When my husband’s depression flared up again, I exploded. I smashed every door in the house. Finally, I slammed the hammer down in front of him and spat out two words: “We’re done.” He shattered on the spot, clinging to my leg, his cries raw and desperate. “I’m sorry, Bonnie, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have had an episode. I lost control.” “I’ll get help, I promise. I’ll take my medicine.” “You’re all I have. I’m begging you, please, don’t leave me…” His eyes were red, his body wracked with sobs, so fragile he looked like a gust of wind could break him. A pathetic, love-sick fool who couldn’t live without his wife. A far cry from the confident, commanding CEO of Brooks Enterprises. I felt nothing. I lifted my stiletto heel and drove it into his chest. “Are you deaf? I said I want a divorce!” 1 My shout seemed to snap the swarm of relatives out of their stupor, but none of them dared to intervene. Only my husband’s father, Richard Brooks, stepped forward to take control. “Bonnie, calm down. Even if you want a divorce, you must have a reason.” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “A reason? The reason is he changed the keypad on the front door to a lock and key.” A murmur of confusion rippled through the room. Richard’s face darkened. “Bonnie, if you hadn’t gotten pregnant with a daughter instead of a son, he wouldn’t have gotten depressed in the first place! He wouldn't be so insecure!” “This ridiculous excuse for a divorce—I don’t accept it!” My husband, Julian, pointed a trembling finger at me, his eyes rimmed with red. I couldn’t even be bothered to look at him. I snapped my briefcase shut. “Sign it,” I said, my voice flat. “Don’t make me force you.” Ever since Julian changed the lock, he’d started locking himself in the bathroom, even to shower. I had to call him just to get into my own home. Sometimes, he’d be in there for three, four hours. I lost count of the number of times I was eaten alive by mosquitoes, or soaked to the bone in the rain until I caught a fever. Anyone who saw would have thought I’d done something wrong, that I was being punished. The neighbors came and went, their gossiping eyes like daggers in my skin and in my heart. I couldn't take the humiliation. But every time I brought up divorce, Julian would slap me, hard, his eyes blazing. “Is it so hard to make a phone call? You promised you’d respect me for the rest of our lives!” If I dared to talk back, he’d use his depression as a shield, accusing me of having no compassion for a sick person. And now, today, at this family gathering, in front of all his nosy relatives, he was putting on this act of a devoted, heartbroken lover. It was disgusting. I was done with the abuse. I was done being his punching bag. I threw the divorce papers on the table and walked out. The entire family stared, their eyes darting between a trembling Julian and my resolute back. I could hear their whispers, wondering how I, the woman who had always put Julian first, could leave him over something so trivial. Julian stared, stunned, then reached out to grab me. His father started to rise from his chair. But before I could leave, Julian’s psychiatrist, Dr. Tessa Hale, pushed me back into my seat. “Ms. Davis, your husband is suffering from severe depression. He has extreme insecurity.” “He only locks the door to protect himself! How can you, as his wife, be so cruel?” “It’s because of you, constantly stirring up trouble, that his condition keeps getting worse!” The relatives immediately sided with her. “Dr. Hale is right!” “She’s just taking her own bad mood out on her husband!” “For a gold digger, she sure has a temper. Julian is the only one who would put up with her. She’d be nothing without him!” Julian shot a look that silenced them, then turned his gaze to me, his voice softening into a placating purr. “Bonnie, baby, I’m sorry.” “I know my illness has made you suffer. You never used to raise your voice at me. For the sake of our ten years together, can’t you just calm down?” “Is it your mother’s medical bills again? Don’t be embarrassed to ask. Your mother is my family, too.” The onlookers watched Julian’s groveling performance with murmurs of approval, but their looks toward me grew sharper. “Bonnie, for a sick man, Julian treats you incredibly well. You should be grateful,” one of them said. “Have we ever not taken care of your mother’s affairs? Just tell us how much you need. We’ll find a way,” Richard added, leaning on his cane. I knew what they were thinking. That I was too proud, too principled to ask for more money, so I was resorting to this drama instead. I met Julian’s eyes as he reached for my hand. I sidestepped his touch, my voice cold and detached. “There’s nothing left between us. Let’s end it.” The room fell silent. Julian rushed forward, grabbing me, his voice cracking. “Bonnie, don’t lie to me…” I shoved him away, taking two steps back. “It’s the truth.” “Let’s just end it here. With some dignity.” Julian stood frozen in shock. From the stroller, our daughter began to wail. I ignored everyone and turned to leave. Crash. A glass shattered at my feet. It was Tessa. She lunged forward, slapping the divorce papers against my chest, her finger jabbing at me. “Bonnie, are you even human?” “Julian gave up a scholarship to study abroad just to marry you! He loves you so much! And this is how you repay him?” “Now that he’s sick, you’re just going to abandon him and your daughter?” “You ungrateful bitch!” I looked at the frantic, sputtering woman and found it all rather amusing. “Dr. Hale, my husband and I are getting a divorce. What does that have to do with you?” Tessa’s spittle flew as she grabbed my collar, screaming. “You still call him your husband!” “You don’t know what’s good for you! Do you have any idea how much money the Brooks family has sunk into your half-dead mother?” “If Julian didn’t pity you, didn’t love you, your mother would have been dead and buried long ago!” I kicked her, hard. She stumbled back. “Get lost. A family gathering is no place for a shrink to be meddling.” Julian shoved past me, rushing to help Tessa up from the floor. “Bonnie, why are you taking your anger out on her? She’s innocent!” “I’m taking it out on the bitch who can’t keep her mouth shut!” I shot back, my resolve hardening as I glanced at the tender scene on the floor. The relatives’ accusations grew louder, a chorus of voices negating my ten years of devotion. They called me a thankless viper, moaning about how much Julian had suffered by marrying me. Tessa patted Julian’s hand. “It’s alright, Julian. It was my fault.” “I’m an outsider. I shouldn’t have judged Ms. Davis. Don’t get upset, you’ll make yourself sick.” She shook her head, her voice thick with feigned sorrow. “How could it be your fault?” Julian’s eyes were overflowing with adoration for her. He looked up at me, his voice choked with tears. “Bonnie, must you embarrass everyone like this?” “You know I love you. The family is all here. Can’t you just give me some face? We can talk about this at home.” His tears fell, one by one, onto Tessa’s chest. I could only laugh. He cried harder. The relatives rushed to comfort him. His performance cast me as the villain of the century. “Bonnie, you’ve taken good care of Julian all these years.” “I’ve seen your dedication and your filial piety.” “Just tell us the truth. What really happened? If it’s our family’s fault, we won’t shirk responsibility.” Richard limped over, leaning on his cane, trying to reason with me. But I remained stone-faced, unmoved. “This divorce,” I said flatly, “is happening.” Richard coughed, his face flushing a deep red with anger. Julian scrambled up from the floor, grabbing my hand, pleading. “Bonnie, don’t go.” When I didn’t react, he roared. “You must be cheating on me!” I met his gaze calmly, saying nothing. The cane slammed against the floor. “Bonnie!” Richard bellowed. “Everything you have, every piece of clothing on your back, came from the Brooks family! And you still have a sick mother to support!” “Live a quiet life, or leave with nothing. The choice is yours.” “I suggest you think it over carefully. You have two days.” It was meant to be terrifying. The onlookers’ faces were masks of anticipation, waiting for me to admit defeat. I shook Julian’s hand off me. “I don’t need two days. I can give you an answer right now.” “I, Bonnie Davis, and Julian Brooks, are getting a divorce today. If you don’t agree, then just wait for the special gift I have for you.” With that, I walked out of the Brooks house without a backward glance. The moment I got in my car, my childhood friend, Alex, sent me a few videos. They were all from the security camera at my front door. In the videos, every day, just before I got home from work, a figure would emerge from my house. The figure would then provocatively wave a different pair of lace panties at the camera. This whole drama about the lock? It was all a smokescreen. The real fuse was this endless stream of taunting videos. Two days was too long. I just wanted to send them all to hell as quickly as possible. The next morning, at the crack of dawn, I went back to the house to pack. When I opened the door, Tessa was in the living room, rocking our daughter’s cradle. Julian’s face went pale. He tried to compose himself, but his voice stuttered. “Dr. Hale… we had an appointment… for my… my therapy.” I ignored them and went straight to the bedroom. I was only there for one thing: the jade pendant my mother had given me to present to my husband. Julian no longer deserved it. Before I could even step into the bedroom, Tessa pushed the cradle in front of me, blocking my path, a smug look on her face. “Ms. Davis, I’m so glad you came home.” “The baby is so young. She can’t be without her mother.” “Come and see your daughter.” She tried to pull me towards the cradle. I shook her off, but she grabbed me again. I’d had enough. I shoved her away. “Get lost,” I snarled. I quickly went into the room, pulled open the nightstand drawer, and took out the jade pendant. Tessa followed, relentless, trying to snatch it from my hand, but she missed. “You think you’re worthy of something from the Brooks family?” I shoved her hard. She stumbled backward a few steps. Suddenly, the sound of a crash and a baby’s scream filled the air. Tessa was on the floor. Next to her, the cradle was overturned. Julian rushed in, saw the scene, and immediately rounded on me. “Bonnie! If anything happens to my daughter, I will never forgive you!” he roared, scooping up the baby and frantically checking her for injuries. “Julian, it’s all my fault,” Tessa whimpered from the floor. “I just thought the baby missed her mommy, but Ms. Davis didn’t care. She… she pushed us.” While I was distracted, Julian snatched the jewelry box from my hand and smashed it on the floor with all his might, his eyes blazing red. “For this piece of junk! You’d hurt your own flesh and blood?” My mind went blank. I only cared about the pendant. Thankfully, the box was sturdy. The jade was unharmed. Tessa screamed at me from behind. “You’re not a fucking human being! Your own daughter falls and you don’t even care! You go for a stupid piece of rock! Is that jade more important than your daughter’s life?” Julian righted the cradle, his tear-filled eyes fixed on me. “Bonnie, you better pray our daughter is okay!” “Take your trash and get out of my house!” “And never come back!” “After the court case tomorrow, I’m not just taking everything from you, I’m going to ruin your entire family!” “Get out!” He was like a madman, smashing things as he yelled. I just calmly clutched the box and left that toxic place. I hadn’t even left the neighborhood when Alex called and told me to check the trending topics online. A tidal wave of hate washed over me. They called me a gold-digging slut. A manipulative leech who only preyed on rich men. A monster who would choose an illegitimate child over her own daughter. I was branded with a thousand sins. AI-generated images were woven into the articles, making it all seem real. “Get everything about my mother taken down,” I told Alex. “The rest of it? Sue them.” I hung up and let the storm rage. After lunch, I announced a livestream for that afternoon. Julian called me over a hundred times. I didn’t answer. Finally, he showed up outside Alex’s building with a banner and a megaphone, the noise deafening. “Bonnie, the internet is tearing you apart!” “Going live won’t help! If you just apologize and repent, I’m willing to give you another chance!” I watched him from the floor-to-ceiling window above, my expression cold. Tessa snatched the megaphone, her voice oozing with false concern. “Julian said he’s willing to forgive you! Why make things harder for yourself? A livestream will only make it worse!” “Just admit you’re wrong! Your mother can still be saved!” Richard was there too, sitting under a parasol. “Bonnie,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Young people shouldn’t be so impulsive. What woman in her right mind would divorce her husband for changing a door lock?” Their words were nothing but threats to me. I watched the second hand complete its final rotation. The livestream started. As expected, the comments were a torrent of abuse. Not to be outdone, Julian started his own livestream from his company’s official account and requested to connect with me. The screen split in two. “Bonnie, since you refuse to repent, don’t blame me for what comes next.” On Julian’s side of the screen, a slideshow began: my spending records at high-end private clubs, and a string of fabricated, filthy chat logs. [Wow, what a slut! So dirty!] [Poor Julian! I support the divorce!!] [I’m a lawyer, and this bitch is definitely leaving with nothing!] “Well, let’s let the good people of the internet be the judge today!” Julian said, smugly fanning himself behind a pair of sunglasses. I let out a cold laugh, turned up the AC a notch, and said calmly, “Eight hundred and ninety-one.” Julian froze, his fan faltering. He quickly started fanning himself again, faster this time. “Don’t start quoting legal statutes. You don’t even know any.” “Are they legal statutes, Julian?” Alex, standing beside me, couldn’t hold back a laugh. The gift was about to be unwrapped.
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