Chapter 6 A Life Reclaimed
1118 Words
When Lydia opened her eyes again, she was back in a hospital bed.
The familiar surroundings filled her with both fear and an odd sense of relief.
She had honestly thought she was going to die.
And if she had really died at Shawn's hands, she probably would have died with regrets.
"You're awake."
The young nurse who had come in to check on her visibly relaxed. Then she glanced around the room. After making sure nobody else was there, she lowered her voice.
"Can I ask you something? Did somebody do this to you?" the nurse asked carefully. "Are you being abused? Do you need me to call the cops?"
Lydia shook her head.
"I do want to report it, but it's not domestic violence. We're already divorced."
Lydia had the hospital issue all the necessary medical documentation and went through a complete examination.
Most of her injuries were external bruises and soft-tissue trauma.
But Shawn's kick was different.
He had put everything he had into it.
Ever since her illness, Lydia's body had been much weaker than before. The damage from that kick was far more serious than it would have been for an average person.
The doctor's words still echoed in her ears.
"There's a good chance you won't be able to have children in the future."
Shawn had his child now.
And because of that child—a child he had with another woman—he had accused her, refused to believe her, and beaten her without mercy.
His cruelty might have cost Lydia the chance to ever become a mother.
The burning pain on her face still hadn't faded. Every time she thought about it, she could still see Shawn pinning her down, completely out of control.
After leaving the hospital, Lydia immediately signed the divorce agreement that had been sitting untouched for three years and sent it to her lawyer.
At the same time, she began preparing to leave the country.
For some reason, her thoughts drifted back to the days when she and Shawn had first gotten together.
Back then, he had no money to his name. The two of them had been crammed into a tiny rental apartment, struggling to make ends meet.
One evening after work, she realized someone was following her.
The first thing she did was text Shawn.
Just as the man was about to drag her away, Shawn showed up.
That day, he had pinned the guy to the ground and punched him again and again as though he wanted to beat him to death.
The scene had been terrifying.
Even so, Lydia had forced herself forward, wrapped her arms around him, and tried to stop him.
"Shawn, stop. If you keep going, you're going to kill him..."
The moment she hugged him, he stopped.
Then he turned and pulled her tightly into his arms, breaking down in tears.
"I was just so scared of losing you..."
But while they were distracted, the man somehow found the strength to grab a loose brick and swing it at them.
There wasn't enough time to get out of the way.
Shawn took the hit himself.
Blood immediately ran down his head.
The attacker stumbled away and fled.
Lydia had been crying while trying to call an ambulance, but Shawn hadn't seemed to care at all.
Instead, he had smiled and promised her that no one would ever hurt her again.
'Shawn... did it hurt that bad when you took that hit for me? Because whatever you did for me back then... I've paid it back now.'
She unlocked her phone.
A new post from Willa appeared on social media.
The caption was impossible to miss.
"Our family of three is finally together."
In the photo, Shawn was holding Eli in his arms while wrapping an arm around Willa's shoulders.
The smile on his face was gentle and refined.
He looked nothing like the man who had lost his mind and attacked her.
Pinned at the top of the comments was Shawn's reply.
Shawn: [We'll never be apart again.]
The comment section was filled with congratulations.
Without a word, Lydia blocked both Shawn and Willa.
If those people knew the woman in the picture had gotten her position by sleeping with someone else's husband, would they still be offering their blessings?
Probably not.
Then again, nobody would think in that direction.
After all, what mistress would dare to be this shamelessly public?
Lydia obtained the hospital surveillance footage and took the video of Shawn and Willa having s*x in their car, along with the medical reports documenting her injuries, straight to a law firm.
She placed everything on the lawyer's desk.
"Is this enough to put him behind bars?"
The lawyer reviewed the evidence and nodded.
"Yes."
Then he added, "Your divorce papers should be finalized in three days. Start making your arrangements."
Lydia hadn't realized how much time had already passed.
"Okay."
She paused before continuing.
"I'm going to take care of a few other things. Once the divorce papers are issued, send them to the address I gave you.
"The agreement clearly states that if he cheats again, he gets an asset-free divorce. I've already given you most of the supporting evidence, but I'll send over more documentation within the next couple of days.
"And after he receives the divorce papers, file the lawsuit.
"No settlements. I don't care what reasons or conditions he offers.
"I want him ruined. I want him to walk away with nothing."
"And I don't want him getting a single thing that belongs to me."
After handling everything, Lydia drove to another city.
Before leaving the country, she still had to make arrangements for her parents.
She didn't tell them about Shawn's affair.
Instead, she told them her health had improved and that she wanted to pursue opportunities overseas. She and Shawn simply wanted different things now, and there was no reason to keep holding each other back.
Before leaving, she repeatedly reminded her younger brother to take good care of their parents.
Then, under the reluctant gazes of her family, she boarded her flight.
Everything had been arranged.
Shawn would never find her.
And he would never find her family.
From now on, Lydia's life and her world would have nothing to do with Shawn Sterling.
On the way to the airport, she had already tossed her old SIM card onto the roadside.
The number on her new phone was shared with only her lawyer and her family.
As the plane lifted off the runway, Lydia looked down at the city growing smaller and smaller beneath her.
Then she smiled.
After three long years, she was finally getting a new life.
- Writer
