That year, when our relationship was at its worst, David cheated on me with a college student. The girl Photoshopped intimate photos of me with other men and sent them to provoke me. I went straight to her school, grabbed her by the hair, and beat her in the street. The crowd grew larger and larger. No one noticed an out-of-control car hurtling directly towards us. In that critical moment, David shoved Addison aside, leaving me to collapse in a pool of blood. As the agonizing pain spread through my body, I could no longer deceive myself. David, who once defied his family for me and promised to never leave my side… He truly had fallen for someone else. Ten years of love, now just bitter strangers. Perhaps I should have let go much earlier, instead of tormenting each other until we became utterly detestable. That was my last thought before losing consciousness. After surgery, I lay in the hospital for a week. The ward door opened, and my eyes automatically went to it. It was my son, Stockton. “Mom.” Stockton was only seven, but his small face held a maturity beyond his years. He called my name, his lips pressed thin, then handed me a signed divorce agreement: “This is what I had a lawyer draft for you. The terms are most favorable to you. When I gave it to Dad, Addison had just twisted her ankle. He was too worried to even glance at it and signed it immediately.” “While Dad still feels guilty, you can get more from the divorce. Sign it, Mom, stop acting out.”
A bitter taste rose in my heart, but I had no strength to retort. I got together with David when I was seventeen. My biological father was in prison for murder, and my stepfather was a gambling addict. That troubled upbringing meant David’s mother, Eleanor Smith, adamantly refused to accept me. To be with me, David endured severe physical punishment from his family. He broke ties with his family and lived with me in a cramped small rental apartment, promising me a better life. And he truly delivered. The once arrogant wealthy heir delivered food, worked as a salesman, and took on every odd job for me. To surprise me on my birthday, he even secretly worked hauling cement at a construction site after classes in college, leaving him with a permanent shoulder injury. When Stockton was three, our careers began to take off. Eleanor Smith, unable to resist David, finally let us come home. After enduring such difficult times, David’s heart changed. When I discovered his affair with Addison, I was in a daze for an entire day. Anger, fear, disgust, pain… all these emotions intertwined in my heart, intensifying both love and hate. I started creating endless drama. When David arranged huge fireworks for her, I went to her university and publicly called her out for her shamelessness, for breaking up a family. When David gave her credit for a project I had worked tirelessly on to bolster her resume, I denounced them as a disgusting pair in a meeting, a rotten pot with a rotten lid. When David bought her top-tier luxury jewelry and dresses, I cut up the dresses and called the police, demanding she return the gifts. The more I created a scene, the more David sympathized with her, and the more he felt compelled to compensate her many times over. The next time I publicly humiliated Addison, David rushed over to support her. He lit a cigarette, his eyes so cold they seemed devoid of emotion, and asked me: “Are you done making a scene? I told you, Addison is just a bit childish; no matter what, she won't shake your position.” “You are my only wife. What more do you have to be unsatisfied about?” Back then, I thought I had to cling to this marriage, no matter how rotten, to make Addison an invisible mistress forever. But now, I just felt so tired… Seeing that I hadn't signed, Stockton spoke again: “Mom, Addison is a better fit for Dad than you are. They look more like a family.” As if to confirm his words, he pulled out his phone and opened Addison’s Twitter, handing it to me. Addison’s Twitter was very active, filled with pictures of her happiness every day. There were gifts from David, photos of them together, and sweet moments from their vacations. The latest post had just been updated. In the Live photo, David had his sleeves rolled up, applying medicine to her. His usually defiant eyes were now incredibly gentle. In the background, I could hear his voice, full of doting affection, saying, “Of course I'll be by your side forever.” The caption read: [With you, I don't have to grow up.] After the car accident, the rescue team arrived quickly. David shielded Addison, and she only got a scratch. Even so, he was incredibly distressed, mobilizing all the resources of a private hospital for her to rest and recover. Meanwhile, during my week in the hospital, he never came once. The only news I got from him was when my attending doctor discussed my condition. David listened quietly, then coldly replied, “As long as she’s not dead,” and didn’t ask again. My heart felt like it was being pricked by thousands of fine needles, the pain gradually spreading through my limbs. I finally gave up, my trembling fingers signing the divorce agreement, and booked a flight to leave in half a month. Ten years of love and hate were too heavy, too painful, so I gave it all up. David, I release you, and I release myself.
After deciding to divorce, I clearly knew I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, fight for Stockton’s custody. After all, I temporarily lacked the ability to provide him with educational resources comparable to the Williams family. For this, I specifically set aside half a month, hoping to spend more time with him. Stockton’s first wish was to visit Monkey Mountain Zoo again. Tickets there were only two dollars, and the facilities were rudimentary. When David and I were broke, we often took him there to play. This wish wasn't hard to fulfill, but I didn't expect to run into David and Addison there. “Ms. Scarlett, did you find out David and I were here and follow us deliberately?” Addison's eyes held thinly veiled contempt as she scanned Stockton and me. “And you even brought your child to compete for attention. How pathetic…” She could speak so carelessly because she knew David would support her. In the past, I would have certainly engaged her in a war of words. But now that I had decided to leave, who David liked or who he brought to relive memories had nothing to do with me. I calmly lowered my eyes, ignoring David's implied warning and impatient gaze behind her, and led Stockton around them. But I underestimated Addison’s malice. As I was feeding the monkeys, Addison grabbed a small monkey’s paw and violently threw it off the fence. The mother monkey was enraged and immediately attacked us. I barely dodged its claws, and before I could steady myself, Addison shoved me hard from behind, sending me sprawling towards the fence. I quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her in with me. Addison’s sharp screams echoed in my ears. When we were rescued, both our necks and arms were covered in monkey scratches. “David…” Addison, like an aggrieved child, threw herself into David’s arms, exposing the marks on her wrist from where I pulled her. “I just said a few words to Ms. Scarlett, and she retaliated by pulling me down too… I’m in so much pain…” David held her, gently patting and coaxing her. The tenderness and warmth in his eyes, when they landed on me, turned into suppressed anger and disappointment: “Scarlett, apologize!” He just believed her… Without even needing to hear my explanation, he was convinced I was to blame. A prolonged, stinging pain rose in my heart, making my fingertips tremble. “I won’t apologize,” I suppressed the ache in my heart, raising my eyes to firmly confront David. “She pushed me first; she got what she deserved.” “Truly the daughter of a murderer, lying without batting an eyelid,” David’s eyes were so cold they seemed devoid of emotion. “Addison is only nineteen. Though a bit childish, she's inherently pure-hearted, unlike your twisted, calculating mind!” Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing deep into my heart. Indeed, those who once loved each other know best where to stab to inflict the most pain. It was David who, when I was shamed about my background, once cupped my face and earnestly told me: “Scarlett is the best Scarlett. You're not just someone's daughter. I know better than anyone what kind of person you are.” Now it was him, in front of our child, returning that very humiliation to me. Humiliation and stinging pain collided in my chest. I finally couldn't bear it anymore, my eyes red as I questioned him aloud: “Do you have any shame saying that, David? She's nineteen, so she can't harm anyone?” “But I was only seventeen when I was with you! Was I born evil?!” “I have no shame? You were seventeen when you got with me, so you had a lot of shame, did you? If you had any shame, would you have thrown yourself at me?” David spoke slowly, every word punctuated, the contempt in his eyes tearing away my last shred of dignity. In that instant, it felt like a thousand arrows pierced my heart. Those words hurt too much. So much that I could barely stand, my face instantly turning deathly pale, my mind completely blank. What David said was true. When I was seventeen, I escaped that hellish home with him, avoided the fate of being married off by my mother for money, and successfully got into college. Because I felt so insecure, I proactively tried to hold onto him by giving myself to him. Back then, David didn't touch me. He held me all night, his tears burning my heart, making it ache. He told me again and again that I didn't need to do that, that he would cherish me and be good to me for life. Now… to protect another woman, he actually used that incident to mock me…
I never apologized to Addison. Stockton stood up for me, recounting the entire incident, but David dismissed it as a lie Stockton told to defend me. “Look at the wonderful son you’ve raised!” David pointed at Stockton, angrily questioning me. “So young, yet he lies without batting an eyelid. Are you trying to turn him into a murderer too?!” Addison’s cries continued without end, tugging at David’s sleeve and repeatedly complaining of pain. To appease her, David had me locked in the enclosure. The mother monkey, still furious, pounced on me. Its sharp claws tore fiercely across my arm, which I used to shield my face, leaving numerous bloody marks. The excruciating pain made me clench my jaw, suppressing a scream that caught in my throat, but my spine trembled involuntarily. It hurt so much… Stockton was still a child. Seeing my frantic, desperate attempts to escape, he burst into tears, struggling to get me out, but David’s men forcibly held him back. “Stockton, look closely! This is the consequence of harming others and lying! Don't be as vile as your mother!” David finished coldly, then, taking Addison’s hand—who was smugly sticking her tongue out at me—he turned and left. I was locked in the enclosure for an entire night. The next morning, when the staff let me out, my arms were practically shredded, and my face bore several shallow and deep claw marks. Stockton had already been taken away by David. I was in extreme pain, my whole body trembling as I treated my wounds. Dragging my body, which was numb with exhaustion, I stumbled home. It’ll be okay. It’ll pass soon. I bit down hard on my lower lip, reassuring myself repeatedly. Soon I can leave… just a little longer… Because I had "misguided" Stockton, David sent him to the old mansion. It wasn't until a week later that I received news from him. Stockton’s second wish was to eat a savory meat pie, the kind I often made for him and his father when we were struggling. When I took the meat pie to the old mansion, the servants stopped me. They awkwardly explained that Addison, as Stockton's tutor, was giving him extra lessons, and I shouldn't disturb them. Helpless, I could only ask them to deliver the meat pie on my behalf. But to my shock, that afternoon, I received news that Stockton was hospitalized due to an allergic reaction to the meat pie! Stockton was allergic to seafood, but there was no seafood in my meat pie… What went wrong… I was in a panic. When I arrived at the hospital, Stockton had just been stabilized. His little face was pale and bluish, and my heart clenched with pain, bringing tears to my eyes. “Ms. Scarlett, your acting is superb. It’s a shame you didn't become an actress,” Addison pushed open the door, saw me, and immediately launched into an aggressive accusation. “Just because David ignored you and wouldn’t let you see Stockton, you put seafood in his meat pie to make him allergic? That’s such a vile trick, isn't it?” Filled with irritation and worry, I had no intention of arguing with her, only muttering a low “Watch your mouth!” Regardless of the fact that I had already given up on David and was about to leave, even if I were still clinging to my position as Mrs. David, I would never harm my own child! “Is Addison wrong?” David followed Addison in, his voice low and full of anger, yanking me forcefully out of the ward. “Today at the old mansion, Stockton only ate the meat pie you sent. What more do you have to explain?!” “Using our child for attention, Scarlett, you don’t deserve to be a mother! You don’t even deserve to be human!” My wrist was red from his grip, and the unhealed wounds tore open, making my fingers tremble uncontrollably. Yet this pain was less than a tenth of what I felt inside. He actually believed I fed Stockton seafood just to put on a show! In his heart, I was really that despicable! Indignation and worry filled my heart. My eyes stung with anger as I gritted my teeth and said: “I told you it wasn’t me! Stockton is my child, how could I possibly…” David didn’t listen to my explanation. His angry eyes darkened, and he had his bodyguards push me downstairs, forbidding me from visiting. After multiple unsuccessful attempts, I had to sit by the fountain downstairs, hoping to find a chance to go up and see Stockton. However, I didn't get my chance; instead, Addison showed up, wearing a smug look.
“Feeling down, Scarlett? David just doesn't believe you.” Addison leaned closer, her eyes openly provocative. “You and that worthless child of yours… you don’t mean much to David, do you?” In an instant, it clicked. It was her! I suppressed an almost overwhelming rage and asked, “Was it you? Did you put seafood in the meat pie?” “It was me, so what? I…” Before Addison could finish, I slapped her hard across the face. My palm was numb and trembling, but I didn't feel it, only staring intently at Addison, wanting to tear her apart. I could tolerate her usual targeting of me. I had decided to leave, and I would tolerate what I could, refusing to get entangled with her. But Stockton was my bottom line! Addison didn't expect me to strike. She froze for a full two seconds, clutching her face, her beautiful features contorting into a snarl. She raised her hand to strike back, but when she caught sight of someone behind me, her movement abruptly stopped. “David…” She changed her expression in a second, putting on a tearful, on the verge of crying look, and threw herself into David’s arms. “I saw Ms. Scarlett lingering downstairs, so I thought she was worried about Stockton and came to persuade her, but then she suddenly hit me…” “A vicious woman like her, who would even harm her own child to compete for attention, how could she truly care about Stockton? She just wants an opportunity to put on a show of maternal love.” David hugged Addison, comforting her. His gaze, usually cold, turned icy as he looked at me. “Slap her back. This time, I won't hold it against you!” He trusted her that much… Time and again, without even asking, he powerfully stood up for her. The words “put on a show of maternal love” echoed in my mind. My heart felt like it was being torn by a blunt knife, making my fingertips recoil. “David, why don’t you ask me why I hit her?” I spoke slowly, every word deliberate and serious. “Your mistress just confessed herself that she swapped the meat pie I made for Stockton and added seafood to it!” “Scarlett, your lying skills are truly as despicable as your character,” David scoffed coldly. “Although Addison is innocent and a bit mischievous, she always knows her boundaries and treats Stockton like her own child. How could she do such a thing?!” He stopped listening to my explanation and had his bodyguards restrain me. At David’s instruction, the bodyguards swung their arms, slapping me repeatedly across the face. My cheeks burned, quickly swelling, my mind went blank, and my ears rang incessantly. “You’re reluctant to do it yourself, so I have to get others to do it,” David said, walking up to me after the tenth slap. He looked down at me. “This is a warning to you. I will return what you did to Addison tenfold. Don’t let me see a next time!” Pain spread from my cheeks, but more than that, it was humiliation and disgrace. I collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted, watching David’s retreating back and Addison’s secretly smug eyes. My chest felt like it was stuffed with expanding cotton, and my eyes stung with tears. Don’t rush… I can leave in just one more week… Once I’m away from these rotten people and rotten situations, I can live my own life… Stockton woke up that evening. Seeming to know I would be leaving soon, he insisted on being discharged against the doctor’s advice and presented me with his third wish. He wanted to go to the amusement park I designed with me. This amusement park was the first major project I was responsible for after joining the Williams Group, and it was a sore spot for me. I poured my heart and soul into this project, drawing blueprints day and night, but the final credit was given to Addison, who just used it to pad her resume. So, after the amusement park was built, I never visited it once. But with my departure imminent, I naturally wouldn't refuse Stockton. I spent the afternoon with Stockton at the amusement park, taking many photos of him and even showing him the hidden features of various rides. He was, after all, a seven-year-old child. His cool demeanor quickly melted away, his eyes bright and smiling. It wasn't until night had completely fallen, and Stockton was tired from playing, that he sat down to rest in a small pavilion. I bought him an ice cream, which was usually strictly regulated. Just as I was about to tell him it was time to go home, the pavilion's beam suddenly snapped, and it instantly collapsed. “Stockton!” My pupils constricted, and my heart seemed to stop along with time.
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