They Thought I Was Alone

My ex-husband Johnson, who I'd been divorced from for five years, sent me a message saying our child missed me and wouldn't stop crying.

In a moment of weakness, I bought a plane ticket and came back. The moment I walked through the door, I found Johnson holding his wife, grinning smugly.

Marta knows I have an ex-wife. She got jealous and insisted I call you back here to punish you.

Johnson knew full well I was allergic to seafood, yet he had someone place a basin of shrimp in front of me and told me to peel all of it.

My son, whom I hadn't seen in five years, chimed in,

"You may have given birth to me, but Marta is my mom. You're nothing but a nanny."

What the hell were these idiots thinking?

Couldn't they see I was already married?

Seeing me standing there motionless, Marta slammed her knife and fork heavily onto the table.

"Why isn't she moving? Didn't you say your ex-wife was obedient? That she wouldn't dare go west if you told her to go east?"

"Don't be angry, Marta. She's just slow to react, hasn't processed it yet."

Johnson said softly before turning to me.

"Peel the shrimp."

Just like he'd ordered me around five years ago.

The child beside himmy son, whom I'd carried for ten months and struggled to bring into this worldstood on his chair and spoke to me in the same commanding tone as his father.

"Didn't you hear my mom wants to eat shrimp? Hurry up and peel them!"

I couldn't help but find it laughable.

"I never should have come back to see you people. You disgust me so much I want to throw up."

After saying that, I took out my phone to make a call, but a bodyguard nearby snatched it away and threw it on the floor.

In an instant, my phone shattered into pieces.

"What are you doing?!"

I frowned, stunned by this operation.

"Marta said you're staying here for three days to be properly punished until she calms down. Don't contact the outside world for these three days. We'll send you away when the time comes."

Johnson's voice was calm as he placed a peeled shrimp into Marta's mouth.

When it came to matters concerning me, he never asked for my consentnot five years ago, and not now.

"I'm already married, Johnson."

I looked at him, raising my hand to show them the ring on my ring finger.

Under the lights, it sparkled brilliantlya diamond the size of a pigeon's egg, glittering endlessly.

Johnson stared at my face for a moment, then sneered.

"Don't try to fool me with such a clumsy lie. Everyone knows you're damaged goods that I, Johnson, threw away. Who would want you?"

Marta laughed too.

"Listen, stop trying to fool people with a fake ring, okay? There's only one pink diamond ring this big that I know of, and it was bought by some mysterious tycoon. Are you telling me that mysterious tycoon is you?"

"Not me. My husband."

Marta laughed even louder, pointing at my nose.

"You? Someone would want you? A second marriage? Please, do you even think before you speak? Besides, that mysterious tycoon isn't even in Minnesota."

"Come peel the shrimp. Don't make me say it twice."

Johnson grabbed my wrist and pressed me down into the chair in front of the dining table.

"What if I don't peel them?"

"If you don't make Marta happy, I'll dig up your mother's grave and scatter her ashes."

Johnson looked into my eyes, as if trying to see into my heart.

We hadn't seen each other in five years, yet in those contemptuous eyes, I surprisingly saw a trace of longing.

That longing was as disgusting as he was.

"You're forcing me."

"As a daughter, you didn't fulfill your filial duties while she was alive. Do you want to disturb her peace in death too?"

Johnson asked me, pointing at the basin of shrimp in front of me.

"Peel."

I took a deep breath.

Alex had some business to attend to for the next couple of days, but he'd arrive in Minnesota in two days to take me home.

I just needed to hold on for two days.

"Fine, I'll peel them."

"No gloves!"

Marta threw the gloves into the trash can and folded her arms.

"What kind of punishment is it if you wear gloves?"

I suppressed my anger and began peeling with my bare hands.

In an instant, red bumps appeared all over my hands and arms. It was itchy and unbearable.

After finally finishing the basin of shrimp, Marta looked at them with disgust.

"These shrimp don't have your contagious disease, do they? I feel dirty just looking at them."

Fortunately, there weren't too many shrimp, or I definitely would have ended up in the hospital.

"Is Marta brain-dead? Who told you allergies are contagious diseases?"

"How dare you insult my mom!"

George got worked up and shoved a shrimp into my mouth. I felt my breathing become rapid.

Seeing my reaction, Johnson panicked a little.

"Alice, what are you pretending?"

"She's acting so convincingly. It's just one shrimp, but you'd think she ate poison. Feed half the shrimp to her and half to the dog. I don't want to eat any of it."

Marta snorted and went upstairs.

I curled up in discomfort.

I heard Johnson say,

"Do as the lady says. Get the family doctor here. If anything happens to Alice, treat her immediately."

Before leaving, Johnson also removed the diamond ring from my ring finger.

"What are you doing?!"

I shouted at him.

"Even though you lied, hearing you say another man gave you this ring disgusts me. After all, you were once my woman."

Johnson threw the ring into the trash can.

"Alice, you've gotten bolder after five years."

"But I haven't forgotten how you used to beg me to spend more time with you."

After Johnson said this, he went upstairs.

Because of the allergic reaction, I didn't sleep well all night. The family doctor only gave me some allergy medication.

In my daze, I thought about the past.

I'd married Johnson initially just to get money from him. My mother was seriously ill in bed, and I needed money for her medical expenses.

I didn't care who he was sleeping with. Johnson's mother told me that as long as he stayed at my place for one more day and I gave birth to a child sooner, she'd give me money to leave.

"All the women Johnson finds are too dirtythey don't even know whose child they're carrying. I need a Johnson family child. Once you give birth to this child, you can leave."

Johnson played around a lot. He would drug me and make me please him.

He even posted photos of my private partswith pixels covering themto his friend group. I was utterly humiliated.

My mother was literally angered to death after those photos were exposed.

After Mom died, money didn't mean much to me anymore, but I was pregnant then. In a moment of weakness, I kept the baby.

After giving birth, I left without looking back.

That day at the hospital, the doctor even called him.

"Mr. Johnson, congratulations on your son."

Johnson just mumbled something vague and hung up.

I left. Although the doctor strongly urged me to rest in the hospital for a while, I didn't want to stay there at all.

I didn't want to see Johnson ever again.

I went to Johnson's mother, and she tried to persuade me.

"Johnson knows you gave birth today. He specifically went to buy supplements for you and is hosting a banquet. He hung up because he was really busy."

"Alice, without Johnson's consent for you to carry this child to term, do you think you could have had such a smooth pregnancy?"

"Stay. Johnson may not say it, but I can tell he really likes you."

"But all I feel for him is hatred."

My face was full of disgust.

Hearing the word "like" made me sick.

"You can't go back on what you said. Please let me leave."

From that day I left until now, five years had passed.

I was sleeping groggily when I was awakened by being drenched.

When I woke up, I saw George standing to the side holding an empty basin, with Marta clapping.

"well done."

My allergic reaction had just subsided, but this basin of cold water made me shiver violently, and my head throbbed painfully.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you here on vacation? Sleeping so soundly."

Marta said with her arms folded, then looked at George.

"George, tell her what we're doing today."

"Racing!"

George threw the basin on the floor and clapped his hands.

"What fun is racing without some entertainment?"

Marta said with a smile, then ordered me in a commanding tone,

"You, come with us."

That's how they brought me to the racetrack.

It was a vast, empty space with several luxury racing cars parked there. Johnson was standing there too.

Seeing them bring me over, he frowned.

"Why did you bring her?"

"What, do you feel sorry for her?"

Marta pouted.

"How could I? You're my wife."

Johnson patted Marta's head and squatted down to put a helmet on George.

I'd already been drenched with a basin of cold water, and now with the cold wind blowing, I was shivering even more.

"Since I'm your wife, what if I want to drag her behind the car? Would you say yes?"

Marta tilted her head, shaking Johnson's arm. My eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

Dragging someone behind a carhow dare they?

"That might kill someone, Marta."

Johnson looked troubled and glanced at me.

"Her life is worthless. If this gets trending and you get criticized for it, it wouldn't be worth it."

A flash of jealousy crossed Marta's eyes, then she pushed George forward.

"George wants to do this too. Besides, we'll give her protective gear and won't drive too fast. What's wrong with that?"

"Didn't you say I'm your wife? Are you going to side with an outsider over your wife?"

George also tugged at Johnson's arm.

"Dad, Dad, I want to do this."

"Didn't you also say? This woman once knelt for three days and nights and was whipped a hundred times without dying. This is just playing racing with her. What could happen?"

I never imagined the child I'd carried for ten months and struggled to bring into this world could be so cold-blooded and heartless.

"George, I should never have given birth to you."

"If I'd known you'd turn out like Johnson, I never should have brought you into this world."

I started coughing. The allergic reaction hadn't completely subsided, and now I felt cold all over. When I touched myself, I was burning hot.

I had a fever.

"Enough, Alice. You were the one who shamelessly married me back then. I didn't want to marry you."

"You're also the one who ran away right after giving birth to George at the hospital. What right do you have to say such things?"

Johnson's eyes looked like they were about to shoot fire.

"Do you know how much I wanted to kill you when I came back with all those supplements and couldn't find you?"

Following his gaze, I surprisingly saw a hint of grievance in his eyes.

"That's because I never loved you, Johnson."

"I only got together with you for money. I told you that five years ago."

"Fine, fine."

Johnson nodded, grabbed me, and pushed me forward.

I hit the car's side mirror, making my head even dizzier.

"Tie her to the back of the car. Don't give her protective gear. Just drag her for five laps."