4#04

4

For the following ten days, I stayed with Annette. Each day, Annette sent me pictures of them together, seemingly taking pleasure in flaunting their relationship. When the time came to initiate divorce proceedings, I didn't show up. Kyle had meticulously planned out the dissolution of our marriage and promptly sent me away. As my flight took off, I drifted into a deep slumber, immersed in vivid dreams.

In truth, Nicolas and I hadn't always been at odds. Our early years of marriage, though arranged by our families, were marked by a quiet, respectful coexistence. We managed to live harmoniously for the first three years.

If I'm honest with myself, I believe it was because I harbored feelings for him. Our connection dated back to childhood, growing stronger over time. What began as innocent teenage affection evolved into something more meaningful. That's why I never opposed the idea of an arranged marriage.

Nicolas, however, initially fought against it vehemently. He would pull me aside, insisting we should reject the arrangement and go our separate ways. Selfishly, I refused, unable to let him go. So, I allowed the marriage to proceed.

Then, unexpectedly, Nicolas acquiesced.

At first, after we wed, we lived more like housemates—sharing a home but emotionally distant. As time passed, I noticed a shift in his behavior. Perhaps he had begun to develop feelings for me, even if only slightly.

Every evening when he returned home, he brought me a gift—a thoughtful gesture to brighten my day. Sometimes it was flowers; other times, it was delectable food. At night, he would draw me close, holding me as we slept.

The situation worsened when people began leaving comments on my workplace weather station's website, requesting to meet me. Nicolas became enraged. He was livid, confining me to our bed for an entire week, behaving like a possessive puppy. He refused to leave my side and demanded I not even glance at other men. For seven days, I couldn't even use the bathroom without him accompanying me. This occurred during our fourth year of marriage.

Then came the news—Nicolas' first love, whom he had never truly gotten over, had married and started a family. I overheard this from the elders during our annual family gathering. It was around this time that Annette appeared. She possessed the same innocent, pure charm that mirrored his first love's allure.

It was also during this period that Nicolas discovered my phone's memo. In it, I had documented everything—every hidden feeling I had for him, from my teenage years through our marriage. This revelation caused him to snap.

He believed I had conspired with his family to drive away his first love, but in reality, I knew nothing about her. I was unaware he had been in a relationship. I had no knowledge of his past romantic involvement at all.

But Nicolas wouldn't listen. From that point on, he began to act out, constantly opposing me.

Annette's arrival sparked a scandal in the first year, one that shook our marriage to its core. Armed with photos, videos, and various evidence, Nicolas pressured me to address the situation publicly. The media labeled me as weak, "love-sick," and "pathetic." The viewership of my weather broadcasts plummeted.

In the second year, matters deteriorated further. I discovered I was pregnant. Annette, naturally, played the drama queen and wept, creating a scene that tugged at Nicolas' heartstrings.

Recalling the pain of losing his first love, Nicolas made a cruel decision in a moment of weakness. He gave me medicine supposedly to "help" with the pregnancy. It was meant to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling, but for me, it was poison.

At the time, I was already in a fragile state. I was supposed to be safeguarding my pregnancy, but after taking those pills, I began bleeding uncontrollably.

As blood soaked through my skirt, forming a pool beneath me, he stood there, watching with a cold, detached expression. His words lashed out, sharp and venomous.

"Does it hurt? When I ended things with her, it felt like this. No, it was a million times worse!"

"So this is why you didn't mind the marriage, isn't it? All because of you. Pretending so well, hiding your feelings for me, pushing my parents to forget about her and acting like you were the victim."

"Now suffer! This pain is exactly what you deserve for everything you've done. You're nothing but a pathetic faker!"

I was beyond caring. The pain was overwhelming, and I lost consciousness. With what little mercy he had left, he reluctantly carried me and rushed me to the hospital. The doctors said that if I had arrived any later, I would have died. And now, three years after Annette's appearance, I was forced to resign from my job.