap.

What she saw inside left her utterly shattered.

Chapter 4

Scarlett and Lester were intertwined on the couch. With her grip on his tie, their lips were locked together in a fervent embrace.

Lester, who had just been watching a movie with Margaret earlier, made no move to resist Scarlett. Instead, he tightened his grip around her waist and deepened the kiss.

"Stick out your tongue," he rasped.

The wet noises of their kissing and fabric rustling filled the otherwise quiet living room.

Margaret's blood ran cold. She stared at them in utter disbelief, feeling as if her heart had been shattered into a million pieces. The anguish was unbearable, and she was trembling all over.

She even began to wonder if she was hallucinating. Otherwise, why would the man—who claimed he'd love her forever—kiss another woman with such fervor?

And that woman was the one responsible for ruining her life!

Hopelessness washed over her like a tidal wave, and nothing could describe how devastated she felt at the moment.

Before she could snap back to her senses, the pair on the couch seemed to have noticed something. Just as they were about to turn around, Margaret quickly wheeled herself away, struggling to recompose herself.

Once Margaret left Lakeview, her wheelchair came to a stop by the roadside.

Images of what she saw earlier kept flashing in her mind as she slumped in her chair, still in a daze. She clutched her chest, clearly overwhelmed by the agony, but not a single tear streamed down her cheeks.

Only now did she realize that when the pain was excruciating, it was almost impossible to shed tears.

She never imagined Lester would betray her. Ever since they were kids, he had been smitten with her.

When they were seven years old, he almost broke his leg trying to pick peaches for her. When they were ten years old, he traveled three streets just to buy her her favorite dessert. At 13 years old, he brought his parents to her house to propose marriage.

When they were 15 years old, he chased all the boys around her away. When they were 17 years old, he wrote her endless love letters. When they were 19 years old, he had kissed her under a tree…

He promised he would love her forever.

Margaret didn't mind if he fell out of love with her or had a change of heart. But how could he lie to her?

The pain left her raw and broken inside. She felt like she was plunged into an endless void.

She even thought it might all be just a dream. She pinched herself hard, trying to make herself wake up. But the biting pain made it glaringly obvious to her—everything was real.

Trembling, she pulled out her phone and scanned through all the details in that thread again.

It turned out that when Lester told her he was leaving for a meeting, he was eating with Scarlett. Being away on a business trip meant he was busy getting between Scarlett's legs.

The only reason he refused to let Scarlett go was because he'd fallen in love with her.

At some point, he began to spin one lie after another until Margaret was completely wrapped in his web of deception. She never did find out—until now.

Raindrops pattered down on her, but she didn't budge an inch. She stood numbly in the rain, shaking uncontrollably.

She didn't go anywhere and just sat in the same spot for the entire day. Her soaked clothes finally became dry on the next morning, and it was then that Lester came running toward her.

Margaret looked ghastly pale, but he didn't look any better. He stumbled toward her, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink last night.

As soon as he found her, he staggered out of the car and dashed toward her.

"Margie, you scared me!" He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Where did you go?"

She couldn't help but be reminded of the scene she saw yesterday. Bile rose in her throat, but before she could push him away, she blacked out.

…

By the time Margaret woke up, she was in the hospital. As always, Lester was by her side. He looked drained, yet he refused to let go of her hand.

"Margie, are you blaming me for not finishing the movie with you yesterday?" he asked, his quivering voice tinged with fear. "I'm so sorry. I totally deserve it.

"Slap me. Do anything you want to me. From now on, I will never leave you, no matter what!

"Please, forgive me. Don't ignore me…"

He'd put himself down, desperately begging for her forgiveness.

But trapped in his arms, Margaret looked numb. Tears—which she had been holding back for so long—finally streamed down her cheeks.

She could sense his panic, fear, and love were genuine. But him kissing Scarlett was also a fact.

She couldn't help but wonder how he could manage to love two women at once when she only loved him.

The more she thought about it, the more she wept. She even bawled her eyes out to the point that Lester was so terrified that he got on his knees and apologized frantically.

But Margaret simply shoved him away. She tucked herself beneath her covers and said nothing.

Lester was completely clueless. He had no idea what he had done wrong and could only stay by her side 24/7, not leaving her for even a second.

Yet, Margaret shut herself off from everyone.

She used to behave that way, too, when she lost her legs six months ago. That time, the constant pain in her legs kept tugging at her nerves, and the agony often sent her spiraling into tantrums. She would smash everything in the room.

Thanks to Lester's unwavering support, she finally got better.

So this time, he also thought Margaret had gotten into a fit again because of her disability. He stayed by her side for three days at the hospital, but she never spoke to him.

In the end, Lester could no longer bear it and also fainted.

When Silas hurried over with the doctors, he shot Margaret a resentful look and grumbled, "Ms. Reynolds, can you stop making things difficult for Mr. Hamilton? He truly loves you! He almost went mad when you didn't return home that day.

"He searched for you the whole night on the streets, and then he never left your side for the past few days. He's only human—this has all taken a toll on his health.

"If you continue to ignore him, he'll really die!"

Chapter 5

Silas had no idea what had happened these few days. All he knew was that Lester was madly in love with Margaret.

As Margaret watched the doctor lift Lester onto the bed and wheel him out, a lump welled up in her throat. She couldn't say a word.

She wondered who was the one suffering here. No one knew how much pain she was going through.

She closed her eyes. She lay still on the bed, yet the agony swallowed her whole. Tears streamed down her face, soaking the sheets beneath her.

Who could come save her? She felt like she was dying as well…

When Lester woke up, Margaret was staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. He immediately grabbed her hand.

"Margie!"

"I want to go home," she whispered, finally speaking to him after all this time.

Realizing she was no longer resisting him, Lester was thrilled. He hugged her tightly and replied, "Alright, let's go home."

She stared into the distance, not bothering to break free.

Just because Margaret wanted to go home, he couldn't even bother to stay and recover at the hospital. He brought her home right away.

After being discharged, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her straight to their car outside. Along the way, the hospital staff had been gushing over how loving he was.

But Margaret seemed unaffected by Lester's tender care.

…

Once they were back home, Lester gently laid her on the bed.

"Staying at the hospital these days must've been boring, right? Grandpa's birthday party is in two days. I'll take you there for a change of view, okay?"

Margaret said nothing. She didn't reject him either.

A twinge of helplessness prickled at Lester. Still, he ruffled her hair and pulled her into his arms.

…

Two days later, Lester and Margaret arrived at Logan Hamilton's birthday party.

Logan's party was brimming with people. The moment Margaret, dressed in a green dress, was wheeled in by Lester, many eyes turned toward her.

But with Lester by her side, no one dared to whisper a word. Little did they know that after her accident, instead of being cast aside, Margaret was showered with even more affection.

Lester had been attentive toward her the whole time, but she remained quiet. She only spoke when she gave Logan his gift.

"Happy birthday, Mr. Hamilton Senior. May all your wishes come true."

Logan had watched them grow up. Glancing at her legs, he couldn't help but sigh as he accepted her gift in silence.

Margaret knew that ever since the car accident, she was no longer the ideal granddaughter-in-law to the Hamilton family. The only reason no one dared to interfere was because of Lester's unwavering determination to marry her.

He was even willing to cut ties with his family. Faced with such resolve, no one dared to stand in his way.

But Lester still had to entertain other guests. He couldn't stay by her side the entire time.

She was wheeled into the yard, where she stared blankly at the night sky. The moon shone brightly, but since her accident, everything in her world had lost its appeal.

Suddenly, hushed voices drifted from the nearby corridor.

"What's so good about a cripple? Lester must be insane."

"Margaret's really shameless for not breaking off the engagement."

"But she's gorgeous. Tasting her even once would be worth it. If I tied her to a bed, she couldn't even run."

The men cackled at their lecherous jokes, but Margaret's blood ran cold.

In the next instant, their laughter was abruptly cut off. The dull sound of a fist landing on a body echoed through the corridor, followed by startled cries.

"Lester, stop!"

Margaret wheeled herself toward the commotion.

At the end of the corridor, a crowd had already gathered. Having heard the men's filthy remarks about her, Lester was now beating them senseless.

Seething, he landed blow after blow with full force. His fists were already bloodied, and it took four or five men to pull him away.

He glared at the half-conscious men and snarled, "Run your mouths again, and I'll cripple you!"

He turned and spotted Margaret not far away. Panic flashed in his eyes as he strode toward her.

Lester reached out to hold her but froze when he realized his hands were covered in blood. Pulling back, he snatched a tissue from a maid and wiped them quickly.

"Margie, did I scare you?"

At that moment, Margaret was reminded of the 18-year-old Lester. He was defiant and bold back then, beating up a boy who had harassed her until he was barely conscious. He'd also asked her right after if he had scared her.

But the next second, his phone rang.

His expression changed. He didn't even have time to comfort her as he hastily said, "Margie, I'll have someone take you home. I have something to deal with. I need to go."