Chapter 4

I found a cheap motel to stay in.

The next day, I heard a series of knocks on my door.

Two military soldiers stood in the hallway. Their backs were ramrod straight, and they carried themselves with cold and tough demeanors.

One of the soldiers nodded at me and politely asked, "Pardon me, are you Ms. Wendy Lawrence? Commander Jetson told us to inform you to meet him at the entrance of the courthouse at 11:00 am."

I breathed a sigh of relief. The heavy weight on my shoulders disappeared.

…

Charlie and I agreed to meet at 8:00 am to file the divorce.

I waited at the entrance of the courthouse.

Charlie was late. Savannah was with him when he finally showed up.

The two of them were dressed in bright and vibrant colors as if they were going to get married in the next second.

Charlie was worried that I would cause a fuss. But he realized that he had nothing to worry about when he noticed that I was very cooperative throughout the entire process.

Suddenly, a man dashed toward us and whispered in Charlie's ear.

His face twisted before he glared daggers at me.

"They're saying that you reported the factory, Wendy! It's been shut down by the Internal Revenue Bureau!" he exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind?"

I ignored him as I left.

However, a pair of large hands clamped around my throat in the next second.

My neck throbbed painfully. Black spots exploded in my vision as I began to suffocate. My face began to turn purple from lack of oxygen.

Just then, my throat began to itch terribly.

In the next second, fresh blood spurted from my mouth.

My blood splattered on Charlie's hands, causing his eyes to widen. He immediately loosened his hold on me and exclaimed, "Wendy… You… Why are you vomiting blood?"

The people in the courthouse shrieked when they saw the blood.

Blood pooled in my mouth. I braced my hands against the floor and pushed myself back on my feet. I barked out a bitter laugh, saying, "I already told you… I have a terminal illness."

Charlie finally started to panic upon hearing my words.

Meanwhile, Savannah's eyes flashed darkly before she let out a shaky gasp.

"Why would you lie to Charlie, Wendy?" she asked. "The hospital never would have agreed to you signing the transplant consent form if you had a terminal illness."

She grabbed Charlie and continued to plant the seeds of doubt in his mind. "What if Wendy is just putting on an act because she doesn't want to get divorced, Charlie?"

Charlie's temper exploded when he heard her words.

"I nearly fell for your lies, Wendy. Well, I'm curious to see just how long you'll survive if you're so fond of pretending to have a terminal illness!"

He aimed a powerful kick at my abdomen, causing me to crash into the wall.

The stitches on my abdomen split open again, revealing the flesh beneath the skin. Blood stained my sweater red in an instant.

I curled up on the floor and looked around, hoping to see Joshua.

However, Charlie kicked my abdomen again in the next second with his leather shoes. The pain was excruciating.

Charlie looked down at me from the tip of his nose. His eyes were full of mockery when he said, "I didn't know that you're such a good actress, Wendy. Where did you get your hands on so much fake blood?"

My soul felt like it was being torn in two. The pain robbed me of my ability to speak and explain myself.

"Stop!"

Two sets of panicked voices resounded from the front door.

The two soldiers from earlier that morning burst into the courthouse. They wore cold and serious expressions as they stood before me, shielding me behind them.

"This woman is Commander Jetson's wife! How dare you lay your hands on her?"

Charlie burst out laughing upon hearing their words.

"The script has to make sense if you want to put on a show, Wendy." He sneered. "Why would Commander Jetson play along with your little scheme? Don't tell me you were hoping that these two thugs would come to your aid earlier?"

Charlie's eyes were full of disdain as he looked down at me.

"You bitch! How dare you seduce other men when you were still married to me? Someone! Get a reporter over here and snap a few photos of her. I want everyone in the country to know that you're a promiscuous slut! How shameless can you possibly be?"

He then reached out to me, wanting to tear my clothes to shreds.

A wave of humiliation crashed over me.

However, an intimidating voice cut through the air at that moment.

"Who dares lay a hand on my woman?"