- Chapter 1
- Every anniversary, Gary would bring a woman
- home, claiming it was for my “training.”
- This tenth anniversary, he brought a girl from
- a karaoke bar, dressed in a bunny costume.
- “She doesn’t have a gown, so give her your
- wedding dress. And that jewelry I gave you,
- too. As for shoes, yours will do just fine.”
- “She’s young, she doesn’t know much. Teach
- her a few things, especially the bedroom
- stuff.”
- Everyone was waiting to see me fail, and I
- didn’t disappoint. I said I wanted a divorce.
- Gary chuckled, a sneer on his face.
- “Sarah, when haven’t you said that? I’m so
- tired of hearing it, even more than your
- moans in bed!”
- “If you really want a divorce, I’ll give you a
- hundred million dollars!”
- く
- The room erupted in laughter. They all
- thought I was playing games, being dramatic.
- But they didn’t know this
- o as the hundredth
- time I’d said it, and the only time I truly meant
- it.
- All eyes were on me, even the karaoke girl,
- who giggled and covered her mouth. “Alright, let’s place our bets! I bet she’ll
- regret walking out that door.”
- “I’ll bet a million she won’t leave!”
- “I’ll match that with thirty thousand!”
- The bets on whether I’d leave had become an
- annual tradition.
- Many people hated me for costing them
- money; those who won didn’t exactly like me
- either.
- I chuckled, silently cursing my own weakness. Ten years, and only now did I find the
- courage to leave.
- “I bet she leaves.”
- <
- “I bet she leaves.”
- A low voice cut through the room. Others
- tried to dissuade him, but I couldn’t see who
- it was.
- “Gary, I’ll send the divorce papers to your
- office. Sign them when you get them.”
- I’d said “divorce” hundreds of times, but this
- was the first time I mentioned actual papers.
- Gary stiffened, his cigarette shaking, dropping
- ashes on the floor.
- I ignored it, knelt down, and took off my
- heels, placing them beside the girl.
- Her name was Lily, barely twenty, beautiful.
- “These shoes are a bit tight, you’ll get used
- to them.”
- “Gary said something about a dress and
- jewelry, I’ll have the housekeeper get them for
- you.”
- “He’s brought home nine other girls before
- you, ask them if you have any questions.
- く
- They’re on the third floor, your room’s at the
- end of the hall, on the right.”
- Ten years of marriage, and Gary had enough
- women for a harem.
- Tall, short, fat, thin, innocent, sultry, cold,
- bubbly–he had them all.
- Rumors said he was trying to build a harem,
- like the Jade Emperor.
- But I wasn’t one of the lucky ones.
- I brushed the unseen dust off my shoes, and
- started to walk barefoot toward the door.
- But before I could reach it, a strong hand
- pulled me back.
- “Sarah, if you’re leaving, leave clean.
- Everything you own was bought with my
- money.”
- My bare feet felt like they were on ice, my
- breath hitched.
- “You want me to strip?”
- Gary raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing.
- <
- “Your family went bankrupt, your mother
- practically stripped you naked and put you in
- my bed, remember? You came to me like
- that, you leave like that!”
- “Or are you regretting it? Fine, kneel down
- and put her shoes on, and I’ll forgive you.”
- The crowd roared with laughter.
- وو
- When we were dating, my family’s business
- collapsed, my father jumped off a building
- and became a vegetable.
- My mother, fearing Gary’s family wouldn’t
- help, drugged me and Gary, then made a big
- fuss to force them to take responsibility.
- That night marked the beginning of my
- humiliation.
- It also ended our youthful romance.
- Gary was forced to marry me. On our
- wedding night, he brought a woman home to
- humiliate me.
- He did everything in front of me Leven tore
- く
- open the condom and handed it to him.
- I cleaned the mess, on my hands and knees.
- I lived like this for ten years.
- Now, I couldn’t take it anymore.
- “I’ll strip.”
- Before anyone could react, I unfastened my
- shawl.
- It was winter, but the room was warm.
- But I was by the door, the cold wind whipping
- up my skirt, goosebumps rising on my
- exposed arms and shoulders.
- I unclasped my dress, the thin fabric slipped
- down.
- My shoulder and cleavage were exposed.
- “Oh my God!”
- A few women covered their eyes.
- The men were captivated.
- Only Gary’s eyes were dark, his lips tight, only
- the trembling cigarette in his hand betrayed
- his unease.
- <
- The dress fell, and I stood almost naked
- before them.
