He Loved Me Like a Prison

After scandalous photos of Julian Maxwell, the scion of a powerful New York family, and his new girlfriend, Lily, leaked, everyone was waiting for me to make Lily disappear -- or worse.

So, at the cruise party, he made a grand declaration, protecting his new love.

Anyone who dares touch a hair on Lily's head, I'll break their hand.

I wasn't looking to settle scores with Lily. All I wanted was the key to the safe containing my mother's ashes, as compensation for his infidelity.

Julian seemed conflicted, but Lily already had the key.

She tossed it into a snake pit, specially prepared to satisfy the wealthy guests' twisted amusement.

"Seraphina, Julian said all the cards and house keys are mine now. If you really want this key, go pick it up yourself."

In the snake pit, dozens of snakes writhed together, flicking their tongues, eerie and disgusting.

They all thought I wouldn't dare.

But I didn't hesitate; I plunged my hand straight into the pit.

Julian's expression was grim, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes as he watched me.

Even as my arm bled from the bites, I didn't flinch.

No one knew that at the same time the scandalous photos were exposed, I'd received a message from my father:

"Bring your mother, and I'll give you a chance to come home. You have one day. Miss it, and our father-daughter relationship is over."

My family and the Maxwells had a generations-long feud, constantly tearing each other apart.

My parents had kept me so sheltered. That's why, even after Julian Maxwell's dramatic rescue -- and knowing exactly who he was -- I still fell hopelessly in love with him.

It was simply because I believed I'd find a love like my parents' -- one of unwavering devotion and support.

When my father found out, he furiously kicked me out of the house.

Julian took me in.

My mother, while looking for me, tragically died in a car accident.

Julian snatched my mother's body, claiming it was so I'd have something to remember her by. But after the cremation, he locked her ashes in a safe, using them to force me to stay by his side.

With nowhere to go and no skills to support myself, I became Julian's kept woman.

Every aspect of my life -- my clothes, food, shelter, and transportation -- required Julian's approval.

Meanwhile, my father, devastated by my mother's death, lost interest in work, and our family's fortunes dwindled daily.

I'd tried to go home and visit my father, but every request was denied.

He even assigned bodyguards to me around the clock to prevent me from leaving on my own.

Everyone said he was protecting me, but I knew he was just watching my every move.

Yet, despite his obsessive control, Julian treated me incredibly well, showering me with lavish attention, making me the envy of everyone.

Even when I angrily tore up one of his hundred-million-dollar contracts, he, a man who always put work first, would just praise me for it.

A sharp sting in my arm jolted me from my memories.

My hand was deep inside the snake pit. The disturbed snakes began to writhe, coiling around my arm one by one.

Their sharp fangs pierced my flesh, expressing their displeasure at my invasion.

I'd been pampered since childhood, my body delicate and unused to hardship. The pain instantly flooded my brain.

I pushed through on sheer willpower, continuously searching inside the pit.

Just as I felt I was about to touch it, Julian suddenly pulled my hand out, then immediately ordered the snake pit to be eliminated.

Everyone at the party could see he was taking revenge on the snakes for my injured arm.

They whispered amongst themselves that Julian still loved me most, he just made a mistake men often make.

But the next second, Julian lashed out at me, full-on.

"In the three years you've been with me, haven't I put you on a pedestal? Is it not enough? To reduce yourself to this state, all for a safe key?"

That wasn't just a safe key; it was my mother's ashes, my hope of returning home.

He grabbed the first-aid kit, crudely treating my snake bites while scolding me.

"You should be thankful these snakes weren't venomous, or not even a miracle could save you!"

Ignoring my wounds, I looked at the snake pit.

It was a bloody mess. The snakes were dead, and the key was buried beneath their disgusting bodies.

My eyes welled up.

I had, in fact, asked him for the key before.

But he wouldn't give it to me, saying he was afraid I'd leave him once I had it.

He claimed he was madly in love with me, and everything he did was out of fear I'd abandon him, including preventing me from visiting my father and keeping me from my mother's ashes.

Julian, who was always so powerful, felt insecure with me, and that made me feel incredibly guilty.

I thought I wasn't showing him enough love.

So I became even more dependent on him, just to make him feel my love, and in doing so, I completely lost myself.

And now, he had so casually given the key to Lily, even letting her toss it into that filthy snake pit.

My arm was numb, and so was my heart.

I let out a heavy sigh, turning back to the man I'd loved with my life for three years.

"If you hadn't pulled my hand out, I would have touched the key."

"Seraphina, I'm so sorry."

Lily gave me a tearful glance, her eyes red, as if *I* had been the one to bully her.

She cried as she approached the filthy snake pit, her hand trembling as she reached in and pulled out the grimy key.

Lily offered me the key.

"I never thought you'd actually put your hand in. I just wanted to play a harmless prank."

The key was right there!

I yanked my hand free from Julian's grasp, trying to snatch the key.

But just an inch away, Julian moved faster, pressing Lily's hand down, preventing her from giving me the key.

He loomed over me, his gaze chilling.

"Seraphina, you're so desperate for that key. Is it to leave me?"

In the three years we'd been together, Julian had demanded I become solely his possession.

Before Lily appeared, I thought it was a sweet burden.

But it wasn't until I saw how he interacted with Lily that I understood what true love was.

He pampered Lily just as he had pampered me, but he didn't clip her wings; instead, he let her freely enjoy her youth.

While I, like a forgotten wife at home, waited day and night for him to return.

That was a normal relationship.

Perhaps Julian didn't love me at all; maybe he just wanted to conquer me because our families were rivals.

"Seraphina Davis, I'm talking to you," Julian called out, his face dark.

I snapped back to reality and fired back, "You can give the key to a third party, but not me? I'm your girlfriend."

The guests at the party recoiled, fearful of getting caught in the crossfire.

No one had ever dared to speak to Julian like that before; I was the first.

In the past, I had been incredibly obedient to Julian.

Even if he said one plus one was three, I would discard all reason and believe he was right.

So, not only were the guests surprised, but Julian himself seemed taken aback.

But quickly, a sarcastic smile twisted his lips.

He suddenly gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"Seraphina Davis, what happens between Lily and me is none of your business. Daring to contradict me in public -- do you think your place in my heart is so high? It seems I've spoiled you too much, letting you run wild."

Julian had indeed spoiled me in the past; there was no denying that.

But I had never been unruly.

My family could no longer contend with his; why did he keep involving me?

If he'd found true love, why keep me around as an inconvenience?

As these thoughts surfaced, tears uncontrollably streamed down my face, tracing a path across my cheek to Julian's hand.

The man's body stiffened. He instinctively wiped away my tears.

His sudden tenderness made me sob uncontrollably.

"Please," I choked out through tears, "I'm begging you, just give me the key."

One day was such a short time.

My father was a man of his word, and I was terrified of losing him.

The tenderness in Julian's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by cold indifference.

At that moment, Lily sidled up, wiping the tears from Julian's hand, and glanced at me.

"Seraphina, Julian is so good to you. Why are you fighting with him? If you're not heartbroken, I am."

I pulled at the corners of my mouth, a bitter, humorless smile.

Lily and I were like a stark contrast right then; her gentle sweetness was the perfect way to win a man over.

When Julian looked at me again, he was back to his icy self.

"You're a buzzkill," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "Take her away and lock her up."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

They all believed that I, the woman Julian had once put on a pedestal, was about to fall from grace.

I thought so too.

I was locked in the cruise ship's storage room. It was spacious, but once the door closed, it plunged into complete darkness.

In that confined space, my claustrophobia flared.

I scrambled to the door, frantically pounding on it.

I wanted to call for help, but my breathing was too ragged for me to make a sound.

Outside, I heard the guards scoff, "Just a piece of trash, thinking she's still somebody important? She's making such a fuss."

They kicked the door a few times as a warning, annoyed by my noise.

I stopped pounding.

Not because I gave up, but because I had no strength left.

The snake bites on my hands hadn't been treated, and combined with my claustrophobia, I was incredibly weak.

I don't know how much time passed.

But when I woke again, the light filtering through the cracks was bright.

It was the next day.

I didn't have much time; I had to get the key before the cruise docked at noon.

I tried pounding on the door again.

This time, the door opened, and Julian walked in.

He narrowed his eyes, observing my disheveled state. He reached out, gently wiping the dust from my face, then personally treated the wounds on my arm.

For a moment, I almost saw the person who had once cherished me so carefully.

But the next second, his words dragged me back to the cruel reality.

"Silly Seraphina, your phone is monitored. I know your father sent you a message."

"But what can I do? I'd rather you cut ties with your father than leave me."

"For you, I'm willing to extend the cruise party. We'll only return tomorrow."

Julian's words stunned me.

He knew everything!

I spoke with difficulty, "Julian, does what you said a year ago still count?"

On my birthday a year ago, Julian had made me a promise.

He promised me a lifetime with just one person, only ever having eyes for each other. If he ever broke that promise, he'd give me his life.

Julian, instead of getting angry, smiled faintly.

He pulled out a knife he carried, placed it in my hand, and pointed to his chest.

"Seraphina, stab me right here. My life is yours."

I raised the knife, aiming for his heart.

But the tip stopped just before his chest.

My hand was trembling uncontrollably; I couldn't move it another inch.

Julian's smile deepened. He gently pried open my fingers and took the knife.

"Seraphina, I knew you couldn't do it." Julian paused, then added, "The outcome will be a lifetime with just one person, but the journey there might not be."

He told me to stay in the storage room and calm down, completely forgetting about my claustrophobia.

Two years ago, Julian had an enemy. That enemy kidnapped me, holding me hostage in a dark basement and torturing me.

By the time Julian arrived, I was bruised, bleeding, and unconscious.

That's when my claustrophobia began.

It was fair to say that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have it.

Watching him walk away decisively, I felt utterly ridiculous.

The storage room door clicked shut once more.

I huddled in the corner, clinging to life by the sliver of light filtering through a mouse hole.

How could a person live such a pathetic existence?

I used to be a pampered heiress, cherished by my parents.

The cruise ship indeed did not dock on time.

I heard many guests quietly complaining that it was delaying their plans.

But not a single person dared to question Julian directly.

My heart slowly sank.

No hope.

I had no home.

In the afternoon, the storage room door opened. I thought Julian had come.

But the person who appeared before me was Lily.

Lily wore a gorgeous princess gown, looking radiant and polished.

My disheveled state clearly satisfied her.

So much so that she was willing to reveal a secret she'd kept for three years.

"Not long ago, when Julian was drunk, he mentioned your mother's death."

"Your mother wanted to take you away and argued with him, but he found her annoying and killed her right there."

"He even showed me photos from the scene -- it was all bloody, so terrifying."

I listened in confusion.

Julian had told me my mother, speeding and distraught while looking for me, drove off a winding mountain road and died in the accident.

As if sensing my doubt, Lily purposely pulled out a photo.

She had secretly taken it.

Blood stained my mother's white dress on the ground; the wounds were so horrific, I could even see organs.

I froze.

The truth was, three years ago I hadn't seen my mother's body, only touched a cold urn once.

Everything about my mother's death, I had only heard from Julian's lips.

Lily's mouth curved slightly upward.

She savored my pain, then threw the safe key at my face.

"Seeing how pathetic you are, I'll give you the key. A safe holding a dead person's ashes, it's bad luck for me to keep."

I finally had the key.

It wasn't even evening yet; I still had time.

But we were surrounded by ocean. After leaving the cruise ship, how would I get back to shore?

Lily had clearly only come to deepen the conflict between Julian and me.

She dismissed the guards, also giving me a chance to escape.

As soon as Lily left, I secretly slipped out of the storage room.

I headed to the stern of the ship.

It was the least crowded area.

As despair washed over me, I spotted a lifeboat nearby.

Maybe I could use the lifeboat to leave.

Rather than waiting for death, I would take action.

I didn't want anything more to do with the man who killed my mother.

I'd take a gamble. Even if I died in the ocean, it would be better than living a dazed, meaningless life by Julian's side.

I boarded the lifeboat and set off in the direction we had come from.

Half an hour later, the guards, on their own accord, went to Julian to confess their failure.

"Mr. Maxwell, Seraphina is gone. An empty lifeboat was recovered from the sea."