Chapter 5
We met a few times for dinner, and we both thought we were well–matched. We discussed
marriage.
The first year of marriage, David was incredibly cold towards me.
My best friend joked, asking if David was gay. Or if he already loved someone else, which
explained his indifference to his beautiful wife.
I didn’t overthink it. David gave me his monthly salary on time and didn’t cause trouble. I thought life could be like this.
After six months, I realized I was starting to like him.
I began actively trying to improve our lifeless marriage.
a
Knowing his rescue team work disrupted his diet, I made nutritious soups every day to
soothe his stomach.
He said he disliked housework, so I took over everything.
He wanted a quiet sleeping environment and suggested separate bedrooms. I swallowed my
hurt and gave him the freedom he wanted.
Even when he lost twenty thousand dollars of our shared funds in stock trading, canceling my home renovation plans, I never complained.
I thought he was just emotionally dense, unable to recognize my sincerity.
Just as I was about to give up, he suggested we stop sleeping separately.
I was overjoyed, thinking my efforts had finally been rewarded.
But a month later, Ashley returned from abroad, and everything changed.
Her arrival revealed David wasn’t cold at all. He was a warm person–just not warm to me.
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Chapter 5
Ashley was no ordinary level of manipulative.
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During one of David’s gatherings with his friends, she approached me, using drunkenness as an excuse to reveal her history with David.
“I’m so envious you married David. He’s so kind and considerate,” she said. Her eyes
gleamed.
“During our cohabitation, he’d squeeze toothpaste for me, prepare my clothes, cook breakfast tailored to my preferences and health,” she continued.
“My stomach was weak, so he’d cook soup daily. When I didn’t want to drink, he’d coax me, feeding me spoon by spoon,” she said.
“He’d do my nails, apply body lotion, prevent me from doing housework or entering the kitchen. He’d always say, ‘Girls should be beautiful and know how to dress up,‘” she added.
She looked me up and down, testing, “David must treat you the same way, right? What a great man,” she said.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I kept telling myself that everyone had a first love.
But David’s actions in the following year made self–deception impossible.
In five years of marriage, he never remembered my birthday without my reminder.
Yet he knew Ashley’s birthday perfectly.
My words were selectively forgotten. Ashley’s words were gospel.
When my stomach hurt, he’d tell me to drink hot water.
When Ashley messaged about her period, he’d immediately drive to her, cooking
attentively.
This massive disparity pushed me to the brink of breakdown daily.
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Chapter 5
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When I finally asked him to stay away from Ashley, she soon claimed to be “depressed“.
From then, David’s attitude shifted from cold to disgusted–unchanged to this day.
I slowly opened my eyes, not wanting to remember more.
While still somewhat lucid, I had the caregiver process my hospital transfer.
Simultaneously, I privately hired a detective to investigate Ashley’s past.
The police soon confirmed: David had indeed bribed leaders with fifty thousand dollars to
orchestrate Ryan’s dismissal.
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