After My Husband's Cruelty Destroyed Our Love

Maximiliano had finally left.

With Fluffy around, he'd become even more brazen. He even brought someone into our home. The moment Melany saw me, she warmly took my hand.

“It’s been so long, Elisabeth. You’ve been looking after Max so well. Thank you.”

Loving someone is like tending a garden—a fact she personified perfectly. Even after years, she was still as vibrant and captivating as ever. Every glance and smile commanded attention, unlike me, my hands now rough and calloused.

“Miss Jackson, isn’t it just expected that I take care of my husband?” I couldn't help but retort.

But in the next second, Maximiliano shoved me out of the room with a firm hand, pulling Melany into his arms, his eyes cold.

“Leave, and don’t make me repeat myself.”

A man bringing another woman home and then throwing his wife out—it sounds ridiculous.

When I was forced out, I was only wearing a simple housecoat, with no phone. The night was chilly, and soon, a light drizzle began. Shivering in the cold, I knocked on the door, hoping for a bit of warmth, even just a warmer piece of clothing. But then it hit me—the door was soundproof, and no one inside could hear me.

Just as I was about to pull my hand back, I glanced inside and saw the dim glow of a lamp in the living room. Melany was sitting on Maximiliano’s lap, the two of them locked in a tender embrace, sharing a kiss. On such a cold night, it was unbelievably cozy.

My entire body froze, my blood turning to ice. I didn’t know how much time had passed before they finally broke apart. Melany, looking shy, blushed and snuggled back into Maximiliano’s arms. His hand gently stroked her back, soothingly, over and over.

That warmth was something I only dreamed of having.

The door suddenly creaked open, and there stood Maximiliano. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The red marks on his neck were glaringly obvious, painfully obvious. His gaze towards me was intensely indifferent.

“Melany’s hungry. Go cook.”

I laughed.

“Maximiliano, what do you take me for?”

He looked slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting me to talk back. But it lasted just a moment. His expression quickly hardened again.

“Do you want to feel that again?”

He was referring to the torment of Fluffy. Because of the Reyes family, Maximiliano wouldn’t lay a hand on me, but he tormented Fluffy, making my life a living hell in the process.

For the first time, the man I had loved so deeply felt like a complete stranger.