Love is Deep and Shallow, But My Marriage's Love is A Fantasy

David looked at me like he had expected this all along, as if he thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

David spoke casually, almost amused, "Alright, stop saying things you don’t mean. You’ve been a housewife for ten years. Without the Gunn Family or the Xander Family, how do you expect to survive out there?"

"If it really matters to you, I’ll have my secretary buy you a diamond ring. We’ll have dinner as a family and you’ll be Madam Gunn. But as for making it official in public? Forget it. If Yvonne sees it, what if she doesn’t want to come back?"

And with that, he left, taking my parents and Tyler with him.

He left me with his secretary to handle my medical treatment.

Oh, and the charity ring.

The secretary barely concealed her condescension.

"Miss Nadine, Mr. Gu has approved a budget of one hunded thousand dollar for your ring. So you can choose from pre-made designs. If you don’t know much about jewelry, just pick the most expensive one. Just so you know, jewelry is considered personal property."

David had always assumed I was a gold digger who had schemed my way into his bed.

That’s why, despite our marriage, he only allowed me to withdraw a measly three hundred dollar a month from the housekeeper.

So naturally, his secretary thought a one hundred thousand dollar ring was an extravagant gift, something I should be grateful for.

But today, by accident, I had sat in that chair.

The one custom-made by a master craftsman.

The one designed specifically for Yvonne.

It had cost ten million.

And in that grand master bedroom—where I had never been allowed to step foot—there were billions worth of gifts for her.

I pushed aside the tablet the secretary had handed me to choose a ring design.

"You pick."

It didn’t matter.

That ring would end up destroyed by Tyler anyway.

Just like everything else David had ever given me, even the meaningless some freebies.

And even if it survived, I wouldn’t wear it.

I dismissed the secretary and not long after, Tyler walked back in.

He carried a thermos, opened it and without warning, flung the scalding porridge straight at me.

"You’d better get the hint and leave on your own," he spat. "Next time, it won’t be porridge—it will be sulfuric acid."

His hands weren’t strong enough; most of it landed on the blanket, but some splashed onto my arm.

The burning pain shot through me.

Ironically, I had woken up before dawn yesterday to cook that very porridge for him.

And now, it still burned me to the bone.

Tyler watched as red welts bloomed on my skin. Satisfied, he turned and left.

A nurse rushed in, changed my bedding and carefully applied medicine to my arm.

She hesitated before finally whispering, "Some children… just can't be raised."

I stared at the bandages covering my body. Tears slipped silently down my face.

She was right.

Even an outsider could see it.

Yet I had spent ten years believing that sincerity could win sincerity. But whether it was David—the boy I had once called my childhood sweetheart—or Tyler—the child I had raised since he was small…

The only thing my love had ever earned me was cruelty.

I spent over half a month in the hospital.

None of them came to visit me.

Not once.

When I was finally discharged, I hired a caretaker, sat in my wheelchair and went back to the Gunn Family home to collect my things.

But the moment I stepped inside, I froze.

The very people who had ignored my existence for weeks were now gathered in the living room, laughing, talking, celebrating.

And at the center of it all—

The woman who had disappeared without a trace for ten years.

Yvonne Xander.

Tears glistened in my parents' eyes as they hugged her tightly.

"Yvonne, you’re back. That’s all that matters." as my dad said.

"What do you want to eat? We’ll make anything for you." my mom also welcame her.

Tyler clung to her like a koala.

"Mom, you’re finally home! Now I’ll never have to be alone again!"

Even David, who had always been as cold as ice, was smiling like a fool.

"I knew it, Yvonne. I knew you wouldn’t be able to forget me."

They surrounded her with joy, as if the devastation she had left behind when she abandoned them had never existed.

As if the heartbreak, the desperation, the years of waiting—had all been just a lie.

I remembered how my parents had begged me to stay when I said I was leaving.

My father had collapsed from a heart attack.

My mother had cried until her eyes were nearly blind.

And yet, now— it was as if I had never been there at all.