The day before my wedding, my fiancé James Thornton’s adopted sister Georgia Thornton killed my parents in a drunk driving accident under the pretext of being intoxicated. James not only didn’t blame Georgia but even invited her to be my bridesmaid. Without receiving a fair judgment, I caused a scene at the wedding, furiously demanding Georgia pay for her crimes, but the guests mocked me as a crazy woman. James held me as I broke down and solemnly promised, “Yvonne, please marry me. I will help you get justice.” I agreed. James appeared to righteously send Georgia to prison, telling me she was sentenced to five years. And I believed him. But in the fourth year of our marriage, while pregnant, I accidentally overheard his true thoughts. “Good thing I married Yvonne for that letter of forgiveness, otherwise how could Georgia have graduated smoothly from her top university master’s program? “Seeing her successfully enter the research institute, I feel gratified as her brother.” So James’s idea of justice for me was letting a murderer go free, and she even earned a graduate degree. In comparison, my parents’ lives weren’t as important as James’s adopted sister’s future. I left him resolutely. This time, I would avenge my parents with my own hands. ***** I stood outside the study, consumed by overwhelming rage. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. In the study, James was watching Georgia’s video blog from her overseas studies with regret yet satisfaction on his tablet. “Four years have passed, and Georgia now has a bright future ahead of her.” James paused, looking at our wedding photo on the desk, his expression darkening. “Yvonne is pregnant now, so consider it as if I’ve compensated her with another life. We’re even for what happened back then.” What’s even now? How could he possibly think a life could be exchanged for another? I suddenly tightened my hand on my abdomen, feeling a stabbing pain in my heart. My parents lost their lives, yet he casually said we were even. Remembering the photos James had given me three years ago of him personally sending Georgia to prison, I felt cold all over, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over me. At that moment, James’s phone vibrated twice. It was a document from his assistant. Through James’s inner voice, I clearly heard their conversation. “Mr. Thornton, news about Ms. Georgia Thornton seems to have leaked. Several shareholders know about this matter, and they now want to hold a shareholders’ meeting to remove you from your position. “Anyway, Ms. Georgia Thornton is far away overseas. You can still distance yourself from her in time…” James frowned and refused without hesitation, “Distance myself? Georgia is my sister. “As long as she’s happy and safe, I’d willingly give up my position as CEO of the Thornton Group, or even go to prison in her place.” His assistant said nothing more. After pondering for a moment, James added, “Have someone keep a close eye on Yvonne. Don’t let her know anything about this matter.” He put down his phone, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, “Only half a month left. Once Georgia’s nominal prison term is over, it will be too late for Yvonne to pursue further legal action.” With just a few casual sentences, he had revealed all the cruel truth. It turned out my parents lying in the cemetery still hadn’t seen their killer brought to justice. I thought Georgia was in prison atoning for her sins, but instead she had been enjoying herself overseas for four whole years. As footsteps sounded, I instinctively hid in the dark bathroom nearby. The moment I confirmed he was going downstairs, I seemed to run out of strength and collapsed onto the floor. Thinking of my parents in the cemetery, unable to rest in peace, I felt intense regret and an uncontrollable wave of nausea. In an instant, my stomach churned and my throat burned. As the sound of vomiting echoed in the small bathroom, I held onto the toilet, my entire body trembling. My tears also flowed uncontrollably.Tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably. With a snap, the bathroom light was turned on. “Vonnie, why are you throwing up again?” James embraced me from behind, worriedly handing me a glass of water to rinse my mouth. “Is the baby making you feel unwell again?” I didn’t argue, suppressing the nausea and forcing my voice to sound steady. “It’s nothing. I’m just emotionally unstable during pregnancy.””Vonnie, I know this is difficult,” he said with a smile, comforting me while affectionately stroking my hair. Then, James changed the subject, saying, “By the way, I have a business trip next week.” I felt a wave of panic and asked, “Where are you going?” “Harrington,” James said, “I’m going to visit Georgia while I’m there.” I froze, my fingers trembling slightly. This was the first time in four years that James had mentioned Georgia in front of me. “Vonnie, you don’t mind, do you?” he asked gently. “Georgia has been in prison for four years now. After all, I’m still her brother, so I should go see her.” I turned to look at him, seeing the expectation in his eyes, and felt another wave of nausea. James had deceived me for three whole years, using tenderness as a weapon and love as bait. “Of course not,” I forced a smile and said, “Go ahead.” “Vonnie, you’ve become so much more reasonable,” he said with satisfaction. “You used to always be so… about Georgia…” “It’s all in the past,” I interrupted James. “Besides, hasn’t she already been punished by the law?” James nodded and smiled calmly, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Thank you for understanding, wife.” I lowered my head, not letting him see the tears glistening in my eyes. I thought, “He’s right. I should understand him. I should try to understand how much he loves Georgia, even to the point of willingly sacrificing his own happiness for the rest of his life.”
At midnight, James made an excuse about having an international conference call. Not wanting to disturb my rest, he went to the study alone. I was left by myself in the bedroom. In the silent room, my ears were filled with noisy sounds, all voices about James’s inner thoughts. “Georgia, have you been staying up late working on your thesis this week?” “How are you feeling? Do you have enough money in your bank account?” I glanced up at the calendar, belatedly realizing it was Thursday. Since the day I married James, I knew he had a regular international conference call every Thursday night. I had always wondered why he insisted on having a routine meeting at midnight, not even waiting for the seven or eight-hour time difference. It turned out it was related to Georgia. I could only laugh at myself. On the other end of the call, Georgia’s personal butler had begun reporting on her situation in meticulous detail. “We have updated Ms. Georgia Thornton’s entire set of haute couture clothing for the season.” “We’ve made long-term VIP reservations at the restaurant she’s been favoring recently.” “The two pieces of jewelry worth millions of dollars that you ordered last month have been delivered. Ms. Georgia Thornton says she loves them.” ***** Everything about Georgia’s daily life was taken care of with the utmost attention. I sat numbly on the bed, the light from my phone screen reflecting on my pale face. For over a thousand days and nights, my enemy had been living like this. Suddenly, the butler’s words brought me back to reality. “Mr. Thornton, we’ve already booked the same room and attractions that Ms. Georgia Thornton stayed at during her vacation in Mercado six months ago. When do you plan to fly over?” I widened my eyes, using trembling hands to check Georgia and James’s Instagram updates. Sure enough, James would always personally visit the places Georgia had been to six months later. James walked the paths she had walked, felt the evening breeze she had felt. He used almost everything he had to remember Georgia. James’s inner voice suddenly became tender, filled with undisguised deep affection. “Soon I won’t need to fly over anymore. She’ll be able to come back and see me soon.” I listened in silence, recalling how in the past years, whenever I suggested going on vacation, James always refused, claiming we shouldn’t be too high-profile. It wasn’t that we couldn’t be too high-profile; it was that he didn’t want Georgia to feel sad when she saw us. The meeting in the study continued, but I couldn’t listen anymore. I silently made an appointment with the gynecologist for the next day. Stroking my slightly swollen belly, my eyes grew dim. Let everything end here. Whether it was the child in my womb or this marriage full of schemes, everything should end now.I stayed up all night until dawn. After washing up and coming downstairs, I found James already sitting at the dining table. Seeing me, he picked up his phone and asked, “Yvonne, why did the hospital send me an appointment reminder text? Are you feeling unwell?” I froze, suddenly remembering that when I first became pregnant, I had linked his phone number in the hospital system.”It’s nothing,” I quietly explained. “I missed my last prenatal checkup, so I need to go today. It’s just a small examination, I can handle it myself. You can go to work without worrying.” He nodded and thoughtfully helped me sit down. “Honey, thank you for understanding. I’ve booked a maternity photoshoot for you in the Greek Aegean Sea in two weeks, as my pregnancy gift to you.” Two weeks was exactly when Georgia would be returning to the country. Perhaps I was too disappointed in James, which is why I was unusually calm this time. I understood he was just worried I might interfere with his reunion with Georgia, who was about to return. James quickly finished breakfast and dropped me off at the hospital on his way. When we parted, he gently kissed me, looking affectionate: “Take care of yourself and the baby. See you tonight.” I nodded silently and walked into the hospital. Then, without hesitation, I told the doctor: “I don’t want this baby anymore.”
Holding the surgery notice, I stood at the entrance of the operating room, unconsciously touching my belly. The baby in my womb seemed to sense something, moving slightly. It was like a little fish blowing bubbles, completely unaware of the dangers of the outside world. Just then my phone vibrated twice. James had sent a message, asking about my wellbeing as usual. After staring at the cold words on the notice for a long time, I typed on my phone: [James, will you love our baby?] James: [Of course.] The second after the message appeared, I heard another voice: *”As long as our child is born safely, Yvonne might not pursue what happened back then. One child is all I need to exchange for Georgia’s return. Of course I like it.”* These were all James’s inner thoughts. The child in my belly seemed to hear these words too, gently twisting its body. I reflexively clutched my clothes. In my confused mind flashed the undisguised joy on James’s face the day I got pregnant: “You’re pregnant? Yvonne, are you saying we’re going to have a baby?” So that day when I took James’s hand and gently touched my belly, he was inwardly confessing his disloyalty to Georgia, using the child to control and manipulate me. He had never once purely looked forward to this child that belonged to us. The broadcast at the operating room entrance called my name. With an almost desperate smile, I gritted my teeth, swallowed all my tears, and stepped into the operating room without hesitation. After the surgery, the coldness of the instruments replaced the baby in my belly. Clutching my agonizingly painful abdomen, I took a taxi directly to the law firm. When I inquired about the settlement agreement James had signed on my behalf, the lawyer looked very uncomfortable: “Ms. Stewart, I’m sorry. Mr. Thornton did indeed exploit a legal loophole back then, but time is pressing now. Even if we file for prosecution immediately, I’m afraid it’s already too late.” The lawyer pushed up the glasses on his nose, his tone full of resignation. I nodded, not asking further, only requesting him to print two copies of a standard divorce agreement for me. “Regarding property division, do you have any requests?” the lawyer asked routinely. I shook my head and calmly said: “As for our house, car, and those properties under his name, I don’t need any of them.” They felt tainted to me. As I was about to take a taxi to the Thornton Group with the few thin pages of the agreement, I suddenly heard James’s excited inner voice in my ears: *”Georgia, why did you suddenly return to the country alone?”* I stood frozen in place, but the conversation in my ears continued: *”You came back without telling me, even though your prosecution period hasn’t expired yet. What’s wrong? Do you miss me that much? You couldn’t even wait for the last two weeks? I assume you’re like a goldfish and have forgotten how Yvonne went crazy four years ago, right?”* I wondered, ‘Was I really acting crazy before?’I thought, “Had I been acting crazy before?” Suddenly, something occurred to me, and pain washed over my entire body. Four years ago at our wedding, after hearing that devastating news, I confronted Georgia in desperation, publicly holding her accountable. However, the guests at the scene all sided with the Thornton family, accusing me of being inconsiderate of the bigger picture and narrow-minded.At that time, I thought only James was willing to defend me, but in fact, he was no different from the others. “Yvonne is just an outsider, how could she possibly compare to you? Once our child is born, you can safely move into my home, and she won’t dare do anything to you.” Listening to James’s cold inner monologue, I felt intensifying pain in my abdomen. “Mrs. Stewart, are you alright?” Hearing the lawyer’s concerned inquiry, I stopped and asked in a hoarse voice, “Can I sign for him?” The lawyer instinctively shook his head in refusal, and I added, “He’s away on business, I’m just helping him out. Otherwise, how about I call him right now in front of you?” As I spoke, I had already dialed James’s number. “James, I’ll sign the documents for you, okay?” James didn’t think much about it and casually agreed in a low voice, “It’s up to you. I’m a bit busy, so I’ll hang up now.” Before he finished speaking, a passionate female voice came from the other end of the line. “James, I miss you so much…” Before the call was disconnected, their moans clearly transmitted through the receiver. The lawyer looked very embarrassed and immediately took out a pen, watching as I unhesitatingly signed both our names. From that day on, James and I had nothing more to do with each other. When I returned home after finalizing the divorce, the villa was still empty. I unlocked my phone and found that James had hastily sent a message half an hour ago: [I need to work overtime today.] He couldn’t even spare the time to make a perfunctory phone call. I gave a cold, bitter smile as I opened Georgia’s updated Instagram page. In her newly posted photo, the lighting was dim, and they were flirting. She was lazily leaning on a man’s shoulder, showing only half of her delicate face. As their shadows overlapped, they looked like a perfect match. The caption was very brief: [Reunited after a long time.] My gaze lingered on the tie scattered on the floor, which I recognized as James’s clothing. The next day, I went to the cemetery with the divorce certificate. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. My parents’ photos on the tombstone still looked kind, gazing at me gently. Standing before their graves, I opened the divorce certificate, my trembling fingertips tracing every word on it. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I’ve disappointed you.” I choked up, tears blurring my vision. Suddenly, I heard clear footsteps. “Yvonne? After four years, why are you still such a crybaby?” I immediately looked up, and the first thing I saw was the woman’s bright red dress. That dress looked exactly like it was splattered with blood, particularly eye-catching in the gloomy cemetery. Her makeup was flawless, and she still looked like a pampered rich girl, not at all like someone who had just been released from prison. “Georgia, how dare you come here?” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes filled with tears. She smiled contemptuously and slowly approached me. “I was afraid they might be as stupid as you, thinking I willingly spent four years in prison. “So, I came specifically to see them and talk to all of you.” “You…” Fury boiled inside me as I clenched my fists. Georgia seemed to see through my thoughts and continued to provoke me, “What’s wrong? Are you angry? Your parents were just as furious with me before they died. Two stupid old fools, I really regret not chopping their bodies into pieces…” “Shut up!” I couldn’t hold back anymore and wanted to slap her hard. However, Georgia was prepared. She grabbed my wrist and kicked me hard in the abdomen. Having just had surgery, I was already weak, and now I felt an intense cramping pain in my stomach. My vision went black, and my body fell backward uncontrollably, then rolled down the steps.Intense pain instantly swept through my entire body. As my consciousness gradually became fuzzy, I faintly heard Georgia’s contemptuous sneer: “You think someone like you deserves to be James’s wife?” When I regained consciousness, I smelled the pungent odor of disinfectant around me. Seeing me awake, James asked with his usual gentleness and attentiveness: “Vonnie, how are you feeling?”When I woke up again, I smelled the pungent odor of disinfectant around me. Seeing that I was awake, James spoke with his usual gentle and caring tone, “Vonnie, how are you feeling?” Remembering Georgia’s arrogant demeanor, I simply asked, “Where’s Georgia?” At the mention of Georgia’s name, James’s eyes darted away, and he answered evasively, “We’ll have another baby in the future.” “Georgia is still very young. She’s ignorant, not malicious,” James said calmly, as if discussing something trivial. “I’ve already asked her to apologize to you.” I didn’t correct his misunderstanding, just nodded. “Apologize? Fine, where is she?” James frowned, speaking with a dissatisfied tone, “We’ve already lost the baby. Why are you being so petty? Georgia just got out of prison, she needs time to adjust.” Hearing his excuses, I almost laughed out loud. Indeed, in James’s heart, not just me, but even his own child’s life was less important than Georgia’s happiness. Suppressing my inner mockery, I calmly said, “I’m sorry, I overreacted.” Seeing my quiet submission, James leaned down and kissed me. “Alright. Get some rest. I have some matters at the company. I’ll bring your favorite pastries when I come home tonight.” I had no interest in waiting any longer. After coldly watching James leave, I forced myself to get up and return home. When I left with my luggage, I took one last look at the documents on the table. There was a divorce certificate, a finalized divorce agreement, and that letter of understanding he had secretly signed years ago. As a car horn sounded behind me, the taxi driver urged me to get in. I closed my eyes and resolutely slammed the door as I left. “Sir, I need to go to the airport.”
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