After eight years of marriage, I was finally pregnant. I had just decided to tell my husband, Lowell Henderson, the good news when his secretary, Kaitlynn Warren, “accidentally” bumped into me, causing me to fall down the stairs and miscarry. Kaitlynn was so terrified that her face went pale. She rushed into Lowell’s arms, crying, “Did I mess up again? I’m sorry, you can yell at me…” Lowell’s heart broke as he saw her tears. “Silly girl, it’s fine. You didn’t do it on purpose.” He gave me a sharp glance. “Come on, it was just a fall. Get up. Don’t lie there making a scene!” At the hospital, the woman in the bed next to mine asked with concern why my husband hadn’t come to see me after my miscarriage. She asked if he was too busy. I paused for a moment, then turned and tossed my wedding ring into the trash. “No,” I said softly, “I’ve just become a widow.” Lowell didn’t come home until the dead of night the following day. He walked in and carelessly threw his coat onto the couch. To his surprise, his clothes from yesterday were still piled there, along with shoes scattered all over the floor. A flash of irritation crossed his face. He didn’t notice my pale face or the medicine on the table. “I’ve been out all day and night, and I come home to this mess. Do you expect me to clean it up?” I didn’t even look at him. I felt too tired to remind him that the scent of perfume on his clothes had already given away his whereabouts. Seeing I didn’t respond, Lowell snorted, “Seems like I married a spoiled princess. Sorry, Your Highness, I forgot you are too good to do the chore.” I bit my lip and glanced at my hands. They were calloused, a thin layer of rough skin worn into them. After we got married, I, who had never done any hard work in my life, gladly tied on an apron to learn how to cook and clean for Lowell. Back then, even if I burned my hand while cooking, as long as he praised the meal, I could be happy for the rest of the day. But now, I was tired of it. Seeing me remain silent, Lowell frowned, finally sensing something was wrong. He walked over, clueless, and reached out to touch my head. I subtly pulled away. Lowell froze, his voice softening. “What’s wrong? Are you still angry?” I asked flatly, “What’s the point of being angry?” Yesterday, at noon, I had just found out I was pregnant and had eagerly gone to tell Lowell the good news. But before I could, Kaitlynn “accidentally” knocked me down the stairs. By the time Lowell arrived, all he could see was Kaitlynn crying her eyes out. He was comforting her, his face full of concern. “Silly girl, stop crying. It’s not your fault. Maybe she wasn’t paying attention while walking. A fall might teach her a lesson. “Come on, show me your smile. You know how much I love it.” While he was busy wiping away Kaitlynn’s tears, he didn’t even notice my pale lips and the blood staining my dress. To cheer her up, Lowell promised to take her shopping, and she finally stopped crying. Meanwhile, as they enjoyed their sweet date, I lay alone in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My baby was gone. Tears welled up again in my eyes. “I just don’t understand you women. Always so angry for no reason,” Lowell muttered in frustration. Seeing my cold attitude, Lowell grew impatient. He tried to turn my face toward him, but when he touched my face, he realized that I was crying. His expression faltered, finally showing some concern. “Why are you still crying? It’s just a fall, and I just scolded you a bit. What’s the big deal? “Okay, fine, it’s all my fault, alright? I’m sorry that I’ve been too busy these days and neglected you.” He pulled me into his arms and sighed softly. “I’m doing this for us. Can’t you understand? “Do you know how hard I work? I work so much just to give you a better life!” Hearing his pretty words, I felt nothing. Yesterday, after my miscarriage, when I was at my lowest, Kaitlynn posted an update on her social media. [Thank you to this gentleman for the flowers! I promise I’ll never cry again!] In the picture, she was smiling brightly, holding roses. And in the background, I could just make out Lowell’s blurry figure. However, since I miscarried, Lowell hadn’t reached out to me even once. The thought made me sick. I shoved him away and casually said, “Yeah, I know. You’ve been so busy. Everything’s for me. Thanks, you’re amazing.” As soon as I finished speaking, the room fell into an awkward silence. Lowell looked at me in shock. After eight years of marriage, this was the first time I had pushed him away. He’d done it to me countless times anyway. My love, so eager and unreserved, had become the very blade he used to wound me again and again. Ignoring his stunned gaze, I turned to walk away. But suddenly, Lowell grabbed my hand tightly, his voice betraying a hint of panic. “Bessie, where’s your ring?”
I glanced down at my bare ring finger and said coldly, “I don’t know, maybe I lost it.” He stared at me intently, furrowing his brow, trying to decide if I was lying. I met his gaze without flinching. After a long pause, he let out a relieved sigh and smiled knowingly. “Really? How careless of you. Well, I’ll just buy you a new one. “I know I’ve been busy lately, and I’ve ignored your feelings. “Actually, I’ve got a little surprise for you. I brought you something you always wanted.” Lowell took a small box from his pocket and pointed to the cluttered clothes and shoes on the floor. “But you’ll have to clean this up first before I can give it to you.” I glanced at the box in his hand, then replied coldly, “I don’t need it. Keep it.” A clear sign of displeasure flashed across Lowell’s face. “You’re so difficult. I bought you the gift you wanted, and now you won’t even do a little housework? “I must have been too…” Before he could finish, his phone rang. I knew that sound. It was the ringtone he set specially for Kaitlynn. Lowell smiled instinctively. He gave me a quick glance before heading to the bedroom with his phone, then closing the door with a loud bang behind him. Five minutes later, he came out, wearing his coat, and tossed the box onto the couch. “Alright, I was just joking. Go ahead and open it. “But the house still needs to be cleaned. It has to be done before tomorrow night. It’s a mess in here, and you’re just sitting around. “We’ve had some small issues with a company project. I need to go to the company to handle it. You can sleep. Don’t wait up for me.” I watched his lousy performance in silence. The same scene had been playing over and over again for the past eight years. But I always hid inside the false dreams he had woven, too afraid to wake up. After Lowell left, I tossed the gift into the trash. But the box hit the edge of the bin, and with a snap, it popped open. A delicate ruby necklace fell to the floor. I froze for a moment, then remembered something. Seven years ago, I had asked him for a ruby necklace. At that time, the company had just started, and I had accompanied him to countless social events. Finally, we landed a major deal. The day the project was completed, I gathered the courage to ask Lowell for a ruby necklace. He frowned, clearly irritated. “Bessie, can’t you stop being like a spoiled girl? Today, you want a necklace. Tomorrow, you’ll want a car, and the day after that, you may want me to buy you a plane. “Besides, your neck’s so short. What’s the point? “If you really like it, I’ll buy you a crystal pendant, okay?” The next day, Lowell handed me a cheap crystal pendant. I always thought he just didn’t like these things. But later, he showered Kaitlynn with countless jewels. It was so many, and she couldn’t help but flaunt them on social media. [How could anyone love giving jewelry this much!!! I’m not an octopus. I can’t wear it all!] [He says I look good in it, so he buys more. Such a spendthrift.] [This ruby necklace is so old-fashioned. I hate it. I really don’t want it!] I clicked on the picture, and there it was. The ruby necklace. The one he had given me. I pressed my lips together and tossed it back into the trash. Then, I dialed a number. “Anstey, can you recommend that famous divorce lawyer you mentioned last time?”
On the other end of the line, Anstey Vargas’ voice came through, full of excitement. “Wait, did I hear you right? You’ve finally made up your mind?!” I let out a soft “Yes,” trying to suppress the bitterness in my chest. “It’s over. Everything is finished. “I just want to go home.” Anstey laughed lightly. “This is a good thing, Bessie. What’s there to be sad about? “Well, then, I’ll wish you a happy divorce in advance!” Anstey was as efficient as ever. By the next morning, the lawyer had already contacted me. I booked my flight for three days later and began packing my things. Lowell had been gone since that night, and I hadn’t seen him for two whole days. If this had been before, I would have carefully asked him why he hadn’t come home yet, afraid to upset him. Even if he hung up on me, I would’ve come up with countless excuses for him. But now, I just didn’t care. At nine in the evening, I was lying in bed, quietly planning my departure for the next day. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Lowell’s friend, Felix Barker. “Bessie, this is bad! Lowell’s about to get into a fight! You need to come here now!”
When I arrived, I immediately spotted Lowell. Kaitlynn stood behind him, trembling with fear. Around them, a few middle-aged men with beer bellies were persistently trying to get them to drink. “Mr. Henderson, what’s the harm in letting this young lady have a drink with us to liven things up?” “Yeah, she’s just your secretary. Why protect her so much?” “As long as she drinks with us, we’ll sign the deal. Isn’t that enough?” At that, Lowell’s face darkened immediately. He slammed his glass down on the floor and sneered. “What? Do you really think I need a woman to sacrifice for my business?!” The words hit me like a slap in the face. The painful memories flooded back. In the early days of the company, to quickly gain market traction, I had accompanied Lowell to countless business banquets. For his career, I’d forced a smile and drank with others, even though it made me sick. But he never stopped the drinks that were pushed in front of me. I remembered one particular night. I cried, begging him to take me home. Those men were disgusting, and I didn’t want to drink anymore. But to my surprise, Lowell had gotten angry. “What are you talking about? It’s a privilege to drink with Mr. Ortiz!” He grabbed my hand tightly and dragged me out. “Stop making a fuss! Just drink and keep quiet. They’re waiting for us!” Thinking back, I couldn’t help but shiver with the memory. Now, facing the same situation, Lowell stood in front of Kaitlynn, shielding her from the men. He gently patted her head, his eyes full of concern. “Kaitlynn, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you to this place. “This deal? I don’t care about it. I’m not going to let you drink with those old men.” Tears sprang to my eyes. I thought, “So he cares enough to stop his beloved woman from drinking with other men. If Kaitlynn can’t drink, then what about me? All the drinks I had swallowed for him…what did they mean?” My chest clenched with pain. My eyes blurred. I quickly wiped my tears off, wanting to escape this scene. Just then, Felix spotted me and waved frantically. “Bessie, over here!” At his shout, every eye in the room turned toward me. Lowell saw me, too.
I froze for a moment, then, without hesitation, turned and walked away, not even glancing at him. Lowell seemed startled, quickly pushing through the crowd to follow me. His face was pale, likely from the alcohol. “Bessie, did you… see everything? “Listen, Kaitlynn can’t handle alcohol, so I didn’t want her to drink. It’s not what you think…” He grabbed my wrist tightly, his voice anxious. A moment later, Kaitlynn caught up to us, looking pitiful, as she grabbed my other hand. “Bessie, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t drink the glass of wine, and now you and Lowell are fighting. Don’t be mad. I’ll drink it right now…” Lowell shot her a glare. “What are you doing here? Go back! Do you think this isn’t enough of a mess?!” I didn’t want to hear any of their excuses. Frustrated, I pushed both of them away and tried to leave quickly. But just then, Kaitlynn slipped and slammed into the corner of a nearby table. Blood started to pour from her forehead, and she cried out pitifully. “Lowell, I’m sorry. It’s my fault… “Am I going to be disfigured?” Seeing her injury, Lowell immediately panicked. He spun around and yelled at me. “Bessie, are you losing your mind? Why do you do this? “If anything happens to Kaitlynn, I swear I won’t let you off the hook!” At that moment, Lowell’s face was dark with anger. I stood there, dazed, staring at the man who was so desperately defending Kaitlynn. And suddenly, memories from nine years ago rushed back to me. Back then, he had protected me the same way. At that time, I was still in university. I often visited a friend from a nearby college. One evening, I was coming back late when two burly men suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “We’ve been watching you for a month. We finally got you now! You think you can escape?!” I tried to escape, but two minutes later, I was pinned to the ground, helpless, waiting for what seemed like endless suffering. Then suddenly, I heard a cold voice above me. “Who do you think you’re messing with? You dare bully someone from my university?!” That was the first time I met Lowell. He was incredibly quick and skilled. By the time I registered what happened, the two men were already on the ground. He helped me up, and I stammered, wanting to thank him. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for my words. My face grew hot, and I couldn’t get my words out. “I… Thank you… I’m fine…” He smiled lightly, “Is that so? Then I can relax.” Later, Lowell took my hand. He was the one who stood up for me when I was wronged, the one who made me soup during my period, and the one who carried me to the hospital when I was sick. Under the fireworks, he proposed to me. “Baby, marry me. I want you to be the happiest woman in the world. “I’ll love and protect you for the rest of my life, never letting you suffer again.” With everyone watching and blessing us, I shyly nodded and handed him my hand. I heard Kaitlynn’s pitiful sobs. Just then, a sharp slap came out of nowhere, landing on my face with a loud crack, knocking me to the ground. When I looked up, I saw Lowell’s cold, piercing gaze, strange and terrifying. “Bessie, you really disgust me. “This slap is your lesson. “Don’t think you can get away with anything just because I’ve been nice to you.” With that, he turned and stormed off, carrying Kaitlynn in his arms without a word. The winter air felt colder than ever. On the quiet street, only a few pedestrians walked by, the northern wind howling. I don’t know how long I stood there, but eventually, I got up, wiped my face, wrapped my coat tighter, and slowly began walking home. At home, I packed my bags and placed the signed divorce agreement in the most visible spot. The next afternoon, Lowell called again. By then, I had already reached the airport with my suitcase. “Bessie, if you don’t want to divorce, come apologize to Kaitlynn right now, and we’ll forget about this…” “No need,” I interrupted him. “I’ve already prepared the divorce papers. Just sign them, and we’re done.” With that, I hung up the phone, blocked all his contact information, and boarded the flight home.
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