With just one absurd comment from his little assistant, my husband impulsively decided to have one of his kidneys removed. I stared at the assistant’s latest SnapChat update with bloodshot eyes. “Getting rid of the bad to keep the good. Congrats to my boss on taking this important step in life!” In the photo, James was making a peace sign at the camera, but he couldn’t hide the tenderness and sweetness in his eyes. This time, I calmly turned off my phone without hysterically questioning him again. I knew my marriage to James was over. ……… James returned home five days later. In the past, I would have frantically called him, asking about his situation, worried he might encounter some danger outside. But now, I didn’t even look at him, just said flatly, “You’re back.” After that, I continued eating. James was clearly dissatisfied with my indifference. He stood at the door with his hands on his hips, yelling at me. He didn’t look at all like a weak patient who had just lost a kidney. “Chloe, what are you waiting for? Come here and take off my shoes!” Yes, I used to take care of James meticulously. Even for simple tasks like this, I would never let James lift a finger. But that was something the old Chloe would do. I swallowed the last bite of noodles and said calmly, “My back has been hurting lately. You’ll have to handle this yourself from now on.” “Chloe, don’t you know I’m still—” James stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that he had voluntarily donated his kidney. I calmly glanced at his stomach without saying anything, then went straight to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. James stood at the kitchen door and asked me with a strange look, “Why aren’t you reacting at all to the fact that my kidney is gone?” “The kidney was in your body. Its existence should be decided by you. If you didn’t want it, I can’t force you to keep it.” I said it lightly, but only I knew that my heart was bleeding at that moment. James softened his voice and explained to me, “It’s not that I didn’t want the kidney. The kidney was congenitally malformed, so I had no choice but to remove it.” Chapter 2 “Mm, okay.” James became irritated. He grabbed my sleeve, forcing me to look at his face. “What’s with that attitude? Why are you angry with me?” “Don’t you know that if Amber hadn’t discovered in time that my stomach was oddly shaped, I could have become disabled!” I suddenly found it amusing. For the past few years, every check-up had been fine. Even the doctors praised his kidneys for being as healthy as those in textbooks. Why didn’t James believe the doctors, but chose to believe Amber’s unfounded and confusing statement? And how did Amber know the exact shape of James’s stomach so precisely? Since last year, when James made an exception to hire Amber, a junior college graduate, as his assistant, he had become increasingly unreasonable. From initially bringing her to family dinners, celebrating New Year’s abroad with her, to now removing a kidney for her sake, James had completely shattered our once-happy home. But now, none of that mattered to me anymore. Whatever James believed in or wanted to do was his freedom. I had no right to interfere. I pulled my sleeve out of James’s hand. “Indeed, thanks to Amber.” “Chloe, can you stop being petty? You’re really wearing me out. Amber is just looking out for us. Why can’t you appreciate her good intentions?” I looked at him calmly. “James, I’m really not angry. And I truly am grateful to Amber.” Grateful to her for completely severing the last thread of affection between you and me. James looked at me suspiciously for a while. After making sure I wasn’t just sulking, he continued, “I’m hungry. Make me a bowl of noodles.” “Sorry, I have something to do. You’ll have to manage on your own.” “What?” Ignoring James’s questioning, I pushed past him, grabbed my coat from the wall, and prepared to leave. James anxiously followed behind me. “Where are you going if you’re not making me food?” “To see Ethan.” With that, I closed the door, leaving James shouting behind me. James had never liked Ethan, simply because he thought Ethan came from a poor background. He believed it was better to socialize with wealthy elites instead, as it could benefit his company. What he didn’t know was that the person he once looked down upon was now a big boss in the company, and even his strong competitor. I met Ethan at a bar, but unfortunately, my stomach ulcer hadn’t fully healed, so I could only substitute alcohol with juice. Actually, this meeting wasn’t just to catch up, but also to discuss work. Chapter 3 Ethan had opened a branch company in the United States and was in desperate need of staff. He had wanted me to help him in the US a year ago, but I had always declined for James’s sake. When Ethan learned that I had agreed to go to the US, he was so excited that he could barely speak for a while. “No rush, no rush. You… you can go after James recovers. But… will James agree?” Of course James wouldn’t agree. He was a workaholic, but he only allowed himself to work, not me. He said the money he earned was more than enough to support me, and all I needed to do was stay at home and take good care of him. In plain words, I was his 24/7 free housekeeper. I seemed free, but in reality, I was just a guard dog kept in James’s cage, unwelcome by others. The employees at his company called me a freeloader, while his friends “praised” me for being a good housewife. In the past, I didn’t care. I naively thought that as long as James loved me, it was enough. But thinking about it now, if James had valued me even a little, these hurtful words wouldn’t have so boldly reached my ears. So this time, I wanted to live for myself. When I got home, it was already 1 AM. As soon as I entered, I saw Amber feeding James. Amber turned to greet me. She seemed polite, but the pride in her eyes was almost overflowing. “Sister Chloe, you’re back. James just had his transplant surgery and isn’t fully recovered yet. I was worried about him, so I came over to check.” Amber deliberately emphasized the word “transplant”, her tone full of arrogance. The implication was clear: “I made your husband remove a kidney with just a few words. I came here today specially to see you make a fool of yourself.” But at this moment, I felt nothing inside. I nodded calmly, “Thank you for your hard work, Amber.” As soon as I finished speaking, James grabbed the water glass on the table and threw it at my head. “Chloe! You won’t make me food and you won’t let Amber make me food either? It’s bad enough that you’re not grateful, but why are you being so sarcastic towards her!” Seeing this, Amber immediately “sympathetically” patted his back. “James, you’re not fully recovered yet. You shouldn’t get angry. If Sister Chloe doesn’t like me, I’ll just leave.” James grabbed Amber’s arm as she was about to leave. “This is my house, I make the decisions. From now on, you’ll live here. I’d like to see who dares to kick you out!” James glared at me fiercely, as if I were some unforgivable villain. At this moment, a stream of blood flowed down from my temple. Amber exclaimed, “Oh no, James, Sister Chloe is bleeding. Should we take her to the hospital?” James’s eyes softened a bit, but it quickly disappeared. “Don’t bother with her. It’s just a small wound, nothing to fuss about.” I gently wiped away the blood from my temple and said calmly, “You two carry on. I won’t disturb you.” Chapter 4 James looked at me suspiciously, but finally couldn’t help asking, “Chloe, aren’t you angry that I’m alone with Amber in the middle of the night?” I looked at him, puzzled. Angry? Why should I be angry? Oh right, if it were the old me, I would have gone crazy and kicked Amber out, never allowing her to appear in my home so late. But now, not only am I not angry, I would sincerely wish him happiness in finding his true love. After all, James’s marriage to me was just a temporary arrangement to begin with. “Ah!” At this moment, Amber “accidentally” scalded her hand while pouring water. She winced in pain. Her big eyes looked at James pitifully, making him feel extremely distressed. “Amber, don’t worry, I’ll take you to the hospital!” James grabbed Amber’s hand and left. I watched their retreating figures with amusement. We have a thermos at home that always keeps water at 55°C (131°F). How could it possibly scald someone? Indeed, men in love have no intelligence. That night, I slept very comfortably. Not having to worry about James who often didn’t come home at night felt really good. The next day, I felt refreshed and energetic. I made myself breakfast and was enjoying it when James came out of the room. “Chloe, where’s my breakfast?” He looked down at me with a royal demeanor. “Sorry, I thought Amber would make it for you.” “Chloe, that was just me talking out of anger. How could I really let an employee live in our home?” “As my wife, can’t you be less petty?” Huh, not letting Amber move in is probably to avoid ruining his reputation, while the wound on my temple wouldn’t raise any suspicions. “Okay, I understand.” James stared at me, as if trying to see through me. Suddenly, he sneered, “Chloe, you still won’t admit you’re sulking? You’re deliberately not bandaging your wound and leaving it exposed, aren’t you just trying to get back at me?” “I admit I was a bit impulsive last night, but you don’t have to use such a low-level tactic to deliberately get my attention.” As he spoke, he tried to step forward to check my wound. But I got up and went into the kitchen. “James, as long as you’re happy.” Think whatever you want of me. “Chloe!” This was the first time I had avoided James’s attempt to get close to me. He was unhappy. He had never allowed me to defy him. Seeing that I was still washing dishes without any sign of apologizing to him, James stormed out, slamming the door. Before leaving, he threw out one last sentence, “Chloe, I dare you to never speak to me again for the rest of your life!” Chapter 5 After James left, I didn’t sit idle. I packed up my documents, ready to go out and handle the procedures for going abroad. I also consulted Ethan about divorce matters, after all, he had experience. Ethan let out a sharp cry on the other end of the phone, “What? You want to divorce James?” “Did… did you take the wrong medicine? How could Chloe ever let go of James’s hand!” Indeed, how could Chloe ever let go of James’s hand? He was the boy I had loved wholeheartedly for twelve years. From high school until now, my heart had been beating for him every second of every minute. He was heaven’s favorite child, and I knew I wasn’t worthy of him. I never dared to imagine that my parallel line could intersect with his. It was a class reunion five years ago that changed the trajectory of my life. He was drunk and not very happy. I heard from a classmate that he had to get married within a year to inherit the company, otherwise it would go to his father’s son with the mistress. In the dim light of the KTV, James was drinking alone in the corner. His eyes were red, his hair a bit messy, looking extremely pitiful. I knew I couldn’t help him, but I still reached out inexplicably and took away his wine glass. “Maybe a piece of candy would make you feel better.” I held out my hand, a lone strawberry candy lying in the center of my palm, “hoping” that the goddess of fortune would favor “it” just a little tonight. James lazily raised his eyes, staring at me. Suddenly, he smiled. His cold fingertips brushed across my palm, sending an electric current through my body, making me feel a bit flustered. He leaned close to my ear and said in a husky voice, “Dare to go get a marriage license with me right now?” Fireworks exploded in my brain. The goddess of fortune had really descended. I didn’t know how much sincerity and how much playfulness was in James’s words. I only knew that I was going to marry the man I loved most, and in this life, I would die without regrets. Chapter 6 I snapped back to reality and casually told Ethan about James removing his kidney that day. This matter had been bottled up in my heart for a long time, and finally, I could release it a little. Ethan’s scream sounded again, “Chloe, don’t be afraid. I’ll recommend the best divorce lawyer for you. James, we don’t want him anymore!” I was very grateful for Ethan’s help. After all, a friend in need is a friend indeed. James didn’t come home for several days in a row, and I was happy to be relaxed and free. The next time I saw him was at our high school class reunion. As soon as I entered the private room, I saw James sitting in the seat of honor, eye-catching, and Amber by his side. I didn’t expect James to bring Amber even to this kind of occasion. They really seemed inseparable in their love. When James saw me, he arrogantly straightened his back, waiting for me to come over fawningly and sit beside him. But I ignored him and sat in the farthest position from him. When Amber saw me, she gave me a challenging look and deliberately raised her left hand, showing off the couple’s ring. I didn’t even look, turning my head to chat with the classmates beside me. James had always been aloof and didn’t have good relationships, so no one talked to him. He watched me laughing and chatting with others, his face turning blacker and blacker. During the meal, my phone kept buzzing with messages from James. “?” “Why aren’t you sitting next to me?” “I brought Amber just to broaden her horizons. Do you have to be like this?” In just thirty minutes, James sent me more messages than he had in the past five years combined. Then, another new message popped up, “Since you’re being so disobedient, let’s just get a divorce.” I caught a glimpse of the sarcasm in James’s eyes, as if he was certain I wouldn’t divorce him, certain that I would kneel down and beg for reconciliation like last time. But I quickly sent him one word, “Okay.”
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