My daughter clung to my leg, crying because she wanted a ten-dollar toy. My husband didn’t even glance at her. “Don’t spoil her,” he said coldly. “It’s a waste of money.” I swallowed my heartache and had just calmed her down when my phone buzzed with a notification—his “first love” had posted on Instagram. In the photo, she was beaming, holding a brandnew designer bag. I found myself opening Amazon on impulse. The price tag—ten thousand dollars—stabbed at my eyes. Her caption read: “Thank you! I absolutely love this birthday gift!” And beneath the photo, my husband’s account had left the only like. I looked down at the chipped, faded doll in my daughter’s hands. Quietly, I took a screenshot and sent it to him with just one question: “That bag of hers could buy our daughter ten thousand dolls. Am I right?” “You bought that bag for Vanessa?” “Ten thousand dollars—where did you even get that kind of money?” Ryan didn’t stop what he was doing. He didn’t even look up. “Ten thousand? That’s a knockoff. Two hundred bucks from a street vendor.” “Vanessa just lost her job and was feeling down. I bought her a fake one to cheer her up. We’re old friends, after all.” He said it so casually, like it was nothing. My heart clenched like someone had grabbed it and squeezed. “Cheer up an old friend?” “Ryan, last week Lily wanted a tendollar doll and you said it was too expensive—that it was a scam for kids.” “But you’re spending money to make someone else feel better?” Ryan threw his phone onto the couch in annoyance, frowning at me. “Are you done? Lily’s just wasting money. The house is already full of toys.” “Vanessa’s different. She’s raising a kid on her own—it’s not easy. As a man, what’s wrong with helping out a little?” “Can you stop being so petty? You’re paranoid about everything.” Me? Petty? She’s the one who has it hard? I let out a cold laugh and turned back to the bedroom. Ryan thought I’d bought his lies. He picked up his phone again, muttering “unbelievable” under his breath. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands and feet ice cold. That bag wasn’t fake. The authenticity tags, the leather grain—none of it could be counterfeited. I knew it too well. It was the exact bag I’d stared at for months on our wedding anniversary but couldn’t bring myself to buy. I took a deep breath, my hands trembling as I opened Ryan’s old phone. After he got a new one, he’d left this one in the drawer, only using it for games. But he forgot—a lot of apps stay synced. I opened the Amazon app, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of my throat. The most recent order was a train ticket. Last Saturday. Destination: a city two hours away. And that day, Ryan had told me the company needed him to work overtime—an allnighter to finish a project. I scrolled down, my breathing growing ragged. Same day. Another charge. An upscale family restaurant in that city. Eight hundred dollars per person. That money could have bought Lily eighty toys. It could have covered our family’s groceries for a whole month. Tears welled up in my eyes. I tilted my head back, forcing them not to fall. I called the restaurant. Someone answered quickly—a sweet, professional voice. “Hello, how can I help you?” I forced my voice to stay calm. “Hi, my husband had dinner at your restaurant last Saturday and I think he left his lighter behind. Could you check for me?” “I’m not sure which table he was at. His name is Ryan, and his phone number ends in XXXX.” I heard typing on the other end, then the server replied. “Ma’am, yes, we found the record. Mr. Ryan did dine here.” “However, when our staff cleaned the table, they didn’t find any items left behind.” My grip on the phone tightened, nails digging into my palm. “I see… maybe I remembered wrong.” “By the way, was he alone that day? I just worry he might have been drinking at a business dinner.” The server must have heard the concern in my voice; her tone grew warmer. “Don’t worry, ma’am. Mr. Ryan didn’t drink.” “He came with a woman and a little boy.” “I noticed the boy kept calling Mr. Ryan ‘Daddy.’ They looked so close—just like a real family.” Just like a real family. Those words stabbed into my heart like a knife. I don’t remember how I hung up. All I could hear in my head was: just like a real family. Ryan hadn’t just spent money. He’d given something even more precious—his time. All his patience, his gentleness, his money—he’d given it all to that woman and her child. What he left for me and Lily was coldness, empty excuses, and lies. This was the man I’d defied my family to marry. This was the husband I’d pinched pennies for, sacrificed my dreams to support. Disgusting. I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face. The icy shock cleared my head instantly. What good was crying? Could tears bring back the money? Could tears make Ryan change? No. Ryan, since you love playing daddy to someone else’s kid so much— I’ll make sure you get exactly what you deserve.
The next day was Sunday. Ryan was up early, getting ready and even putting on cologne. “That project at work still has some loose ends. I’m going in for a bit.” “Stay home with Lily. Don’t wait up for dinner.” He said it so naturally, not even bothering to come up with a new excuse. I was braiding Lily’s hair and didn’t look up. “Got it.” “Actually, I was thinking of taking Lily out too. I heard there’s a nice amusement park in the next city.” Ryan’s hands paused on his tie. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. “Why go all the way there? It’s so far. Just play around here.” “Why waste gas money?” I smiled, pinning a little pink clip into Lily’s hair. “Lily’s been asking forever. Besides, I have a coupon. It’s cheap.” Ryan grabbed his briefcase and rushed out the door. Watching him go, the smile faded from my eyes. I’d made a reservation at that restaurant. Right across from their usual table. At eleven in the morning, I walked into the restaurant holding Lily’s hand. It really was an upscale place—decorated like a dream, warm and cozy, filled with children’s laughter. I spotted Ryan immediately. He was sitting by the floortoceiling windows, head bowed, completely focused. Across from him sat Vanessa. And a little boy, about five or six years old. The boy was clumsily fiddling with a complicated Lego set, and Ryan sat beside him, guiding his hands. “There you go, buddy. This piece goes here—see? That makes it sturdy.” “Good job! You’re so much better at this than my clumsy daughter.” His voice was so gentle it could melt, his eyes full of adoration. Lily tugged at my hand and whispered. “Mommy, is that Daddy?” “I thought Daddy was at work? Who’s that boy?” Looking into my daughter’s innocent, confused eyes, my heart felt like it was being pierced by needles. I crouched down and stroked her head. “Lily, sweetheart, go play in the ball pit over there for a bit. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy.” Lily didn’t want me to leave, but she’d always been obedient. She nodded and ran off. I took a deep breath and strode toward them. Before I even reached the table, Ryan seemed to sense something and looked up. The moment he saw me, the Lego piece in his hand clattered to the floor. His face went white. “You… what are you doing here?” Vanessa jumped too, scrambling to her feet, looking flustered. “Emily…” I ignored Vanessa. I just stared at Ryan. “This is your overtime?” “This is your loose ends at work?” “Ryan, your idea of working late is playing Legos with someone else’s kid?” People around us were starting to look. Ryan’s face flushed red, then white. He shot up, grabbed my wrist, and started dragging me toward a corner. “Have you lost your mind? This is a public place! Why are you making a scene?” “Can’t you give me some dignity?” Once we were in a quiet corner, he let go of my hand and hissed. “Are you following me?” I laughed coldly. “If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it in the first place.” “Ryan, you want dignity?” “You won’t even say a word to Lily, but here you are, overflowing with fatherly love?” Ryan’s eyes darted around as he made excuses. “Vanessa just moved back. Her kid transferred schools, has no friends, and is withdrawn.” “I’m just helping a friend look after her kid, trying to draw him out.” “Our Lily is so outgoing—does she even need my attention?” “How can you be jealous of a child? You’re being ridiculous!” His logic was flawless, really. Just then, Vanessa caught up to us. Her eyes were red, looking pitiful and delicate. She reached out to touch my sleeve. “Emily, don’t blame Ryan. It’s all my fault.” “I’m just too helpless. I can’t take care of my son alone, so I bothered Ryan.” “If you want to yell at someone, yell at me. Please don’t let this ruin your marriage.” “I’ll leave right now. I’ll never bother Ryan again.” As she spoke, big tears rolled down her cheeks, like she’d suffered some terrible injustice. That performance—what a waste not to go for an Oscar. The moment Ryan saw this, his heart melted. He pulled Vanessa behind him protectively. Then he turned and shouted at me. “Look what you’ve done to her!” “Vanessa is so considerate—unlike you, acting like a crazy woman!” “Can’t you learn from her? Be a little gentler, a little more understanding?” I looked at the two of them, putting on their little show, and felt nothing but disgust. Considerate? Understanding? What a thoughtful mistress. What a generous cheater. I didn’t make a scene. I just stood there, quietly, until my gaze landed on Vanessa’s neck. A silver necklace. A unique design—a butterfly with outstretched wings, its wings inlaid with tiny sapphires. My pupils contracted sharply. That was my necklace. The most precious thing I owned in this life.
My eyes locked onto that necklace. The blood in my veins turned to ice. That was “First Light.” The piece that won me the National Young Designer Gold Award in college. The peak of my design career—and its end. That year, I could have used that award to get into graduate school, to study abroad. But Ryan’s startup had failed. He was drowning in debt, people showing up at his door demanding money. To help him, I gave up grad school. I handed over the entire tenthousanddollar prize to pay off his debts. I stood by him through street vending and food delivery, clawing our way back one day at a time. That necklace was one of a kind. I’d kept it as a memento of that dead dream. For years, I’d locked it in the deepest corner of my safe. I couldn’t even bring myself to wear it. Now it hung around Vanessa’s neck. The irony was suffocating. I walked toward Vanessa, step by step. “Stop embarrassing yourself. Take Lily and go home!” I ignored him and pointed directly at Vanessa’s neck. “Where did you get that?” Ryan froze for a second, his eyes darting away. He instinctively stepped in front of Vanessa. “What do you mean where? I bought it!” “Street vendor stuff. Like twenty bucks. What about it?” Street vendor again. Just something he picked up. I laughed coldly and grabbed the necklace. Vanessa shrieked, clutching her neck and backing away. “What are you doing! You’re hurting me!” “Emily, I know you don’t like me, but this is a gift from Ryan after all…” “A gift?” I stared at Ryan, my voice shaking. “You’re telling me this is street vendor junk?” “Do you even know what’s engraved on the back?” Ryan’s face went deathly pale. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Of course he knew. When I gave this to him as a token of our love, I’d held his hand, pointed to the tiny engraving on the back, and told him: “This is an L—for my name.” “Ryan, if you’ve forgotten, I’d be happy to remind you.” I yanked hard, ripping the necklace from Vanessa’s neck. I flipped the pendant over and held it up to Ryan’s face. The small “L” was perfectly clear. “See it now?” “This is my First Light! The most important achievement of my life!” “Ryan, how dare you?” “How dare you take my heart and soul and give it to another woman?” More people were gathering now, whispering and pointing. Ryan’s composure finally cracked. His eyes went red, and he roared at me. “Fine! Yes! I took it! So what?” “It’s your stuff, but it’s also our stuff!” “Vanessa said it was pretty, that wearing it would bring her luck.” “She’s been having such a hard time—what’s wrong with letting her borrow it?” “It’s just a stupid necklace! Why are you so obsessed?” “It was just sitting in a drawer collecting dust. Might as well let it do some good!” So that’s what he thought. My dreams. My youth. My sacrifice. Just “a dusty old necklace.” Vanessa had recovered by now, holding her neck, crying like a wounded flower. “Emily, I didn’t know this meant so much to you…” “Ryan said it was just a decoration, that it wasn’t worth anything.” “If you want it back, I’ll give it back. Why did you have to grab it like that?” “It’s not like I can’t afford my own…” She cried while sneaking glances at the crowd around us. Sure enough, people started muttering. “That woman’s crazy—she just grabbed it right off her.” “It’s just a necklace. Is it really that serious?” My hand holding the necklace trembled. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. In that moment, I finally understood. What Ryan had trampled wasn’t just a necklace. He had trampled my dignity—everything I had sacrificed for this family. In his eyes, I was worthless. I clutched the necklace tightly and turned to leave. “Ryan, we’re done.” Ryan panicked. He rushed forward to block me, then dropped to his knees with a thud. “Babe! I was wrong!” “I know I was wrong!” “I shouldn’t have taken your things. I just—I wasn’t thinking!” “Take the necklace back. Let’s just live our lives together, okay?” He grabbed at my pants leg, crying and sobbing. I kicked him away. All I felt was disgust.
When I got home, I locked the necklace back in the safe. Then I shut myself in the bathroom and cried until I couldn’t anymore. That night, Lily suddenly spiked a fever. Her temperature shot up to 103°F. She was delirious, mumbling that she felt awful. I panicked and rushed her to the hospital in a cab. Registration. Blood draw. Lab work. I ran up and down the halls alone, carrying my thirtypound daughter. In that moment, I truly hated Ryan. The doctor wrote up the orders and told me to go pay. I pulled out the bank card where I kept our savings and handed it to the cashier. It was Lily’s education fund—our emergency money. Five years of saving. Two hundred thousand dollars. I never expected Ryan to save anything, so I’d always managed this account myself. But Ryan knew the password too. Beep— The cashier handed the card back, looking apologetic. “Insufficient funds.” I froze. “That’s impossible. There’s two hundred thousand in there. How can there be insufficient funds?” “Is the machine broken? Network issue?” The cashier looked tired. “The machine’s fine. There’s just no money. The balance is thirty dollars and fifty cents.” “Use a different card. There are people waiting.” Thirty dollars and fifty cents? My head exploded. Two hundred thousand dollars! Money I’d scraped together, penny by penny, going without so we could save! My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and opened the banking app. Three days ago, a transfer of $199,990. Recipient: Vanessa Harper. I paid for Lily’s treatment with my credit card. After she was hooked up to the IV, I called Ryan like a woman possessed. It rang for a long time before he answered. His voice came through, sheepish. “Hey babe, why are you still up? I’m at the office…” “Ryan, where’s the money?” My voice was ice cold, teeth clenched. “Lily’s education fund. Two hundred thousand dollars. Where is it?” Silence on the other end. Then Ryan started stammering. “Um… babe, let me explain.” “Vanessa’s mom… she suddenly got really sick. Needed emergency surgery.” “You know how it is—no money, no treatment.” “I couldn’t just let her die, right?” “So I lent it to her. She said once she sells her parents’ house, she’ll pay it all back…” “Lent?” I was shaking with rage, tears streaming down my face. “Ryan, that was Lily’s money!” “Lily is in the hospital right now with a high fever, and I can’t even pay the medical bills!” “You took our daughter’s emergency fund to save your exgirlfriend’s mother?” “Are you even human?!” “Did a dog eat your heart?!” My shouting drew annoyed looks from the nurses, signaling me to keep it down. I covered my mouth, choking back sobs, the pain making it hard to breathe. Ryan was still making excuses. “I didn’t know Lily would get sick…” “Besides, that was life or death. This is just a fever. Can’t you tell the difference?” “Can’t you have a little compassion?” Compassion? I looked at my daughter on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV, her face flushed with fever. She was so small. So fragile. And her father, for the sake of another woman, had abandoned her completely. I wiped my tears and spoke into the phone, my voice calm. “Ryan, you wanted to save someone?” “Fine. That’s just fine.” “Since you’re so generous, you’d better be ready to pay the price.” “That two hundred thousand—I’m going to make you pay it back. With interest.” I hung up and blocked him on everything. You want to play dirty? Don’t be surprised when I play dirtier.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “358985”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance
Leave a Reply