His Mistress Ate My Strawberries

I could never have imagined such words coming from his mouth.

"Henrik, wasn't Kai your daughter?"

"She passed away when she was only three. Don’t you feel any sorrow?"

His brows furrowed even more tightly. "I gave her the grandest memorial service possible. Isn't that enough sorrow?"

Enough sorrow?

The dense fog clouding my mind suddenly cleared away.

In that moment, all lingering attachment to him vanished completely.

I regained my composure.

"Yes, I suppose that's sufficient."

Henrik no longer looked at me. He gently wiped Jessie’s tears away and held her as they left.

"From now on, I won’t visit unless necessary. You can head home alone later."

I watched them leave, lowered my head, and opened WhatsApp.

"I agree to what you suggested, but on the condition that you take me with you."

The reply was instant: "9 AM tomorrow. I'll be waiting at your favorite café."

On the morning of the christening, I packed my bags and left the divorce papers on the table.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

"Bring the tie Jessie gifted me."

"Just leave it and go; spare me any embarrassment."

I found the untouched tie he valued and headed to the banquet hall, only to find Jessie there.

She laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.

"I thought you had some dignity and wouldn’t show up at Elora's christening."

"And yet, here you come running at just a call from Henrik."

"Do you think that’ll win his heart back? Dream on. A woman who can't bear a son is just a burden to him."

I didn’t want to argue with her. "The tie’s here," I said, turning to leave.

She scoffed dismissively.

"Aren't you going to stay and watch? Elora resembles your daughter quite a bit."

"Perhaps your daughter realized she chose the wrong family and died only to end up in my belly... ah!"

I slapped her, eyes blazing with anger, and was about to strike again when my wrist was caught.

Henrik's eyes looked as if he wanted to tear me apart.

"Elaine, you’re insane!"

His parents rushed in, shielding Jessie behind them, and Madalyn pointed at me angrily.

"What bad luck! You ruined such a wonderful day, you jinx!"

Ray glared at me menacingly. "Where's the security? Get this madwoman out!"

Guests began to gather around, whispering in shock at the scene.

I fought back tears, my wrist aching from Henrik’s grip.

"Didn't anyone ask what she said to provoke me?"

Jessie immediately started sobbing:

"I'm sorry, I only said... Elora is afraid of sharp objects, and I wanted Miss Ortiz to remove any sharp items from the venue..."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You never... you’re doing this on purpose!"

Henrik roared, the pressure from his hand intensifying as if to crush my wrist.

"Your daughter died because of a sharp steel rod, and now you want to harm our daughter?"

"You’re utterly irrational!"

Voices of reproach erupted all around me.

Standing at the center of the crowd, I shook my head, holding back tears. "I didn’t do it!"

"Still trying to defend yourself!"

Madalyn stepped forward, hitting me for the first time in twenty years.

"What a disaster! If I knew you were this vicious, I would never have brought you into the Kim family!"

"We pampered and fed you, and you cost us dearly. Now you want to harm my granddaughter too!"

I absorbed the blow fully.

Since I was five, I was taught to be grateful to the Kim family, to repay them.

I couldn't ask for an extra plate of food because I didn’t pay for my upkeep.

I wasn't allowed to honor my parents as it supposedly harmed my fate.

I couldn’t accept another’s proposal because I had to marry Henrik.

Spring came and autumn passed for twenty years, and I tread carefully in the Kim household, living as a stranger.

Everything in this house belonged to the Kims; Kai was the only one belonging to me.

But Kai was gone now, too.

The phone in my pocket buzzed.

It felt like a push towards escape.

Awakening from my daze, I jerked my arm free.

"My apologies, Miss Coleman."

"I was out of line."

"I apologize to you."