Amid Their Storm, I Found My Exit

After I became pregnant, the truth about my marriage finally became clear. My husband Andrew’s so-called “childhood friend” Quinn could freely enter our bedroom, spend my money, and live in the house I had paid for. Meanwhile, I, the legal wife who had covered the mortgage and supported the household, was treated like an outsider, mocked, and had my contributions publicly itemized at our housewarming party. When I refused to keep footing the bill, they called me cheap. When I tried to uphold my boundaries, they called me vicious. Then came that stormy night, when he, faced with a life-or-death decision, unequivocally placed me and our unborn child last. In that moment, I finally understood. This wasn’t favoritism. This was calculated abandonment. If they wanted me gone, this time I would make the first move. 1 Emily POV There was never any boundary between my husband Andrew and his childhood friend Quinn. Our friends and family didn’t see it as odd. They praised their “unbreakable bond.” As the lady of the house, I’d watch Quinn walk into our bedroom without knocking. When she admired the matching mugs I’d bought, Andrew gave her the one that said “His” without a second thought. He even let her nap in our bed. “We’re all family,” he’d say. “What’s the big deal?” The moment I showed any discomfort, Quinn would pout and sigh. “Andrew and I have always been like this. I can’t just change overnight.” A cold laugh rose in my throat. Screw your childhood bond. On the day of our new housewarming party, I was in the kitchen, heavily pregnant, preparing dinner. Andrew and Quinn were side-by-side on the sofa, playing video games, just waiting for the meal. Other guests chatted in the living room, wine glasses in hand. Not one offered to help me, a pregnant woman. At dinner, Andrew completely disregarded table manners, immediately forking the tenderest piece of roast beef from his plate to Quinn’s. “I know you like the tender cuts. This one’s for you.” Quinn complained her sauce was too spicy, and without a second thought, she used her own fork to reach into Andrew’s plate and take a side dish. “Andrew, yours looks better. I want this.” Odessa, my mother-in-law, beamed, her face creasing with delight. “That’s right! Quinn grew up in our house, she doesn’t mind!” My hand, holding the knife and fork, hovered in mid-air, feeling utterly out of place. I paid the down payment for this house, I handled the mortgage, and I bought all the party ingredients and drinks. Yet, at this dining table, I felt like a stranger forced to share a meal. After dinner, a friend suggested we play Truth or Dare. The mood was loose and boozy. I sat in the corner with my glass of warm water, watching. Andrew lost. His friends nudged him toward the dare, grinning. “If there were no legal consequences, who would you most want to give this house to?” A few of his childhood buddies immediately shouted, “That’s a given! For Quinn, as a wedding gift!” Andrew chuckled, trying to play it off. “Quinn’s like my little sister. What’s mine is hers.” Quinn chimed in, “Exactly! Emily makes so much money, she can just buy another one, right?” Everyone raised their glasses and cheered, as if they had already decided the ownership of my property. Andrew’s friends even started idly playing with the cash on the table, half-jokingly asking for a share. I walked to the liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of Andrew’s prized aged whiskey, and smashed it fiercely onto the marble floor of the living room. Glass shattered, the scent of whiskey filled the air, and the entire room fell silent. “So eager to divide up my house? Fine. The police can come, they can make it official.” I pulled out my phone and dialed 91

“Hello, police? There’s an illegal gambling gathering here, with large sums of money involved.” Andrew rushed over to snatch my phone, his face pale. “Emily, are you crazy? It’s just a friendly card game, why call the cops? Do you want to ruin my career?” 2 Emily POV I looked at Andrew as he shielded Quinn and the money behind him, tears in my voice. “You’re in finance, Andrew. How will you explain this to your company? That you’re using your wife’s salary to fund your neighbor, while your wife is just the fool who pays for everything?” He kept Quinn behind him and lowered his voice to a sharp hiss. “You’re out of line. Quinn was just joking. Why do you have to be so stingy?” “If protecting my own money makes me cheap, then yes, I won’t pay another cent.” Andrew grabbed my arm, accusing me of humiliating him in front of his childhood friends. “Everyone’s here for our new housewarming party!” “Don’t be so obsessed with money.” Hearing that, I turned and slapped him hard across the face. Quinn immediately rushed forward, clutching Andrew’s arm tightly, her eyes welling up with tears. “Andrew, it’s all my fault for being poor and not having a good education. I just made Emily angry.” She sobbed, saying her family was unfortunate since she was little, and Odessa’s family gave her warmth. Andrew just looked out for her like a brother. “Andrew, quickly apologize to Emily. She’s a rich lady, it’s normal for her to look down on people from our background. Don’t let me ruin your relationship.” Her words made all the guests present look at me with hostility and contempt. The guest room door burst open, and Odessa stormed out, pushing me aside to stand in front of the crying Quinn. She pointed a finger at my face. “You dare hit him? You dare hit my son? How can you be so heartless? Quinn is such a good kid, what’s wrong with using your fork? Is someone going to die?” “Odessa, this is about boundaries. This is my home.” “What’s this ‘your home, my home’ nonsense? You married Andrew, you’re part of my family now! So what if you have money? If you look down on us, just say so!” Andrew stood behind the two women, silently condoning his mother’s attack on me. I watched Odessa tenderly wipe Quinn’s tears, while my husband checked his face for a slap mark. I remembered when we got married, I didn’t ask for any valuable gifts, and even paid for Odessa’s medical expenses. She held my hand and said she’d treat me like her own daughter. Turns out, being treated like a daughter meant being an ATM with no right to complain. Andrew stood there, clutching his face, frozen by his wounded ego. Quinn leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Andrew, your credit card payments next month still depend on Emily.” Andrew’s face changed. He looked at me stiffly. “Fine, my attitude was bad, alright? Stop making a scene.” I shook off his hand, slammed the door, and walked out. The elevator still hadn’t arrived. I leaned against the cold wall as a wave of dizziness washed over me, a symptom of the high blood pressure brought on by my pregnancy. Andrew caught up to me. “Just because you’re an executive, you think you’re better than my friends who aren’t as successful. You’re such a snob.” “Can’t you learn from Quinn? She might not have money, but she’s great at socializing! You always have that sour look on your face, like everyone owes you something!” “If I really wanted to support her, why would I wait until today? Our bond is pure familial affection. You’re just thinking dirty!” As he lectured me, I noticed the new watch on his wrist. It was my birthday gift to him last month, bought with my bonus. Now, on the watch face, there was a greasy fingerprint. It was left there when Quinn grabbed his wrist, pouting and clinging to him earlier. “Yes, my thoughts are dirty! Only you two are the most noble!” “The renovation funds? You used them to pay off Quinn’s payday loans. The prenatal check-up money I saved? You used it to buy her gifts.” “Just now, you let Quinn humiliate me, and then you accused me of being cheap.” “From this moment on, Andrew, I’m canceling all your credit cards.” 3 Emily POV I drove out of the complex and parked by the river. My phone vibrated continuously on the passenger seat. It was a text message from the bank about a deduction. Just during that whole drama, Andrew had charged another club private room fee. I was gone, but my money was still paying their bills. The latest transaction was five hundred dollars. The memo read “Just for fun.” I remembered how I cherished my three-year-old foundation empty bottle, refusing to throw it away, to save money for imported baby formula. Andrew didn’t have that kind of spending power. This money was spent on Quinn and his crew of freeloaders. This wasn’t a marriage; it was charity, it was being drained dry. I quickly opened my bank app and froze all his credit cards. No doubt, the house must be in an uproar right now. Sure enough, through the home security camera, I saw- Andrew, his back to the empty doorway, promising Quinn on his phone, “Don’t cry, baby. I’ve ordered your favorite gourmet pizza. I’ll be right back to be with you.” He skillfully opened the payment page, ready to use my credit card. “Everyone didn’t have enough fun tonight, so I’m paying for the pizza too!” “Insufficient balance. Payment declined.” Quinn’s sweet voice urged, “Andrew, why isn’t it ready yet? I’m hungry.” His friends laughed mockingly. “Andrew, did Emily cut off your money supply? It’s clear who wears the pants in your house.” To save face, Andrew immediately opened a high-interest loan app, took out a loan, and gritted his teeth, mentally putting the debt on my tab. When I returned to the complex, before even going upstairs, I heard faint commotion from above. I touched my lower abdomen and sent a message to my lawyer, Brandon. He was my high school classmate, specializing in family law. Brandon’s voice message quickly came back: “Emily, based on the financial statements you provided, if you don’t do a property division promptly, every debt he incurs could be classified as marital joint debt. You’d not only be supporting him but also his ‘dear sister.’ This divorce needs to be strategic.” Back home, as soon as I opened the door, it was a mess. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, alcohol, and greasy pizza. Andrew and Quinn were head-to-head, curled up on the sofa playing games, as if they were the true masters of the house. I calmly walked back to the guest room and closed the door. 4 Emily POV Early Saturday morning, I woke up with a sharp abdominal pain and shook Andrew awake. “Take me to the ER.” He saw my pale face, poured a cup of hot tea. “The company has an urgent meeting with a big client. I can’t go with you.” I weakly clutched his sleeve. “The client is pressing. Just call an Uber yourself.” A hurried honk sounded from downstairs. It was my car. My hand was still gripping him. Andrew’s face suddenly changed. He pushed me away. “Are you done or not? It’s just pregnancy! Don’t be so dramatic! Don’t mess with my important business!” He left in such a hurry that he kicked over the cup of hot tea. The scalding tea splashed onto the top of my foot, leaving a red mark, but he didn’t even look back. The door slammed shut with a loud bang. I collapsed onto the bench in the entryway, unexpectedly noticing Andrew’s forgotten iPad, its screen still lit. On the screen was a group chat interface called “Family Group.” As if possessed, I swiped the screen. Odessa’s voice message popped up: “That useless woman is so difficult to deal with. Quinn is so much more considerate.” I scrolled down further. Quinn: “Andrew, I saw a new LV bag, it’d go perfectly with your car. I want it~” Andrew replied with a transfer screenshot, the amount was eight thousand dollars. “Go wild, if it’s not enough, just ask me. Just don’t let that crazy woman know.” Further down were chat records between Andrew and his childhood friend. “After Emily gives birth, we’ll transfer her house to my mom’s name, then we can have Quinn move in.” It felt as if all the blood had been drained from my body. They were scheming to take my property. There was also a photo in the chat history, a candid shot of my insurance policy. Andrew asked in the group: “Mom, talk to your psychic and figure out, if this woman has an accident during childbirth, am I the beneficiary of this policy?” Mrs. Odessa replied: “As long as you’re not divorced, you’re the primary beneficiary.” Beneficiary. I remembered when I bought life insurance, Andrew’s concerned face: “Honey, let’s get a high-value one. If anything happens, I can still take care of this family for you.” Turns out, that wasn’t to guard against risk; it was to anticipate risk. I accurately exported all chat records and transfer records to my cloud drive. Then I used my phone to photograph my swollen foot and the empty room, sending them to my lawyer, Brandon. “Evidence. This is one piece of evidence that he abandoned a pregnant woman.” 5 Emily POV I slowly and with difficulty walked to the balcony, looking downstairs. The SUV I treasured was parked at the apartment entrance, the passenger window halfway down. Quinn sat there; that was my exclusive seat. “Andrew, what took you so long? I’m practically melting.” Andrew’s face was plastered with smiles, showing none of the irritation he’d had with me. “My mistake, I was just held up by that unpleasant woman back home.” He opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. He didn’t rush to drive off but leaned over, naturally pulling Quinn’s seatbelt for her. They were so close their noses almost touched. Quinn took the opportunity to caress Andrew’s face, her voice sweet and coquettish. “You really do love me the most.” Andrew playfully tapped her nose. “Silly girl, if I don’t dote on you, who will?” The engine roared, and the car sped away. I stood in the shadows, watching the pair of red taillights disappear from view. In that scene just now, a pink Hello Kitty charm hung on the rearview mirror. I had wanted to throw it away before, thinking it didn’t match the car’s interior style, but Andrew stopped me, saying it was a lucky charm, for warding off evil. Turns out, it was Quinn’s mark. The entire car, from the scent of the air freshener to the placement of the charms, had long been claimed by that woman. I wasn’t just the housekeeper in this home, I was the driver of this car, and even a pawn in their flirtatious games. After checking myself and confirming there was nothing serious, I called Brandon. “Help me check Andrew’s recent itinerary. Where are they going?” Brandon replied quickly. “Found it. He just posted his location on Instagram, saying he’s taking his ‘sister’ to a mountain retreat for some fresh air. Are you going too?” The mountain terrain was complex, with poor signal. If something were to happen there, for both him and myself, it would be the perfect cover. “Yes,” I told Brandon. “Some debts can only be settled in the right place.” Hanging up the phone, I dialed Andrew’s number again. The phone rang for a long time before he answered, car music blaring in the background. “I’m coming too,” I said into the receiver. “The doctor said I also need fresh air.” Andrew’s voice was full of impatience. “Why would you go to the mountains while pregnant? Don’t make things difficult!” “You haven’t paid the maintenance for that SUV, have you? And all your camping gear for this trip, I heard you wanted top-of-the-line? I just got my bonus, perfect timing to pay for it.” Silence stretched for two seconds on the other end of the line. Then Quinn’s voice chimed in. “Andrew, if Emily wants to come, let her. We could use someone to cook anyway.” Andrew’s tone immediately changed. “Fine. Just call an Uber and meet us there.” 6 Emily POV At the high-end outdoor equipment store, Andrew was holding up an imported two-person tent, priced over a thousand dollars, sizing it up. Quinn stood beside him, holding her phone to find the perfect angle for a selfie, then looked down to edit her Instagram post. Seconds later, I scrolled past her update. The picture was of her and Andrew’s backs, with the caption: “Spontaneous trip, so glad to have a boy who spoils me #AdventureTime.” I stood at the checkout counter, watching Andrew pile up all the items. “Emily, hurry up, it’s two thousand dollars total.” Andrew gestured, taking it for granted. I glanced at the pile of items: besides the tent, there was a full set of camping cookware and two top-tier sleeping bags. “Don’t we already have a tent at home?” I asked. “And why buy a two-person one? How will three of us fit?” Quinn leaned over, looping her arm through Andrew’s. “Emily, the old one is so tacky, it won’t look good in pictures. Plus, this one is windproof and waterproof, it’s for everyone’s good, right? As for sleeping, well, the tighter we cuddle, the warmer we’ll be.” Andrew grew impatient, glancing at the people waiting in line behind them. “Don’t dawdle. There are people waiting. Didn’t you just get your bonus? Don’t be so stingy.” Before paying, I deliberately raised my voice to the cashier. “Could you please issue the receipt in my personal name? And make a note: purchased with pre-marital personal funds.” The cashier paused for a moment, then nodded and processed it. Andrew’s face darkened. He felt I was being too clear about the separation in front of outsiders, making him lose face. But he looked at the pile of new gear and held back from reacting. By the time we arrived at the mountain campsite, the sky was overcast. It was a semi-developed camping spot, and vehicles could only be parked halfway up the mountain. As the only pregnant woman, I was assigned to carry two five-liter water jugs and a box of groceries. Andrew, meanwhile, was busy helping Quinn adjust her live stream stand, searching for the best lighting. I carried the water jugs, a dull ache spreading through my lower back. Suddenly, Quinn’s shriek came from over there: “Ow! I cut my finger!” Andrew immediately dropped the tent peg he was holding and rushed over to grab her hand and inspect it. I looked too. She merely had a tiny hangnail on the edge of her finger. Yet Andrew’s face was anxious. He cupped her hand, gently blowing on it. “How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?” I remembered earlier, when I strained my back carrying the water jugs and gasped for breath, Andrew only glanced back once and said, “You’re so delicate. More exercise is good for labor.” A person’s subconscious reactions don’t lie. In his subconscious ranking, Quinn was a fragile piece of porcelain to be protected, while I was a sturdy earthenware pot built for abuse. I put down the water jugs and emotionlessly began to build a campfire. Once the fire was lit, Quinn sat on a folding chair and directed, “Emily, I want my steak medium-rare, with lots of black pepper. No green onions, please.” I threw the tongs onto the grill pan. “I’m pregnant. I can’t stand the smell of cooking fumes. If you want to eat, grill it yourself.” Andrew frowned, his tone growing stern. “Quinn trusts your cooking! How can you act like this as my wife? Don’t be a spoilsport, everyone’s hungry.” I picked up the tongs again and flipped the meat, mentally adding a labor fee for this meal to my future divorce claims. Once the steak was cooked, Quinn immediately snatched it. She took a bite but spat it directly onto the ground. “Ugh, it’s too tough. I can’t even chew it. Emily, are you doing this on purpose?” A low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. The mountain air grew humid and sticky. Dark clouds rapidly gathered in the distance. Andrew and Quinn were still laughing and playing, completely oblivious to the approaching downpour. Ten minutes later, the rain poured down in sheets. Water instantly drenched the ground. The three of us scrambled into the sole two-person tent. Rain pounded on the tent fabric, creating a deafening roar. The once spacious area felt terribly cramped with three people squeezed inside. Quinn claimed she was afraid of thunder and insisted on squeezing between Andrew and me. Another explosive clap of thunder. Quinn shrieked and burrowed into Andrew’s arms, kicking her legs wildly. Her heel landed heavily on my swollen belly. I let out a muffled groan and reached out to push her foot away. Andrew, however, turned on me. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see she’s terrified? You’re tough. Let her have it.” He took off his windbreaker, wrapped it around Quinn, and patted her back as if soothing a child. “Don’t be scared. I’m right here.” He picked up a thermos and poured hot water for Quinn to drink. My own water bottle lay empty, half-submerged in the muddy corner of the tent. I clutched my aching stomach and watched them hold each other. In that moment, my heart died completely.

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