Love Has Become a Blade

The day Soren won a dual Best Actor award.

I had just gotten out of bed with an old, fat-faced man.

Clutching my aching lower abdomen, I gazed contentedly at the man basking in glory.

On television, he was giving his acceptance speech, holding the trophy with both hands:

"There are two people I want to thank the most."

"First is my wife, who stood by me during my darkest times, accompanying me out of the valley and toward a bright future."

"Second is my ex-wife, whose heartless abandonment motivated me to be determined to succeed."

His eyes shifted from tenderness to disgust.

What he didn't know was that when he first entered showbiz, he was targeted by industry moguls for being too sharp.

I begged others and endured three full years of inhumane torment to protect his future and his life...

————————

Standing in front of the big screen, watching Fallon leave the stage, I finally came back to my senses.

At some point, my cheeks had become wet.

Across from me, Fallon flicked the ash from his cigar and sneered, "You're so deeply in love with him, what a pity. The flower may be willing, but the stream flows on uncaring. You willingly offered yourself as my tool for his sake, and now you're sick with not much time left. Yet he thinks you've abandoned him and fallen for someone else. All of this... was it really worth it?"

I quietly wiped my damp cheeks.

"Mr. Harrington, thank you for your help these past three years. Our contract expires in three days, so please don't trouble yourself with anything else."

I glanced at the contract for regaining freedom beside his hand.

I was about to turn and leave.

But then I heard Soren's voice behind me.

My legs froze in place, as if filled with lead.

I stared at him blankly.

His gaze swept past me as he hugged his young wife tightly, smiling as he greeted Fallon.

The light in my eyes went out. Of course, since falling ill, I'd been tortured to skin and bones, lifeless and a far cry from the lively, beautiful Melody I once was. It was only natural he didn't recognize me.Across from them, Soren, now a heavyweight in the entertainment industry.

He was exchanging pleasantries with Fallon while gently massaging Felicity's waist.

Amid their intimate whispers, I heard him say, "My wife is pregnant. Could you please replace the wine with milk?"

The tears I had just wiped away surged forth once again.

I dug my nails deep into my palm.

What he didn't know was that once upon a time, we too had a child together.

Unfortunately, before I even discovered that child's existence, it had turned into a pool of blood, dying on the very bed where I was violated.

Snapping back to reality, I pulled open the door of the private room, but Soren called out from behind, "Mr. Harrington, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"No need, just a little plaything."

Without further hesitation, I fled through the door of the private room.

Just outside the bar's entrance.

The discomfort in my body made me lean against a streetlight, retching uncontrollably.

"A plaything? Melody, so this is the kind of man you abandoned me for when I was seriously injured in that car accident, is that right?"

I turned to look. When Soren saw the foreign substance at the corner of my mouth, a flash of disgust crossed his eyes.

I struggled to steady myself and looked up.

As he took in my sunken cheekbones, a flicker of shock passed through his eyes.

I put my mask back on, covering the bitterness seeping from the corner of my mouth."Yes, for someone like that."

Hearing my words, the bewilderment in his eyes was replaced by anger.

Felicity, who had followed him, affectionately grabbed his arm. "Honey, so this is where you were."

"It's windy outside. Why did you come out? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Upon seeing Felicity, Soren's entire demeanor softened. He took off his trench coat and wrapped it around Felicity.

I didn't want to continue watching the two of them display their affection, and just as I was about to turn and leave, Felicity grabbed me. "Aren't you going to introduce us? I assume this is the ex-wife you couldn't forget to thank even at the award ceremony?"

After looking me up and down, her eyes were full of mockery. "I heard that when Soren was just starting out, at a low point in his career and after his car accident, you abandoned him to be a trophy wife for some rich guy. I thought..."

"I never imagined you'd end up like this, Miss Jefferson. Seeing how successful he is now, do you have even a tiny bit of regret?"

As she spoke, Soren's expression grew colder, but his eyes held a glimmer of something I couldn't quite understand - was it hope?

I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile involuntarily tugging at the corners of my mouth.

How could I possibly regret it?