Flawed Resolutions

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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The night was quiet outside. However, inside the villa, the moans and groans echoed in the household. The sound of bodies slapping with one another filled the room.

However, even then, the man didn't show any pleasure on his face. Once they were done, he could only look at the woman with deep disgust.

Without another word, he shot her one more look before stepping out of the room. This was her husband, Aron Gu.

Her hair was disheveled, with strands falling down her face. She was half naked, except for the night gown that covered half of her body. She looked pathetic. Tears welled up her eyes and her lips trembled.

Aron Gu had never loved her for the last three years.

In fact, she felt more like a tool for him to vent out his anger. He could do anything to her as he pleased, and he could even throw her away once he was done with her.

Even then, Aron never felt sorry for what he had done to her. Yolande Su closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than this entire nightmare to end. Aron Gu had never been worried of her feelings, but even then she couldn't bear hurting the man in front of her.

The room was as quiet as the gardens outside. Everything had finally settled down. Aron Gu was already lounging in the living room. However, he wrinkled his nose as a strong scent finally hit him. The odor made Yolande Su uncomfortable. With great pain, she picked up the clothes scattered across the bed and stood up from the cold plank, intending to clean herself up in the bathroom.

The pain was becoming more intensive with each step she took. Facing the huge mirror, she couldn't help but not recognize herself. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were red from crying the entire time. She trembled, bringing a hand to touch her face.

As the eldest daughter of her family, she was the most appropriate woman for Aron. She didn't know how it came to this. Perhaps it was her love for him that lasted for over ten years that made her endure these three years of his seemingly endless torture.

Holding back her tears, her eyes flashed with regret.

Yolande Su had made a promise to herself that she'd take care of everything for three years, such as fixing all the things he'd needed, yet still be his perfect wife. If she was not able to change him, then she'd leave.

Yolande didn't want a penny of the Gu family's fortune. She'd leave her hometown if she had to. She was not planning to come back here again anyway.

Today was the anniversary of their three-year marriage, and it was also the last day of her promise.

Yolande raised her head up high as she cleaned herself, summoning the little pride and courage she had left as she walked out of the room.

"Aron, I have something to tell you."

Aron glanced up at the woman in front of him, gazing indifferently. There was a scornful glint in his eyes as he lit up his cigarette.

"Do you remember what day it is today?" Her heart clenched at the sight.

"You have the nerve to bring that up?" Aron puffed out a cloud of smoke.

"How many fucking times do you want to bring up what happened three years ago?" Slap!

Suddenly, everything seemed to have frozen into place.

The moment her hand connected with his cheek, it felt as if he was stunned to silence. How dare she? His gaze narrowed, eyes darkening when he finally registered what had happened.

He towered over her like a bull ready to turn over its first human. Yolande took a step back, her body trembling at the harsh stare. However, she didn't turn away. Instead, she stood her ground and faced him, accepting what was about to happen.

"You dare hit me?" Aron growled, raising up his knee to strike her.

Yolande choked, a hand grasping her stomach. A sharp wrenching pain sent waves over her abdomen as she fell heavily on the ground, panting as if she'd just run a marathon. She choked, beads of sweat sliding across her skin. Her vision was already getting blurry. It was so painful that she could almost faint at the pain. Yolande stared up at the man who hit her, eyes wide open.

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