August's face grew even more grim. He stared intently at me, clearly not expecting my indifference towards this clay figure he once cherished.
My unusual behavior unsettled him. Yet, he remained convinced that I would not leave him, especially now that we had a child.
He looked at me deeply and said, "Fine, do as you please."
Then he coldly ordered, "Wanda didn't eat well at dinner. After you're done cleaning up, go buy her a mango cake."
I didn't even lift my eyelids. "I'm not going."
A deathly silence instantly filled the air.
August said eerily, "After your mother passed away, the hospital sent her belongings to me."
My head snapped up to look at him.
Getting the reaction he wanted, he curled his lips in a satisfied smile. "If you want them back, go buy that cake for Wanda now."
After stepping out of the room, I leaned against the wall for a long while.
Just like the ninety-nine times before, he always knew how to find my weakness and exploit it.
When my mother was alive, he used her surgery fees to threaten me. Now that she was gone, he was still using her belongings against me!
The hatred burned like a wildfire in my heart.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my breathing. However, I knew that soon, I would no longer be subjected to August's threats.
Luckily, I knew a store that was still open at this hour. The only problem was that I had rushed out too quickly and forgotten my key.
The late autumn night wind was piercingly cold. I pressed the doorbell repeatedly from the outside while holding the box.
Once, twice, three times ...
Still, no one answered.
Just as I was about to turn and leave, the intercom system emitted a sharp beep. Immediately after, the sound of two people's hurried, heavy breathing came through clearly.
"Ugh, August, wait a moment!" Wanda's voice was sugary sweet. "The doorbell's ringing. I should go let Doctor Yager in."
"Don't bother with her." August's voice was hoarse. "Who told her to forget her keys?"
"But she went out to buy cake for me," Wanda said with feigned sympathy. "It's so cold out there and she just had a baby. Her body must be weak … "
"She's weak, you said?" August sneered. "She puts on that act of not caring about anything all day long. Isn't she supposed to be so strong?"
"I've been too kind to her lately, leading her to believe that just because she had a child, she can give me attitude!"
The passion in his voice had vanished, replaced by a cold tone. "Just let her stand outside in the wind. It'll be a good way to sober her up."
"You're so mean!" Wanda's voice grew even sweeter. "You wouldn't treat me like this in the future, would you?"
August gave a low chuckle, his tone becoming intimate and husky. "You're different. You, my little fool, are truly delicate. Without me to take care of you, your life would be a mess. How could I ever bear to treat you that way?"
I listened quietly until the intercom system clicked off.
History repeated itself, but I no longer felt heartbroken. It was as if a wound that had been repeatedly torn open had finally become completely dead and numb.
The reason I knew a shop was open at this hour was precisely that it had happened before.
That time, to buy a cake for his mistress, I searched from the south to the north of the city at two in the dead of winter. When I got back, I couldn't get in, so I rang the doorbell for an hour in the cold wind. Finally, I spent the night curled up in the garage, developing pneumonia from a high fever.
Back then, his mistress was a college student facing final exams. Afraid I might infect her, he locked me in my room for an entire week and wouldn't even let me go to the hospital. From then on, I developed a chronic illness.
Actually, I knew he heard the doorbell ring that time, too. He was just busy with his affair, too lazy to open the door for me and didn't care if I caught a cold.
In the past, I always clung to the hope that one day he would see my grievances and my endurance. This time, I held no more expectations for him.
However, it was already 4 a.m. Only two more days until my freedom.
I placed the cake box by the door, then turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.
