After We Left, My Husband and Father Went Insane

My husband, Cooper Armitage, and my father, Gaten Schnapp, had both fallen for a pair of mother and daughter.

To show his love for Dixie, on the night of our third wedding anniversary banquet, Cooper walked in with her, Dixie, dressed in a wedding gown, and right then and there, he asked me for a divorce.

My face held nothing but grievance, my eyes brimming with tears. Yet, he ignored me completely, allowing Dixie to snatch away the diamond ring that was rightfully mine. Blood soon spilled from my finger, staining my wedding dress a deep red.

Dixie had a terrible fear of blood. The vivid scarlet spreading across my gown made her faint on the spot.

Cooper, furious, stormed over, grabbed me by the neck, and threw me hard to the ground.

“Dixie only wanted your ring! She just accidentally scratched you. You’re just like your selfish mother! She fainted because of your drama!”

Very soon, Cooper, full of distress, cradled Dixie tightly in his arms and carried her into the lounge.

What he didn’t know was that I was already six months pregnant. After being thrown to the ground, the pain was so unbearable that I clenched my teeth, and cold sweat covered my forehead.

I wanted to call my mother to ask her to come pick me up and take me home. But instead, what came through the phone was the sharp crack of a loud slap.

“Annie, if you don’t like me, I beg you, don’t take it out on my child,” Dixie’s mother, Demi, cried, clutching her belly as she faked pain.

My father, distressed, rushed to lift Demi from the floor and turned on my mother with fury.

“Apologize to Demi! And give her that pearl necklace she likes. Or else, it won’t stop at just one slap!”

My mother collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from her lips. Seeing her lying there motionless, my father used me as a threat to force her hand. Only then, through gritted teeth and unbearable pain, did she tear off the necklace, my grandmother’s keepsake, and hand it to Demi, whispering an apology.

To prepare for Cooper and Dixie’s wedding, my father soon locked my mother and me in a dark, airless basement, not knowing we had already steeled ourselves for what was to come.

When flames engulfed the wedding hall, both my husband and my father lost their minds.

1

“Sabrina, even if you don’t like me, you didn’t have to make such a bloody scene, I…” The woman in front of me collapsed before she could finish her sentence.

“Dixie! Dixie, are you okay?” My husband, Cooper, rushed forward and caught her in his arms.

I stood frozen in place, stunned, as tears rolled down my face. I didn’t even feel the sting from the wound.

Today marked our third wedding anniversary. I had planned everything early, booked the most luxurious restaurant in the city, and with help from my friends, we decorated the entire venue.

In previous years, we had never appropriately celebrated. I had placed so much importance on today, because I was going to announce my pregnancy at the party.

“Sabrina, this setup should be perfect, right?”

“With how much effort Sabrina poured into this, once Cooper sees it, he’ll be moved to tears.”

“You two are unbelievable. Married three years and only now inviting me to the celebration, were you keeping quiet to surprise us all these years…”

The lively chatter of my friends filled the room, making the atmosphere more and more festive. All that was left was for the male lead to arrive.

To keep it a surprise, I had called Cooper earlier, deliberately speaking in half-hints, telling him to come over right away. But the smile on my face was instantly doused by a bucket of cold water.

“Got it, got it, I’ll be there later.” He hung up before I could finish, the impatience in his voice sharp, his tongue-click clear and dismissive.

“Do we have to go now? I haven’t tried enough yet,” Dixie said as she reluctantly put down the wedding dress she’d been admiring for ages.

Cooper gently patted her head with affection. “It’s fine, Dixie. Try as long as you like. Once you’re ready, I’ll take you home with me.”

“It’s about time we made it public anyway.”

I had thought Cooper’s coldness was due to work; lately, the company had been caught in a business war, with rivals slashing prices to steal clients. For months, he had been away on endless trips.

From morning till dusk, my friends began to grow drowsy. Five hours had passed since I last called him. In my growing anxiety, I dialed again, only for him to reject the call.

“Sabrina, he’s still not here? It’s already getting dark,” Ava asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Don’t worry. He’ll come. He’s probably just busy.”

But before I could finish, the private room door swung open, and it was Cooper.

I rushed forward, heart racing with excitement. But then, the woman behind him slowly came into view.

She was dressed to perfection, draped in a wedding gown. Standing beside Cooper in his tailored suit, the two looked like a couple ready to walk down the aisle.

“Hello, Sabrina. I’m Dixie. I’m going to marry Brother Cooper,” she said smugly.

Dixie had been Cooper’s childhood friend. She showed up at nearly all his social gatherings, and even Elsie Armitage was especially fond of her.

“What do you mean?” My face turned pale, but she smiled sweetly, blooming like a flower.

“Don’t you get it? I wore this dress on purpose. You threw this party for us, didn’t you? Sabrina is as gracious and virtuous as everyone says.”

I ignored her provocation and looked straight at Cooper. In his eyes, there was only affection for her. Around us, my friends stared in stunned silence.

“Who even is she?”

“They say she’s Cooper’s childhood friend. And she just said she’s here to get married, what a joke. Sabrina and Cooper have been married for years.”

“A mistress showing up in a wedding dress? That’s outrageous. And that dress doesn’t look cheap, either.”

“Don’t tell me Cooper has been with her this whole time?”

The murmurs around us grew louder and louder, but under Cooper’s cold gaze, my friends could only fall silent.

“The dress is ready, the groom is ready, now all that’s missing is the ring,” Dixie said, her eyes fixed on the pigeon-egg-sized diamond on my hand. Cooper stood beside her and nodded without hesitation.

“Sabrina, you don’t need it anymore. Why not give it to me?”

Without waiting for an answer, Dixie stepped forward, grabbed my hand, and began yanking at the ring. Blood immediately welled up, staining the wedding dress with a splash of red.