He Repaid My Sacrifice with Poison

“Tom, let’s get a divorce,” I said coldly.

Tom and I grew up in the same orphanage—we were childhood sweethearts.

From a young age, we experienced the harshness of the world, learning that we could only rely on each other.

His grades were much better than mine. After middle school, I took up odd jobs at the market, earning money to pay for his tuition.

There were times when he wanted to quit school, unwilling to watch me struggle. He’d say he wanted to take me to the city so we could work in factories and earn money together.

I slapped him hard, leaving him stunned.

Gritting my teeth, I told him, “Tom, listen to me. Even if it kills me, I’ll make sure you graduate from college. I’ll always be by your side, waiting for the day you get a good job, rise through the ranks and eventually marry me in a beautiful wedding.

“Don’t worry about what people say. I don’t mind working as a fish cleaner, as long as you can finish college. So why should you?

“We’ve both had tough lives. It’s always been you and I, so let’s rely on one another. If you ever say you want to quit school again, I swear I’ll slap you twice as hard as this. You hear me, Tom?”

From that day forward, Tom never talked about giving up. He studied hard, achieving top grades. Whenever he had free time, he would come to the fish stall to help me gut fish.

When the elderly woman who owned the stall next to mine heard our story, she gave me a piece of advice.

“What if your boyfriend dumps you after graduating college?” she asked. “They say men change once they get the wealth they desire. They’ll leave the woman who supported them for a younger, prettier girl. Be careful, okay?”

“These days, temptation is everywhere. Are you sure he’ll never leave you? Save some money for yourself. Never pin all of your life on a man.”

But I brushed them off.

I trusted Tom and he trusted me. Ours was a bond forged by hardship, unshakable and strong.

When Tom graduated, he proposed to me.

At our wedding, his classmates and friends came to celebrate.

Some looked down on me—a mere fish seller with average looks—thinking I wasn’t good enough for Tom. Others, upon learning how I’d supported him through school, were full of admiration.

That was the first time I met Lori.

She was Tom’s college classmate, someone who shared his interests and had been close to him on campus. She’d even chased after Tom, though he had turned her down.

From the moment we met, I could tell Lori didn’t like me. Her disdainful gaze and mocking tone said it all. But I didn’t care.

Tom was exceptional and it was natural for women to admire him. Yet his heart belonged to me and that was enough.

After the wedding, Tom turned down offers to work at large companies. Instead, he used what he’d learned in college to capitalize on the live-streaming boom.

I gave him all my savings to help him start his own studio.

Before long, he made a name for himself in the livestream sales industry, earning a fortune. His studio quickly grew into a media company. With success came more women throwing themselves at him.

Some warned me to keep an eye on Tom, saying men change when they get rich. But I still trusted him. Until one day, Lori appeared at Tom’s office as his secretary. That was when my trust in him began to waver. My instincts told me something wasn’t right.