On the third anniversary of our son’s death, Alexander Shaw didn’t come home. Instead, I saw his photo with that innocent-looking starlet, Rosalie Lee, on TV. This time, I truly didn’t want to fight anymore. The moment I returned from the cemetery, I sent him a message: “Alexander, let’s get a divorce!” I sent the message at 3 PM, and he came home at 9 PM. Alexander saw me sitting at our son’s old desk. His tone was cold, “Aria, what madness are you up to now?” Madness? Yes, I’ve been a wreck since our son died. At the funeral, I slapped him three times, demanding he bring back our child. He yelled at me with red eyes, “You lunatic! You’re the one who killed our son!” “Why didn’t you watch him properly?” At that moment, I remembered – it was me. I left Henry by the pool, and when I returned, only his lifeless body was floating on the surface. A video of me attacking Alexander at the funeral home went viral. From then on, the name “Mrs. Shaw” was followed by whispers of “that unstable woman.” Alexander found me embarrassing. He’s barely been home these past three years. If I wanted to see him, I could only catch glimpses in gossip columns. This situation was different, though. I stood up and handed him the divorce papers. “I’m not crazy. I’m just… done.” “Mom said if I can’t control you, I should let someone else do it. She’s ready to find a replacement for you.” Alexander scoffed, tearing up the divorce agreement in seconds. “Aria, forget it. Even if you die, you’ll die as part of the Shaw family.” I wasn’t surprised. I just reminded him, “Don’t be late for the visit to your parents’ house tomorrow.” Then I returned the chair to its original position and went to the bedroom. Since Henry passed, Alexander and I have slept in separate rooms. The bedsheets seemed to still hold our child’s scent. I inhaled deeply, sitting there motionless. Then I realized – the sheets had been changed. The baby powder smell was gone. When Alexander came in, he saw me like this and couldn’t help but mock me: “Remembering the past? What’s the point of fooling yourself?” “Today is our child’s death anniversary, Alexander. You commemorated it with tabloid gossip. How classy.” Hearing this, Alexander’s face immediately paled. We both knew how to hit each other’s weak spots. Clearly, this time, I had hurt him. He loosened his tie and surprisingly lay down beside me. I was about to push him away when Alexander muttered, “I didn’t forget. I just got held up.” “Rosalie’s son had a sudden heart attack. I had to go.” “That’s a life at stake too.” I didn’t respond. Rosalie Lee, the new innocent starlet launched by the entertainment company. She debuted with a pure image, but somehow ended up with a child. A single mother raising a kid, independent and strong – just the type to catch Alexander’s eye. Since then, whenever the child was sick, Alexander would contact specialists. If she had family issues, Alexander would smooth things over. When her career hit obstacles, of course, Alexander would be there to protect her. During these three years that I’ve been labeled “unstable,” Rosalie has apparently been poised to replace me as Mrs. Shaw. But now? Alexander doesn’t want a divorce. How ironic! I covered myself with the blanket without saying a word. Soon, Alexander’s phone rang. I could faintly hear Rosalie’s sobs. He immediately sprang up and stormed out, slamming the door. I heard the car start in the driveway. Not long after, I received a message from Rosalie: “Alexander won’t be coming back tonight, Mrs. Shaw. Please don’t call him. It’s too late and inconvenient.” The photo showed Alexander’s profile as he cradled a boy to sleep. His usually sharp features were softened by a rare tenderness, making my eyes sting. I took a deep breath and sent her the recording of him refusing the divorce. Rosalie quickly went silent. Why bother? I just want to leave. Alexander, you shouldn’t have stopped me. I really might go mad.
On the way to his parents’ house, I imagined a thousand ways his mother would scold and torment me. But I never expected Alexander to bring Rosalie along. As soon as the door opened, I saw Rosalie and her child gathered around Alexander’s mother. Alexander sat on the opposite sofa, a gentle smile in his eyes. They looked like a perfect family. My heart felt like it had been stabbed repeatedly. How could Alexander do this? “Mother-in-law,” I greeted. Hearing my voice, they all turned. Seeing me, his mother’s smile faded. “You’re here?” I nodded and sat down directly. “I didn’t know we had guests today.” Alexander and I weren’t divorced yet, so Rosalie was still an outsider. Hearing this, Rosalie smiled humbly: “I just got a ticket for a new play and wanted to invite you to see it together, Mother. It’s by Director Yin.” “And little Tommy missed his grandma, so we stopped by.” From Rosalie’s tone, it seemed this wasn’t her first visit. For her son to call Alexander’s mother “grandma,” it must have been with her approval. I just smiled faintly. “How thoughtful.” But Alexander’s mother looked at me. “She’s so busy with a child, yet still thinks of me. You, my daughter-in-law, can’t manage at home or outside. I really don’t know why Alexander married you. He should have replaced you long ago!” Hearing this, I caught a flash of joy in Rosalie’s eyes. I just called the maid to pour me a cup of tea, then said, “Wasn’t I chosen because I had no family and some money? Easy to control?” “Otherwise, given the Shaw family’s situation back then, you couldn’t have found another sucker, right?” His mother was suddenly speechless, never expecting me to be so bold as to speak to her like this. Alexander was displeased. “Aria!” I took a sip of hot tea to calm myself. “Am I wrong? Without my five million, could you have weathered that crisis?” “Now you want to kick away the ladder after you’ve climbed up?” “Alexander, I’ll tear down this bridge myself, but you need to return the wood I provided.” Bang! As soon as I finished speaking, his mother threw a teacup at me. I dodged, and the scalding tea splashed near my feet. But the shards cut Tommy’s foot. He burst into tears. “Tommy!” Rosalie quickly knelt to check on him. Alexander’s mother also looked extremely anxious. I hadn’t expected this and was about to go over when a great force knocked me down! Alexander pushed me aside to pick up Tommy, then turned to shout at me: “Aria, must you make such a scene? I’ll deal with you when we get home!” He carried the child out with Rosalie, while his mother stayed behind to throw one last barb: “Even so, you killed my grandson. The Shaw family doesn’t owe you anything. If you know what’s good for you, leave now!” Then she hurried after them. No one cared that I was hurt too. My hand stung fiercely. After rinsing it with cold water, I went to the hospital. Some wounds can’t be ignored. When I got home, Alexander was there, surprisingly. I ignored him. The doctor had prescribed me medication and advised me not to bottle things up. I considered today a fresh start, though it hadn’t gone well. “Aria, don’t you have anything to say to me?” Alexander’s eyes were dark and unreadable. I paused, looking at him on the sofa. Tilting my head, I asked, “About the divorce?” He laughed bitterly. “Fine! You want a divorce? Well, I won’t give you the satisfaction! You just want to take the money and start a new life. Dream on!” I frowned. Alexander strode over, gripping my neck as he tried to kiss me. Seeing his face so close, smelling the perfume on him, I instinctively slapped him!
A moment of silence, then Alexander forcefully kissed me, ignoring my resistance. Painful memories flooded back. I suddenly pushed him away, covering my stomach as I dry heaved. Three years ago, when Henry left us, Alexander tormented me relentlessly. It was during that time that I developed an intense aversion to him. Just touching him made me feel physically ill. Seeing me like this, his face darkened terribly. After a while, he laughed, “So looking at me makes you sick, huh?” He wiped his mouth. “Well, same here. So don’t think about leaving.” “We’ll just torture each other for the rest of our lives!” With that, he stormed out, leaving me alone in the vast mansion. I collapsed on the stairs, gasping for air. I stumbled to the bedroom, opened a drawer, and swallowed some pills. My hands were still shaking, my head spinning. That’s when he returned, saw the pills on my desk, and his pupils constricted. The next second, he slapped me hard! “You’re trying to kill yourself!” The blow left me dizzy. When I recovered, I stood up and slapped him back with all my might! “Alexander Shaw, I’m giving you three days. If you don’t sign, we’ll see each other in court!” “Then we’ll see if Rosalie and her son get dragged down too. After all, everyone says she’s the future Mrs. Shaw. I want to see if being a homewrecker really does bring bad karma!” Alexander was furious. “I have no relationship with her! Don’t project your dirty thoughts onto her!” “Even if you die, you’ll still be my wife!” Seeing his anger, I suddenly smiled. If he wanted mutual destruction and torture, then I’d cut off the source. Alexander took me to the hospital against my will, insisting I get my stomach pumped. When I showed the pill bottle to the doctor, he looked conflicted and told Alexander they were just stomach medication. No pumping needed. Alexander still didn’t believe it and made a scene. It only ended when I smashed a glass and held it to my wrist, threatening him. He slumped against the wall, taking a deep breath. “Aria, don’t think you can leave me and start over. Even if he comes back, it won’t happen!” This was the second time tonight he mentioned someone coming back. Confused, I asked, “Who?” “Who else? Kevin’s back. Isn’t that who you’ve been waiting for? I’m telling you, it’s not happening!” The familiar name flooded my memories. When I realized who he meant, I couldn’t help but laugh. Kevin Lin, my first love. Well, more like a one-sided crush. I chased him for a year, then he went abroad and we lost touch. Since then, I’d married, had a child, lost that child, and ended up here. Yet Alexander thought I wanted to leave for another man. Even if Kevin was back, we had no connection. But Alexander believed it and had been going crazy over it. I didn’t respond. If that’s what he thought, let him. He warned me, “Don’t think about trying to kill yourself again. Otherwise, I won’t return your family’s assets!” I found this funny. “Assets? Hasn’t the Shaw family already swallowed them all?” “Alexander, how does it feel to profit from someone’s death?” “Enough!” Exposed, he became angry and embarrassed. But I wouldn’t let up. “How is it enough? Why did Henry die? Was it really my fault?” “Alexander Shaw, that woman from Zhangcheng International – thanks to your support, she’s already out of poverty. Yet you’ve pushed me into hell. You’ve eaten the meal my family provided, and now you want to smash the pot too?” “We can stay married, fine. But let’s settle accounts. How much of my family’s assets did you swallow up using Henry’s death? You’re the one who climbed to the top on our son’s bones, you bastard!” Slap! An iron taste filled my mouth. My ear was ringing. I saw Alexander’s mouth moving, but before I could make out what he was saying, everything went black. This time, it can truly end.
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