Husband Abandoned Me for Widowed Sister-in-Law; Died Mad

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Just because my husband's widowed sister-in-law got pregnant, he threw me into the Blackpine Wilderness to live like a savage.

I cried until I fainted, but he only held her close and stared at me coldly.

The heir can only come from Sandra Greer's womb. I promised her that. Why do you always have to go against her?

"I spoiled you too muchthat's why you've turned out so wild!"

"In that case, go be a savage! Once you've learned to behave yourself, I'll bring you back."

He made a point of telling the forest keeper not to be too gentle with me, so I became something anyone could abuse.

Poachers saw that my flesh was tender and would tie me to a tree trunk to lure in wild animals.

Under the cover of night, a savage broke into my hut and violated me at will.

Until today, when the bodyguard he sent finally found me.

At that moment I was numbly tugging at my tattered clothes, bracing myself for yet another round of torment.

"Mr. Gilbert sent me to bring you back. Get yourself ready, and let's go."

Nathan Gilbert had finally remembered he still had a wife. But I felt no joy at all.

Because after round after round of torture, my organs had already failed, and I wouldn't live more than a week.

......

I looked at the empty hut, tugged at my clothes, and got ready to leave with the bodyguard.

But the forest keeper grabbed me and flung me to the ground:

"Did I say you could leave?"

I lowered my head, trembling, waiting for the storm to break.

Instead he only leaned close to my ear and threatened:

"Once you're out there, I don't need to teach you what to say and what not to say, do I?"

I nodded frantically, but still afraid he wasn't satisfied, I spoke carefully:

"I understand, Master."

I kept my head down, not daring to look at him. Only after a long while, when I heard the forest keeper's footsteps walking away, did I stand up and go out with the bodyguard.

As I passed the dog by the gate, I bowed to it. Yesevery animal on this island was my master, and whenever I met a master, I had to bow in greeting.

The bodyguard impatiently urged me into the car, and soon we were back at the familiar villa.

Nathan Gilbert looked me over for a moment, then frowned:

"Who's this pitiful act supposed to be for?"

"Are you blaming me for sending you off to be a savage? Putting me in my place?"

I lowered my head, shaking it desperately:

"No."

"Mr. Gilbert, I'm very grateful that you came to bring me back."

Having gone so long without speaking, I couldn't manage many words, and Sandra Greer spoke up right on cue:

"Nathan, Arlene has only just come back. It's only natural that she'd want a little more of your attention."

Sandra pulled me up off the floor and smiled sweetly at me:

"Nathan's still the same as ever, such a temper. Do bear with him."

"There are lots of new clothes of mine upstairs. Go pick one you like and put it on."

In the past, Sandra had always slipped in between Nathan and me at just the right moment, and with a few words she would deepen the misunderstanding between us. Before, I always had to explain, to argue back. But over those years living like a savage in the Blackpine Wilderness, I had learned to obey.

I nodded obediently and was about to head upstairs when Nathan stopped me short:

"You think you deserve that?"

"So that was your little scheme all along?"

Nathan turned and ordered the servants:

"Since she likes wearing other people's clothes so much, give her the clothes Sandra's about to throw out."

"And there's no need to put her room on the second floorshe can sleep in the little guest room downstairs."

I took the clothes the maid tossed at me and went down to the small guest room. The room was really big, with a soft bednothing like my hut in the Blackpine Wilderness, which had only a little straw and mud. In the rainy season, the leeches in the hut bit at you until it was unbearable.

The clothes all smelled of sunshine. It had been so long since I'd touched anything this soft.

I stepped cautiously out of the room. Nathan and Sandra were no longer in the living room; only a chubby little boy was left.

He glared at me:

"You're the wicked woman who made my mommy angry?"

"You're the one who wants to steal my daddy away!"

I stared at the chubby little boy in a daze. If my Brad had grown up, he'd be about this big, wouldn't he?

I couldn't help walking toward him, wanting to touch his face.

But the little boy shouted in fear:

"Get away from me!"

The habits of those years made me so afraid that I dropped straight to my knees:

"I'm sorry, Master, I'll get away right now."

The little boy's crying drew Nathan and Sandra back in, and Sandra clutched the boy tightly against her:

"Brad, don't be scared, Mommy's here."

Nathan kicked me over onto the floor and looked at me with disgust:

"Why are you kneeling to Brad?"

"Are you deliberately trying to shorten Brad's life?"

"What a vicious heart you have! I never should have brought you back!"

Hearing Nathan's words, I trembled with fear.

Ignoring the pain all through my body, I frantically kowtowed to Nathan:

"I'm sorry, Nathan, it's all my fault."

"I'll do anything, as long as you don't send me back."

A dark, unreadable look flashed across Nathan's face. His foot paused, and he didn't kick me again.

Sandra, for once, lost her patience and shoved Brad into Nathan's arms.

Her face flushed red as she glared at me furiously:

"Arlene, I can forgive you no matter how you torment me, but you can't lay a hand on Brad."

"You know perfectly well that kneeling before a child is borrowing years off his lifeyou can't curse my son just because your own child died!"

I stared at her blankly. If it weren't for Sandra, how could my child have died?

He had been so good when he was still in my belly, and when the wild man beat him out of me, he was such a tiny little thing.

My baby opened his mouth as wide as he could, desperate just to stay alive.

I held him tight, but I still couldn't protect him. The wild man tossed the baby high into the air, then let him drop hard.

My vision blurred with something, and when I reached up to touch it, my hand came away covered in tears.

I lifted my head and glared at Sandra.

She seemed enraged by my silence, and she raised her hand and slapped me hard.

I snapped back to myself, quickly lowered my head, and didn't dare look at her again.

Back in the Blackpine Wilderness I had fought back like this too, but the punishments came round after round.

In the end, all that was left was numbness and begging for mercy.

That's rightin the Blackpine Wilderness, as long as I obediently took off my clothes and begged for mercy, they would roar with laughter and go easier on me.

I quickly stripped off my clothes:

"I'll do anything, I'll make it up to you."

But the burst of laughter I expected never came.

There was only Sandra's screaming and Brad's crying,

and Nathan's roar as he looked at me with disgust:

"Arlene, have you lost your mind!"

"Brad and Sandra are both right herewhat are you trying to do?"

Sandra was shaking with rage, pointing at me and then at Nathan as she said furiously:

"You two don't need to act out your bedroom games right in front of me!"

With that, Sandra scooped up Brad and hurried away.

Nathan carelessly tossed me a piece of clothing, ordered me to put it on, and quickly left.

I stared blankly at their retreating backs.

When I was a wild thing in the Blackpine Wilderness, this was exactly what they had taught me.

So why did Nathan and Sandra seem so angry?

I couldn't understand it. I only felt a sour ache in my heart.

But Nathan had only told me to put my clothes on; he hadn't forgiven me.

So I'll just stay right here and wait obediently for them to come back.

But even after darkness fell, with my legs numb from kneeling and my stomach growling with hunger, they still hadn't come back.

I don't know how much time passed before I finally blacked out.

In my daze, it felt as if a pair of warm arms lifted me up.

Was it Nathan? Would he come? Had he forgiven me?

But I truly couldn't open my eyes, and I sank back into a heavy sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp smell of disinfectant told me I was in a hospital. I looked around, and there was only Geraldine, the housekeeper from before I was sent to the Blackpine Wilderness, watching me with a worried face.

I looked at the wrinkles in her clothes and gave a self-mocking laugh. So I had been thinking too much.

The doctor stared at me the way someone stares at a hopeless case they wish were better.

"Hey."

"Young lady, you have to take care of your body."

"An unhealthy relationship and repeated miscarriages have already done severe damage to your body."

Take care of my body? Did I even deserve to? In the Blackpine Wilderness I was the lowest of the low; even the dogs could bully me as they pleased. Miscarriages?

Seeing that I stayed silent, the doctor sighed.

"Call your husband here. I'll have a talk with him."

I lowered my head and shook it gently.

"Doctor, just tell me instead. I don't have a husband."

"I'm the only one left in my family."

"I know I don't have long to live. I only want to knowhow much time do I have left?"

The doctor paused, then looked at me with a face full of pity.

"Your internal organs are already rotting. Medically speaking, three months at most."

"At the very least, only a week."

I looked up at the doctor, then quickly looked down again.

Only a week left? That was fine too. There was nothing in this world worth clinging to anyway.

But why did my heart feel like there was a hollow spot in it?

When I got home, Nathan was sitting on the sofa with a grim look on his face.

"So you still know how to come back?"

I lowered my head and whispered that I was sorry.

Nathan stood up and furiously flung the newspaper in his hand at my face.

"You were out only a few hours, and you already spent ten thousand dollars!"

"Is this the attitude you're giving me?"

Geraldine quickly explained.

"No, Madam had passed out. I just took her to the hospital for emergency care."

Nathan frowned at that.

"Back then you always took Arlene's side, and now you even dare to help her lie to me?"

"You're fired!"

I couldn't drag anyone else down with me, so I dropped to my knees.

"Nathan, haven't you always wanted to divorce me?"

"I agree. I'll go tell Old Mrs. Gilbert myself. Just don't fire Geraldine, and don't make things hard for her later either."

For once Nathan looked satisfied, and he gave a low laugh.

"You finally agree?"

"What's the point of being a housekeeper? Here's a check for a million. Go cash it."

Geraldine waved her hands again and again, but I forced them back down.

Geraldine couldn't help raising her voice.

"Madam has three months to live at most. Don't you even care about her?"

Nathan shot to his feet, his face full of impatience.

"If she wants to die, let her die. Stop playing dead here every single day!"

Hearing that, Geraldine gave me one pained look and walked away helplessly.

But I really am going to die. Nathan, will it hurt you at all?

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't get out a single word. He would never believe me.

Just then, Brad came bouncing and skipping over, hugging Nathan excitedly.

"Dad, I've got my eye on the newest robot. It's only a million. Will you buy it for me?"

Nathan ruffled Brad's hair.

"Sure."

Brad gave Nathan a playful kiss.

"Thank you, Daddy!"

But when he turned his head and caught sight of me, he leapt into Nathan's arms in terror.

"Daddy, I'm scared!"

"Make this ugly lady go away!"

I kept my head down and said nothing. Even though I was dying, I couldn't bear to go back to living in the Blackpine Wilderness.

Nathan shouted impatiently.

"Are you deaf?"

"Brad told you to get out, so hurry up and get back to your room."

"And that divorce you promiseddon't you dare go back on it."

I nodded, then remembered he wouldn't look at me right now, and spoke up at once.

"All right. I'll find a chance to explain it."

"If you don't trust me, I'll write out a divorce application first."

He nodded. I swallowed the bitterness in my heart, finished writing the application, and turned to leave.

But then I heard Sandra coo sweetly to Nathan.

"Nathan, you don't have to go this far for my sake."

I couldn't tell what Nathan said, but it set Sandra and Brad roaring with laughter.

I hid in my room and buried myself in the warm, soft blankets.

How had Nathan and I come to this?

I met Nathan in college. He fell for me at first sight. Back then, to make me happy, he would bake birthday cakes with his own hands and knit me scarves, and he didn't care if his classmates laughed at him.

The days after our marriage were full of sweetness. Once, on a trip back to his family home, Old Mrs. Gilbert discovered by chance that I was the little girl who had saved Nathan when they were young. She declared then and there that she would be my backing for the rest of her life.

Remembering it, a smile rose to my face before I knew it.

But soon the murmuring of a woman and a man drifted in from the living room.

I froze where I stood, not daring to move. They were the ones who had done wrong, so why was I the one who didn't dare make a sound?

My thoughts drifted to the day my relationship with Nathan turned.

It was a night of thunder and rain. Sandra called me, begging me to hurry to the little grove in the park and save her. I rushed frantically into the pitch-black grove, but there was no Sandraonly a handsome man, about six feet tall. Before I could react, Nathan appeared behind me, his face full of fury as he looked at me.

"When I got that anonymous call, I swore up and down that you'd never betray me."

"But look at what you let me see instead!"

"I really was a fool. I was even willing to keep quiet about how you stole the credit for Sandra saving me when she was young."

"I bet that it was because you loved me too muchand I lost."

I shook my head desperately, but my explanation was too feeble, and the call log was gone.

Nathan was certain I had framed Sandra to cover up my own affair.

The rift between us grew wider and wider. I begged Nathan to go confront Old Mrs. Gilbert with me.

But Sandra breezily said,

"Old Mrs. Gilbert never liked me. She knew all along that I was the one who saved you."

"Yet she still chose to help Arlene Sullivan deceive you. If you go to her now, she's bound to make things hard for me."

It was such a clumsy excuse, one no one could be fooled byyet Nathan believed it completely.

My thoughts were still drifting when the door was pushed open.

Sandra bashfully handed me an invitation.

"Arlene, thank you for stepping aside and giving up Nathan of your own accord."

"Next month, Nathan and I are holding our wedding by the sea. I hope to have your blessing."

I looked at the glaring red and let my gaze drift out the window.

"I'm sorry. I probably won't be able to come next month."

Nathan gave a cold snort.

"What could you possibly have that would keep you from coming?"

"And here Sandra came all this way to invite you."

"Biting the hand that feeds you, not knowing a good heart when you see one!"

"I think we should just toss you back into the Blackpine Wilderness!"

I trembled with fear and quickly spoke.

"That's not itI might be dead next month!"

Sandra shot to her feet, furious now too.

"Arlene Sullivan, if you don't want to come, just say so. There's no need for this!"

Nathan gently stroked Sandra's back.

"Don't stoop to her level."

"Someone this rotten to the core would only be a bad influence on our Brad if she came!"

"That's exactly why a person like this can't have children."

Listening to Nathan's words, my chest felt unbearably tight, and I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Just when I thought Nathan would finally believe me,

I heard his voice, dripping with mockery.

"Not only is your heart black, even your blood is black."

"Do me a favor and put a little more effort into your props next time you buy them."

"If you're going to die, then go die this instantstop coming around to sicken us!"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Even if I explained, what would it change? Would he believe me?

Sandra, clinging to Nathan's arm, said each word slowly and clearly.

"Arlene Sullivan, no matter what you do, our wedding next month is going ahead as planned!"

With that, Nathan took Sandra's arm and left.

They didn't notice that the blood I was coughing up came faster and faster, until it stained the whole room red.

I watched their retreating figures, wanting to call for help, but no sound would come.

Nathan, are you happy now?

I'm finally dying. No one will ever disturb the happy life of your little family of three again.