Chapter 4

I finally realized the harsh truth that from the very beginning, my love, my marriage, and even the children I might have in the future were nothing more than tools for Michael and Linda to get rich.

I was not his wife. I was a golden goose to them.

A wave of nausea and icy dread shot up from the soles of my feet straight to my head. I nearly collapsed onto the chair. But I couldn't let myself fall apart.

With every ounce of strength I had left, I gripped the edge of the table, pulled out my phone, and took clear photos of every single chat message and that damned spreadsheet, page by page.

Then, I uploaded all the pictures to my encrypted cloud drive and sent a backup to my private email.

After finishing, I wiped all traces from the computer and restored everything to how it was before.

The sound of running water from the bathroom finally stopped.

I quickly shut down the computer, hurried back to the bedroom, and lay down on the bed, closing my eyes.

When Michael walked in, steam still clinging to his skin, I could smell the same shower gel we both used lingering on him.

But now, that once-familiar scent only made me feel utterly repulsed.

*****

When I was still pretending to be asleep, Michael was already dressed and ready to go.

Before leaving, he leaned down and kissed my forehead, his voice gentle as he said, "Honey, I'm heading to work. Don't forget to pick up some flowers and a little cake that my mom likes this afternoon. We'll go visit her together tonight."

I just murmured an "Mm," keeping my eyes shut.

He left, satisfied.

The moment the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes, my gaze icy and resolute.

Apologize? Buy that villa? No. I was going to ending that fucking marriage.

Instead of heading to the mall, I went straight back to my own apartment, the one I'd bought before I got married. It was in a prime location and had been sitting empty all this time.

I spent half the day scrubbing every corner until the place was spotless. Because I needed a space that was truly mine. Somewhere untouched, somewhere clean.

In the afternoon, my phone rang. It was Michael calling.

"Nevaeh, did you get everything? I'm almost done with work. I'll come pick you up," Michael said.

"I didn't buy anything," I replied flatly.

There was a pause on the other end, and then Michael's voice turned cold. "Nevaeh, what are you up to now?"

"I'm not up to anything. I just don't see the point."

"You—" Michael snapped, his frustration obvious. "Where are you right now?"

"At my own apartment," I replied.

"Stay right there. Don't you dare go anywhere. I'm coming over now!" Michael practically shouted before hanging up.

I stared at my phone as the screen went dark, a cold smirk curling on my lips.

Did he really think he could still boss me around?

But instead of Michael showing up, what I got was a wild, relentless ringing at the door.

Peeking through the peephole, I saw Linda standing outside, her face twisted in anger. And right beside her was Michael, looking both anxious and annoyed.

They actually stormed over to my place, just like that.

I opened the door.

Linda didn't even glance at me. She barreled in like a gust of wind, plopped herself down on my cream-colored fabric sofa, and the drama began.

Linda wailed, "Oh my God, what did I do to deserve this? I worked my whole life to raise that boy, and now he goes and marries some woman just to torture me?"

She sobbed loudly, slapping her thigh over and over—the sound echoing harshly in the quiet living room.

Michael hurried over to Linda and rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "Mom, please don't get so upset. It's not worth it. Nevaeh just made a stupid mistake. She will fix it."

After saying that, he shot me a look, full of warning and command, telling me to hurry up and apologize.

I stayed right where I was, refusing to move. Silently, I watched their pathetic mother-son performance with a cold, detached gaze.

Seeing that I didn't react, Linda started wailing even louder. Her voice turned sharp and ugly. "Oh, so you think your money makes you special? You actually think Michael married you for your cash? Please."

She continued, "He makes over two million a year. There are tons of young, gorgeous women lining up to marry him. You've been married to Michael for two years, and you can't even give him one child."

"You should be grateful that he hasn't divorced you. But now, all we're asking is for you to buy a house to secure this family's future. And you have the nerve to give us attitude?" she barked.

Those words about having a child cut me deep. They crushed the most vulnerable part of me. A sharp, indescribable pain instantly tore through every fiber of my being.

After a year of marriage with no sign of a baby, we finally went to get checked out. The problem was with Michael. It was his issue that kept us from having children.

I still remember that day when Michael broke down in front of me, crying like a child. He begged me not to tell anyone, saying it was about his pride as a man.

I felt sorry for him, so I promised I'd keep his secret.

I never breathed a word to anyone. All the while, I silently endured every bit of pressure and judgment from Linda, both out in the open and behind closed doors.

I thought this was a secret we guarded together as husband and wife. I thought it was proof of how much I loved him.

But I never imagined that the very secret I fought so hard to protect would become Linda's most vicious weapon. She used to attack and humiliate me.

I suddenly lifted my head and stared straight at Michael. My eyes were filled with one last desperate plea.

I hoped he would just stand up for me and be a man, even if all he should do was tell his mother to stop.

But Michael didn't say a word. He just looked away, unable to meet my eyes.

He didn't even try to defend me. Instead, he muttered, "Mom, please, don't say that..."

His tone was so weak, like he was just trying to calm down a spoiled child, not protect his wife's dignity.

At that moment, my heart completely broke. It wasn't a clean break. Everything just fell apart. All the love, all the affection, and every stupid hope and fantasy I had been holding onto were gone. They burned away in that one instant.

Suddenly, I laughed. As Linda's cries and curses grew louder, I let out a calm, almost cheerful laugh.