Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The drug could strip away one’s rationality, plunging them into carnal pleasures, yet it would not erase their memories.

Gu Yu remembered clearly what he had done and what he had said.

He also remembered what Jiang Heng had called him when her face was flushed, her mind clouded with desire.

She had truly, on several occasions, treated him as another man.

Her nails dug deeply into his arms, shoulders, back, and waist. With her eyes closed and her voice hoarse, she had softly called him "A-Xiong."

The honeyed words of passion still echoed in his ears.

How dare she truly treat him as another man!

How dare she think of another man while sharing marital intimacy with him!

Who gave her the nerve?

But... it was only last night, when she mistook him for another man, that she had obediently cooperated with him, responded to him, and even clung to him.

That feeling was truly delightful.

No, he could not allow her to mistake him for another man, not even for a fleeting pleasure. He had no interest in being Yan Hui. He wanted her to know clearly that he was not Yan Hui.

Gu Yu gazed at Jiang Heng, exhausted and fast asleep on the bed, and anger churned within him once more.

"Get up."

Gu Yu pinched her ear and spoke in a low voice.

Jiang Heng, deeply asleep, let out an unhappy murmur and mumbled, "A-Xiong, let me sleep a bit more."

Gu Yu frowned deeply, clenched his fists, pressed his lips into a tight line, yet his ears perked up slightly.

He couldn’t deny it—Jiang Heng’s words were gentle and pleasing to the ear, making him want to hear them again.

She had never spoken to him like that before.

He gently pinched her ear again, listening to her discontented murmuring as she refused to open her eyes.

In the end, Gu Yu did not wake her, letting her sleep her fill.

Only after she awoke did he sternly tell her with a cold expression, "From now on, you are not to call me 'A-Xiong' again."

Jiang Heng let out a faint "Mm" and glanced at the sun, surprised to see it already setting in the west.

Had she slept until late afternoon?

Thinking back, it was no surprise—last night had truly been... too wild... even she...

"From now on, you are not to think of me as him," the man said even more sternly, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Heng’s eyes.

Jiang Heng frowned. Last night, it was he who had clung to her, whispering intimately, tenderly coaxing her, insisting on her response, even suggesting that she think of him as her brother, claiming he was no less worthy than her brother.

Yet today, he turned cold and denied it all, using the matter to lecture her.

What a capricious scoundrel.

Jiang Heng remained silent and got up to freshen up.

Someone from Yifang Hall came to summon Gu Yu.

"I’m not going."

Gu Yu coldly refused.

Even Jiang Heng glanced over in surprise.

Although Gu Yu was the third son, with his two elder brothers having died young, he had always taken on the role of the eldest in the family. Out of filial piety for his brothers’ inability to care for their mother, he had been extraordinarily filial to her, granting her every request. Never before had he shown such disrespect to someone from Yifang Hall.

However, as strange as it was, Jiang Heng was determined to separate from Gu Yu. It was better not to inquire too deeply into these matters.

After freshening up and having a light snack to fill her stomach, Jiang Heng sat by the desk to read.

"Last night, Mother called me to have tea," Gu Yu sat beside her and unexpectedly started talking.

His expression remained dark, clearly still angry.

"There was medicine in the tea."

It was evident that he was deeply disappointed.

Jiang Heng had naturally noticed his unusual state the previous night, which was entirely unlike his usual demeanor. But they were mother and son—a mother drugging her own son...

What could she possibly say?

"Oh," Jiang Heng responded dismissively, her eyes still on her book.

Gu Yu’s expression darkened further. After watching Jiang Heng for a moment and seeing that she had no intention of comforting or consoling him, he frowned, stood up, and left the room.

...

Gu Yu sat in his study for a long time, reflecting on the incident of being drugged the previous night.

His mother was an extremely honest and upright woman. Although she occasionally showed favoritism, she had no deceptive tendencies. Moreover, he was her own son—she would never plot against him.

It was precisely for this reason that he had never been wary of his mother. How could he have imagined that the tea she offered him would contain drugs?

Luo Ci was truly clever, able to persuade his mother to help her. This way, if things went according to plan, even if he wanted to blame her, she would have his mother’s support, and no one could touch her.

If things did not go as planned, she could still escape unscathed. His mother, concerned for her unmarried status and not wanting to ruin her reputation, would take all the blame, claiming Luo Ci knew nothing and shielding her completely.

Luo Ci truly coveted the position of the Duchess. So, was it really her who had forced the contraceptive medicine on the three concubines of Xia Su, using Jiang Heng’s name? And later, was she also behind He Ji’s death?

Could Jiang Heng’s inability to conceive be related to her? Had she secretly targeted Jiang Heng?

It seemed a thorough investigation was necessary. He could no longer indulge or tolerate her.

"Master, the Old Madam requests your presence," someone from Yifang Hall came again to summon Gu Yu.

This time, he did not refuse.

"San Lang, it was my momentary folly..." Luo Shi sighed remorsefully as soon as she saw Gu Yu. "I was only worried about your heir. You’re often away on military campaigns, and if anything were to happen to you, you wouldn’t even have a son... In any case, all the blame is mine. Your cousin knew nothing—it was I who called her here, I who wanted her to give you a child..."

Every word Luo Shi said was exactly as Gu Yu had anticipated.

"Mother, it’s not your fault. It was my own impulsiveness," Gu Yu replied calmly and detachedly, with no intention of pressing the matter further.

Luo Shi froze.

She had expected Gu Yu to blow up and get to the bottom of it, and had already prepared to take all the blame to protect Luo Ci. To her surprise, Gu Yu dismissed it casually and let it go.

"You're really not mad at me?"

Gu Yu nodded but refused to drink any more tea in his mother’s room. After saying a few comforting words to her, he left Yifang Hall.

Since his mother insisted it was all her own doing, clearing Luo Ci of any blame, what could he possibly uncover by pressing the matter now?

Nothing would come of it—it would only tip them off. Better to let the tiger return to the wild and see what move she would make next.

...

Deep into the night, faint, embarrassing rustling noises came from a small side room in the western wing.

"Beauty, do you have more of that medicine? Give me another packet, and I’ll treat you well," a man who looked like a servant pinned Su Lanxun beneath him, touching her all over.

Su Lanxun wanted to resist but feared angering the man, so she put up a weak resistance, saying, "There’s no more. Sister Xia Miaoji only gave me two packets, and you’ve taken both."

Xia and Su, being women from the Southern Dynasties, were seen as a security risk after Jiang Wan’s prison incident. Gu Yu felt their quarters were too close to his study and too hard to keep an eye on, so he moved them out of Ninghe Courtyard. They were assigned to the servant quarters in the western wing, just like the other maids and servants.

Their beauty naturally attracted the attention of the male servants. Initially, they hesitated, worried that the master still had feelings for the two women. But after noticing that Gu Yu hadn’t summoned them for a long time and that their living standards had been reduced to match those of servants, it became clear the two had lost favor. The servants grew bolder in their advances.

Xia Miaoji was sharp and cunning, so the servants only dared to tease her, not actually lay hands on her. Su Lanxun, however, was meeker and not so lucky.

This particular servant was highly regarded by Luo Ci, and his mother was a long-time servant of Luo Shi. With such backing, he acted without fear and had made advances toward Su Lanxun many times.

"Go ask your Sister Xia Miaoji for two more packets. From now on, you’ll serve only me. I’ll make sure no one else bothers you."

Su Lanxun had to agree.

The servant started to undress her.

"I... I’m having my period."

Chen Fu sneered in disgust. "You can’t even bear children—what’s the point of having that? How disappointing!"

But he couldn’t bring himself to leave, unable to resist her beautiful face. He stood up and pressed Su Lanxun to her knees. "I’ve heard women like you know how to please a man. Let me see for myself..."

Chen Fu took his pleasure, pressing Su Ji’s head down repeatedly. "Hurry up and get the medicine, or I’ll have you serving me like this every day."

The next day, Chen Fu got the medicine and secretly brought it to Luo Ci.

"Only these two packets?" Luo Ci was instantly suspicious.

Chen Fu insisted there were only two.

"Chen Fu, do you know who Su Lanxun resembles? If my cousin finds out you touched her, he’ll skin you alive!"

Chen Fu had initially dared to harass Su Lanxun because Luo Ci had assured him that the master had long lost interest and wouldn’t care about a mere dancer. Now, she was using the master to threaten him.

Chen Fu felt as though he had walked right into Luo Ci’s trap.

"Miss, please, however many packets you want, I’ll get them for you." Knowing he was outmatched, Chen Fu didn’t dare offend Luo Ci.

"Bring them all. I’ll confiscate them to prevent you from causing chaos in the manor!" Luo Ci said self-righteously.

...

Luo Ci had the medicine but didn’t know how to get Gu Yu to take it.

Her aunt would no longer help her, and even if she were willing, it would be difficult to succeed. Gu Yu wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.

Fortunately, he hadn’t investigated deeply and hadn't connected it to her.

She had to find a way herself.

Last time, he had been drugged but still managed to endure and rush back to Ninghe Courtyard. Could it be that he only recognized that face? Would he accept no substitute, not even the slightest difference?

Luo Ci clenched the medicine, burning with resentment. Did her cousin only care about the Jiang sisters?

Refusing to believe it, she decided to use two packets this time—one in the peony cake and one in the ice jelly. The medicine would dissolve completely, and though it had a slight taste, it was barely noticeable.

Even if discovered, as long as she stuck to her story, there would be nothing anyone could do.

"A Yue," Luo Ci brought the two treats she had prepared to Gu Qingyue’s room. "I made peony cake and ice jelly. Take them to Cousin and say you made them. He’ll surely understand your intention."

Gu Qingyue, being the youngest in the family, had always been the most doted-on and had never faced harsh scolding. Gu Yu’s actions that day had truly offended her. Though she had been visiting Ninghe Courtyard lately to curry favor with Jiang Heng, she would run away at the sight of Gu Yu, refusing to speak to him—clearly still holding a grudge.

"I’m not going!" Gu Qingyue pouted indignantly.

"A Yue, are you planning to never speak to Cousin again? When you marry, he’ll be the one to carry you out. In the future, you’ll need him as your family support. Go on, siblings shouldn't stay mad at each other."

After much coaxing from Luo Ci, Gu Qingyue reluctantly took the treats to Gu Yu’s study.

"These are for you. Eat them." Gu Qingyue set the items down, standing before the desk with her back to Gu Yu, clearly still upset.

She had already brought him food—surely she shouldn’t have to be the one to apologize too?

After a long silence, hearing no movement from Gu Yu, she added, "Eat up so you can scold me properly!"

Gu Yu laughed softly, glanced at the pastry and ice jelly, and asked gently, "You made these?"

"Who else?" Gu Qingyue still refused to look at him.

"Alright, you may go," Gu Yu said.

Gu Qingyue turned around, shooting him a look that said, "Is that how you dismiss me?" She pursed her lips angrily. "I shouldn’t have brought you anything!"

With that, she turned to leave.

"A Yue," Gu Yu called, making her turn back. In front of his younger sister, he picked up the ice jelly as if to eat it and said gently, "I was in a bad mood that day. I’m sorry for making you feel wronged."

Gu Qingyue raised her eyebrows triumphantly and snorted, "That’s more like it." Then she hummed a tune and left.

Luo Ci had been waiting for Gu Qingyue. Seeing her leave Ninghe Courtyard in high spirits, she approached casually and asked, "Did Cousin eat what you made?"

"Of course he did. I said I made it—how could he refuse?" Gu Qingyue replied cheerfully.

Luo Ci waited a while longer, estimating that Gu Yu had finished eating, then found an excuse to visit his study.

Gu Yu was rubbing his temples, seemingly unwell. The ice jelly bowl was empty, and only a few crumbs remained of the peony cake. Crumbs were strewn across the desk under his arm, likely from when he was eating.

"Cousin, are you feeling unwell?" Luo Ci moved to steady Gu Yu.

Gu Yu glanced at her but neither pushed her away nor said anything.

"Cousin, why don't you go lie down on the couch for a bit?" Luo Ci nestled into Gu Yu's embrace.

Just then, he suddenly pushed her away and heaved a mouthful of blood.

"Master!"

Outside the study, Cheng Ping, who was just then leading Jiang Heng there on Gu Yu's orders, witnessed the entire scene.

"A Jiu, come here." Gu Yu leaned weakly against the corner of the desk, looking pleadingly at Jiang Heng.

There was still blood at the corner of his mouth, and droplets were splattered on his clothes and the floor, making him appear seriously ill. Even a stranger wouldn't have been able to look away.

Jiang Heng walked over to support him. As she drew near, he leaned heavily into her, holding her tightly, just like that night under the influence of the drug, whispering in her ear, "Don't hand me over to anyone else."

"Call for a doctor," Jiang Heng instructed as she helped Gu Yu back to his room.

Luo Ci, seeing Gu Yu vomit blood, grew frightened, thinking she had overdone the drug and harmed him, and hurried away in a panic.

Once back in his room, Gu Yu immediately took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth.

After rinsing out the mouthful of chicken blood he'd been holding in his mouth earlier, he noticed Jiang Heng's surprised expression. He initially intended to tell her he was fine but hesitated, recalling her earlier concern.

If he were sick, would she treat him a little better than before?

Gu Yu feigned disorientation and went to embrace her, just like that intimate night.

"The doctor will be here soon, don't be like this!"

Gu Yu paused, realizing he needed to focus on the serious matter at hand.

How he wished Luo Ci had drugged him at night instead of now—then he and Jiang Heng would have had a second night like that...

...

News of Gu Yu vomiting blood spread quickly, and the Gu family rushed to Ninghe Courtyard to check on him, but all were turned away at the door.

Doctor Han stayed in the room for nearly two hours, emerging as dusk fell, stating that Gu Yu seemed to be poisoned but the exact toxin was still unknown.

"What did he eat before falling ill?"

"Ice jelly and peony cake," Cheng Ping said.

"I gave those to Third Brother, but how could they be poisoned?" Gu Qingyue looked at Luo Ci. "Cousin, didn't you make them yourself?"

Luo Ci also nodded anxiously. "I made them, but why would I poison Cousin? Did he eat anything else?"

She then turned to Jiang Heng. "Sister-in-law, did Cousin eat anything else?"

"Enough." Gu Yu emerged from the room, calming the commotion at the door, signaling Cheng Ping to escort Doctor Han away before saying, "Let's go to the council hall."

This was the first time Gu Yu had called a meeting in the council hall, and this time, he did not yield the head seat to his mother or elder sister-in-law.

"Did you make the ice jelly and peony cake yourself?" Gu Yu asked, looking at Luo Ci.

Luo Ci admitted it but still defended herself. "But I didn't add anything. Did you eat something else?"

"It was those two items—they contained drugs." Gu Yu had no patience for her excuses and turned to Luo Shi. "Mother, it's the same taste as the flower tea that day."

Though Gu Yu hadn't swallowed them, he had tasted and smelled them personally. Highly sensitive to flavors, he was certain Luo Ci had drugged both the ice jelly and peony cake.

"I thought Younger Sister made them, so I didn't think much and ate them all."

As a result, he was poisoned and vomited blood.

Luo Shi was shocked, both anxious and furious, pointing at Luo Ci and shouting, "How dare you scheme against your cousin behind my back! How much did you give him? If anything happens to him, I won't let you off!"

"Aunt, I didn't, I really didn't!" Luo Ci swore to the heavens, collapsing to the ground in tears, protesting her innocence.

"If it wasn't you, then it must be the kitchen staff?" Gu Yu let her continue her excuses, deliberately escalating the situation, and summoned all the kitchen maids and servants for questioning.

The servants all pleaded innocence, insisting that Luo Ci had made the peony cake and ice jelly alone without their involvement.

"I didn't drug them! I didn't drug them!" Luo Ci stubbornly denied.

Gu Yu said, "In that case, do you think A Yue intended to harm me?"

She had used his closest relatives—his mother, his sister—and now, when things went wrong, she wept and denied everything.

Gu Qingyue, realizing belatedly, said angrily, "No wonder you asked me to bring food to Third Brother and tell him I made it! So you drugged him! How could you be so despicable!"

Luo Ci shook her head tearfully. "I didn't! Why won't any of you believe me..."

She looked tearfully at Luo Shi. "Aunt, I know Cousin doesn't like me anymore—why would I drug him? Think about it: if Cousin were drugged, wouldn't I be the first suspect? Why would I do something so foolish?"

Her pitiful crying and seemingly reasonable words made Luo Shi somewhat believe her. "It really wasn't you?"

"It wasn't me, it wasn't! Aunt, think about it: how did Cousin react that day, and how did he react today? I like Cousin—why would I want to harm him? Could it be... could it be Sister-in-law? She doesn't want to divorce Cousin, so she harbored ill intentions..."

Jiang Heng, who had been sitting to the side leisurely fanning herself while watching the drama, was unexpectedly splashed with dirty water.

The entire Gu family turned to look at her—except for Gu Yu.

"You... you couldn’t have truly grown hateful out of love and decided to kill my son!" Luo Shi demanded angrily.

Jiang Heng pursed her lips slightly and said calmly, "Have you forgotten? The Duke said there were drugs in the peony cake and ice jelly, and the doctor also said it might be an overdose of some drug. How much did you use last time? And how much this time?"

Luo Shi was stunned, realizing she had been led by the nose by Luo Ci again.

"Luo Ci, who else are you going to drag into this?" Gu Yu, witnessing this today, finally understood how thick-skinned this Luo cousin was—not only vicious but also a prolific liar.

Seeing no way out, Luo Ci still refused to confess, putting on a look of despair and crying, "Since none of you believe me, since you all think I tried to poison Cousin, then do as you please. In any case, I didn’t do it."

According to her, if things ended here and she was punished, in others' eyes, it would remain a suspicious case, and she would become the wronged party bearing unjust blame.

Gu Yu hadn’t expected her to have so many excuses. "In that case, we’ll send you to the authorities. If you’re truly innocent, the government will clear your name."

With that, he ordered the servants to bind her.

"Cousin!" Luo Ci cried out, and when he didn’t respond, she called for "Aunt," "Sister," "A Yue"...

Once brought before the authorities, her reputation would be completely ruined...

"Aunt, save me! Sister, save me!" Luo Ci cried, clinging to Luo Shi's legs.

Luo Shi, soft-hearted after all and concerned about family disgrace, advised, "San Lang, don’t report this to the authorities. Punish her instead. Sending her to the government would bring shame to the Gu family."

Gu Yu didn’t comment, only asking, "Where did the drug come from?"

Luo Ci still shook her head, insisting, "I didn’t drug anything! What drug?"

Gu Yu frowned impatiently and waved his hand at the house servants, signaling them to have her bound and taken to the authorities.

"Stop the stubborn act. Where did you get it?" Luo Shi said angrily.

Seeing that she could no longer hide the truth about the medicine, Luo Ci concocted another lie: "I remember now—I confiscated a few packets of medicine from Su Ji a few days ago. Perhaps... perhaps they held a grudge against Cousin after falling out of favor and sought revenge!"

Ladies Xia and Su were then summoned for questioning. Su Lanxun, being timid, quickly confessed about Chen Fu.

Chen Fu, in turn, claimed he had given all the medicine to Luo Ci.

Knowing that Chen Fu must have kept some for himself, Luo Ci deliberately asked Su Lanxun, "How many packets did you give him?"

"Nine packets," Su Lanxun replied truthfully.

Luo Ci exclaimed, "Well, you worthless dog of a slave! I only confiscated seven packets from you. Who knows who you gave the rest to!"

Chen Fu had indeed hidden some of the medicine. Unaware of the full context, he assumed the master was only investigating the quantity of the medicine and kowtowed, admitting his mistake: "This lowly one was wrong! I beg for your mercy, Master!"

Gu Yu seized the opportunity to ask, "Where are the packets you kept?"

Chen Fu, though guilty, dared not lie: "I... I used them."

As he spoke, he instinctively glanced at Su Lanxun.

Xiao Luo Shi seized the chance to say, "You wretched slave, how dare you do such shameless deeds right under my nose? Do you believe I won’t—"

"Sister-in-law," Gu Yu interrupted her, "we’ll deal with the servants later. Let’s first clarify the matter with Cousin."

"Cousin, why won’t you believe me..." Luo Ci attempted to defend herself again, but seeing Gu Yu’s cold, disdainful expression, she dared not say another word.

"At this point, if you still claim to be wronged, we’ll take you to the authorities and let them restore your innocence," Gu Yu said coldly.

Luo Ci fell silent but still refused to admit guilt, remaining kneeling with her head bowed and saying nothing.

"Luo Ci’s conduct is improper and her actions despicable. Mother, how do you think we should deal with her?" Gu Yu said, turning to Luo Shi.

Luo Shi suggested, "How about having her kneel in the family temple for a few days?"

Gu Yu rejected the idea outright: "Place her under house arrest for three months. From now on, she is not to be entrusted with any household affairs, big or small."

He turned to Xiao Luo Shi, who oversaw household affairs: "Sister-in-law, do you have any objections?"

Knowing that Gu Yu was in a fit of anger, Xiao Luo Shi naturally did not dare to oppose him and obediently replied, "I defer to your judgment, Third Brother."

Gu Yu added, "During her confinement, please put effort into arranging a marriage for her. She is of marriageable age and should not delay any longer."

Xiao Luo Shi again agreed meekly.

"Sister-in-law, you may handle the matter of the servants," Gu Yu said.

Xiao Luo Shi had earlier scolded Chen Fu for his misconduct merely to divert attention. Now that Luo Ci had been disciplined, she saw no need to make a big fuss about it, especially since Chen Fu’s mother was close with her. She wanted to show some leniency.

"Chen Fu has taken Su Ji’s chastity. Let him marry her."

Xiao Luo Shi glanced at Gu Yu to gauge his reaction. Seeing that he showed no objection, she turned to Chen Fu and said, "You shameless slave, are you willing to marry Su Lanxun?"

Chen Fu, who looked down on Su Ji’s status as an entertainer and knew she could not bear children, had never considered marrying her. However, he dared not refuse at that moment and kowtowed in agreement.

"Alright, then it’s settled."

"Su Ji," Jiang Heng suddenly spoke up, interrupting Xiao Luo Shi. She looked at Su Lanxun and asked, "Are you willing to marry Chen Fu?"

Su Lanxun had no other choice and could only nod slightly.

"Su Ji," Jiang Heng said gently, "you must know that common households place great importance on having heirs."

While noble families might consider other factors when arranging marriages, for servants like Chen Fu, marriage was primarily about carrying on the family line.

Since Su Lanxun could not bear children, even if she married Chen Fu, she would not have a good life. Though she was comely, a family like Chen Fu’s would have no inclination to appreciate or cherish her beauty.

Though unwilling, Su Lanxun dared not speak up.

Jiang Heng said softly, "Don’t be afraid. Tell me, are you willing?"

Perhaps encouraged by these words, Su Ji closed her eyes, forced back her tears, and shook her head. "I am not willing. He forced me..."

"You harlot! Do you think I care about you?" Chen Fu, enraged and humiliated, cursed under his breath. But when he noticed Gu Yu’s cold gaze, he quickly fell silent and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

"Fifty strokes of the cane, then send him to the manor's estates for manual labor. Anyone who repeats this offense in the future will receive the same punishment," Gu Yu declared.

***

By the time the matter was settled, night was deep.

Once back at Ninghe Manor, Gu Yu sat blankly at his desk for a long time, paying no attention to Jiang Heng reading *Records of Lingnan Peonies* by the lamplight.

The events of the day had truly opened his eyes. It turned out that his Duke Wei's household was no better than the corrupt noble families he had always looked down upon.

Despite the irrefutable evidence, Luo Ci had still tried every means to deny her guilt.

He had uncovered the truth today, but how many other things had he failed to uncover?

Gu Yu turned his gaze to his wife sitting by the window. She sat quietly under the lamplight, the flickering lamplight casting a soft glow on her face.

The contraceptive medicine back then had not been her doing.

But too much time had passed, and with all witnesses gone, he could no longer restore her innocence.

"A Jiu," Gu Yu approached, snatched the book from her hands. This time, he did not lift her by the waist but instead held her wrist, lowering his head slightly to look at her. "I was wrong before."

He was tall, and Jiang Heng had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. In his downcast eyes, there was a trace of guilt.

Jiang Heng remained silent for a moment before replying indifferently, "It’s all in the past. After all, we will eventually have our marriage dissolved."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist, as if the man was about to crush it.

"Are you so eager to have our marriage dissolved?" The gentleness in the man’s expression vanished instantly, replaced by a stormy expression.

Jiang Heng was long accustomed to his quick-changing moods. She raised her eyes to meet his gaze. "Are you going back on your word again?"

Gu Yu set his mouth in a line and said firmly, "Suppose I do? What can you do about it?"

She would never be allowed to leave him—not in this life.