At Qutbridge Women’s Prison. Emery Langford huddled in the corner of the solitary confinement room, trembling incessantly, much like a wounded animal. The room was utterly barren, its only feature being a decrepit wooden bed. Devoid of any windows, the room was shrouded in darkness as not a single ray of light could penetrate. The iron door remained firmly shut, separating two distinct worlds. One was endless torment; the other was an unattainable freedom. Her hair was disheveled, reminiscent of weeds ravaged by a wild wind. Her face was a canvas of blue and purple bruises, the traces of blood at the corners of her mouth not yet dried. Over the past two years, the number of times she had been confined in this gloomy room had been so frequent that she had grown numb. Each instance of isolation was yet another blow to her emotional state. Yet, she was powerless to resist this nightmarish fate. Today, her fellow inmates had once again stepped up their game in making life difficult for her. During lunchtime, Nanette Litchfield deliberately spat into Emery’s food, but Emery chose to suffer in silence. During their break, Lilith Wheeler deliberately tripped Emery, causing her to fall to the ground and scrape the skin off her palms. Still, she gritted her teeth and bore the pain. However, those people did not stop there. Later, someone even splashed the water they’d used to wash their feet all over her blanket. The pungent smell immediately filled the entire cell. For two years, this relentless bullying had been a constant, like an unshakeable gloom that always hung over her. At times, it was three of them ganging up on her. Defeat left her battered and bruised, while victory resulted in solitary confinement. Sometimes, they would take advantage of her slumber to strike. That was how she got the injury on her leg. In reality, Emery was trained in Taekwondo, even holding a black belt. She even won an award back in her school days! However, here in prison, as soon as she showed the slightest resistance, those people would turn the tables and play the victim, accusing her of assault. As a result, she often found herself on the receiving end of the prison guards’ batons. Earlier today, she had truly been pushed to her limits. Her anger finally erupted like a volcano. In a fit of rage and frustration, Emery swung a powerful punch. Her fury was so intense that it knocked out two of Nanette’s teeth. Nanette immediately acted like a wild beast gone mad and lunged at Emery. Observing the situation, the other two seized the opportunity to swarm in, throwing punches and kicks at Emery. A glint of determination flashed in Emery’s eyes. She forcefully kicked backward, and the woman behind her, Lilith, was sent flying like a kite with its string cut. She landed heavily on the ground. Immediately after, Emery spun around and knocked the other person to the ground with a swift kick. At that moment, the prison guards rushed over. Upon seeing the quartet entangled in a brawl, the prison guards attempted to separate them. However, the two individuals, fueled by intense anger, were as tightly intertwined as vines. Seeing that they couldn’t separate the women, the prison guards grabbed their batons and began to beat up Emery. The baton struck her body, each blow causing a piercing pain, yet Emery couldn’t feel it anymore. Her heart was filled with nothing but endless despair. After that, she was thrown into solitary confinement. The physical pain she was in paled in comparison to the agony she felt within her heart. Emery was originally the eldest daughter of a prestigious family. From a young age, she was dressed in lavish clothes and fed with the finest food, living a life of luxury and pampering. Before she entered this prison, she had never experienced any suffering or hardships. Her parents adored her, and her two older brothers showered her with affection as well. In the city of Qutbridge, everyone knew not to cross the eldest daughter of the Langford family. This was due to her two older brothers, who were notoriously overprotective of their younger sister. Anyone who offended Emery never met a pleasant end, as her two brothers would certainly seek revenge on her behalf. The Langford family held significant influence in Qutbridge, and their company had been publicly listed for quite some time. Emery used to travel in luxury cars worth millions and was draped in opulence from head to toe. Yet, such a lady of wealth and privilege had endured two years of hardship in prison. Meanwhile, the family who had once cherished and spoiled her never even came by once! Every day in the beginning, she would eagerly await her brothers to come and take her out. Every time the iron door screeched open, she would imagine it was her family coming to get her! It wasn’t until later that her leg was broken. The pain was so intense that she passed out, yet her family never came. She once fell severely ill with acute gastroenteritis and was on the brink of death, yet they still never came. She went from initial hope to disappointment, and finally to despair. The degree of favor she once enjoyed was now matched only by the depth of irony she faced. A precious and cherished daughter from a prestigious family was instantly reduced to a prisoner in the blink of an eye. The ones who had thrown her in here were none other than the family who had once adored her deeply, along with her fiancé. Claiming there was no disappointment would be a lie. Human beings were inherently emotional creatures. Originally, Emery was a woman of exceptional beauty. Her skin was fair and radiant, and her eyes and eyebrows carried a natural charm. In Qutbridge, not a single person didn’t know of her renowned beauty! She looked down at the scars that covered her body now. With rough skin and unruly hair, how could she be compared to the radiant young lady she used to be? Even if there came a day when she could leave this prison, all that awaited her outside was a world where her reputation had been ruined beyond repair. Her once radiant life had been destroyed two years ago! Ruined by that younger sister of hers who, five years ago, came back with a DNA test in her hands! Her downfall was due to that so-called true heiress whom the housekeeper, on her deathbed, had claimed had been switched at birth! Before she turned fifteen, Emery lived a life of absolute bliss, never having experienced even the slightest hardship. After she turned fifteen, it was as if she became a puppet manipulated by fate, enduring all the injustices the world had to offer. At her twentieth birthday party, Howard Xenakis, her fiancé, attended with his cousin, Luna Xenakis. At that time, the party was bustling with excitement. Winona Langford, holding a glass of fruit juice, walked over to Emery and said, “Emery, this is the juice that Luna asked for. Could you give it to her for me? I have something else to attend to!” Not suspecting a thing, Emery simply took the glass and walked straight over to Luna. Dressed in a cream-colored gown, Luna was engaged in conversation with a few women. “Luna, here’s your juice!” After handing over the glass, Emery turned and walked away. Unexpectedly, just a few minutes later, Luna let out a sharp scream before vomiting mouthfuls of blood! After that, she fell unconscious. Emery turned pale with shock and quickly rushed over. This sudden turn of events threw the entire party into chaos in an instant. The attendees of the birthday party began to gather around. Luna remained unconscious, causing chaos at the scene. And suddenly, Winona started to cry. Her tears fell like pearls slipping off a broken string, creating a beautiful picture of sorrow. Tears streaming down her face, she cried out, “Emery, what did you make Luna drink? She merely spoke a few words on my behalf. Even if you despise me, you shouldn’t have poisoned her!” The other women also started blaming Emery, “Yes, we saw her hand over the juice with our own eyes!” Emery was stunned by the sudden accusation, her eyes widening with shock. She yelled back at Winona, “It wasn’t me… It was clearly you!” Looking again at those women who testified against her, weren’t they all Winona’s close friends? Only then did Emery come to a sudden realization… “Winona, why would you frame me?” At that moment, her fiancé, Howard, rushed over, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment. Without any hesitation, he forcefully pushed Emery away. “Emery, you’ve crossed the line this time! I won’t forgive you!” Having said that, Howard picked up the unconscious Luna and started running outside. The people around began to voice their accusations against her one after another. “Ms. Emery is way too ruthless! Just because someone spoke up for her sister, she resorted to poisoning them!” “She’s utterly heartless!” “Call the police!” “Right! Call the police!” Each accusation was like a sharp knife, striking directly at Emery. Her eldest brother, Nicholas Langford, also rushed over, his eyes filled with rage. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and delivered a slap.