Despite their efforts, I could still hear the whispers around me.
“The girl in the video–isn’t that Lindsey?”
“With all those men… That’s disgusting.”
“Did you see that? It looks like she wet herself. That’s so gross.”
“Oh my God, playing something like this in front of the late Mr. Hall. How can someone this filthy still be part of the Hall family?”
1/3
Light returned to my eyes as those big hands moved to cover my ears instead.
His
s voice was clear and strong, each word resonating with conviction.
“Lindsey is the victim here!”
“How dare you attack a victim like this? Have you all lost your decency?”
I glanced at Carter, who stood stunned across from me.
The pain in my heart didn’t feel as overwhelming anymore.
The world seemed to quiet down.
I let out a relieved smile and held onto the hand pressed against my ear.
“I’m no longer part of the Hall family. Carter and I are divorced.”
Now, I had found someone truly worth being with.
And that felt pretty good.
+15 Bonus
The next morning, I got up early. I packed my belongings and waited for Carter in the living room. Normally decisive and efficient, he was dragging his feet this time.
I stood up and said, “Let’s go.”
But he grabbed my wrist, his head lowered, avoiding my gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what you had been through. I really am sorry, L.,”
I interrupted him calmly, “Let’s go.”
He didn’t move.
“Can we not get a divorce? I’ll make it up to you.”
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “Carter, yesterday I saw embarrassment and anger in your eyes, but not a trace of pity.”
I smiled softly. “You have to admit, you don’t love me.”
Saying it out loud wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, yet I had been trapped by this truth for so many years.
“That’s not true. It’s not that I don’t love you…”
His eyes fell on my right hand, as if he had found a glimmer of hope. He lifted my hand, his expression filled with expectation.
“You’re still wearing this ring, which means you still love me.”
+15 Bonus
On my right ring finger was a plain band, its color faded and worn, looking quite cheap. It was because of this that during my
three years wandering the streets, no one ever tried to steal it.
The people who bullied me would mock me whenever they saw it.
“Look at this piece of junk. This idiot still treats it like a treasure.”
But this “junk” was the wedding ring Carter had given me. He bought it for ten dollars from a street vendor, just to get it over
with.
