She stood on the back of time

Ellie stood frozen, unable to believe Joshua could stoop so low. For Diane’s sake, he was ready to cast every shred of his dignity aside.

She had just woken up—and not a single word of concern had passed his lips. Even his kindness was meant for Diane.

She wanted to spit in his face, but held back. Not for any other reason: Joshua’s tenderness toward her over the years hadn’t been an act. It was only since Diane’s arrival that everything had shifted.

Ellie’s face was pale, her hands clutching the quilt so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“I don’t agree. I won’t forgive Diane. Joshua… just leave.”

Joshua looked utterly stunned, as if seeing her for the first time.

The old Ellie had obeyed his every word, treated his commands like sacred edicts.

But now…

Pressing his lips together, he said nothing and hurried from the hospital room.

He left without hesitation, without a single word of care.

The last flicker of hope in Ellie’s heart went dark.

Late that night, after the IV drip finished, she lay drowsily in bed. Then she felt a warm body draw close, breath whispering against her ear, large hands gripping her tightly.

A man’s voice, low and ragged, broke the silence.

“Ellie, Joshua sent you to my bed for Diane. He drugged me. Got me drunk.”

The words struck like thunder. Ellie forgot to struggle. Tears sprang to her eyes instantly.

“I won’t let Joshua have his way. You shouldn’t have to go through this.”

The man’s words—part protection, part promise—hung in the air with his heated breath, then fell silent as he pulled away.

Ellie’s mind replayed her past, a lifetime spent chasing Joshua, living for him.

Even now, she couldn’t find a single shred of proof he had ever loved her.

And now, for Diane, he was handing her over to another man. So afraid it might fail, he’d even resorted to drugs.

Ellie laughed—a bitter, hollow sound. She wiped her tears with a finger, erasing the last trace of attachment. The man in the white shirt from her memories would never be hers.

“If that’s what Joshua arranged, then let his wish come true.”

Her voice trembled, her movements tinged with defiance, like a helpless creature clinging to the man.

“Ellie, get down—you can’t…”

Her initiative, her pretense turning real, pushed the already strained man over the edge. His eyes reddened; his body shook uncontrollably.

“Just… help me forget him…”

Ellie leaned down and kissed his lips. The next second, the man felt dampness on his cheek.

What followed veered completely off course.

The sounds of intimacy filled the room.

The moment Ellie truly became a woman, she let out a pained gasp, her fingers clenching so tightly that blood seeped from her palms.

This lifetime, she would not repeat the same mistakes.

She would never again be Joshua’s wife, never again the mother who lost ten children, never again live a life of madness…

The next day, leaning against the doorframe as she returned home, she saw Diane chatting with the village women.

Diane seemed to have returned yesterday.

And the price had been Ellie—sent by Joshua to his friend’s bed.

No one had asked if she was willing.

A self-mocking smile touched her lips. On the way back, she’d wondered: if Joshua knew her pretense had become real last night, would he feel even a shred of sorrow?

But before Ellie could ponder further, Diane’s malicious words from inside the house stabbed straight into her heart.

“Ellie’s still so young—doesn’t know the meaning of shame. Sick like that, and she dares to mess around with a man. Oh, look at that mouth—I didn’t mean to say it out loud.”

The village’s most gossip-loving auntie heard this, and her eyes lit up.

Experienced women, seeing how Ellie walked, knew instantly she was no innocent maiden anymore. They pointed and whispered, scorn in their eyes.

“Tsk, tsk—so young and already desperate for a man. Bet she’s been around the block a few times.”

“That wild girl never had parents who wanted her. You could tell she was no good from the start. Now she’s running completely loose—a loose woman. Any man who marries her would regret it till his dying day.”

“Having a girl like this in our village is our shame. I’m going to the Village Chief to have her run out of town for good!”

In this day and age, being driven out or branded an outcast was a woman’s worst punishment.

Without the village’s protection, Ellie would be left with a ruined name, vulnerable to any abuse.

Where reputation was everything—especially for a woman with no family to speak for her—if her good name was lost, Ellie’s life was over.

Diane stood to the side, smug, her eyes challenging Ellie.

Joshua knew better than anyone what had happened last night, yet he didn’t step forward to explain a single word.

He simply kept his head down, grinding ointment for Diane.

A scratch on Diane the size of a fingernail, and Joshua acted as if his heart were breaking.

Ellie couldn’t hold back any longer. She walked over and slapped Diane hard across her gloating face.

*SMACK!*

“That’s for your poisonous tongue!”