Chapter 10
The judgment was scheduled for three months later, and Chloe showed up.
She sat pale–faced in the witness stand, the audience whispering and cursing her as the mistress.
At four months pregnant, her belly should have been noticeably round, but instead, her abdomen was flat. It seemed the child was gone.
Liam slouched in the defendant’s seat, disheartened. His lawyer had explained everything clearly, and when he saw me walk in, it was as if he’d seen a lifeline.
With the last shred of hope in his eyes, he pleaded, “Eunie, please, can we settle this?
Can we mediate?”
I ignored him, steadfast in my refusal to mediate.
The last flicker of hope in his eyes flickered out.
Liam was sentenced to five years for bigamy, intentional injury, and numerous marital offenses.
At last, I was free from him. I filed for a forced divorce.
This case had a huge social impact, and the judgment was soon made public online.
What Liam’s life was like in prison, no one knew, but at least he had the basics–food and clothes.
Chloe’s life, however, didn’t fare as well.
Her husband had funded her education, yet she was carrying another man’s child. The scandal was so huge that even people came to her school to film her, labeling her a “once–in–a–lifetime oddity.”
At school, people called her “Mistress” and “The Ungrateful.” In the dorms, her toothbrush and other toiletries were often found tossed into the toilet.
Her pillow and blankets were always damp, as if soaked with tears.
Being excluded and bullied only made her more silent.
Her mother came to the school once, wanting to withdraw her, but I didn’t interfere -it was the principal who gave the nod.
3/5
Chapter 10
+ 5 Points
Her mother had once screamed at me in front of my office when she wanted to take Chloe home to marry. Back then, I patiently advised her that it wasn’t good for a girl to marry so early and that waiting until after graduation would be better for her future. Her mother pointed a finger at me, accusing me of being shameless and envious of Clove, saying she was too good for anyone.
This time, nothing had changed. She started shouting outside my office door, then collapsed on the floor and cried.
I called the principal and requested a transfer.
Whoever wanted to deal with her could do so. As long as it wasn’t my problem.
Years passed, and Liam was released from
prison.
The moment he was out, he bombarded me with calls. I switched my phone number, and the peace was restored.
By then, I had already moved abroad to teach English, and was on vacation, soon to embark on my journey overseas. I heard from former colleagues that Liam had come to the school looking for me several times, but I wasn’t there anymore.
Each time, he left empty–handed. He was a mess–throwing tantrums, causing such a scene that the school had to call the police.
What did that have to do with me?
I turned off my phone and boarded the plane, bound for a distant country.
The road ahead was bright and full of promise.
I, too, was ready to pursue my own future.
The End.
