Chapter 3

"Because my husband and mother-in-law treated me so horribly. To them, I was nothing more than trash. They always blamed me and insulted me as they pleased." Caroline clutched her chest, which trembled slightly from her sobs.

Sharing a bit with Ben didn’t seem like a problem. On the contrary, it made her feel a little more at ease. Afterward, Caroline wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Sitting beside her, Ben showed such concern and moved closer.

Caroline continued to stare at Ben. Could this be a good destiny for her, to be in this house? Meeting Ben made her feel like she was being treated like a queen.

"I understand now why you behaved like that towards me before." Ben reached out and gently stroked Caroline's long hair.

Caroline remained silent, just feeling the gentle touch. Ben urged her to rest and pulled the blanket over her.

"Rest now. Don't let yourself keep thinking about negative things. Don't worry, you are much safer here, and no one will bother you." Ben spoke firmly while looking at Caroline.

Caroline nodded, agreeing to Ben's words, and lay down to rest. Ben then left the room. Caroline hoped that Ben was a good person sent by God into her life.

***

Ben sat comfortably in an ergonomic chair, speaking with several subordinates in his room. A few tall and well-built men stood before him, ready to take orders.

"I want you to investigate Caroline’s background—whether her parents are still alive, who her husband and mother-in-law are, and where they live." With a firm demeanor and a clear voice, Ben gave his orders to his men.

"Yes, sir. We’ll handle it properly."

With a wave of his hand, Ben dismissed his subordinates from the room. They promptly obeyed. Ben, of course, was curious and intrigued by Caroline's life.

"So, her husband and mother-in-law didn’t treat her well at home. Alright, I’ll look into this for her." Ben picked up a cigarette and lit it with a lighter.

Smoke billowed throughout the room. Among all the women who had entered his life, only Caroline had managed to captivate him to this extent, even forcing him to reveal her past. Especially after learning that she had married another man.

"It's quite interesting. So, she's married, and yet, I find myself attracted to her," Ben mused, a sly smile spreading across his face as he took a slow drag on his cigarette.

***

Just as she was about to take a bath, Caroline was surprised by the arrival of Flo and several other maids. They brought an assortment of flowers, fresh milk in a glass pitcher, essential oils, and clean towels. Caroline asked what was going on.

"Miss Caroline, you cannot refuse. This is an order from Mr. Charles, and we are here to serve you well," Flo said as she stepped closer to Caroline.

"But you don't have to bother. I can bathe myself," Caroline protested.

"Sorry, Miss, no refusals. If you refuse our services, we will all be punished by Mr. Charles. Do you have the heart to let that happen?" Flo pleaded, her expression pitiable.

Caroline couldn’t bear the thought of Flo and the others being punished because of such a trivial matter. She reluctantly agreed to their assistance and let them escort her to the bathroom.

The servants began to prepare warm water for her to bathe comfortably. They pour fresh milk into the large bathtub and sprinkle various fresh flowers and essential oils for fragrance. Once everything was ready, Flo asked her to take off her clothes.

"Don't feel shy, Miss. We are all women here," Flo assured her with a smile.

"But I still feel awkward and don't want anyone to see me. It's better that you wait outside until I'm done. Thank you."

Finally, Flo and the others obeyed Caroline’s request. Before leaving, they bowed to her one by one and exited the bathroom.

Alone, Caroline undressed and stepped into the bathtub, submerging her body in the warm, milk-infused water surrounded by fresh flowers and fragrant essential oils. The soothing scents filled her senses, and as the soft water caressed her skin, the exhaustion and worries that had been haunting her seemed to melt away.

"This feels so luxurious. So this is what it’s like to live as someone wealthy," Caroline murmured, letting drops of milk glide over her skin.

From outside, Flo called out, asking to come in, but Caroline declined.

"Please wait outside. There’s no need to come in. I can bathe on my own," Caroline replied.

"Alright then, Miss. We won’t enter," Flo’s voice faintly echoed from outside the bathroom but was still audible to Caroline.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Caroline continued to enjoy the comfort of the bath. Her eyes wandered over the bruises on her body—reminders of the abuse she endured from Johan and Victoria, her husband and mother-in-law.

Her abdomen still ached slightly from the kicks Johan had delivered. Ben had always ensured she received the best care while staying in this house—a stark contrast to Johan, who remained her husband.

"Is my marriage with Johan truly beyond repair? Won’t he ever change his ways toward me?"

Caroline let out a long sigh. It seemed futile to hope for Johan to change, especially with Victoria constantly influencing him from behind. Her mother-in-law was cruel and intent on ruining her marriage.

If her relationship with Johan truly couldn’t be saved, Caroline could only accept it as fate. For now, she remained still, savoring the peace of the warm bath.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Caroline froze, fear creeping into her chest as her body began to tremble. Worse, the doorknob started to turn slowly.

"Oh my God, I forgot to lock the door!" Caroline slapped her forehead, realizing her mistake.

Panicking, she called out, pleading for whoever was outside not to enter. The doorknob stopped moving, and Caroline let out a sigh of relief.

"Please, whoever is out there, don’t come in. I’m still bathing."

Her carelessness in forgetting to lock the bathroom door could have led to a much more embarrassing situation, especially if it had been Ben trying to enter. Caroline could only imagine the mortification that would bring.