After ten long months of pregnancy, my water broke.
On the way to the hospital, the student I had been sponsoring called my husband.
She confessed that she had secretly admired him for a long time but didn't want to destroy our family, so she decided to end it all.
My husband abandoned me on the overpass, made a U-turn against traffic and rushed back to comfort her.
I bore the pain in my abdomen and walked five kilometers on the overpass before finally getting a cab.
By the time I reached the hospital, my blood had already stained half of my body.
The doctor told me I had arrived too late; my baby was already gone.
It felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest. I called my husband.
But he said, "Let's get a divorce first. We'll remarry once she's emotionally stable."
"Our child is gone. There's no use dwelling on it."
"But we can save another innocent woman."
I remained silent for a long time, then quietly whispered, "Okay, then we're both free."
The poor student successfully rose in status, while I, feeling disheartened, left for a distant place.
But luck found me. I remarried a kind man and found happiness in a new family.
Three years later, I ran into my ex-husband.
He grabbed me by the neck, fury in his eyes and shouted, "You remarried again? Didn't we agree to remarry in the future? Are you that desperate? Can't you live without a man?"
——
"Arthur, you disappeared for three years and now you couldn't resist showing up? You're here for money, aren't you?"
"This occasion is important and I warn you, stay away. Otherwise, you won't get a single cent."
I stood frozen at the entrance of the private terminal, the harsh words of the man approaching me cutting through the air.
I stared in shock, unable to move, until I finally recognized him: my ex-husband, Dominic Moretti.
And walking beside him, like a vision of elegance, was Adriana Bellandi.
Once, Adriana wore patched clothes. She knelt before me, begging for money to attend college.
I, moved by pity, had helped her, caring for her needs.
Little did I know that the girl from nowhere had been plotting to take my place all along.
Now, after years of silence, she stood before me in tailored silk, a far cry from the girl I had once helped. A soldier trailed two steps behind them, hand resting inside his jacket, eyes scanning the terminal floor without settling on anything.
It seemed that after pushing me aside, she had successfully won Dominic's heart.
Dominic cursed me once, twice and it still wasn't enough to ease his anger.
He sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Back then, I was just trying to help someone and you disappeared out of spite."
"I thought you had more dignity. Why show up again today?"
"Arthur, take a good look at yourself. You're nothing but the lowest of the low now."
"Since leaving me, you've had a miserable life, haven't you? Now you see the value of money, huh? Now you know that a connected husband is your support?"
"Too bad, it's too late. From the moment you acted out of spite, you lost any right to be my wife."
"I'll make this clear: even if you stand before me now, I'll never remarry you."
I shook my head quietly, my voice barely a whisper. "You're mistaken. I'm here on business at the terminal."
Dominic looked me up and down, his gaze heavy with disdain. "Business? Can you even afford a charter seat?"
"If you need money, just ask. Stop trying to hide behind these ridiculous excuses to make yourself look better."
The corner of Adriana's mouth twitched before she slipped into a wounded tone, her words sharp underneath it. "Arthur, Dominic and I are about to be married. Your showing up without shame is really putting us in a tough spot."
"Besides, Dominic's outfit is growing bigger every season. You don't care about your reputation, but we need to consider the Family's standing."
Dominic straightened both lapels, then pulled a thick envelope of cash from his breast pocket and threw it in my face.
"This should be enough to get by for a few days. Now, keep quiet."
He grabbed Adriana's hand and turned away, the soldier falling into step behind them, and left me standing in stunned silence. The bills fanned across the polished floor at my feet, and the few associates lingering near the gate glanced over, then looked away, already deciding whose side of the story they'd repeat.
