Dumped the Jerk, Let Him Regret It

During the tenth year of our high-profile relationship, Damien Prescott and I finally got married and received our marriage certificate. But on the very same day, he canceled every wedding ceremony overnight. Dressed in plain black mourning clothes, his eyes were filled with helplessness. "Helena, Grandpa suddenly passed away. My family has decided to postpone the wedding for the time being. I'll definitely make up the wedding ceremony for you in the future, okay?" For three years, I endured endless gossip, judgmental stares, and grievances I had nowhere to place. Whenever friends asked about the wedding date, I could only pretend to be calm and say we needed to wait a little longer. The eyes of relatives constantly lingered on me, their open and hidden mockery piercing like needles. Then, on our third wedding anniversary, he once again postponed the wedding because the family was still grieving. A social media post from my adopted sister, Alice Lockwood, suddenly popped up on my phone. In the post, Damien was holding a ten-carat pink diamond ring as he knelt on one knee to propose to Alice. "Alice, this is the ten years I owe you. Today, I can finally marry you with everyone's blessings." My phone screen was still open to my chat with Damien. Damien: Tonight is Grandpa's memorial gathering, and there's a lot to handle. Go to sleep early and don't wait for me. As I watched the man onstage passionately kissing another woman, my stomach churned violently. So I took out our marriage certificate and immediately called the police. "Hello, I'd like to report someone for bigamy." ***** The shrill sound of police sirens tore through the once-beautiful proposal scene, and chaos erupted instantly. The moment the police rushed in, Damien's first instinct was to pull Alice into his arms protectively. "Alice, don't be afraid. I'm here." The police officer took the marriage certificate from my hand and looked toward Damien. "Mr. Prescott, this lady has accused you of bigamy. Please cooperate with the investigation." Alice trembled in his arms as she spoke tearfully, "Damien… has Helena gone crazy? Today is supposed to be our special day…" Damien patted her back gently. Those peach blossom eyes that once smiled at me now held nothing but coldness. "She's my wife's older sister. She's had mental health issues for a long time. She suffers from delusions. That marriage certificate is fake." His heartless words pierced straight through me, as though all the blood in my body had been drained away. I rushed forward, trying to grab his collar as I screamed hysterically, "Damien Prescott! Was everything between us a lie?" Suddenly, a slap landed on my face, it instantly silenced the noisy crowd. I covered my face and stared at my mother, who was trembling with rage. "You shameless disgrace! That's your sister's husband! Alice already has a weak heart, and you still chose today to upset her?" My father handed a business card to the police and lowered his voice, "We apologize. Our eldest daughter does have a history of mental illness. We'll take her home and discipline her properly. Sorry for wasting police resources." I tried to defend myself, but two bodyguards had already rushed over and pinned my arms behind my back. My father snatched away the marriage certificate and tore it to pieces. From beginning to end, Damien never said a single word to me. He merely lowered his head and gently wiped away the tears in Alice's eyes with his thumb. "Alice, it's okay now. I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup first." His Mercedes-Maybach sped away, leaving behind nothing but exhaust fumes. My father waved his hand in disgust. "Take her back to the family estate and prepare for the family punishment." Inside the ancestral hall, the sound of the cane striking my back grew heavier with every blow. I clenched my teeth and refused to make a sound. Cold sweat soaked through my back, and the metallic scent of blood spread through the air. Only after the cane snapped in half did my father order someone to lock the doors before leaving without another glance. As night fell, I lay sprawled across the icy floor, my consciousness fading. After an unknown amount of time, the door opened. Damien crouched in front of me and reached out, wanting to touch my mangled back. I immediately recoiled and avoided his hand. "Does it hurt?" I tugged weakly at the corner of my lips, my throat painfully dry. "If you hadn't claimed that I was mentally ill, I wouldn't have been beaten like this." Damien sighed and pressed a tube of ointment into my palm. "Alice has a weak heart. The police frightened her today, and she nearly went into shock at the hospital. You, suffering a little physically to calm her down, is enough to settle this matter." I stared at him in disbelief. "Damien, we've been legally married for three years. For those three years, you said we had to postpone the wedding out of respect for a death in the family, and I believed you. You said to keep the marriage secret, and I endured it. And in the end? This is what I get? Watching you propose to Alice Lockwood? You knew very well that I hated her the most…" Damien fell silent for two seconds. "Yes." Just that single word stabbed directly into my heart. He pulled a document from his briefcase and placed it in front of me. It's an Agreement to Waive Inheritance Rights. "Helena, you're capable. Even with nothing, you'll still survive just fine. But if Alice leaves me and loses the Lockwood family, she'll die." I stared at him nonchalantly. "Helena, if you still care about me at all, sign it. I'll make sure you never have to worry about money for the rest of your life." I laughed bitterly as tears hit the floor. So-called mourning was nothing more than his way of paving the road for Alice. So-called secrecy was only because he feared ruining his chance to marry the woman he truly loved. "What if I refuse to sign?" Damien stood up, all warmth disappearing from his eyes. "Helena, don't force me to do this. You know very well that no one in this family will stand on your side." He turned around and slammed the door shut behind him. Those final words echoed endlessly in my mind, until even the last trace of warmth in my blood seemed to disappear.