Shards of crystal flew through the air, slicing into my leg and leaving a series of deep cuts.

Dark red blood trickled down my skin.

He stared at me, his eyes filled with cruelty, not a shred of pity in them.

"Clara Lane, I offer you a supporting role next to Tanya, and you have the audacity to act high and mighty?"

"You're nothing without me! I can make one triple-crown actress, and I can make another!"

"You want to leave? Fine. But you'll take off every piece of clothing on your body first!"

"Everything you eat, everything you wear—wasn't it all a gift from the Croft family?"

The girl, Tanya, hid in Julian's arms, her eyes red as she trembled.

"Julian, honey, please don't fight with Clara because of me. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so greedy, wanting her leading role. I don't want it anymore, okay?"

A year ago, an old friend from the industry had encouraged me to make a comeback, offering me the lead role in his new film—a mute painter.

I spent a year learning to paint and studying sign language for the role.

But right before filming started, I was notified that I had been replaced. The new lead was Julian's spoiled little starlet, Tanya.

Afterward, he personally wrote a press release praising her natural talent and her youthful, delicate face.

I became the laughingstock of the industry. Everyone said the once-glorious triple-crown actress would soon be cast out by the Croft family.

Julian pulled the girl closer, planting a heavy kiss on her lips, but his eyes remained fixed on me.

"My leading roles are only for women who know how to behave."

"Someone! Strip her clothes off her!"

My eyes burned as I stared at Julian. Ten years of marriage, and he could be this heartless.

Maria, the housekeeper, tried to intervene. "Mr. Croft, don't you remember? The madam just had a miscarriage last week. You can't..."

He only grew more irritated. "Who asked you to speak? Strip her!"

The other servants looked back and forth between us, hesitating.

I took matters into my own hands, shrugging off the blazer over my silk dress and kicking off my red-soled heels.

The shoes hit the floor with a dull thud. "Is that enough?"

I turned to leave, but he lunged forward and ripped my dress.

"You're leaving that dress behind, too. Including the lingerie you have on underneath."

I stared at him in disbelief. "I bought this dress myself! It has nothing to do with you!"

He sneered. "You bought it? You've been a housewife for ten years. Where did you get the money? Strip her naked!"

The servants swarmed me, tearing away the last remnants of my dress.

I fought back, but they kicked me hard in the stomach. Blood trickled from between my legs.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to cover my shame. I bit my lip so hard it bled, tears streaming down my face.

He held Tanya, looking down on me. "See that? This is what happens when you're disobedient."

Tanya wrapped her arms around Julian's neck and gave him a long kiss.

"Tanya is always a good girl. I'll never make you angry, Julian. Not like some people who don't know what's good for them."

Julian's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes darkening with lust.

He swept her up into his arms, and the girl's startled cry echoed from inside the house.

Maria looked at me with pity, taking off her own coat and draping it over my shoulders. "Oh, you poor child. This is a sin."

I buried my face in the coat and finally broke down, sobbing.

I never imagined that in this home, where I had poured ten years of my life, the only person to show me a final shred of decency would be the housekeeper I had known for less than three months.