Chapter 1
"Let's stop, Evelyn..."
When Steven called for the seventh pause, Evelyn's hands fell to her sides, her knuckles clenched white.
This wasn't the first time.
After five years of marriage, Steven had grown increasingly cold toward her, and now, Evelyn could see no trace of desire in his eyes.
"Let's try one more..."
Her voice was hoarse as she leaned forward, but Steven caught her wrist.
His palm burned hot yet held her gently. "Don't push yourself, Evelyn. I hate seeing you like this. Let's try again next time, okay?"
Though clearly uncomfortable himself, he still comforted her. Evelyn's eyes burned with unshed tears.
"Alright, I'll shower first."
Emerging from the bathroom, Evelyn called to the man on the bed.
"Steven?"
Steven didn't respond. Lying sideways, his fingers flew across the screen as he chatted with someone.
That tender, doting smile, which Evelyn hadn't seen in ages, played on his lips.
Her grip tightened on the towel as she approached. "Steven, your turn."
Only then did Steven snap back. Rising, he ruffled her hair. "After I shower, I'll take you out for a late-night snack."
Once he entered the bathroom, Evelyn picked up his discarded phone.
Five years after getting married, their passwords remained on each other's birthdays.
She quickly typed the code and opened w******p.
There were two pinned conversations: one with her and one with a young woman labeled "Iris."
The latest messages, sent just moments ago.
Iris: Steven, still no luck?
Steven: Yeah.
Iris: Can I come see you then?
Steven: You're still too young.
Iris: I'm not! I'm grown now.
Steven: Sweet girl, you're too innocent. I can't do it.
The phone's glow palely lit Evelyn's face. Summer night air turned icy against her skin.
An invisible fist clenched her heart, doubling her over with pain. In those minutes, she felt gutted—even her breath tasted of blood.
'Too innocent? Can't bring yourself to touch her?'
Five years ago, Steven had told her the same thing.
Back then, she was the Shepard Family's treasured daughter.
Dressed in a snow-white dress with long, blonde hair, she was a naive girl who knew nothing of the world.
At an auction, she bumped into Steven while he was working part-time as a waiter. Red wine spilled all over her, soaking her chest and revealing her striking figure.
Steven took off his suit jacket and draped it over her and said, "I'm sorry, I'll pay for it. "
Those words captured her heart completely.
Later, he scaled the wall to Shepard's Manor and truly repaid her with a new dress.
From that day on, Evelyn was hopelessly in love.
When her parents objected, she stole the birth certificate, willing to sever ties with them just to be with Steven.
For the next two years, Evelyn crammed into a tiny 215-square-foot tenement with Steven, scraping by in poverty.
Knowing he wanted to start a business, she quietly took odd jobs to earn money.
She didn't cry the first time she waited tables at a restaurant and got scolded as "clumsy." She didn't cry the first time she fainted from heatstroke, handing out flyers. She didn't cry the first time she collapsed from low blood sugar because there wasn't enough food to eat.
