My husband, Declan Mercer, and I had been married for three years. Because his pregnant new lover, Tessa Ralston, wasn’t satisfied with the pressure I used while massaging her feet, Declan crushed my wrist under his foot. The fracture damaged my nerves. As a violinist, I could barely lift my phone anymore. Declan, however, dismissed it nonchalantly. “Stop acting spoiled. As the sister of a murderer, your only purpose is to serve us and atone.” Three years ago, Declan’s sister, June Mercer, had no chance of survival after a car accident. My younger brother, Jasper Granger, had a congenital heart defect and needed a heart transplant. To get the family’s signature for the organ donation, I married Declan, bringing a wedding gift worth over a million dollars, and became completely obedient to him. However, ignoring my injured hand, Declan still wanted me to make nourishing soup for his new lover. Then I got a message from my mom. [Jasper committed suicide. Come home quickly!] Instantly, I could no longer hold my phone steady. The debts had all been paid. It was time for me to leave.
“If it weren’t for the fact that you need to take care of Tessa later, I would’ve completely ruined your hand for what you did to her.” Declan’s new lover, Tessa, knew I was a violinist and thought my nimble fingers would be perfect for massaging her feet. I was unwilling, but Declan threatened to go to my brother’s school and spread the word that he was a murderer’s sibling. Stifling my disgust, I massaged Tessa’s feet. Her sudden shriek made Declan think I was intentionally hurting her. Afraid I would bully Tessa in the future, Declan directly stomped on my hand, breaking it as a lesson. My husband Declan was reprimanding me while talking to Tessa on the phone, completely oblivious that my injured hand could no longer hold the water glass steady. “Declan, you sound so fierce. You’re going to scare the baby in my belly,” Tessa cooed over the phone. Declan immediately softened his voice as if protecting something fragile. “Sorry, I lost my temper again. I’ve got to work on that. For you, I will.” Then he turned and ordered me, “What are you spacing out for? Go make Tessa her tonic soup!” At this, the hand that I had been gripping tighter and tighter suddenly lost its strength. The exact words Declan once said to me were now being directed at Tessa. Every time we argued and got heated, Declan would quickly apologize, reflecting on his own quick temper. Declan had told me to voice any dissatisfaction. He promised he would change. He had sworn that regardless of the reason, he wouldn’t let me suffer as long as I married him. But the promise remained unfulfilled. Influenced by his mother, Declan came to believe that my family orchestrated June’s car accident to get the heart for my brother. He started treating me like a servant, stayed out all night, and openly brought other women home. He even brazenly told me his mistress was pregnant. Declan casually gave to someone else the affection that once belonged only to me. The way Declan looked like he wanted to crawl through the screen to comfort Tessa absolutely tore my heart apart. Seeing I didn’t react, Declan snatched my phone away. The sudden jolt made me drop the glass I could barely hold, and it shattered at Declan’s feet. His shoes were soaked. Declan roared furiously, “It’s just a hand injury! Can’t even hold a cup? Are you useless now?” Declan grabbed my wrist, ready to continue his tirade, but then he saw the faint bloodstains seeping through the gauze. He hesitated for a second, then his brow furrowed, his voice softening considerably. “Is it that serious? Why didn’t you say so?” I had told him many times, but Declan just thought I was being dramatic. I wanted to explain, but the pain in my hand made it difficult to speak. I dug my fingernails into my palm, trying to distract myself from the throbbing ache when Declan’s hand suddenly covered mine. A ripple disturbed the stagnant water of my heart, and I couldn’t help but recall fleeting moments of warmth with Declan. Before Declan could speak, Tessa’s voice came through the phone again. “Declan, I think the heating is broken. I’m so cold.” Declan sprang up like he’d been electrocuted. Even as I held his hand tightly, he slipped away without hesitation. Looking at the blood steadily seeping out, I finally understood. The Declan I once knew was gone forever. Jasper had killed himself. I didn’t owe them anything anymore. It was time for me to leave.
I booked my ticket for the next day. When Declan returned the following day, I was preparing to send the cat away for transport. Declan frowned slightly, “Didn’t you love that cat? Why are you sending it away?” This cat was originally a gift from Declan, and he had adored it at first, too. But one time, Tessa came over, stepped on the cat’s tail, and got startled. After that, the cat became a thorn in Declan’s side. To prevent the cat from ending up in a pot, I had knelt outside in the snow one night, apologizing over and over. Inside the room, the sounds of their panting occasionally escaped while I held the cat, going from screaming apologies to passing out from hypothermia. I also got sick and missed an important competition I had been preparing for for half a year. The memory made my throat tighten. I cleared my throat several times before my voice sounded normal again. But before I could answer, Declan changed the subject. “Good riddance, anyway. Tessa’s heating is broken, so she’s moving in with us. Better to get this beast out of the way before it hurts someone.” My hand grooming the cat faltered at this, and the little cat let out a pitiful meow. I stroked the cat’s head, steadying my emotions, and said, “We should probably throw away those photos of us together, too, so Tessa doesn’t get upset seeing them.” Since I was leaving anyway, these things needed to be dealt with. I acted understanding, but Declan’s expression darkened. He stared intently at me, unable to read my thoughts, so he changed the subject again. “These junk trophies of yours might not even be worth selling for scrap!” I looked up and saw Declan pointing at my trophies. I had learned violin since the first grade, all for these honors. This display cabinet was even designed by someone Declan hired, and he had assembled it himself. He once said having such a talented wife was his pride. After Tessa appeared, everything changed. My heart felt brutally crushed. Seeing Declan reach for the trophies, I immediately stood in front of the cabinet. Declan shoved me aside irritably. “What if these scratch Tessa? “Your family already took a life. You won’t even spare an unborn baby?” I explained to Declan, for what felt like the hundredth time, that June’s death was purely an accident. Declan completely ignored my explanations, only accusing me and my family of being lowly and guilty, insisting I should toil to atone. During the argument, I was hit on the head by a trophy. Declan cursed that I deserved it, but his hands stopped moving. He had just reached out to wipe the blood from my forehead when he saw me squat down to check if the trophy was damaged. Declan irritably pulled his hand back and turned away, planning aloud as if nothing happened. “We need to put more flowers here. Tessa likes them.” Declan forgot I was allergic to pollen. I wiped the dust off the trophy without a word. The next second, Declan remembered himself but snapped back viciously, “Don’t you know you’re allergic to pollen? Why didn’t you say anything? Gonna wait until everything’s set up just to cause a scene?” I had become immune to Declan’s volatile moods. Wiping away the blood, blurring my vision, I said coldly, “It doesn’t matter. Do whatever you want. I won’t be living here anymore.”
Declan paused for a moment, then sneered, “Don’t want to take care of Tessa, so you’re trying to run away? “Don’t even think about it. This is what you owe our family. You’re supposed to slave away for me!” I retorted, “No, I’m going home…” Declan’s phone suddenly rang. He gave me a long, unreadable look, then walked away without hearing me out. A few minutes later, I received a transfer notification from him. The note said: [If you’re that bored, go buy some new clothes. Tired of seeing the same two outfits. And if you don’t want your brother getting isolated at school, don’t even think about running home.] I wanted to explain to Declan, but remembering I needed to request leave from the orchestra, I put my phone away. Then, I saw Tessa’s new social media post. [So what if I’m a little moody during pregnancy? He still has to spoil me.] The accompanying picture showed Tessa telling Declan she wanted grape-flavored oranges. Declan expressed his shock, but instead of finding her request unreasonable, he just told her to wait patiently. The next picture showed a large plate piled high with orange peels filled entirely with grape pulp. Then Tessa said she suddenly didn’t feel like eating them, and Declan praised her for knowing not to eat cold things, calling her sensible. My stomach churned as I looked at the screen. Once, before a performance, when I was hit with sudden, unbearable abdominal pain, I asked Declan to help me buy medicine. He had said dropping me off was already enough trouble and told me to stop being dramatic and just endure it. He left me pale-faced and went to play pool with his friends. My performance suffered greatly, and the collaborators were furious, almost terminating the contract. It was only through my desperate pleading, citing my previously excellent performances, that they let me stay. Arriving at the orchestra hall, I ran into Declan and Tessa, who were passing by. Declan casually asked, “Didn’t you say you had no concerts? Why are you here?” I told him truthfully I was requesting leave. Declan smiled with satisfaction. “Good. You know you need to take leave to care for Tessa. It seems you haven’t forgotten your duty.” I couldn’t be bothered to explain. I tried to walk away but was blocked by Tessa. “Hollis, you are so nice! But I’ve never heard music in a place like this before. Can your coworkers play something for me?” I wondered, “Everyone is busy. Who has time to entertain her?” I reached for the other door, trying to go around them. Declan thought I was going to attack Tessa and shoved me straight down the stairs. “Tessa’s pregnant! How can you be so vicious?!” I fell to the ground, touching the dull ache at the back of my head. The image of Declan’s expected hateful glare stole my breath. He could abandon all trust in me for someone he’d known less than half a year! Tessa immediately feigned shock, shrinking into Declan’s arms. “No wonder you’re a murderer, attacking even an unborn child.” Declan suddenly realized he’d pushed me too hard. He wanted to help me up but couldn’t bring himself to push Tessa away. In the end, he just stared at me without saying or doing anything. A passing colleague stopped in shock. Tessa immediately added, “Didn’t you know? She deliberately ran someone over to dig out their heart!” A colleague I wasn’t on good terms with immediately seized the opportunity. “Money really lets you do whatever you want, huh? No wonder her skills have slipped so badly, yet she still gets to stay in the orchestra.” I couldn’t take it when they insulted my family. Staggering to my feet, my vision blurry, I grabbed Tessa’s collar. My voice was hoarse as I tried to explain. Amidst Tessa’s terrified screams, Declan grabbed my hand but didn’t push me away this time. “You lunatic, calm down! Or else I’ll make sure your brother…” Declan lost his patience, resorting to his usual threats. He yanked my arm and slammed me against the wall. Unable to bear the false accusations any longer, I raised my voice, interrupting Declan, “Make my brother what? Let the whole world know what he did. Ask him why he wasn’t the one who died?! Well, now he’s dead! He’s dead. Are you satisfied now?!” Silence fell after my words. Declan’s mouth hung open, unable to form a single word. He stared blankly for a long time before speaking, “Are you serious…”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296386”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply