Avenging My Abusive Husband

My husband was abusive, so I called the police on him.

My mother-in-law said, "Every couple has their fights, don't they?"

Oh, is that so?

Later, her son was beaten so badly he could hardly function.

My in-laws quickly jumped in to try and smooth things over.

But I retorted, "Every couple has their fights, right?"

When my husband beat me so badly that I ended up in the hospital, I immediately called the police.

He was arrested, and my in-laws and sister-in-law all tried to persuade me not to press charges.

"Why doesn't Gavin hit anyone else? He still loves you," my mother-in-law said, sitting on the bed with her arms crossed, trying to sound earnest.

"All couples have their arguments. Even your father-in-law and I had our fights. It's not a big deal. Reporting it to the police just looks bad to others. Listen to me, go to the police this afternoon and tell them it was just a misunderstanding. Withdraw the complaint."

I sneered, "Dream on! Now you think it's bad? When he was hitting me, you all slept like the dead in the next room. Once he gets out, I'm divorcing him!"

"Divorce over such a small matter? If it wasn't your fault, would my son have hit you?"

She was right. I was so angry that I wanted to get out of bed and slap her. If she had no issues, would I hit her?

But as soon as I stood up, I felt dizzy and collapsed back onto the bed.

I took a deep breath and told myself that there would be time for this later.

"Sis, I'm not saying you're wrong, but people say couples fight and make up quickly. You just got slapped a couple of times by my brother, and you hit him back too. Is it really necessary to send him to jail?"

"The doctor said you only have minor injuries. My brother will be detained for a few days at most. Just let it go."

She pouted impatiently and asked me for money, "I'm out of cash. Transfer some money to me later. I'm leaving now."

With that, she left without looking back, slamming the door behind her.

A fellow patient grumbled, "This family really has some nerve. They come to see a patient and don't bring anything, but they have the nerve to ask for money."

My in-laws' faces turned pale and then red.

After a while, my mother-in-law whispered, "Valerie, we paid your hospital fees. Don't forget to pay us back."

She pulled my father-in-law and quickly left the room.

No one remembered that I was still bedridden.

In the end, it was an elderly woman in the same ward who couldn't stand it anymore and bought me some food.

"This family is truly wicked. Such a good girl, beaten like this. Your parents would be devastated if they knew."

Tears instantly welled up in my eyes.

I hadn't cried when I was beaten, nor when I got stitches. But now, I couldn't hold back anymore.

Large tears soaked my pillow.

"Hey, girl, don't cry. People like that will get what's coming to them sooner or later."

They'll get what's coming to them, huh?

After crying enough, I took out my phone to look at myself.

My left ear hurt terribly, my mouth was swollen, and I had lost a tooth. There were several abrasions on my head, a broken left hand, and a stitched wound on my right leg that was still oozing blood. I looked miserable.

The nurse who came to change my dressing gently disinfected my wounds while cursing, "What a scumbag, hitting his own wife so hard."

After changing the dressing, she helped me wash up.

"I'll be as gentle as I can. Don't move. Eat more bland food to recover faster."

She then brought in a new thermos, "I noticed you didn't have a cup. This is new. I've filled it with water. Drink it, and I'll refill it for you. Press the bell if you need to go to the bathroom. We'll help you so you don't fall."

A stranger could take such good care of me, yet my own husband was the one who put me here.

At that moment, I completely lost hope in him.

My sister-in-law, who claimed to see me as her own sister, only cared about money.

My in-laws, who said they treated me like their own daughter, didn't even ask about my injuries.

My whole body hurt, but my heart hurt even more.

I had insisted on marrying far from home despite my parents' objections.

I had wholeheartedly believed he would treat me well, but within three years, his true colors showed.

At first, he would at least say some sweet words to placate me.

But he became increasingly impatient, getting annoyed even before I could finish a sentence.

Recently, he would come home from work and play video games, bringing his good-for-nothing friends over and expecting me to cook for them after I got home from work.

The night before last, after cleaning up the mess, I said, "Don't eat so late anymore. It disturbs others."

He immediately, fueled by alcohol, beat me up. By the time I realized what was happening, I couldn't lift my right arm.

I bit his arm hard, and he screamed in pain.

He tried to yank my head away, but I managed to scratch his face. At that moment, I wished my nails were longer so I could gouge his eyes out.

Only then did my in-laws slowly open the door and separate us.

After he calmed down, he knelt on the ground and begged for my forgiveness. I called the police right away.

**Injury Assessment**

The injury assessment concluded that it was only a minor injury. Gavin was released after being detained for ten days. I proposed a divorce, but he stubbornly refused to agree.

We met through a senior colleague at work. At first, he was courteous and took great care of me. It wasn't long before we confirmed our relationship. He said that although things were tough now, he would one day give me a good life. I told him I wasn't afraid of tough times; as long as we loved each other and worked hard, our future wouldn't be too bad.

My parents were worried because it was far away. He would urge me to video call them every few days and even drove me home during holidays. Seeing my determination, my parents eventually agreed. Before the wedding, they bought a small apartment in this city for me, saying that if things didn't go well and I missed home, I would have a place to rest. My mother broke down in tears when she said this, and I almost didn't want to get married. Gavin knelt down and promised to treat me well, reassuring them.

My family gave us a house as part of the wedding gifts, and my parents secretly gave me a bank card with ten thousand dollars for emergencies. Gavin said he had spent all his money on the wedding house and couldn't give me a dowry now, but he promised to double it later. Foolishly, I believed him. We bought a ring and registered our marriage.

On the wedding day, my mother-in-law took all the wedding gifts, claiming that the wedding had exhausted their life savings and they had borrowed money from relatives. Gavin apologized, saying he was sorry for the hardship and promised to work hard to give me a good life.

Before the wedding, he promised we wouldn't live with his parents. But less than a month later, his mother moved in, claiming she needed care due to health issues. A few days later, she said she was worried about his father being alone and brought him over too. She insisted I take time off work to accompany her to the hospital, but multiple visits revealed no issues. She complained about the local hospital and demanded to go to a specialist hospital.

I frequently took leave, which displeased my boss. I missed a promotion because my boss thought my family issues would interfere with work. I was devastated but had no choice but to work harder for the next promotion.

Gavin's younger sister, Kristine, graduated from community college but didn't work. My mother-in-law said she was too young and needed a few years at home. She ordered me to support her, promising to repay me once she started earning. Gavin also promised to give me money once he got paid, but I never saw a penny.

Kristine didn't want to live at home, so I let her stay in the dowry house. Newly married and shy, I didn't dare ask Gavin for money, so I pinched pennies, not even buying clothes or makeup. During holidays, I bought gifts and gave holiday gifts to everyone, hoping my sincerity would be reciprocated. But I was wrong; you can't change who people are.

Now, I no longer care about their problems. When my mother-in-law said she felt unwell and needed to go to the hospital, I ignored her. When Kristine asked for money, I retorted, "I'm not your mom; it's not my job to support you." She stormed off to complain, and my mother-in-law ordered me, "Valerie, give Kristine some money."

"No, her mother isn't dead. Let her take care of it."

"You... Is this how a daughter-in-law should behave?" She pointed at me, furious, and threatened to call her son to settle the matter.

"I'm not part of this family anymore, so hurry up and get your son to divorce me." I sat leisurely on the sofa, arms crossed.

Gavin came out, saw the situation, and, as usual, sided with his mother without understanding the context. "How can you speak to my mom that way? She's old; can't you be more considerate?" He then asked what had happened, and his mother exaggerated the story. He was about to scold me but stopped when he saw my cold gaze.

"Valerie, give Kristine some money. After all, she's my only sister."

"You know she's your sister, so why expect me to pay?"

"Have you ever given me a penny since we got married?"

"Why are you so petty? Aren't we supposed to be family?"

Family? Who wants to be part of such a horrible family? Now, I just wanted to reclaim what was mine. I didn't want to give these jerks a single penny.

Gavin tried to pull me to sit down. "How much could she possibly spend? I'll pay you back."

"Fine."

He always said that family shouldn't fuss over money, and I agreed. But now, it's time to settle the accounts.

I took out the transfer records for Lynda and the medical expenses for his mother over the past two years, which amounted to more than thirty thousand dollars.

"I won't even count the living expenses. This money was supposed to be a loan from you. Pay it back!"

A brief silence filled the living room.

His mother tried to persuade me, "You and Gavin are married. Does it really matter who manages the money?"

"Sure, if it's the same, then he can give me all the savings. That way, I can keep track of it better."

She fell silent.

Gavin pulled his mother into the room, and they whispered for a while before coming out with a card.

"This card has thirty thousand dollars. Consider the extra as household expenses. Take it."

I took it without a second thought.

Gavin thought that because he had hit me, I had changed so drastically. He believed that if he coaxed me a little, I would revert to my old self.

"Alright, Valerie, I promise to hand over all the money to you from now on and never hit you again. Let's live a good life together."

Since I got some of the money back, I snorted, "We'll see how you behave."

Dream on. This family had no clue what they were planning.

I found out soon enough.

His mother had been unusually considerate lately, always leaving dinner for me no matter how late I got home from work. This was a stark contrast to before when I had to cook even if I got home late.

One weekend, I went shopping with a friend and spent all the money on gold jewelry. The thousands of dollars were exchanged for a few small boxes.

I returned home in a good mood, my smile not yet faded when I walked through the door.

Gavin and his mother saw me.

My husband and his mother exchanged a glance, thinking their chance had come.

"Recently, our company developed a new housing complex. It's pretty good, and employees get a twenty percent discount."

I didn't respond.

His mother couldn't hold back, "You should buy it. You could make a big profit by selling it later."

"Valerie, why don't you two buy a unit? Mom can help you out a bit."

"Sure."

"But Mom doesn't have much. Your wedding used up all our savings. Now we only have a few thousand dollars left for our retirement. You see..."

"Oh, I don't have any money either. Gavin, you should have saved enough over the past few years to afford a house, right?"

I wasn't lying. After we got married, he got promoted, earning over thirty thousand dollars a year, plus performance bonuses and commissions, totaling forty to fifty thousand dollars.

It's been three years, and he should have more than enough for a down payment.

"Valerie, the twenty percent discount requires paying in full. So, could you sell your place? We can pool our money to buy it first, and then pay you back after reselling it."

I looked at Gavin, then at his mother. They were clearly plotting something, but I wasn't about to fall for it. "No, I think I'll hold onto my place. It's a good investment, after all."

Their faces fell, but I didn't care. I had learned my lesson. This time, I was going to protect myself.