Every wedding anniversary, Liam Hayes would bring a different woman home, under the pretense of having me ‘train’ them. On our tenth anniversary dinner, Liam brought back a bar server in a bunny costume. “She doesn’t have an evening gown. Give her your wedding gown, and that jewelry set I got you. As for shoes, the ones on your feet look good enough.” “Oh, and she’s young, so you need to patiently teach her, especially how to please me in bed.” I gritted my teeth and told Liam I wanted a divorce. Liam burst out laughing, mocking, “Ashley Vance, how many times have you asked for a divorce? I’m sick of hearing it, it’s more tiresome than your screams in bed! If you really want a divorce, I’ll give you ten million!” The whole room erupted in laughter again. But what they didn’t know was that this was the 100th time I had mentioned divorce, and the only time I truly meant it. Everyone’s eyes in the room fell on me, even the newly arrived bar server covered her mouth and snickered. “Come on, place your bets! I bet she’ll regret it before she even leaves this house.” “I bet they won’t divorce, one million!” “I’ll put down thirty million!” The bets on whether I would divorce or not were an old, tiresome tradition, brought up every wedding anniversary. Many who lost money resented me, and those who won still didn’t treat me any better. I chuckled softly, shaking my head, inwardly cursing myself for being so spineless; it had taken me ten years to finally decide to leave Liam today. “I bet she divorces!” A deep voice came from the crowd. Others were trying to dissuade him, asking, “Are you out of your mind?” but I looked in that direction and couldn’t make out who it was. “Liam, I’ll send the divorce papers to your company. Remember to sign them then.” I had mentioned divorce hundreds of times, but this was the first time I’d brought up divorce papers. Liam straightened up, ash from the cigarette in his hand fluttered to the floor. I pretended not to see it, squatted down, took off my heels, and placed the shoes beside the young woman’s feet. Her name was Chloe Jenkins, just over twenty, and very pretty. “These shoes might pinch a bit, but you’ll get used to them if you wear them more often.” “The gown and jewelry Liam mentioned, I’ll have Doris bring them to you.” “Before you, Liam brought back 9 other women. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. They live on the third floor; your room is the last one on the right on the third floor.” In ten years of marriage, Liam had brought back enough women to start his own private harem. There was every type imaginable. I patted away invisible dust from the back of my shoes, stood up, and walked barefoot toward the main door. But before I could even exit the front door, a strong hand yanked me back from behind: “Ashley, if you’re leaving, leave with nothing! What on your body wasn’t bought with my money, Liam’s money?” My bare feet at that moment felt like they were treading on sharp ice, and even my breath trembled slightly. “You want me to take off my clothes?” Liam raised an eyebrow, his gaze light and dismissive, as if he could see right through me. “When your family went bankrupt all those years ago, didn’t your mother strip you naked and put you in my bed? You came to me naked, so leave naked! Or are you regretting it? Fine. Kneel down and put her shoes on, and I’ll forgive you.” The group behind Liam roared with laughter, doubling over.
Not long after Liam and I got together, Vance Enterprises went bankrupt. My father jumped from a building, becoming a vegetable. My mother, fearing the Hayes family wouldn’t help, drugged Liam and me, then did everything she could to blow the incident out of proportion, forcing the Hayes family to take responsibility. That night marked the beginning of all my humiliation. It also completely ended the young love Liam and I had shared. Liam was forced to marry me. On our wedding night, he brought a woman home to humiliate me. He did everything imaginable in front of me; I even had to tear open the condom wrappers and hand them to him. And I was the one who knelt on the floor, cleaning up the entire mess afterward. I had lived this servile, humiliating life for ten years. Now, I couldn’t bear it anymore. “I’ll take them off.” Before anyone could react, I unclasped my shawl. It was deep winter, and the heating in the hall was on full blast. But I was standing by the door, and the icy wind howled, gusting under my dress. The exposed skin on my arms and shoulders broke out in goosebumps. I reached back and unfastened the clasp of my gown; the delicate neckline slid down. My shoulders and the curve of my chest were largely exposed. “Oh my God!” A few timid people in the crowd covered their eyes, unable to watch. But the men watched with keen interest. Only Liam’s eyes were dark as ink, his thin lips pressed tightly together. Only the slight tremble of the fingers holding his cigarette revealed a hint of something unusual. The gown slid to the floor, leaving me almost naked before everyone. The cigarette in Liam’s hand burned his fingertips. He instantly tossed it, then ripped off his suit jacket and threw it over me. “Ashley, you really have a death wish!” “Everyone, close your eyes! If a single word of what you saw today gets out, I’ll make sure you never see tomorrow’s sun! Now get out, all of you!” Liam didn’t often lose his temper, especially not in such a setting. Everyone present was an old acquaintance and wisely made their exit. Even the nine young women Liam had brought home before gradually went upstairs. Only Chloe remained. “Liam, are you satisfied? Can you let me go now?” I looked up, stubbornly meeting Liam’s gaze. Even though tears welled in my eyes, I wouldn’t let them fall. I had cried for Liam too many times; now, I no longer wanted to. “Ashley, don’t try those cheap mind games on me. I find them disgusting.” Liam still didn’t believe me, warning me not to embarrass the Hayes family. I took a deep breath and spoke again: “Liam, this time, I truly want a divorce.” Liam reacted as if he’d heard the funniest joke, grabbing the back of my neck and pushing me down, bending my waist. “You dare to divorce me? Can you afford your father’s daily hospital bills? Can you pay for your mother’s daily shopping and expenses?” “Ashley, your mother would be the first to kneel before me, begging me not to divorce you!” Liam’s disgust for my mother and me had reached a point where it couldn’t be hidden. He hated my mother for drugging him, and he hated me for my inaction. “Even if your mother hadn’t drugged us back then, I would have married you, I would have helped you. But you just had to use the methods I despise the most! Ashley, you personally destroyed what we had!” No matter how many times I explained, Liam would never believe it. Seeing my silence, Liam’s brow furrowed deeper. He dragged me, forcing me to my knees in front of that young woman, pressing on my neck to make me put her shoes on. “Put her shoes on. You’ve been doing this for ten years; you should be an expert by now!” For ten years, I hadn’t just taken care of Liam; I’d also had to serve those nine other women.
Things I should and shouldn’t have done, coerced or seemingly voluntary – I had done too many things that made me despise myself. But now, all I wanted was to end it all quickly. So, once again, I obediently put the young woman’s shoes on. Perhaps my obedience had deprived Liam of his fun. Enraged, he dragged me into his room and, in front of me, stripped Chloe of her clothes. I had witnessed this scene many times; sometimes, Liam even demanded I personally ‘instruct’ them. As before, I tore open a condom wrapper and handed it to him. But this time, Liam roughly pushed it away. “Not needed this time.” My hand trembled, and I withdrew it. Liam’s actions didn’t stop, but for the first time, he looked up at me. I didn’t look at him; I was too tired to even bother. Liam got angry again. He locked me in the bathroom. That night, the snowstorm outside was fierce, and the noises from outside were loud. I sat there, listening all night. In a daze, I was jolted awake by a frantic phone call. “Miss Vance? Your mother has been in a car accident and is currently in critical condition. Please come to City General Hospital immediately.” My heart immediately sank. “Liam!” I started banging repeatedly on the door, trying to drown out the sounds from outside. Liam, wrapped in a bathrobe, opened the door. His loose collar revealed hickeys, and the woman in his arms clung to him, not letting go for a second. “What’s wrong?” “My mother was in a car accident. Can you please take me to the hospital?” I knelt on the floor, begging him, tears streaming down my face. I was terrified he wouldn’t take me if he was annoyed. Chloe scoffed, pointing to the dark, snow-filled sky outside. “It’s three in the morning, and it’s snowing heavily. Normal people are all staying indoors. Did the car crash into your mother’s house?” Liam chuckled along, not even bothering to look up. “Ashley, you’re resorting to even this kind of lie? What, are you tired of hearing us?” Liam locked the door again. The more I yelled, the louder the sounds from outside became. Completely out of options, I grabbed a nearby stool, smashed the window, and climbed out. Sharp glass shards sliced my leg, and it instantly bled profusely. It was too late, and with the snow, I couldn’t find a taxi. I could only run forward like a zombie, leaving vivid crimson blood trails in the snow. “Beep-beep,” a black Porsche Cayenne pulled up beside me. “Get in.” Inside the dimly lit, cramped car, the man remained in the driver’s seat, never once turning to look at me. I kept thanking him profusely, but he didn’t say another word. Just as I was about to get out, I heard him say: “Ashley, you have other options besides Liam. If you’ve thought it through, remember to find me.” A gold-embossed business card was handed to me. I took it with both hands, thanking him repeatedly. But at that moment, my mind was entirely consumed with my mother, and I put it in my pocket without a closer look. I stumbled into the emergency room. Before I could even ask, I saw nurses pushing a gurney with a body covered by a white sheet out of the operating room. “Hasn’t Eleanor Vance’s family arrived yet?” “The person’s already dead, and her daughter still isn’t here. What an eye-opener.” The two nurses continued chatting, their words effortlessly piercing my heart. I rushed over and pulled back the white sheet. Her once delicate face was now covered in scars; her body and legs were riddled with wounds, big and small. Regarding Liam, for ten years, every minute, I had resented her. I had even wickedly wished for my whole family to die. But now, with her truly gone before me, all I felt was heartbreak.
Since I no longer had any relatives, there was no need for a funeral. I stayed by my father’s bedside for a while, telling him about my mother, and about myself. I spoke intermittently until dawn. Before leaving, I looked at my father, Arthur Vance, who had been motionless for ten years, and said with a choked voice: “Dad, I’m tired.” Early the next morning, my mother’s body was cremated. I put her urn into a box and took it home. Along with it, I brought the divorce papers I’d had someone draft. The moment I stepped inside, I ran into Liam and his ten other women sitting at the dining table, laughing and chatting. “Sign them.” I said coldly, slamming the divorce papers onto the dining table. “So you ran out in the middle of the night just for these divorce papers? Ashley, you’ve really lost your mind!” Clutching the urn in my arms, I lowered my head: “Liam, let’s just let each other go.” “I don’t love you anymore.” Before, I would still argue with Liam, and sometimes, when tempers flared, we’d even come to blows. I would point my finger at him and accuse him, telling him his declarations of love all those years ago were just a joke. Most of the time, I still held onto a sliver of hope, hoping he’d forgive me, hoping we could make the marriage work. So when he said he liked ‘wild’ women, I’d learn to please him in bed. When he liked ‘innocent’ women, I’d wear his favorite outfits to make him happy. But then, one woman after another moved in, and my heart slowly turned numb. Those tricks I used to please him became my shame, and his outlet for humiliating me. “What’s this that fell out… Sebastian Thorne?” Chloe picked up the business card that had fallen and read the name aloud. So, it was Sebastian. Liam’s lifelong arch-rival, the one he’d never even met, who lived across the ocean. The next second, Liam, his face dark, slapped me. “You say you don’t love me because you found someone else?! Do you even know who Sebastian is?!” My ears rang, and I couldn’t even stand steady. The urn in my hands crashed to the floor, shattering. Watching the dust scatter, I stood there, frozen. Instinctively, I knelt, trying to gather the ashes. But no matter how I tried to scoop them, it was useless. Chloe then grabbed a carton of milk and poured it onto the floor, and the other women followed suit. The powdery ashes instantly became a sticky mess. “Ah!” In that moment, something in me snapped. I grabbed a chair and, like a madwoman, swung it at Chloe. Liam had no time to react; Chloe was already on the floor, clutching her head. “Liam… I’m so hurt.” Someone called an ambulance. Liam dragged me by the hand, forcing me to watch her at the hospital. “If anything happens to her, you’ll pay for it with your life!” That day, I was forced to give Chloe blood, repeatedly, until even the doctors said I couldn’t give any more. Only then did Liam let me go. He said it was my own damn fault. For those few days, I hid in my father’s hospital room and didn’t leave. “Well, well, if it isn’t Ashley, hiding here! Thanks to your little attack, Liam’s been so good to me now.” “Is this your father, Ashley? Why isn’t he moving?” Chloe, now favored, walked and spoke with a haughty air. She repeatedly fiddled with my father’s oxygen tube, curiously asking me what it was. “Don’t touch that!” I shoved her away, and she stumbled back a few steps, clutching her head. The next second, she charged forward, ripped out my father’s oxygen tube, and playfully held it in her hand, smiling.
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