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All Chapters of The Laid Bare Marriage Account: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The contrast between three million dollars and three dollars could not have been more obvious.Lucy Xander took one look at the screenshot. Her expression remained calm. “That’s a personal expense. You don’t have any right to interfere with that.“Colin, just because you saved my life doesn’t mean you can cross the line.“Marriage doesn’t change the fact that we’re two separate people. I’ve already paid half of your surgery. I only did that because you saved me.”She checked her watch. “Enough. Get the loan and pay the hospital. Once your surgery is over, I still have to go help Yale get his business license.“It’s Yale’s first time starting a business. He doesn’t know how to handle a lot of things yet. He needs my help.”Two months earlier, I had a 104-degree fever and could barely move.I had begged Lucy to take me to the hospital. She said, “Colin, you’re 28, not 18. You’re a grown man. You should be able to take care of yourself.”So, I went to the hospital alone with a hig

Chapter 2

When the doctor saw me walk in alone, he frowned. “Someone needs to sign the consent form for your surgery. Where’s your wife?”“She’s busy.”“What about your family?”My mother died six months ago. My father lived thousands of miles away in Sea City.The doctor noticed my silence and said nothing more. He handed me the payment slip.“Never mind. You can sign it yourself.”The bill came to 2,632.I scraped together every dollar I had, but I was still three dollars short.Three dollars again...My phone buzzed.Lucy had sent me another bill.[Lost wages: 916.70 (time off to stay with you during surgery)] [Money owed: 749.51 (funeral expenses) + 224.85 (30% late-payment interest)] [Gas: 15.30 ÷ 2 = $7.65] ....[Total: 3,055.83]She had listed exactly what every charge was for.Every penny was accounted for.I stared at the tiny balance left in my account and clenched my fist.Then, I opened the contact of someone I had not spoken to in a long time.[Mr. Lane, I’ve

Chapter 3

After surgery, I woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating.When I checked it, I saw a message from Lucy.[I packed up your favorite spicy shrimp pasta.]Another message came right after. It was an itemized bill.[Spicy shrimp pasta: 16] [Takeout fee: 1] [Transportation: 10][Just give me 13.][As your wife, I’ll cover half.]The doctor had already told me to stick to a bland diet after surgery.Lucy had even forgotten that I was allergic to shrimp.My wound still hurt. I did not have the energy to argue with her.I said nothing and transferred 27 to her.When I got home, it was already late at night. The room I had cleaned that morning was a complete mess.Papers were scattered everywhere. They covered the wedding photo we had taken years ago.A few drops of oil had even stained it.Lucy and Yale sat side by side and talked in low voices.Warm yellow light filled the room. Their shadows were close together. They looked like a couple in love.When they heard me com

Chapter 4

As dawn broke, the lights in the study finally went out.Yale laughed and said, “We finally finished everything! Thanks, Lucy.“Let’s celebrate...”His voice suddenly cut off.“What’s wrong?” Lucy looked at the screenshot Yale had sent her. Her expression changed too.They hurried toward the door. Just before they left, Lucy seemed to remember something. She turned around and walked toward me.I quickly turned my face away and closed my eyes because I did not want to speak to her.I heard her move around beside me for a while. Then, she left a note.[Something came up. Go to the hospital for your surgery by yourself tomorrow.]I curled up in the darkness and listened as their voices slowly faded away.I lay there until the pain became bearable. Then, I got up and started packing.I came across paper flowers she had made for me, tissues she had given me for my birthday and dishwashing soap she had given me for our anniversary.Once, I had casually mentioned that I liked a ce

Chapter 5

Lucy picked up the two sheets of paper from the floor and was about to read them.Yale suddenly cried out and fell to the floor beside her.Lucy frowned. “How did you even manage to fall?”But when she saw the tears in his eyes, her voice softened. “All right. I’ll take you to the hospital.”She rushed Yale to the hospital. The doctor examined him and prescribed some medicine. “It’s nothing serious. You just sprained it. Put some medicine on it and you’ll be fine.”Lucy took the medicine and applied it to Yale’s injury. She gently rubbed it in so it would absorb better.The room was quiet and peaceful when Yale suddenly said, “Lucy, maybe you should go find Colin. He must have been really hurt earlier.”He lowered his head. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. “I know you want to go be with Colin too.”His voice grew softer. “You’ve checked your phone seven times since we got here.”Lucy froze. The look on my face at the exhibition had made her uneasy. She had been di

Chapter 6

Meanwhile, the plane sped down the runway.I watched the city where I had lived for three years disappear outside the window. It looked like a roll of film that had been torn apart by the wind. Every frame was gray and washed out.Three hours later, I arrived in Sea City.I took a cab to my old neighborhood with nothing but my suitcase.The familiar air hit my face with the damp breeze.My nose suddenly stung. My throat felt tight and hot, as if something were stuck there.The old locust tree at the entrance was still there. A little dog sat in the shade and panted in the heat. The neighborhood grocery store had a new storefront.I lowered my head and counted my steps.When I reached the seventeenth paving stone, I heard a familiar creak beneath my feet.That stone had been loose since I was six. Whenever it rained, it splashed muddy water all over my pants whenever I stepped on it. Dad had been saying for more than a decade that he would fix it, but he never did.The familia

Chapter 7

After two days of rest, I started work at the research institute.When I finished my PhD, Daniel had tried hard to convince me to stay in Sea City. He said my research skills were commendable and that I would have a promising future if I stayed in his lab and continued working on his projects.But back then, I could only think about Lucy. She had wanted to build her career in Central City, so I went with her.Three years passed before I came back.“Mr. Lane...”My voice was a little hoarse. “Thank you.”Daniel gently patted me on the shoulder and smiled. He said, “Welcome back.”One week later, I officially joined the lab.It felt like a fresh start.Everyone in the lab was younger than me. Most were graduate students or PhD students. They all called me Colin.Whenever they had a problem with an experiment, they came to me for help.I stood at the lab bench in my white coat. I held a pipette and watched the cells in the culture dish grow slowly.A few years ago, I had stood

Chapter 8

Dad’s health improved a lot. My project at the lab also made good progress. Daniel was pleased. He said he would help me apply for a provincial research award.Everything was slowly getting better.Then, a conference notice appeared in my inbox.[20th Annual Conference for Young Researchers, Central City, November 15]Central City.I stared at those two words. I had mixed feelings.Yvette noticed that something was wrong.After a moment, she smiled. “Are you going to Central City? What a coincidence.“We can go together. I need to go there for a hospital training program anyway.”I looked at her. My eyes suddenly grew teary. “You’re not doing this because of me, are you?”She shook her head. “I’ve had plans to go there for a while. It just happens to be around the same time.“Let’s go together.”I nodded.Three days later, Yvette and I took the high-speed train to Central City.At the station, I unexpectedly spotted a familiar face.Lucy.She saw me through the crowd to

Chapter 9

Yvette followed me without saying a word. She walked quietly beside me on my right.The elevator doors closed. I leaned against the mirrored wall and let out a long breath.“She’s my ex-wife.”I spoke in a low voice. “Our divorce got... ugly. She got involved with her friend.”Yvette stayed quiet and listened.“So... I’m scared.”I looked up and met her eyes. “I’m not ready to start another relationship yet.”“Okay.”She looked at me with a gentle smile. “I respect your decision.“But I’m not giving up.”For the first time since I saw Lucy, the chaos in my mind finally settled.The elevator chimed when it reached the lobby. I stepped out. The noise behind me was finally shut away upstairs.The next day, I flew back to Sea City. I never expected Lucy to follow me. She waited outside my house every day.On the first day, she brought a bag of the chestnut cake I used to love.On the second day, she held up a cardboard sign that said: Colin, I’m sorry.She sat downstairs fro

Chapter 10

I was standing at the lab bench when I heard the news.Daniel was on the phone. His voice was heavy. He said the news had come from Central City.I held the phone and listened to everything he had to say.When he finished, I said quietly, “I understand.“Mr. Lane, I’ve finished running the data. I’ll show you the results tomorrow.”I hung up and stood by the window.Outside, the winter sky over Sea City was gray and overcast. Low clouds hung over the city.The lab was quiet. The only sound was the low hum of the ventilation system.I stood there for a long time.It was almost dark when I finally moved. The streetlights below came on one after another.I turned around, closed my lab notebook, put on my coat, and left.Three days later, I went to Central City.Lucy and Yale’s funerals were held on the same day. Their families had chosen the same cemetery.Everything was white. The air was filled with heartbreaking cries.Yale’s mother knelt in front of his coffin. Her voice

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