The Cursed Tie

I walked home from the cafe in a daze and found my husband and mother packing their things.When they saw me, their expressions were cold. They treated me like I was invisible.I took a deep breath and grabbed their hands, begging, "Rick, Mom, even if I did something wrong, please just tell me what it is."I don't understand why everyone's attitude towards me changed because of a tie."Even you two, the people closest to me in this world, are treating me like this."I'm begging you. Even if you're leaving, at least give me an answer before you go."My husband, Rick Archer, ignored me and coldly shook off my hand."Bella, do you really not understand, or have you been pretending this whole time?"I think you're rotten to the core. Even the worst people wouldn't do something like this to me! I'm starting to hate you!"You don't deserve to be called human!"My neck felt like it was about to snap. Hearing the person I once loved most accuse me like this, I could not help but defe

"It’s because…"You bought the tie."In an instant, all my hope crumbled.The doctor’s answer was useless. I almost wanted to punch him. However, he was the only person in this strange world who had not turned on me after I said those words.I swallowed my anger and dropped to my knees. "If you're not going to turn on me over this, then you must know the real answer."Please, I'll pay anything. Just tell me the truth. You can have everything I own!"The doctor sighed and helped me to my feet. His tone was impossibly calm."That is the only answer. You don't understand now, but one day you will."I can't say any more. Go home and rest."With that, he pushed me out of the office. The moment the door closed behind me, I felt like I finally understood a little bit of what he meant.The next day, after dropping my son off at school, I went to work as usual.My coworkers had always been friendly with me, but when I pulled out a photo of my son wearing the tie and told them I had b

On the day Rick and I were supposed to finalize our divorce, I did not go straight to the courthouse. Instead, I brought him to the cafe where we used to go on dates.I ordered his favorite latte, just the way he liked it.He stared at the coffee when it arrived, his attitude still cold."Don't think bringing me here is going to make me change my mind about the divorce."I've already decided. No matter what you say, I'm going through with it. And I'm going to fight for custody of Liam!"I can't even imagine what he'll go through if he stays with a heartless mother like you!"I did not interrupt. After he finished, I calmly took a sip of my coffee.My tone was measured. "We used to love each other. Liam is the product of that love."Even when I did something that upset you in the past, you would talk to me about it. You never gave me the silent treatment like this."I really wanted to understand what I could have done to make you hate me this much."But now, I truly understand

The viewers waiting for an answer suddenly felt the same way I had when I talked to the psychiatrist, as if they were being played.[Wait, I've been waiting all this time for that answer?][I think this streamer needs to see a shrink. She's clearly not right in the head.][If you can't come up with something better, just don't make things up. Do you think we're idiots?]I smiled at the flood of mockery on the screen."Maybe this answer sounds too strange, but it really is the only answer."I was attacked, insulted, and nearly driven to death because I bought my son that tie."But more importantly, while I was investigating the truth, I stumbled onto something else."My husband, whom I’ve been with for fifteen years, ten of which we were married for, has been cheating on me since the beginning of our marriage."The comment section exploded.[Wait, what kind of plot twist is this?][Can you stop dodging the question? What does this have to do with everyone hating you?]I was

The investigation report was a human experimentation log.Anyone who owned an Arclight device was implanted with a microscopic chip the moment they touched it. The chip was nearly invisible to the naked eye.Its function was simple. It made the implanted person carry out a command without question once they received the instruction.That one command would be enough to make the implanted idea impossible to remove. It was terrifying.What was even more terrifying was that the person behind this project was my ex-husband, Rick, a computer engineer.When he was designing the chip system, he used me buying a tie for my son as the test command.The result was that anyone with the chip would develop a deep-seated hatred for me and believe I was a monster who abused my child.In his supplementary command, he had programmed in a detail that the tie was what they made boys wear on Devil's Island.They would force boys to wear it before they used them. Thus, I went from being a mother dre