Chapter 3
"I'm really sorry, Jane. I swear I didn't do it on purpose," Yvonne said.
Yvonne's breathing suddenly became short and fast, and she staggered a little.
Solomon's face went pale. He dashed into the living room and started rummaging through everything.
"Where's the asthma medicine?" he yelled.
I stood silently, watching Solomon grow frantic and out of control.
Normally, he was the picture of composure, but whenever it came to Yvonne, all that calm vanished.
"I tossed it out. Neither of us has asthma, so why keep it around just cluttering up the place?" I said.
Solomon looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
That's when I noticed his eyes were rimmed with red. I couldn't tell if it was panic or worry.
"You know Yvonne has asthma. Do you want her dead?" he yelled at me.
Then Solomon picked Yvonne up and held her close. Worried she might have trouble breathing, he hesitated for a moment and then unbuttoned the top of her blouse.
My eyes flashed as I caught sight of the jade pendant hanging from Yvonne's neck, just like the one I'd given Solomon.
As Solomon was about to leave, I quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait, Solomon. Is the pendant Yvonne's wearing around her neck the one I gave you?" I asked.
Solomon's eyes flashed uneasily, but his voice stayed stubborn.
"Yvonne had an accident before, and I was worried about her safety, so I let her wear it. You and Yvonne are close friends, right? I thought you wouldn't mind," he said.
Suddenly, I let out a cold laugh.
Who does he think he is, making decisions for me?
I went to the church myself to get that pendant, praying to God for his good luck.
But to him, all that I did was worthless compared to Yvonne.
"Why did Yvonne's asthma suddenly act up?" Solomon asked.
He frantically scanned the room, his gaze locking onto the potted plant sitting on the table.
His face went dark, and he frowned.
"Didn't I say no potted plants in the house? Jane, you bought that, didn't you?" Solomon snapped.
I met his gaze with defiance, my fists already balled up at my sides.
"This is my house. I can put whatever I want here," I snapped.
Before I could finish, Solomon slapped me hard across the face.
The sting was instant, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.
For a moment, the room went dead silent.
Everyone was holding their breath, sneaking glances at me and Solomon, afraid to make a sound.
Solomon was really pissed off now.
I'd never seen him like this. His veins on his neck popped out, and his eyes were blazing with anger.
Maybe the tears in my eyes made Solomon freeze for a moment. He looked a bit lost before he finally spoke in a muffled voice.
"Sorry. I was just too anxious. Let me take Yvonne to the hospital first. We'll talk when I get back," he said.
With that, Solomon dashed downstairs without a second glance. Everyone who'd been watching the spectacle slipped away, leaving me standing there by myself.
That was when I felt a sharp sting in my ankle and realized I'd accidentally cut myself while picking up the broken pendant earlier.
Once I'd patched up the wound, I called my lawyer and asked her to get started on the divorce papers.
Then I went through all the photos Solomon and I had collected over the years.
There were countless pictures. Every snapshot was a piece of our story.
But now, none of it mattered anymore.
I grabbed a lighter and torched the whole pile of photos.
The fire reflected in my eyes.
The charade was over.
After signing the divorce papers, I set them down on the shoe cabinet, along with the farewell letter I'd written.
Once I sent that final message, I blocked his number and erased him from my contacts.
I sent: [Check the shoe cabinet. I'm letting you and Yvonne have your way now.]