Hearts Beyond Redemption

My stomach churned violently as I dry heaved several times, but nothing came out. Raymond Quinn heard the noise and impatiently knocked on the door. "What's wrong with you now? Stop pretending already! Hurry up and make dinner!"I stared at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, my lips were cracked, and my eyes were sunken. I would never forget the cold water in the well and that suffocating despair.In my previous life, Raymond constantly supported his first love, Victoria Langford, who lived next door. He pitied her for being recently widowed and considered her needs in everything.Although we argued frequently, I still thought my husband was simply being kind-hearted. That was until our son starved to death at home while my husband tenderly cared for Victoria and her child next door.That was when I completely lost hope in our marriage. I never expected god to allow me to return to this moment.I opened the door to find him holding the dried spaghetti noodles, preparing to le

Raymond bought Victoria a designer bag but gave me an ordinary canvas one. I was foolish before, blind to his clumsy lies. Now, I saw clearly that everything was disgustingly perfunctory.I said nothing, and he assumed I had calmed down.In the past, I would have rushed to question him about why he was so good to Victoria."You gave Vicky attitude earlier, but she's a kind woman and didn't get angry," he said. After a pause, he added, "You should go do her laundry soon. Her pregnancy has been unstable these past few days, and she got some blood on her pants."Indeed, his 'kindness' always came with an agenda. How could he say such revolting things with a straight face?I coldly refused, "No."He froze, apparently surprised by my refusal. No matter how unwilling I was before, I would eventually obey him."Minnie, what do you mean?" His tone grew harder."Exactly what I said. Raymond, let's get a divorce."Raymond was stunned, then he looked at me as if I were insane. "Have you

I could not accept this fate! Just as I was about to surrender, a clear voice broke through the desperate silence."Doctor, we found the patient's husband! He's in Ward 302 with another pregnant woman.""What?" The doctor raised his voice in disbelief."His wife is in critical condition, and he's keeping another woman company? This is outrageous!"I couldn't make out what came next as another wave of intense pain hit me, and I lost consciousness completely. When I awoke again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed, utterly drained.The ward was empty. A moment later, the door opened, and Raymond walked in. He carried an insulated container, his face showing a trace of fatigue. "You're awake? How are you feeling?"I stared at him coldly, saying nothing.He placed the container on the bedside table and removed the lid. The aroma of chicken noodle soup wafted out."I made chicken noodle soup. You should drink it while it's hot."It was barely chicken noodle soup—just clear b

"You're a woman too. Can't you be more understanding?" Raymond said.I had spent three days bedridden after my miscarriage, and he had not visited once. He even moved Victoria into our home and now wanted me to be understanding of this homewrecker who caused my miscarriage."Fine. Since it has come to this, let's get divorced right now."Victoria's eyes reddened as she pretended to be on the verge of tears. "Minnie, don't be angry. I'll leave right away. I have my pride too."I grabbed the vase from the table and smashed it violently on the floor. "Shut up! You two are disgusting!"Raymond carefully cradled Victoria, checking to ensure the ceramic shards did not cut her.Finding Victoria unharmed, he shouted furiously at me, "Have you lost your mind? Vicky's pregnant! Fine! Let's get divorced now! You're just a country bumpkin. Let's see what kind of life you'll have after the divorce!"Victoria covered her mouth and laughed softly in his arms, her eyes full of mockery.The div

Victoria clung to Raymond's arm with the air of a victor. "Minnie, if you really like living here, I could have Ray find you a temporary job at a chain store. Working there would be better than at some individually-owned shop, wouldn't it?"I gave her a sideways glance and said, "My current job is quite good. The salary is much higher than before."Victoria's expression froze. Clearly, she had not expected this response. She looked at my clothes again, and there was a flash of envy in her eyes."Your clothes... are quite fashionable."I replied casually, "Of course. I wear only the latest styles."Victoria bit her lip, unwilling to back down. "Hmph, it's just cheap clothing. What's so special about it?"I deliberately looked them up and down, my gaze lingering on Victoria's worn-out high heels and then over Raymond's faded, washed-out shirt. My tone carried a hint of mockery as I said, "Better than some people who can't afford a single item. Life seems rather difficult, doesn't i