Chapter 3

3

"I hate you! I hate you!"

"But I hate myself more because I haven't stopped loving you for even a second..."

Every word Felix spoke was like a brand of red-hot iron searing my heart.

The seven years of marriage I thought were blissful? The life everyone envied?

It was all a lie.

Those seven years of my devotion, my care, my soul...

They didn't even weigh as much as the one year he spent with her.

While I was loving him with everything I had, he was spending every minute burning for Quinn.

His first love. His childhood sweetheart. His ultimate obsession.

Compared to her, I was nothing.

In that restaurant surrounded by roses, I gripped my phone until my knuckles turned white.

The tears finally broke.

After that night, our relationship hit rock bottom.

He never explained the airport video or the headlines.

And I was too terrified to ask. I was afraid that if I spoke the words, he would take the opportunity to end us for good.

I hated my weakness. I hated that I still loved him so much that I couldn't bring myself to sign divorce papers.

But my silence only emboldened him.

He started seeing Quinn openly.

One day he was helping her find an apartment. The next, he was setting her up with a job. He was with her almost every day of the week.

At first, he offered pathetic excuses when I asked where he'd been.

"Stella, Quinn just got back. She has no place to stay. I have to help her."

"She has no family left here. I'm the only friend she's got."

"You need to be more understanding."

But soon, the excuses turned into irritation, then into pure malice.

"Stella, are you done yet?"

"Questions, questions! You just don't trust me, do you?!"

"Don't project your filthy thoughts onto me and Quinn. You make me sick."

"I'm warning you―say one more word and you can get the hell out!"

Because I was afraid of losing him, I swallowed my pride. I swallowed the insults.

I hoped my endurance would eventually bring him back to his senses. I hoped he would remember the life we built.

But the more I retreated, the more Quinn pushed.

The explosion finally happened on my birthday.

I had prepared a full dinner, hoping we could finally talk things through.

Felix never came home. Instead, Quinn sent me a video.

In the video, Quinn was wearing my favorite silk robe, curled up in Felix's arms while he slept.

Every ounce of my suppressed rage ignited at that moment.

I drove to her place like a madwoman and pounded on the door. The moment she opened it, I swung and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

"You bitch! You absolute snake! How dare you lay a hand on my husband!"

Quinn wiped the blood from her lip and laughed. It was a cold, triumphant sound. "How dare I? Stella, you should ask your husband why he's so eager to please me."

"He's the one crawling to me. He can't get enough."

"Don't blame me because you've spent seven years being less than a dog in his eyes!"

Her words were like needles stabbing into my brain.

I lost it. I tackled her, pinned her to the floor, and wrapped my hands around her throat.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you home-wrecking bitch!"

Suddenly―BAM!

A heavy object slammed into the back of my head.

Pain exploded behind my eyes, and the world tilted as I collapsed to the floor.

I looked up through blurred vision and saw Felix. He wasn't looking at me. He was rushing to Quinn's side.

"Quinn! Quinn, baby, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Quinn, who had just been mocking me, was now a trembling victim. She huddled in Felix's arms, her eyes red and tearful.

"Felix... Felix, hold me. I'm so scared. She tried to kill me."

Right before I blacked out, Felix finally looked at me. His eyes were filled with nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred.