Chapter 3

Kayla was incredibly tiny at two months old.

I was in such poor health that I couldn't even produce any breast milk. I had no choice but to feed Kayla formula.

The better ones cost around three to four hundred dollars, and I couldn't afford them. I had no choice but to start selling at the market again.

That day, it was unusually humid. I placed Kayla in a stroller, soothing her while trying to sell phone cases to passersby.

A wave of dizziness hit me, and my vision went black. I collapsed to the ground right away.

I thought it was just like before. I had low blood sugar again, and I would be back on my feet soon enough.

But when I came to, I found myself in the hospital. The doctor looked over my test results, his expression grim.

"You're extremely malnourished, and you have pretty bad anemia. And you actually brought your baby with you to work? She's only two months old. Seriously?

"Where's your husband? Doesn't he care about you? Or even your baby?"

I turned to look beside me. Kayla lay there quietly, looking so small and frail. I could still see the tear stains on her face. I couldn't bear to imagine how long she had been crying, frightened and all alone.

All the pain and resentment I had kept bottled up finally erupted.

I covered my face and sobbed. "It's all my fault. I was so blind. How could I have married a man like him? I shouldn't have trusted him. I hate him so much!"

The doctor let out a sigh. He quietly reassured me before leaving the hospital room.

After I had cried myself out, I opened Instagram and saw Taylor's latest post. She and Vincent were at a high-end restaurant, with caviar, king crab, and a bottle of red wine with a name I couldn't even pronounce.

The caption was, "The best feeling is knowing someone wants to give you everything they can."

I knew that restaurant. Dining there cost around ten thousand dollars per person.

I looked down at Kayla, whose clothes didn't even fit her properly. I couldn't even describe what I was feeling.

I wasn't actually jealous of Taylor. She had done so much for me, and now that things were going well for her and Vincent, I should be happy for her.

Suddenly, I felt like a complete mess.

I picked up my phone and typed out a message. "Edmund, let's get a divorce."

After sending the text, I turned off my phone.

…

That night, I was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening. A tall figure stood in the doorway.

I couldn't believe it. Edmund was back. His coat was badly wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot. Clearly, he had hurried home in the middle of the night.

He stood beside the hospital bed, massaging his temples wearily.

"Britney, you…"

Before he could even finish speaking, he took a good look at my face and stopped. "How did you end up losing so much weight?"

At the moment, I weighed only 92 pounds. My cheeks were sunken, and the hospital gown hung loosely off my body.

I stared at him calmly. "I don't even have enough money to feed myself. Of course, I'd lose weight."

Edmund's brows furrowed instantly. "I thought Taylor's been cooking for you. If you wanted something, you could've just asked her to get it for you."

I couldn't help but sneer. "Sure. All you do is order Taylor around. The money you give isn't even enough for groceries."

Edmund's expression darkened. "I can't give you a luxurious lifestyle. You're angry at me for that, and I get it.

"But for the past year, I've been working hard to make more money. Have I ever said no when you asked me for money?"

I stared at Edmund, unable to believe what I was hearing. "So, are you saying I should thank you? Thanks for not letting Kayla and me starve to death?"

"Do you have to be so sarcastic?"

Edmund was clearly trying to keep his temper in check. "No matter how you put it, you still think I haven't been giving you enough money, right?

"But don't you know how fast you're blowing through the money? For the past year, I've been working day and night.

"I even postponed coming home so I could make more money. I didn't want you to struggle!"

I stared at Edmund coldly, unmoved by his explanation. I was completely disappointed in him and didn't want to hear any of his excuses.

All I knew was that if Edmund truly loved me, he would have been willing to spend money on me.

"Edmund, let's get a divorce."

Edmund finally lost it. He immediately punched the wall. "Britney, is money all that matters to you? If you really wanted a rich husband, why did you even choose to marry me in the first place?"

With that, he gritted his teeth. His eyes were red as he forced the words out. "Fine. Let's get a divorce.

"I give you two million dollars a year for your living expenses, and you can't even say something nice about that? I'm sick of living like this!"

I froze. "Two million dollars? But I only get 800 dollars a month."