Stacy clutched her head and screamed, "Help! He's trying to kill me!"Sharon arrived in a panic, smacking his hand in desperation. "What a sin this is! Stacy's pregnant. Let go of her now!"Troy looked at her pleadingly. "Mom, I'm begging you—just this once, let me make the decision. I really love Diane. I can't live without her."Tristan walked over and wrapped his arm around me, and that alone was enough to turn Troy's eyes bloodshot."Tristan, let go of my wife!"Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You're holding onto someone else's wife, so I thought I'll help you with yours. No need to thank me."Sharon spat viciously at us, "Adulterers! Troy, you must divorce that shameless bitch!"Troy panicked. "Mom! Please stop making things worse. Diane is still carrying my child."Sharon narrowed her eyes. "And how do you know for sure it's yours?"I nodded approvingly. "I always thought your mom wasn't much of a good person, but I'll give her this—she's smarter than you."Tristan gently p
I could afford to let things drag on, but Stacy couldn't. Jerry had been dead for three years—and now, after all this time as a widow, she suddenly turned up pregnant?It was rumored that under Stacy's coercion and manipulation, Sharon had pressured Troy into signing the divorce agreement.Troy's hand was shaking as he signed the papers. "Wait for me, Diane."With the freshly printed divorce certificate in hand, I didn't hesitate to turn and leave. Who would wait around for a scumbag?Stacy sent me a picture of her and Troy's official marriage photo, clearly trying to show off. But all I could do was laugh at the lifeless expression on Troy's face.Later, I heard that on the way to register their marriage, Troy jumped out of the car to make a run for it. But he didn't manage to dodge fast enough and was run over by a bus.Sharon lost her second son, just as she had lost her first. She directed all her fury at Stacy, constantly hitting and scolding her. She even took Jude away to
The food on the table had gone cold, so I heated it up again.Then, I just sat silently on the couch with my eyes open from 6:00 pm until midnight.Yesterday, Troy Hoffman had promised he would come home to celebrate my birthday.Maybe it had just been too long since we had had any time to ourselves, so I got all excited the next day. I rushed off to the grocery store early in the morning, then came back and cooked up a feast.But he didn't come back. He didn't even call or send a message to explain.At 8:00 pm, I tried to reach him, only to hear that his phone was powered off.It was a quarter past twelve when Troy finally walked through the doors, carrying the chill of the night with him. His fingers were ice-cold.He handed me a bouquet of roses and looked at me apologetically. "Happy birthday, honey."Who knew when the flowers had been bought—the edges were already curled and wilted.I didn't take them. "My birthday's over."Troy took off his coat by the door. "It's okay.
Stacy had a nanny, a housekeeper, and a butler—she didn't have to lift a finger at all. As long as she stayed away from gambling, that money would last her several lifetimes.A young girl adopted from the orphanage—now she had struck it rich and lost a husband. Most people couldn't even dream of getting that lucky. So I didn't understand why, in everyone's eyes, she was somehow the most pitiful one.I was exhausted to see her appearing everywhere in my life, yet I couldn't even accuse her of being a mistress who wrecked someone's marriage.I heard myself saying, "I want a divorce."Troy's eyes widened in anger. "You want a divorce over something so small?"I nodded nonchalantly. "Think whatever you want."Over something so small? Sure.While he spent every day and night with Stacy, I kept telling myself that it was only right for him to do that. We were family, after all. And she had just lost her husband, so it was understandable she needed someone there for her.But the tru
"I'm not going back. I'm getting a divorce," I said.Dad's face darkened immediately. "Don't be ridiculous. You were the one who insisted on marrying him, and now you're the one demanding a divorce? Is this how you treat marriage? Like it's some kind of joke?""Honey, this is all my fault. I didn't mean what I said yesterday—I was just upset," Troy said sincerely. "If you don't want me to stay in contact with Stacy, then I won't. Okay?"I kept my head down, focused on eating, not looking at him. "You make it sound like I'm some jealous woman tearing apart star-crossed lovers."He raised his hand and swore, "I'll love you and only you for the rest of my life! If I ever stray, may I get hit by a ca—"A sudden phone call cut his vow short. After answering, he looked at me with hesitation. "My dad wants us to go to his place.""Let me guess—did Stacy go there and tattle?"He didn't respond.I dabbed the corner of my mouth with a napkin. "Let's go."I had been waiting for this day
"Sharon, you didn't seriously think Troy could marry two women, did you? And if I don't go along with it, you're just going to kick me out?" I continued.Sharon pressed her lips together, glaring at me, silent.I froze, taken aback. Did I just hit the mark?Stacy straightened her back, turning away from me. There was no way she didn't know anything about Sharon's plan.Suddenly, I burst out laughing, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess. Turns out you caused the problem."Gritting my teeth, I continued, "Let me make this clear, it's never going to happen!"Troy tried again to explain, "Honey, I swear I didn't do anything to betray you."I slapped him hard across the face, and tears began to fall uncontrollably from my eyes. "You really make me sick.""How dare you hit my dad!" Jude screamed and charged at me, his small head slamming into my stomach.I was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, landing in a pile of shattered ceramics. The pain made my face tu
Tristan said casually, "I told you back then that you'd definitely regret marrying him, but you didn't believe me." He winked at me. "So, what do you think? Am I way better than him or what?""Get lost!" I was so angry that I threw the pillow at him, but he didn't get mad and caught it with a grin.He had been sticking around me like gum these past few days, totally impossible to get rid of.Sharon awkwardly came to pick me up from the hospital. She even bought me a ton of supplements.Tristan, lounging with his legs crossed, said sarcastically, "Wow, looks like you in-laws actually remember you're in the hospital."Sharon shot him a glare. "What are you two doing here alone? Don't you know men and women should maintain boundaries?""Alone, you say?" Tristan stood up and started walking out. "Let me see, are we the only two people left in the hospital?"I scoffed, "You didn't say anything like that when Troy was alone with Stacy."Sharon faltered, then muttered angrily, "It's b
When I was dating Troy, my parents didn't comment much about it. But the moment marriage came up, they were completely against it."Diane, marriage is different from dating. We don't deny that Troy is a good man, but his mother is notoriously tough and hard to deal with. Troy's personality made it obvious that his mom had him wrapped around her finger."He might protect you for a while, but can he really stand against his mother forever? Would he really have your back all the time?"But the more they tried to stop me, the more determined I was to prove that love could conquer all. Fueled by nothing but passion, I married Troy despite all their objections.But when it came time to talk about the wedding, he hesitated—stammering, torn, and unsure. "Honey, Jerry just passed away not long ago. My mom says the family has to mourn in remembrance of Jerry, so we can't have the wedding."One thing after another, I kept having to give in to their wishes. From no wedding to letting Jude cal
I could afford to let things drag on, but Stacy couldn't. Jerry had been dead for three years—and now, after all this time as a widow, she suddenly turned up pregnant?It was rumored that under Stacy's coercion and manipulation, Sharon had pressured Troy into signing the divorce agreement.Troy's hand was shaking as he signed the papers. "Wait for me, Diane."With the freshly printed divorce certificate in hand, I didn't hesitate to turn and leave. Who would wait around for a scumbag?Stacy sent me a picture of her and Troy's official marriage photo, clearly trying to show off. But all I could do was laugh at the lifeless expression on Troy's face.Later, I heard that on the way to register their marriage, Troy jumped out of the car to make a run for it. But he didn't manage to dodge fast enough and was run over by a bus.Sharon lost her second son, just as she had lost her first. She directed all her fury at Stacy, constantly hitting and scolding her. She even took Jude away to
Stacy clutched her head and screamed, "Help! He's trying to kill me!"Sharon arrived in a panic, smacking his hand in desperation. "What a sin this is! Stacy's pregnant. Let go of her now!"Troy looked at her pleadingly. "Mom, I'm begging you—just this once, let me make the decision. I really love Diane. I can't live without her."Tristan walked over and wrapped his arm around me, and that alone was enough to turn Troy's eyes bloodshot."Tristan, let go of my wife!"Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You're holding onto someone else's wife, so I thought I'll help you with yours. No need to thank me."Sharon spat viciously at us, "Adulterers! Troy, you must divorce that shameless bitch!"Troy panicked. "Mom! Please stop making things worse. Diane is still carrying my child."Sharon narrowed her eyes. "And how do you know for sure it's yours?"I nodded approvingly. "I always thought your mom wasn't much of a good person, but I'll give her this—she's smarter than you."Tristan gently p
"Tristan, you bastard!" I cried out in anguish. "Why didn't you tell me?"Tristan quickly pulled over to the side of the road. "I did tell you. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you reading my love letter. I wrote the letter 'T' on everythi—wait, you didn't think those were from Troy, did you?"I sobbed, "My dorm mates said they were from a handsome guy, and that he was still downstairs. I saw you talking and laughing with another woman, whereas Troy was downstairs waving at me. No wonder, whenever I bring this up, he says nothing. That big liar!"Tristan suddenly leaned in and placed a mint-flavored kiss on my lips. "Good thing I didn't give up."Still crying, I shook my head. "It's too late now."He gently wiped the tears from my face. "Marrying a package deal? I'm the one who got lucky."Not long after we got home, there was a knock on the door. It was Troy, who immediately tried to drag me out. I struggled against him.He looked at me in disbelief. "Diane, you're g
When I was dating Troy, my parents didn't comment much about it. But the moment marriage came up, they were completely against it."Diane, marriage is different from dating. We don't deny that Troy is a good man, but his mother is notoriously tough and hard to deal with. Troy's personality made it obvious that his mom had him wrapped around her finger."He might protect you for a while, but can he really stand against his mother forever? Would he really have your back all the time?"But the more they tried to stop me, the more determined I was to prove that love could conquer all. Fueled by nothing but passion, I married Troy despite all their objections.But when it came time to talk about the wedding, he hesitated—stammering, torn, and unsure. "Honey, Jerry just passed away not long ago. My mom says the family has to mourn in remembrance of Jerry, so we can't have the wedding."One thing after another, I kept having to give in to their wishes. From no wedding to letting Jude cal
Tristan said casually, "I told you back then that you'd definitely regret marrying him, but you didn't believe me." He winked at me. "So, what do you think? Am I way better than him or what?""Get lost!" I was so angry that I threw the pillow at him, but he didn't get mad and caught it with a grin.He had been sticking around me like gum these past few days, totally impossible to get rid of.Sharon awkwardly came to pick me up from the hospital. She even bought me a ton of supplements.Tristan, lounging with his legs crossed, said sarcastically, "Wow, looks like you in-laws actually remember you're in the hospital."Sharon shot him a glare. "What are you two doing here alone? Don't you know men and women should maintain boundaries?""Alone, you say?" Tristan stood up and started walking out. "Let me see, are we the only two people left in the hospital?"I scoffed, "You didn't say anything like that when Troy was alone with Stacy."Sharon faltered, then muttered angrily, "It's b
"Sharon, you didn't seriously think Troy could marry two women, did you? And if I don't go along with it, you're just going to kick me out?" I continued.Sharon pressed her lips together, glaring at me, silent.I froze, taken aback. Did I just hit the mark?Stacy straightened her back, turning away from me. There was no way she didn't know anything about Sharon's plan.Suddenly, I burst out laughing, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess. Turns out you caused the problem."Gritting my teeth, I continued, "Let me make this clear, it's never going to happen!"Troy tried again to explain, "Honey, I swear I didn't do anything to betray you."I slapped him hard across the face, and tears began to fall uncontrollably from my eyes. "You really make me sick.""How dare you hit my dad!" Jude screamed and charged at me, his small head slamming into my stomach.I was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, landing in a pile of shattered ceramics. The pain made my face tu
"I'm not going back. I'm getting a divorce," I said.Dad's face darkened immediately. "Don't be ridiculous. You were the one who insisted on marrying him, and now you're the one demanding a divorce? Is this how you treat marriage? Like it's some kind of joke?""Honey, this is all my fault. I didn't mean what I said yesterday—I was just upset," Troy said sincerely. "If you don't want me to stay in contact with Stacy, then I won't. Okay?"I kept my head down, focused on eating, not looking at him. "You make it sound like I'm some jealous woman tearing apart star-crossed lovers."He raised his hand and swore, "I'll love you and only you for the rest of my life! If I ever stray, may I get hit by a ca—"A sudden phone call cut his vow short. After answering, he looked at me with hesitation. "My dad wants us to go to his place.""Let me guess—did Stacy go there and tattle?"He didn't respond.I dabbed the corner of my mouth with a napkin. "Let's go."I had been waiting for this day
Stacy had a nanny, a housekeeper, and a butler—she didn't have to lift a finger at all. As long as she stayed away from gambling, that money would last her several lifetimes.A young girl adopted from the orphanage—now she had struck it rich and lost a husband. Most people couldn't even dream of getting that lucky. So I didn't understand why, in everyone's eyes, she was somehow the most pitiful one.I was exhausted to see her appearing everywhere in my life, yet I couldn't even accuse her of being a mistress who wrecked someone's marriage.I heard myself saying, "I want a divorce."Troy's eyes widened in anger. "You want a divorce over something so small?"I nodded nonchalantly. "Think whatever you want."Over something so small? Sure.While he spent every day and night with Stacy, I kept telling myself that it was only right for him to do that. We were family, after all. And she had just lost her husband, so it was understandable she needed someone there for her.But the tru
The food on the table had gone cold, so I heated it up again.Then, I just sat silently on the couch with my eyes open from 6:00 pm until midnight.Yesterday, Troy Hoffman had promised he would come home to celebrate my birthday.Maybe it had just been too long since we had had any time to ourselves, so I got all excited the next day. I rushed off to the grocery store early in the morning, then came back and cooked up a feast.But he didn't come back. He didn't even call or send a message to explain.At 8:00 pm, I tried to reach him, only to hear that his phone was powered off.It was a quarter past twelve when Troy finally walked through the doors, carrying the chill of the night with him. His fingers were ice-cold.He handed me a bouquet of roses and looked at me apologetically. "Happy birthday, honey."Who knew when the flowers had been bought—the edges were already curled and wilted.I didn't take them. "My birthday's over."Troy took off his coat by the door. "It's okay.