Chapter 1 Before our baby was even born, my husband posted a photo of a newborn on Instagram. The caption read: [7 lbs 6 oz, mother and child are safe.] Relatives and friends called to congratulate us, but I was completely confused. Then I noticed something in the corner of the photo: a woman’s hand wearing a lavender jade bracelet. I was about to confront my husband when a comment from a mutual friend popped up: [Bro, you forgot to switch accounts.] Just like that, Liam’s post vanished as quickly as it had appeared. No explanation, no apology. He didn't even ask how the baby or I were doing. Strangely, I felt calm. I didn't scream, didn't call to interrogate him. I endured the agonizing contractions alone and went into the delivery room in silence. Two hours later, our daughter was born. Mimicking Liam, I posted a "mother and daughter safe" update. The next second, Liam’s calls started flooding in. But this time, I let it ring until it stopped. I didn't answer. ... Maybe he was angry I didn't pick up. After the last call ended, Liam went radio silent for half a month. Until one day, just after I finished feeding my daughter at the postpartum care center, my phone buzzed with new notifications. It was Emily. She had posted five videos in a row, showcasing "parent-child bonding." In the videos, Liam looked down at the baby in his arms with gentle, loving eyes. It looked like a perfect family of three. At that moment, it felt like countless swords were piercing my heart. I looked at my daughter’s chubby little face. The poor thing hadn’t seen her father since the day she was born. My finger hovered over the screen, and I dialed Liam. He finally picked up on the fifth try. "The baby has a checkup at the hospital tomorrow. Come pick me up." He clicked his tongue on the other end. "The care center has a shuttle service. Would it kill you to ask them?" Yes, they had a shuttle service, but that was for VIPs. He had sworn to me that the VIP suites were fully booked and only standard rooms were available. I believed him and didn't ask further. But the very next day... His childhood sweetheart, Emily, moved into the VIP suite upstairs. She posted a public thank-you note to him on social media. And I, his lawful wife, became the joke. Thinking of this, I swallowed the words on the tip of my tongue. What was the point? He wouldn't listen anyway. I stayed silent. Liam spoke impatiently. "Fine, I'll come back. Happy?" I asked, "When?" "Tomorrow! All you do is nag. You're nagging away all our luck. I'm going to divorce you!" I don't know when it started. Divorce became his catchphrase. Back when we were dating, if I even frowned, he would follow me around apologizing. He changed. And so did I. In the past, I would have been furious. I would have grabbed his collar and screamed at him. But now, I just felt tired. "Ah, Liam, come quick! The baby wet himself!" A coquettish female voice rang out from his end. The next second, beep beep. He hung up. On the day of the appointment, it poured rain. I called and messaged Liam starting at 9 AM, but got no response. Obviously, he lied again. When I was heavily pregnant, I went for a checkup alone, fell, and started bleeding. While I was half-conscious, a nurse called him. He said he'd be right there. But he showed up three days later. Seeing me discharged, he blamed me for making a fuss over nothing and wasting his time. Since then, I contacted him less and less. We went from being the closest couple to strangers living under the same roof. After the rain stopped, Liam still didn't pick up. I called a cab to take the baby to the hospital. The doctor said she was doing well. But looking at my pale face, the doctor suggested I get a checkup too. I remembered the dull ache in my lower back before giving birth. It was getting worse. I looked at my daughter sucking her thumb in the stroller. I decided to come back next month. Just as I stepped out of the elevator... I ran straight into Liam and Emily. Liam was holding Emily in a princess carry. Chapter 2 "Sarah! What are you doing here? You've gained so much weight I almost didn't recognize you." Emily clung to Liam, refusing to let go. From an angle he couldn't see, she shot me a provocative look. I didn't care about these childish games anymore. Or maybe I cared too much in the past, and now I just didn't have the energy. I pushed the stroller out of the elevator, my voice flat. "Checkup for the baby. I won't disturb you two. I'm leaving." "Sarah, don't misunderstand. I slipped in the shower yesterday and fractured a bone. Liam stayed up all night watching over me and insisted on bringing me to the doctor this morning. If we weren't such old friends who grew up together, he wouldn't go this far." "After all, a divorced woman like me... everything is inconvenient. I have to rely on old friends. If you're unhappy, I won't call him next time." Emily struggled in his arms with red eyes, pretending she wanted down. Liam patted her hip, his tone helpless but doting. "You're a mom now, still so naughty!" Then he glared at me coldly, his voice full of blame. "Sarah, that's enough. Emily is divorced and has no one to take care of her. She's younger than you. Can't you speak more kindly?" I looked at Liam and suddenly laughed. "I'm basically widowed. Liam, are you going to find a man to take care of me?" Liam's pupils trembled. I turned and pushed the stroller away. That evening. Liam came home with a cold face. "I just saw your calls. Bailing on you was my bad." "But seriously, what's wrong with you? The center has cars, why do you have to ride in mine?" Hearing him bring up the car again... I didn't even look up. "The center's cars are for VIPs. Liam, I'm in a standard room." Silence fell over the room. Knowing he had no ground to stand on, Liam pulled out a palm-sized box and placed it in front of me. "The room arrangement was my oversight. Let's drop it." "I brought you a gift. An apology. See if you like it." I opened the box to reveal a pair of low-quality jade earrings. At a glance, they looked like ten-dollar street stall trinkets. A world of difference from the lavender jade bracelet he gave Emily for her birthday two months ago. In Liam's mind, Emily deserved the moon and stars, while I should be grateful for the dirt he tossed my way. I closed the box and put it back. Liam frowned. "You don't like it?" I nodded at him. "Yeah. It's cheap junk. I don't want it." I used to feel bad that Liam worked so hard. No matter what small trinket he gave me, I accepted it happily. Even a bag of fruit from a roadside stand made my day. But back then, I didn't know he was spending a fortune on another woman while being stingy with me. Five years of marriage, and I didn't have a single decent piece of jewelry to show for it. Hearing my words, Liam grabbed the box and threw it against the wall. The flimsy jewelry box shattered instantly. "I work my ass off to feed you, and you give me this attitude all day? Do I owe you something? What a jinx!" Liam pointed at me, his face ferocious. "Since you want to be difficult, fine. I won't come back anymore. Live by yourself!" I watched his performance coldly. As he grabbed his coat and headed for the door... I called out to him. "Liam." He stopped and turned around, the savage expression gone. "Should have done that earlier. Why throw a tantrum?" "Don't like the gift, right? Fine, I'll take you to buy another one later." "Go make dinner. Pack a portion too. I'll take it to Emily; she wants to taste your porridge." He rambled on. I waited silently for him to finish before speaking. "Liam, when you said you wanted a divorce earlier... were you serious?" Liam froze. Then he sneered, throwing his coat on the sofa. "Sarah, what do you mean? You want to divorce me?!" "Is this just because I let Emily have the VIP suite?" "I promised that suite to Emily a long time ago. I can't break my word for you!" "If you can tolerate it, tolerate it. If not, then leave!" Chapter 3 I was about to agree. But Liam turned and stormed out, kicking over a single sofa chair on his way. The loud crash woke our daughter. I ignored everything else and rushed to the bedroom. I made up my mind to divorce. But every time I tried to contact Liam to discuss it, he was missing. The day I moved out of the postpartum center, I finally saw him. He was helping Emily move her things. Two nannies trailed behind him, pulling 26-inch suitcases. Emily sat in the back seat holding her baby, shielded from the sun. A sharp contrast to me, pushing and pulling luggage, looking like a mess. But I felt nothing. Maybe because I had decided on the divorce, I felt lighter. Emily saw me and called out. "Sarah! You're going home today too?" "Why don't we give you a ride? You don't have much stuff, it won't take up space." "Blame Liam. I was only staying for 30 days, but he bought clothes for all four seasons. Now I have to haul all this back. So tiring." Emily complained, but her eyes were full of smiles and showing off. I ignored her. The dull pain in my lower back returned. I gritted my teeth and loaded my things into a taxi with the driver's help. Before getting in, I looked at the silent Liam. "Come back tonight. I have something to tell you." Ten minutes later, I saw Emily's post on social media. A photo of a property deed. And the high-profile caption: [Childhood friends are better than ex-husbands. As long as I have him, I'll always have a home~] I stared at the red booklet for a long time. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Liam and I met in college. Back then, everyone said we were soulmates. If we broke up, they wouldn't believe in love anymore. Later, I chose to go to the big city with him to build a life. We had no money and lived in a basement. Because of the terrible conditions, I got seriously ill with a high fever. Liam, a grown man, knelt on the floor crying. He swore that every house he bought in the future would be mine, in my name. Men's words are truly worthless. I sent a screenshot of Emily's post to my lawyer. I asked if she could help me get that house back. That night. As expected, Liam didn't come back. I didn't care. But my daughter cried for three hours because of the new environment before falling asleep. The pain in my waist started again. I crouched by the crib, taking a long time to recover. Early the next morning. I asked my neighbor, Mrs. Wang, to watch the baby and went to the hospital alone. The doctor looked grave. "Ms. Lin, you have a tumor on your waist. We haven't determined if it's benign or malignant, but based on your pain, it's growing fast. I suggest surgery as soon as possible. Delaying could have serious consequences." Leaving the hospital, I sat on a roadside bench. My trembling fingers slowly calmed. I looked down at the medical report. My decision was made. Just as I was about to message the doctor to schedule surgery... A greeting rang out in front of me. I looked up. It was the wife of one of Liam's friends. "Sarah! Why are you sitting here? It's freezing! Come up, Liam and the guys are having a dinner party upstairs." She was warm and enthusiastic, pulling me up with a force I couldn't refuse. Chapter 4 I thought about it and didn't pull away. It was a good chance to talk to Liam about the divorce. The private room was lively; cheers could be heard from the hallway. The moment I pushed the door open. I saw Liam and Emily with their arms linked, drinking cross-cupped wine. The whole room was cheering them on. "That pose is too easy!" "Liam should hold our Emily and drink again!" "Yeah, yeah!" Emily blushed, and Liam pretended to refuse. I watched this scene coldly. Until Emily saw me standing at the door and exclaimed in surprise. "Sarah? Oh my, are you here to spy on us?" "Honestly, Sarah, you need to give a man some space sometimes. Who can stand this?" Liam frowned. "What are you doing here?" I pushed past someone trying to explain for me. My gaze swept over Liam and Emily, and I slowly smiled. "If I didn't come, how would I know you guys play so wild in private?" "Sarah, are you crazy!" Liam shouted sternly. Emily lifted her chin smugly, intentionally or unintentionally revealing the beautiful lavender jade bracelet on her wrist. Needless to say, another gift from Liam. Someone yelled, "You haven't finished the wine!" Emily picked up two glasses, handed one to Liam, and kept one. Then she looked at me. "Sarah, you won't be jealous, right?" "We're just playing around as friends." I kept my voice calm and said to Liam, "If you drink that, we are done forever." Liam's answer was to pick Emily up in his arms right in front of me. "Sarah, stop embarrassing yourself here. It's just a drink. Who are you threatening?" With that, they drank the cross-cupped wine. Thunderous applause erupted around them. "Manly!" "Brother Liam is a real man!" I looked at their intimate posture, their intertwined hands, and my heart turned cold bit by bit. The suppressed anger surged until it couldn't be contained. I grabbed the pot of scalding tea on the table and threw it at them. "Ah—" They screamed. Emily charged at me with a ferocious face. "Bitch!" My waist slammed hard into the table next to me. The intense pain left me speechless. Before I could get up, Liam bent down, grabbed my hair, and dragged me to Emily. "Kneel and apologize to Emily!" My scalp felt like it was tearing. My trembling fingers grabbed Liam's pant leg, and I spat on him. "A mistress? Deserves an apology?" Liam's face changed. Furious, he slapped me several times. The smell of blood filled my nose. Emily wasn't satisfied. She rushed over and stomped hard on my stomach. "Ugh!" Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. As my consciousness faded, I seemed to see Liam looking anxious. I used my last ounce of strength to slap him across the face. "Liam... I want... a divorce!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "388074", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel