Chapter 4

1

I waited in the bathroom for a long time.

The female guests passing by saw me and wrinkled their noses as they left.

I didn't care about their disgust.

I struggled out of the bathroom.

The banquet hall was still brightly lit, the air filled with expensive perfume and the fragrance of red wine, but all I could smell was a rotting stench.

Not far away, Matthew was picking up a glass of wine from a waiter's tray, looking relaxed.

Samantha stood beside him, tilting up her delicate little face like a victorious peacock, enjoying the envy of those around her.

When he saw me come out, Matthew's brow furrowed instantly.

"Done throwing up?" He glanced at me coldly, his tone full of undisguised disgust. "If you're done, get to the lounge. Don't stand here being an eyesore. Wasn't that enough of an embarrassment for us?"

I stopped walking and quietly looked at this man I once loved from 10 feet away.

My stomach was still cramping, but my heart had strangely calmed down.

An eerie kind of calm.

"Matthew," I spoke up. My voice wasn't loud, but it sounded unusually clear in the noisy banquet hall.

"Let's get divorced."

The conversations around us seemed to hit pause and instantly disappeared.

Everyone's eyes turned toward us, filled with the amusement of watching a good show.

Matthew froze for a moment, then let out a scoff.

He swirled the wine glass in his hand, his eyes as contemptuous as if he were looking at a clown making a scene.

"Kelly, what game are you playing now?" He casually took a sip of wine. "Is it about that kiss? Or me having Samantha's back?"

He walked up to me step by step, looking down at my bloated body from above, his eyes full of mockery. "How many times have you used this playing-hard-to-get trick? Aren't you tired? You think threatening me with divorce will make me look at you twice?"

——

2

"I'm serious," I said, lifting my head to look him in the eye.

Matthew's face darkened.

In his view, I had no right to make demands.

"Seriously?" He laughed coldly. "Fine, since you want to put on a show, I'll play along."

He pointed at the smooth marble floor beneath my feet, his voice icy with a cruel playfulness:

"You want a divorce? Okay. Get on your knees and beg me. As long as you do that, I'll agree."

A burst of low gasps and snickers erupted from the crowd.

Everyone knew me as the infamous Bell daughter—unloved but stubborn as hell..

And they all knew the story. When I got caught trying to frame my sister Samantha, I refused to own up to it, even standing out in the freezing cold for a whole day and night without saying a word.

Matthew was certain I wouldn't kneel.

He just wanted to humiliate me, to see me turn red with jealousy and anger, and then make me swallow my words and go back to being his invisible Mrs. Smith in the corner.

Samantha held onto Matthew's arm, covering her mouth in fake surprise. "Kelly, stop making a scene. Matthew's just upset... You can't really kneel, can you? So many people are watching."

Her eyes gleamed with malice—the excitement of seeing me trampled into the dirt.

I looked at Matthew's handsome but cruel face.

This was my husband.

If I didn't divorce him, if I didn't escape, what awaited me was being drained of my bone marrow on the operating table and then thrown away like trash.

Compared to my life, compared to no longer being livestock waiting for slaughter...

What's dignity even worth?

What's the point of my knees?

——

3

"Okay."

I answered softly.

The cold smile hadn't left Matthew's face yet, and the next second, his pupils contracted violently.

"Thud."

Without any hesitation, I dropped heavily to my knees on the hard marble floor.

The sound of my kneecaps hitting the ground was shocking in the dead-silent banquet hall.

The entire venue instantly fell silent.

The guests who had been waiting to watch the show had their smiles freeze on their faces.

Samantha's hand covering her mouth froze in mid-air.

And Matthew frozen in place, like he'd been struck by lightning, .

He stared at me kneeling at his feet, and for the first time, a crack appeared on that face always filled with arrogance and control—even a barely noticeable... panic.

I lowered my head, looking at my hands pressed against the floor.

Those hands had become swollen and ugly from the recent forced weight gain and drug injections.

But I felt more relaxed than ever before.

"Mr. Smith..." I lifted my head and looked calmly at his stiff face. "Please, divorce me."

——

Matthew's chest heaved violently.

The panic from a moment ago was quickly replaced by humiliated rage.

He seemed unable to accept that me, who used to have eyes only for him and couldn't be driven away, would actually kneel before him in public just to leave him!

But then again, men are all proud and arrogant creatures.

Being slapped in the face like this in public—how could he be happy about it?

It felt like he was certain I was playing hard to get, only to have me actually cut the rope.

"Good... very good!" Matthew gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples. "Kelly, don't you regret this!"

He whipped around to look at his assistant behind him, his voice as cold as ice shards. "Give her the divorce agreement!"

Matthew's assistant tremblingly pulled out a document from his briefcase.

It was a divorce agreement that had been prepared long ago.

So he'd been ready all along, prepared to kick me out at any time to make room for Samantha.

That was good.

Matthew snatched the agreement and slammed it right into my face.

The papers scattered, their sharp edges cutting across my cheek, leaving a red mark.

"Since you're so cheap that you have to kneel and beg me to grant your wish, I'll satisfy you!" Matthew roared from above. "Sign! Sign it right now! Once you sign, get the hell out of my sight!"

"Matthew..." Samantha seemed frightened by this out-of-control scene and timidly tugged at Matthew's sleeve. "Don't be like this. Kelly might just be..."

——

I picked up the agreement from the floor.

I didn't even glance at the terms—even if it meant leaving with nothing, even if it meant taking on huge debts, as long as I could leave this hellhole, I'd accept it.

The assistant handed me a pen.

The nib touched the paper, making a scratching sound.

Kelly Bell.

As the last stroke fell, it was like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted.

I braced myself against the floor and shakily stood up. My knees hurt terribly, but I straightened my back.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith, for granting my wish."

I handed the agreement to the assistant and, without another glance at Matthew, turned to leave.

"Stop!"

Matthew's voice came from behind me, suppressing his rage.

I didn't stop.

"Kelly!" Matthew rushed up in a few steps and grabbed my wrist, gripping so hard it felt like he'd crush my bones. "The bone marrow transplant surgery hasn't been done yet! Are you trying to escape your responsibility by getting divorced? Do you want to watch Samantha die? How can you be so vicious!"

I was forced to stop and turned to look at him.

Here was this guy, still trying to guilt-trip me even now.

Before I could speak, Samantha had already rushed over with a tearful voice, her acting worthy of an Oscar.

"Matthew, don't blame Kelly!" She stood in front of Matthew, looking at me with teary eyes, all righteous and noble. "Kelly must be afraid of the pain, or... or she dislikes me... It's okay, really, I won't get treatment. I'll leave the hospital right now. I'd rather die than make Kelly unhappy..."

The surrounding guests immediately took the bait.

"Oh my God, so she's making a scene about divorce to avoid donating bone marrow?"

"That's so selfish! That's her own sister!"

"I felt sorry for her when she knelt earlier, but now it seems she's so calculating! She’s publicly cornering him just to avoid helping!"

Marissa and Richard also rushed over after hearing the news. When Marissa heard these comments, she rushed up and slapped me.

I was knocked sideways, tasting blood in my mouth.

"You beast!" Marissa pointed at my nose and cursed. "Samantha is still sick, and you pull this stunt to upset her? Are you trying to kill her? How did I give birth to such a heartless thing!"

Matthew looked at the handprint on my face, his palm loosening almost imperceptibly for a moment, but he quickly tightened his grip again, his eyes becoming cold and hard once more.

"See that?" Matthew sneered. "Is this what you wanted? Kelly, let me tell you—we can get divorced, but you must donate the bone marrow. This is what you owe Samantha."

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, looking at these twisted faces before me.

I knew I couldn't fight back head-on.

"Fine."

At the same time, I sent a message to a friend.

[Save me.]