Chapter 1
Chapter 1
It was 1979. At eighteen, with both my parents gone, I headed north alone, hoping to find a home with my fiancé, Simon Coolidge.
Simon, decked out in his military uniform, looked at me, taking in my old-fashioned clothes.
He turned to his sweetheart, and said, “She’s just a housekeeper my parents hired from back home.”
Last time, I’d pulled out the engagement ring and exposed his lie right then and there.
His sweetheart, humiliated, stormed off and married Simon’s rival, only to be tormented to death.
Simon married me, and he tormented me for a lifetime. I got pregnant seven times, miscarried seven times.
Until the doctor told me I could never have children.
Then Simon, choking me, sneered, “You killed my sweetheart. You don’t deserve to have my babies.”
Knowing the truth, I stabbed Simon with a scalpel in despair and jumped from the eighteenth floor.
I opened my eyes to Simon telling his sweetheart, “She’s just a housekeeper my parents hired from back home.”
I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and nodded. “Yes, I’m the Coolidges’ housekeeper.”
Simon Coolidge, this time, we’re done!
1
Hearing Simon call me the hired help, Colonel Coolidge slapped his son hard across the face.
“Cut the crap! Go out there and set the record straight right now!”
“Sophie Sullivan is your fiancée!”
“How can I face Sophie’s parents after this?”
Back then, Colonel Coolidge and his wife were sent to a farm for re-education and almost starved to death.
My parents secretly brought them food for three years, saving their lives.
After they were cleared, Colonel Coolidge insisted on arranging my marriage with Simon, despite my parents’ protests.
Later, after Colonel Coolidge and Mrs. Coolidge returned to the city, our families drifted apart.
Before, I’d wanted nothing more than to fulfill my parents’ wishes and marry Simon.
But Simon didn’t love me.
He even volunteered for a distant assignment in the Southwest to get away from me, coming home only three times in ten years.
Mrs. Coolidge, missing her son, blamed me for driving him away.
Colonel Coolidge’s gaze turned cold.
I shamelessly asked the army to let me follow him.
Simon, to avoid me, volunteered for the front lines, nearly dying.
For her son, Mrs. Coolidge begged Colonel Coolidge to bring me back from Simon’s side.
In the cold, empty house, I suffered insults and scorn, wasting half my life, not a single day happy.
Opening my eyes again, seeing Simon carefully holding his sweetheart, afraid she’d be hurt, I finally understood that a forced marriage could never be happy.
Simon, this time, I’m letting you go!
I’m letting myself go too…
2
I had just arrived at the family housing.
Mrs. Coolidge didn’t hate me yet, and Colonel Coolidge was good to me.
Only Simon, just like before, objected to the marriage.
“I love Bethany White! I won’t accept an arranged marriage!”
“You owe Sophie’s parents a debt. Why should my happiness be sacrificed to pay it back?”
Colonel Coolidge was about to use his belt on him.
I stood in front of Simon, stopping the belt.
“Mr. Coolidge, I came here looking for a job as a housekeeper, to earn my own living.”
“I’ve never met Simon before, and I’ve never thought about marrying him.”
“Let’s call off the engagement.”
I pulled out the engagement token Mrs. Coolidge had given me, a crystal swan, and handed it to Simon.
“Simon, I’ve heard swans are loyal birds.”
“Take this back and give it to the girl you truly love.”
Simon didn’t expect me to call off the engagement.
Relief washed over him, but he was still annoyed.
He looked me up and down. “You really don’t want to marry me? You just want to be our housekeeper?”
I nodded, looking him straight in the eye with all the hatred from my past life.
“Simon, I really don’t like you, and I don’t want to marry you.”
Simon’s face changed. He gripped the crystal swan tightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Good! You better remember what you said today. Don’t get any ideas about me!”
3
I stayed with the Coolidges as a country housekeeper.
Colonel and Mrs. Coolidge felt guilty and offered to find me a better job.
I shook my head. “I’m just a country girl. I can’t do anything but laundry and cooking.”
I didn’t have a penny to my name.
The travel money to find Simon was a gift.
I had to earn money to pay them back.
Seeing that I insisted on being a housekeeper, Colonel and Mrs. Coolidge agreed.
Walking into the Coolidge kitchen again, my body seemed to remember everything.
The sweet and sour ribs and the winter melon ball soup I made surprised Colonel and Mrs. Coolidge.
“Sophie, I didn’t know you were such a good cook!”
I smiled bitterly.
Of course. I had served this family in this house for forty years.
I knew what everyone liked to eat.
Colonel Coolidge liked sweet and sour ribs. I had spent a month squatting at the back door of the restaurant.
I had finally convinced the chef to teach me this dish.
Mrs. Coolidge liked winter melon ball soup. My hands had been covered in blisters.
Finally, I had made a soup with clear broth and tender meatballs.
Simon took a few bites of his favorite dried bean curd, sneering, “Save it!”
“You think learning a few dishes my parents like will make you their daughter-in-law?”
Colonel Coolidge slammed his hand on the table. “Eat it or get out!”
Simon threw his chopsticks on the table, grabbed his jacket, and left.
The father and son were at odds again.
I held back tears, wanting to bury my head in my bowl.
I hated being reborn at such a vulnerable age.
Helpless.
Homeless.
Even the letter of introduction from my village was out of date.
If I didn’t stay with the Coolidges, I’d be sent back home.
Just wait!
Once I saved enough money, I could leave or find another family to work for.
That way, I could get a temporary residence permit.
I wanted to stay in this city, I wanted to go to school.
This time, I wanted to be someone useful to society…
4
I tried to avoid him.
Simon and I lived under the same roof, but we didn’t see each other for a long time.
When he was at work, I cleaned and cooked.
When he got off work, I had already eaten in the kitchen, hiding in my room reading.
Soon, I got my first paycheck.
Mrs. Coolidge gave me twenty dollars.
I sent fifteen dollars back home, asking the village chief to pay back the villagers.
With the remaining five dollars, I decided to go to the store to buy pencils, erasers, and notebooks.
But I ran into Simon and his sweetheart, Bethany White.
Seeing me behind them, Simon was annoyed and yelled, “Sophie! Have you no shame?”
“I told you, I’ll never accept an arranged marriage!”
“Even if you follow me to the ends of the earth, I’ll never marry a country bumpkin like you!”
People around us started laughing.
My face was burning. “I’m not following you. I came to buy pencils.”
Bethany tugged at Simon’s sleeve. “Simon, we misunderstood Sophie. Maybe she really came to buy pencils.”
Simon sneered. “She’s illiterate. What’s she going to do with pencils?”
“Bethany, you’re too naive. You don’t know what some women will do to stay in the city.”
I looked up at Simon, mustered my courage, and retorted, “If I really wanted to stay in the city, I wouldn’t have broken off the engagement.”
The crowd gasped.
“What? This girl is Captain Coolidge’s fiancée?”
“Who’s that girl holding Captain Coolidge’s hand?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s the mistress~”
Bethany’s face paled. She shook off Simon’s hand and ran away crying.
Simon’s face was ashen as he glared at me, ready to kill.
“Sophie, if anything happens to Bethany, I’ll kill you!”
He pushed through the crowd and ran after Bethany.
I coldly watched his departing figure.
I turned and went into the store, bought the paper and ink I needed.
Back home, I took out my pen and ink, ready to practice calligraphy.
Suddenly, the door to my room was kicked open.
Simon stormed in, grabbed the ink bottle on the table, and smashed it on the ground.
Splintered glass cut my legs. I cried out in pain.
Simon hesitated, seeming to remember something, then sneered again.
“First you spread rumors and ruin Bethany’s reputation, then you play the victim for me.”
“Sophie, I underestimated you!”
I argued, “I didn’t spread rumors. I didn’t want to ruin Ms. White’s reputation.”
Simon didn’t listen. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out.
“Everyone’s saying Bethany is the other woman.”
“Bethany’s almost been driven to death by the rumors!”
“Go! Tell everyone that our marriage was arranged and we called it off long ago.”
I was dragged, legs bleeding, to the theater.
Bethany was crying. Seeing Simon, she ran into his arms.
Simon pushed me away. I stumbled back and fell into someone’s arms.
5
“Brian Kennedy?”
I stared at the man holding me.
Last time, because I insisted on marrying Simon.
Bethany had married Simon’s rival for revenge.
That was Brian Kennedy.
The Coolidges and Kennedys were equal families.
Simon and Brian had always been enemies.
Later, I heard that Brian had abused Bethany.
Bethany, unable to bear it, had drowned herself.
I didn’t want to get involved in these families’ love-hate relationship.
I stood up, walked into the crowd, looked at Simon’s threatening eyes, and explained, “Simon and I were engaged, but we called it off.”
“Simon and Bethany are in a normal relationship. They’re not having an affair.”
“I’m not Simon’s fiancée, just their housekeeper.”
I pushed through the crowd and hurried to the clinic.
Simon’s face relaxed. He glanced at my bleeding legs, his eyes showing a hint of guilt.
“Sophie, wait! I’ll drive you to the clinic.”
Bethany cried out and fainted in Simon’s arms.
Simon hesitated, picked up Bethany, and said, “Wait here. I’ll take Bethany back to her dorm and come back for you.”
He left with Bethany.
I stared at his figure.
I envied Bethany.
That kind of unwavering love was something I had never had.
I didn’t wait. I walked to the clinic, my legs numb with pain.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my waist.
I gasped and was lifted into the air.
Brian Kennedy mocked, “You’re bleeding out. Why are you so stubborn?”
“You’re so difficult. No wonder you can’t beat Bethany.”
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to the clinic.”