Chapter 1 On their fifth wedding anniversary , Silas Erelan's gift to Lilian Lorvain was to force 999 bottles of hard liquor down her throat . " Silas , I really can't drink anymore … " Lilian's voice was hoarse as she begged for mercy . He gave a cold , mirthless laugh , then leaned in close . " Your parents loved drinking , didn't they ? Loved it so much they drove drunk and killed my entire family. As their daughter , you must love drinking too . " " I'm sorry . " Despair reddened Lilian's eyes . " But my parents have already paid for the accident with their lives . Isn't that … enough ? " " Did their deaths bring my family back ? " His hand shot out , gripping her jaw with such force it felt like he might shatter the bone . " Lilian , it's only been five years . You can't take it already ? " He released her , then signaled to the bodyguards behind him . " Pour it . " Two men in black stepped forward . One pinned Lilian's shoulders down while the other forced her mouth open . Icy liquor flooded her throat . She choked , tears streaming down her cheeks , powerless to resist . She collapsed onto the floor , her face flushed from pain and humiliation , her whole body drenched in alcohol . How much longer would this torment last ? She didn't know . Chapter 1 . " Silas , didn't you promise to take me out for a candlelit dinner ? What's going on here? " A clear , bright female voice sounded from the doorway . Through her tear - blurred vision , Lilian saw Vivian Avenel standing there in a white dress , long hair draped over her shoulders , delicate features . almost too perfect . Lilian's breath caught , a wave of sorrow washing over her . Vivian … She really did look strikingly similar to Lilian herself at 22 . No wonder Silas chose to keep her around . At the sight of Vivian , Silas's expression softened instantly . " Baby , wait for me , okay ? Today's my anniversary with Lilian . I'm just giving her a special gift . " Vivian shot Lilian a contemptuous glance , then tugged playfully at Silas's sleeve . " Don't waste your time on someone so unworthy , okay ? " He fell silent . It was obvious - Silas couldn't do it . Instead , he gently changed the subject . " Sweetheart , are you hungry ? Let's go eat now . " He took Vivian's hand and led her away . But as they passed Lilian , Vivian deliberately reached out , knocking over the towering stack of empty bottles beside her . With a thunderous crash , the glass pyramid collapsed , a shower of shards raining down on Lilian . Instinctively , she shielded her face , but jagged glass still tore into her skin , leaving her covered in cuts . " Ah ! " Vivian exclaimed in mock surprise . " I didn't mean to ! Should we take her to the hospital ? " Silas didn't even spare Lilian a glance . " Leave her . " He took Vivian's hand , frowning slightly . " You cut your hand . " It was just a faint red scratch , not even bleeding , but Silas treated her as if she were made of glass , gently kissing her fingertips . " Does it hurt ? " Vivian wrapped her arms around his neck , pressing her lips to his . " Not anymore . " Silas quickly took control , deepening the kiss . Lilian lay in a pool of her own blood , forced to listen to the sound of their lips meeting , her heart twisting with agony . " Vivi … " In the heat of the moment , Silas whispered Vivian's nickname . " Vivi , Lili . Such similar names , " Lilian thought in her mind . When the kiss finally ended , Silas , clearly moved , swept Vivian into his arms and , without a backward glance , told the bodyguards , " Take care of her . Don't let her die . " He paused , his voice icy . " That body of hers is the only thing left worth tormenting . " Lilian watched as he carried Vivian away , feeling her heart split in two . Everything had changed . The world she knew was gone . Tears fell before she could even speak , as memories of loving Silas seemed to belong to another lifetime . Five years ago today , they should have been the happiest newlyweds . Chapter 1 Silas would have held her close , kissed her forehead , and said , " Lili , I've finally married you . " But now , he held another woman in his arms . They'd grown up together , childhood sweethearts since kindergarten , inseparable all the way through college . Everyone knew how much Silas had loved Lilian . If she mentioned craving cake from the Westside in the middle of the night , he'd drive two hours through a snowstorm to get it . When she had cramps , he'd stay up all night massaging her stomach . On the day he proposed , he knelt to put shoes on her feet , promising to treat her like a princess for life . Until the accident on their wedding day changed everything . Lilian's parents , driving drunk , killed Silas's entire family . That day , their wedding became a funeral . Lovers became enemies . He lost his father , his mother , his little sister - the Erelan family was reduced to just him . His hatred was boundless . He sent Lilian's parents to prison , making sure they received " special treatment . " The last time she visited them , she was told her parents had taken their own lives . By then , they were already battered and emaciated from the abuse in prison . This time , after slitting their wrists , they were barely clinging to life . They gently stroked her cheek , choking back sobs . " Lili , we did wrong . We have to go make amends to the Erelans , but you did nothing wrong . Chapter 1 You need to live on … " " Silas hates you , but he also loved you deeply … Please , for our sake , promise us you'll hold on for five years . If , after five years , you still can't find a reason to live , then … come join us . " That day, Lilian's parents died . And she became the last one left to atone to the Erelan family . For five years - over 1,800 days and nights - Silas tortured her in every way imaginable . Kneeling in the snow in the dead of winter , locked in a stifling room in the heat of summer , forced to eat foods she was allergic to … She'd thought of dying countless times , but the promise of five years pulled her back from the brink again and again . Until three months ago , when Vivian appeared . She looked just like Lilian had at 22. Even her name was similar . Silas had chosen her as a replacement . He poured all his love into this substitute , venting all his hatred on the original . His cruelty took endless forms . Lilian should have grown used to it by now But watching them kiss again and again , hearing him call her " Vivi , " seeing him dote on her the way he once doted on Lilian - it still left her gasping for breath from the pain . Now , only seven days remained until the end of her five - year sentence . Lying in a pool of blood , Lilian reached for the family photo hidden Chapter 1 inside her clothes . Blood seeped through her fingers , staining the picture . The three people in the photo were smiling brightly , a happiness that now felt impossibly far away . " Mom , Dad … " she whispered , " I'll hold on for these last seven days … After seven days … I'll come find you … " Chapter