Chapter 3

He pulled Chloe back to the VIP table. I caught the jealousy in his eyes:

“You’re too young for a place like this, and you let that man touch your hair? Why are you so careless with yourself?!”

Chloe pouted. “Uncle Alex, why are you more controlling than my parents? I’m an adult, why can’t I come here?”

“Anyway, you don’t even bother with me anymore, so what does it matter who I hang out with?”

Alex’s face showed a rare flicker of emotion. “Your business, of course it matters to me!”

Chloe looked wronged. “Then tell me, how long has it been since you came to see me?”

“You used to care about me so much, but ever since you got married, you changed.”

“You only have Aubrey Gray in your heart now, you’ve completely forgotten about me!”

Seeing her cry, Alex visibly panicked. “No, that’s not true, how could I possibly…”

He sighed, not daring to continue, but gently took out a handkerchief to wipe Chloe’s tears.

He even helped her blow her nose, then casually put the handkerchief back in his pocket.

It seemed his constant talk of being a germaphobe was selective.

Chloe grew even more agitated. She stomped her foot, furiously pointing at me.

“So what if you’re married? If it wasn’t for this woman, would you come back to me, Uncle Alex?”

She grabbed a fruit knife from the table and, without a word, rushed at me, plunging the knife into my chest.

The sudden pain drained all my strength. Screams and cries for help sounded distant.

Before I lost consciousness, I saw Alex pulling Chloe tightly into his embrace. His lips formed the words: “Chloe, don’t be scared.”

I woke up in a hospital room.

“You’re awake?” A stranger, a nurse’s aide, rang the bell for me. “Next time, young lady, don’t go to nightclubs alone. It’s very dangerous.”

“Luckily, the person wasn’t strong, and the knife wasn’t very sharp. But you’ll have a big scar on your chest after all those stitches.”

I asked hoarsely, “Who brought me here?”

The nurse’s aide blurted out, “Ms. Maya, of course. You two are good friends, aren’t you?”

“She stayed by your side for a whole day and night. I finally convinced her to go rest for a bit.”

And… Alex?

I instinctively opened my phone. Chloe’s update popped up: “Uncle Alex was right, it doesn’t hurt when you blow on it.”

She had a band-aid on her arm, and a man’s lips were restrained, hovering very close.

Though only his mouth and below were visible, I easily recognized it as Alex.

I swiped my finger, and a new update refreshed.

“Hehe, it looks good on me too, doesn’t it?”

Chloe was wearing Alex’s prayer beads on her wrist. My pupils contracted. My heart felt so sour, like I’d swallowed a truckload of lemons.

I distinctly remembered: when I had tried to seduce him before, I’d accidentally brushed his prayer beads with my fingertip. Alex had been furious, forcing me to copy scriptures 100 times, burning them as punishment to the gods for my disrespect.

All these years, because I loved him, I had completely turned myself into a joke.

Hatred flared in my heart. I wanted them to pay.

Not long after I called the police, Alex burst into my hospital room.

“You called the police just to force me to see you?”

I rolled my eyes. “I called the police because I was stabbed.”

Alex frowned, then turned and walked out of the room. After a long moment, he returned.

“I’ve already signed the settlement on your behalf. Stop making a fuss.”

That’s when I realized he had gone out to intercept the police. I yelled, “How dare you!”

Alex’s voice was as cold as ice. “Because I’m your husband.”

“And because I have enough wealth.”

I roared, “Chloe stabbed me! She deserves to be punished!”

Alex was silent for a moment. “She’s still young, and she was hurt too.”

I held up the photo Chloe had posted on her phone, then ripped open my hospital gown.

“She has a small scratch on her hand, but my chest has eighteen stitches!”

“Alex, your bias is unbelievable!”

Alex lost his patience. “I already punished her. Can you just drop it?”

I scoffed, “Punish her for what? Copying the Great Compassion Mantra once?”

Alex’s expression flickered. I hadn’t expected to guess right. It was absolutely laughable!

I laughed until tears streamed down my face, my voice filled with desolate helplessness. “Alex, you don’t love me. Why did you marry me?!”

“You clearly hate me so much…”

Alex looked up. “When did I ever hate you?”

Seeing me trembling with agitation, he sighed and said, “Alright, when you’re discharged, I’ll agree to let you have my child. Happy now?”

I froze. “What did you say?”

Alex continued, “However, it can only be through IVF…”

I completely broke down, slamming my phone onto him. “Get out!”