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I Give Up This Rotten Marriage
I Give Up This Rotten Marriage
Author: Sixfold Echo

Chapter 1

Author: Sixfold Echo
last update Last Updated: 2024-09-25 18:43:08
It was the second week after he returned from a class reunion when Oscar Maxwell asked me for a divorce.

"What do you mean?" I asked, in disbelief.

We had been married for three years and our affection grew stronger with each passing day. Just recently, we gathered our families together to share the joyful news – we were planning to start a family of our own.

Oscar looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble that had been left unattended for days. He didn't dare meet my gaze, his eyes lowering slowly as he muttered, "It's only temporary. I can't just leave her alone."

Her.

He didn’t say a name, but I knew exactly who he meant.

The first love who had abandoned him.

"Sharon isn’t doing well right now. Her marriage is falling apart, but her husband refuses to divorce her. They're going through a court battle, and she's living alone. We had a past... We were together once. Now she's in trouble, and I'm the only one who can help her."

I stayed silent for a moment before asking, "So, she wants you to be her defense lawyer for the divorce?"

Oscar nodded.

He spoke slowly, "Her husband is powerful, and the case will be extremely challenging. Our divorce... it's just to protect you. In the future..."

He paused as if there was more he wanted to say, but I cut him off.

"Should I be thanking you for your thoughtfulness, then?"

Perhaps the sarcasm in my tone was too obvious, as Oscar's breath caught in his throat, and he fell silent.

I stood up, grabbed the coat hanging over the chair, and said, "Then let's get divorced."

Oscar shot to his feet, feeling nervous. "It's so late... where are you going?"

"From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other."

I left those words behind and walked straight towards the door. But just as I reached the entrance, I couldn’t help myself. I turned back to face him and asked—

"Oscar, do you remember the night after Sharon abandoned you? When her people came for you? The beating was brutal. Back then, you swore to me... you'd make the one who betrayed you pay dearly."

The door closed slowly, blocking out the sight of Oscar's face, now drained of color, and swallowing the words I never said aloud: "Oscar, are you really so selflessly helpful, or is it that... you're just pathetic?"

Oscar and I were practically childhood sweethearts.

During our school years, he was an outstanding student with good looks.

Even though his family wasn't well-off, he was still quite popular with the girls.

I used to watch him toss love letters from his desk drawer straight into the trash, his face filled with annoyance as he told me he had no interest in dating and found the whole thing bothersome.

From that point on, I kept my distance, carefully hiding the small flutter of a teenage crush deep within me.

It wasn’t until later that I discovered he did make an exception.

That exception was Sharon Fox.

Sharon possessed a beauty that whispered of danger. In an era when uniformity reigned - identical bangs and cookie-cutter school attire - she dared to be different. Beneath her jacket, a camisole peeked out rebelliously, while her lips gleamed with shimmering gloss. She was a spark of audacity in a sea of conformity.

One day, she cornered Oscar between classes, asking him if he wanted to do something thrilling.

Oscar tried to avert his gaze in disgust, but in the next moment, she hooked her arm around his neck and planted a bold kiss on his lips.

Watching his face turn bright red, Sharon giggled. "You're so shy."

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  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 2

    "Let's date."At that moment, I was standing at the other end of the hallway, holding the lunchbox Oscar’s mom had asked me to bring to him, watching in a daze as the boy I liked chose someone else. Taking all the meat out of his lunch was the only way I could express my anger.Of course, he didn't care at all. His heart and mind were filled only with Sharon and the thrill of a new relationship. I cried and decided to give up on him. But fate, ever the trickster, had its own designs in store.They broke up soon after. When Sharon got bored, she dumped Oscar without a second thought. She quickly turned her attention to the new transfer student, the school bully, who later became her husband. The school bully came from a wealthy and powerful family, someone who could give her everything she wanted—money, status, excitement.Oscar refused to let things end like that. He kept looking for her, over and over, until the school bully noticed.That was when the bullying began.Oscar's f

    Last Updated : 2024-09-25
  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 3

    I decided to turn off my phone.But late that night, after the meeting had ended, I got a call from another classmate saying Oscar had drunk too much and passed out at the restaurant.Panic gripped me instantly. Despite being exhausted and hungry, I hailed a cab and rushed over.Oscar had indeed had too much to drink. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened, and this six-foot-tall man collapsed into my arms like a bear.He murmured against my neck, “Honey…”"I'm here." My heart ached for him as I struggled to lift him. “Come on, let's go home.”But the next moment, he threw up all over my pants and shoes.I gasped, quickly shoved him into the car, and prepared to head home immediately.Just then, a slender figure came running out of the restaurant.“He left his wallet behind.”Without looking, I took it and thanked her, ready to leave. But she suddenly gripped the car door. "So, you're his wife." The challenge in her voice was so palpable that my head snapped up in an instant.The n

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  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 4

    Sharon's expression looked somewhat lost and dazed. I let out a sigh of relief, and on the way home, Oscar and I walked hand in hand. But in the end, he still let me down. Completely.---A divorce was inevitable.I would be too kind-hearted to choose to stay by his side while he tried to save Sharon. We hired lawyers to negotiate the division of assets, and the whole process was drawn-out and complicated.It's almost laughable — when we first moved into this house, we had nothing. We built our life from scratch, doing everything ourselves.And yet, back then, we were so happy, dreaming about the future every single day.Now, years later, here we were, sitting across from each other with a long list of assets to divide, preparing to go our separate ways.Oscar looked exhausted, sitting by the table, smoking a cigarette.After everything was over, I stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air. I casually checked my phone and saw a message from an old classmate I hadn’t spoken to

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  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 5

    So, he was aware that it had been seven years.I braced my hands on the table, leaning over to stare him down. “Don’t disgust me. Every second I spend with you makes me want to throw up.”…Seven years of memories. Every piece of furniture in this house had been chosen and arranged by the two of us together. But now, looking at it all, even the memories felt tainted and repulsive.I didn’t show Oscar the video. I needed to keep a card in my hand, just in case he tried to pull something during the asset division. Then, I would hand the video over to the lawyer. As for his cheating, it didn’t hurt me as much as I thought it would. Maybe my feelings for him had already faded the moment he asked for a divorce. I felt no trace of emotion, no stirring inside me. I wanted to maintain my dignity, not let myself become a mess over a man like him. But in the end, our parting wasn’t amicable. Three days after we decided to divorce, Sharon's husband brought a group of thugs to wr

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  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 6

    He looked pained, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.Sharon, on the other hand, stepped forward, her voice full of feigned sorrow. "Miss Joelle, how could you hit someone? Oscar was only worried about me; you've misunderstood him… Ah!"I swung my other hand and slapped her hard across the face.Her small frame wasn’t as sturdy, and she fell to the ground, completely caught off guard, a large red mark blooming across her pretty face.Oscar panicked immediately, shouting, "Joelle, have you lost your mind?""Yeah, I've lost it," I sneered. "Send me the divorce papers. I can't stand the sight of you two scumbags for another second."Still fuming, I crouched down and grabbed a fistful of Sharon’s hair."Is someone else's husband that much more attractive? That much more exciting?"Sharon’s face twisted with pain as she cried, “I didn’t, I just asked him for a favor…”“Oh really? Out of all the lawyers, you just had to pick your successful ex? You think no one can see thro

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  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 7

    I loved those photos so much that I couldn’t stop posting them on my social media throughout the entire trip.While I was enjoying myself, Sharon and Donald’s divorce case went to court.On my way back, as soon as I got off the plane, I received a photo from a friend. At the courthouse entrance, Donald stood there in designer clothes, a cigarette hanging from his lips, his expression arrogant, his gaze filled with menace. Oscar stood in his way, trying to block his path, while Sharon lingered in the background, looking exhausted and terrified as if a single breath might cause her to collapse.My friend commented, "You should’ve seen it in person. Donald was so overbearing. I heard he's been harassing Oscar’s law firm with phone calls, trying to get him fired, and even attempting to bribe him… Oscar's really in a bad spot right now."I wasn’t particularly concerned.But that night, a comment from Oscar appeared under one of my travel photos.He asked, "Who took these pictures of you?"

    Last Updated : 2024-09-25
  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 8

    Midway through, Oscar seemed to have a moment of clarity and sent me a sorrowful voice message, but I had already blocked him. In any case, they were caught by Donald’s people. With the photos in hand, Donald agreed to the divorce, willing to let the two lovebirds be together—but he wasn’t going to give Sharon a single cent. I had no doubt that a fool like Oscar must have, for a brief moment, felt the urge to take responsibility for Sharon. Until she refused. In disbelief, she demanded, “Why would I hire you if I'm not getting a single cent out of it?”Oscar was even more shocked. “You told me you were being abused, that you couldn’t stand it anymore, and just wanted to get away from him.” “What a moron! You think I’m divorcing him for no money? Did you think I was doing it for you? You’re as stupid and naive as ever, just like before—pathetic!” Sharon's face twisted, losing all traces of the helpless, innocent look she had put on earlier. From the start, she only want

    Last Updated : 2024-09-25
  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 9

    “So now you think of getting back together with me? Oscar, do I look like a complete fool to you?”---Oscar’s expression grew even more strained.“There’s no need to put it so harshly,” he said. “We didn’t get divorced because we fell out of love. You’re the only one in my heart. I never once truly thought of separating from you… Why can’t you give me another chance?”His words made me want to laugh, so I did. I laughed and asked him, “When you were kissing Sharon at the reunion, did it ever cross your mind there would be a day like this?”Oscar's head shot up, his eyes filled with disbelief. “What?”I took out my phone and pulled up the video, shoving it in his face.“Oscar, you cheated on me during our marriage, and now you’re talking about love? You’ve got some nerve.”Pain flickered across Oscar's face as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.“It’s not like that,” he muttered, “It was Sharon… She made the first move! Just like before… just like always!“I could have had a

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Latest chapter

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 10

    As for him, he was bound to face his karma.Oscar was still quite young, and even if he had lost his job for the time being, there were still opportunities for him to start over. But unfortunately, Sharon’s second betrayal and my departure pushed him over the edge, and he became obsessed, unable to let go.I heard he began investigating Donald again, but this time it wasn't for Sharon—it was purely out of revenge.The Stenn family’s business practices were indeed unscrupulous, with countless victims who had been too intimidated to dig deeper into the truth. The Stenn family put pressure on him too, and at one point, he was chased and beaten by thugs.Financially, he had already been left with little after the divorce, and things only got worse after losing his job. He soon reached the point where he had to sell his car and house, almost losing everything.Sharon once begged him to stop digging; after all, if this continued, it would affect her as well.On the surface, Oscar agreed.Th

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 9

    “So now you think of getting back together with me? Oscar, do I look like a complete fool to you?”---Oscar’s expression grew even more strained.“There’s no need to put it so harshly,” he said. “We didn’t get divorced because we fell out of love. You’re the only one in my heart. I never once truly thought of separating from you… Why can’t you give me another chance?”His words made me want to laugh, so I did. I laughed and asked him, “When you were kissing Sharon at the reunion, did it ever cross your mind there would be a day like this?”Oscar's head shot up, his eyes filled with disbelief. “What?”I took out my phone and pulled up the video, shoving it in his face.“Oscar, you cheated on me during our marriage, and now you’re talking about love? You’ve got some nerve.”Pain flickered across Oscar's face as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.“It’s not like that,” he muttered, “It was Sharon… She made the first move! Just like before… just like always!“I could have had a

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 8

    Midway through, Oscar seemed to have a moment of clarity and sent me a sorrowful voice message, but I had already blocked him. In any case, they were caught by Donald’s people. With the photos in hand, Donald agreed to the divorce, willing to let the two lovebirds be together—but he wasn’t going to give Sharon a single cent. I had no doubt that a fool like Oscar must have, for a brief moment, felt the urge to take responsibility for Sharon. Until she refused. In disbelief, she demanded, “Why would I hire you if I'm not getting a single cent out of it?”Oscar was even more shocked. “You told me you were being abused, that you couldn’t stand it anymore, and just wanted to get away from him.” “What a moron! You think I’m divorcing him for no money? Did you think I was doing it for you? You’re as stupid and naive as ever, just like before—pathetic!” Sharon's face twisted, losing all traces of the helpless, innocent look she had put on earlier. From the start, she only want

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 7

    I loved those photos so much that I couldn’t stop posting them on my social media throughout the entire trip.While I was enjoying myself, Sharon and Donald’s divorce case went to court.On my way back, as soon as I got off the plane, I received a photo from a friend. At the courthouse entrance, Donald stood there in designer clothes, a cigarette hanging from his lips, his expression arrogant, his gaze filled with menace. Oscar stood in his way, trying to block his path, while Sharon lingered in the background, looking exhausted and terrified as if a single breath might cause her to collapse.My friend commented, "You should’ve seen it in person. Donald was so overbearing. I heard he's been harassing Oscar’s law firm with phone calls, trying to get him fired, and even attempting to bribe him… Oscar's really in a bad spot right now."I wasn’t particularly concerned.But that night, a comment from Oscar appeared under one of my travel photos.He asked, "Who took these pictures of you?"

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 6

    He looked pained, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.Sharon, on the other hand, stepped forward, her voice full of feigned sorrow. "Miss Joelle, how could you hit someone? Oscar was only worried about me; you've misunderstood him… Ah!"I swung my other hand and slapped her hard across the face.Her small frame wasn’t as sturdy, and she fell to the ground, completely caught off guard, a large red mark blooming across her pretty face.Oscar panicked immediately, shouting, "Joelle, have you lost your mind?""Yeah, I've lost it," I sneered. "Send me the divorce papers. I can't stand the sight of you two scumbags for another second."Still fuming, I crouched down and grabbed a fistful of Sharon’s hair."Is someone else's husband that much more attractive? That much more exciting?"Sharon’s face twisted with pain as she cried, “I didn’t, I just asked him for a favor…”“Oh really? Out of all the lawyers, you just had to pick your successful ex? You think no one can see thro

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 5

    So, he was aware that it had been seven years.I braced my hands on the table, leaning over to stare him down. “Don’t disgust me. Every second I spend with you makes me want to throw up.”…Seven years of memories. Every piece of furniture in this house had been chosen and arranged by the two of us together. But now, looking at it all, even the memories felt tainted and repulsive.I didn’t show Oscar the video. I needed to keep a card in my hand, just in case he tried to pull something during the asset division. Then, I would hand the video over to the lawyer. As for his cheating, it didn’t hurt me as much as I thought it would. Maybe my feelings for him had already faded the moment he asked for a divorce. I felt no trace of emotion, no stirring inside me. I wanted to maintain my dignity, not let myself become a mess over a man like him. But in the end, our parting wasn’t amicable. Three days after we decided to divorce, Sharon's husband brought a group of thugs to wr

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 4

    Sharon's expression looked somewhat lost and dazed. I let out a sigh of relief, and on the way home, Oscar and I walked hand in hand. But in the end, he still let me down. Completely.---A divorce was inevitable.I would be too kind-hearted to choose to stay by his side while he tried to save Sharon. We hired lawyers to negotiate the division of assets, and the whole process was drawn-out and complicated.It's almost laughable — when we first moved into this house, we had nothing. We built our life from scratch, doing everything ourselves.And yet, back then, we were so happy, dreaming about the future every single day.Now, years later, here we were, sitting across from each other with a long list of assets to divide, preparing to go our separate ways.Oscar looked exhausted, sitting by the table, smoking a cigarette.After everything was over, I stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air. I casually checked my phone and saw a message from an old classmate I hadn’t spoken to

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 3

    I decided to turn off my phone.But late that night, after the meeting had ended, I got a call from another classmate saying Oscar had drunk too much and passed out at the restaurant.Panic gripped me instantly. Despite being exhausted and hungry, I hailed a cab and rushed over.Oscar had indeed had too much to drink. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened, and this six-foot-tall man collapsed into my arms like a bear.He murmured against my neck, “Honey…”"I'm here." My heart ached for him as I struggled to lift him. “Come on, let's go home.”But the next moment, he threw up all over my pants and shoes.I gasped, quickly shoved him into the car, and prepared to head home immediately.Just then, a slender figure came running out of the restaurant.“He left his wallet behind.”Without looking, I took it and thanked her, ready to leave. But she suddenly gripped the car door. "So, you're his wife." The challenge in her voice was so palpable that my head snapped up in an instant.The n

  • I Give Up This Rotten Marriage   Chapter 2

    "Let's date."At that moment, I was standing at the other end of the hallway, holding the lunchbox Oscar’s mom had asked me to bring to him, watching in a daze as the boy I liked chose someone else. Taking all the meat out of his lunch was the only way I could express my anger.Of course, he didn't care at all. His heart and mind were filled only with Sharon and the thrill of a new relationship. I cried and decided to give up on him. But fate, ever the trickster, had its own designs in store.They broke up soon after. When Sharon got bored, she dumped Oscar without a second thought. She quickly turned her attention to the new transfer student, the school bully, who later became her husband. The school bully came from a wealthy and powerful family, someone who could give her everything she wanted—money, status, excitement.Oscar refused to let things end like that. He kept looking for her, over and over, until the school bully noticed.That was when the bullying began.Oscar's f

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