Chapter 3

These girls were my closest friends. In my previous life, these girls lent me a helping hand when Henry destroyed my family during the height of his love craze. Although they were still no match for Henry, I saw their sincerity through my adversity. So, I told them of my plan to divorce Henry, but I didn’t tell them about my rebirth. They listened to my plan and remained silent for a few seconds. They then cheered for me. “Great! Let’s get drunk to congratulate Zee on getting rid of her useless love brain!” “Cheers!” I exclaimed, raising my overly thin arms high. I could see myself starting a new life after divorcing Henry and putting the tragedy of my previous life behind me. Being tipsy gave us all confidence. Yenna patted my shoulder. “Zee, you should look for some hotties here. Don’t be shy. If you like him, go for it! Henry is always involved in all sorts of scandals, so you shouldn’t lose to him!” “You’re right!” I took a drunken look around. Finally, my gaze was drawn to a tall and thin man. I assumed he was a college student based on his clothing. Since Henry was fooling around with a college student, I could too! I staggered over, wine glass in hand, and reached out to pat the guy on the shoulder. “Hey, handsome. Do you want something to drink? My treat!” The man turned his head. He was very handsome, but a little boyish. He looked at me with surprise, then shook his head apologetically. “Sorry, I have a girlfriend.” “Oh? I’m sorry… I’ll just look for someone who doesn’t have a girlfriend…” I bowed deeply in apology, noticing that the alcohol had numbed my brain. I had no idea what I had said and continued to look for other suitable candidates. I only managed to take two steps forward before I tripped over someone’s foot and dropped the wine glass, which shattered to pieces. I felt dizzy after the fall, and I felt compelled to sleep right then and there. “Miss, I’ll help you up!” The college student offered to assist me. I sat on the ground, my face flushed, and looked up at him. Why was I hallucinating? Suddenly, the college student’s face morphed into Henry’s, and he was staring daggers at me. I tried to stand up, but I accidentally pressed my palm against the shattered glass. Bright red blood gushed from my palm in an instant. I was only stunned for about two seconds before blacking out. “Do you think your family will be able to stop me, Zena?” Henry's cruel and cold face appeared again in my dream. As I prostrated myself on the messy living room floor, I looked like a deranged woman with tears streaming down my face. My parents and in-laws put pressure on Henry to change his mind after learning of his intention to divorce me. Henry ignored their advice and persisted in his plans. He even paid a high price to bring my family down. Henry's parents initially opposed and chastised him, but they later assisted him. I also heard that they eventually accepted Laurel. Henry willfully shielded Laurel, and she gradually gained the approval of Henry’s parents. Most importantly, Laurel was already pregnant at the time. “Henry, I’ve loved you for ten years. Don’t you have any feelings for me?” Tears streamed down my cheeks as I covered my face. “No, I don’t. Zena, I gave you the opportunity for a peaceful divorce, but you didn’t cherish it.” Henry’s voice was emotionless. His special ringtone of Laurel’s clear and pleasant voice interrupted him, “Mr. Pelham, please answer the phone!” The ringtone was sickeningly sweet. My chest throbbed from a sharp pain, and my head spun as I watched Henry walk away. I awoke suddenly, suffocating. I panted violently, only to realize that I was in my bedroom. Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly. It was a lovely spring day. How did the college boy manage to send me home? I rubbed my throbbing temples as I looked down at my bandaged hand. I wanted to find the college boy. Instead, I heard Henry’s voice from outside the door. “Alright, you guys go ahead. I’m not in the mood today.” Henry leaned against the guardrail on the second floor, a cigarette between his fingers. His voice was relaxed, and his figure was graceful. As he approached, I leaned against the door frame and asked, “Where did you hide him?” “Who?” Henry frowned deeply. “The college dude,” I replied. It was unusual for me to be interested in a man other than Henry, so I was reluctant to lose him. Anyway, Henry would go crazy for another woman in a month, so I had every right to seek solace from another man to distract myself from my misery. Henry erupted in rage when he heard my response. He looked at my outfit, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into my bedroom’s dressing room. “Damn it! Change your clothes! Who gave you permission to dress like a sl*t?!” A sl*t? I lowered my head and looked at my chest. The slight bump was entirely due to the bra I was wearing. This word choice bothered me, especially coming from a man who didn’t love me back. What did it matter to him if I was dressed like a sl*t? “Henry, did you sleep with that celebrity two days ago?” I asked calmly, not moving. “It’s none of your business.” His reply was always the same. “Then you shouldn’t butt in my business either. If you don’t want a divorce, let’s just have an open marriage,” I said in a flat voice. This was how it felt to give up completely. It felt good to no longer have to invest my emotions in Henry, and I could feel my soul returning to my body. Men had such double standards. They were free to go out and have fun, but their wives were expected to stay at home and be virtuous. Henry was no different. Even though he didn’t love me, I was still his legal wife. “Are you planning to cheat on me?” Henry sneered. Then he hooked my plunging neckline and said viciously, “Do you think that men will like your figure?” I slapped his hand away and straightened my clothes calmly. “I just need to gain some weight and become more appealing to other men.” “Zena, are you f*cking crazy?!” Henry finally snapped and looked at me. “Have you been doing drugs lately?” I used to be a calm, sensible, considerate, and generous person, so spouting such nonsense was out of character for me. If my father had heard what I just said, he might have had a heart attack. However, the only way to escape Henry’s clutches was to go insane. Henry would not have divorced me if Laurel had not appeared. Marriage alliances were not to be taken lightly. He was a rational person, so he would certainly weigh the pros and cons. I did not want to go through the agony of watching him fall in love with someone else again. "Then divorce me," I proposed once more.