The Potential of Love

On a rainy day, David Robinson, my father, went home to close the windows, but he caught my husband, Ethan Wilson, hanging out with his lover.

In a panic, they pushed David to the ground, and both ran away.

By the time I rushed home, I had missed the chance to hear David's last words.

There was an unsent message left on his phone.

David: [Violet, if I can't make it, please don't quarrel with Ethan. You should communicate with him more if you have any misunderstandings...]

His message broke my heart, and I immediately called Ethan dozens of times.

However, when I finally got through his number, I heard a woman chuckling on the other side of my phone.

"Ethan, do you prefer the ultra-thin type or the ultra-smooth type?" said that woman.

Shivering because of rage, I shouted, "Fuck you!"

Hearing my rude curse, Ethan couldn't stand it. He grabbed his phone and scolded me.

"Violet, is this how your father, when he was a teacher, taught you to speak and behave like a bitch?" he said.

His mistress was crying artificially beside him. "Violet, I just asked Brother Ethan what kind of bubble gum he liked. Please don't quarrel with him because of your misunderstanding of me, okay?"

Ethan snorted coldly and said impatiently, "She thought I was cheating on her because she had a dirty mind! I'm telling you, don't trust your father's bullshit. He's a pervert who loves his daughter so much that he can't stand you and I love each other!"

David had devoted his life to teaching and educating countless students with decency.

My mother, Lydia Robinson, died early due to illness, and David didn't marry anyone since Lydia's death and raised me all by himself in case I would suffer the injustice from an irresponsible stepmother.

Later, when I participated in an event held by an orphanage, I overheard the director saying that although Ethan showed his talents in learning, the orphanage couldn't afford his further education.

My compassion drove me to beg David to support all the tuition for Ethan until he finished his college.

I didn't expect Ethan to be so ungrateful and even slander David. The rage struck me so hard that I couldn't help shivering.

"Ethan, you fucking bastard! I will divorce you!" I shouted.

After a long time, I could even hear them kissing over the phone.

Ethan slurred his words. "As you wish!"

After hanging up the phone, I tried my best to pull myself together and handle David's funeral alone.

Even after he was cremated, Ethan never returned home once, nor did he even call or text me.

At that moment, resentment brimmed with my heart. I even began to think that David would live a longer and happier life if I didn't fall in love with him at that time.

"Honey, my head is about to explode..." Three days later, Ethan returned home as if nothing had happened and fell on the sofa, groaning.

It struck me that I learned how to massage for him on purpose in the past.

I would patiently massage his head whenever he said he had a headache. Then, I would make sure the water in the bath was perfectly comfortable for him and iron the clothes he would wear on the next day. His life was tidy and cozy with my hard work.

However, now I was sitting on the sofa without moving at all.

The couch sagged a little on one side, and he sat down next to me, taking my hand.

"What, are you still angry and suspicious because of what I said?" said he.

I raised my head and looked at him with grief and rage.

I said, "Suspicious? Aren't you a shameless adulterer? Am I wrong?"

Ethan suddenly looked taken aback and frowned.

"Could you please stop saying something so humiliating?

"Did your dad say something again?

"I told you that it was a misunderstanding that day. Can you guys stop sticking to it?

"Can you please not unconditionally believe whatever your dad says? I'll apologize to him in person when he calms down. He's the one who wishes you to be happy the most and doesn't want to see us fight."

After saying that, he stood up, picked up a bag and handed it to me.

"Take a look at what's in the bag. Do you like it?" he said.

Seeing I didn't react to what he had said, he tried to flatter me with a Louis Vuitton bag.

Ethan said, "It's very expensive. I saved my pocket money for a long time to buy it for you."

I looked at the friction marks on the hardware buckle of the bag and knew it was obviously rubbed.

I had seen Olivia Jones, his mistress, wearing this bag once, and unfortunately for Ethan, I noticed there were friction marks on hers, which were the same as the ones on this bag.

This jerk actually refurbished the bag Olivia threw away and presented it to me!

Looking at his hypocritical face, I once again lamented how foolish David and myself were to help him.

"You agreed on our divorce on the phone, remember? When do you have time so that we can deal with the procedure?" I said.

His hand paused, and suddenly, he threw the bag at my feet like a madman. The shoulder strap hit my calf, causing a burning pain.

"Violet, I've already compromised myself to apologize to you, what else do you want?

"You know very well that I owe Olivia. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't be alone!

"And David clearly told me to take good care of her, so why are you so heartless?

"If you really want a divorce, that's fine, as long as David agrees!"

Ethan slammed the door angrily and left in a hurry.

He had always been like this, both inferior and arrogant, and every time, he solved the problems between us by escaping and using the silent treatment.

Every time, in the end, I was the one who took the initiative to surrender and try to reconcile with him.

But I also got fed up and felt depressed.

As I printed the draft of the divorce agreement, I signed it and mailed it to his company.