Part 3The Thousand and First Star Will Never Shine

He had come home late that night, carrying the distinct scent of a woman's expensive perfume.

I don't know who he pictured in his mind when he pulled me close.

I only knew that he was unusually gentle, sharing a warmth that belonged to someone else.

The next day, I found a ticket to Paris in his coat pocket, alongside draft messages wishing Vivian a happy birthday.

I realized his tenderness was merely the lingering warmth of his affection for another woman.

When I handed him the positive pregnancy test, his face didn't register joy. Only disgust.

"Get rid of it."

He spoke those words with a terrifying coldness, as if he were discussing discarding a piece of trash.

"Why?" I asked, clutching the paper until my knuckles turned white.

"Don't forget your place, Elena."

He grabbed my jaw, his grip so tight I felt the bone groan under the pressure.

"You think you deserve to carry my child? You're not worthy."

That was the first time I stood my ground against him.

I kept Annie.

In return, he moved his things to the guest room, and we began living completely separate lives.

He grew more vicious.

He would openly bring different women to the house, flaunting them in front of me.

He insulted my background and my manners at the dinner table.

He was trying to force me to file for divorce.

But I couldn't leave.

My foster parents back in the village were chronically ill, and they relied entirely on the money I sent them.

And Jim gave me plenty of money, even if it came with endless humiliation.

I was like a weed trapped in a gilded pot, looking green on the outside but rotting at the roots.

Without his money, I had nothing.

So, I endured.

I swallowed the humiliation, the tears, and the anger.

Until a month ago, when a routine checkup revealed I had a serious heart condition that required an incredibly expensive surgery.

I finally asked him for the funds.

He only looked at me with deep amusement.

"Another game, Elena? You want that much cash? Fine. Sign the divorce papers."

He thought that would be the final blow to my spirit.

He thought I would beg him, that I couldn't survive without his shadow.

He had no idea how long I had been waiting for those words.

"Deal," I said, without a second of hesitation.

We signed the agreement.

I walked away from the marriage with nothing but a massive lump-sum settlement.

It was more than enough to fund my surgery and secure a comfortable future for my daughter and me.

Jim actually smiled when the ink dried on the papers.

He was finally free to go to his white swan.

Remembering those years still brought a dull ache to my chest.

"Mom!"

Annie’s voice pulled me back from the past.

She was kneeling on the cold floor, wrapping her arms around my legs.

"Please, Mom! Save him! I don't want to lose my dad!"

I looked down at her, a sharp pain squeezing my heart.

"Annie, your father never wanted you. I have sole custody of you now."

She stared at me, her mind unable to process the words.

"Doctor," I said, turning to the bewildered physician.

"Legally, I have no relation to this man. His survival is out of my hands."