Leaving Behind My Nine-Year Marriage

On the night of our ninth wedding anniversary, my husband, Michael Hudson, brought his pregnant secretary home.

With a breezy tone, he laid out a few instructions, like he was discussing the weather.

“Daniela is picky with food. From now on, every meal needs to be different.”

“She’s timid and can’t sleep alone, so pack your things and move to the guest room.”

Without bothering to respond, I picked up the suitcase I had already prepared and walked calmly toward the door.

The housekeeper tried to stop me, but Michael let out a cold laugh.

“Let her throw her little tantrum. She’ll come crawling back in less than three days anyway.”

The moment he said it, the room erupted in laughter.

Right in front of me, they placed a two-million bet—betting I wouldn't even make it through the night before begging Michael to let me back in like a pathetic little lapdog.

But what they didn’t know was that a Maybach was already waiting for me outside.

This time, I was truly leaving.

——

Just as I stepped past the villa doors, Michael called out behind me.

“Ashlyn, leave your safety bracelet. Daniela’s been having nightmares lately, and she needs it more than you do.”

My body went stiff.

That bracelet was the only thing my parents left me.

As I faced him, Michael saw the redness in my eyes but remained indifferent.

“Name your price,” he said.

How much could nine years of groveling in a loveless marriage possibly be worth?

I didn’t bother calculating.

All I could remember was what happened the last time I refused to give Daniela my ski goggles—Michael stripped me bare and left me alone on the mountainside in the freezing cold.

Inhaling sharply, I unclasped the bracelet and placed it around Daniela’s wrist.

Then I told her gently, “May the child in your womb be safe and sound.”

Hearing that, Michael surprisingly offered me a sliver of dignity.

“Ashlyn, as long as you behave, my child will be your child too.”

The moment he finished speaking, the bracelet on Daniela’s wrist suddenly slipped and shattered on the floor.

A shard grazed her leg, drawing blood.

Michael rushed to scoop her into his arms, holding her like a fragile princess.

He barked at the housekeeper to call the family doctor.

The urgency in his voice made everyone look at me with mocking eyes.

And honestly, I found it laughable as well.

Last night, when I had a heart attack, Michael was on his way out to stargaze with Daniela.

Even as I collapsed, frothing at the mouth, he didn’t flinch—just stepped right over me.

Before I blacked out, I heard him tell the housekeeper, “Disinfect the whole living room. Daniela is coming home tomorrow, I don’t want her to smell anything foul.”

Gripping the handle of my suitcase, I turned to leave again.

But he grabbed my wrist, staring at me coldly. “Apologize.”

“Wha—”

Before I could even speak, he yanked me down, forcing me to kneel in front of Daniela.

My knees scraped against the shards of jade, leaving blood stains on the pale floor.

Seeing the mess, Michael released me with a look of disgust.

“You broke her bracelet on purpose and injured her. Don’t you think an apology is the least you owe her?”

Since marrying Michael, “I’m sorry” had become my most-used phrase.

The soup I cooked was too bland, so I apologized.

Worried that he might feel uncomfortable after drinking, I sent him a message, disrupting his peace. I apologized again.

I stumbled upon a text from Daniela, inviting him to a hotel. And once more, I found myself saying, "I'm truly sorry for invading your privacy..."

With blood in my mouth and pain in my bones, I straightened up, resigned.

Bowing 180 degrees to Daniela, I offered three deep apologies.

Then I looked at Michael with cold, empty eyes.

“Is that enough?” I quietly asked.

His chest rose sharply, eyes fixed on the blood at the corner of my lips.

“Ashlyn,” he sneered, “Your precious old man isn't here to protect you anymore. Who are you pretending to be so pitiful for?”

Before I could answer, the family doctor arrived.

Brushing past me like I didn’t exist, Michael led him straight to Daniela’s side.