Love Signed Away the One Hundredth Time

As I signed the divorce agreement, Craig Kennedy's triumphant smirk froze.He snatched it, his hand gripping my throat with near-mad intensity. "What game are you playing now? Don't forget that you climbed into my bed. Used every trick to force me into marriage. Why act so noble now? You humiliate yourself all for money, don't you?"Each word was sharper, more vicious than the last. For three years, he'd hurled these accusations, shaming me, as if I'd stooped so low to win him.I used to cry, insisting it wasn't true.Every day for three years, I explained, hoping he'd see my sincerity. But now, my heart was a barren wasteland. His belief or disbelief no longer mattered.Watching him rage, I felt only bone-deep exhaustion. A heaviness seeped into my marrow, whispering that death might be a relief."Speak! How dare you look at me like that? You're the one who betrayed me!" Craig's voice cracked with fury, bringing me back to reality.When his tirade subsided, I slowly lifted my h

Penniless, I walked barefoot from the hillside down the city. By the time I reached a park, my feet were raw, blood seeping from torn skin.With the pen I'd used to sign the divorce agreement, I borrowed paper from passersby and sat on the steps, quietly sketching the scenery. The tranquility felt like a return to the days before I married Craig.I laid my small, delicate drawings on the ground. A young girl crouched before me. "Miss, your feet are bleeding. Doesn't it hurt?"I glanced down. The long walk had mangled my soles, but I felt nothing. The heart's pain had drowned out that of the body.Not wanting to frighten her, I tucked my feet away and smiled. "It doesn't hurt."She tilted her head, pulling a crumpled ten-dollar bill from her pocket. "Miss, this is all I have. Can I buy one of your drawings? They're beautiful, like something my old friend would make."Her grown-up tone made me smile. A little girl like her couldn't have any old friends."If you like them, take the

Craig waited a day and night, calling endlessly, but I never responded.Instead, he received the contract that destroyed the Moore Group, stained with my parents' blood.The terms were brutal, causing a cold sweat to break out.My parents had 24 hours to raise 500 million dollars, or lose their core technology and assets. For Craig, it was just a number. For the recovering Moore Group, it was impossible.My signature marked the agreement, and the counterparty bore the Kennedy Group's seal.Craig didn't recall ever authorizing such a document. He'd hindered the Moore Group but always aimed to help them recover. In time, they'd have thrived.He had no idea what had gone wrong."The Moore assets are liquidated, their company dissolved," a subordinate reported."Find her!" Craig's fingers crumbled the contract. "Whatever it takes, bring Michele back."He rushed upstairs, hoping I'd be hiding as I once did, but my room was empty, save for my phone on the table. His voicemails becam

"Sir, even killing them won't change a thing," Mervin said bluntly. "Without your indulgence, they wouldn't have dared touch Mrs. Kennedy."He'd witnessed my humiliation and tried to intervene, but they'd used Craig's name. Craig's leniency made them fearless."You resented her for toying with your heart," Mervin continued. "But you never investigated what happened. She didn't know the wine was drugged. After you passed out, she fought back but was knocked unconscious and injected with an aphrodisiac. You never gave her a chance to explain. If your grandfather knew how you let emotions blind you, he'd be heartbroken. Think about it."Mervin left, closing the door.Alone, Craig's face was ghostly pale. He'd refused to listen, convinced I'd betrayed him. His stubbornness caused his loss.His trembling hands opened his laptop. My social media account, still pinned, stared back.The degrading posts he'd forced me to share were gone, but the hateful comments had grown. Screenshots of

Knowing he was gone, I was finally relieved.His problem was not my concern. I didn't care about the Kennedys' fate.A month later, I was celebrating a successful exhibition with Jedediah when my phone buzzed with Craig's long message.He admitted his wrongs, acknowledged my suffering, and explained his actions stemmed from fear of losing me. Looking back, he called them laughable.At the end of it, he pleaded for my forgiveness.[I won't bother you again. I just hope you're happy and don't hate me.]I read calmly, typing: [Our bond is dead. The past is water under the bridge.]Sending it, I exhaled deeply.I'd never forgive him. His best apology was staying out of my life.Craig read my reply, collapsing into his chair. His phone slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.The pain in his heart wasn't an illness. It was his penance.After a long time, he came to his senses and opened the drawer stuffed with divorce agreements.The top one, my final signature taped hap