Chapter 2

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.