Looking at this man I had loved for over a decade, I felt nothing but disgust. So, in his mind, simply keeping me in the position of Mrs. Gray was his way of honoring my love?I sneered, "If that's the case, have her abort the child, and I'll give you another one."Xander’s face changed drastically. He frowned and looked at me as though I were a stranger. "But that’s a life. Sweetheart, you’ve lost a child yourself. How could you ask a mother to lose hers?"Smiling, I slapped him hard across the face. "There’s the truth, isn’t it? Don’t worry. I only said it to disgust you. I have no intention of giving you another child. After all, ‘I’m already 30. How can I compare to her youth, her health, or the smart and healthy children she can bear?’"With every word I said, Xander’s face turned paler. He staggered back a few steps, stammering, "You... you heard all that. So, you’ve known all along that Finn and I were lying to you."I laughed. "Yes, I’ve known for a while that you think I’
Xander grabbed my arm, not allowing me to leave. His frantic behavior alarmed me, and I even began to wonder if I tried to leave, he might go insane.Amid the struggle, Ethan suddenly barged in and punched Xander square in the face.Xander collapsed onto a nearby table, growling, "Ethan Moore, you really have no right to covet my wife!"Ethan replied coldly, "Your wife? If you truly treated her as your wife, you'd respect and care for her instead of living out your wild fantasies and wanting to have it all."Xander glared at him. "You think you can beat me?" He then waved at me, his tone gentle, his eyes filled with an almost maddened obsession. "Sweetheart, come to me."I felt like he was treating me like a dog. I coldly said, "Stop flattering yourself, Xander. You don’t love me. You just can't accept that someone who loved you so much could simply walk away. But the truth is, I don't love you anymore. To me, you’re like a once-precious toy that has fallen into the cesspool and i
After saying goodbye to Xander, I returned to the hospital.Two days later, Ethan woke up. When I saw him open his eyes, I was overcome with emotion and tears. He weakly smiled at me, trying to raise his hand to wipe away my tears.I held his hand to my face, my eyes red as I apologized, "I'm sorry, truly sorry..."Ethan shook his head, looking at me with the same gentle gaze as before.Later, the embassy contacted me and informed me that because Xander did not have a gun license and had been illegally carrying a weapon, the police shooting him was justified under the country’s laws.I naturally understood this and immediately signed the form relinquishing any claims for prosecution.However, half a month later, I was publicly shamed online and became the target of insults as a "toxic woman." It turned out that, as Xander's sole heir, I had inherited all his wealth, and Beverly, who had hoped to benefit, was enraged. She began spreading rumors about me online.She accused me of
The once lively hospital room immediately fell into an eerie silence following Xander Gray's words. His group of close buddies looked visibly awkward as they avoided eye contact with me.As my gaze swept across their faces, how could I not understand? They all knew about Beverly Long.Suddenly, I felt like a clown. My earlier sweet and shy demeanor must have seemed especially pathetic and amusing to them.Someone stammered, trying to explain, "Uh... don't mind him. Xander's under anesthesia and just spouting nonsense."The others immediately chimed in."Yeah, exactly! Everyone knows Xander is totally whipped. He loves you so much—this must just be the anesthesia talking.""That's right, Beverly is just Xander's secretary. How could she compare to you in his heart?"One of them nudged the last speaker, signaling him to stop.I remained silent, but my feet, having been soaked in cold rainwater for over four hours, were beginning to feel numb.Xander kept muttering, "Where’s my w
I never expected Xander to be the first thing I’d see upon opening my eyes. I thought last night was just a dream, so for a moment, I couldn’t process it and just stared blankly at him.Seeing that I was awake, Xander grasped my hand excitedly and asked, "Sweetheart, how are you feeling now?"I pulled my hand away from his palm, frowning at him. "Sweetheart? Isn’t it ‘old hag’?"Xander’s face turned pale. His eyes reddened as he slapped himself hard. "I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it yesterday. It was just the anesthesia messing with my head. I... I didn’t know I’d do something so stupid. When I fully came to my senses, I was filled with regret and fear. I was terrified you’d leave me, so even though the doctor told me not to leave the hospital, I still checked myself out."As he spoke, he struggled to get up and lifted his shirt. He’d had an appendectomy, and now blood was seeping through the gauze.Thinking about how he’d stayed by my side all night, my heart softened a little
It was the first time I realized that when you’re utterly disgusted by someone, the nausea can be so intense it makes you want to vomit. I rushed to the trash can and retched uncontrollably.Beverly and Xander were walking in my direction. Panicking, I hid behind the trash can.I heard Beverly whining to Xander, "How can you be so sure the baby in my womb is a boy? What if it’s a girl?"Xander chuckled softly. "I’d love a girl too. A daughter who’s gentle, sweet, and understanding like you? I’d be the happiest man alive."Beverly giggled coquettishly. "You’re such a smooth talker. But... I’m scared. What if you won’t have time for me and our baby anymore after she gives birth?"Xander said, "Don’t worry. I’ve already planned it out. Tomorrow, Finn will help you move to Phoenix. I’ll make it a point to come up with a reason to travel for work every month and spend half the month living with you there."Beverly did a little cheer, and the two of them left together, laughing and cha
The nausea surged up again. I tried to suppress it, but I couldn’t stop myself from throwing up. This man was utterly disgusting, so repulsive it was unbearable...After Xander drove off, Beverly hummed a tune as she headed upstairs.I steadied myself for a while and dabbed some lipstick onto my pale face before stepping out of the car and knocking on the door.Beverly opened it with a smile, murmuring, “Did you forget something?” When she saw me, her last word stretched out in a long, mocking note.I stared at her coldly. I thought she would be scared or feel guilty, but instead, she brazenly sized me up and down, smiling maliciously yet gently.“Well, well… I was wondering who it could be. Turns out it’s Xander’s tasteless but hard-to-discard old wife.” Her tone dripped with mockery. “Since you’re here, why not come in and take a look around?”She stepped aside, inviting me in like she was the rightful lady of the house and I were the one sneaking around, unworthy of the spotli
When he saw the scene before him, the smile in Xander’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by overwhelming panic.Beverly’s composure also faltered. She withdrew her foot but was quick to play the victim, crying out, “Xander, she tried to hurt our baby... Good thing I’m quick, or I’d be the one lying there!”However, Xander roughly shoved her aside and anxiously scooped me up with reddened eyes. “Sweetheart, what happened? Don’t be scared. I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Xander’s exhausted face.His eyes were red, and when he saw me conscious, tears streamed down his face before he could say another word. He choked out, “Sweetheart, you scared me to death…”Beside him stood Finn whose expression was awkward and unnatural.I looked at Xander, marveling at how skilled an actor he was that he was able to portray love so vividly and convincingly.My hand drifted to my belly. A flicker of pain crossed Xander’s face as he said, “We ca
After saying goodbye to Xander, I returned to the hospital.Two days later, Ethan woke up. When I saw him open his eyes, I was overcome with emotion and tears. He weakly smiled at me, trying to raise his hand to wipe away my tears.I held his hand to my face, my eyes red as I apologized, "I'm sorry, truly sorry..."Ethan shook his head, looking at me with the same gentle gaze as before.Later, the embassy contacted me and informed me that because Xander did not have a gun license and had been illegally carrying a weapon, the police shooting him was justified under the country’s laws.I naturally understood this and immediately signed the form relinquishing any claims for prosecution.However, half a month later, I was publicly shamed online and became the target of insults as a "toxic woman." It turned out that, as Xander's sole heir, I had inherited all his wealth, and Beverly, who had hoped to benefit, was enraged. She began spreading rumors about me online.She accused me of
Xander grabbed my arm, not allowing me to leave. His frantic behavior alarmed me, and I even began to wonder if I tried to leave, he might go insane.Amid the struggle, Ethan suddenly barged in and punched Xander square in the face.Xander collapsed onto a nearby table, growling, "Ethan Moore, you really have no right to covet my wife!"Ethan replied coldly, "Your wife? If you truly treated her as your wife, you'd respect and care for her instead of living out your wild fantasies and wanting to have it all."Xander glared at him. "You think you can beat me?" He then waved at me, his tone gentle, his eyes filled with an almost maddened obsession. "Sweetheart, come to me."I felt like he was treating me like a dog. I coldly said, "Stop flattering yourself, Xander. You don’t love me. You just can't accept that someone who loved you so much could simply walk away. But the truth is, I don't love you anymore. To me, you’re like a once-precious toy that has fallen into the cesspool and i
Looking at this man I had loved for over a decade, I felt nothing but disgust. So, in his mind, simply keeping me in the position of Mrs. Gray was his way of honoring my love?I sneered, "If that's the case, have her abort the child, and I'll give you another one."Xander’s face changed drastically. He frowned and looked at me as though I were a stranger. "But that’s a life. Sweetheart, you’ve lost a child yourself. How could you ask a mother to lose hers?"Smiling, I slapped him hard across the face. "There’s the truth, isn’t it? Don’t worry. I only said it to disgust you. I have no intention of giving you another child. After all, ‘I’m already 30. How can I compare to her youth, her health, or the smart and healthy children she can bear?’"With every word I said, Xander’s face turned paler. He staggered back a few steps, stammering, "You... you heard all that. So, you’ve known all along that Finn and I were lying to you."I laughed. "Yes, I’ve known for a while that you think I’
After being discharged from the hospital, I returned home. I quickly printed the divorce papers, signed them, and placed a USB drive containing evidence of Xander’s infidelity on top of the documents. Then, I headed to my office.The day after I was hospitalized, I had already submitted my resignation to my boss. However, he didn’t approve it.My boss, who moved in the same social circles as Xander, had heard rumors about Xander and his secretary and had even subtly warned me about it before. At the time, I was certain that my perfect husband would never betray me and dismissed his concerns.Now, facing him, all I felt was embarrassment.He asked if I was truly willing to let my years of hard work go to waste over a man. Naturally, I wasn’t.In the end, I took his advice and accepted the offer to manage the new foreign branch for two years before returning. With my parents long gone and nothing left for me to hold onto here, I decided to leave.By 9 p.m. that evening, I was alrea
Ethan Moore was my high school classmate who was now a doctor at this hospital.On the day of my surgery, he stood in the hallway. When he saw me, an overwhelming sadness flooded his eyes. Now, with a dark expression and a hint of frustration, he said, "Lynnie, he's utterly rotten. Do you still want to love him?"I smiled without answering.Seeing my pale face, he sighed and said, "Go back to bed."Xander returned two hours later just as Ethan was tidying up the meal containers.Xander froze momentarily, hostility flashing in his gaze. "Ethan, what are you doing here?"Ethan replied calmly, "I work here as a doctor. I came to visit an old friend and brought her some food during my break. Is there a problem?"Xander looked guiltily at me. He had said he would get food, but I had waited two hours without hearing from him. He quickly explained, "I remember you love the bacon quiche from Carters’. They're always busy, so I waited a long time in line to get it. I didn't expect you'd
When he saw the scene before him, the smile in Xander’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by overwhelming panic.Beverly’s composure also faltered. She withdrew her foot but was quick to play the victim, crying out, “Xander, she tried to hurt our baby... Good thing I’m quick, or I’d be the one lying there!”However, Xander roughly shoved her aside and anxiously scooped me up with reddened eyes. “Sweetheart, what happened? Don’t be scared. I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Xander’s exhausted face.His eyes were red, and when he saw me conscious, tears streamed down his face before he could say another word. He choked out, “Sweetheart, you scared me to death…”Beside him stood Finn whose expression was awkward and unnatural.I looked at Xander, marveling at how skilled an actor he was that he was able to portray love so vividly and convincingly.My hand drifted to my belly. A flicker of pain crossed Xander’s face as he said, “We ca
The nausea surged up again. I tried to suppress it, but I couldn’t stop myself from throwing up. This man was utterly disgusting, so repulsive it was unbearable...After Xander drove off, Beverly hummed a tune as she headed upstairs.I steadied myself for a while and dabbed some lipstick onto my pale face before stepping out of the car and knocking on the door.Beverly opened it with a smile, murmuring, “Did you forget something?” When she saw me, her last word stretched out in a long, mocking note.I stared at her coldly. I thought she would be scared or feel guilty, but instead, she brazenly sized me up and down, smiling maliciously yet gently.“Well, well… I was wondering who it could be. Turns out it’s Xander’s tasteless but hard-to-discard old wife.” Her tone dripped with mockery. “Since you’re here, why not come in and take a look around?”She stepped aside, inviting me in like she was the rightful lady of the house and I were the one sneaking around, unworthy of the spotli
It was the first time I realized that when you’re utterly disgusted by someone, the nausea can be so intense it makes you want to vomit. I rushed to the trash can and retched uncontrollably.Beverly and Xander were walking in my direction. Panicking, I hid behind the trash can.I heard Beverly whining to Xander, "How can you be so sure the baby in my womb is a boy? What if it’s a girl?"Xander chuckled softly. "I’d love a girl too. A daughter who’s gentle, sweet, and understanding like you? I’d be the happiest man alive."Beverly giggled coquettishly. "You’re such a smooth talker. But... I’m scared. What if you won’t have time for me and our baby anymore after she gives birth?"Xander said, "Don’t worry. I’ve already planned it out. Tomorrow, Finn will help you move to Phoenix. I’ll make it a point to come up with a reason to travel for work every month and spend half the month living with you there."Beverly did a little cheer, and the two of them left together, laughing and cha
I never expected Xander to be the first thing I’d see upon opening my eyes. I thought last night was just a dream, so for a moment, I couldn’t process it and just stared blankly at him.Seeing that I was awake, Xander grasped my hand excitedly and asked, "Sweetheart, how are you feeling now?"I pulled my hand away from his palm, frowning at him. "Sweetheart? Isn’t it ‘old hag’?"Xander’s face turned pale. His eyes reddened as he slapped himself hard. "I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it yesterday. It was just the anesthesia messing with my head. I... I didn’t know I’d do something so stupid. When I fully came to my senses, I was filled with regret and fear. I was terrified you’d leave me, so even though the doctor told me not to leave the hospital, I still checked myself out."As he spoke, he struggled to get up and lifted his shirt. He’d had an appendectomy, and now blood was seeping through the gauze.Thinking about how he’d stayed by my side all night, my heart softened a little