The first time Arthur cheated, he knelt before me, slapping his own face in extreme remorse. The tenth time I caught him, he smiled and reassured me, "Wait until I've had my fun; I'll return to our family." The twentieth time, he irritably shook off my hand and threw the divorce agreement at my face. I tore that agreement to shreds and smashed everything in the house that night. When Arthur sent over a signed divorce agreement for the thirtieth time... To force him to come home, I threatened suicide by slitting my wrists. Blood pooled on the floor, yet no one cared. When I woke up again, his friends were sitting in a circle around me, urging me to divorce him. "Didn't you just stick by Arthur for a few years while he built his business from nothing?" "He's already got enough headaches dealing with your depression. He just found a little 'sister' on the side to blow off some steam. Do you really have to throw a tantrum and pull these suicide stunts?" Surprisingly, this time I signed the divorce agreement cleanly. The next day, keeping it a secret from everyone, I booked an appointment for an abortion. Arthur, I will no longer wait for you to turn back. ... When I returned home after the surgery, a dull ache lingered in my lower abdomen, and my entire body felt like it was being gnawed by tens of thousands of ants. I stared at the thousandth "gift" Arthur's mistress had mailed me today. Actually, the photos of them making eye contact, holding hands, kissing, and sleeping together had already piled up to fill an entire storage room. As soon as I entered, a wave of intimacy hit me from the living room. Arthur was back from his business trip. My eyes landed on the water stains left on the thirty-thousand-dollar fabric sofa from their recent pleasure, and I instinctively covered my mouth, dry-heaving. "This is the gift Mia brought for you. Why are you making such an ugly face?" I looked upstairs, and Arthur, fresh from the shower, came into view. Following his gaze, I saw a palm-sized gift box sitting on the coffee table. Beside it lay an empty condom box. I averted my eyes, endured the pain in my abdomen, and slowly squatted down to change my shoes. Arthur walked down the stairs. "I heard you were looking for me a few days ago. What was so urgent you had to say it in person?" My hand subconsciously pressed against the doctor's prescription and the abortion medical records in my bag. I had originally thought this child could win back his heart. So I had called him, filled with joy, wanting to tell him that we finally had a child together. But when the call connected, it was Mia who answered. She smugly told me that just as Arthur was pulling down her bra strap, he passionately told her he wanted to have a child with her. Provoked by this, I suffered another episode. After hanging up, I lost control and picked up a blade, slicing my wrist. But now, I shook my head at him. "It's nothing. Just pressed the wrong button by mistake." The tight furrow between Arthur's brows finally relaxed, and his tone softened: "I had Martha stew some supplements for you. Come have some." Before I could speak, the sound of light footsteps came from upstairs. A girl in a bathrobe dashed down the stairs and threw herself into his arms. "Thank you, Arthur!" I realized belatedly that this sentence wasn't meant for me. "Does sister not like the gift I bought? A psychologist in the US recommended it to me, saying it would help with your illness..." I didn't want to hear her voice, so I started walking upstairs. But Arthur quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. He softened his tone, a rare occurrence: "At least say thank you to Mia..." I turned around. That empty condom box was still sitting right next to the gift. "I didn't ask her to buy it." Seeing Mia acting wronged, Arthur chased after me again: "Throwing another tantrum?" I sighed: "Not a tantrum, just a little tired." Leaving that sentence behind, I didn't wait for Arthur's reaction, turned, and went into the guest bedroom. Just as I finished taking my medication, there was a knock on my door. I locked it from the inside, unwilling to waste any more energy dealing with these trivialities. I took off the diamond ring on my left hand and looked at it carefully for a long time. The diamond on this ring wasn't big; in fact, it was completely fake. Arthur bought it at a cheap roadside boutique the first time he confessed his feelings to me. We had walked out of a small mountain village hand-in-hand. We even paid for our college tuition by working part-time jobs. After graduating and paying rent, we were so poor we only had about thirty dollars between us. But just because I took a second glance at that ring, he bought it without hesitation. Later, Arthur made a lot of money and bought me many diamond rings, but I never took this one off. But now, this ring has lost its meaning. I opened the glass door to the balcony and threw it out with all my might. With a plop, the ring fell into the flowing fountain outside in the garden. Just as I finished doing all this, the locked door was abruptly opened from the outside. Arthur burst in, a trace of panic disrupting his usually composed face. Ever since I got sick, to prevent me from doing anything foolish, he kept the keys to all the rooms in the house on him. Seeing me safe and sound, the panic on his face mostly dissipated: "Mia knocked on your door, why didn't you open it?" Chapter 2 Perhaps my movement of throwing the ring was too forceful, and now my lower abdomen began to ache dully again. I took the opportunity to sit on the cushioned lounger on the balcony, discreetly holding the aching spot, and said flatly, "Didn't hear it." "From now on, without my permission, no one is allowed to enter my room." "Including you." I pointed at Arthur, taking in the shock hidden deep in his eyes. Because all the tables in this guest room have rounded corners, and there are no sharp objects. When I lose control of my actions due to my illness, I lock myself in this room. And he would always hold me, burying his chin in my neck, softly soothing my emotions. I used to not be able to live without him, and I was terrified of him leaving. But things have changed now. He changed, and I changed too. Lying in the hospital, listening to the beep, beep, beep of the machines, I figured a lot of things out. Arthur stared at me intently. I don't know how long our stare-down lasted before he sneered: "Just because I didn't answer your call?" "I told you, I was on a business trip. Mia is my secretary; what's wrong with her answering your call for me?" Before he even finished speaking, and before I could say anything in rebuttal, a loud crash of breaking porcelain echoed from downstairs. Arthur didn't hesitate for a second, turning and running down the stairs. I followed behind him and saw Mia sprawled delicately on the floor, a large blister forming on her wrist from a burn. "I saw that Sister Chloe didn't look well, so I wanted to bring the supplements up to her..." Arthur shot me an angry glare. "Chloe, for the past few years, because of your illness, I haven't even dared to slack off when I go to the office. One computer for work, one for watching the security cameras at home." "I'm about to be driven crazy by your illness." "I just want someone to pour me a cup of tea when I'm tired, not have to take care of your feelings on top of it!" "We're going to the hospital." With that, Arthur supported Mia's slender waist, picked her up securely, and strode towards the door. I looked down at the mess on the floor and called out for Martha a few times. The estate was empty; no one answered. I sighed, bent down, and picked up the broken pieces of the porcelain bowl, throwing them into the nearby trash can. Suddenly, a flash of lightning tore through the dark night. Followed closely by a deafening clap of thunder. I was so startled I fell to the floor. In a panic, I tried to push myself up off the floor. But my entire palm pressed down on the freshly broken porcelain, instantly receiving several cuts. After calming down, I called the family doctor. By the time my wounds were treated, the thunder outside had quieted down significantly. The family doctor packed up his medical kit very slowly, looking hesitant: "You..." "I aborted it." It's quite funny, really. The first man to know I was pregnant wasn't my husband, but the family doctor. I watched the drizzling rain outside the window, feeling inexplicably sad: "I'm leaving." "Julian said I only cause trouble for Arthur." "He said Mia and Arthur are a match made in heaven." "So what if I accompanied Arthur as he built his business, endured hardships with him? He's been miserable these past few years." "Only when he's facing Mia can he truly be himself." "I've thought it over, and I think he's right." "This estate should have a new mistress soon." After the family doctor left, I started packing the things I wanted to take with me. Halfway through, my phone sitting on the table suddenly rang. When I answered, Arthur's somewhat unnatural voice came through: "Tomorrow is my dad's death anniversary." I let out a muffled "Mm": "Okay, I'll take a taxi to the cemetery tomorrow." Uncle Sterling treated me well when he was alive, so I naturally had to fulfill this filial duty. Besides, leaving a day early or a day late didn't matter. "I'll come pick you up..." I quickly refused: "No need. I know you're very busy..." After hanging up, I stuffed the last piece of clothing into the suitcase, zipped it up, and placed it in the corner. Ever since the car accident last year, I haven't dared to drive again. It's probably an illness too. When I arrived at the cemetery the next day, I was a full two hours later than the time we agreed upon yesterday. Arthur's face looked terrible, and the faces of everyone standing beside him were ashen. Knowing I was in the wrong, I suppressed my trembling hands and apologized: "Sorry, I'm late because..." Julian spoke up first: "Sister-in-law, I'm not trying to lecture you, but how could you be late even for Uncle Sterling's death anniversary?" "Yeah, Secretary Mia was here early in the morning, lighting incense, laying out offerings, sweeping... As Arthur's wife, being this late is really unjustifiable, isn't it?" "Exactly, it's one thing to be late for normal events, but to be late for such an important day? This shows you clearly don't take Arthur's matters to heart!" Arthur stood silently to the side, but his expression said it all. Chapter 3 Mia naturally patted their shoulders to comfort them: "Oh, stop it, you guys. Maybe Sister Chloe got held up by something, which is why she's late." Saying that, she handed me the lit incense: "Sister Chloe, ignore them, they're just joking." Her attitude was so natural that one might think she was Arthur's wife. I looked up at her, forcibly swallowing the urge to explain. Forget it. Letting the misunderstanding last forever is also a way of saying goodbye. I was just about to take the incense from her hand when Julian shielded Mia behind him: "Mia, stay away from her, lest she hurt you." When Arthur and Mia first crossed the line, I couldn't accept it. I used both soft and hard tactics to get Arthur and Mia to separate. Arthur coldly said it was impossible. The next day, I had someone stage a kidnapping. That night, Arthur held a knife to my neck, demanding I tell him Mia's whereabouts. "Aren't you depressed and always wanting to die? If you don't tell me where Mia is, I'll grant your wish right now." Thinking of this, I unconsciously touched the scar left on my neck, then smiled: "I won't. After all, the feeling of a knife against your neck—once is enough." A flash of guilt crossed Arthur's eyes, but it quickly vanished completely. He glanced at Julian's group: "Stop arguing, offer the incense!" I bent down, lit the incense in my hand, knelt before Uncle Sterling's grave, and whispered in my heart. Uncle Sterling, I didn't mean to be late. All the cars I booked today refused the ride when they saw the destination. I overcame the fear in my heart and drove here myself, which is why I'm late. Uncle Sterling, Arthur and I are getting a divorce. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I opened my eyes, bowed three times to the tombstone, and as I stood up to place the incense in the censer, a cool breeze blew past, and the incense ash fell onto my hand. It burned. It was as if Uncle Sterling was telling me this choice was wrong. "What happened to your hand? Why is it wrapped in gauze?" "And where is your ring?" Arthur walked over to me, reaching out to grab my hand for a closer look. I swiftly put my hands behind my back, maintaining a distant gap, and forced a smile: "Nothing, accidentally cut it slicing fruit." "I took the ring off when I showered and forgot to put it on today." Hearing my words, Arthur didn't think much of it and just nodded. At this moment, the cool breeze blew again, and a fit of coughing came from behind. I followed the sound and saw Mia covering her mouth, coughing violently. It sounded like she was going to cough her lungs out. Arthur, who was just standing beside me, walked towards Mia, took off his coat, and draped it over her shoulders: "Did the burn from yesterday get infected, or did you catch a cold?" I clearly saw Mia shoot me a triumphant look. But very quickly, she lowered her head and coughed a few more times: "Maybe the wind from the typhoon recently is too strong, and I caught a little cold..." Arthur nodded and immediately took her hand, walking towards the cemetery exit, saying as they went: "It's my fault. I knew you weren't feeling well, but I still let you come here to catch a chill." I walked at the very end of the group, watching everyone crowd around Mia, asking about her well-being, and I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound came from the trunk of a nearby tree. I looked towards the sound, and before I could react, a large tree snapped in half and came crashing down directly towards me. "Watch out!" A split second before I lost consciousness, I saw Arthur's group protecting Mia, moving away from the falling tree area without even turning their heads. When I woke up again, I looked at the pitch-black sky, disoriented for a moment, unable to distinguish reality from dream. But the stinging pain coming from my body reminded me that this was reality. Enduring the excruciating pain, I stood up and found my surroundings completely empty, save for a few security guards struggling to clear the fallen tree debris. "The rescue team all went to the city center for disaster relief. People think our place is unlucky and won't come..." "If I were ten years younger, I could finish this job alone. Who needs them to come." "Old Yu, it looks like there's a person..." The next second, a strong beam of light shone on my face, stinging my eyes so much I had to reach out and cover them. The men exchanged glances, then shrieked and scrambled away, running down the mountain, even dropping their flashlights. I picked up a flashlight from the ground and shone it on my white dress. It was bloodstained, indeed a bit terrifying. Stumbling along for half an hour, I finally reached my car. After driving out of the cemetery, the image of Arthur protecting Mia as they left kept surfacing in my mind. I had reached out to them in despair, but their group didn't even turn their heads. I suddenly felt very tired. Slowly, my hands let go of the steering wheel. Crash. The car smashed right through the roadside guardrail and plummeted rapidly. Listening to the wind whistling past my ears, I resignedly closed my eyes. Chapter 4 At the hospital, Arthur was keeping Mia company while she received an IV drip. For some reason, Arthur felt restless. Before leaving the cemetery, he told the security guards to go in and save the person, and even left his phone number. But it was already night, and his phone remained completely silent. Mia didn't notice the anxiety in Arthur's heart, still relishing the gentleness Arthur had shown her today. There was a knock on the door, and Julian came in. He had a smile on his lips, looking in a very good mood. When he reached Arthur, he handed him the divorce agreement. "Arthur, Chloe signed it." Arthur took the document and began flipping through it. When he saw the signature on it, his heart subconsciously skipped a beat. He couldn't quite believe that I would compromise like this. But now, it was right there in black and white, and he had to accept it. He closed the agreement without showing any emotion: "When did she sign it?" Julian sat on the sofa nearby, picked up a piece of fruit, and took a bite: "A couple of days ago. It's strange, actually. She took a trip to the hospital and then just figured it out and signed. I thought she was going to go crazy and tear it up again..." Arthur's brows furrowed tightly: "Went to the hospital? When did this happen? Why did she go to the hospital?" "It was when you were on your business trip a few days ago. Same as before, slit her wrists. The family doctor said he couldn't reach you, so he called me." "But it was nothing major, just blood loss. After she woke up, the boys and I advised her to get a divorce. I really didn't expect her to sign it..." He delivered these few sentences lightly, not knowing that to Arthur, they felt like a heavy blow to the head. She had an accident. How could the family doctor not reach him... A chill ran down Mia's spine when she heard this. Because she knew exactly what she had said when she answered my call. And when the family doctor called later, she hung up without blinking an eye and deleted all the missed calls. In just a few seconds, Arthur's gaze landed on Mia. He didn't say anything, just picked up his phone and tapped it a few times. Mia started to panic. She forced a smile and held Arthur's hand, acting spoiled like she usually did: "My IV drip is almost empty..." But Arthur had no mind for her. His eyes were fixed on the screen, until Mia's smug voice came from it. "Chloe, did you receive the new photos I sent you?" "Since you received them, why haven't you divorced him yet?" "You have no idea. Arthur just pulled my bra strap and told me that because you're always sick and rejecting him, he's lost interest in you." "He also said he wants to have a child with me. I advise you to sign the divorce agreement quickly and stop getting in the way at home..." Mia stared wide-eyed at Arthur's phone. The screen clearly showed the security footage from the hotel they stayed at during the business trip. Mia's body began to tremble instantly. The next second, she reached out to snatch Arthur's phone, forgetting about the IV needle still in the back of her hand. "Ah!" The needle was ripped out by the force. She pulled her hand back in pain, but before she could recover, Arthur ruthlessly grabbed her slender white neck. His eyes were bulging: "Who allowed you to say those things to her?" "Didn't I warn you? As long as you play along, you get the money." "How dare you say those things to her?" No wonder I had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding him these past two days. No wonder I had taken off the ring I never removed. For the first time, Mia felt the sensation of suffocation, of being near death. But she couldn't do anything, only weakly prying at Arthur's hand. Julian panicked when he saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "Ar... Arthur, let go! You're going to kill her!" "Maybe sister-in-law is waiting for you at home right now. Since there's a misunderstanding, you just need to clear it up..." At the mention of me, Arthur's reason finally returned. He applied force, violently throwing Mia to the side. He wore a mocking expression, a chill flashing in his eyes: "Like sending photos to show off? Then I suppose you're not afraid of these photos and videos getting out, are you?" Mia was completely panicked. Ignoring the blood still gushing from the back of her hand, she crawled forward on her knees and knelt beside Arthur: "No..." Arthur ignored her, forcefully shook off her hand, picked up his coat, and strode out the door. Mia slumped to the floor, knowing the rest of her life was ruined.
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