Susan didn’t know how long she had cried.
After nightfall, she swept up the shattered glass on the floor like a ghost, then tossed all the paper cranes into the brazier, watching them burn to ash.
Once everything had turned to cinders, Juan pushed the door open and walked in. He was carrying Ashley in his arms, his expression full of fury.
"Susan, look at you!"
Susan stared at him without expression, even managing a faint smile, "Mr. Parkston, may I ask what I’ve done?"
Juan felt a stab in his chest. "What’s with that tone? To escape from the basement, you actually knocked Ashley unconscious and left her lying there alone all afternoon!"
Susan stared at him blankly, "Is that what Ashley told you? Whether I knocked her unconscious or not, you could’ve asked the servants. Mr. Parkston, to protect Ashley, you even argued over something so trivial. Can’t bear to see her hurt?"
Juan’s chest heaved with anger, his eyes burning coldly, "You think I didn’t ask?"
Before Susan could react, a servant stepped forward.
"Mr. Parkston, I saw it myself. It was Madam who injured Miss Tisdale."
"Yes, yes. She even used a stun gun on Miss Tisdale!"
One of them even dropped to their knees while saying, "Madam, please stop being so stubborn. Don’t you want to cancel your divorce registration with Mr. Parkston? If you keep acting like this, he might never forgive you!"
Susan stared at them, eyes filled with disbelief. But all she felt was an overwhelming emptiness. She had always treated them kindly. In the end, they were nothing more than sycophants. Susan no longer had the strength to argue.
She simply closed her eyes and smiled faint, "What would you have done if I had done it?"
Juan immediately raised his hand and slammed it against the door, veins bulging across the back of his hand.
"Susan, you’ve disappointed me so much! Bring in the family discipline!"
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice like a growl, "She’s not allowed back in this house until she’s been lashed a hundred times!"
With a sharp crack, agony tore across Susan’s back.
The saltwater-soaked whip landed mercilessly, ripping her skin open, leaving blood and torn flesh in its wake. Yet Susan didn’t utter a single cry. She endured it until her entire body was soaked in sweat, as if she’d just stepped out of a storm. She fainted, woke up and fainted again—hovering near death.
When she finally regained consciousness, she was already in a hospital room.
The first thing Susan did was glance at the time on her phone.
It was the 6th.
She thought vaguely to herself, soon, I can leave…
Juan took her hand in his, his voice softening, "Susan, as long as you don’t try to harm Ashley again, I can go with you to cancel the divorce."
Susan closed her eyes, her expression calm, "Okay."
Juan added, "After all, you’ve been married for years and you and Ashley are close friends. There’s no need to make things so tense."
Susan responded again, "Okay."
She looked so quiet, so obedient.
A strange feeling stirred in Juan’s heart. He frowned, about to speak again.
But suddenly, the phone rang loudly and Ashley’s voice filled the room, "Juan, I’m having another nightmare. Where are you? I want to see you. You know I was locked in the cellar for a week..."
Susan’s eyes shifted slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing them, "Cellar? She also…"
But before she could finish, Juan had already let go of her hand and rushed out.
Watching Juan’s Lincoln disappear into the distance, Susan, despite the stabbing pain in her body, she changed into casual clothes and headed to the City Hall.
Juan had completely forgotten that today marked the end of their one-month cooling-off period. He would never need to accompany her to cancel the divorce registration.
This time, they were truly divorced.
After receiving the divorce certificate, Susan mailed Juan’s copy to him.
She also enclosed her resignation letter, along with all the evidence she had gathered proving Ashley’s slander and false accusations.
She made a copy of the evidence and asked a friend to report it to the authorities.
Once everything was settled, Susan boarded a plane to a foreign country.
Before takeoff, she sent a text to Frank, [I’m leaving. Landing in twelve hours.]
Then, with a cold and steady gaze, Susan snapped her SIM card in half without hesitation. She vowed never to return to the Parkston Family again.
The night was as dark as ink. As the plane soared into the sky, she saw the stars twinkling.
She knew that it was guiding her to pursue a better self.
