Share

Chapter 2

Penulis: Queue
I was just pregnant for a month, and the abortion procedure was painless and quicker than I thought.

It was only then that I remembered adding Sean's number in the next-of-kin section the last time I came for a checkup—the hospital might inform him that I came for an abortion!

As such, my heart skipped a beat as several voice messages came all at once.

"What is this text I received?! You were just fine in the morning, and now you're sending me lies?!

"I know you're upset about the wedding being cancelled, but you didn't have to go that far."

The endless blaming and lecturing left my eyes welling up with painful tears.

I had learnt his family's rules and housework, taking good care of his family just to deserve him.

But in his mind, I was always at fault.

When I returned home exhausted, he was already sitting on the living room couch, clearly having waited for some time.

However, I demanded before he could, "What's the deal with the party? Is a wedding something you can cancel whenever you like?"

Seeing that my eyes were puffy from crying, Sean immediately apologized, "You knew? Just calm down and listen."

"The hall and the luncheon had been booked and couldn't be refunded, so I thought we could just change the occasion."

Breathing a long sigh, he continued exasperatedly, "The child is mine, but I have no feelings for Sally at all. She wanted a child but didn't want marriage. So I helped her. After that, she went abroad.

"I wouldn't even know that she returned with the baby if she didn't text me last week."

That was when Sean smiled, putting a hand around my shoulder while caressing my belly, "Don't worry. You're the only one for me—we will have our marriage registered soon."

My ears were left ringing while bile churned in my gut.

Those sweet words used to be music to my ears, but it only left me sick now.

Sean watched me as I quickly picked up a bucket to retch, and brought a box of candies, smiling, "Morning sickness, I take it? I bought you some fruit candy—open wide, here's a lemon gummy."

The sourness couldn't clear off the bitter taste in my mouth, however.

That night, I couldn't sleep even though I kept my eyes closed.

Sean seemed to think that I was asleep, and went to his parents' bedroom.

I quietly followed and leaned against the door, and heard him say, "Sally was alone abroad when she got pregnant, and took care of him on her own. I can't just let her suffer out there alone."

His parents were beaming and nodded repeatedly at his words.

"Oh, Sally's much more mature than Rachel, not to mention that she's not greedy and always obedient.

"Once the child is a year old, let's buy her a house for her to settle down. She raised your child all on her own—she worked really hard."

My molars were gnashing so hard they almost broke, as I could never forget the last two years that had been sheer agony.

My parents were asking for 400 grand for the wedding, but the Wickhams refused and would only agree to give 40 grand, and that money was supposed to be used for Sean only on top of that.

The Wickhams were not rich, but his parents both taught at universities, and the money wouldn't have been issued for them.

I even got into a big fight with Sean on top of that, and our relationship had been on the brink while our wedding kept getting postponed.

Even when my parents died, they never got to see me marry.

My friends envied me for marrying into a scholarly family, but they wouldn't know the pain I had lived through.
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi

Bab terbaru

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 10

    Over the last few months, Sean had been running from the cops.He was living under bridges, scavenging dumpsters for food and drinking from the ditches, afraid to even show up at the hospital to visit his parents.There was nothing resembling his old self, just as there wasn't a part of his face that looked clean.As he crawled out of the bushes, keeping his distance fearfully, he sniffled softly, "Please, Rachel. I really understand that I've made a mistake now, and that I know there's no making things right after what I've done."I'm relieved to see that you're fine… You won't ever see me again, don't worry."I ignored him, while he slowly wobbled past me, ultimately breaking into tears.Just as I was going to hail a cab to leave the graveyard, an ambulance bounded past me.As several pedestrians were standing by the junction and clamoring, I went for a closer look out of curiosity."I heard that a man dumped his wife, and when she found him again along with their child, he p

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 9

    Later on, Sally took her child to the Wickhams' neighborhood and caused a scene, accusing Sean of abandoning his wife and child, even refusing to pay alimony.Under the blazing sun, she cried herself hoarse. "That family deceived me, taking my virginity and my money! And Sean Wickham himself divorced me as soon as I had his child, and he refused to give me a cent!"That's not all—he assaulted me when I asked for money! Please, if there's anyone listening, you have to stand up against this injustice!" She was dressed plainly and standing there in the middle of summer, her son barely breathing under the baking sun.Still, many neighbors sympathized, and soon word of Sean's behavior spread like wildfire.Soon, the neighbors were all treating Sean and his parents with utter contempt."We've been teachers for decades and we have a reputation to maintain! We can't just let her slander us like this!"Their honor besmirched, Sean's parents hanged themselves in their desperation, and ne

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 8

    Before Sean's mother could keep snapping at me, I hung up without hesitation and blocked the number.Later on, I traveled to town for an agricultural workshop on a weekend, and it was past midnight when I got home.The village street was dimly lit, and the occasional dog bark would leave me terrified.That was when I heard a rush of footsteps behind me, and it was getting closer!My heart was pounding even as my nose picked up the pungent scent of alcohol, and at the very next instant, I felt a large pair of arms wrapping firmly around me.He wasn't letting me go, and kept mumbling, "I missed you so much, darling. Come home with me, okay? I swear I won't ever see Sally anymore."I don't blame you for getting an abortion. We will have more children from now on…"Realizing struggling won't work, I screamed on top of my lungs, "Let me go!!! Help!!! Somebody help!!!"It was a quiet night—upon hearing my voice, the neighbors all scrambled outside, hoes and shovels in hand as they wh

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 7

    Just seeing Sean looking like he was compromising left me furious.I had done the exact same thing, prostrating myself and begging him to formalize our wedding when my parents were about to die.Their last wish was for me to marry, but he kept postponing time after time—even when I begged, he never relented and even treated me like a joke.And now he wanted forgiveness? Too late!Scoffing, I told him, "I should thank you for losing interest in me, so that I could see your true nature—self-centered, and full of lies. I really have been blind all these years."Now get away from me this instant—don't let me ever see you again, or I will hurt you each time I do."Once I finished, I picked up my hoe from the dirt and swung it at Sean, who panicked and promptly begged for mercy, "No, stop! I'll leave right now, okay?"He never showed his face for a while after that, but there would be warm breakfast prepared every day outside my door, and any work that needed to be done at the farm

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 6

    After I flew home, I stared at the farmland in front of my old house.My parents had raised me here, while farming for decades, and the farm was now mine after their passing.Seeing that I had returned, my neighbors happily greeted me and shared the locally grown watermelons with me.Remembering my parents' life, I decided to use the farm.I would remove the weeds by day, while learning how to plant watermelons online by night.Soon, I tidied up the farmland and little shoots of my watermelons were poking out of the soil.However, I presumed that I wouldn't ever see Sean again after I returned, only for him to travel thousands of miles to reach me just a month later.He appeared pained as he saw me clearing weed under the sun, and cried, "What are you doing here, darling? It's such bothersome work. Come home with me already!" "Didn't you know I was very worried when I couldn't reach you?"I frowned and promptly distanced myself. "Don't call me darling—we never had a wedding n

  • The Illusion of Happiness   Chapter 5

    Sally's foot was still bandaged as she asked from the living room, "Sean? What are you talking about?"Hearing her, Sean strode out and held up the receipt right in front of her.Sally sighed after seeing it. "Oh, calm down—it's fake. Rachel must be upset about what happened today, so she faked that report to make you worry."Then, her voice turned tearful as she continued, "I'm sorry, Sean… I was secretly in love with you even after I went abroad, but I couldn't confess to you because I know you have someone else."I was just deceiving myself that I'm your true love… but in the end, I still caused you trouble.""I'll pack up and leave with the baby now. He's just a month old, but I've been surviving alone for years anyway."The baby's wails grew louder as Sally kept her back to Sean while packing out.Seeing how miserable she looked, Sean relented and gently picked up her clothes and put them back on the shelf, before picking up the baby and coaxing him. "It's not your fault,

Bab Lainnya
Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status