3
Mark, I gave you ten years of my youth, and
this is how you repay me?
At eighteen, I moved next door to you; I had a
secret crush on you in high school, confessed
my feelings in college, and married you after
graduation.
It turns out, all these years, I was nothing
more than a temporary comfort to you.
I was a clown, spinning endlessly around him,
and he repeatedly pushed me away, yet I
persisted.
The day he agreed to be with me, I thought I
had moved him.
I didn’t know then that his real reason for
marrying me was for my parents‘ inheritance,
to save his company, and to save money for
Vivian’s return.
For years, I managed the household and
worried about his company, drinking myself
sick at business gatherings, and I enjoyed it.
Later, he changed, taking me to movies,
buying me clothes, complimenting my beauty,
and comforting me when I was unhappy.
My heart rejoiced, thinking I’d moved him,
that my suffering was finally over.
When I found out I was pregnant, I told him
<
immediately.
But his face was full of shock and disgust.
He said scornfully, “Impossible, we always
used protection, and I gave you birth control
pills every time. Sarah, you couldn’t have
gotten pregnant.”
Afraid he thought I was trying to show off, I
showed him the ultrasound.
But he didn’t even look, tearing it up,
mocking, “Whose bastard is this? I don’t
know, but I’m sure it’s not mine, because I
wouldn’t let you get pregnant, not then, not
now.”
I panicked, desperately trying to explain
myself.
“It’s impossible, I haven’t been with anyone
else, maybe I forgot to take the pill a few
times, or maybe…”
He didn’t believe me and left without looking
back.
<
But the next day, he brought home a visibly
pregnant Vivian.
He announced to me, with a look of
happiness I’d never seen before, that he was
having a child.
So his frequent absences had a reason, and I
was the only fool who didn’t know.
I stayed up every night waiting for him, while
he was in the arms of another woman.
My burning heart froze when Vivian moved in.
So a soul without a body can still feel pain.
In the dark slum, the stench and torture of
several demons plunged me back into painful
memories.
Mark, hugging Vivian, called his assistant
back, “What’s she doing? Why hasn’t she
called? Doesn’t she want to come back?”
“Good, good, she has some guts!”
I numbly watched Mark, his brows furrowed.
He let go of Vivian and went into the
<
bedroom; when he came out, he was wearing
the satellite watch he hadn’t worn in years.
He fiddled with the watch, his panic becoming
evident.
“Vivian, I’ll go get her myself, make her
apologize to you, no matter how she runs
away, it’s useless!”
The plane was ready; Mark landed in the safe
zone of Myanmar that afternoon. The man.
who had reported my death took him to find
my body.
“What kind of place is this? Smelly and filthy!”
After walking a while, the assistant stopped.
“Sir, you should be prepared. Mrs. Johnson’s
remains are right ahead.”
Fear surged through me; I couldn’t bear to
see my mangled corpse, my deathbed
memories like a thousand needles.
“Remains? Are you lying? Don’t make me fire
you.”
<
Mark pushed his assistant aside, and seeing
several unclaimed bodies, he retched.
“Where’s Sarah! What kind of trick is this?
Leading us to this hellhole! Does she want to
die!”
He kicked over some broken furniture; the
dust made it hard to breathe, and the flies
scattered, frightening Mark back a few steps.
He was impatient, “Sarah, what are you doing
with this disgusting stuff? Are you trying to
get revenge? Come out now!”
He angrily brushed away the dust, rushed
forward, and stumbled over my body.
The corpse was already dismembered; only
the familiar clothes were recognizable. The
rotting limbs were gnawed by insects, the eye
sockets were dark and empty, terrifying and
chilling.
The most heartbreaking thing was that her
upper body was clothed, but her lower body
く
Mark stared blankly for three minutes, then
looked at the familiar watch, his mouth
trembling.
He couldn’t speak.
“Sa… Sa… Sarah?”
