Chapter 3

Sylvia felt a terrible throb in her heart. She looked at Odell, the man that she had adored for more than a decade, who now looked back at her with complete indifference and disdain.

Not only did he not believe Sylvia's explanation, but he even wanted to have her slapped sixty times for Tara’s sake.

Sixty slaps would ruin her face entirely.

Sylvia cried out, “Odell, why don't you break my legs or something? Anything but my face!”

She pleaded on the verge of tears.

Odell only pursed his lips.

This time, it was Tara who tugged his arm. “Forget it, Odell. She only hit me six times. You’re going to ruin her face if you have her slapped sixty times. Besides, my face hurts and we'd better get to a hospital.”

Perhaps it would have been better if she had not said anything at all. Odell promptly commanded the bodyguards, “Do it now!”

The two bodyguards would not dare disobey Odell and immediately held Sylvia down.

Sylvia did not have the strength to resist and was forced onto her knees.

What followed swiftly after was the loud, distinct smack of a palm against her cheeks.

Smack!

The burning sensation spread across that side of her cheeks.

This was merely the beginning.

Before Sylvia could ready herself for it, another slap landed on the other cheek.

Smack, smack…

A series of slaps rang out and echoed across the living room.

There was no telling how much time had passed. It was only after she tasted the metallic blood trickling down her lips and felt her head throbbing endlessly, and her face had become so swollen that she almost passed out when the two bodyguards stopped.

“Master Carter, that’s sixty slaps.” The two bodyguards released Sylvia and reported to Odell.

Sylvia’s seemingly lifeless body slumped onto the floor.

Odell got up and approached Sylvia with several large strides. He stood over her like she was a meaningless subject underneath him.

Sylvia could hardly make out the features of his face due to the pool of tears in her eyes, but she could distinctly feel his sharp eyes fixed on her.

Her first instinct was to curl into a ball in an attempt to shield her face from his scrutinizing glare.

Despite her attempts, Odell squatted in front of her and grabbed her by the chin. He told her venomously, “Sylvia, this is the price you pay for messing with Tara!”

Sylvia bit her lip hard, but that did not stop the tears from spilling out of her eyes.

She broke down and cried.

Odell, how could you be so cruel?!

Odell seemed to be taken aback by this and immediately dropped her chin as if it was a piece of burning coal. He declared impatiently, "I'm taking the child. You have one day to pack up your belongings and get out of here."

Sylvia’s head smacked against the ground again.

As she observed Odell’s tall figure that rose and returned to Tara’s side, she could not stop herself from asking, “Odell Carter, have you never loved me at all throughout all these years?”

His reply was uncaring and cruel. ”I’ve only ever felt nothing but hatred for you.”

Sylvia shuddered all over.

The tears were still streaming down her face down her swollen cheeks that stung with pain.

None of this pain could compare with the incessant throb inside her chest. It was as if something was going to tear her apart from inside her heart!

Ah…

She had had a crush on him ever since she was a child, and for many years, her dream had been to marry him.

Although the circumstances leading to their marriage was manufactured by her to a certain degree, nobody could say that she did not put in her all to become a good wife to him.

She took great caution to try to please him every day, even if he never responded with so much as a smile. As far as she was concerned, she was happy just to have him home with her.

All this time, she thought she could melt his glacier heart by bearing him children.

To find out that he had felt nothing but hatred for her all this time!

All the hopes she carried with her all these years turned out to be nothing but wishful thinking!

“Ha… Haha…” Sylvia started to laugh while still crying.

Odell peered at her swollen face and observed her both crying and laughing at the same time. He felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest, if only for a brief moment.

Immediately after that, he ordered his bodyguards, “Bring the child to me.”

The bodyguard promptly went up the stairs.

That was soon followed by the bawling of a child.

Sylvia suddenly tapped into an unknown source of strength and pulled herself off the ground to rush the bodyguard who carried her child.

“Give my baby back to me!”

The bodyguard effortlessly shoved her out of the way.

She was flung backward and fell to the floor.

The child's cry grew louder in an instant. “Waah, waah!” Sylvia felt something tearing at her heart each time she heard the wails.

The tears that had just stopped suddenly poured out as if a dam had given away.

"Don't take my baby! Give me back my baby!" She cried and crawled out of the living room.

The bodyguards promptly took the child into Odell’s car.

It did not take long before they drove away, and the last of her child’s cries were heard.

Sylvia leaned against the doorway and continued to stifle her tears.

It was at this point that Aunt Tonya ran downstairs. The sight of Sylvia’s swollen, disfigured cheeks enraged her to the point of tears.

“How could he treat you like this?!" She tried to help Sylvia up, feeling immensely sorry for her.

Sylvia threw herself into Aunt Tonya’s embrace and bawled her heart out.

She only stopped crying when her tears had dried up.

She asked in a hoarse voice, "Aunt Tonya, did they notice the other baby?"

Aunt Tonya quickly replied, "No, no, the little girl was very well behaved. I hid her in the closet, and she didn't cry or cause any trouble, so they had no idea.”

Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

With that, she got up on her own without needing help from Aunt Tonya.

It took insurmountable strength just to rise on her feet, but when she finally did so, she stood like an erect statue.

She looked in the direction the car went, her red and swollen eyes carrying a distant look in them.

Suddenly, she announced in a low voice, "Odell Carter, I will never love you again from this day onwards.”