Part 2My Husband Stranded Me in the Desert to Defend His First Love

Before I could even brace myself, the bodyguards standing by lunged forward. They pinned me down and violently ripped the sneakers from my feet.

My bare skin hit the scorching sand. A layer of skin instantly blistered and peeled from the agonizing heat.

The live chat went completely feral. The total betting pool on when I would surrender skyrocketed into the millions.

"Abigail, if it's too much for you, just apologize. I promise I won't hold a grudge," Lily called out. She wore a mask of pure innocence, but a sickeningly triumphant gleam flashed in her eyes.

"What exactly did I do wrong? You failed to buy a ticket, and you think you can manipulate the world into feeling sorry for you?"

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to take a step forward, completely ignoring her fake pity.

Lily's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"I know I'm useless... If I were better, I wouldn't have had to trek through the treacherous mountain trails. The ground was covered in thorns and jagged rocks. It was all my fault..."

"Abigail, it seems I have spoiled you for far too long. Do you still think you are sitting on a throne?" Declan pulled Lily into a protective embrace, issuing another cold command.

"I explicitly ordered this environment to replicate her mountain trek. Scatter the nails. Let's see how long her stubborn pride lasts!"

A torrential rain of metal thumbtacks cascaded onto the path ahead of me. They vanished into the loose sand, leaving only their razor sharp tips exposed.

I couldn't stop my momentum in time. My foot came down hard, and the metal spikes drove deep into my flesh.

Fresh blood welled up, dripping down my ankles and staining the yellow sand a brilliant crimson. The color drained entirely from my face.

The private physician standing by in the helicopter looked alarmed.

"Sir, her health has always been incredibly fragile. Her body will go into shock."

"I am well aware of her condition. Why do you think I brought you along?" Declan scoffed softly.

"I am just breaking her arrogant spirit. If she is truly on the verge of death, you have my permission to treat her. Besides, she isn't blind. Can't she just avoid the nails?"

But the tacks were perfectly camouflaged in the shifting dunes. Walking barefoot, it was a literal minefield.

Within minutes, the soles of my feet were a mangled, bleeding mess. The pain was so blinding I was on the verge of passing out.

Declan's jaw tightened as he watched me stumble. Before he could speak, Lily whispered softly into his chest.

"Declan, all she has to do is say she's sorry and this all ends. But with millions of people watching... even if I want to forgive her, she needs to give you some respect."

"But I suppose a spoiled princess like her would never lower herself to apologize to someone like me..."

Those words perfectly triggered Declan's deepest insecurity. He leaned out of the helicopter and shouted down at me.

"Don't think I don't know the truth! You have always looked down on me because of your wealthy background! If you refuse to bow your head, then you can walk until you drop dead!"

His cruel words echoed in my ears, carving a hollow cavern into my chest.

We had been together for five years. I had severed ties with my family to stand by his side when he had absolutely nothing.

Back then, he treated me like glass. If I got a papercut, he would hold my hand and cry out of pure guilt for hours.

All of that vanished the day the Hastings empire collapsed.

He grew entirely sick of my supposed entitlement. He labeled my basic standards as elitist tantrums and poured all his affection onto the submissive, easily controlled Lily.

He was willing to torture me in a lethal desert just to avenge a minor inconvenience for his new favorite pet.

Realizing this, whatever love I had left for him completely died.

The live chat was moving at lightning speed.

[Just give it up already. You are never making it out of there. This is getting boring.]

[Seriously, I bet three months of rent on this. Apologize so I can cash out!]

"It looks like the entire world knows you can't make it, Abigail. Stop trying to act tough. Just get on your knees." Lily mocked me with a sickeningly sweet tone.

But the very next second, her smug expression completely vanished.

An anonymous user had just placed a massive wager that I would successfully leave the desert.

The bet was fifty million dollars.