When Ronnie Miller’s mistress showed up pregnant for the third time, I remained strangely calm. I even had the leisure to admire the wedding photos they’d taken behind my back. Ronnie frowned, his expression cold, subtly shielding Briar Stone. “I know I promised you I wouldn’t have children with anyone else.” “But Briar has been with me for so many years. Her body is already fragile after two abortions. This child *has* to stay. If anything happens to her, I won’t hold back.” After speaking, he stepped back a few paces. He probably expected me to lash out like a madwoman, just like before. But not this time. Three days ago, I’d already accepted his proposal. I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Briar’s hands, clutching the wedding photos so tightly her knuckles were white. “Nice wedding photos, but that dress doesn’t really suit you.” If she hadn’t deliberately sent me the ultrasound, I wouldn’t have even known she was pregnant again. Over the years, I’d grown used to her provocations. The first time she confronted me, I felt like I’d been thrown into sub-zero water. My entire being felt torn in half, my heart spasming with pain. My eyes bloodshot, I’d shattered an ashtray over Ronnie’s head. He merely licked the blood from his lip, looking at me with an exasperated yet protective gaze directed at her. “Honey, you’re a real firecracker, aren’t you? So quick to ignite.” “But I truly care for her. Don’t lay a hand on her, and everything will be fine. Was one hit not enough? Want to hit me twice to blow off some steam?” Back then, my world crumbled. I lost handfuls of hair, suffered sleepless nights, tormenting myself until I looked like a ghost. But now, I felt nothing at all. Ronnie paused, then stared at me with a half-smile. “Honey, new tactic?” “But you know, even if you try to stop me, it won’t end well for you.” He was right. I agreed wholeheartedly, nodding. “I won’t stop you. Do whatever you want.” Seeing my lack of tears or drama, Ronnie finally let out a sigh of relief. A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. “Whatever you want to buy, just use my card.” With that, he walked off, cradling Briar in his arms, as if worried she might tire. Watching their retreating figures, I felt a strange sense of unreality. After I first discovered his cheating, I exposed him, laying it all bare for our friends and family to see. I wanted him to back down, to come back to me. But to my shock, the very next day, he doubled down, openly introducing Briar to everyone. Someone spoke ill of Briar, and he knocked out their teeth. Someone else mocked Briar, calling her a homewrecker, and he broke their leg. Everyone instantly stopped disrespecting Briar. I screamed, utterly devastated. “Ronnie, what am I to you?! You swore you’d love me forever!” “Let’s get a divorce!” Ronnie chuckled, then kissed my lips. “Honey, can you really bear to leave me?” “I didn’t say I don’t love you anymore. It’s just been a while, and things get a little… stale. Just be a good girl, okay?” “Divorce? Where would you even go?” All my words caught in my throat. It wasn’t until I learned Briar was pregnant that I completely lost it. Before Ronnie was officially recognized by the Miller family, he was just a street kid, running with gangs. When he was sixteen, he got into a fight, and I stepped in front of him, taking a knife wound that damaged my uterus. I was told I’d likely never have children. After we married, his mother used to verbally abuse me, calling me a barren chicken. To protect me, and spare me further pain, Ronnie got a vasectomy. So, when I found out Briar was pregnant, I tracked her down, slapped her twice, dragged her to the hospital, and forced an abortion. When Ronnie found out, he had people desecrate my grandmother’s grave. In that moment, I felt like I died. My heart felt pierced by countless needles, each beat bleeding. My face was ashen, like a ghost, as I asked him if he was insane. When he was at his lowest, hadn’t my grandmother given him food? Would he even be alive today without her? Before she passed, my grandmother treated him like her own grandson. She split her life savings, half for me, and half to help him start his business. She believed he would make sure I had a good life. But she never imagined that ten years later, Ronnie would bring people to dig up her grave. I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound, coughing up blood. Ronnie remained unmoved, casually smoking on the sofa. “Honey, you’re the one who laid hands on her first.” “I warned you, but you just wouldn’t listen.” After that day, Ronnie never came home again. He spent weeks by Briar’s side, doting on her. I withered away at home, like a dying flower. Watching the news report that Ronnie had rented out an entire auction house for Briar, I slit my wrists. Life drained from me, little by little, the sounds around me slowly fading. A bone-chilling cold consumed me. I felt only relief, and slowly closed my eyes.
But I didn’t die. When I opened my eyes again, Ronnie was beside my bed, his eyes bloodshot. He clutched me tightly, swearing to me. “Honey, you scared me to death.” “I won’t get anyone pregnant again, I promise you.” But people, once they break a promise the first time, will break countless promises for the rest of their lives. The second time Briar got pregnant, Ronnie smoked all night. I knew he was torn. He felt for Briar, but he was also bound by his promise to me. Briar came knocking on our door. Before I could say anything, she collapsed. The baby was gone. That was the first time I saw Ronnie in a fit of uncontrolled rage. He grabbed my throat, demanding I pay with my life. “I already promised you! I was going to make her get rid of it! Why couldn’t you just leave her alone?!” That was the second time I faced death. My lungs burned as if they would explode, air slowly stripped away. Just as I thought I was going to die, I was flung aside like a broken doll. Seeing the undisguised disgust in his eyes, all my explanations caught in my throat, stuck there, making me sick and wretched. Ronnie moved out of the home we’d lovingly decorated together. After that, whenever I needed to reach him, I had to get Briar’s permission before he would answer my calls. Two months later, I found out I was pregnant. The doctor called it a miracle, likely my only chance to ever have a child. I texted Ronnie, but Briar showed up instead. Briar came to our house to corner me. “Do you really think this baby will make Ronnie come back to you?” “Don’t be naive. Do you know what Ronnie said on my bed last night? He said just seeing your old hag face made him sick. If you hadn’t saved him back then, he would have kicked you to the curb ages ago.” Before she left, when I wasn’t looking, she poured hand soap onto the bathroom floor. I slipped when I went to the bathroom, and the gush of blood on the floor stained my vision red. I called Ronnie, but his line was constantly busy. On the tenth call, he only replied with four words: *Briar won’t let me.* The ambulance was slow to arrive. The blood was already cold. The baby was gone. I lay in the hospital bed, staring numbly at the ceiling, unable to understand how Ronnie and I had come to this. I thought, *this is it*. Maybe the baby knew it shouldn’t come into this world. It would only face constantly fighting parents. This is better. Let it be. From that day on, I think I stopped loving Ronnie. Even now, seeing their backs together, there wasn’t a ripple in my heart. The ringtone of *his* special song broke my reverie. I answered the call. “Yes, the divorce papers are ready. I’ll give them to him tomorrow.” “You can pick me up the day after tomorrow.”
I cleared out the old belongings in the house, throwing all the unimportant items into the trash. That night, Ronnie finally came home. In the end, the divorce papers I’d drafted weren’t needed. Ronnie beat me to it, handing me his own divorce papers first. “Honey, Briar feels insecure. She doesn’t want our child to be born a bastard.” “Let’s get divorced first, then after she gives birth, we’ll remarry.” No wonder. An hour ago, Briar had texted me, telling me to expect a surprise. She was trying to provoke me, to make me fight with Ronnie again. Unfortunately, I no longer loved him. Even arguing felt like a waste of energy. I calmly scanned the terms of the agreement. It was generous, and fair. Almost all of Ronnie’s assets were split equally with me. Without hesitation, I signed my name. After signing, I drank the lukewarm water on the table and prepared to go back to my room. Ronnie hadn’t expected me to be so decisive. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He stood up, instinctively grabbing my wrist. “What’s wrong?” I turned, my gaze distant and cold. “What’s wrong? Is there anything else?” Ronnie glanced uneasily at my bedroom, pondered for a moment, then walked in. He collected all the sharp knives and objects from my room. He then prepared to call the nanny from his family estate. He was afraid I would try to kill myself. I chuckled. “No need to go to all that trouble. I won’t kill myself.” His phone rang. It was Briar, urging him to come home. He nodded dismissively at me, then rushed out the door. Early the next morning, Ronnie urged me downstairs to go to the civil affairs office for our divorce certificate. His car was covered in stickers he used to deem childish. It was Briar’s aesthetic. I sensibly went to the back seat. He paused, then instinctively asked. “Why aren’t you sitting in front?” I gazed out at the rapidly receding scenery, answering distractedly. “Isn’t that Briar’s designated seat?” Ronnie fell silent. Several times, he tried to catch my eye in the rearview mirror, opening his mouth repeatedly without speaking. After registering our information, the staff told us we could come back to finalize the divorce after the cooling-off period. I breathed a sigh of relief. Ronnie stood rooted to the spot, his expression complex, emotions I couldn’t decipher swirling in his eyes. “I’ll drive you home.” I was about to refuse. Briar appeared out of nowhere, jumping to kiss Ronnie’s cheek. Ronnie hastily steadied her. “Careful with the baby!” The moment Briar appeared, all his attention was on her. He didn’t even notice when I left.
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