I'd been abused as a child, but in the end, the person who hurt me was the one who got locked away.
I'd told Joseph Gilbert all of it, and he'd told me he'd lived through something similar.
That was why, later, he turned ruthless toward others, and just as ruthless toward himself.
His work kept him buried, so ever since our daughter was born, I'd been the one raising her.
Just then, Joseph called.
“Honey, I might get back pretty late tomorrow. When Daisy gets out of school, wait for me, and we'll take her out together.”
“Okay.”
The moment I hung up, a message notification came in from Tyler.
“Letitia's mother is coming tomorrow, so I'll keep her company first. I'll go to the county clerk's office with you in the evening.”
Letitia's mother was coming, and Tyler had to stay by her side.
It was almost funny.
I didn't reply.
The next evening, I went to the kindergarten.
As luck would have it, the county clerk's office sat diagonally across the street.
I'd just gotten there and was waiting for Daisy to come out when I saw Letitia walking toward me, two people in tow.
Her face wore a cold sneer.
“Hilary, I never imagined you'd cling to Tyler this hard. Can't you see he doesn't like you at all? He spent the whole day with my mother today, and when she said she wanted him as a son-in-law, he agreed.”
“Even if he signs the papers with you today, it's only because he feels a little guilty toward you.”
“You'd better know your place and get lost, fast.”
The two behind her chimed in with their own jeers.
“Worthless trash. You actually think you can take Letitia's man? Take a good look at what you're worth.”
“If you really dare to sign those papers later, we guarantee we'll break your legs!”
I looked at Letitia calmly. “You're this frantic because you're afraid he'll actually marry me, aren't you? Sounds like you already know you were never more than a game to him.”
“What did you just say?!”
Letitia flew into a rage and grabbed me by the collar.
The two behind her got ready to hit me too.
At that moment, Tyler stepped out of a taxi.
The second she saw him, Letitia faked an injury and dropped to the ground.
The two of them shouted, “She's hitting people! She's hitting people!”
Tyler saw Letitia lying on the ground, his face tightening with alarm as he hurried over.
“What's going on here?!”
The two pointed at me. “Tyler, it was her. Letitia just came to offer her congratulations, and the second she saw Letitia, she straight-up started hitting her!”
Letitia clutched her chest, voice thick with tears.
“Tyler, what did I ever do wrong? Why does she hate me this much?”
“Just because I took her punishment for three years, does that mean she has to make me slave away for it the rest of my life?”
“My chest hurts so badly. That kick just now felt like it broke a bone!”
At her words, Tyler turned on me, seething.
“Hilary, I already agreed to come sign the papers with you. Why are you still this hostile toward Letitia?!”
“I let the first two times slide, but this time you actually laid hands on her, so don't blame me for not going easy on you!”
“Hold her down for me. I'll make her understand what happens when you push your luck!”
The two exchanged a smirk, their eyes gloating at my misfortune, then seized me hard.
Tyler helped Letitia up, watching me coldly.
“Letitia, however he hit you, hit him back the same way! And everything she disrespected you with before, all of it!”
Letitia said with feigned worry, “Maybe we shouldn't. If she signs the papers with you and then keeps me from seeing you again, I'll have nowhere left to cry.”
Tyler looked at me, his voice ice.
“Sign the papers? I gave her the chance and she couldn't hold on to it, so there'll be no signing!”
“Go ahead and hit her. If anything happens, I'll take the blame!”
“Then... then I'll do it.”
Letitia picked up a stick from the ground beside her and came toward me, smug,
The stick came down hard across my body.
In an instant, pain ripped through every inch of me.
"You're going to regret this!"
I fought to break free, but the two of them just slammed their feet into my legs.
Driving me down onto my knees in front of Letitia.
She grabbed a fistful of my hair and knocked me to the ground with a single slap.
The room spun so violently I couldn't get up again.
She leaned close to my ear, smug, and sneered, "Hilary, this is what you get for not listening."
Then she turned to Tyler, putting on a pitiful little face.
"Tyler, did I hit her too hard?"
Tyler's voice went soft. "Compared to what she did to you, this is nothing!"
Then he turned his cold eyes on me and spoke without a trace of feeling. "Hilary, you really don't know when you've been given a break. The fact that I even agreed to come is more than you deserve."
"You think anyone besides me would marry a cheap woman like you?"
I struggled to my feet, staring Tyler down.
He let out a cold laugh, ready to keep going.
At that moment the crowd began to shift, parting on its own to clear a path.
Joseph came through it, holding our daughter's hand, surrounded by his bodyguards.
The instant he saw me, battered head to toe, a killing menace flooded over him.
His gaze swept the whole scene. "Who hit my wife? Step forward, now!"
