A New Beginning

“Tess, go and get Claire some clothes.”James Tennant, my husband, sat shirtless on the bed, lighting a cigarette as he ordered me around.Clothes were scattered all over the floor, evidence of what had happened the night before. I stood still, not moving, and simply glanced at him.Wrapped in a blanket, Claire Fisher beamed at me. “Mr. Tennant, isn’t this a little inappropriate? After all, she’s Mrs. Tennant.”She said “Mrs. Tennant” so casually, without a shred of guilt. Instead, her tone carried nothing but pride and provocation.The blanket slipped down her shoulder as she moved, revealing skin covered in red marks.“Besides, I doubt Mrs. Tennant has anything in her closet that would fit me.”With that, Claire deliberately pressed her upper body against James’s arm, giggling. “She’s nothing like me. Ha!”Expressionless, I turned and walked toward the door.“Tess! I was talking to you!” His voice came from behind, laced with irritation.I paused for a second but didn’t loo

He scooped Claire into his arms and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll take you to the hospital.”Leaning against his chest, Claire cried pitifully, “Will it leave a scar? How am I supposed to face anyone after this?”“It won’t. I’ll take you to the best doctor right away.” He comforted her in a low voice and walked out without a single glance back, leaving me behind, battered and covered in blood.I forced myself to endure the pain as I went to the private hospital I usually visited.Just as the doctor was about to clean my wounds, James rushed in and pulled away the anesthesiologist.“Quick! Claire’s in so much pain. Get her some anesthesia immediately!”“But this lady–”It was only then that James seemed to notice me. He frowned and was about to speak when I said calmly, “It’s fine. Go ahead.”The doctor hesitated but eventually followed him out the door.I turned to the other doctor beside me. “Just remove the glass shards.”The doctor froze. “But without anesthesia, it’ll hur

Maybe he had never been treated like that before, but slowly, the calls stopped. The messages also went silent. At last, I could start adjusting to a new life.At first, it felt strange being in an unfamiliar place and a brand-new job all by myself. However, little by little, I realized I could actually find joy in it.Life began to feel meaningful and purposeful again. The part of me that had been suppressed for years was finally breaking free. Sometimes, though, my thoughts would drift back to the past, to those unforgettable moments that had carved themselves into my heart.Whenever those emotions surfaced, Liam was quick to notice. He always found excuses to make me laugh, or he would drag me into trying something new and exciting. Gradually, I began to adapt. I stopped letting the past hold me down.One day, the woman I considered my second mother, Ms. Grey—the director of the orphanage—phoned me.Her voice was still as gentle as ever. “Tess, how have you been lately?”“I’m

“At the time, I was too cold and too full of myself. Now, I realize you’re the one who’s truly worth cherishing.”I looked at him coldly, saying nothing.He sighed, seeming a little lost, and continued, “I’ve taken care of everything from the past. Claire isn’t a problem anymore. I hope… you’ll give me a chance to start over.”I raised an eyebrow slightly, my tone indifferent as I asked, “Start over?”“Yes.” He nodded eagerly.“If you like your work now, you can stay abroad. But if you want to come back, I can help you start a company and do whatever you want. I just hope…”He paused, then added, “We never had a proper wedding. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll throw a grand wedding and make sure everyone knows you exist. This time, everything is up to you.”He sounded sincere and desperate, but to me, it was absurd. I didn’t even want to listen anymore, so I turned to leave.He reached out to stop me. “Tess, listen–”At that moment, Liam walked by and immediately stepped in betwee

Her words were all over the place, clearly showing she had completely lost control.I knew I couldn’t confront someone who had lost their mind head-on, so the only option was to keep her calm.“Claire, calm down,” I said softly, trying to make my voice sound as gentle and harmless as possible. “I know you’re upset, but put down the knife and we can talk this through.”She sneered instead, gripping the knife even tighter. Her eyes burned with an uncontrollable madness.“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. Today is the day you die!”With that, she lunged at me with the knife.My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively stepped back, but she forced me into a corner with no way out.Just as the knife was about to strike, a figure suddenly leapt in, shielding me. The blade, carried by its momentum, slashed hard across the person’s arm.I heard a muffled grunt and looked up, only to see James standing there in front of me. His face was pale, and cold sweat was running down hi