My name is Jade Thomas. I’ve been married to Zachary Stewart for seven years, and he’s been cold to me for all seven years. Every wedding anniversary, he forces me to kneel all night in front of my sister Yvonne’s sickbed to repent. All because seven years ago, on the eve of Yvonne’s wedding to him, a sudden fire broke out at home. She became a vegetative state trying to save me. And I, under my family’s arrangement, replaced her and married Zachary. Zachary blames me for ruining his lover and has tortured me nonstop for seven years, bringing different women home to humiliate me. On the eve of our seventh wedding anniversary, my dog Max, whom I had raised for five years, was in a car accident. I rushed to claim him and take him to the hospital for emergency treatment. He thought I was trying to escape and forcibly sent people to drag me into the same ward, pressing me to kneel by the bedside and repent. At that moment, I was completely hopeless. I asked him, “If I can wake Yvonne up, will you let me go?” He was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh, as if he had heard an absurd joke. He said, “Yvonne has been in a coma for seven years. The most authoritative experts in the field have said she can’t wake up. “What ability do you have to make her open her eyes again?” He kicked me in the back, forcing me to lower my head toward the patient on the bed. He shouted angrily, “You’re the one who made her like this. How dare you say such irresponsible things in front of her?” “Apologize to her!” I curled up on the ground, enduring the pain as I searched for a document on my phone. That was Gavin Howard, a highly respected professor abroad. With his surgery, there’s an 80% chance a vegetative patient could wake up. Zachary was slightly stunned, but soon, a coldness reappeared in his eyes. He let out a cold snort. “If such an expert really exists, do you think I wouldn’t have found out in these years?” “You dare to bring up such fabricated nonsense just to shirk responsibility?” “Do you have to drive Yvonne to her death before you’re satisfied?” He roared angrily and kicked me hard in the stomach. Agonizing pain swept through my body instantly. I curled up, lying on the ground like a dog. I realized he had already decided that Yvonne would never wake up. He was also convinced that everything I did was just to harm her. So no matter what I said, he didn’t believe me. So I gave up explaining, got up as he ordered, and knelt again by the bedside. He no longer looked at me, sitting by Yvonne’s bedside, talking to her for a long time. He spoke of his love for her, saying he would always seek justice for her, telling her not to worry and to rest peacefully. After speaking, he left alone, locking me in the ward. It wasn’t until three days later that he had someone open the door and let me out. By then, I had collapsed on the floor, my face pale, and my knees covered in bruises. Zachary frowned, a hint of softness flashing in his eyes. But when he saw Yvonne on the hospital bed, that softness vanished instantly. He signaled the nurse to wake me up. As soon as I woke up, I heard his reprimand. “I only made you kneel and repent, I didn’t abuse you. Why are you pretending to be weak?” I didn’t respond, struggled to get up from the floor, and limped out of the ward. He suddenly grabbed my wrist. “Didn’t you say you wanted to see Max? I’ll take you there.” A month ago, I had a severe cold and temporarily sent Max to a pet center for boarding. Three days ago, it suddenly ran out and was accidentally hit by a car. The driver deliberately claimed that Max damaged his car and demanded $100,000 before allowing the pet center to take it to the vet. I wanted to rush over to handle it, but my phone was confiscated, and I was locked up. Now, three whole days have passed. All the pet center could give me was an urn of ashes. A sharp pain surged in my heart. I said calmly, “There’s no need.” Then, I left without looking back. I sent a text to my senior brother Ryan Carter overseas: [I agree to the exchange. Please help me bring Mr. Howard over.]
Yvonne is two years older than me and is classmates with Zachary. Our families have been close for generations. I grew up playing with them. In high school, they fell in love. By the time they graduated from college, they were ready to get engaged. I had feelings for Zachary too, but I never thought of taking him from Yvonne. No one expected a fire to break out at their home the night before the wedding. I escaped through the window first, but Yvonne, trapped for too long, became a vegetative state. Our family needed someone to maintain the alliance with the Stewart family, so they chose me. Zachary didn’t refuse. After the wedding, he kept tormenting me. But just now, when I was unconscious, I suddenly remembered what happened during the fire. At first, Yvonne wanted to scare me, deliberately placing a burning fire basin at my door, letting the smoke fill my room. To make it more realistic, she even deliberately poured gasoline outside my room. But later, she got burned and knocked over the fire basin. The flames quickly spread, setting the whole house on fire. I was sleeping at the time, and by the time the smoke woke me up, the fire was already raging. I didn’t know she was outside, and with the door too hot to open, I had to quickly tear the bedsheet into strips and climb out the window. In the end, I lost my grip, fell down, and passed out. When I woke up again, my memory of the fire was completely blurry. Everyone told me that Yvonne was trapped outside the room because she was trying to save me. But I selfishly locked the door and escaped alone. That wasn’t my fault at all. I’m clearly the victim. I will never make any sacrifices again. No matter what, I must leave Zachary. The next day, the pet center delivered Max’s ashes to the house. I placed it properly, went out to buy a bouquet of lilies, and put them in a vase on the table. Max used to love sleeping there, enjoying the scent of flowers. I just arranged the flowers when a shadow appeared before me. Zachary stared intently at the vase in my hands. “You know Yvonne loves lilies.” “You suddenly bought them today, are you trying to say you’re atoning?” “Don’t think a few bouquets of flowers can erase the mistakes you’ve made. What you owe her, you’ll never repay in this lifetime.” I used to feel guilty, used to feel sad. But now, my heart feels nothing. “The flowers were just a random purchase, you’re overthinking,” I said calmly. His gaze froze for a moment, then he sneered, “Of course, someone as cold-blooded as you wouldn’t have a shred of remorse.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. After a while, he had someone deliver a long dress. He said, “Wear this for tonight’s anniversary party.” The dress was just long enough to cover the bruises on my knees. Every year on this day, he would invite both our families and friends to a gathering. In front of everyone, he was especially gentle with me. Once the guests left, he dropped the facade and tortured me more cruelly. I took the dress and walked into the bathroom with an indifferent expression to change. Zachary stared at me, seemingly surprised by my calmness. “You’re quite well-behaved today?” I’m really afraid of wearing dresses. When I was fifteen, Yvonne and I were kidnapped. A thug targeted me and tore at my skirt in front of everyone. Although the police arrived in time and we were safely rescued, from that moment on, I carried a deep fear of “wearing skirts.” Zachary knows all of this. But after we got married, his favorite thing was forcing me to wear all kinds of skirts, long and short. He enjoyed watching my discomfort and fear, forcing me to beg him, only to reject me without hesitation. I used to never dare refuse because, like him, I thought I needed to atone. I also hoped that his impression of me would improve a bit because of this obedience. However, it was useless. Now, I no longer care about his opinion of me. “The material and design of the dress are good. Share the shop with me,” I said casually. “When I have time, I’ll buy a few more.” Zachary’s face suddenly darkened. I didn’t look at him and walked out of the room on my own. At this moment, my phone received a text message: [Mr. Howard will take tonight’s flight over, surgery in three days.]
I replied, [Okay.] Not long after, the banquet officially began. Our family members and some of Zachary’s friends also came. A few cousins gathered around me, chatting with me. My youngest cousin pointed at the person playing the piano in the corner and said with a smile, “Zachary is really thoughtful. He knows you like the piano and arranges live performances every year.” “I heard he always invites renowned pianists in the industry. They’re young, beautiful, and skilled!” Another cousin chimed in, “Jade, I remember you were amazing at playing the piano when you were little. Back then, Zachary always loved standing next to you, watching you play.” “Even though you’ve been married for so many years, you can’t let this talent go to waste. Otherwise, if he ends up liking another pianist, you’ll regret it too late.” A trace of bitterness rose in my heart. The piano used to be my favorite. But I can no longer play. Five years ago, he and I went to inspect a construction site. Suddenly, a heavy object fell from above. I used all my strength to push him away, but my hand was severely crushed, resulting in a comminuted fracture. Although it was later healed and looks normal on the outside, I can no longer perform actions requiring fine control. I still remember five years ago, when I woke up in the hospital, the way he looked at me held no gratitude, only disgust. He said, “Do you think throwing yourself to save me on purpose will make me go soft on you?” “I’m telling you, you owe Yvonne a life! No matter how many times you put on a show, I will never forgive you!” After that, his attitude toward me became even worse. He knew I couldn’t play the piano, yet every year, at all the important events, he would invite a pianist to perform. He was probably reminding me that I had lost my dream forever. “If that’s really the case, then it’s a good thing,” I whispered. Him falling for someone else was a relief for me. My cousins didn’t take my words seriously and changed the subject with a laugh. One of them teased, “Jade is so outstanding, one of the company’s pillars, does she still need to use talent to please Mr. Stewart?” I didn’t respond. After they finished talking and dispersed, I walked to a corner alone, took a piece of cake, and ate it slowly. Not far away, a girl brought by one of Zachary’s friends stepped forward and invited him to dance. He gladly agreed, wrapped his arm around her waist, and stepped onto the dance floor. I didn’t feel dissatisfied like before; instead, I looked down at my phone and booked a flight abroad for a week later. My deal with Ryan was that he would help me invite Gavin, and I would work at his overseas headquarters for at least five years. After leaving this time, I will never return. Seeing the ticket information, I put down my phone. At this moment, the dance music just ended, and I clapped along with the crowd. Zachary’s expression completely turned cold. He left his female companion and strode toward me. “Jade, what game are you playing now? Clapping so sarcastically, is that fun?” Sarcastic? Before, when I desperately complained and resisted, he was unhappy. Now that I’m silent and indifferent, he thinks I have bad intentions? I said, “Didn’t you tell me to mind my manners on important occasions?” “I’m just doing what you said.” Hearing this, his face turned even darker. In the end, he said nothing. After the banquet, all the guests left. He had the bodyguards throw me out too. He said, “Tonight, I don’t want to see you.” I casually booked a hotel. I’ve long gotten used to his torment. Even on my birthday, when I bought a cake to celebrate, he would smash it himself, then drag me to Yvonne’s hospital room, forcing me to look at her pale, frail face. He said, “Watching Yvonne suffer, can you still eat? Do you deserve to celebrate your birthday?” I took a cab to the hotel and stayed for three days. Three days later, I went to the hospital as Yvonne’s family member to sign the surgery consent form.
The surgery was successful, and Yvonne really regained consciousness. I went home, wanting to share the news with Zachary. Before I could speak, he sneered and said, “You still know how to come back? I thought you’d changed and would never step into this house again in your life.” “But now that you’re back, it’s too late. I’ve already had the designer turn your old room into a recovery room. From now on, Yvonne will be living here.” “You’ll stay in the maid’s room on the first floor and take care of her.” He casually pointed to the corner, to that dim and cramped little room. After saying that, he hurriedly left. Not long after, a caregiver arrived at the house. But she wasn’t here to work; instead, she arrogantly scolded me, “I was hired by Mr. Stewart to teach you.” “During this time, you must follow me and learn how to take care of patients properly. “Mr. Stewart said the comatose lady is his wife, very important, and not a single mistake is allowed. “You better be smart.” After she finished speaking and saw no reaction from me, she reached out to grab my injured right hand. A sharp pain hit instantly, and I flung her away. During the struggle, she stumbled and fell down a few steps of the stairs. She turned pale with fear, as if I were some kind of demon. She didn’t dare approach me again, hurriedly ran out of the villa, and pulled out her phone to make a call. Obviously, she went to complain. I didn’t care and turned back to my room to pack my things. There wasn’t much to pack anyway; I didn’t want to keep anything related to Zachary. I only took my documents and a few clothes with me. Just as I zipped up my bag, Zachary came back. As soon as he walked in, he harshly questioned, “I thought you could pretend to behave a bit longer this time.” “I just hired a caregiver, and you couldn’t hold it together?” I calmly said, “A caregiver for a vegetative patient isn’t suitable. You’d better hire another nanny for Yvonne.” “What nonsense are you spouting again?” he frowned, his face growing darker. At that moment, a noise came from behind. Yvonne was sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed in. She looked pale and frail, but her eyes were clear, and she was fully conscious. She widened her eyes, looking around with a panicked expression. Until she saw Zachary, she suddenly became excited, pushing the wheelchair forward to hug him. Her voice choked, “Zachary! I missed you so much.” “All these years, while I was in a coma, I could always hear what you said. “But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wake up. I was so scared. I thought I would never see you again.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed and continued, “I shouldn’t have saved Jade back then. It was all her recklessness, playing with fire, that caused the fire.” “All these years, lying motionless in bed, it was truly unbearable.” Zachary looked dazed. Seeing her crying, he despised me even more. He roared, “I knew it, you’ve been making excuses all these years!” “It’s clearly your fault Yvonne ended up like that!” “Hurry up and kneel down to confess to her!” He grabbed me like before, forcefully dragged me to the wheelchair, and ordered me to kneel and repent. But I was never the one at fault, so why should I compromise again? I shoved Zachary aside with force and slapped him hard with all my strength. “What gives you the right to hit him?” Yvonne exclaimed. Without hesitation, I slapped her too. I said, “This slap is for slandering me.” Then, I unlocked my phone, pulled up the surveillance footage from the day of the fire, and hit play.
This is a piece of footage I had restored by technicians after regaining my memory. The footage was clear—Yvonne intentionally scared me first, but in the end, she was the one trapped at the end of the hallway. It had nothing to do with me. Even my escape through the window, getting injured, and losing my memory were all thanks to her. I looked straight into Zachary’s eyes and calmly said, “Did you see clearly? Who’s the real victim?” “All these years, I’ve knelt enough.” “If we really count, it’s you who owe me.” I handed him the signed divorce agreement. I looked at him and said, “So, let’s get a divorce.” “I don’t want anything from you.” “My only request is that you two never appear in front of me again.” “The past seven years, consider it my repayment for their care since I was young.” “From now on, I don’t want to see them ever again.” “No way!” Zachary suddenly stood up, his tone agitated, “I don’t agree to the divorce!” I frowned, a bit confused. The past few years, he clearly hoped so much for Yvonne to wake up. He promised countless times by her ear that as long as she woke up, he would divorce me immediately and marry her. Now that his dream can finally come true, why is he unwilling? Yvonne was stunned too, her eyes instantly reddening. “Zachary, don’t you love me the most anymore?” “Now that Jade is willing to step aside, it’s a good thing.” “Or do you really believe what she said?” “That video must be fake! After so many years, how could footage from so long ago still exist?” “Besides, you know me best, how could I do something like that?” She cried so pitifully, her delicate body trembling slightly. Zachary couldn’t help but hold her tenderly. “That’s not what I meant.” Yvonne embraced him with a face full of happiness. I couldn’t be bothered to look at them anymore and turned to leave. I have plenty of evidence of how he tormented me over the years. Since he refuses to divorce peacefully, I’ll file for divorce. After I left, only the two of them were left in the room. Yvonne looked at Zachary with some anticipation. “Did you change the nursing room for me? Can I go take a look?” Zachary instinctively shook his head, thinking of me who once lived there. He said, “It’s not renovated yet. You should go back to the hospital to rest for now.” Without waiting for her to argue, he directly called the bodyguards to forcefully take her away. Afterward, he looked at the phone left on the table and the scene playing on the screen, rubbing his temples. He ordered, “Check if this video has any signs of being edited.” Zachary suddenly regretted his impulsiveness. The next day, he rushed to that room, wanting the workers to pause construction and restore everything to its original state, but the entire room was already empty. His face turned cold as he grabbed a worker by the collar and demanded, “Where are the things inside?” “Didn’t I tell you to put them in an empty room first and not to touch them?” The worker trembled in fear and stammered, “That lady said those were all trash, she didn’t want any of it, and told us to burn it.” Zachary’s eyes widened. The next second, as if all his strength was drained, he slid down against the wall and sat on the ground. Everything is gone. What will she use in the future? Where is she going? Does she not want him anymore?
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