The Dawn of Freedom: When I Decide to Leave You

Before they could react,

I went straight to the study and took down the painting.

When I passed through the living room, Ben was looking at me unhappily with a glass of red wine in his hand. "Stop! Did I let you go?

"You can't come and go as you please. If you leave here today, I won't treat your mom."

I paused slightly.

Ben knew best that my mom was important to me.

He knew that as long as he could save my mom, I couldn't leave him and had to obey him, so he dared to hurt me again and again for Dora.

But now he couldn't do that anymore.

I buried my mother and my relationship with him.

Seeing that I hadn't spoken for a long time, Ben thought I was scared, so he raised his chin at me arrogantly. "I'm hungry. Go cook for me and Dora now. I can forgive you."

Who did he think he was? So ridiculous.

I looked at him coldly and said, "Ben, didn't you hear me? We have broken up. You don't deserve me to cook for you."

In the past, I needed his help, so I had to please him and never spoke to him in that tone.

Ben's face darkened when he heard that. "Cathy, don't challenge me. You know my patience is limited."

Of course I know.

We had been together for five years, and Ben had never coaxed me. Every time we quarreled, I gave in first.

Every time we went on a date, I went out half an hour early, because Ben never waited for anyone.

When we first got together, we went hiking. He said to wait ten minutes for me to buy some water. But there were so many people that it was a little late. When I got back, he had left without even telling me.

Later I developed the habit of checking the time anytime and anywhere.

Ben gave all his patience to Dora.

No matter how late it was or how bad the weather was, as long as Dora called him, he would come to her.

Even though Ben had to wait for Dora to go out every time, he was willing to wait and never angry.

Dora stood in front of Ben and looked at me with disapproval. "Cathy, even if you don't want to cook for me, you don't have to talk to Ben like this. It's bad for your relationship that you say breakup so often."

I sneered, "Who do you think you are? It's none of your business."

Dora's smile froze.

Suddenly she bit her lip aggrievedly, "I'm sorry, Cathy. If I said anything that made you unhappy, I apologize to you."

As she spoke, she deliberately took a few steps towards me.

Suddenly, she lost her balance and the red wine in her hand spilled onto my painting.

"Ah!"

Dora exclaimed and hurriedly wiped it with her sleeve, but it became dirtier.

I saw the glimmer of malice in her eyes.

In an instant my sanity vanished.

I slapped her subconsciously.

Ben and Dora didn't expect me to do it.

They froze.

A few seconds later, Ben reacted, strode to protect her behind him, twisted my arm tightly, and looked at me with a biting coldness in his eyes.

"Cathy, how dare you to slap her!"

Dora covered her face with her hand and shed tears. "Cathy, I really didn't mean it. I will compensate you for the painting no matter how much it costs."

I tilted my head back to fight back tears.

"Compensate? How to compensate?"

My mother was dead, and it was the only painting she left me.

Ben sneered, "Just a painting. I'll give you a hundred paintings."

As he said that, he snatched the painting from my hand, picked up a bottle of red wine and poured it all over the painting. Then he stepped down hard with his casual shoe, and a big hole was instantly created in the middle. It seemed as if he was stepping on my heart.

I rushed towards him and said, "No, give it back to me. It is what my mother left for me."

Ben kicked me away mercilessly.

Then, right in front of me, he stomped the painting into pieces.

After doing that, he looked down at me and said, "Now, immediately, apologize to Dora!"

I cried and hugged the pile of fragments on the ground. The sharp edges pierced my flesh, but I seemed to have no feeling and tried hard to hold them in my arms.

Ben frowned and pinched my chin hard, "Don't let me say it a second time!"

I pushed his hand away with all my strength, and I resentfully looked at him in disgust.

Ben was stunned for a moment, as if startled by my gaze. His hand loosened unconsciously.

I ignored him and fell into deep self-blame and self-loathing.

"Mom, I'm so useless that I can't even keep the painting you left for me."

Ben finally realized that something was wrong with me and was about to reach out to pull me.

But Dora stopped him and said, "Ben, my face hurts. Come and see if it's swollen."

I used almost all my strength to slap her. The slap mark on her delicate fair face was quite shocking.

Ben instantly went from soft to anger when he saw her swollen cheek.

"Cathy, it seems that I have indulged you too much. I just give you one last chance to apologize to Dora!"

"What if I don't?"

Ben narrowed his eyes and threatened, "You don't want to save your mother?"

I suddenly laughed.

And my tears kept flowing.

A strange look flashed across Ben's face. "What are you laughing at?"

I looked at him with sarcasm on my face. "I laugh at your stupidity and your blindness. You think I'll still be like I used to be, wagging my tail like a dog to please you just because of your random words? If you know my mom's condition, you wouldn't have threatened me with such a stupid reason."

If my mother were still alive, let alone apologizing to Dora, I would not hesitate at all even if he asked me to kneel down and kowtow three times to her.

But now he was out of leverage to control me, and I would rather die than obey him.

Dora was so angry at my words that she stamped her feet and said, "Ben, I told you a long time ago that she is not suitable for you, but you didn't believe.

"If her mother was really that seriously ill, how could she have such an attitude? She must have lied to you."

"Shut up!"

Since my mother fell ill, her hair had been falling out in clumps, and she could only fall asleep by taking painkillers every day. I must have been crazy to lie to him with such an excuse.

Ben knew all that.

But he didn't retort and just gave me an ultimatum.

"Cathy, as long as you apologize to Dora today, I can pretend that nothing happened."

I still said, "No way!"

My repeated disobedience angered Ben.

He snorted, and a cruel smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "I have found the best experts in the country for your mother. As long as you behave, I can let them continue to treat your mother.

"But you disappoint me so much. I have to teach you a lesson."

As he said that, he took out his cell phone, clicked on the screen a few times, and then glanced at me nonchalantly, as if waiting for me to beg for mercy.

I looked at him expressionlessly, even hoping that he would click it down quickly. I had seen enough of his ugly face that looked like he was confident of victory.

Seeing that I hadn't been begging for mercy,

he held the phone so tightly that veins popped out. Finally, he dialed his assistant's number.

Ben's voice was as cold as ice. "Cancel the experts consultation planned for Cathy's mother tomorrow. And there's no need to hold it anymore!"

His assistant exclaimed, "Mr. Smith, Cathy's mother has passed away."

"What?"