4
I spun around, my nails digging into my palms. “Ethan! Can I borrow ten thousand
dollars? My grandma…‘
“”
For years, I’d been a good, obedient wife.
Now, desperate for money, I realized I
L
couldn’t even afford ten thousand.
His grim face turned amused; he loosened his
tie. “Oh? What a coincidence?”
Jenny was clinging to him, tracing circles on
his chest.
“Lily,” she purred. “I heard last week your grandmother is perfectly healthy, still doing her daily exercises in the village!”
She tilted her head, her expression innocent. “Joking about your grandmother’s life, that’s
asking for trouble, you know!”
Ethan’s eyes turned frigid.
He pulled a checkbook from his wallet,
waving it in front of me. “Ten thousand, I can
do that.”
A cruel smile touched his lips. “But first, you
have to buy us a box of condoms.”
My lips were pressed tightly together, a
metallic taste in my mouth.
“Fine.” The word was barely a whisper.
Jenny added, Strawberry тlavor, please~
I ran into the rain, the water blurring my
vision. The convenience store clerk stared at
me strangely, but I didn’t care.
When I returned, breathless, the bedroom
light was on; I heard Jenny’s soft laughter
and Ethan’s low moans.
The door opened, Ethan leaning against the
frame, looking down at me.
“Go wash Jenny’s underwear.”
His voice was soft, yet like a knife to my
heart.
I clenched my fists, heading to the bathroom.
The cold water washed over my hands; I
mechanically scrubbed the lace, the sounds
from upstairs echoing in my ears.
Finally, I knocked on the bedroom door,
trembling.
“Ethan! I’ve done everything you asked, can I
have the money…?”
く
The door swung open; Ethan’s eyes were
filled with unsatiated fury.
He sneered, tearing off a check and throwing
it in my face.
“Enjoying your little drama?”
The check fluttered to the ground. I bent to
pick it up, tears welling.
I couldn’t cry, Grandma needed me.
Clutching the check, I hailed a cab and raced
to the hospital.
“Mary Johnson’s relative?” The nurse glanced at me, her tone curt. “The old lady couldn’t
wait for you, she left, fearing the expense!
Brain hematomas aren’t something you can
delay! Go find her!”
I felt a crushing blow, rushing to the
countryside. I opened the gate to find
Grandma lying on the ground, her face ashen.
“Grandma!”
At the hospital, the doctor removed his mask,
く
shaking his head sadly. “Too late… I’m sorry
for your loss.”
I knelt, clutching the doctor’s sleeve, pleading
hoarsely. “Please! Try again! I have money! I
really do!”
But Grandma never woke up.
I stayed in the old house, sleepless and
weeping, until my tears ran dry.
In the morning, my phone buzzed; Jenny sent
a video. She straddled Ethan, laughing: “The
doctor said it’s okay for the first three
months.”
I slammed the video shut, my stomach
churning.
I pushed open the creaking wooden door. A
Bentley, out of place, was parked on the
village road.
A group of men in suits surrounded a tall
man, pointing towards the distance.
“Mr. Peterson, this land is ideal for a
resort…‘
The man turned, our eyes meeting. His pupils
constricted.
The next second, the world spun.
Someone caught me as I fell, the scent of
cool grass filling my senses.
“Get a helicopter! Now!”
Amidst the roar of the helicopter blades, I fell
into darkness.
