Semua Bab She Got His Love, I Got His Chores: Bab 1 - Bab 9

Holding the fake marriage certificate in hand, I stumbled home in a daze. The familiar stench of urine and feces hit my nose the moment I stepped inside.It was time to change the adult diaper for my mother-in-law, Kathy Sinclair, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for the past six years.Without flinching, I wiped her body clean, took out the trash, and opened that online store page again.I stared at that familiar side profile for a long time before slowly raising my head. I looked around the clean, well-organized house, and a laugh suddenly escaped me. And as I laughed, tears began streaming down my face.Six years. I'd silently held this family together for six whole years.Because of me, my husband, Grayson Strickland, was free to stay far away from his sick mother's bedside, free of any worries, and live his refined and admired life as Prof. Strickland.What I never expected, however, was that while he claimed he was too busy to give me a wedding, he'd already become anot

The entire room fell silent.I turned around in disbelief. Even now, he still had the nerve to blame me?Before Grayson could say anything, Callista stepped in to defend him, looking aggrieved on his behalf."Mrs. Strickland, Prof. Strickland is indeed very busy. If you wanted a wedding, couldn't you just talk it over properly? Why force him like this?"The other students all sided with Grayson as well."Exactly. A wedding is just a formality. Why be so old-fashioned about it?""Prof. Strickland is swamped with classes every day. He must be exhausted. But her? She has no ambition, chooses to be a stay-at-home wife, lives off his money, and does nothing else. And still, she can't even take proper care of her mother-in-law.""What could she possibly even do without Prof. Strickland?"In an instant, all the female students were criticizing me. It was as if they were the face of the modern, independent woman, while I was nothing but a parasite clinging to a man, deserving of judgme

"Lia?"The sound of a chair being knocked over came through the line.I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. "Yeah, it's me.""You… Why are you calling me all of a sudden?"I carefully explained the situation to Heath Fulton. The more he listened, the more serious his tone became. At the end of the conversation, he booked a flight from Holiptia back to the country."I'll be there tonight. Don't be scared. You've got me.""Thank you, Mr. Lawyer."My eyes burned as the words slipped out instinctively.But he went quiet on the other end. It was only after I said "Hello?" several times that he finally responded, his voice rough."You know that you never have to say thank you to me."I gripped the phone tightly as my nose stung. I forced the sensation down and let out a soft hum before hanging up.Perhaps fate had decided that I would always be indebted to him in this lifetime.The phone felt hot in my hand. I had just put it down when a shrill ringtone pierced the ai

After leaving the hospital, I went straight back to what used to be my home.I picked up the fake marriage certificate, grabbed my small suitcase, and left once and for all. The moment I stepped out the door, I felt lighter than I ever had before.As snowflakes drifted down onto my shoulders, I realized I no longer had to worry about taking Kathy out for follow-up appointments in this weather. Instead, I could finally appreciate the beauty of the snow again.The ice crystals melted instantly, but while they existed, each was one of a kind. It was just like the women who were trapped in family life—they, too, had once bloomed brilliantly.I stepped onto the street. My hurried footsteps were no longer accompanied by the heavy tracks of a wheelchair.I tilted my head back and took a deep breath, once again feeling the freedom of this land.When I lowered my head, I heard the sound of a car approaching. Headlights shone on me.The car pulled to a stop, and the window rolled down, re

"We'll verify all of these accusations one by one," the dean said. "But in the meantime, you're suspended. Go home and take care of your mother.""Dean, I—""There's nothing else for you to say. You may leave."Grayson walked out of the office in a daze. Callista stood right outside the door, waiting for him."Honey, is everything okay? Are a lot of people reporting Dahlia? I knew someone as horrible as her would get what's coming to her."Seeing the innocent and naive expression on her face, Grayson suddenly felt like he didn't know her at all.He hadn't done the things listed in those accusation letters. So who had?It could've only been her—Callista."Is there something you're hiding from me?"Before he could press further, his phone started ringing, sounding especially urgent. It was the hospital calling to demand payment for the hospitalization, medication, and nursing care."Didn't I just pay 5,000 dollars? How could it be used up so quickly?""5,000 dollars is only en