My Wife’s Masterpiece

At the butcher stall that reeked of meat, I caught the scent of a familiar perfume. “Pete, it’s been a while!”She was wearing expensive clothes with a full face of make-up as she appeared before me. I was not affected at all. I treated her like all other customers. I asked, “It’s three dollars per pound for pork and five dollars per pound for ribs. What do you want?” She frowned as her gaze became conflicted. Looking at my dirty clothes, she said guiltily, “You’ve been raising Poppy alone all these years. It must have been tough on you.” I said indifferently, “Poppy’s dead.” I thought that I would burst into tears when I mentioned my daughter’s death, but I did not. I only felt a coldness in my empty heart. Bella Anderson’s eyes widened in shock. “When did that happen?” “Three months after my wife died.” She teared up immediately. She wanted to touch my hand, but then stopped and clenched it into a fist. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault! “I didn’t have a choice

I rushed forward in fury and separated them. Bella fell to her knees before me. Her entire body was covered in hickies. She said she was drugged by her competitor, and she did not have a choice when she slept with Carlson. When I looked at her tear-streaked face, I chose to forgive her. However, I set a condition. I wanted her to fire Carlson. Bella looked a little hesitant when she heard that. I immediately felt that there was something more to their relationship. When I pressed her further, I found out that Carlson had been Bella’s neighbor back in her hometown. “He was just a neighbor. I can give him some money so that he can live a decent life.”Even though I had set a boundary, Bella chose to keep Carlson. She told me that when she was younger, her family had tried to sell her off. She snuck out and accidentally fell off a cliff. Carlson was the one who had saved her. “He saved me and took me to the highway. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve been sold in marriag

I looked at Carlson. “You know about that?”For a thousand dollars, I had picked rubbish and set up my own breakfast stall, but I still could not pay the medical bills. I had done everything I could think of.Bella avoided my gaze and picked up the bank card in frustration. “I didn’t know that you were doing that to treat Poppy’s illness. If I had known, I would’ve definitely—”“I bought all the photo evidence. Don’t worry, none of it was leaked.” After she said that, Carlson took a stack of photos from his bag. The photos were about the same size as his palm. All those photos were a reminder of my humiliating past. “Professor Taylor, we spent more than three million dollars on these.“You should thank us for that.”My fingernails dug into my palm. Carlson flung the photos into the air, and they floated to the floor. A few photos fell next to me. I saw my humiliated face as I begged. Someone picked up the photos and glanced at me. “Wow, all these rich people have

The next morning, Carlson appeared before the butcher shop. He was wearing the same clothes that I had worn when I first met him. “How does it feel to switch identities, Professor Taylor?”I laughed indifferently. “You’re wearing a light blue suit that’s worth two hundred and nine thousand dollars. That suit is so outdated.”Carlson’s expression changed, and he looked at me hatefully. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re planning to marry Bella again!“I’m telling you! Give up on that idea! She’s not someone you can be with anymore!”He slammed a card on the table and stared at me arrogantly. “Don’t you want some compensation? Here’s eight million dollars. Take it and leave!“If you dare to appear before Bella and me, I won’t hold back!”I did not take the card. I stared coldly at him. “I didn’t think you’d still be this shallow after so many years. You broke someone else’s marriage for money in the past. You have enough money now. Do you think you can really stop her

I laughed and shook my head. “Is it because I’m poor now? Don’t worry. I’ll earn the money back. Just give me one more chance…”“I never looked down on you.“I always believed in you. I knew you’d make something of yourself even before your success.“What got me through my hardest point in my life was my love for you and your love for me.”Bella looked like she was overwhelmed with regret. She covered her face and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I only knew how precious your love was after I lost you.”I wiped the family portrait on the counter. It was our family portrait, but I had cut Bella out. In the picture, Poppy looked at Bella and me lovingly.I asked, “Do you know what Poppy’s last words were?”She looked up at me and asked in a trembling voice, “What?” “She told me to stop crying. She said that you were in heaven waiting for her, and she wasn’t afraid.“Bella, you know I wish you were actually dead.”Bella immediately teared up. She opened her mouth but co