Chapter 3

Tyler and I were college classmates. After graduation, we landed jobs at the same media production company. I worked in front of the camera, while he handled behind-the-scenes production.

He chased me for five years, but I was entirely focused on my career with no room for romance, so I finally agreed to meet him to reject him once and for all.

Yet on my way to meet him, a speeding car barreled straight into me. By some miracle, the driver slammed the brakes at the last second, sparing my bones. People called me lucky to have survived.

But a deep, jagged scar was left across my right cheek.

The dream stage I had just barely touched was ripped away forever.

I spiraled into a deep depression. Tyler stayed by my side day in and day out, tending to my needs, nursing me, and gently pulling me back from the brink. I thought I would spend my entire life repaying that kindness.

Eventually, we married. To help me recover in peace, Tyler quit his job and brought me back to his quiet hometown. Life was slow and comfortable, and I became a stay-at-home wife.

I truly believed we would live happily ever after.

Half a month ago, I uncovered the truth: Tyler was having an affair with his female supervisor at his new firm. His rapid promotions were all thanks to her backing.

Armed with hotel receipts and proof, I confronted him.

Instead of feeling guilty, he flew into a rage, turning every accusation back onto me. He screamed that I was useless, that I couldn't advance his career, that I was nothing more than dead weight holding him back.

In a fit of fury, he hit me.

Heartbroken, I demanded a divorce, but he flatly refused.

I decided my only way out was to secure a stable job first, build a safety net, and then file the paperwork.

When he saw that I had landed a job and was leaving early and returning late, his belittling grew worse. He constantly tore me down, trying to break my spirit so I would quit. Poisoned by his father's words, our son grew increasingly hostile toward me.

The boy felt sorry for his father coming home to a cold dinner. He felt sorry that his father's shirts weren't freshly pressed. He blamed me for the messy house, convinced I had destroyed our happy family.

He never once considered that the peace and comfort he enjoyed had been built entirely on my silent labor.

All he saw was his father.

I dragged my exhausted body back home.

The moment the front door opened, I saw Leo bouncing around the sofa, dramatically mimicking the way I had passed out on the street that morning.

Tyler sat nearby, sipping whiskey and praising him. "Good job, buddy."

I had thought about it all the way home, and I was certain Tyler was the mastermind behind this smear campaign.

I took a seat across from him and got straight to the point. "Did you do this?"

Tyler twirled his glass, a smug smirk playing on his lips. "Do what? No idea what you're talking about."

"Tyler, do you really think this is funny? You're the one who cheated. Can't we just end this cleanly?"

He traced the rim of his glass, feigning innocence.

"I never asked you to make money. All you had to do was stay home, clean the house, and look after the kid. What was so bad about that life?"

"Give me a divorce," I said, staring directly into his eyes.

The man snapped. He hurled the glass violently onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Lunging forward, he locked his hand around my throat, pinning me onto the dining table.

"Can you not understand plain English?! I'm never agreeing to a divorce! Don't you dare even think about it!"

"Mom, you're so hideous and completely useless. Without Dad, nobody would ever want you," Leo piped up coldly from the corner, watching us with dead eyes.

Feeling my body tremble violently from panic, Tyler eased his grip and retrieved my prescription pills from the cabinet, shoving them in front of me.

"Look at you. You can't even handle a little stress."

Back then, watching me suffer from panic attacks had kept him awake at night with worry. Now, my condition had become his favorite weapon against me.

I collapsed into the chair, my voice hollow and broken. "Why are you doing this?"

"I gave up everything for you. Shouldn't you spend the rest of your life repaying me?" He chuckled, his tone chillingly affectionate, as if whispering sweet nothings.

They retreated to their rooms, leaving me alone in the silent living room. Suddenly, my phone buzzed, cutting through the eerie quiet.

It was my new boss.

"Chloe, I received the medical note. Why didn't you mention your condition before? Your husband called in sick for you today after your episode. I planned to visit you after work, but things got hectic. Are you feeling any better?"

"I understand you're going through a lot at home right now, so I think it's best if you sort things out and focus on your health before worrying about work."

"...Okay."

Everything was slipping through my fingers. I couldn't comprehend how my life had unraveled into this nightmare.

I refused to accept this.

I sat in the dark the entire night, unable to swallow this fate. I had to get a divorce. I had to get out.

I would not let these malicious monsters crush me!

I was going to make Tyler pay for every single thing he did!