Chapter 8
They were all a bad crowd, pretending to be close friends while secretly pursuing more intimate relationships.
The blog post instantly became the hottest topic online as soon as it went live.
The tide quickly turned against Anne. Even while she was hospitalized, people would whisper and point at her. The nurse taking care of her would often make snide
comments.
Over time, Anne couldn’t cope with the stress and started acting very strangely. She seemed to have developed some mental health problems.
Julian was detained and their divorce was
finalized.
The house we used to live in was one we’d bought together, paying off the mortgage monthly. It was supposed to officially become ours this year, but we were already
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Chapter 8
over by then. I visited Julian at the prison. to sort out the issue of house ownership.
It had only been a month since I last saw him, but he looked like he’d aged years. He was much thinner, his complexion pale, with hollow eyes and an unsteady walk. The once fiery gaze I had been so infatuated with now reflected only exhaustion–like a burned–out candle wick, dim and filled with regret.
“I got the divorce papers. What do we do
about the house?”
He was silent for a long time. A fleeting look of hope crossed his face but quickly disappeared. “The house is in your name. Sell it. You don’t need to give me anything.”
That’s right. Back then, he’d insisted on putting only my name on the deed to make me feel more secure. His love for me was
indeed once sincere and passionate. Unfortunately, he had long forgotten the person he once was.
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“Okay.” I nodded calmly without adding anything else.
Sometimes, I was grateful that I made a clean break. It made moving on easier.
“Scarlett.” As I turned to leave, his trembling voice stopped me.
“It’s
my fault. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I didn’t care about your feelings. I brought all those so–called friends into our home
and let them boss you around without saying a word. I didn’t stand up for you, even though I wanted to. Sometimes, I wanted to argue back, but…‘
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“But you’re weak and useless. You can’t even protect your own wife.” I turned to face him, looking him in the eye with a mocking smile. “You knew all along how much it hurt me. You had so many chances to defend me, so many chances to make me stay, but you chose to do nothing and keep quiet.”
Julian stood by whenever I was humiliated,
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teased, or accused and sometimes joined in. He hurt me more than anyone else.
“Julian, you don’t deserve to be my husband or my child’s father.” I turned and left. His cries and pleas echoed behind me, but I
never looked back.
When I returned to Lespurg, I dived headfirst into my hectic work schedule. The work at headquarters was fast–paced and demanding, but it was also more fulfilling. I worked late into the night every day, so much so that I didn’t have time to think about anything else.
I once got a call from a friend in Jorway. She told me, “Anne refused to settle and she actually sued Julian. Julian didn’t deny the intentional harm he caused, but he insisted that she pay back all the money he lent her. Of course, Anne couldn’t afford it and now they’re at each other’s throats.”
“And on top of that, Anne’s mental state keeps getting worse. Sometimes she’s normal, but other times she loses it
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completely–can’t even recognize anyone. Those guys who used to be around her have long since run away as far as they could.”
I couldn’t help but sigh when I heard this, but it’s also what they deserve.
