05
“Suit yourself.”
I tossed out those words, stood up, and left. Under the scornful and hostile gazes of my
classmates, I walked out of the private room. But before I got for, Vivian caught up to me.
We stood at the entrance of the hotel.
The night wind was sharp and cold, and the thin fabric of her dress did nothing to shield her
from the chill. I couldn’t help but speak first. “You got what you wanted. I won’t be attending any
more class reunions from now on. If that’s what you were ofter, consider it done
I looked at her face.
The face that used to be mine. It had only been a few days, yet pimples had started popping
up on her forehead, barely concealed even under layers of makeup.
I frowned slightly. My skin had never been great, prone to acne and dark spots, so i had
always been careful with my diet, controlling my sugar and oil intake.
But in just a few days, her body already seemed to be spiraling out of control.
She was clearly indulging herself, eating and drinking without restraint.
This time, though, I didn’t say anything. I stepped past her, ready to hail a cab and leave.
“You think I need your permission? Everything I have now, I earned with my own abilities!”
She grabbed my arm, her voice low and bitter.
“Stop pretending to be so calm! You must be furious right now, aren’t you? Your jewelry, your
designer bags, your husband… Herbert is so handsome, isn’t he? But now, he’s mine too.”
“If you want him, take him.”
I turned my head slightly, glancing at her with a calm expression.
“Just don’t come crying to me, begging to switch back someday.”
“Like hell, I would ever regret this!”
Vivian laughed like she had just heard the most ridiculous joke. She stared at my face, the let her gaze sweep over my plump body. Finally, she let go of me and took a dramatic step bac sneering. “Even if you beg me on your knees, I will never give anything back to you!”
That was exactly what I had been waiting for.
I smiled slightly and turned to leave. But just then, I unexpectedly saw Cedric standing at the
entrance.
I froze.
He was standing at a distance, so I had no idea how much he had overheard.
Even Vivian, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, suddenly looked uneasy when she
saw him.
Cedric remained composed. He walked toward us at a steady pace. When he reached ma
Q he leaned down and adjusted my coat, tucking it in closer. His voice was soft. “You said you. a class reunion. I happened to be nearby. Is it over?”
I nodded.
Without hesitation, he took my hand and led me away.
Mon, 17 Ma
a class reunion. I happened to be nearby. Is it over?”
I nodded.
Without hesitation, he took my hand and led me away.
Neither of us spared Jeanette another glance.
Maybe it was because of the Romanée–Conti that Vivian had brought out tonight, but I couldn’t help thinking about the past.
This wasn’t my first time hosting a banquet.
72%
The first time was right after Herbert and I got married. My uncle from abroad was visiting, and in an attempt to show off, my parents arranged a banquet at Herbert’s hotel. They even opened a bottle of Romanée–Conti.
Herbert hadn’t attended that night. But later, I told him about it myself.
And then, he hit me.
Herbert had always been two–faced. On the surface, he was refined and courteous, but in reality, he had a terrifyingly violent temper. That was precisely why high society families refused
to marry their daughters to him.
So instead, he chose me, a girl from a middle–class family.
Timid. Easy to control. Easy to manipulate.
That night, if his mother hadn’t heard the commotion, Herbert might have beaten me to
death. But even then, she didn’t take me to a hospital. She simply called the family doctor to
patch me up and forbade me from leaving the house for days.
At first, I didn’t understand why a single bottle of wine sent Herbert into such a rage.
Later, I realized it was never just about a bottle of wine.
If I was a second too slow in bringing him his shoes, I got hit. If my outfit didn’t please him, I
got hit. If I wore any jewelry or bags from the dressing room without his permission, I got hit.
Herbert didn’t want a wife. He wanted a puppet.
A perfectly polished, flawless trophy for the public eye.
My skin had to be pristine. My figure had to be immaculate. If even a single mole appeared on my face, it had to be removed.
I had mentioned divorce before.
But my family was powerless against the Yates family. And worse, my parents didn’t even
care. When they heard Herbert had hit me, their response wasn’t anger but blame.
“If Herbert tells you to do something, just do it. He works so hard outside. What’s wrong with
him blowing off a little steam at home?”
“Rich people always have their quirks. Divorce isn’t an option. If you leave him, your brother’s job at the Yates family will be gone.”
“It’s not like Herbert is going to kill you. Just rest up for a few days, and you’ll be fine.”
So I learned to be obedient.
I spent every day walking on eggshells, following Herbert’s every order to the letter. And for
the past year, my careful obedience had at least spared me from another slap.
But now, all I could do was pray that Herbert’s business trip would last as long as possible.
11:56 Mon, 17 Mar MC.
So I learned to be obedient.
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I spent every day walking on eggshells, following Herbert’s every order to the letter. And for the past year, my careful obedience had at least spared me from another stop.
But now, all I could do was pray that Herbert’s business trip would last as long as possible.
That night, I had a nightmare.
I dreamed of Herbert beating me. His twisted face, his heavy fists, his vicious curses.
The pain was unbearable.
But I couldn’t escape.
In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed him away with all my strength
A loud thud jolted me awake. I opened my eyes to find Cedric on the floor.
My heart clenched.
I watched as Cedric sat up, rubbing his waist. In the dim light, his tall frame seemed even
more imposing. His face was unreadable, and his presence made me tremble with fear.
As he stepped closer and reached out his hand, I instinctively curled into a ball, my voice trembling. “Please… don’t hit me.”
In the past, even the slightest accidental touch in my sleep would wake Herbert up, only for
him to drag me out of bed and beat me.
“Are you okay?”
A warm hand gently cupped my face. Then, something cool pressed against my forehead.
Cedric checked my temperature, his voice impossibly gentle. “You don’t have a fever. I’ll ge
you some water.”
him.
I sat there, frozen.
I watched as he got up and turned to leave. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed
Cedric looked down at me, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Seeing that I wasn’t saying
anything, he sat back down and lightly stroked my face.
His fingers were cool against my skin, soothing and comforting.
I stared at him blankly, suddenly feeling like everything happening at that moment was
unreal as if it were a dream.
However, if this was a dream, I hoped I would never wake up.
