The Wife He Hated Until He Lost Her

Chapter 3 Punishment

Cutler had barely stepped through the front door when a piercing scream cut through the air from the backyard. His heart skipped a beat the moment he remembered the shepherd dog he'd locked outside, and without a second thought, he sprinted toward the sound.

But what he saw when he arrived froze him in place. Maura was trapped inside the dog cage, bloodied and trembling, pinned beneath the thrashing East German Shepherd. Standing just a few feet away, Audrey watched the scene with cold, unflinching eyes.

"Cutler, help me!" Maura's voice cracked, desperate and terrified.

Snapping back into action, Cutler fumbled with the cage latch and pulled Maura free. He scooped her into his arms, trembling with worry, and whispered, "Shh… It's okay, Maura. You're safe now. Nothing's going to happen."

Maura curled up against his chest, trembling violently, tears streaming down her face as she turned to Audrey with raw anger. "Audrey… you abandoned Cutler when he was poor. You left him because of money, because of pride. Don't you think it's only fair that he hates you now? Why are you dragging me into this? Why trick me into that cage?"

Hearing this, Cutler's fury erupted like a volcano. His eyes darkened, veins throbbing, as he glared at Audrey. "Audrey… a woman like you, obsessed with vanity and status, never deserved anyone's love. The whole damn world turns its back on you, and you still can't figure out why? Maura never did a thing to you—why do you keep tearing at her like a rabid animal?"

Audrey shook her head weakly, gesturing at the deep bite marks covering her body. "I didn't do this to her. The moment she saw you coming, she crawled in there herself. The dog attacked me. These wounds—they're real. Look at them if you don't believe me…"

"Enough!" Cutler's roar sliced through the air like a whip. "You really think I'm dumb enough to buy a few fake scratches you slapped on yourself? You'd better start praying Maura makes it through this. Because if anything happens to her…"

He didn't get to finish. Maura suddenly collapsed, drained from blood loss. Cutler's face turned pale with shock. Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and ran straight out.

Audrey stood frozen, watching his broad back disappear around the corner. A thin, hollow despair settled deep in her chest, colder than the evening wind.

She finally understood how utterly insignificant she had become in Cutler's eyes—so despised that she would go as far as hurting herself just to frame Maura.

A bitter, self-mocking smile curved her lips. She dragged her weak body back inside, forcing herself to clean her wounds despite the pain.

After all, her days were already numbered. Rabies or infection didn't matter anymore.

Just as she finished, the door slammed open. Cutler stormed in, fury radiating off him like heat.

"Twenty-three stitches," he snarled, voice thick with rage. "Maura's terrified of needles, terrified of pain—and because of you, she passed out three separate times on that table. You're going to pay for every single second of her agony."

Before Audrey could even open her mouth, he grabbed her roughly and dragged her to the hospital entrance, forcing her to her knees.

"Maura is still unconscious. Until she wakes, you're going to stay here and pray for her. You'd better pray with every ounce of sincerity—otherwise, if anything happens to her, I swear I will never forgive you!"

Audrey opened her mouth, trying to protest, but Cutler didn't give her a chance. He turned on his heel and left. She lunged, grasping for the leg of his pants, but it was too late—her hands closed on nothing but air.

Under the blazing sun, Audrey was left kneeling at the hospital entrance under Cutler's watch. Two long days and nights passed this way.

People walked by, whispering, pointing, staring—but no one dared to approach.

Her dignity was trampled beneath their eyes, but the humiliation paled in comparison to the searing pain tearing through her damaged organs.

Even in the relatively cool air, sweat ran down her body in cold, clammy sheets.

She tried asking Cutler's men to talk to him and ask him to let her go, but Cutler had already devoted all his attention to Maura. The moment he heard Audrey's name, his face darkened immediately, and he told his men to get lost.

Finally, on the fourth day, Audrey collapsed completely.

As her consciousness slipped away, she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching through the haze.