Right after announcing our engagement online, I was targeted by his childhood best friend once again. A bucket of chicken blood splashed down, instantly turning my pristine white wedding dress a dark, sickening liver red. Sarah Miller looked at me with brazen confidence, completely unafraid. I didn't back down. I turned to Carter Hayes, who was standing silently to the side, and asked directly, "Are you calling the cops, or should I?" This was already the ninth time this year. Car crashes, slaps, cyberbullying. Whenever I dared to post anything about Carter, an endless stream of torment awaited me. Because of Carter's pleas, I endured it time and time again. But this time, I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 without hesitation. The next second, Carter, who had been standing there doing nothing, snatched my phone and smashed it hard onto the floor. Amidst the flying shards of glass, his face looked terrible. "Is this really necessary?! It's just a bucket of chicken blood!" I calmly wiped the chicken blood off my face and nodded. "Yes, it is necessary. Carter, the wedding is off." 1 The color instantly drained from Carter's face. But before he could speak, Sarah started screaming at me. "Who are you threatening? Don't get married then, whatever! You green tea bitch, stealing my boyfriend and playing hard to get." As soon as she said that, the looks from the people around us immediately changed. This wasn't the first time Sarah had thrown dirty water on me. Carter had never even dated her, but Sarah always treated me as her imaginary enemy. She frequently harassed my relatives and went to my workplace to hurl insults at me. She even fabricated stories online, painting me as a promiscuous slut who would sleep with anyone. So much so that random men would often message and harass me. Over the past year, I constantly woke up from nightmares. My hair fell out in clumps, and I was even diagnosed with severe depression. But Carter always said the same few things. "It will get better. She just has a childish temper. You're the kindest, don't stoop to her level." I endured and endured, but what I got in return was Sarah's increasingly brazen provocations. I've had enough. So, I calmly pulled off my blood-stained veil and, amidst the gasps of the onlookers, walked out of the bridal boutique without looking back. A flurry of hurried footsteps sounded behind me, but before they could reach me... Sarah clutched her chest and screamed, "Carter!" Without hesitation, Carter instantly turned back. He picked her up and hurried out. As he passed me, Carter didn't even give me a single glance. Instead, Sarah calmly opened her eyes and gave me a mocking smile. I watched apathetically. I couldn't count how many times Sarah had pulled this fake-illness stunt. Yet every single time, she managed to fool the supposedly brilliant Carter Hayes. I used to be unwilling to accept it. Once, I grabbed his arm, refusing to let him go. Carter didn't get angry, but he stared at me and said: "They say only kind people get depression. I don't think so." In that moment, I felt like all the blood had been drained from my body. I wanted nothing more than to die. In the end, he still left, and my depression flared up. I began frantically self-harming at home. While my blood pooled on the floor, Sarah posted photos on Instagram of her and Carter catching plushies at an arcade. That winding, ugly scar still crawls across my wrist today. I looked down at it and suddenly laughed. When I got home, I deleted the pinned engagement announcement. Then I walked into the bathroom and began washing the bloodstains off my body. Chapter 2 It wasn't until the hot water hit my skin that I realized my body was covered in tiny, shallow cuts. That bucket of chicken blood had crushed glass mixed into it. I endured the stinging pain as I cleaned myself. Suddenly, a hot body pressed against me from behind. Carter's hoarse voice sounded in my ear. "Chloe, I was wrong today. Forgive me, okay?" As he spoke, a wandering hand began to roam over my body. I grabbed his hand forcefully, pulled a towel around myself, and walked out. Carter's face looked a bit displeased, but he still followed me out. 2 As soon as he sat down next to me, he lowered his head and started muttering. "Sarah didn't do it on purpose. She knows she was wrong too. She was crying like a baby today, insisting on coming to apologize to you. I scolded her harshly..." He kept talking to himself, completely oblivious to the cuts all over my body. His heart and eyes were entirely filled with another girl, even though the person sitting in front of him was his fiancée. Seeing that I remained silent, Carter started getting annoyed. "It's partly your fault too. Why provoke her? You know how she is. You even posted on social media to trigger her..." My brain buzzed. I turned my head and looked straight at him. This wasn't the first time he had blamed the victim. I remember last year, Carter took me on a trip. He and my friends were acting very secretive. I had a feeling he was going to propose, so after dressing up carefully, I posted a picture on social media. But because I was too excited, I accidentally included the location tag. So, in the middle of a romantic proposal, Sarah suddenly appeared and slapped me to the ground. The strap of my form-fitting dress was ripped by her, exposing my chest. My friends all rushed forward to help me hold her down. But just as I was about to fight back, Carter stepped in front of her. He scolded me angrily, "Why did you post that location? What were your intentions?" I stood there stunned, blood at the corner of my mouth, my hair a mess. And on the night of my proposal, Carter abandoned me in front of everyone and dragged Sarah away. That day, I became a pathetic joke known to everyone. Only a year later, the tragedy repeated itself. But this time, I wasn't going to be weak. Under the fluorescent lights, my face was so calm it bordered on cold. "The wedding is canceled." As soon as the words left my mouth, Carter shot up, his face turning a livid shade of iron. I would never have said something like this before. During our five-year relationship, I was always the one chasing after him. He initiated this relationship, so he naturally assumed that if it were to end, he had to be the one to say it. But now, I had broken free from the control he thought he had. Carter's eyes turned red, and he asked angrily: "Are you threatening me?" A threat? I thought numbly. Maybe it used to be. But facts have proven that threats only work on people who love you. And clearly, Carter didn't love me. When forced to choose between me and Sarah, I was always the one abandoned. And now, I didn't want him anymore. Carter was more agitated than I expected. He grabbed my wrist, looking very hurt. "Why don't you believe me? There is really nothing going on between me and Sarah. She grew up without a father, so I just take care of her a bit more." I was already sick of hearing the phrase "take care of her." Chapter 3 In his eyes, Sarah was just a cute, willful child. Willful enough to hit me, curse me, and insult me. And if I so much as fought back, I was a vicious woman. But it was precisely this vicious woman who had loved Carter for five whole years. I stayed by his side when he started his business, sharing his hardships. To prevent him from drinking one too many glasses, I desperately threw myself in front of him to down the hard liquor. And Sarah would turn around and spread rumors that I was a party girl who loved to drink and play around. But Carter... I'm tired. A tear slipped from the corner of my eye, not for anyone else, but for the five years I wasted. Carter stared at me, then suddenly pulled me out the door and shoved me into his car. I knew he wanted to take me to the place where we first made our relationship official. At the peak of Mount Pine, we have our most beautiful memories. But he didn't know that it was also the place where I had my most heartbreaking memory. It was the second year of our relationship, and we agreed to watch the sunrise on the mountain. But after waiting together until 3 AM, Sarah called and summoned him away. "Wait for me, Chloe. I'll be right back." With that, ignoring me as I cried my eyes out, he turned and left. An hour later, it started raining. I had no choice but to walk down the mountain alone in the dim light. Halfway down, a scruffy-looking man suddenly appeared on the mountain. He sized me up with malicious intent, then impatiently tackled me to the ground. His foul-smelling mouth kissed me all over my face. I screamed loudly, and he raised his hand to slap me. After a few slaps, I was dizzy and stopped struggling, but my hand quietly felt for a rock and smashed it down hard. Then I ran all the way down the mountain. But when I opened the door to our apartment, I saw him brewing brown sugar ginger tea for Sarah. Back then, I was too young and my pride was too strong. I was afraid he would think I was dirty, so I never told him. I swallowed the bitter pill alone for four whole years. 3 My eyes lost focus, and my whole body resisted, shrinking back. "I'm not going! I'm not going!" Carter also broke down. He hugged me tightly. His voice was filled with pain: "What exactly do you want! I won't interact with Sarah anymore, okay?" In the darkness, his voice was tragic and desolate. As if I were the aggressive, bad person. His phone suddenly rang. It was the custom ringtone for Sarah. Carter was in the middle of a fit of anger. He answered and started cursing: "Stop fucking calling me!" But whatever the person on the other end said made Carter's face turn deathly pale. In an instant, he forgot the promise he had just made. He gripped my shoulders, looking terrified: "Chloe, Sarah is going to commit suicide." His fingers pressed exactly on my cuts. The blood soaked his fingers, but Carter didn't notice at all. I was trembling from the pain, but my voice grew even calmer. "Oh. Then you should go." He didn't hesitate and immediately let go of me. "Chloe, I promise, this is the last time." I calmly watched his retreating back. No sorrow, no joy, only a sense of relief. Because I knew this wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. After going back inside, I calmly applied medicine to my cuts. A little while later, Carter called. Chapter 4 "Chloe, I saved Sarah. She's still emotionally unstable. I'm going to the hospital to get her some sedatives. She's graduating soon, and her mood swings are severe. Please be understanding. I can't get away right now. Could you go order a dress for her as a graduation gift? It'll make her happy. Her bust is 34, waist 23, weight 105 lbs..." Carter gave meticulous instructions. My brain buzzed as I slowly looked at the wedding dress hanging in the middle of the living room. He was such a detail-oriented person. He considered every aspect for Sarah. But he never noticed that I had the waist of my wedding dress taken out by three inches. It was supposed to be a surprise for him on our wedding day. I looked down at my slightly protruding belly, and the tears finally fell. After deleting his contact info, I booked an appointment for an abortion. Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by violent pounding on my door. Carter yanked me out of bed, seething with suppressed anger. "Chloe, I always thought you were a kind girl, but I can't believe you're this shameless!" My brain buzzed. I had no idea what he was talking about. Carter looked at me with disgust: "Stop pretending. Sarah can't get her diploma—isn't that your doing?" She skipped classes and failed her courses on her own. What did her not getting her diploma have to do with me? But before I could open my mouth, Carter sneered, staring at me with dark eyes. "Your stepfather is a professor at the state university. Dare to say this has nothing to do with him!" In an instant, my heart felt like it had been split in two. I slapped him hard across the face. I had cut ties with my stepfather a long time ago, and he knew it perfectly well. Five years ago, after an argument with my younger brother, my stepfather barged into my bedroom under the pretense of being drunk. He pinned me hard against the bed, his thick hands tightening around my neck. I was like a dying fish, completely powerless to resist. Just as I was despairing and resigning myself to my fate, Carter appeared. He furiously punched the old bastard to the ground. Then, like a madman, he grabbed his head and slammed it against the wall. He only slowly regained his senses when I hugged him from behind. But now, Carter actually believed I would team up with my stepfather to frame Sarah. My fingertips went numb, and my body grew terrifyingly cold. I pointed at the front door, enunciating every word: "Get out. Don't ever show your face to me again." 4 As soon as I finished speaking, Sarah rushed in from outside and fell to her knees in front of me. "Chloe, please let me go. Even if what I did before was wrong, aren't you trying to kill me by doing this? If I don't even have a diploma, how am I supposed to find a job?" She cried a river of tears, acting as if I had committed some heinous crime. Carter helped her up with a pained expression and glared at me. "Chloe, is it fun to bully people like this? You must give her an explanation for this." With that, he yanked me outside. I struggled frantically, alarm bells ringing in my head. My voice trembled: "Where are you taking me?" "Taking you to your stepfather's house." My mom and stepfather divorced a long time ago, and my stepfather hates me to the core. Going there now was like pushing me into a fire pit. "I'm not going! I'd rather die than go!"
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