I supported my husband, Mason Wilson, from obtaining an Associate Degree to obtaining a PhD degree with a meager salary.

He was about to graduate, and I was finally getting through it.

Unexpectedly, Mason secretly discussed with his mother, Tiffany Wilson, to divorce me!

Later, he knelt at my feet, crying and begging me not to leave...

1

Mason went to the nursing home to visit Tiffany.

She lived in a triple room.

Elderly people slept less, and no one took a nap at noon. The two old women went to the activity room to play cards, leaving only Tiffany, who was lying in bed with paralyzed lower limbs.

She was very excited to see Mason coming. Then, Tiffany ordered me to make coffee for him and scolded me for being stupid, "Isn't there any fruit in the dining room? Mason is here, so why don't you wash some fruits to bring over?"

"Tiffany, the fruit is for the residents of the single rooms. How can I get it?"

"How dare you say that? Isn't because you're reluctant to spend money that you made me stay in this shared room? If you had chosen a single room, wouldn't we be able to eat fruit openly and honestly right now?"

If it weren't for her limited mobility, she would probably jump up and point at my nose while yelling at me.

"Look at this room, Mason. There are three old ladies living here. Some of them get up at night, snore, and grind their teeth. Oh! I can't have a good night's rest. I often can't sleep all night long!"

Tiffany held his hand and shook her head as she spoke, expressing her extreme disgust for the room.

"I also eat poorly. People staying in single rooms have two servings of fruit per day, and they even have a snack in the afternoon, but I have nothing!"

"Tiffany, don't I bring you fruit every day? I was afraid that the sugar content in the snacks was too high, so I didn't dare give them to you."

"What kind of fruit is that? Hey, Mason, the fruits Lillian brings me are always half-eaten. Half an apple and half a banana. I don't know who eats them and leaves the leftovers!"

Hearing that, he was also unhappy. "Lillian, are you really giving my mom half a piece of fruit?"

"No, Honey. It's mainly Tiffany..."

"Mason, don't listen to her excuses!" Tiffany interrupted me loudly, "She made a promise to me initially, saying that I could reach out to her anytime if I needed anything. But now, Lillian often doesn't come to take care of me for the entire morning! She really doesn't care about me! Alas, Lillian is not my child after all."

Faced with her unreasonable accusations, I looked at Mason for help, hoping that he could persuade her.

He said solemnly, "Lillian, my mom is also your mom. You work here, so it's convenient for you to take care of her. You should still pay more attention to my mom. It's not easy for her to raise me, so you should be more filial to her."

I had to explain myself, "Tiffany, I have work in the morning. I always come half an hour early..."

"You are making excuses again!"

She pointed at my hand with excitement, but suddenly her finger drooped down, and her voice faded away.

An unpleasant smell came out from the quilt. Mason, who had just been sitting comfortably on the chair, suddenly jumped up like a rabbit, pinching his nose and hiding far away.

He probably felt it was inappropriate and cautiously asked, "Mom, do you need any help?"

Mason said this but didn't move a step towards the bed.

"No, no, you can't do this. Let Lillian do it. She specializes in this."

Tiffany weighed around 120-130 pounds. When there was no one else to help, I was the one who took care of her. Every time I finished cleaning up after her, I was drenched in sweat.

Today, Mason was here, and I wanted to ask him for some help. I didn't need him to clean up; I just needed him to assist me in supporting Tiffany. That way, I could save some energy.

"Honey..."

There was no one behind me. He had already slipped out the door.

I was stunned for a moment and forgot what to do with my hands.

Tiffany slapped the edge of the bed and started to scold again, "Do you dislike me? You pretend to be nice to me on the surface, but deep down you wish for me to die soon, don't you? Mason, come and take a look, see how Lillian treats me?"

There were two old ladies passing by the door. As they heard what the Tiffany said, they couldn't help but retort, Tiffany, you are so lucky! Where can you find such a good woman?

"Young man, your wife treats your mother very well. She visits Tiffany every day when she is free. No matter how many times Tiffany poops a day, Lillian always washes it clean."

She stopped howling and rolled her eyes at them at the door. "You are so talkative!"

I endured the unpleasant smell and quickly cleaned Tiffany, applied baby diaper cream, and changed her diaper. Then, I took the dirty pants and bed sheets to the bathroom outside to wash them.

The smell was so strong that I was worried that it would cause complaints from the two old ladies who lived with me, so I took it out to wash every time.

I had walked away, but Mason was still standing at the door with his nose half covered.

I quickly rinsed the items with water, soaked them, and thought since Mason was still here, so I decided to go back and chat with him for a while. I could come back later to wash the clothes slowly after he returned to school.

Just as I walked out of the room, I suddenly heard Tiffany screaming, "Divorce?!"

"Mom! Keep your voice down."

I suddenly stopped in my tracks and quietly walked towards the door. A muffled voice from Tiffany came through. "Did you say you want to divorce Lillian?"

"Well, don't complain about this anymore. Mom, just be patient for a while. Within a year, once I obtain my graduation certificate and settle down in Ciogtre, I will bring you over. By then, I will divorce Lillian. My mentor, Vincent Brown, has already helped me secure a stable job with a starting salary of over 300,000 dollars per year. There are also talent introduction policies and housing discounts there."

"So much money! That's great!" Her voice couldn't conceal her surprise, and I heard the muffled sound of slapping the quilt.

"Oh my! Mason, you are so awesome. I have finally gotten what I have been waiting for!" Tiffany choked with sobs. She was too excited.

If I hadn't been stunned by the word "divorce" I just heard, I think I would be crying with joy right now. After all, I had been looking forward to this day for ten years.

"Hey, have you said these things to Lillian? If she knows that your salary is so high, will she agree to divorce? Will she cling to you like an octopus?"

I could imagine Tiffany's expression of disgust as she rolled her eyes and pouted.

"Of course, I didn't. Mom, don't let it slip, or it will cause more trouble later."

"Mason, if you leave her, you should find a young, beautiful, and well-educated woman in your company, right? Such a woman is more suitable for you."

Mason chuckled, "You don't have to worry about that!"

"Won't you..."

"In the laboratory, I get along well with my junior colleague, Sandra Fisher. Once she graduates, we can potentially resolve the issue of spousal employment through talent relocation policies. Then, we can be together."

"Oh my! Mason... you have really made it! I... I'm so happy! I can finally get rid of that jinx. Lillian has been married to you for ten years, but she has not become pregnant, let alone giving birth to a son!"

"Tiffany, you should be happy, but why are you crying?"

She burst into laughter, and they whispered something to each other. I couldn't hear it clearly, but I felt a buzzing in my head.

I was stunned, as if my spine had been pulled out. I staggered to the lounge with my limbs weak, curled up on the small iron bed on duty, and hugged myself into a ball.

Tears uncontrollably streamed down my face like broken beads, rushing out one after another. I wholeheartedly devoted myself to them, treating them with complete dedication. Yet, just as our lives started to take a turn, they conspired to abandon me.

Mason and I met in college, to be more precise, during our pursuit of an Associate Degree.

The study atmosphere in our school was not strong, and there were many people who liked to play. My roommates and I spent all day shopping for clothes, playing games online, skipping classes, and sleeping in.

There was one exception, Mason. At that time, he was tall and thin, with delicate skin, wearing a pair of glasses and carrying a big schoolbag. He either went to the library or to the study room.

I met him as I copied his answers for a math exam, but I copied the wrong answers and failed the exam. So, Mason helped me with my lessons, and I treated him to a meal, then we got together later.

He loved studying very much. After got the Associate Degree, Mason took the exam to get a bachelor's degree, but unfortunately his father passed away at that time.

Therefore, he lowered his head and told me that he didn't want to study anymore and would find a job first.

I felt so distressed as I saw those eyes that were always full of ambition and fighting spirit become dull. I told Mason impulsively, "It's okay. I'm already working, so I can sponsor your tuition and living expenses. It's only two years."

He was so moved that he held my hand and said, "Lillian, when I graduate and find a job, we will get married. I will definitely treat you well!"

I used the money my mother gave me to rent a house when I graduated to pay for Mason's first tuition fee. As a result, I slept on the floor at my classmates' place for four months, helping her with laundry and cleaning until I saved enough from my wages to move out.

How much could I earn after getting an Associate Degree? Basically, it was around 3,000 to 4,000 dollars, and the job was not stable.

I used to love shopping and eating snacks, but now I had given up both of them.

I didn't even eat at roadside stalls anymore. A sandwich cost five dollars, and I can make ten by buying food material myself.

But I had never been stingy with Mason. I always bought him new clothes as the seasons changed, to maintain his image at school. I also provided him with ample living expenses and reminded him to pay attention to balanced nutrition.

Although we lived in poverty during those two years, we had a good relationship.

Mason graduated with great ambitions, but it was not easy for him to find a job. The better companies looked down on him because his first degree was not good enough. Mason, who never drank, held a beer can and shouted by the river, "Why do they look down on me?"

Regaining consciousness, Mason told me that he wanted to pursue a master's degree and asked if I could support him for another four years.

I was silent because I had a hard time these past two years. How could I live like this for another four years?

Mason held me in his arms and whispered softly and firmly in my ear, "Lillian, I will definitely treat you well in the future! If you are worried, we can get married first."

He and I got married with nothing.

Four years later, Mason applied to pursue a Ph.D. degree.

Mason smiled faintly, "Lillian, this is a society that values diplomas and academic qualifications. I think you should be well aware of this, as I will have a better job in the future if I get a doctorate. If you don't support me, how can your own career develop?"

"So when are we going to have a baby? Tiffany's been urging us all the time."

"Lillian!" He held my hand and shook it gently like a spoiled child. "Our current financial situation doesn't allow for it, so if we have a child now, he will suffer with us. Let's wait until I have a stable job, and then we can have a child. I must give our child the best."

Mason had just started his first year of doctoral studies as Tiffany became paralyzed. I told him to just focus on his studies. So, I gave up my original job which paid more and was more leisurely, found a job as a caregiver in a nursing home, and then moved Tiffany into the nursing home.

This way, I could take care of her without affecting my work, and the employee's relatives could also get discounts.

Another four years passed, and I thought Mason would finally graduate with his Ph.D. degree and I would finally be going to have a stable life.

Over the years, we hadn't bought a house or had children, and my meager salary had been used to support his studies and take care of Tiffany.

Now that Mason was about to obtain his graduation certificate, had secured a job, and had a new goal to pursue, did this mean he would abandon me? Was I just a disposable tool for him, something to be used and flushed down the toilet when he has done with me?

I wanted to see what the girl who wiped out the more than ten years of relationship between Mason and I in just one year looked like.

Although Mason studied in this school for seven years, I came here only a few times, especially during his doctoral studies, because I was always very busy and often so tired at the end of the day that I couldn't even pick up my fork to eat.

Looking at the beautiful laboratory building and the energetic students coming and going here, I couldn't help but feel inferior because of my academic qualifications and my failed life.

The girl's name was Sandra Fisher. Although her facial features were not outstanding, her skin was smooth and delicate, and her facial expression was bold and confident.

I was like a gray rat crawling out of the sewer. My rough skin, eyes deprived of their once radiant glow, and outdated and dull attire all make me stand out in this environment, completely out of place.

Mason was not there, so they asked me to sit aside and wait. The room became quiet, with only the slight sound of the test machine.

Sandra was holding a pen and rocking on the chair, but her eyes were looking back and forth at me.

As Mason came back, he was stunned when he saw me, then he put down the coffee in his hand and rudely and impatiently pulled me out. "What are you doing here? Let's go out and talk!"

"Hey! Mason, is there anything you can't say here?" She came forward playfully to stop him. Mason stretched out her hand with light pink nail polish, picked up the coffee, and took a sip. "Could it be that you and this elder woman have some secret that cannot be told to others?"

"Sandra, you're overthinking." Mason smiled awkwardly and raised his hand to push his glasses, "Did I buy the right coffee? It's supposed to be three parts sugar sweetness, right?"

"Don't interrupt. Who is this elder woman to you?"

Although Sandra spoke to Mason in a coquettish tone, her scrutinizing and provocative eyes never left me. With a woman's natural intuition, she knew that there was something unusual about the relationship between Mason and I.

"She is my relatives."

His words left me disappointed, and they drowned even the last glimmer of hope.

I saw the cup of coffee in her hand. It cost 23 dollars, and I couldn't bear to buy it several times as I passed by.

23 dollars was enough for me to buy groceries and eat for two days.

I lived frugally and used a calculator to deal with various expenses at home, while he bought dozens of dollars of coffee for her. I had never seen a penny of his graduate student allowance in all these years.

Mason didn't speak to me as we walked through the corridor and the long tree-lined avenue. As we were almost at the school gate, he said, "Don't come here again. I'm very busy with experiments and I'm currently revising my thesis."

Perhaps he felt that his tone was not good, so he added, "Didn't you say you were very tired after work? Rest more at home. I see that you have lost weight recently."

I couldn't hold it back. "Why don't you tell your classmates that I'm your wife?"

Mason choked, and after a long while he rolled his eyes and paced irritably. "What is there to say! Look at yourself, what are you wearing? Didn't you even comb your hair before coming here? How can I say anything to them when you look like this?!"

I looked at the figure reflected on the glass curtain wall next to me. I had slightly messy shoulder-length hair, tied back in a simple low ponytail. My face was bare, with a vacant expression in my eyes. The thin windbreaker I was wearing had been with me for several years; it was a cheap item from a wholesale market and had lost its shape after multiple washes.

He looked down on me!

I felt like my ten years of youth had been wasted. With that thought, I turned around and disappeared into the night without looking back.