Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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After going through all this, Steven felt as if he had awakened from a long and absurd nightmare. He finally understood with painful clarity that his relationship with Yvonne had truly reached a dead end.
He contacted Yvonne’s lawyer and numbly signed the divorce agreement. As they were about to leave work that day, Yvonne arrived. They submitted the divorce papers and were now facing a one–month cooling–off period.
“Yvonne, could you take a walk with me?” Steven’s eyes held a hint of pleading. The confidence he once had was long gone, replaced by exhaustion and deep regret.
Yvonne hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded.
They walked out of the courthouse. The lingering rays of the setting sun cast long shadows on the street, much like their once close but gradually distant relationship.
They walked in silence, neither speaking first. The hustle and bustle of the shops along the street–laughter, bargaining- seemed distant to them, as if separated by a thin veil.
Steven took a deep breath and broke the silence. “Yvonne, I never thought we would come to this.” His voice was hoarse, each word seeming to be forced out of his throat.
Yvonne’s lips curled into an icy smile. “What’s the point of saying this now?”
Steven stopped and looked at Yvonne. “I know I was terribly wrong. I treated our love like a game, trampling it without care. Only now do I realize that you were the most important person in my life, and I pushed you away myself.”
His eyes reddened, tears welling up. “Yvonne, did you ever truly love me?”
Yvonne looked up at the setting sun behind the tall buildings, her gaze distant and profound, as if traveling through time to those innocent and beautiful years.
“I did love,” she said. “But I loved the young man who risked everything to save me, the one who gave me his pasta even when he was hungry, the one who accompanied me through trouble. Steven, you are not him. You’ve tarnished him.”
Memories sealed by time came rushing back like a tidal wave, each scene vivid and clear. Back then, he had been completely devoted to her, willing to do anything for her. They had been each other’s whole world.
on the street, Steven could no longer hold back his pain and burst into tears. His cries were heart–wrenching, like a
wounded animal’s final wail.
Yvonne walked closer to him, a thick sense of hatred in her eyes. “You’ve tarnished the I reminisce about those sweet moments, all I can think of is your repeated infidelities.
young
man I loved, so that every time
“Those sordid images haunt me like demons. You’ve covered the past with filth. So why should I leave those beautiful memories intact for you? Why should I bear this pain alone?
“That’s why, Steven, I also cheated!”
When Steven heard Yvonne’s words, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His body froze abruptly, and his crying stopped mid–sob. His eyes widened in disbelief, his face a mask of shock.
“You… what did you say?” His voice trembled, filled with endless fear and panic, as if he couldn’t believe his own ears.
Yvonne’s smile grew colder, like the most biting winter wind, capable of freezing a person’s heart sol
“I said I also cheated. Oh, it was at home, remember?” she said. “You took out the trash, but you didn’t know that what you threw away was evidence left by another man.”
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Chapter 18
“Thank you for helping me get rid of those clues. You were such a good husband.” Each word Yvonne spoke was filled with sarcasm and contempt, hitting Steven like a series of bombshells.
Steven’s lips quivered slightly. He wanted to say that it wasn’t true, to argue, to salvage something.
But looking into Yvonne’s resolute eyes, he knew she was speaking the truth. No matter how much he refused to believe it, the harsh reality was right there in front of him.
“Why… Yvonne…” His voice was barely a whisper, the light in his eyes fading bit by bit.
“You’re lying to me. You have to be lying,” Steven said weakly. It was as if he were talking to himself, or making a final desperate attempt to cling to the shattered illusion.
Yvonne smiled and slightly pulled down her collar, revealing several dark purple marks on her neck–ominous and glaring, like the marks of a demon.
Steven suddenly felt as if his heart was being tightly clenched by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. His face turned white as a sheet, and he involuntarily bent over, as if bearing an immense burden.
“Does it hurt to see these marks?” Yvonne said, turning away slowly with a smile.
Steven collapsed weakly onto the ground, his world completely shattered.”
The setting sun had now dwindled to a half–circle, its soft light painting the sky in shades of orange and red, so beautiful it seemed almost surreal.
Yvonne’s figure blended into the afterglow, and without looking back, she walked step by step into the crowd.
***
“Reid, you have to help me. Please, you’ve got to help me this time.” Steven burst into Reid’s office, his hair disheveled and eyes bloodshot. The confidence he once had was long gone, replaced by sheer panic and disarray.
Reid leaned back in his office chair, watching Steven with interest. “Oh? What’s the matter?”
Steven quickly walked up to Reid’s desk, bracing his hands on the surface and leaning forward. “Reid, my wife-”
Reid coldly cut him off. “Didn’t you get divorced? Why are you still calling her your wife?”
Steven felt as if he’d been punched. He paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes, before he corrected himself. “Yvonne, she cheated.
“I feel like I’m going crazy. Can you help me find the guy? I’m going to destroy him!”
Reid glanced at him, a faint gleam in his eyes like a hunting cheetah in the dark night. Then he raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Sure, follow me.”
With that, he got up and walked outside. Steven hurried after him. “Reid, where are we going?”
Reid just smiled without answering.
On the top floor of Reid’s office building was a large gym, complete with a boxing ring. The two took the elevator straight to the top.
As they walked, Reid casually unfastened the expensive watch from his wrist and placed it on a nearby cabinet. He then yanked off his tie and tossed it aside before rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
“Reid, why did you bring me here?” Steven asked.
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Chapter 18
Reid’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. He picked up a pair of boxing gloves and tossed them precisely into Steven’s arms, his gaze turning cold.
“Didn’t you say you’re going to destroy him? Come on, let’s see how you’re going to do that,” he said.
Steven’s face turned ashen. “Reid, what do you mean?”
Reid put on another pair of gloves. “Isn’t it obvious? Yvonne’s lover is me.”
