Black, pure black.

In this pitch-dark space where one can hardly see their fingers right before their eyes, even the oxygen seemed to weigh heavily. Olivia Jackson curled up in the wardrobe, her knees drawn up to her chest. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, coursing down her cheeks. The oppressive atmosphere bore down on Olivia's chest, making her increasingly feel oxygen-deprived.

Just a wooden panel away in the bedroom, her husband, Jacob Oscar, was making love to a strange woman.

The woman's intermittent moaning, the suggestive noises of the bed gently being rocked by their actions; all of it permeated the sultry air, passing through Olivia's eardrums and stimulating her nerves.

Olivia's hair was still dripping wet. Jacob had come back so abruptly that she hadn't even time to flee to her own room. Especially after hearing the strange woman's voice, she had no choice but to hastily hide in the wardrobe.

And now, the droplets of water on Olivia's hair fell onto the bottom of the wardrobe, one droplet after another, much like her heart pounding chaotically in her chest.

"Boss Jacob… Boss Jacob..."

Olivia was hearing such coquettish tone for the first time in her life. Her eyes widened in fear as a sharp pain ran through her entire body, causing her to bite down on her lower lip.

Jacob didn't utter a single word throughout this ordeal. Olivia hadn't even heard a slightest sound from him.

The bare toes of Olivia curled up. Everything happening outside was something she had never experienced before. When her body grow heated in spurts, it wasn't confusion she felt, but rather apprehension.

Perhaps, the biggest mistake Olivia made today was to impulsively use the shower in Jacob's room, hoping he wouldn't come home, since the one in her room was out of order.

Jacob hadn't been home for a week, why did he have to come home today…

Olivia dreaded the thought of what would happen if Jacob found her hiding in the wardrobe. Over these years, she had no idea how many women he slept with, neither did she really care. But what's happening at this very moment was beyond her wildest imagination.

Olivia could never see through Jacob. The emotions hidden behind his indifferent eyes remained elusive to everyone.

A small crack in the wardrobe's door allowed a sliver of shabby moonlight to fuse with the indoor lights, casting a slender beam of light on Olivia's face. She swallowed heavily, listening as the moaning of the woman outside grew more and more fervent.

Would this be considered infidelity within marriage? But Olivia felt no anger or even sadness, for she knew from the moment she married Jacob, she would forever be without the privilege to be annoyed at him.

For this marriage was a transaction from the start. Had it not been for that coincidental encounter at an opportune time, there would never have been any intersection between Olivia and Jacob.

They were like a "couple" that had agreed on a time, behind the contract, the two could not even be considered friends.

Jacob preferred to label his relationship with Olivia as a "collaboration."

He needed a woman to keep up appearances with his family elders while she needed a sum of money to clear her father's debt.

Both got what they needed, hence they did not interfere with each other.

But why did a fleeting sense of sadness well up in Olivia's heart when she heard the voice of another woman outside?

Olivia had long known that there were many women outside for Jacob, so many that she couldn’t count them all with her hands.

Jacob had never touched Olivia, which was what Olivia hoped for. But he never brought any women home. Could this be some sort of omen?

Counting the days, it was only three more days until the day that she and Jacob had previously agreed upon as the end. Perhaps Jacob was trying to remind herself of this point by bringing a woman back home now?

Olivia clenched her fingers, staring into the darkness in front of her, as if trying to find some sliver of light there—

In a daze, Olivia had no idea when she fell asleep. She thought she had hidden well in the closet, but when the closet door was suddenly opened from outside, her eyes sprang open in an instant.

Jacob stood right in front of Olivia, his upper body bare, his muscular figure like a statue, and that "statue" was looking down at her from above.

Caught, Olivia's throat dried up. She could hardly believe she wasn't dreaming. She thought she had hidden well, never expecting to still be found by Jacob.

She didn't know when it got light out, Jacob's back against the light, leaving only a shadow on Olivia's face.

A few rays of sunlight escaped from Jacob's side, so bright that Olivia found it dazzling. She squinted a little, and his silhouette gradually blurred in her vision.

The atmosphere froze in an instant. As Olivia stared into Jacob's emotionless eyes, she found herself too nervous to utter a word.

A powerful arm reached into the wardrobe, and Olivia was effortlessly pulled out by Jacob. She instinctively tried to stand still, but her legs were trembling uncontrollably. In her panic, she held tightly onto the wardrobe door.

All the while, Jacob kept his eyes on Olivia, seemingly waiting for her to explain.

With a swallow, Olivia finally regained her voice after what seemed like forever. She said:

"Next time, can you refrain from bringing women back home?"