Part 1The Fisherman's Wife

I accidentally fell into the lake while boating and was rescued by a fisherman.

My parents were furious, claiming I had lost my purity and demanding I marry him.

My sister, standing by, smirked with triumph.

"The title of Lady Sterling is mine now!"

But inside, I was overjoyed.

"That bisexual psychopath? Whoever wants him can have him! I'm off to live a normal life!"

* * *

I first realized Julian Sterling was a monster after a banquet at the Sterling estate.

I waited by the side entrance for a long time until the servant boy who had accompanied me was carried out.

His face was ghostly pale, his breathing faint, hanging on by a thread.

Blood trickled down his legs from under his trousers. Lifting his shirt revealed a body covered in scratches and bite marks.

Around his neck was a shocking, purple bruise from strangulation.

I stumbled back in horror.

"What... what happened?"

The servants who carried him averted their eyes, hesitant to speak.

I understood instantly. In the dignified Sterling estate, during a banquet, the only person who could commit such atrocities was their master.

The servant boy was delicate and handsome. My parents, knowing I was visiting my future in-laws, had specially chosen the most presentable servant to accompany me.

Little did they know he would become prey for a demon.

Julian dared to act so brazenly before we were even married. If I actually married him...

The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

No wonder the prestigious Sterling family chose a daughter from a modest official's family like mine. Other noble families probably wouldn't be so easily manipulated.

When my parents found out, they simply paid off the servant and his family with a few silver coins and instructed me and the servants present that day to keep quiet.

"Every noble heir has their quirks, Clara. Don't make a fuss."

I knew my parents had worked hard to secure this marriage. In their eyes, nothing mattered more than the immense wealth and status it brought. They would never agree to break the engagement.

So, on the day my sister, Bianca, arranged for someone to kick me off the boat, what I felt wasn't fear, but relief.