"What am I like?" Ella asked with a cold sneer, her face half-illuminated by the frigid moonlight that cast harsh shadows across her features.

The distance between them was palpable. She looked at Austin as though he were nothing more than a stranger—someone unworthy of her consideration.

Austin spoke without thinking, the words tumbling out. "Unreasonable and difficult."

Upon hearing this, Ella's expression froze, a bone-deep chill settling over her face. The winter wind cut through her clothes, seeping into her skin.

"I'm being difficult? Is that what you've thought all along, Austin?" Ella's gaze grew increasingly cold as she stared directly at him.

Austin let out a derisive laugh. "You used to be proper when you lived at the Raymond estate. You at least resembled someone with class. Now you've run back home to throw tantrums. Ella, can't you stay away from those people who are clearly a bad influence on you?"

Ella’s entire body trembled. Every word he spoke was like a knife to her lungs. Before, she had worshipped love above all else, but now, Ella closed her eyes, allowing tears to stream silently down her cheeks.

"Austin, have you ever respected my father? Since we got married, have you ever accompanied me back home once?" Ella jabbed a finger toward him, her questions piercing and deliberate.

Austin fell silent. Seeing him standing there wordless, Ella turned and began walking toward the door. Austin grabbed her wrist forcefully. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Does it matter to you?" she shot back.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Austin stared at her, his eyes filled with a dark, turbulent fury. He felt a desperate need to reclaim the control he felt slipping away, but as he looked into Ella's eyes—now devoid of the warmth and devotion he had taken for granted—he realized something had irrevocably dissipated.

"If you're so unhappy here," Austin’s voice was tight, "then perhaps you should go find the comfort you’re looking for elsewhere."

"I will," Ella replied, her voice steady despite her racing heart.

Austin slammed the door as he stormed out. Shortly after his departure, Ella received a call from her friend Sarah. "Are you free? I just got a membership at this new wellness spa," Sarah asked cheerfully.

In the past, Ella would have considered Austin's feelings and avoided any place of entertainment to maintain the image of an obedient wife. But now, she saw no point in continuing the charade.

When she arrived at Aroma Haven, she found a high-end, luxury establishment. An attendant escorted her to the third floor, where the scent of expensive perfume permeated the gold-trimmed corridor.

Ella entered the private suite to find Sarah lying comfortably on a massage table. A professional therapist was methodically working on Sarah's shoulders to relieve the tension.

"Ella, you made it," Sarah sighed with relief, waving her over.

Ella felt a bit out of place in such a luxurious setting, but the quiet atmosphere began to soothe her frayed nerves. Another massage therapist entered—a young man with a polite, professional demeanor. "I'm Technician 38," he introduced himself with a respectful bow.

The technician had a clean-cut, youthful appearance. He spoke with a gentle tone that was a stark contrast to the harshness Ella had just endured at home. "Please change into the robe provided, and we can begin the relaxation therapy," he suggested.

Ella nodded and went to change. On the massage table, Sarah looked at her friend with concern. She knew Ella was going through a storm, and she hoped this small escape would give her the strength to face whatever came next.

As Ella emerged and prepared for the treatment, hoping for a moment of peace, the door to the suite was suddenly pushed open with a violent thud.