Melodramatic Short Stories & Scumbag Marriage Novels

In the seven years I've been married to Blaine Zahn, his way of punishing me whenever I get jealous is always the same. First, he humiliates me in public. Then, he leaves me alone in the middle of nowhere. This time, he punishes me because I refuse to lend him the necklace Mom left me. Blaine says, "Lizzie just got back, so she has nothing. What's wrong with letting her borrow it for a few days? Don't be so selfish." He drives away, leaving me alone outdoors on the day of the first snowfall of the year. Temperatures drop to more than ten degrees below zero. In the four hours when I gradually lose all feeling in my limbs from the cold, I make 20 phone calls and send 50 messages begging for help. I get no response from any of them. With my fingers stiff from the cold, I'm about to give in with my 51st message. I type, "You can borrow the necklace. Can you please come pick me up..." Just then, Lizzie Sterling posts an update on Instagram. In the photo, Blaine is sitting beside a warm fireplace and putting Mom's necklace around her neck. The caption reads, "I just complained about being cold and acted a little spoiled. Someone canceled all his social engagements just to stay here and warm me by the fire. He even gave me the star necklace I've been wanting forever." A mutual friend comments, "Looks like someone's heart still belongs to you." Blaine replies, "As long as she's happy, that's all that matters." The man who left me out in the snow to fend for myself is now sitting in a warm room, terrified that another woman might feel even the slightest chill. I watch as the snowflakes fall onto my fingertips and slowly melt. My frostbitten heart has no warmth left in it anymore. I delete my plea for help and call the police instead. Then, I call my lawyer. It turns out the sound of falling snow is the countdown to when my heart stops beating for him.

After my entire family was executed by slow slicing, I became the sensible, understanding wife Tristan Blackwood had always wanted. I stopped asking where he went. I stopped screaming at him to send his widowed sister-in-law away. When he said he wanted to take her as a second lawful wife to carry on his late brother's line, I calmly agreed. On their wedding day, I accepted the cup of tea Sabine offered me and, with a smile, handed her a marriage blessing. Tristan grabbed me by the throat and roared in fury. "Elowen, you know I earned that blessing for you, kneeling and bowing at every step of the way! Why would you give it to someone else? "Do you still blame me for not saving your father and brothers? "Is this how you're punishing me? How long are you going to keep this up?" His eyes were full of pain, but my smile was calm. He was the one who used my whole family's lives to force me into obedience. I was only giving him what he wanted. What he didn't know was that I was waiting. Right now, the remains of my entire family hung from the city gates for all to see. In three more days, I could finally collect their bodies. And on that same day, I would join my father and brothers, who had died wronged.

On New Year’s Eve, my husband, Julian Vance, handed me an end-of-year performance review. It was a full dossier detailing every failure and contribution I had made over the past twelve months. I skimmed through the pages, but froze when I reached the bold text on the final page. [Spouse has consistently failed to meet key performance indicators, falling well below acceptable standards.] [Conclusion: Termination of marital partnership.] I jerked my head up. "Julian, what is this?" His expression was completely blank. "It’s plain English. Clarissa, I think it’s time we discuss severing our contract and getting a divorce.”

It's my daughter, Clementine Hartman's first time smashing cake and we hold a big birthday party for her. Somehow, she digs out a thong belonging to Nancy Ortega, my husband's female best friend, from the giftbox he has prepared. Everyone is stunned, to say the least. Nancy lets out a soft gasp before blinking at me innocently. "Sorry, this is my fault! Shawn and I traded underwear just for fun some time ago, and I forgot to take it away. Please don't take this matter to heart, Karina." I do my best to suppress my rage and pretend that nothing has happened for Clementine's sake. But suddenly Clementine picks up a document. Thinking that it's a present prepared by the elderly members in the family for Clementine, I glance at it before putting it away. Unexpectedly, Nancy bursts out laughing. "Karina, is money all you care about? Did you seriously accept that document without going through it? Don't tell me you seriously think a property deed is wrapped up in that document!" Then, Nancy picks out a few pieces of paper from the pile before tossing them to me. Only then do I make out the details. It turns out that Clementine has actually grabbed a copy of the divorce agreement meant for me and Shawn Hartman. I stare at Shawn in disbelief. "Is this what you really want? A divorce?" Shawn looks perplexed at first, but he still shields Nancy behind him out of instinct. "Nancy's just pulling a prank. Don't take it to heart. She's just joking around." But Nancy sticks her head out from behind Shawn and adds, "Joking around? Shawn, don't tell me you've lost your courage to divorce Karina!" All the guests fall silent at her words. They all turn to look at me. After a while, I don't react by crying or kicking up a fuss. Instead, I drop my signature on the divorce agreement while everyone else stares at me in shock. "Fine. Let's get divorced." After all, it is my daughter's gift.

Emmett Shaw believed in keeping everything even. As far as he was concerned, a relationship only lasted if neither person owed the other anything. During the toughest year of his startup, his mom landed in the hospital after a car accident. I spent three days and nights at her bedside, bathing her, changing her clothes, and barely sleeping. When I finally woke up, I found a 450-dollar transfer from Emmett. "A home health aide charges 150 a day, so that covers all three days," he said matter-of-factly. "Now we're even, and we can move forward." Then his first love, Melissa Doyle, mailed him 38 old IOUs he had written her, and I learned his rules didn't apply to everyone. The first read, [I owe you a barbecue dinner.] Emmett treated her to a candlelit dinner worth thousands. The 15th read, [I owe you a hug after a rough day at work.] He gave her the hug, along with the job I left when I got pregnant. When I confronted him, he spoke as if I was missing something obvious. "It's been ten years, so of course, I owe her interest. You know I don't leave debts unpaid." Late one night, I went into preterm labor and was rushed to the hospital. When the nurse asked where my husband was, Emmett was out making good on IOU number 23: [I owe you a Valentine's Day date.] I stared at my phone after he declined my call, then rested a hand on my swollen belly. Alone, I signed the consent form for a risky emergency surgery. He used 38 IOUs as an excuse to put another woman first. I left him a signed divorce agreement, giving him exactly what he wanted for the rest of his life: a clean slate.

Charles Hale wanted to prove he could succeed without inheriting the Alpha position, so he devoted almost all his time to his work on cruise ships. For ten years, I watched him work his way up from deckhand to captain. I was happy to support him and take care of him whenever he needed me. I asked him once, "When are you going to take me out on the water? I want to see the gulls and the huge waves with you." He rolled over, turning his back to me. "There are so many passengers on that ship. It's not exactly a place for a date." I didn't say anything. I filed it away and never brought it up again. Then one day, I stumbled across the private photo album he'd kept hidden for years. Thousands of photos, every one taken on deck, with waves and the sunrise in the background. And the same woman in all of them. She had her arms thrown wide, like she was trying to hold the whole ocean. Charles had written little diary entries on the backs of the photos, all the things he wanted to say to her. "I cherish every day I get to watch the sea with you. I hope it stays like this forever. The ocean, and you." The most recent photo was dated last week. In it, the sea breeze was tossing her long hair. I quietly shut the cabinet door and locked it again. Then I sat alone on the living room couch and stared at nothing until dawn. I picked up my phone and bought a ticket on an Alaska cruise. After ten years, I thought I could finally stop letting my life revolve around waiting for him to come home. No more crossing days off a calendar. No more checking the weather at sea to make sure he was safe. He didn't want to share his stars and his ocean with me. Fine. I'd go see them on my own, and the wind out there would be mine.

My husband, Ezra, and I had been married for four years. Every year for the past four years, he would disappear for three days at the same time and transfer a large sum of money out of his bank account. I suspected he was doing it for an unforgettable ex. Yet, no matter how hard I investigated, I couldn’t find a single clue. “I don’t have any exes worth hiding from you," Ezra once told me. “Olivia, can you please stop digging into this?” That was until this past weekend, when I went to deliver an early birthday present to Nina—a young woman I had been financially supporting for eight years. The moment I inserted my key into the lock, I heard Ezra’s voice coming from inside. “It’s your birthday tomorrow, but I can only stay with you for half the day this time. We can’t afford to make her suspicious again.” Nina chuckled. “Olivia hasn’t suspected me at all. What are you so afraid of?” Outside the door, I held the gift in my hands, tears streaming down my face. My intuition had been right all along. The only difference was that he was cheating on me with the person I had personally funded and cared for over the last eight years. I knew right then that our four-year marriage was over.

Since I married Hank Frost seven years ago, I have never gotten pregnant. He never blamed me, however, and would always visit the temple to pray for me. When he returned, he would bring home a new orphan, saying that it was to build good karma. However, when the fifth orphan pushed me down the stairs and broke my leg, I overheard Hank arguing with Josh Graham, who sounded at once disapproving. "Don't you think you've gone too far? Making Yvie Stark raise the five children you had with Sue Lynd? You're not worried she'd throw a fit when she finds out?" As my breath left my lungs while my mind went blank, Hank was twirling his prayer beads nonchalantly. "So what if she does? She should be thanking me for giving her the chance of being a mother." "Maybe she had her reasons…" Josh suggested gingerly. "Shut up!" Hank suddenly snapped icily. "She deserved it! All of it! She was the one who duped me into marrying her even though she was barren!"

I had been secretly dating Carlo Mandelli, heir to the Mandelli Mafia family, for five years when he finally agreed to marry me. A month before our supposed wedding, I went to discuss the guest list with him, but I overheard him talking to his underboss. "Your wedding to Ginetta is in seven days. What about Alessia?" Carlo's underboss asked. Carlo answered without hesitation, "Ginetta and I grew up together. Our marriage is for the good of the Mandelli family, not for love. I can't make Alessia my wife, but I'll give her all my love. She'll understand. Once the alliance is secured, I'll give Alessia a wedding ceremony of her own." His underboss shrugged and continued, "Then you'd better explain things to Alessia clearly. She's already pregnant, and stress isn't good for her." Carlo smiled but said nothing. Standing outside the door, I stared at the guest list I had just finished writing. I struggled to take in what I had just heard. Carlo had once promised to make me the happiest, most beautiful bride. He'd spent the past month secretly planning the wedding venue. I thought he was preparing a surprise for me, but he had actually been planning his wedding to another woman! Carlo thought I would love him no matter what, but he was wrong. I wouldn't spend the rest of my life with a man who was married to someone else. I decided I would leave on his wedding day and end things for good.

The first time I have an affair, it's with my wife, Josephine Yates' best friend, Lydia Bennett. When Josephine catches us red-handed in bed, I'm in the middle of enjoying myself, my cheeks insanely flushed. Josephine gets into a huge fight with Lydia afterward. Then, she proceeds to drink her sorrows away that night before choosing to forgive me. After we've patched things up, we grow even more lovey-dovey than when we first got married. In fact, we're known as the golden couple who are envied by all. That is, when Josephine catches me cheating on her again on our tenth year anniversary. This time, I'm sleeping with Victoria Fairfax, the senior whom Josephine admires and respects the most. Josephine is so furious that she almost suffers from a seizure on the spot. Having gone batshit crazy, she decides to commit joint suicide with Victoria. I can only sigh before pulling her into my arms. "This is my last time doing this. I promise that you're the only one I want to be with for the rest of my life." Josephine is in so much pain and agony that she's on the brink of despair. Still, she believes my words and treats me even better now. She showers me with lavish gifts, be it luxury watches, unique custom-fitted apparel, or limited-edition racing cars. As long as she can afford it, she'll strive to give me the best. Some people call me a freeloading husband. That night, Josephine makes sure that those people have vanished off the face of the earth. When I tell Josephine that I don't want children, she gets her tubes tied immediately. Everyone praises Josephine for being devoted. They also claim that I've married the right woman. I just smile and nod. "I've used up all of my luck to meet Josephine in my life." But on Josephine's 34th birthday, she spies a paternity test report on my desk. That's when she suffers from a complete mental breakdown. The child is mine, and yet she's never given birth before.

The day before my wedding, I secretly go to the hospital to terminate my pregnancy with Richard Johnson's baby. In the hallway, I run into a doctor I know. She looks at me in surprise. "Ms. Xander? Just last week, you were worried that your belly would show through your wedding dress. Why did you suddenly decide not to keep the baby? "Didn't Mr. Johnson come with you?" I lower my head and gently touch my slightly rounded belly, my heart aching with emptiness. "He's very busy. "He's downstairs, accompanying his young stepmother to her prenatal checkup."

All of our old college friends consider Simon Horne and me the model couple. We've been dating for eight years now. He has driven across half the city just to bring me breakfast before, and he once skipped a business meeting for a deal worth ten million dollars just to be with me when I felt sick. Our old classmates always tease us by saying, "If you guys break up, none of us would ever believe in true love again." … During one of our regular meetups, everyone decides to play truth or dare. The one who's chosen has to show everyone what they've saved their partner as in their phone. Smiling, I flash my screen at everyone. Simon's profile picture bears the name "My Beloved Mr. Horne". The crowd hollers in response. Meanwhile, Natalie Adams, my best friend, hesitates and refuses to show us her phone. "You've been secretly married to your husband for seven years now! Why are you still so bashful? Come on. Show us! We wanna see that mysterious husband of yours who spends all his time abroad!" Natalie forces a weak smile and says, "He doesn't want to be revealed. How about giving me a different punishment?" Thinking that Natalie's just shy, I tease her for a bit and snatch her phone away when she's distracted. "It's been seven years! Now it's time for me to find out who you married—" My voice cuts off sharply. On the screen, displayed below the word "Hubby", was Simon's profile picture. Natalie's expression stiffens as she grabs her phone at once. "It's not what you think!" The next moment, her phone starts ringing. In her panic, she accidentally takes the call on speaker mode. Simon's familiar voice fills the room. "Hey, babe. Why aren't you home yet? I've picked Andy up from the babysitter, and he's been asking for you." A young boy's voice calls out after, "Daddy, when is Mommy coming home?" The laughter in the room dies out. I look down at the engagement ring on my finger. As it turns out, hidden behind an eight-year-long relationship that has been the envy of all others is the truth that has evaded me this whole time—that my fiancé has long since married my best friend and started a family with her.

On my eighth birthday, I begged my mom to video call my dad, who was supposedly working late. The moment the call connected, a version of him from ten years in the future appeared on the screen. My mom held me close and smiled, asking him, "Ten years from now… our Lily has grown up. Was her coming-of-age ceremony a big celebration?" Dad replied coldly, "She kept trying to one-up Sarah's kid, so I sent her abroad. Too bad her luck ran out—her plane went down." My mom's face went pale. On the other end, my dad let out an icy laugh. "Claire, back then, you lied to me. You said if your 'plan' didn't work out, you'd die. I believed you. I gave up Sarah and her child to marry you." My mom's body started trembling. I reached out toward the screen. "Daddy, when are you coming home to celebrate my birthday with me?" Dad sighed and looked at her calmly. "The truth is, I wasn't working late that night. I was celebrating Sarah's daughter's birthday. Now you know everything. What you do next is up to you." Suddenly, a cold robotic voice echoed in my ear: [Host, do you choose to abandon the original world and stay here forever?] I wiped the tears off my mom's face and, barely understanding what was happening, said, "Mommy, does that mean Daddy doesn't want us anymore? Then let's not want him either. Okay?"

My husband was out cold. Middle of the night, his phone lit up on the nightstand—chat app blowing up. I leaned over and grabbed it, quiet as a breath. Messages from someone named 'Viv.' Her last one? [Goodnight, Matt.] I had my fingerprint saved, but I'd never used it. Six years of trust. Six years of believing he was loyal—maybe too awkward to cheat. But something felt off. So I tapped in. And just like that, I opened Pandora's box. My heart? Tanked.

It was common knowledge that the Marsh family was the family with the strictest household rules in upper-class society. They adhered to the rules unyieldingly, and there were so many of them that the rulebook was thicker than ten legal codices. One of the rules was: If any woman wanted a divorce, she had to roll on a bed of nails for half an hour before she was allowed to leave. In the past, Violet Stane insisted on marrying River Marsh and never thought about getting a divorce. After all, she had spent ten years pursuing this aloof ice prince. Once she married him, she gave up on her flourishing career, stopped being so aggressive, obeyed the ridiculous number of house rules, and became the perfect wife for River. But she no longer wanted to do that.

Three months pregnant, Gwyneth Stone spotted a little boy's suit while browsing an upscale maternity and baby store. She rubbed her belly, her face glowing with happiness. "Excuse me, could you wrap this suit up for me?" Her husband, Preston Gallagher, hadn't had time to come with her, but he'd given her a black card and told her to buy whatever she wanted. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're closing early today. A VIP customer will be arriving shortly, and she's bought out everything in the store." Gwyneth froze, clutching the suit and reluctant to let it go. "Her husband personally bought out the entire store for her. I heard she just found out she's pregnant, and he's already spending this much on her. Who knows how much he'll spoil her from now on?" The clerk looked troubled. "So, about this suit—" Before she could finish, a familiar woman's voice came from behind Gwyneth. "Let her have it. My best friend is having a girl anyway, so she might as well take the boy's clothes." Gwyneth turned around, stunned to find her best friend, Rebecca Lynch, standing there. "Becca, what are you doing here?" she asked. Rebecca clearly hadn't expected to see her either. Her face instantly went pale. "What a coincidence, Gwen. I came... to buy something for your baby." "But I'm having a son." Rebecca had been right beside her at the prenatal checkup when the private doctor told Gwyneth she was having a boy. There was no way she could have forgotten. "I—" Before Rebecca could explain, another familiar voice echoed. "Honey, the baby's not even born yet, and you've already bought out the whole store for her?" It was their friend, Selene Somerset. And the man standing beside her was Gwyneth's husband.

On my first day at a new hospital, I treated a pregnant woman in critical condition. With the nurses’ help, we stabilized her condition and safely delivered her baby. As soon as she could speak, she reached for her phone. Her voice was filled with pride as she said, “Honey, I gave birth to a son!” The voice that came through the speaker made me freeze. “Baby, you’re amazing!” Those few words were enough to send me spiraling into despair. I had known that voice for ten years. It belonged to my husband, Liam Stretton.

At my son's kindergarten awards ceremony, the teacher invited the parents onstage to share their parenting experiences. I was about to stand when Julian stopped me and motioned for my best friend, Wendy Morgan, to go up instead. "Nathan is actually Wendy's and my son," Julian Cole said so calmly that he might as well have been discussing something that had nothing to do with me. "Wendy has known for five years that Nathan is her son, but she hasn't been able to acknowledge him as her own. I don't want her to keep suffering in silence," he added. I was almost certain I'd misheard him, but the question slipped out before I could stop it. "Then what about my son?" "Your son died the moment he was born. Wendy couldn't bear to see you suffer the pain of losing your child, so she gave you hers," he answered just as casually, as though he were talking about someone else's family. When he saw the color drain from my face, he let out a cold scoff. "You never even saw him. Why are you taking this so hard? Survival of the fittest. Isn't it perfectly normal for an unhealthy embryo to be eliminated?" A deafening roar filled my head. Julian tightened his grip on my hand. "Don't worry. Nothing is going to change. I won't divorce you. Nathan just has another mother now. That's all." I pulled my hand stiffly from his grasp and stared at him in disbelief. "Where are my son's ashes?" Julian froze for a moment. "Ashes? I gave his body to the hospital for disposal. What ashes? He was probably thrown into some trash can somewhere." I shot to my feet, my voice trembling beyond my control. "Julian, you're an animal!"

At eight months pregnant, Esther Rivera went to the mall to buy a duffle bag and stock up on supplies she would need when she went into labor. She was once again mistaken for a mistress and was assaulted by Summer Moreno. To protect the baby in her belly, she could not fight back at all. Summer grabbed her hair and slapped her several times, even nearly tearing off her clothes. At her wit’s end, Esther called the police. Both of them were taken to the police station. Each of them claimed to be Jasper Clarke’s wife The police officer, John Hayward, called Jasper to verify the truth. When Jasper learned about this, he went to the police station. Summer swiftly took out a mirror to touch up her makeup before looking at Esther smugly and saying, “Esther, do you think Jasper will say I’m his wife just to protect me? “I bet he will.”

After I get detained in the police station, my husband, Gavin Pratt, specifically comes over to bail me out. But I grip a policeman's arm without letting go. "I'm the one who did it! Hurry up and arrest me!" In my previous life, I was surrounded by the family members of a car crash victim. A bar owner and a saleswoman who sold cosmetics were there as well. They claimed that I had gone into a drunken frenzy and stole perfume from the store. On top of that, I even ran a red light and hit someone with my car. I kept explaining the truth to everyone, yet no one believed me. Instead, they all had me surrounded and beat me up till I died. When I wake up again, I've returned to the day I'm detained inside the police station.