The Regret Of The Ex-Husband

Inside the dining room of a large villa, I sat staring blankly at a cake and candles, surrounded by all kinds of food that had started to cool down.

Just like my heart and my gaze, it was so cold that my emotions were numb.

I clasped my phone, hesitating before finally making the call.

The phone rang for a long time, and it wasn't until the tenth call that someone answered.

"What's up?"

An impatient male voice echoed.

I pursed my lips a little before asking, "Matthew, are you coming home tonight? Today is..."

"Not coming back."

Beep beep beep...

It was our fourth wedding anniversary and also my birthday.

But it seemed he had forgotten again. Yes, he forgot "again".

We had been married for four years, but Matthew never remembered this anniversary or my birthday.

I should have gotten used to it, but looking at the cake and candles in front of me, I couldn't help but shed tears.

Ring...

At this moment, the phone rang again. It was Matthew calling.

I happily answered, but on the other end was still the impatient male voice.

"Wait, I'll be home in a bit."

"Really?"

I asked happily again, but Matthew had already hung up. This was enough to show how much he despised wasting his time on me, but I was still very excited because Matthew agreed to come home and celebrate my birthday with me.

Embracing this happy feeling, I finally waited for Matthew to return. It was eleven o'clock at night, luckily it wasn't yet a new day.

However, what greeted my hopeful expression was the divorce papers in his hands.

"Sign it, I will give you a house and enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

As the given sentence is already in the active voice, I cannot convert it into the passive voice. However, there are two different ways to rephrase the sentence in the active voice:

"Why... why?" My voice became shaky.

I tried to force out a very awkward smile and asked pitifully, "Are you... joking with me? Ha ha, it's too funny. I don't like jokes like this. I have a gift for you. It's a watch. Let me put it on for you."

With that, I awkwardly grabbed Matthew's hand, wanting to put the watch on for him.

Smack!

Matthew pushed me, and the watch flew far away and hit the corner of the glass wall, shattering it. My mood plummeted to the bottom of a pit.

"That's enough, Daisy. This is the biggest concession I can give you. Best you know this, if you don't, leave empty-handed."

I finally could not hold back my tears. Each drop fell, blurring my face, but there was no way to evoke pity for Matthew.

He still looked at me coldly. No, within that coldness mixed with hatred.

Did he hate me?

For what reason?

I cry and asked, "Why do you want a divorce? At least you should give me a reason, shouldn't you? Is it because I organized the wedding anniversary party and annoyed you? Don't worry, I'll never bother you again. I'll stay at home and wait for you to come back."

At this moment, I was extremely humble and begged Matthew. I should have known not to do things that would make him unhappy. It's all my fault.

As long as he didn't divorce me, I would behave.

However, Matthew's following words sent me straight to hell, becoming an unforgettable obsession in my mind.

"Jazzie has returned."

I burst into a bitter laugh.

So that was it.

Jazzie was back, and he wanted to divorce this troublesome wife and return the position of Mrs. Wilson to the girl he loved.

My heart was in so much pain that I couldn't breathe.

Jazzie had criticized him before as a poor young man with no future, so she had gone abroad with the rich young master to live a comfortable life.

I had been the one to stand by him, encourage him, and keep him from falling into the dark abyss.

I had given up my dreams and focused entirely on my role as a stay-at-home parent so that he could build his career.

I knew he didn't love me, but could he have no affection for me?

I stared at Matthew intently, wanting to see just how callous the man I loved was. Suddenly, my stomach churned, and I vomited in the bathroom.

In the bathroom, my mind darkened.

Due to my improper and excessive eating habits, my stomach condition has worsened. However, after emptying everything out of my stomach, my spirit felt much better.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Daisy, open the door."

Outside, Matthew was knocking, calling for me.

I propped myself up and went to open the door.

Before I could even explain that I was just experiencing stomach pain, he dragged me to the car parked outside his yard.

"Where are you taking me at this hour? Even people who reconcile divorce don't work this late," I asked.

I thought Matthew was so eager to get a divorce that he rushed me to the agency to process the paperwork.

My heart ached at the thought. Was he in such a hurry to be divorced from me?

"To the hospital," he said.

I was even more surprised, but then I felt happy. He saw that I was unwell, so...

"To get an abortion," he added.

These words were like sharp knives that stabbed straight into my heart.

My entire body froze, numb and cold, every inch of my flesh and blood tingling with sensation.

Did he want to kill our child?

"Matthew, do you want to kill our child?" I asked.

Matthew scowled and snapped, "Isn't it your fault?"

"Every time we had sex, I always used a condom, but you resorted to despicable means to get yourself pregnant. Now this baby died because of your greed and cruelty." Matthew said.

My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to laugh but couldn't.

"Do you want to clean up the road to welcome Jazzie back?"

"Not even necessary. We'll break up completely. Don't drag it out any longer," he said.

Finally, my perseverance was shattered.

I hugged my face and burst into tears. In the car, the only sound was my sobbing.

We arrived at the hospital.

Matthew pulled me inside, but I grabbed his hand and said, "I'm not pregnant. There's no need to go in there."

Matthew thought I was lying to keep the baby and tried to force me inside.

Despite my explanations, he insisted on getting me checked.

Inside the hospital, the smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

My heart felt like ashes.

I had picked the wrong man.

Throughout the entire medical examination, I remained silent. The doctor scolded both me and Matthew, saying that we had too much free time. The doctor claimed that I was not pregnant and accused Matthew of bringing me to the hospital for an abortion, stating that such behavior was a waste of the country's resources.

Matthew angrily left the clinic, and I silently followed him, then I saw Matthew angrily kicking the wheel.

"What the hell, you're not pregnant, so what's with the fake morning sickness?" he snapped.

I bit my lip, trying to swallow my frustration, and replied, "I told you I'm not pregnant, but you didn't believe me. And besides, the morning sickness was because..."

I stopped talking at this point. I did not want to lament in front of Matthew. Perhaps it was my remaining sense of dignity.

But Matthew would not let it go. He sneered and said, "Why don't you continue? Or have you not thought of a good excuse to defend yourself? You only want to use the child to tie me down. If I had shown a little mercy, wouldn't you have gotten what you wanted? Daisy, what a despicable act you've done to cling onto me."

I staggered back a few steps, realizing that in his eyes, I was a lowly and manipulative person. Did he think I would take advantage of our child like that?

Knowing each other for three years and being married for four, I believed I hadn't done anything to betray my conscience. I took care of him down to the smallest details, never allowing him to feel inferior to anyone when they were out together. And now he called me despicable.

"Ha ha... Matthew, I truly loved you to the point of being despicable. Do you only realize that now?"

Matthew clenched his jaw, his anger evident as he tightened his grip on my chin.

"Daisy, you truly are a despicable person. I feel sick just by living with you all these years."

Despite the pain from my jaw being squeezed, I did not flinch. I continued to smile, a smile filled with bitterness and helplessness.

"Matthew, do you know what day it is today?"

"Hmph."

Matthew pushed me away without responding. I called him several times today to remind him of their fourth wedding anniversary. How could he not know? Did I want to use this to kidnap his morality?

"Because I still value the four years of marriage. That's why I've given you so many assets. Don't pretend to be ignorant of the good and bad."

I said desperately, tears streaming down my face, my eyes filled with grief.

It turned out that he had no idea today was my birthday. I stood there crying while Matthew grew impatient, urging me to agree to the divorce quickly. As soon as I heard that, I wiped away my tears and my expression turned cold and I said, "Fine, let's get a divorce."

Matthew looked momentarily surprised, as he should have been happy that I was not causing a scene. Why did he feel angry instead? A sense of disappointment invaded his mind.

"Daisy, it seems your love for me is so shallow that it breaks off easily," he said.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself not to feel hurt by Matthew anymore, but when I heard him belittle my feelings like that, my mood turned even worse.

"Regardless, I agree to the divorce. Why do you use such harsh words to hurt me? Why are you so heartless?" I asked, puzzled.

Matthew suddenly shouted, "Am I heartless? Am I as heartless as you? Jazzie is your sister, and yet you cunningly drove her away, then lied that she left me because she was greedy for wealth. You did such a disgusting thing. How do you want me to treat you?"

I looked at Matthew in bewilderment and hurriedly asked, "What are you saying? Did I drive Jazzie away? It was her who criticized you for being a poor young man and chose to follow someone wealthy..."

Smack!

I did not finish my sentence before a slap landed on my cheek. A red mark, imprinted by five fingers, appeared, and the smell of blood filled my mouth.

"I forbid you to speak ill of Jazzie!" Matthew shouted.

I covered my face, feeling the painful, burning sensation on my cheek. My heart felt shattered. His slap was very heavy. He hit me so hard that my mouth bled. Even strangers would not dare to strike a woman, yet he showed such cruelty to the person who had been by his side for four years.

And yet, I had been there for him during his most desperate times.

"Ha ha ha..." I burst into laughter, my tears flowing like rain.

Seeing me like this, Matthew suddenly felt worried, as if he was about to lose something very important.

"What are you laughing at? You're truly baffling," he said.

I calmly wiped the blood off my mouth, looked at him, and drawled, "Has no one ever told you that you're ungrateful, Matthew? Jazzie criticized you for being poor and having no future, so she left you. It was I who stood by your side, comforting, caring, and encouraging you. And now you treat me like this. Ha ha, I'm truly foolish to love someone as heartless as you!"

Smack!

Another powerful slap struck my face, and this time, I could not stand firm. I stumbled and fell backward, unintentionally hitting my forehead against a nearby pole, causing fresh blood to immediately flow.

Matthew's mind became restless. Then he wanted to step forward and help me, but his pride held him back. He sneered and said, "You deserve it! I have never seen such a wicked person like you. You used your power to force Jazzie away and then turned around to fabricate that she left with someone else just to deceive me into marrying you. Your crimes deserve to die a hundred times!"

Matthew did not feel like he was at fault. I was the one who created misery first, and the damage I did to Jazzie was more than that countless times over. He thinks that even if I die, I cannot repay my mistakes fully.

At that moment, my vision was covered with a vibrant red hue, and my mind began to spin. Strangely, amidst the dizziness, I could still feel my heart being relentlessly crushed by the man in front of me, causing unbearable pain.

It turned out that everything I had done for him was nothing compared to Jazzie's lies. He would rather trust the person who had hurt him than trust the one who had always been by his side.

In that case, there was no need for me to explain any further.

Seeing my silence, Matthew assumed I had admitted my guilt. His initial compassion quickly vanished, replaced by endless anger. He threw a bank card at my face and coldly said, "There are five billion inside, the password is my birthday. Take the money and leave the capital quietly. If I find out that you're lingering here and causing trouble for Jazzie, I'll break your limbs and throw you into the sea as fish bait."

Matthew believed he had been caring and devoted. When he saw me holding the card, a sense of disdain surged within him. He thinks that I always say I love him, but in reality, I only want his money.

However, right after that, I suddenly threw the card away and staggered to my feet.

"Don't use your dirty money to humiliate me!" I exclaimed.

I and Jazzie were half-sister, sharing the same father but different mothers. My parents were childhood sweethearts who grew up together and eventually became a couple.

One year after getting married, my mother became pregnant with me. However, my father caught the attention of the daughter of a company director. Under the seduction of wealth and power, when my mother was in her ninth month of pregnancy, with ten more days until giving birth, my father had an affair, even his mistress was two months pregnant.

Although my father was at fault, he took the initiative to divorce my mother and marry the daughter of the director. However, it was surprising that my mother not only did not resent him but also clung to him to receive monthly financial support.

Every month, my father had to give his ex-wife a sum of money to keep her quiet.

After being betrayed, the personality of my mother has completely changed.

Receiving the money, she spent it all on cosmetic procedures to keep her husband by her side, while neglecting her daughter, leaving her hungry at times.

Since understanding the situation, I had to work various jobs to earn money for my education. My impoverished life left me without any trace of dignity or nobility.

That's why everyone believed that I married Matthew for money, including Matthew himself, even though at that time he was just a young man with a failed startup.

When he kept this thought to himself before, and now, throwing the bank card at her face, wasn't it clear that he was mocking her?

Seeing me throwing the card away, Matthew angrily shouted, "What are you pretending to be noble for? Don't think that doing so will arouse my pity and make me not divorce you."

He stepped forward, lifting his foot to stomp on my shoulder. It was midnight, and there was no one outside the hospital gate. Darkness shrouded my expression of pain.

"I'm not as forgiving as Jazzie, so I won't easily forgive a vile creature like you. Sign the divorce papers quickly, or else I'll make you regret it."

My body gradually grew weak. It seemed I had lost too much blood, but I didn't utter a sound, so Matthew thought I was fine. He increased the force on his foot, crushing the flesh, tendons, and bones in my shoulder.

It was precisely because of this physical and mental torment that my mind suddenly became clear. I didn't understand why I loved Matthew so pathetically, like a puppet unable to escape his grasp.

Now, it seemed that I had been awakened.

I grabbed Matthew's leg and forcefully threw it aside. Then, I laboriously stood up, relying on a nearby pillar. I had come this far, I didn't want to appear weak in front of him.

"Bring the divorce papers here, I'll sign."

Hearing the words he had always longed to hear, Matthew nodded with satisfaction. However, he couldn't understand why he didn't feel happy. My resolute agreement to divorce left him slightly disappointed and made him feel undervalued.

"Daisy!"

Matthew gritted his teeth and called my name, then angrily turned to his car to retrieve the divorce papers.

"Sign!"

I took the papers, signed them, and then threw them at Matthew's chest.

"Go, tonight... I won't come back."

Matthew, who was already angry, heard my words and decisively turned around, got into the car, started the engine, and drove away.

I watched the fading silhouette of the car, my entire body paralyzed and collapsed to the ground. A tear rolled down my cheek, disappearing into the cold concrete.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying in a hospital room. My body was weak and devoid of strength, and my head was throbbing with pain.

At that moment, the door of the hospital room opened, and the person who entered wasn't a doctor or a nurse but Mrs. Anna, my mother.

"Mom..."

I struggled to sit up, and despite the lingering pain in my head, I didn't want to lie down.

Mrs. Anna scowled, tossing her handbag aside and crossing her arms in front of her chest as she interrogated, "Why did you end up in the hospital with a head covered in blood? What trouble did you cause this time? You're indeed a burden. It would have been better if I had laid an egg for food instead of giving birth to someone like you."

As soon as Mrs. Anna entered, she started berating her daughter without asking about my well-being even once. In Mrs. Anna's eyes, I was nothing more than an obstacle, hindering her every step. If it weren't for her intention to use me to threaten and extort money from her ex-husband, she would have sold me off long ago.

I pressed my lips together, refusing to respond to my mother's insults. Currently, my mother was the only relative I had left, and she was like the last straw that confirmed my existence.

"Are you going to remain silent? I'm sick of looking at your face. No wonder your husband is indifferent and doesn't pay attention to you. And you haven't even made an effort to get pregnant after four years of marriage. If you can't fulfill even a woman's basic role, why bother taking up space in this world?"

"Mom..."