04
I stood up with a smile. As I walked out of the café, I heard Devin’s voice breaking in despair.
That day, as I gazed at the clear blue sky, it was the first time I felt truly alive.
After making amends with my parents, I picked up the work I had once abandoned and
started from the bottom again.
Starting over was hard, but my life felt incredibly fulfilling.
The lawsuit was approved, and the trial was set for next month. During this time, I hired a lot) of online influencers to stir up the case and boost its popularity.
Devin’s reputation was completely ruined.
Not only was his reputation tarnished, but his account was also banned by the platform.
To cover up his infidelity, he was forced to release a statement claiming he and I were
already divorced but hadn’t made it public for the sake of the children.
He also stated that he and Eileen were deeply in love and soon–to–be married.
Throughout it all, Eileen never showed her face.
Devin and Carly spent their time online fighting off accusations from netizens.
Suspecting something was off, I had people investigate.
And sure enough, they uncovered a big secret that Eileen had been hiding!
The trial date came quickly, and Devin specifically sought me out.
In the two weeks since we last saw each other, he had lost quite a bit of weight. To cover up
his exhaustion, he had carefully concealed his dark circles.
“Theresa, you’ve changed a lot,” he said in a hoarse voice, his eyes full of surprise at my
transformation.
“I haven’t changed. You just forgot I used to be a woman who loved to dress up. If you’re
here to tell me you’re willing to divorce, it’s too late. Devin, after I married you, you always looked
dawn on me. You said the family was struggling and that we needed your income from driving
a taxi and my part–time job to cover Carly’s medical expenses. But you went and bought Eileen a luxury villa right across from our tiny rental! You even wanted to kill me. I never understood
how two people who loved each other could end in tragedy, but now I know. It was never me you
loved. You just enjoyed the feeling of pulling me down to hell!” I held back my tears, my voice
12:12 Mon, 23 Dec ·
My words left Devin speechless for a moment. Finally, he handed me a card.
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With a guilty expression, he said, “This card holds half the income from the account, Theresa. We’ve been through a lot together. Can’t we part on good terms?”
I looked up and saw him wearing a dark blue tie.
I had bought him the same exact style once, but he had called it old–fashioned and insisted I
return it.
Now, he was wearing the same tie that Eileen had given him, completely forgetting how he
had once dismissed mine.
I wiped away a tear and, remembering Eileen’s secret, nodded in the end.
As we parted ways, I saw him hurry away after receiving a call from Eileen. Smiling, I called out, “Devin, have you never wondered why Eileen came back after being abroad for so many years? I remember you were just about to finish your thesis, right?”
“Theresa!” Devin hissed under his breath, his frustration palpable.
Seeing him lose control, I turned and walked away, my hands playing with the bank card in my fingers, eyes gleaming with amusement.
I thought, “This is just the beginning, Devin.”
He thought that my agreement not to appeal was a sign of compromise, but little did he
know his nightmare was about to begin.
out.
After the divorce, Devin and I both posted clarification statements online.
While they were effective, his account was exposed.
Because of the public outrage, his national lecture tour was canceled.
Parents of children in his programs demanded refunds, and some even wanted him kicked
Devin had hit rock bottom.
Meanwhile, I quickly rose through the ranks due to my skill and excellence, becoming the project leader.
Looking at my transformation, my parents said that the once unbeatable young lady had
returned.
Reflecting on those eight years of marriage, I realized just how much I had lost myself,
But thankfully, I still had a chance.
Devin disappeared for a while. If it weren’t for Carly messaging me all the time, I wouldn’t
have known that Devin was getting married to Eileen.
[Theresa, you’ve lost both my dad and me. You’ll never be happy again!]
[You’ll just watch as my dad marries Ms. Schmidt and suffer for the rest of
your
life!]
I didn’t want to deal with Carly, so I deleted her messages right away.
But she kept sending updates about their lives every few days.
[Ms. Schmidt looks so beautiful in her wedding dress, unlike you, with that disgusting belly.]
[On the wedding day, I will be the flower girl, wearing the dress Ms. Schmidt designed herself.]
12:12 Mon, 23 Dec ti ·
[Bad woman, you’re no longer my mom, and I’m so happy!]
I felt a pang of sadness as I read those messages.
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I never thought I had wronged Carly. Everything I did for her, I thought was the best I could
offer.
From her education to her hobbies, I tried to meet every one of her needs.
I never imagined she would treat me like this.
I exhaled sharply, my resolve hardening, and blocked her for good.
I thought I could finally enjoy a peaceful life, but a few days later, Carly showed up at my door in the pouring rain.
She was holding the mille–feuille cake I once loved, cautiously looking up at me. “Mom… I brought you your favorite mille–feuille cake. Today’s your birthday.”
Perhaps sensing the awkwardness, she quickly added, “I’ve always remembered!”
I watched the raindrops fall from her hair, but I didn’t let her in.
I handed her an umbrella. “Thank you, but I don’t like mille–feuille cake anymore. It’s raining so hard. Let your dad come pick you up.” When she heard the coldness in my tone, Carly became
anxious.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she grabbed my wrist. “Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied. Please, let me stay with you. Eileen is a bad woman! Ever since my dad said he was marrying her, she’s been awful to me. When she’s upset, she even hits and scolds me! Mom, I know I was wrong. I don’t have aphasia. It’s all because Dad made me lie. He said if I did, Eileen would be my real mom! That day, in front of the reporters, Dad made me say those things, Mom. It was all him.
He forced me!”
I pried her hand off mine and placed the umbrella into her palm.
My voice was firm. “Carly, I thought I taught you well. But your dad looks down on me, and so do you. The moment you chose to lie, our mother–daughter bond ended. Eileen is more likable than I am. Did you ever think, when you called her ‘Mom‘, that this day would come?”
Carly fell silent.
At just seven years old, these things were hard for her to understand.
So, that night, when she left, her eyes were full of hatred. She muttered, “Theresa, you’ll regret
this!”
I didn’t flinch. I simply smiled and nodded at her.
Soon, the day of Devin and Eileen’s wedding arrived.
In an attempt to smooth things over, Devin paid me to attend the event.
When Carly saw me, her face clouded with displeasure. As she walked past me, she tried to
spill wine on me, but I dodged just in time.
I couldn’t help but think how naïve she still was.
Let’s welcome the bride! The host’s voice echoed through the hall as the doors slowly began
to open.
Carly crept over to my side and coldly said, “I heard you and Dad still haven’t had a proper wedding. Theresa, you’re so pathetic.”
Th
12:12 Mon, 23 Dec.
twirled the ring I had just bought for fifty thousand, then smiled.
I didn’t think I was pathetic. After all, I had more money than I could spend.
But in a little while, Devin would be the one to be pitied.
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“Let’s welcome the bride!” The host cheered again. “Looks like the bride is a bit shy. How about we have the groom step forward and bring her out?”
Devin, always concerned about his image, frowned.
“Yes!” I clapped enthusiastically. The audience followed suit, urging him on. He had no choice
but to take the next step.
When he reached the doors, he found Eileen wasn’t there!
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “Is the bride running away? Mr. Murray, it looks like both your marriages are pretty much failures!”
The crowd turned their attention toward me.
A reporter immediately asked who I was, and they were quickly informed that I was Devin’s ex–wife. The reporters swarmed around me.
This wedding, without a bride, sent Devin’s name straight to the trending searches.
I watched as Devin stormed toward me, furious, but I stood my ground and met his accusing
gaze.
“Did you do this? Where’s Eileen? Theresa, why can’t you leave me alone? Today was supposed to be my wedding with Eileen. She’s pregnant with my child. Do you think you’ll take responsibility if something happens to her?” Devin roared.
I clapped my hands, and within moments, a staff member set up a screen.
The video began to play, showing Eileen at the airport, talking on the phone.
て
[Don’t even get me started. Devin’s such a fool. He thinks I came back for him. This was hard to get, and I had to trick him into divorcing Theresa and make him believe I was pregnant. It worked, though. I’ll be back soon, don’t forget to reward me… Oh! What’s this about theft? You’ve got the wrong person…]
The video ended, and I looked at the disheveled Devin, sitting there in defeat.
“As you can see, Eileen has been arrested. Devin, our scores should be settled now. Here’s the
evidence of the profits you gained from invading my privacy. Here’s the report showing you put sleeping pills in my vitamins. And here’s the proof of your infidelity during our marriage.”
I laid out the documents in front of him. “If you want to deny it, fine. I’m sure the court will
make a fair decision.”
Devin’s face was filled with terror.
He reached out to grab my hand, but just then, a siren sounded outside.
His pleas soon turned into the harshest curses.
All of this unfolded in less than half an hour.
In the end, Devin was sentenced. Word had it that he went mad not long after entering
prison.
As for me, I became an overnight sensation.
shared my story on social media, offering advice to confused girls and women trapped in
toxic marriages.
Carly was sent to live with Devin’s parents.
When she left, she called me, crying hard.
“Mom, please, I know I was wrong! If they send me to Grandpa and Grandma’s, I’ll die! They’ve always favored boys, and when they found out I was a girl, they cut ties with Dad. Please, don’t leave me! I’ll change… I promise!”
That night, I heard Carly’s sobs, but I felt nothing.
From the moment she and Devin had conspired to deceive me, everything between us had ended.
After hanging up, I saw the old family photo in the corner.
I walked over, picked it up, and turned the picture face down.
Thad been reborn, and there was no turning back. The past would no longer hold me down.
The End
