When another girl showed up with a pregnancy test, I knew my husband had cheated again. This time, it was a girl my father had sponsored through college, who then became practically an adopted sister, Luna. I mechanically pushed a pre-signed settlement check towards her, already reaching for my phone to book her an appointment for termination. Tears welled in Luna’s eyes, and she choked out, “I’m not like the others!” “Believe me, if I get rid of this baby, Mr. Sterling and Liam will hate you for it!” Her words left me completely unmoved. After all, every girl who’d come to me over the years had said the exact same thing. But this time, my father looked at the pregnancy test and furiously slapped my face. And my husband tossed signed divorce papers in front of me. “A child needs a father. I’m going to give Luna a complete family.” In that moment, I finally realized Luna hadn’t been wrong. If this baby was aborted, Dad and Liam would really hate me. “Elara Sterling, where did you send Luna? Which hospital?” “Tell me now, or don’t blame me if I disown you.” A searing pain blossomed across my cheek, and my father’s furious shouts echoed in my ears. I stared in disbelief at the two people closest to me, feeling only a bitter, absurd irony. I lowered my eyes, a wry smile on my lips. “I didn’t book her termination, and I have no idea where she went.” Dad shook his head, disappointment and anger warring across his face. Liam threw a termination appointment slip at me, grabbing my arm tight. “The appointment slip is right here! Don’t tell me it wasn’t you. Would Luna just abandon her own child?” “I don’t care what you do to other people, but why would you force Luna?!” “She’s lived so carefully all these years she’s been with our family.” “If it wasn’t for you, why would she disappear?!” Liam’s voice grew louder, the chill emanating from him becoming more palpable. I saw his eyes, bloodshot and ringed with dark circles. Liam, usually so composed and elegant, had frantically searched for Luna all night. My chest felt like it had been punched hard, a heavy ache spreading through me. My voice came out laced with helplessness. “I really don’t know where she is. I didn’t book the surgery. If you don’t believe me, you can check.” Liam thought I was still being stubborn, and his gaze shifted to Dad. “She won’t tell the truth.” “Dad, we can’t wait any longer. If we do, Luna and the baby will be in danger.” Dad’s brows furrowed, his voice low. “Elara, this is your last chance. Tell me which hospital Luna is at.” “Just tell me, and we’ll pretend today never happened.” “I’ll also persuade Luna not to hate you. You’ll still be my good daughter.” I looked at the father who used to lift me onto his shoulders to play when I was a child. Now, his eyes were as cold as frost. In that moment, he’d forgotten his promise to my mother, and he’d forgotten that I was his biological daughter. My eyes welled up, my voice bitter. “But I really don’t know.” Seeing my stubbornness, he completely lost his patience. He loudly called out to the bodyguards waiting outside. “Take her to the basement.” “If you’ve done something wrong, don’t blame me for using our family’s disciplinary measures.” Instant terror seized me. That basement was tiny and pitch-black, a nightmare for my claustrophobia. Dad knew my condition, yet he still chose to lock me in there. I looked at him, begging, but met only eyes filled with hatred. My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. In the basement, I shivered uncontrollably, my breathing growing shallow. Dad’s cane rained down on my body, blow after blow. I cried, pleading for him to stop, but he seemed not to hear. Just as I thought I was about to die, a frantic knocking sounded at the basement door. “Mr. Sterling, we’ve found Miss Luna!” In that moment, I felt like a condemned criminal who’d been pardoned. The blows finally stopped. I was covered in blood, which had even soaked through my clothes. Dad and Liam instantly lit up with joy at the news, eager to rush to her side. At the door, Liam suddenly stopped, turned, and threw the divorce papers at my feet. “Sign these today.” “That way, I can give Luna a home.” “I won’t let Luna be bullied by you anymore.” With that, he walked away without a backward glance. They didn’t spare another look at my injured body. I stared at the divorce papers on the floor, Liam’s signature already there. The papers seemed to silently mock all my devotion and humiliation. Cheers from upstairs announced Luna’s return. My tears streamed down, unstoppable. Just then, my phone vibrated, the screen lighting up. “Elara, I still can’t let you go.” “What I said back then still stands. Will you give me a chance?”
I sat there, numb and rigid, until I finally snapped back to reality. Picking up the pen, I signed my name on the divorce papers. All these years, I’d poured my everything into protecting this love, only for it to end like this. Turns out, when you’re not loved, even groveling in the dust is useless. I stifled a groan and pushed myself up, opening the basement door and heading upstairs. The household staff looked at me, covered in blood, their faces filled with shock and pity. Seeing me head towards the master bedroom, they couldn’t help but speak up. “Miss, perhaps you should rest somewhere else.” I was about to ask why when I heard Luna’s sultry moans from inside the bedroom. “Liam, be careful. I have a baby, you know.” My heart sank, and I froze in place. All these years, no matter how reckless he was, he’d never brought anyone into *our* bedroom. Now, he’d brought Luna to our marital home. Mr. Davies, the butler, kindly urged me. “Miss, perhaps you shouldn’t go up there.” The moans from inside grew louder, and the staff huddled together, whispering. “Miss Luna is pregnant, and Mr. Liam can’t even wait? In the master’s marital bedroom…” “The poor Miss Elara. She’d be better off divorced.” I pushed past Mr. Davies woodenly, slowly making my way to the bedroom door. Embarrassing gasps filled the air, one after another. Through the crack in the door, I glimpsed the scandalous scene unfolding within. My heart felt pierced by a thousand needles. When I first met Liam, he treated me so well. No matter how difficult the request, he’d do it for me. Even though he had a terrible fear of heights, he’d still jump out of planes with me, just because I loved skydiving. Back then, I thought no one in the world could love me more than him. But less than a year into our marriage, he started bringing different people in and out of hotels. To make him change his mind, I’d beg and plead, even get on my knees, or threaten to end my life. He’d only tiredly rub his temples. “Elara Sterling, don’t think too highly of me.” “Hearts are fickle by nature.” “Life is long. I won’t only love one person.” But I stubbornly believed he was just chasing a new thrill, never imagining this time was serious. I took a deep breath and pushed open the bedroom door. The room was a mess. Our wedding photo, sitting on our bedside table, was now shattered on the floor. The two people in the picture were sliced by the broken glass. Liam glanced at me, his face still flushed with desire. He calmly continued to kiss Luna’s lips. He only stopped when the girl in his arms began to breathe erratically. He smoothed her hair, then spoke mockingly. “Elara Sterling, do you have a fetish for watching other people’s intimate moments?” Seeing his indifferent attitude, my palms involuntarily clenched. I struggled to stay calm, but my voice trembled. “This is our marital home.” “Do you hate me so much that you have to humiliate me like this?” At my words, a flicker of discomfort crossed Liam’s eyes, and he felt an inexplicable irritation. He released his arm from around Luna, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on carelessly. But the hickey marks all over him were impossible to hide. It was sickening to see. I turned my back, my voice laced with bitterness. “I want to talk to you alone.” Luna, standing beside him, spoke plaintively. “Elara, do you not want to see me?” Hearing her, Liam immediately pulled her into his embrace, his face darkening. “Enough. You’re still bullying Luna.” “There are no secrets between us.” “Besides, there’s nothing left for us to talk about except divorce.” The man who usually cared for no one was now fiercely protective of Luna. He wouldn’t even grant me that last shred of dignity. I turned around with a bitter smile, handing him the divorce papers. “It’s signed.” He looked at me in surprise, snatched the papers, and repeatedly scanned the name. Confirming it was my signature, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Even though we’re divorced, Luna is also Dad’s daughter, so we’re still family.” “You’d better not try to harm Luna again, or don’t blame me for cutting all ties.” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance, taking Luna’s hand and leaving, as if afraid I’d change my mind. I knelt down, looking at the shattered wedding photo. Our sweet smiles from back then now seemed to mock me.
I turned and went to the guest room, exhausted, and collapsed onto the bed. I pulled out my phone, staring at the message I hadn’t yet replied to. After a long hesitation, I slowly typed out a single word. “Okay.” The sender was Julian, my childhood friend. I knew he used to like me. But at the time, my eyes were only on Liam, and Julian had moved abroad the day we got married. Though we no longer kept in touch, he’d send me a birthday gift every year. I never imagined that while I was miserably clinging to someone else, someone was quietly waiting for me. I then messaged my lawyer, asking him to handle my divorce and asset matters. After I finished, just as I was about to apply some antiseptic to my wounds, the door was kicked open. Before I could react, Dad’s bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me out the door. No matter how many times I asked on the way, they remained silent. The car stopped at the hospital, and I was pulled to the emergency room entrance. Dad and Liam were both there. Before I could even speak, Dad’s hand lashed out, slapping me again. He gritted his teeth, saying, “Elara Sterling, will you only be satisfied when Luna is dead?!” “Is this how I taught you to be?” My head spun, and blood instantly seeped from the corner of my mouth. Before I could recover, Liam rushed forward and grabbed my throat. “Was it you who hired someone to hit Luna with a car? I was only gone for a moment, and she got into an accident.” “Are you really so merciless towards her?” I looked at Liam’s bloodshot eyes. His gaze wanted to kill me. Dad was so enraged his voice trembled. “Elara, Luna has lived so cautiously all these years.” “Why can’t you just leave her alone?” “And she’s pregnant! Are you trying to kill two lives at once?” He clutched his chest, his breathing growing heavy. “I raised you wrong. Dad can’t let you continue like this.” They didn’t give me a chance to explain, immediately assuming I wanted to kill Luna. In their hearts, I was a ruthless demon, and Luna, their innocent angel. He picked up his phone and called the police, demanding that I be taught a lesson, locked away. I cried, begging them. “It wasn’t me, it really wasn’t me.” “If you don’t believe me, check. I was home the whole time.” But they remained unmoved. The prison inmates, instructed by Liam, tormented me in various ways. They shoved my head into the toilet, spat in my food. Any slight resistance was met with kicks and punches. The cane wounds on my body hadn’t healed, and now, with this repeated torture, I was on the verge of dying. When Liam came to the prison, he saw my injuries but remained cold. “Just admit you harmed Luna, and you won’t have to suffer like this.” My voice was almost too weak to hear. “Why should I admit to something I didn’t do?” “You claim it was me, but you have no proof.” “If I admit it, I’ll truly never get out.” Liam grew even more enraged. “Elara Sterling, you’re hopeless.” Watching his retreating back, tears streamed down my face. If I had known this, I never would have been so persistent. Love forced, indeed, proves fatal. I don’t know how long I was locked up, but the torment never stopped for a single day. Just as I lost consciousness, a prison guard appeared. “Elara Sterling, you can go.” “Your family is here to pick you up.” I was helped out of the prison, my body covered in countless wounds. Outside the prison gates, Liam stood waiting. Seeing me, a flicker of joy crossed his face.
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