My husband Lucas Winston wanted to give me a honeymoon trip that was five years overdue. I was full of anticipation and thoroughly prepared. But just before boarding the plane, I discovered his childhood sweetheart, Kelly Parish, had joined our group. Lucas casually explained, “Kelly’s never been abroad, so I’m taking her along.” I was somewhat bothered, but he thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. He sneered, “Is it because you don’t have parents that you’re so jealous of people with intact families? I just see Kelly as a sister. You’re an orphan, you’ll never understand.” For the sake of this rare honeymoon, I chose to let it go. But later when we encountered an avalanche and my legs were trapped in deep snow, I watched as Lucas immediately grabbed Kelly’s hand and ran away. They fled without looking back. After three grueling hours, I was finally rescued from the vast snow. “Ma’am, your husband and sister are waiting for you up ahead!” the young rescue worker excitedly pointed forward, reporting the good news. My body was stiff from the cold as I looked up blankly. There was a couple standing ahead. Lucas and Kelly. They were wearing identical clean black and white down jackets, standing intimately together. “You’re so lucky! Two other people are still missing from this avalanche!” the young woman congratulated me dramatically on my escape. But she didn’t know that when I was buried in snow, my husband had taken Kelly’s hand and run away without looking back, neither of them remembering I was behind them. I lowered my head and shuffled forward slowly. Lucas strode over, embraced me, and looked deeply concerned. “Honey, are you okay? Are you in pain? If you’re not feeling well, we can find a doctor.” Behind him, Kelly’s face was pale as tears streamed down her cheeks, as if she were the one who had been buried in snow for three hours. “Helen, you’ve suffered so much. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t suggested skiing here, you wouldn’t have been in danger. I’ve let you down.” Before I could speak, Lucas released me and put his arm out to shield Kelly behind him, his tone hardening. “Helen, you can’t blame Kelly for this. You agreed to go skiing too.” Yes, I agreed. I was forced to agree. After arriving in Switzerland, I felt unwell, but Lucas never noticed anything wrong with me. Just because Kelly said she wanted to ski, he excitedly handed me the camera and asked me to take photos. When I said I wasn’t feeling well, he accused me of ruining the mood. He doted on Kelly, always saying he treated her like a sister. But this was supposed to be my honeymoon trip, five years overdue! He said I needed exercise after sitting too long, so our first stop in Germany involved a 10-mile hike. He said November was the perfect time to see snow, so our second stop was Switzerland to ride the glacier train. Finally, he said we should have one adventure in our lifetime, so for the third stop, he chose camping at Whirinaki Forest Park. But in the end, I could only stand by like an outsider, constantly yielding and retreating, unable to even voice my objections! In this moment, my anger and frustration turned to ashes. I knew there was no point in asking anything more. I spoke flatly, “Thank God I’m okay.” Then I continued walking back to the hotel. Buried in snow, I had been one step away from death, and now all I wanted was to sleep. As I passed Lucas, he suddenly grabbed my hand and shoved me forward forcefully. Having been frozen in the snow for so long, I could barely stand. The push sent me tumbling to the ground, and I couldn’t get up for a while. Lucas froze for a moment, then sneered, “Helen, what are you playing at? I barely pushed you! Who are you putting on this act for?” I looked at him and said, one word at a time, “Lucas, I was buried in snow for three hours. I’m exhausted.” Lucas hesitated briefly before letting go, but still accused me: “Even so, you shouldn’t act like this. You don’t know how terrified Kelly was during those three hours you were missing. Why are you giving her the cold shoulder? She was running around getting help, and you can’t even say thank you? Is this how you treat people?” Lucas’s voice grew louder as he spoke, as if I had committed some terrible crime. Kelly tugged at Lucas’s sleeve and said softly, “It wasn’t like that. After Lucas pulled me out, I saw that Helen hadn’t followed us…” At this point, Kelly covered her mouth, face pale, then stubbornly stood in front of Lucas, righteously declaring: “Helen, please don’t misunderstand. The situation was urgent, and Lucas thought I was you when he grabbed my hand. Don’t blame him—if you must blame someone, blame me!” Lucas put his arm around Kelly and looked at me with utter disappointment: “Helen, don’t push it!” I hadn’t said a word, yet these two were already making excuses one after another, treating me like an enemy they needed to defend against. Less than a week into our honeymoon trip, I suddenly saw everything clearly. Lucas always said Kelly was like his sister. But what kind of brother washes his sister’s feet? What kind of brother peels shrimp for his sister? What kind of brother washes his sister’s underwear? These special treatments Lucas gave Kelly were things I, his wife of five years, had never received. I struggled to my feet and brushed the snow off my clothes. “What should I thank her for? Should I thank her for forcing her way into my honeymoon? For constantly clinging to my husband? Or for forcing me to go skiing against my wishes just to be her photographer? Thank you so much, Kelly, you’re really something.” After saying this, I politely asked Lucas, “May I go back to the hotel now?” Lucas looked at me, gritting his teeth, “Do you have to be so mean when you talk? You’re on your own!” He took Kelly’s hand and walked away. Standing in the cold wind, my mind grew clearer as my eyes stung with tears.
That evening, I took my medicine and lay in bed, feeling drowsy. Lucas came into the room carrying a bowl of gumbo. “Kelly said you haven’t eaten, so she specially borrowed the hotel kitchen to make you this warming gumbo! She even hurt her hand while making it. Try some. And please stop being angry after you have it.” The rich seafood aroma instantly filled every corner of the room. I nearly gagged. Lucas, seemingly blind to my disgust, kept pushing the gumbo toward my mouth. As the increasingly pungent smell reached me, I raised my hand to push it away. The broth from the bowl splashed onto the blanket. Lucas frowned, his tone immediately darkening. “What’s with the attitude now? We’ve already apologized and explained about the avalanche. What more do you want!? Helen, enough is enough. You’re taking this too far!” Lucas’s voice was full of impatience, as if I was being unreasonable. I looked at the soiled blanket, sighed, and slowly said, “Lucas, I don’t like gumbo.” Without a second thought, Lucas replied matter-of-factly, “Not liking it doesn’t mean you can’t eat it. This gumbo is good for your health. Taking a few bites won’t kill you. Besides, Kelly made it herself. It’s the thought that counts.” Watching him speak so self-righteously, memories flooded my mind. Kelly loved cooking, but her culinary skills were terrible. On the third day of our honeymoon in Switzerland. I wanted to go to a proper restaurant for a decent meal, but Kelly refused to join. I had to beg Lucas to accompany me. Halfway there, Kelly called, saying she was scared being alone at the hotel. Without hesitation, Lucas insisted on going back to her. He gave me two choices: either return with him or go to the restaurant five kilometers away by myself. How ridiculous. This was supposed to be my honeymoon. Yet I couldn’t even choose what food I wanted to eat. I looked at the steaming bowl of gumbo, took it, and dumped it straight into the trash. I asked the man standing before me seriously. “The gumbo is gone. Are you satisfied now?” Lucas stood motionless, his face expressionless. Ignoring him, I reached for my phone to call for a blanket change. Suddenly, Lucas moved. He snatched the bowl and smashed it violently against the wall, sending fragments flying everywhere! “Helen, how did I never notice how high-maintenance you are?” Lucas left, and my room fell silent once again. ***** The next afternoon, the hotel manager knocked on my door to inform me that I needed to extend payment for my room. I frowned and told him this matter was being handled by my companions. The manager’s smile remained unchanged. “If you’re referring to Mr. Winston and Ms. Parish, they left the hotel at noon, apparently flying to their next destination. Unfortunately, they didn’t extend the payment for your room.” My room was cleared out. I was placed in the first-floor lounge area with my luggage. After more than an hour, I finally got through to Lucas on the phone. His smug voice came through the line. “Helen, remember, this is a lesson for you! What was supposed to be a nice trip has been ruined by you making mountains out of molehills! Kelly was right—spending time with negative people like you shortens your life!” My throat felt like it was filled with sand; I couldn’t speak for a long time. “Lucas, have you lost your mind? Do you realize what you’re doing!?” “Of course I do, Helen. You need to learn your lesson. If you want me to come get you, you’ll have to record a video apologizing to Kelly and post it on Instagram. Otherwise, this isn’t over!” He hung up on me. I sat on the sofa for a long time, watching the heavy snow falling outside. I met Lucas in our senior year of college. He was a year younger than me. I never liked dating younger men. But back then, Lucas was like the sun. He brought warmth to me as I struggled in the cold, damp places of life. When I was harassed by a creepy coworker during my internship, Lucas went out of his way to escort me home every night. Later, when I rented an apartment and got scammed by the landlord, He brought his law school friends to educate the landlord about tenant rights. That’s how he gradually unlocked my heart, layer by layer. But why did someone who once shone like the sun change so quickly? I couldn’t understand it, nor did I want to think about it anymore. I wiped away my tears and forced myself to calm down. My passport and bank cards were missing from my suitcase. Lucas had probably taken them. I started contacting friends back home. Finally, three days later, I successfully boarded a flight back to my country. After landing, I hugged my best friend, Wendy Blake, who came to pick me up. “I want a divorce.”
Without me around to get in the way, Kelly began shamelessly getting close to Lucas. She updated her Instagram religiously three times a day. In her videos, she and Lucas looked like a genuine couple. Someone who couldn’t stand it anymore commented: “What a homewrecker!” Looking closely at this person’s username, I discovered it was Lucas’s friend, Samuel Cooper. I’d met him a few times at previous gatherings. I never thought Samuel and Lucas were different types of people, but surprisingly, he was standing up for me. I directly replied to his comment with a thumbs up. Shortly after, the video was deleted. Three minutes later, I received an international call from Lucas. “Helen, what the hell is wrong with you? Kelly is just a young girl who hasn’t even graduated yet, and you’re slandering her like this? Are you even human? Do you want to be exiled forever? I’ve told you countless times, Kelly and I grew up together like siblings. We’re not blood-related but might as well be. Stop polluting our relationship with your dirty thoughts! But I guess an orphan like you wouldn’t understand the value of family bonds.” The man who had shared my bed not long ago was now attacking me with cruel words for someone else. My heart, which I thought would remain undisturbed, felt a sharp stab of pain. “Hah, siblings who lick each other’s fingers? Siblings who spend nights together in the same room and tent? Siblings where the brother would abandon his wife during an avalanche to save his ‘sister’? Your family bond is truly touching!” Lucas lost it after hearing my words and started cursing wildly. I hung up immediately. While Lucas wasn’t home, I took the opportunity to move my things. Before getting married, I worked hard and bought a small 480-square-foot house. Now that I was facing divorce, at least I had somewhere to live. The Winston family had traditional values and considerable wealth. Shortly after marrying Lucas, he persuaded me to quit my job and become a housewife. Back then, I was so love-struck that I agreed without hesitation. As a result, for five years I lived on an allowance, treated like a second-class servant at everyone’s beck and call. After learning Lucas had returned to the country, I sent the printed divorce papers to his email. But my message sank like a stone. I decided to call Lucas directly, but no one answered. Soon after, Lucas’s assistant Alvin Morison called back. “Mrs. Winston, Mr. Winston says if you want to see him, you must first apologize to Ms. Parish.” “Did he look at the divorce papers?” “Mr. Winston says if you want a divorce, talk to him directly. He thinks this tactic is too cliché and he’s not falling for it.” I laughed out loud, “Is that exactly what Lucas told you? Where is he now? What’s the address?” “Yes, Mr. Winston is celebrating Ms. Parish’s birthday. If you want the address, you must apologize to Ms. Parish on Instagram first…” “Apologize my ass!” I hung up, but looking at my contact list, I clicked on Samuel’s profile picture. He had stood up for me before, so he must be a decent person, right? As soon as I sent my message, Samuel replied almost instantly. Reading his response, I grabbed the divorce papers and headed straight there. When I arrived at the restaurant, I noticed a figure leaning against the wall. I asked uncertainly, “Samuel?” He instinctively looked up, putting away his lighter. I asked curiously, “Why are you outside?” Samuel was well-built but had a gentle voice and fair complexion. “I just came to see if I could help you out,” he said. I smiled gratefully, grabbed the door handle, and pushed it open slightly. Immediately, laughter erupted from inside. “That’s genius, Lucas! Leaving Helen stranded in Switzerland—I bet she was crying her eyes out!” “Lucas, when are you bringing Helen back?” Gripping the handle, I heard Lucas’s leisurely voice. “What’s the rush? When she realizes her mistake, I’ll let her come back. Hey, you won’t believe this—she sent me electronic divorce papers the other day, asking me to look at them. Hilarious! If she’s really willing to divorce me, I’ll take her last name!” “Tsk, she’s just desperate. Give it a few days and she’ll be more obedient. She’s gotten too wild, still thinking she’s the campus beauty she once was.” I exhaled deeply and pushed the door open forcefully. “Lucas, no need to bring me back. I’m already here.” I strode up to Lucas and slapped him hard twice across the face, then threw the divorce papers at him. “The divorce papers are right here. Whoever doesn’t sign them has no guts! And by the way, I don’t want you taking my last name—it would make me sick!”
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