Semua Bab His Tender Lies: Bab 1 - Bab 10

10 Bab

Chapter 1

My heart ached as I looked at the house that I had bought using all my savings. Francis Slade had promised he would marry me after I bought it. I had emptied all my savings just to make the down payment. But now, this house had become their love nest. The loving voices coming from inside left a bitter taste in my mouth.Holding my empty stomach, I wanted to confront them, but was hit by a wave of dizziness and collapsed onto the floor.When I looked up again, I saw Francis standing over me with a frown and wrapped in a bath towel. "Aren't you supposed to be working? What happened to you?" He seemed upset, presumably because I interrupted his fun. "I…" "A-choo!" Before I could speak, I was cut off by someone sneezing in the bathroom. The displeasure on his face was instantly replaced by a concerned expression. He instantly turned around and went back into the bathroom.I was left there with my mouth agape. As always, he couldn't even bother to hear my explanation.

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Chapter 2

Resisting the pain, I got up to cook her some food.Perhaps it was the pain or the sheer exhaustion, I accidentally placed my hand on the casserole while the soup was boiling inside.I yelped in pain, which prompted Francis to stare coldly at me."You know, you don't have to keep using the same method to get my attention," he said.My palm was burning, and I wanted to hold out, but my body had reached its limit.I was hit by a wave of nausea, causing me to throw up. The bitterness from the bile and the piercing smell of the stomach acid resulted in a rancid stench that filled the room.Whitney, who was watching from the side, cried out immediately, "Ugh, that's disgusting! I've lost my appetite." "Francis, why don't we eat out tonight?" "Alright Whitney, anything you like." The pair walked past the mess and left the house while completely ignoring me.I glanced up at the clock. It was already 3 in the morning.It turned out that Francis was able to stay up late. To take i

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Chapter 3

Her words hit me like a bolt from the blue. Once again, it made my calm heart palpitate.Francis had bought the toys for our unborn child a year ago.He lied to me that his investment tanked and was in desperate need of capital. That time, just to make fast money, I gave up my stable job to go dancing and serving drinks in bars.My body wasn't able to cope with the strain, and I ended up losing the child.So Francis's affair with Whitney started from there? "Scarlett, about the toys…" "Enough, I'm tired." For the first time, Francis wanted to apologize to me, but I knew it was pointless."I have something to do, I need to go out." Francis did nothing to stop me. Again, it was because Whitney had made a request."Francis, can you help me get my underwear? I need to change." Francis had barely reached out to me when he pulled back his arm and slammed the door shut behind me.Maybe I should leave for good.I clutched the bank card in the pocket of my coat and caught a ta

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Chapter 4

As I witnessed this side of Francis that I had never seen before, I tucked away the pepper spray that I was holding.All these years of struggling alone had taught me how to protect myself.He had never protected me before, so there was no need for him to act like he cared all of a sudden.I struggled to get on my feet. I wanted to leave, but my body wasn't feeling it. I had barely moved a few steps when I collapsed at the door. As much as I tried, I couldn't move a single muscle."Sugar, I need sugar…" Knowing I was suffering from hypoglycemia, I tried to reach for my bag. This was caused by a combination of malnourishment and anemia from selling my blood for cash.I just needed a single candy, but Francis picked me up before I could do anything."I'll send you to the hospital." I was put in the back seat, and there I sat silently.Throughout our relationship, he never once sent me to the hospital personally. Even when I suffered a miscarriage, he merely dropped by to sig

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Chapter 5

The ugly scar that wound around my abdomen was now revealed to everyone.Finally, I managed to get on my feet. The pool water irritated my eyes, causing them to grow red. They stung even more as my tears began to flow, but I tried my best to silence my sobs.For the first time in my life, I witnessed Francis losing his temper.“That’s enough!” he roared.My self-esteem, along with my clothes, was torn to shreds at the pool.Francis, who was initially lying on a floating bed, finally intervened.He removed his sunglasses, and my scars immediately caught his attention.“What did you do, Scarlett?” Shame? Embarrassment? I was already pushed far beyond that point.I pointed at my scar. With a trembling voice, I asked him, “Was it fun, fooling me all this while? Your bet with your buddies cost me five years of my life. To pay off your so-called debts, I gave up my kidney. Is this what you wanted to see?” “Babe…” Francis’ expression soured in an instant. Whitney, who realized h

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Chapter 6

Right before I walked past the boarding gate, I turned back. Francis was still standing in the same position with a bereft expression.It wasn't long after boarding the plane that the flight attendant served me my lunch. Ever since my surgery, I haven't had the chance to enjoy a proper meal.Upon opening the lunch box, my tears fell as I wolfed down the food.Finally, I could be myself again. Not the girlfriend that Francis never loved, or the lady who everyone trampled on for their pleasure. After landing, I found my parents waiting in the crowd as soon as I left the departure hall.The first thing I noticed was how much they had aged since I last saw them. Immediately, my eyes welled up with tears. I put my suitcase down and threw myself into their arms. Their warmth assured me that I had indeed made my escape. "Scarlett, you have no idea how much we've missed you." I buried my face in my mother's arms and nodded.After being with Francis, I never had the chance to m

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Chapter 7

Francis brought me to a local art gallery."Scarlett, I remember you loved painting back then." Making a living was a completely different thing from a hobby.What he saw was my passion for painting. In reality, I was working day and night on commissioned paintings.However, I couldn't be bothered to argue. I turned away and started scrolling on my phone.After a few minutes, Francis broke the silence. "Scarlett, are you really going to sell our home?" Our home?So Francis really treated it as our home?"Mr. Slade, given how rich and powerful you are, surely you have plenty of villas and penthouses. Why limit yourself to a tiny house like that?" I replied casually without looking up at him.Perhaps he had gotten used to me begging for his attention. My indifferent attitude was making him increasingly uncomfortable.The only way he knew how to express his discomfort was to lose his temper.However, today was the first time he forced himself to calm down."Do you have to

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Chapter 8

"What did you say?" "Are you seriously still pretending? How can you be this disgusting? Since when did you start cheating on me?!" roared Francis.My mind was in a state of frenzy.Apart from Francis, I had never slept with anyone else.Moreover, I had never slept with him since I had a miscarriage. It was impossible for me to have gotten this disease that way."Stop making false accusations, Francis. I have never slept with anyone else!" My body was burning up from a high fever, but what terrified me more was Francis, who had completely lost his marbles.At that moment, a sliver of memory flashed through my mind.It was the clinic where I underwent surgery. They used a bloody scalpel on me that was allegedly sterilized beforehand.My mental state crumbled in the next second. So it was true. I had been infected with AIDS.Slowly and calmly, I turned to face him."Francis Slade, so knowing the truth is more important to you than the fact that I've gotten a life-threatening

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Chapter 9

"Are you crazy?!"I watched as a bead of blood slowly oozed out of his arm. I knew immediately what that implied.As soon as I finished speaking, the door burst open. It was Whitney Jones. She glanced at Francis and marched up to me with a raised hand, seemingly prepared to slap me. "You witch! What did you do to Francis?!" She swung hard, but unlike before, her hand did not reach my face.Francis grabbed her hand at the last minute."What do you think you're doing, Whitney?" Francis swung her hand away so hard that she fell onto the ground."Francis?" Whitney stared up at him in bewilderment. She couldn't believe her beloved Francis had done this to her.Francis's sudden movement sent his blood splattering over the floor."Francis, that hurt," complained Whitney with an aggrieved look. Francis reacted impatiently. "Whitney Jones, my girlfriend needs to rest. Leave now. Don't make me repeat myself." As I thought, men changed their minds like flipping a switch. Wh

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Chapter 10

With my parents' help, our luggage was packed quickly.I did everything to ensure I did not infect my parents with my disease, all while keeping it a secret.After packing my belongings in a separate suitcase, Francis's face entered my mind.No doubt, he came in contact with my blood. It was certain that he was infected too.How pointless.Without wasting any time, we headed for the airport.Visiting the Nordic countries had always been on my bucket list. I could finally fulfil this wish before I died.After selling the house, I had a sizeable amount. I had taken a portion for this trip and planned to deposit the balance into their retirement account after I died.I looked at my parents, and my heart filled up with bitterness. We flew for nearly 20 hours before we finally landed.The first three days were a blast, but on the fourth day, the dreaded Francis tracked us down again. "Babe, I'll stay by your side for the rest of your life, okay? I'll make it up to you, I swear.

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