When I returned to that so-called "home" after being discharged from the hospital, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with cloying perfume hit me. The living room looked like it had been ravaged by a hurricane—the crystal ashtray was shattered on the cashmere carpet, my old books were torn and scattered, the glass of the wedding photo frame was cracked, and Liam's smiling face in the photo, with his arm around me, was stained beyond recognition with red wine.
The source of all this chaos was coming from the kitchen.
The ambiguous sounds of water, the sticky slurring of flesh colliding, the woman's seductive panting and the man's heavy growls intertwined to create a nauseating web. My hands, which were maneuvering the wheelchair, froze on the spot, and my blood seemed to freeze instantly.
As if possessed, I moved toward the half-open kitchen door.
A horrible scene pierced my eyes. Liam , with his back to me, had Vanessa pinned against the cold marble countertop, his movements violent. Vanessa's arms were wrapped around his neck, her upturned face filled with ecstasy, but when her gaze passed over Liam's shoulder and met mine, a vicious pleasure suddenly erupted within her.
Her red lips moved silently, each word distinct and clear:
"You piece of trash, have you looked enough?"
She then clung even tighter to Liam , letting out a deliberately high-pitched, sickeningly sweet moan, her gaze like a poisoned needle, fixed firmly on my pale face.
"vomit--!"
My stomach churned violently. I jerked my wheelchair around and rushed uncontrollably to the first-floor bathroom, where I vomited violently by the toilet. My stomach was empty, only bitter bile burning my throat. Tears welled up naturally, mingling with cold sweat. I gripped the cold ceramic rim tightly, my knuckles turning blue, my whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
I don't know how long I slumped on the cold floor tiles before I finally managed to pull myself up, wash my mouth, and look in the mirror at the woman with sunken eyes, a sallow complexion, and unhealed burn scars on her neck.
Is this really Clara ? The Clara who once smiled brightly, believing in love and the future ?
Dragging his weary body back to the bedroom door on the second floor, Liam was already leaning against the wall, waiting in the shadows. He had changed into a silk robe, his hair was slightly damp, and he still carried the languid scent unique to those who had lost their passion, as well as a hint of... Vanessa 's perfume.
Upon seeing me, he suddenly stood up straight, rushed forward, and grabbed my thin wrist with his iron-like hand, the force almost crushing my bones.
" Clara , do you have any shame?" he demanded, his voice icy and his eyes filled with undisguised disgust. "Hidden in your house like a ghost, spying on you? Are you out of your mind?! Didn't I tell you to turn yourself in? Do you have to wait for the police to come to your door, handcuff you, and let the whole city know that I, Liam , am going to marry a murderer before you're satisfied?!"
An angry roar echoed in the empty corridor. He raised his other hand, seemingly intending to slap me as usual, but he suddenly stopped when his gaze fell on the hideous, unhealed burn blisters and gauze on my neck and arms.
The gruesome wounds were clearly visible under the light, with traces of tissue fluid seeping from the edges of some of the gauze. A complex emotion flashed across Liam's face. As if burned, his pupils contracted, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the unspoken insult stuck in his throat, turning into a feeling of irritable frustration.
Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, I forcefully shook off his hand, leaving a distinct red mark on my wrist. Looking up, I said in a calm tone that surprised even myself, " Liam , how could I, a person with paralyzed legs who is almost completely unable to care for myself, have the strength, or the opportunity, to 'stab' Ms. Vanessa 's strong and healthy client?"
My voice was hoarse, but every word was clear: "The police won't believe it, and the forensic doctor will examine the injuries. If you're going to make up a story, at least make it believable."
"You...!" Liam was clearly taken aback by my direct and calm rebuttal, and his anger instantly overshadowed his earlier unease. His face turned ashen, and he was about to explode—
"Ring ring—"
His phone rang urgently in his pocket. Glancing at the word "Mom" flashing on the screen, he glared at me and walked aside to answer it.
"Mom?...I know, she just got back...I didn't!...She's the one who's indecent!...Okay, okay, we'll talk about it tomorrow!"
The call was short, and Liam 's tone shifted from impatience at the beginning to suppressed anger at the end. After hanging up, he didn't immediately cause me any more trouble; he just gave me a gloomy look, turned around, and went downstairs, probably to his study.
I rushed back to the bedroom and locked the door , even though I knew it was useless to him. I slid down onto the cold door, hugged my trembling body, and buried my face in my knees.
Tears finally streamed down her face, not for him, but for the five years of foolish devotion, for this hellish humiliation. Only one voice screamed wildly within her, holding her crumbling nerves together:
One more day. Brother, one more day.
I groped my way to the bedside and struggled to wrap myself in the blankets, as if that would shut me out all the filth and harm from the outside world. Exhausted in body and mind, my consciousness gradually blurred as I was torn between despair and hope.
However, just as sleepiness began to set in—
"Bang!"
The door was kicked open violently, the loud noise making my heart stop. Liam returned, ten times angrier than before, like a wild beast that had been completely enraged. He rushed to the bedside and ruthlessly ripped off my blanket, the icy air instantly enveloping my body, which was only dressed in a thin hospital gown.
“ Clara ! Do you really want to die?!” His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead. He grabbed me and dragged me up, pinching my chin to force me to look up at him. “You fucking went to tell my mother again! Huh? ‘ Liam brought a woman home to fool around and assaulted me’—you’re quite adept at sending text messages, aren’t you? Who are you trying to fool with this pitiful act? You’ll stop at nothing to secure your position as Mrs. Foster , it’s disgusting!”
I was stunned, completely unable to understand what he was saying: "I didn't..."
"No?!" He scoffed, not believing me at all. His gaze fell on my hospital gown, suddenly tinged with a cruel mockery. "Fine, didn't you want to marry into the Foster family ? Didn't you go to great lengths to get my attention? I'll grant your wish!"
