The (Deserved) Liberation of Arya A.

A man's childhood friend was trapped in an elevator for an hour. The very next day, he locked his own six-year-old daughter inside a suitcase for an entire day and night. Arya Simmons was overseas on a business trip at the time. She could only watch in horror as the suitcase rocked violently through the home surveillance camera. Panic seized her. She immediately called him and demanded, "Have you lost your mind?! Millie's only six! Why would you do this?! Why are you locking her in there?! Get her out now!" "Because if she hadn't been playing with those elevator buttons, Nancy wouldn't have gotten trapped in the elevator," he replied in a chilling, almost threatening voice. "Nancy is claustrophobic! Do you have any idea how terrified she was?" he continued. "That's why that brat needs a lesson she'll never forget. What better way to teach her than to make her go through the same thing?" Chapter 1 "Nancy! F-Fucking Nancy again! All you ever seem to care about is Nancy-bloody-Love!" Arya snarled in panicked rage as she threw up a hand to hail a taxi. She had to get to the airport now, or she might lose her daughter forever. She could not count on Armie suddenly coming to his senses and getting their daughter out of there. That man was a psycho, full stop. He would do anything for Nancy, even things no sane person would ever consider. The last time Nancy complained about sharing a car ride with someone else, Armie abandoned Arya and their daughter on the side of the freeway in the middle of a snowstorm. Another time, Nancy mentioned she was allergic to dogs. In response, Armie took Millie's pet dog, her loyal companion for years, straight to the meat grinder without so much as blinking. If Nancy so much as complimented Arya's dress, Armie would demand that Arya take it off in public so Nancy could wear it instead. And now, because he believed Millie had trapped Nancy in an elevator for an hour, he had already locked his own flesh and blood inside a suitcase overnight. Arya could not take her eyes off her phone for more than a second. The live camera feed showed the suitcase rocking less and less. Through the microphone, her daughter's cries were growing weaker. She could feel the cracks in her heart spreading. She could no longer hold back her panicked sobs. "Armie, please, listen to me! Please... I'm begging you... Let Millie out! Just let her go… She's your own daughter! Don't you feel anything for her? "I'll do anything if you'll just let her out. Please! I'll... I'll even agree to a divorce! Nancy can take my place. She can marry you, just like you've always wanted!" All it earned her was a sneer. "You think I'm that naive, Arya? Say we get divorced. Then what? You'll just fill my grandma's head with lies so she'll make Nancy's life hell, won't you?" He snickered. "Regretting it now, Arya? Why didn't you think about this on the day you forced me to marry you as compensation for saving her life?" He ended the call before Arya could correct him, but that was not the coldest silence she faced. It was her daughter. She could no longer hear Millie's cries through the surveillance feed. Despair swallowed Arya whole. She had never regretted marrying Armie Simmons more than she did at that moment. … Arya Alexander had grown up in a welfare home. She worked tirelessly to earn a place at one of the capital's elite high schools before gaining admission to the nation's top university. She had planned to apply for a state scholarship to pursue her master's degree until she accidentally saved a wealthy old woman who had suffered a sudden heart attack. Gloria Simmons had been so overjoyed and grateful that she insisted Arya marry her grandson. "I'm sure you've seen him before, child. He went to the same high school and university as you! This has to be fate!" Arya had intended to refuse. She appreciated the old woman's gratitude, but she had never planned to accept such an offer. She was about to explain that she already had feelings for someone else when she discovered that Gloria's grandson was Armie, the man she had secretly loved since high school. That changed everything. When the old woman tried to bring them together, Arya could hardly contain her happiness. She abandoned every hope and dream she had built for herself and threw herself headlong into the promise of marriage. She never imagined she would spend her wedding night alone in their bedroom. A few days later, she tracked him down at a club and found him dancing with Nancy Love. His hands rested possessively on Nancy's waist as they swayed against each other. It was the first time Arya had ever confronted him in anger. "You told me you had an emergency at the office!" Armie sneered, "Why are you acting like this is news to you, Arya? You knew the truth from the beginning. Everyone in this city knows Nancy is the woman I love. But you weaponized my grandma's gratitude and forced me into this marriage. That's all this farce has ever been. "So I decided I'd give you exactly what you wanted. Wealth? Prestige? The ridiculous title of 'Mrs. Simmons'? Fine. You can have all of it. But in return, you stay out of my life, and I don't have to care about yours." It was a brutal night. Arya realized she had never been anything more than a tool. There was a reason an experienced matriarch of an elite family had insisted her grandson marry a stranger over a single act of kindness. Gloria had acted out of spite because Nancy's family had been the Simmons family's rivals for generations. It had never mattered who saved Gloria that day. Whoever it was would have become Armie's bride, regardless of what he wanted. It had never been pre-destined. It had been rotten luck. … The plane touched down. Arya braved the snowstorm and ran all the way home without even thinking about hailing a cab. She burst through the front door and raced upstairs. Her trembling fingers fumbled with the suitcase locks. "Millie! Millie..." The moment she opened the suitcase, a wave of foul stench hit her. The tiny body inside had gone stiff, frozen forever in an unnatural position. Tear tracks still streaked her cheeks like shallow scratches. Arya felt as though she had been struck by a train. She gathered Millie into her arms and sobbed until sunrise. Through her tears, she demanded to know why none of the maids had freed her daughter. "My apologies, but Mr. Simmons said no one was allowed to release Miss Millie without his permission," came the indifferent, almost mechanical reply. It was the second most brutal night of Arya's life. She had endured Armie for eight long years. In return, she had received no kindness, no humanity, no gratitude, not even the smallest measure of respect. The only thing she had gained was her daughter's cold, lifeless body in her arms. She wiped away her tears with mechanical movements. She prepared a simple farewell for Millie, a child whose life had ended far too soon, then armed herself with a knife. She stormed into Armie's office. He did not even bother to look up. "So, did the brat learn her lesson?" Arya laughed as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. "Lesson? She's dead, you fucking monster! Her greatest mistake was having you as her father! My greatest mistake was marrying you! "You're not human, Armie! You're the fucking Devil who's been stalking this Earth for far too long! And now, I'm sending you back to where you belong!" Armie's expression finally changed. He frowned and looked up just as Arya lunged at him, the knife flashing in her hand. The office door flew open. Nancy threw herself forward and caught the blade with her bare hands. Blood immediately spilled onto the floor. Armie panicked. "Nancy!" He shoved Arya away with all his strength. Her lower back slammed into the sharp corner of the desk, and a burst of agony shot through her spine. He pulled Nancy into his arms and growled, "You'll pay for this! If anything happens to her... you'll pay with your life!" He sprinted out of the office carrying Nancy in his arms. He did not spare Arya so much as a glance. Arya sucked in a sharp breath through the pain, but it was nothing compared to the agony of losing her daughter. 'Monster.' She could not stay there for another moment. She had to leave this city, leave that monster behind, and take Millie's ashes with her. Arya was calm in the way only someone driven beyond reason could be. She ignored the dark bruise spreading across her waist and the blood slowly trickling down her side as she made her way to the Simmons estate. "Madam Simmons, I am getting a divorce." Chapter 2 "You told me that I could leave if Armie never fell in love with me within three years. That time has long since passed," Arya said. Gloria had already learned of her great-granddaughter's death. The news devastated her, but she still wanted to persuade Arya to stay. Before she could speak, Arya cut her off, "I know what you're about to say, so let me stop you right there. "I could tolerate Armie cheating on me with Nancy. I endured it all for Millie's sake. But my daughter's gone now. He killed her. There's no way, in any possible universe, that a mother could forgive her husband for doing that." The conviction in her voice and the tears in her eyes pierced Gloria's heart. Regret twisted inside her like a knife. It hurt to see Arya reduced to this. "We owe you so much, Arya. I'm too ashamed to even ask you to stay. I'll make the necessary arrangements for your divorce. You'll also receive half of the Simmons family's wealth. I only hope that's enough compensation for everything you and Millie endured." After receiving Gloria's approval, Arya moved forward with the next steps of her plan. First, she booked a flight for the following week. Then she hired a lawyer to build a case against Armie and Nancy. Once everything was in place, she turned off her phone and forced herself to sleep. She had been so overwhelmed with work that she barely found time to eat, and that was before she rushed home from abroad to save her daughter. Now she had lost both her job and her child. It felt as though her life had ended. At last, exhaustion overtook her. Arya closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep. … A suffocating sensation jolted Arya awake. She snapped her eyes open. Her hands were bound. She was trapped inside a transparent tank, partially submerged in water that continued to rise. Snakes writhed around her, their fangs scraping and biting at her skin. Armie stood outside the tank, watching her with a cold, unreadable expression. "What the hell is this?!" she shouted. "You've been disobedient, Arya," he said flatly. "You stabbed Nancy last time. She begged me to spare your life, so I did. But now you're suing both of us? For what? Just because we left Millie in a suitcase?" *Just?* He made murdering his own daughter sound like a minor inconvenience. The memory of Millie's broken body inside that suitcase ignited a blaze of fury within her. She wanted nothing more than to kill him and Nancy where they stood. "You're a fucking monster, Armie Simmons! Locking our daughter in a suitcase wasn't enough for you, was it, you sick bastard? Now you've locked me inside this torture chamber! Did you even realize you mur—" "Enough!" he barked. "I didn't come here to listen to your hysterical rambling. I want you to drop the lawsuit and apologize to Nancy, along with Millie. Do that, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened." Arya burst into laughter. "Fuck you! Drown me, you son of a bitch. I'm never dropping the charges!" She intended to charge him with manslaughter and expose every abuse and humiliation she had suffered throughout their eight-year marriage. The water climbed to her nose. Every breath became a struggle. She rose onto her tiptoes to keep her face above the surface, but her footing slipped, and she splashed back into the rising water. It pulled her under. Maybe she really was going to see Millie sooner than she had expected. Suddenly, someone threw a net into the tank and hauled her out. Armie grabbed her chin and squeezed hard enough to force her to meet his eyes. "I underestimated your stubbornness, Arya. I was willing to give you and Millie a chance to apologize to Nancy for my grandmother's sake. But you spat on my mercy. "You forced my hand. You'd better hope your lawyer has someone powerful backing them, because anyone who helps you with this case will face my wrath." With that, the devil walked away. Arya's phone suddenly vibrated. Her lawyer was calling. "Miss Alexander, are you trying to get me killed? Mr. Simmons had someone in the authorities suspend my business for an 'investigation.' Everyone at my firm has already been blacklisted across the industry—" She couldn't hear another word. A sharp ringing filled her ears. It felt as though someone had slapped her across the face. Arya had always known Armie could be ruthless, but she had never imagined he would turn that ruthlessness against her. How had it come to this? How had he become this person? He had once been her savior in high school. When she first transferred in, she was bullied and ostracized. Armie brought her into the student council and told her to prove herself through hard work and ability. She struggled with math and physics, so he tutored her every day after school and encouraged her to aim for the country's most prestigious universities. When she came down with a high fever, he personally took her to the hospital under the pretense of looking after one of the student council members. He reminded her to take care of herself because no amount of money could ever buy back someone's health. His words were sharp, and he often came across as aloof and difficult, but beneath that exterior, he had always been kind to her. His support inspired her and gave her the confidence to become a better version of herself. Then, on the very day Arya received her acceptance letter from Svavard University and gathered the courage to confess her feelings, Nancy returned from abroad. It was the first time she had ever seen Armie come close to tears. Only then did Arya realize the truth. The only reason he had treated her so well was that she resembled Nancy. She hadn't even been his second choice. She had been nothing more than a substitute. At least, being someone's second choice meant there was a chance they might choose you someday. A substitute, however, was nothing more than a cheap imitation destined to live in someone else's shadow. Their marriage had simply become another extension of that reality. Nancy's shadow had never stopped hanging over it. "Listen to me, Miss Alexander." The lawyer's voice pulled her back to reality. "Don't fight him. You can't win." The lawsuit was withdrawn against her wishes. Arya felt her heart sink. With her mind numb, she stumbled to the hospital to have her injuries treated. She had just finished the admission paperwork for a short stay when the door to her room swung open. Nancy sauntered inside and dropped a trash bag onto her lap. Millie's urn was inside. Chapter 3 A chill seized Arya's bones. Her hands trembled as she lifted the lid of the urn. There was nothing inside. "W-What have you done? Where is Millie?!" Nancy admired the agony on her face. "You mean that pile of dust that belonged in the trash? Well, I've put it to far better use than letting it waste away in a plot of land. I used it in one of my chemistry experiments. You should be proud! Millie is finally useful... after death. "Oh, I should probably tell you this as a courtesy. I was the one who gave him the idea of trapping her in the suitcase. I only tossed it out as a half-joke, but wow, Armie took it so seriously! He didn't even care that she was his own daughter! "Ooh, do you think he might really be into me, Arya? It makes me wonder... What exactly do you think you have that could ever beat me?" She held out her hand. A pink diamond ring glittered blindingly on her ring finger. Arya remembered Armie spending a fortune on that very ring at an auction some time ago. It was one of a kind, and everyone had assumed he bought it as a gift for his wife. Now it rested on Nancy's finger. "So what if you were Mrs. Simmons, hmm? Has my Armie ever bought you a diamond ring? Has he ever taken wedding photos with you? Has he ever taken you on a honeymoon? Hell, did he even care about that little bitch you gave birth to—" Arya's fist connected with Nancy's cheek before she could finish. In a flash, she tackled her, grabbed a fistful of her hair, slammed her to the ground, straddled her back, and rained blow after blow across her body. "This is for plotting against, hurting, and killing an innocent little girl! This is for being a shameless homewrecker! This is for driving a fucking wedge into my marriage for eight years!" Arya shrieked between blows. Her eyes were bloodshot with rage and hatred. She wrapped both hands around Nancy's neck. "I'll fucking kill you for what you've done!" Nancy only grinned. She smiled at Arya's fury as though she had been waiting for it all along. At that moment, something flew out of nowhere and smashed into Arya's head. It was a vase. The shattered pieces sliced through her skin. Blood streamed down her forehead, ran over her eyebrows, and dripped onto the floor. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Armie bellowed as he rushed to Nancy's side. The sight of blood on Nancy's face sent him into a fury. He ordered his bodyguards to seize Arya and force her onto the floor. She struggled and screamed, "Let me go! Do you have any idea what she's done?! She killed her! She killed Millie! She used her ashes in s-s-some chemistry experiment—" Armie snapped, "Shut the hell up! Do you think I'm that stupid?! The butler already told me Millie went missing the day you came back to the villa. "How shameless can you be?! Instead of apologizing to Nancy, you took that brat and hid her away instead of teaching her to own up to her mistakes. And now you're making up lies and telling everyone she's dead! "What kind of sick mother are you?!" His words drove into her chest like nails. 'A sick mother…' She had never missed a single important moment in Millie's life. She had watched her grow from a baby into a toddler. She had watched her take her first steps, speak her first words, and start nursery school. She had even attended her funeral. Armie could not even remember his own daughter's name until she was three years old. Yet, in the cruelest irony imaginable, Millie's father remained the only person who still had no idea his daughter was already dead. And he dared call her a sick mother. The air in the room became suffocating. "Stop fighting, please!" Nancy cried through her tears. "I only wanted to apologize to Arya. My presence must have caused so much pain in her and Millie's lives. I just wanted to make it up to her!" Arya was about to expose her lies when Armie declared, "No! Don't apologize! You haven't done anything wrong. None of this has anything to do with you! "Both she and that idiotic brat deserved what happened to them. There's nothing you need to make up for. They got exactly what they deserved. You don't owe anyone an apology." He turned to Arya, and every trace of warmth vanished from his eyes. "As for you... if you can't even be bothered to raise Millie properly, then I'll find someone who can. And since you clearly can't behave yourself either, you need to learn a lesson the old-fashioned way. He said coldly, "An eye for an eye. It's a punishment as old as time. Every hit you landed on her will now be returned to you." The storm in his eyes made Arya's stomach knot with dread. "What are you sayi—" A sharp slap cut her off. Before Arya could even process what had happened, the two bodyguards took turns striking her across the face. Both cheeks swelled almost immediately. Blood and saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth. Several teeth broke loose and fell onto the floor. At last, it ended. The bodyguards released her, and she collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud. Armie never blinked as he watched her suffer. "It's like I don't even know you anymore, Arya. Weren't you doing such a wonderful job playing Mrs. Simmons in public? Always so graceful. So elegant. "What happened? Did my grandmother cut your allowance? Why the hell can't you put in the same effort now? "Whatever. I don't give a damn why. What I do care about is this. Let this be the last time you ever act like a bitch... for your own sake." He scooped Nancy into his arms and walked away without sparing Arya a single glance. Chapter 4 Armie had not visited Arya once during the three days she stayed in the hospital. Instead, she received a notice from a student counselor at her alma mater, Svavard U, asking her to attend rehearsals for the university's 70th anniversary. Arya had confirmed her attendance a month earlier. She had been invited to speak as one of the university's most distinguished alumni. When she first received the invitation, Millie had been thrilled. "Dad's going with you this time, right?" Armie overheard her as he stepped into the house, and his face darkened. "You're using a child to pressure me into indulging your selfish fantasy?!" Arya had wanted to explain, but he refused to listen. "You have no idea how ridiculous you sound. Who do you think you are? Nancy? You don't deserve to stand beside me!" From that day on, Millie became painfully self-conscious whenever she spoke. Every time she talked to her father, she would quietly ask Arya, "Did I say something wrong to him?" She was only six. Six-year-olds were supposed to run around and say the funniest, most innocent things, not walk on eggshells with every word. The memory of the life her daughter had lived before her harrowing death shattered the fragile composure Arya had managed to hold together. Silent tears streamed down her face. After she finally calmed herself, she wiped away her tears and replied to the message. … As part of the anniversary program, Arya joined a group of Svavard U administrators on a campus tour. When they reached the science building, two painfully familiar voices drifted from one of the laboratories, chatting and laughing together. She looked up. Sure enough, Armie and Nancy were inside, apparently conducting an experiment. Their conversation was animated, almost intimate. They leaned close to whisper into each other's ears again and again until the space between them seemed to disappear. They looked like a couple basking in the glow of a recent confession. Everyone in the group knew about Arya and Armie's relationship. Embarrassed, curious glances quickly turned toward her. The counselor hurried to smooth things over. "Ah, that's Professor Nancy Love. We hired her from overseas as one of our chemistry lecturers. "As for Mr. Simmons, this building was funded through his generous donation. He's also serving as a special consultant..." 'Really?' From where Arya stood, the only person he seemed interested in consulting was Nancy. Besides, why was a man with an MBA serving as a special consultant for a chemistry department? 'What a joke.' Arya intended to pretend she had never seen them and continue walking with the group. Then a deafening explosion erupted behind her. "The lab! The lab's on fire! It's on fire!" The science building erupted into flames. Fire roared through the structure as thick black smoke billowed into the sky like a stampede of dark horses. Inside, panic spread just as quickly. A desperate crowd surged toward the exits. Someone slammed into Arya from behind before she even realized what had happened. She lost her footing and fell as people trampled past her in their frantic attempt to escape. Amid the chaos, someone grabbed her hand and tried to pull her to her feet. She looked up and found Nancy wearing a saccharine smile while Armie glared at her. "Nancy! I know you're kindhearted, but you don't have to risk your life for every goddamn person you see!" Armie snapped. Then he turned to Arya. "Don't just stand there! Move your ass already! If we weren't trying to save you, neither of us would be trapped in this fire! You're a goddamn waste of everyone's life!" The flames licking around her had already scorched her skin and raised painful blisters, yet Arya had never felt so cold. Was this the same monster who had stood just as cold and furious while his daughter lay dying inside a suitcase? Suddenly, one of the burning pillars beside Arya and Nancy cracked. "Watch out, Nancy!" Armie lunged forward and shoved Nancy out of the way in a single motion. The collapsing pillar shattered as it fell. Burning debris crashed onto Arya's thigh, scorching the flesh beneath it. The smell of her own burning skin filled the air as agony pinned her to the ground. "Help me!" she screamed. "Armie!" He had already swept Nancy into his arms and sprinted toward the exit without sparing Arya a single glance. "No, Arya! You should've gotten up and run when you had the chance! You're a fucking piece of deadweight! I'm not stupid enough to risk my life for someone that stupid and insignificant!" Arya watched him disappear through the smoke, and her heart broke. This was not the first fire they had endured together. Back then, Armie had already escaped to safety, only to run back inside to save her. Afterward, she had asked him, "What if you'd died in that fire because you came back for me? Wouldn't that have been a terrible loss?" The eighteen-year-old Armie had looked genuinely offended. "Excuse me? You're the vice president of the student council I've always admired! I want everyone to know I've got your back. How am I supposed to prove that if I run away and leave you behind? "Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anything happen to you." The eighteen-year-old Armie had been the kindest man Arya had ever known. That made it even harder to believe that the same young man had grown into the cold, apathetic, cruel monster who could look her in the eye and tell her that her life was too insignificant to save. Arya thought this was where everything would end. Then a blast of icy water rained over her. The firefighters and paramedics had arrived. She survived. As she was carried from the burning building, she saw Armie climbing into an ambulance with Nancy. Standing beside the stretcher, he clutched her hand and shouted in panic, "Hang on! Don't close your eyes! We're almost at the hospital, Nancy! Stay with me!" He had once said those same words to Arya. "Open your eyes, Arya! Look at me! Don't you dare fall asleep! I won't let you go! H-Hey! Don't scare me like that! You can't die on me. What am I supposed to do for the rest of my life? Live with regrets forever? "Arya, look at me, please. Just open your eyes." The memory of the man he used to be collided with the man he had become, setting her chest ablaze with grief. She closed her eyes and let the sorrow consume her. Chapter 5 The next time Arya opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the sharp scent of antiseptic. Armie stood beside her bed. "Oh, you're awake?" he asked with suspicious warmth. "Good. Tomorrow is Grandma's birthday party. Nancy will be there too. You know what to do, right?" A bitter smile tugged at Arya's lips. For eight years, Armie had never treated her with even basic decency. He had not even visited her after she gave birth to Millie. He simply could not have cared less about her. Now, after all this time, he had finally come to see her only because he wanted her to make Nancy's time at Gloria's birthday party easier. Arya's throat tightened with unshed tears, leaving her unable to answer. It did not matter anyway. He took her silence as an opportunity to continue. "If you manage to stop Grandma from harassing Nancy, I'll forgive Millie for her transgression and let her come home. "I'll also have someone set up a trust fund in Millie's name. The two of you will never have to worry about money again. I promise." It was the same as always. Armie acted like a feudal lord, while Arya was less his wife than a homeless woman after his money. The humiliation he had inflicted on her over the years had already exceeded her limit. She no longer had the heart to remind him that Millie had already been cremated. Any strength or determination she had left to avenge her daughter or scream her hatred at him had long since disappeared. Her heart had died. In a weary voice, she said, "Millie doesn't need your forgiveness or a trust fund. Just leave." Armie assumed she had finally stopped insisting on her so-called lie. Disgust and contempt deepened in his eyes. "You'd better not disappoint me tomorrow." Arya wanted to tell him then and there that she had no intention of attending the party. Before the words could leave her mouth, however, her phone buzzed with a text from Gloria. Gloria: [You'll come to my birthday tomorrow, won't you? Let it be our last time together. A proper farewell.] Gloria was the only member of the Simmons family who had ever truly cared about her and Millie. "Fine. I'll attend, but not for you or Nancy," Arya said at last. Armie assumed she was simply playing hard to get. "Pfft. Whatever helps you sleep at night." … It was Gloria's birthday, yet none of Arya's injuries had healed. She was still exhausted, and the last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. She found a quiet corner where no one would notice her and sat alone while Armie and Nancy openly flaunted their affection. They danced through song after song. They performed piano duets together. They even fed each other desserts while the guests watched in fascination. Gloria looked ready to explode, but Arya gently stopped her. "It's not worth ruining your birthday over me, Grandma. At your age, it's better to stay calm." Besides, Arya felt nothing anymore. Whatever feelings she had once harbored for Armie had died and been cremated alongside her daughter. Those two could be as intimate as they pleased, and it would no longer affect her life. The emptiness on Arya's face broke the old woman's heart. With a quiet sigh, Gloria invited her to the study to sign the wealth division agreement. Nancy was already waiting outside the study. The sweet, gentle mask she always wore in public vanished the moment she saw them. Gloria flew into a rage. She raised her cane to strike Nancy. "What are you doing here? The Simmons family never wanted you, so get out!" Nancy caught the cane with ease before shoving the old woman backward. "Shut up, you ancient bitch," she said flatly. "If it weren't for your meddling, Armie and I wouldn't have been forced apart for so many years. You're the problem. An old hag like you should've died long ago, just like that little bastard the bitch gave birth to." Arya's heart lurched. There was something in Nancy's eyes, a dangerous kind of madness. Arya reacted too late. Nancy shoved Gloria down the staircase. The old woman tumbled down the steps and slammed into the wall. The impact knocked a vase off a nearby shelf. It crashed onto her head, and within minutes, blood soaked through her hair. Horror and fury surged through Arya. "What the fuck?! Are you insane?! That's Armie's grandmother!" Nancy grinned. "Oh, don't worry. You're next." She suddenly slapped herself across the face with all her strength before ripping open the collar of her dress. "Help! Arya killed someone!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The guests immediately rushed toward the commotion. Armie reached Nancy first and quickly wrapped his overcoat around her shoulders. Then his gaze landed on Gloria's unconscious, blood-covered body. "I just wanted to say hello to your grandmother, Armie..." Nancy sobbed. "T-Then I saw Arya push her down the stairs... and then she attacked me. She tried to..." She did not need to finish. The guests had already made up their minds. "I heard Mrs. Simmons has problems with her husband, but did she really take it out on an innocent old woman just because she's his grandmother?" "If she'd murder the guest of honor while we're all here, imagine what she'd do when no one's watching." "My God. I feel terrible for Mr. Simmons. He married a she-devil." Disgust, contempt, and vicious accusations rained down on Arya. Reeling, she stumbled backward. "No! It wasn't me! It was Nancy! She did it!" Armie roared as he clamped a crushing grip around her wrist, "Enough! She has done nothing but treat you with kindness. She's defended you, looked after you, and even coddled you. And this is how you repay her? "You're rotten, disgusting, and insane. Even now, you're still trying to blame Nancy. You're still throwing around lies and baseless accusations against her. "I had no idea you were capable of something this depraved, Arya. I never knew you were this fucking blackhearted!" He thundered, "If anything happens to my grandmother... you'll die that very same day!" He shoved her aside before ordering the maids and butler to get Gloria to the hospital. Arya slammed into the corner of a table. Pain shot through her body, but she could not afford to think about it. She had to clear her name. She could not bear the thought of being branded a murderer. She hurried toward the estate's exit but was immediately stopped by Armie's security guards. "Arya Simmons?" one of them said. "I'm afraid you're not permitted to leave the premises. Mr. Simmons has ordered us to detain you because he believes you're mentally unstable and require intensive psychiatric treatment." Chapter 6 Arya was dragged by force to a mental institution. In the darkness of the night, she heard her own heart pounding in her ears as she clung desperately to a lamppost just outside the gate. "I am not mad! I don't wanna go in there! I don't consent, and he has no right to institutionalize me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Help! Somebody, anybody! Help me!" Not a single bystander dared to intervene. Some even looked at her as though she already belonged in the asylum. Arya's strength and hope drained away as Armie's bodyguards dragged her through the gates. The moment she was inside, a group of violent psychiatric patients descended on her. They hacked off her beautiful hair until only a few ragged patches remained. They forced her to drink an unknown liquid after spitting into it. Then they beat her with batons until several of her bones broke. Pain consumed her. Blood seeped from her lower abdomen. Arya had never imagined that simply staying alive could hurt so much. She could not stop thinking about that night when the suitcase had rocked and trembled beneath the surveillance camera. The cries that echoed from inside it were piercing and heart-rending. "Dad! Dad! I'm sorry, Dad! I won't do it again, I promise! Let me go, please! I promise I'll behave! "I'm scared! I don't wanna die! Someone help me! Please! "Mom! Help me, Mom! Please be here, Mom..." Those cries never left her. Every night she heard them. Every night they tortured her heart. They had come from an unreachable distance back then, yet now they sounded hauntingly close. *Oh, Millie... Were you in this much agony? Were you this terrified?* Reality began to unravel. Somewhere between delusion and consciousness, Arya thought she saw her daughter smiling at her with an angelic warmth. Then she heard Millie's voice again, but this time it carried only love. "I love you, Mommy!" Arya dissociated. Nancy suddenly stepped out through a side door. "Alright, that's enough of a lesson. I don't actually need her dead." She tossed a check to the asylum director. "Get rid of this bitch. I don't ever want her anywhere near my dear Armie again!" Greed and cruelty flashed across the director's face. "Oh, mark my words. This bitch will never get another chance to come between you and your beau. I'll send her to the poorest, most isolated mountain village you can imagine. The people there are downright savage. She'll never escape." Arya could no longer make out the rest of the conversation. Her body suddenly felt weightless as they shoved her into the back of a van and drove her toward that "backwater place." Her survival instinct forced her back to awareness. When no one was watching, she reached into her bag and pulled out a watch. Arya had custom-made it for Millie before leaving for work. It contained an emergency GPS system that could transmit a distress signal to the local authorities. It was a gift she had never gotten the chance to give her daughter before she died. Now, it had become Arya's only hope. In a cruel twist of fate, Millie was the one who saved her. The first rays of dawn pierced the tyranny of the night. Warm light fell across Arya's battered face and revealed the faintest smile on her lips. 'Liberation…'