His salvation, my cage

The company's annual gala was a blur of shimmering dresses and forced smiles. Then, Chloe, the new intern, publicly accused me of deliberately tripping her and staining her designer gown.

My husband, Liam, didn't hesitate. He told me to hand over the dress I'd picked out for our anniversary to compensate her.

When I refused, she flew into a rage, humiliating me in front of everyone:

"You're nothing but a discarded toy, auctioned off and shamed by your ex-fiancé! How dare you even think of marrying Liam?!"

With that, she threw a glass of red wine over my head.