After five years of marriage, Zachary Smith turned our marital home into 99 themed rooms for his affairs. The models he brought back could open a nightclub in our house. I chose to turn a blind eye because of the child in my womb. Later, he personally dressed me in a princess gown and took the dolled-up me to the hospital to shave my head bald. All to make a sick little girl smile. I didn’t cry or make a fuss. Until our anniversary, when the little girl insisted on going skiing. Zachary forced me to be there as a human cushion for Lily. On the slopes, Lily deliberately crashed into me, sending me flying. Blood gushed from beneath me. I begged him to save our child, but he picked up the unharmed Lily and sneered at me: “Claire Johnson, you’ve lied more times than I’ve slept with you.” “If you’re hurt, find the medical staff. Don’t blame me for not acknowledging the child if you delay Lily’s fun!” On the way to the hospital, our baby died in my womb. Yet he let his friends laugh and bet on whether the child would survive. I closed my eyes in despair: “Zachary, let’s stop torturing each other. Let’s get divorced.” 0
When the doctor shook his head, I heard something shatter inside me. With trembling hands, I signed the death certificate. His friends rushed into my hospital room, cursing when they saw my swollen body. “Tch! How unlucky, we lost the bet!” “I told you Zach is a god. Look how bundled up she is, cherishing that child so much.” Hearing this, I forced a smile. With multiple fractures all over my body and my abdomen wrapped in bandages, I looked about five months pregnant. Zachary’s long fingers tapped on the table. He hadn’t looked at me once. Until there was a knock on the door and a document was thrown onto my bed. “Sign it! Just say how much you want!” “You’re a professional skier, not as fragile as Lily. A fall won’t kill you. Stop pretending, it’s getting old!” I looked at the “Voluntary Waiver of Injury Assessment” on the floor and laughed. “Zachary, the baby is dead,” I said, my eyes hollow. “What if I don’t sign?” He froze for only a second before bursting into laughter: “Trying to make me feel guilty? Do you think I’d believe you? Stop wasting time and sign. My dear Lily is waiting for me.” I stared at him, my face ashen. He had sat in the hospital room for half a day without once asking about my wellbeing. He was afraid I would hold Lily responsible. When he knew skiing was dangerous, he once used his life to make me quit the ski team. Now he forced his pregnant wife onto the slopes for Lily’s sake. Zachary’s eyes were cold, flashing with impatience. He dumped a whole package of cash on my head, stinging my face. “Is this enough? If not, I’ll give you more!” My fingers clutched my clothes tightly. Through the money, I saw my own humiliation. “Zachary,” my voice was hoarse, “let’s stop this. Let’s get divorced.” If you asked what my wish was at 22, it would have been to spend a lifetime entangled with Zachary Smith. But now I was truly numb. Zachary’s expression froze for a moment, then burned with anger. “I’ll let you go when I’m dead. You can only endure my torment!” His hand pressed hard on my wound, making me cry out in pain. He didn’t know how many steel pins were in my body, nor that I had nearly died. He certainly didn’t know the baby was already gone. I didn’t dare say it hurt. I couldn’t forget how last time I cried in pain, Zachary called me dramatic. He had switched my allergy medication for vitamins, nearly suffocating me in the elevator. “Claire Johnson, you’re using the wrong tactics. If you want to leave, cut out that child! If you think you can take the baby and run away, dream on.” “If you don’t dare, crawl on your knees to Lily’s room and apologize. Then I’ll forgive you.” I stopped in my tracks. My body felt filled with shattered glass, every movement cutting into my flesh. As soon as he finished speaking, his friends cheered excitedly. Just like years ago when our love was passionate and known to all. We had been through life and death together. Back then, I desperately protected him, nearly not waking up. He, who had never bowed his head, knelt before Buddha and transcribed scriptures in blood. Everything changed on our wedding day. There were no questions, no arguments. We quietly finished the ceremony. From then on, he found new ways to humiliate and torment me. Even our marital home that we designed together was completely transformed into themed rooms for his affairs. Going home felt like entering a sleazy motel. He forced me to clean the toys they had used, to tidy up the mess they left behind. Thinking of this, I looked at him with red eyes, pain overwhelming my reason. “Alright.” I didn’t want to live like this anymore. As I spoke, I shakily unzipped my coat. When I picked up the knife on the table, he stormed out, slamming the door so hard it made my whole body ache. After he left, his assistant came forward. “Mr. Smith instructed that you are to go serve in Miss Evans’ room. Otherwise, he can’t guarantee that person’s grave will remain undisturbed.” 0
I stopped mid-turn, tears welling in my eyes. “Let him do as he pleases.” I went to the cemetery and bought a plot next to his for our child. I knelt there for a long time, until I heard footsteps behind me. Zachary had his arm around Lily as he spoke with fake sincerity: “When you said ‘do as he pleases,’ you meant coming here to protect him yourself? Claire Johnson, what do you take me for? A plaything?” He shoved Lily aside and roughly yanked me up. “Since you’re so keen on protecting him, let’s see if you can.” In the struggle, my wig fell off. Lily screamed, covering her eyes. Zachary grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my face against the tombstone. “With your ghastly appearance, you still think you can be buried with him after death? Would he still love you?” I looked at the scattered tombstone, biting my lip until it bled. I did love him, but he was my brother. On our wedding day, I didn’t run away. I only wanted to see my brother in the hospital one last time. I tried to explain countless times, but in return he locked me in those themed rooms and made me watch as he had sex with others. He ignored me now, gently patting Lily’s back to comfort her. “Lily is so brave, don’t be scared. Doesn’t she look much better when she’s ugly like this?” The mocking laughter cut me to the core. Tears silently rolled down my cheeks as I touched the centipede-like scar on the back of my head. My heart felt like it was being sliced open. To protect him, my skull had been fractured, requiring 18 stitches. I never cried out in pain once. My prized long hair became a bald head, and I didn’t resist. All these sacrifices had become swords piercing my own heart. Noticing my movement, his hand clenched into a fist at his side. Lily stepped forward and hugged me, her eyes brimming with tears: “Sister, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have mocked you. I’m sorry.” After she spoke, she leaned close to my ear and whispered: “I did it on purpose that day skiing. Your child deserved to die!” My mind went blank with ringing. I lunged at her. Lily covered her ears, tears streaming down her face as she accused me of biting her ear to Zachary. But I hadn’t even touched her. Zachary exploded in anger, raising his hand to slap me hard. My ears rang and I tasted blood in my throat. Flames lit up before my eyes as Zachary held our photo in his hand. “Consider this my greeting to him!” He had the entire grave blown up, leaving not even a speck of ashes. I screamed hysterically, burning to ashes in an instant. I lunged forward like a madwoman. Zachary yanked me back hard. “Have you gone insane?!” I collapsed on the ground, all strength to struggle drained from me. That was my fool of a brother who raised me, my only family. Why would he do this to me? I had gone mad. A thousand words couldn’t compare to one sentence from Lily. The truth was right before my eyes. Why wouldn’t he even try to verify it? Did I really deserve to die? My throat burned with pain as I laughed dryly, falling backwards. When I woke up, Zachary was firmly holding down my arm. As the needle pierced my vein, I felt so numb I couldn’t even feel the pain. Then he had the doctor cut a piece of skin from my arm and throw it in the trash. I knew he was punishing me. This was nothing compared to before. He once forced me to buy sex toys for them, putting the hat that hurt Lily on my head. Letting her stab me with needles. Another time when I was pregnant and had a fever, I begged him to take me to the hospital. He thought I was faking illness out of jealousy to ruin their fun. He used the baby to force me to clean up after Lily. I still didn’t understand how two people who once loved each other could become like this. Even my brother, who I had relied on since childhood, was trampled on and slandered after death. With trembling hands, I took out my phone and dialed a long-unused number. “Hello, I’d like to arrange a sand burial.” 0
In our most carefree year, Zachary once said he wanted to become the most beautiful legend in an uninhabited desert. We decided on our final resting place at the most inappropriate age. But now… At the front door, the whole mansion glowed with colorful lights. I knew they were trying different themes again. I sat numbly on the steps, almost dozing off. A jacket that didn’t smell like Zachary was draped over me. “Why are you sitting here? Is Zachary misbehaving again?” When I looked up, I realized the distinguished man before me was Zachary’s uncle, Ian. I smiled bitterly and said: “Uncle Ian, can you help expedite my visa application?” The man just gave a low “Mm” in response. Early the next morning, Lily stood by my bed with her hands on her hips. She dumped a bucket of cold water on my face, her expression twisted and hideous. “Enjoy eavesdropping last night? Zach and I tried several new positions. He praised me for doing well and gave me this ‘Eternal Love’ jade bracelet. Last night we even used it to…” I suddenly looked up at her wrist. Tears fell uncontrollably. My brother had saved money for years, refusing treatment to buy that bracelet as my wedding gift. The thought of how they desecrated it made my mind explode. “Give it to me…” Lily narrowed her eyes and smirked, leaning close to my ear, “Want to bet?” The next second, she grabbed my hand and shoved her into the toilet, screaming dramatically. “Help! I won’t dare again!” Zachary rushed in and held me underwater in the bathtub until I nearly suffocated. Then he carefully took Lily into his arms, treasuring her. I watched as he gently kissed Lily, who was covered in dirty water. My pupils dilated. “Zach, this bracelet must be from someone important to Claire. If it could lead to death, I don’t want it anymore.” Lily burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Zachary said nothing, just glared at me viciously. He carried Lily and rushed to the hospital. I swallowed the nausea rising in my stomach, my eyes stinging. Soon after, Zachary’s bodyguards took me to the hospital by force. They poured medicine into my mouth over and over, then pumped my stomach again and again. It was repeated over a dozen times until I collapsed in agony. Tears streamed uncontrollably as I vomited until I passed out. Next door, Zachary was telling stories to entertain Lily as she got an IV drip, making her giggle constantly. To coax her into getting her stomach pumped, he had all the world’s jewels brought to the hospital. I closed my eyes. He had once spent a year nursing my stomach back to health. Now it was completely ruined. Zachary came over with cold eyes. Seeing my reddened eyes, he clenched his fists tightly. “Claire Johnson, don’t think I won’t touch you. It’s just a stupid bracelet. I can buy you thousands to replace it.” I coughed up blood, letting the tears fall. “Zachary, would you only be happy if I died?” Hearing this, Zachary’s body froze for a moment. Then he looked at my abdomen and sneered: “Could you bear it? The child you schemed so hard to keep, could you bear to part with it?” I looked at the man before me who was impervious to reason. I no longer wanted to explain. Ignoring his furious rage, I pulled out the gastric lavage tube and left. Outside the hospital, Lily invited me into the car with a beaming smile. Zachary held Lily’s hand tightly, not sparing me a glance. The car reeked of tangerine peels. He didn’t give me a chance to get out. I opened the window. Zachary said coldly: “Close it. Lily’s pregnant and afraid of the wind.” My fingertips trembled. He knew how severe my allergies were. I stared at my phone expressionlessly. Zachary’s face darkened. Lily giggled coyly: “Don’t blame me, sister. I wasn’t feeling well so I asked Zach to set this up.” I replied to messages, occasionally rubbing my arm covered in red spots. As soon as we got out of the car, I clutched my stomach and retched violently until I was utterly exhausted.
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