CHAPTER 1

The views in the city of Azura were breathtaking, and nothing could beat the crunch of the leaves beneath her feet as she walked, and it seemed that the huffing wind was too lazy to scatter the leaves. One of these days, she planned to go on a countryside tour with her husband, Kenneth McBride to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Autumn was a season for a fresh start or new beginnings, and it was just one of the reasons why Sabrina Hart loved autumn so much. Temperatures began to fall after the intense heat of summer, and trees that were once green burst into brilliant gold, red, and orange hues.

Yes, she loved autumn but after marrying Kenneth three years ago, she wasn’t able to enjoy her favourite season. She was dripping wet from head to toe as she stood in the garden and she was shivering in the cold but nobody paid attention. Several servants were passing by but she doubted if they ever noticed her! They were focused on the man dressed in a white coat who was standing at the entrance of the villa.

She played no significant role in the household and no one would pay attention to her, despite the fact that she was an heiress of her family’s fortune. It was embarrassing and painful to admit, but the dog that was raised by her husband’s sister was more important to the family. In addition to her misery, she was nothing compared to her sister-in-law, Isabelle Ortega. She and Isabelle were worlds apart, and everyone in the family adored Isabelle, including her husband. Yes, that’s right. Kenneth McBride adored Isabelle and treated her like a precious gem.

Speaking of Isabelle, Sabrina’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Isabelle at the pool. She ran towards her sister-in-law and grabbed the woman’s wrist. “What are you doing? You’re not fit to do it,” she reminded Isabelle that jumping to the pool could be dangerous to her pregnancy. The doctor suggested bed rest for the woman because of cervical insufficiency. “Stop!” She urged Isabelle to stop wiggling her wrist.

Isabelle smirked and said, “Then, stop me.”

Sabrina lost her balance when Isabelle pulled her, and together, they both fell into the water. The deepest part of the pool was only 1.5 meters in depth but it was scary for Sabrina. She was not an adept swimmer unlike Isabelle, so she was struggling to get out of the water. When he saw her husband jumping into the pool, she was relieved. However, he saved the other woman, instead of her. She could only bite her bottom lip as she watched her husband carrying Isabelle.

Kenneth didn’t even notice how much she struggled to get out of the water. With Isabelle in his arms, he ran back to the villa without turning to look at her. She gather all of her strength and courage to get out of the water but as she entered the villa, she heard that Kenneth requested the most qualified medical professional in Azura to check on Isabelle.

Sabrina watched how everyone in her husband’s family encircled Isabelle Ortega. They all looked worried for her sister-in-law, while she was regarded as nothing more than worthless trash. Once again, she was hurt and disappointed at their treatment. Silently, she made her back to her bedroom. Her body was exhausted, and her heart was broken several times! After three years of receiving maltreatment from Kenneth’s family, she should get used to it, but no, it wasn’t the case! She was hurting every single time they would ignore her like a nobody!

Inside her room, Sabrina finally let her sadness and disappointed rolled down her cheeks, and then she walked toward the bathroom. After stripping all of her clothes, she turned on the shower and placed her body under the flowing water. She scrubbed herself clean before going out, then she went to the closet to choose a pajama. After rummaging through her closet, she donned an outgrown set of pajamas.

After drying her hair, she climbed onto the bed and slipped her body under the comforter. Her body and heart were so exhausted, so she dozed off without realizing it, and didn’t wake up until someone ordered her to open her eyes.

"Wake up!"

Sabrina suddenly became aware of a chilly voice in her ears. Then she slowly opened her eyes, and then the blanket that had been draped over her body was suddenly taken away. She just woke up and was disoriented. She had to squint her eyes to see him clearly. When she finally recognized her husband, she instantly blushed.

“How is Isabelle doing?”  Sabrina inquired as she got out of bed. Then, she rubbed her temple as she noticed that Kenneth seemed to be in a foul mood. When the realization hit her, she immediately shook her head to deny something, and said, “I didn’t push her!”

Kenneth regarded her with cold eyes. Then, he scowled at her and ordered, “Get dressed and follow me to the ancestral hall!”

After listening to his words, Sabrina was worried. She stared at her husband, but she was too stunned to speak! She took her time in speaking what was inside her head, but after mustering the courage to ask, she demanded to know the reason. “What do you mean I have to go to the ancestral hall?”

Kenneth narrowed his eyes at her and said, “You should apologize.” After saying that, he didn’t even bother to spare a glance in her direction. “Are you going to get dressed now or I’ll have to drag you in that outfit?”

When Sabrina heard his words, she was taken aback and surprised. It was the same as if she had been submerged in a basin of icy water in the dead of winter and soaked from head to toe. “Listen,” she tried to explain but then he decided to drag her out of the room and into the hallway. It looked like he was dragging something filthy behind him. It looked like he was dragging a bag of garbage!

On the other hand, Kenneth refused to engage in a conversation with Sabrina. Isabelle’s body was weak, and his wife knew too well about Isabelle’s condition. After rescuing her from the pool, he didn’t hesitate to call for medical assistance; however, the unborn child in her womb did not survive, and his brother was devastated by the loss of his only offspring. He blamed Sabrina for everything and he decided it was pointless to continue talking about it! His family was grieving for the loss of his brother’s unborn child, and being Sabrina’s husband, he was partly blamed! He hated Sabrina because of it!

“Kenneth, please listen to me! I didn’t push her!” Sabrina continued to explain her side but he didn’t listen. He refused to listen to her. He refused to give her the benefit of the doubt and continued dragging her body to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall of the McBride family was a dangerous place. There was a rumour that the person who was dragged to the hall recently never came back, and that person was presumed to be dead! Sabrina shivered at the thought of being punished for something she didn’t do!

“I assure you that I didn’t push Isabelle into the pool! In fact, it was her, who pulled me into the pool!” She made a valiant effort to free herself from Kenneth’s grasp but failed. Even as the pain turned her pale, he held onto her even tighter.

“If you have anything to say, please communicate it to my family,” he said.

Sabrina stumbled after Kenneth. She looked at his profile and noticed how well-defined it was. Due to the attractiveness of her husband, she was willing to jeopardize her relationship with her family in order to marry him. She compromised a lot because of him, but in the end, he could never give her the love that she deserved. How ironic! Since they had been married, he had never done anything nice for her, but she endured the pain for three, long years!

It was stupid of her to believe that she could melt the ice in his heart. She was under the impression that she could make him a better person, and she also believed that he would develop some feelings for her, but she was completely wrong! He had no interest in anyone else but Isabelle Ortega!

She was under the impression, for a period of three years, that no matter how icy his heart was, she could make it feel better. However, she was utterly wrong. He had no interest in anyone else but Isabelle Ortega. Kenneth just used her to hide his true relationship with Isabelle. He has totally given his heart to Isabelle, and there is no more space for her!

"Let me go!” Sabrina shouted while using all of her strength to get away from him. Kenneth narrowed his eyes to study her expression, and he was probably shocked to see her chilly smile. “I can walk to the hall,” she said, and her voice was uninterested and flat.

When Kenneth looked at her, his dark eyes flashed with disgust and he turned away. He clamped his lips together and tried to stifle the rage that was rising up in his chest. After that, he got to his feet and started walking in the direction of the ancestral hall.

Sabrina Hart did a complete about-face to confront him. She was convinced that the previous three years had all been an elaborate hoax. She was dressed in nothing but a nightgown that reached her knees and barefoot. She moved cautiously toward the brightly lit ancestral hall while making small steps.

Her eyes darted towards the shoes that was provided, and she recalled that two days earlier, Kenneth had knelt down in front of Isabelle and assisted her in putting on socks and leather shoes before she went out. In addition to that, he was constantly harping on the fact that she had to keep herself warm and look after herself.

Sabrina Hart gave Kenneth McBride a mocking smile. The idea that she wanted to stay with his family was a joke. Then, she looked around and saw that all of his relatives were waiting for her arrival.

"Get on your knees!"