$80 For Her, I Dumped My Husband

Chapter 3 Blacked out Completely

Elizabeth barely slept the whole night. At dawn, someone knocked on her bedroom door.

Edgar walked in, holding a new phone. His voice had a forced gentleness to it. "Elizabeth, I made you a morning appointment. I'm taking you to the hospital for a checkup on your old injuries."

Elizabeth looked up at him. Her eyes were still bloodshot.

Edgar hadn't come home all night—he'd just walked in. And his clothes carried the faint smell of Judith's usual perfume.

Elizabeth was quiet for a long moment. Then she nodded. "Okay."

She washed up and headed outside. Just as she reached for the passenger door, Edgar stopped her. "Take the backseat. Judith has had a cold that won't go away. I'm taking her to the doctor, too—it's on the way."

Elizabeth's fingers froze. Then she pulled her hand back and quietly got into the back.

She should have been used to this by now—used to Judith being everywhere.

The second she sat down, Judith's complaining voice filled the car. "The pumpkin soup you bought me yesterday was way too sweet. I told you I don't like sweet stuff. Did you do that on purpose?"

"You said you wanted pumpkin soup. It is sweet," Edgar answered casually, then started the car. "We'll get you something bland after you see the doctor."

Judith pouted. "No. I want it now. That same place. If you don't go, I'm not seeing the doctor today."

Edgar sighed. In the end, he gave in.

Elizabeth watched the car take a detour. She listened to the bickering from the front seat. Something heavy pressed against her chest, making her feel trapped and suffocated.

Back then, the passenger seat had been hers. Edgar had always spoken to her in the gentlest voice. No matter where they were, his whole world had been hers.

Now everything had changed.

The two of them kept arguing about something else. Judith let out a laugh. "I remember when we fought before. I told you—someone like you, no one would ever stay with you for life. What did you say back then?"

Edgar's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I forgot."

"How could you forget?" Judith laughed even louder. "You said—watch me, tomorrow I'm going to marry someone a thousand times better than you. And the next day, you proposed to Elizabeth."

The car went dead silent. Elizabeth's body, leaning against the backseat, went completely stiff.

Judith seemed to notice something was wrong. She turned her head lazily. "Elizabeth, don't take it the wrong way. We've fought like this since we were kids. Sometimes we just say angry things. Sure, he was just trying to get back at me back then. But marriage—it's like that. It might start out a little impulsive, but you settle in after a while."

Elizabeth repeated the word slowly. "Impulsive?"

Her heart ached—one sharp pang after another. Edgar pursued her for three years, proposed to her, and promised to treat her well for the rest of her life—all because he was trying to get back at Judith?

She looked at Edgar. But he just stayed silent, offering no explanation.

Elizabeth thought she could hear her own heart cracking.

She let out a bitter laugh, her voice cold. "Well, he sure put on a good show."

"All right, Judith. Stop talking nonsense." Edgar cut her off, his voice hard.

But Judith's temper flared instantly. She raised her voice. "What nonsense? Are you trying to piss me off again? You want to fight?"

Edgar frowned. "Don't be ridiculous."

Judith suddenly got even more worked up. "Fine. You want to fight? Let's really fight. I don't care if we all die. No one gets to be happy."

She suddenly lunged from her seat and grabbed for the steering wheel.

"What are you doing?" Edgar's face went pale. He held the wheel down with one hand and pushed Judith's shoulder back with the other. "Let go. This is dangerous."

The car swerved out of control. It started jerking left and right.

Elizabeth got thrown hard against the side. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She could only grab the handle and scream. "Stop it! Stop the car! Stop!"

Judith kept yelling. A blinding light came straight at them—followed by the screech of brakes.

They crashed. The whole car flipped over.

Glass shattered. Elizabeth felt a sharp pain in her forehead. Then warm, sticky liquid trickled down. Her vision started going dark.

When the car finally stopped, everything was blurry. Through the haze, she saw Edgar—panicked—shielding Judith with his body. Then he said, his voice tense, "Judith, are you hurt?"

Elizabeth watched him scoop Judith into his arms, worried sick. Then he rushed out of the car. He never once looked in her direction.

The next moment, she blacked out completely.