Chapter 3

I took a cab straight to the downtown apartment my late parents had left me.

My parents had been successful entrepreneurs in their prime, leaving behind substantial assets and prime real estate.

I had originally intended to gift a luxury townhouse near the top school district to Bella once she reached middle school.

Now, it seemed there was no need for that kind of charity anymore.

The moment I stepped away from that suffocating household, a deep, blissful silence enveloped me.

I collapsed onto the clean, soft bed. For the first time in decades, there were no barking orders, no whining complaints, and no endless chores waiting for me.

Exhaustion washed over me like a tidal wave, and my heavy eyelids drifted shut.

Perhaps I had run myself ragged for far too long, or perhaps I hadn't had a proper night's sleep in thirty years, but I slept uninterrupted until the late afternoon.

When I turned on my phone, the screen was flooded with notifications and frantic messages from Lucas on SnapChat.

"You just walked out? Who is supposed to take care of Bella now?!"

"You are so incredibly selfish! You only care about your own petty feelings while leaving us to suffer!"

"Dad is on his way home right now! He already knows you ran off, and he is furious!"

"I suggest you get back here right now and apologize before you ruin everything for everyone!"

Reading through the walls of text, an overwhelming wave of grief and betrayal washed over me.

Lucas didn't care about my safety or where an elderly woman was spending the night. His only concern was that the household had lost its unpaid maid.

And my so-called husband hadn't sent a single text or made a single call.

That was always his way—waiting coldly in silence for me to crawl back, admit my "fault," and beg for his generous forgiveness.

After staring at the screen for a long while, I finally typed out a single reply.

"I'm not coming back. I don't want you, your father, or that house ever again."

Before he could respond, I blocked his number and deleted him from my contacts.

Later that afternoon, I called Sarah, an old friend I hadn't seen in years, and asked her out to a quiet tea lounge downtown.

Before heading out, I opened my garment bag and took out an exquisite designer silk dress.

My mother had commissioned a master tailor to handcraft it for me decades ago using imported premium silk.

I had only worn it once—on the day Ethan and I signed our marriage license. After that, I never had an occasion to wear it again.

To wash, cook, scrub floors, and chase after children, I had spent the last fifty years wearing nothing but oversized, faded sweatpants and cheap loose shirts.

I had lived my entire life for others. Today, I was finally going to live for myself.

When I arrived at the tea lounge, Sarah was already seated by the window, sipping her jasmine blend.

Catching sight of me, she sprang up from her seat and wrapped me in a warm, tight hug.

"May! Oh, it’s been so long!"

Ever since I married Ethan, I had been consumed by family duties, gradually drifting away from all my old friends.

Sarah’s life had taken a very different path.

After marriage, her husband pampered her, they hired full-time help to raise the kids, and she spent her days traveling, reading, and enjoying life.

It was the dream life that every woman wished for—the life I had given up.

Pulling back, she guided me to sit down and poured me a cup of steaming hot tea.

"Look at you, May. You're always rushing around, working yourself to the bone without a single minute to breathe. Why on earth doesn't Ethan just hire a housekeeper?"

My hands tightened around the warm porcelain cup. I let out a bitter chuckle.

"Because in his eyes, I am the housekeeper."

Sarah fell silent, gently resting her hand over mine in silent comfort.

I took a slow sip of the tea, letting the warmth steady my nerves, and poured out all the pain, humiliation, and deceit I had endured over the years.

She listened quietly, her brow furrowing with growing indignation and heartache.

Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore.

"You married him back then because you thought it would bring you happiness. Now that you're miserable, why stay? Divorce him!"

I paused, setting my cup down, and offered her a calm, calculating smile.

"Don't worry. I will. I'm just waiting for the right moment."

As Sarah and I stepped out of the tea lounge into the courtyard, Ethan was standing right by the entrance.

His face darkened the moment he saw me, his voice sharp with annoyance.

"Haven't you thrown enough of a tantrum yet?"