Love is Wrong, Only Letting Go

For five years of marriage, every time Thomas and I were intimate, he would go off afterward to apologize to his "one true love."

I saw it all but never stopped him.

Then, at a family gathering, he showed up holding that woman’s hand. To prove his love for her, he publicly forced me to take a contraceptive pill.

That was the breaking point. For the first time, I, a filial daughter-in-law of the Rivers Family, stood up for myself.

"Let’s divorce. If you stay with me, you’ll be buying me pills for the rest of your life. My body can’t take it anymore."

My mother-in-law caught the meaning behind my words. She slapped him across the face and, in front of everyone, ordered him to go upstairs with me to “make a baby.”

But I never let him touch me again.

Part 1

Downstairs, lively atmosphere had returned.

Thomas came out of the shower reluctantly, tossed off his robe and waited for me on the bed.

“Cheryl, you must be thrilled right now,” he sneered.

I said nothing. Instead, I handed him the divorce papers.

“Sign these and you can go book hotel rooms with Jessica as openly as you like.”

His expression darkened as he snapped back, “I’ve always treated her like a sister. Don’t twist everything in your head to make it dirty.”

I gave a bitter smile.

“Thomas, do you really think I don’t know what you’ve been doing with your so-called ‘sister’?”

“Five years of marriage and every time you dreamed beside me, you called Jessica’s name. Even on our honeymoon, you ditched me halfway to go see her.”

Thomas froze for a couple of seconds, then decided to drop the pretense altogether.

“Yes, I love her. If it weren’t for all your pandering to my mother over the years, why on earth would I stoop to marrying some outdated girl from the countryside?”

Ten years of silent love, five years of marriage—I poured my heart and soul into serving the Rivers Family. I worked tirelessly, honored my in-laws and catered to Thomas’s every whim.

I thought he’d eventually feel something for me.

Clearly, I was wrong.

In his heart, there was only his first love, Jessica. To him, I was just a shallow, conniving woman after status.

“What scheme are you playing at now?”

Thomas’s grip tightened on the divorce papers. “I only brought Jess back to visit Grandma and you just had to stir up trouble in front of everyone to make my mom lose her temper. Just how badly do you want to bear my child?”

He was convinced that my call for divorce was a ruse—that my real goal was to have his child—and so he refused to sign.

The next morning, Thomas posted on social media, a photo of him and Jessica tangled together on a hotel loveseat.

Clear as day, I saw the faint rows of bite marks along his neck and the scattered bruises on Jessica’s smooth thigh.

They were trophies from a night of passion.

I was still staring, stunned, when my phone rang.

On the other end of the line, Thomas spoke with smug satisfaction. “Just as you wished, Jess and I didn’t use any protection this time. I promise the Rivers Family heir will arrive next year—just not from you.”

Part 2

Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, I stood in the blistering sun, waiting nearly three hours before Thomas finally arrived, arm wrapped around Jessica’s waist.

The first thing he said was a threat. “You asked for this divorce, so if my family questions it, you’d better take the blame.”

I looked at his handsome face, feeling nothing for him anymore.

“I’ll talk to your mother. I’ll tell her we split amicably because of personality differences.”

“No, that won’t work.”

Following his gaze, I saw the woman sitting comfortably in the café across the street. It all made sense now.