Divorce Threat on Our Honeymoon Road

On the first day of our honeymoon, my husband, Silas, and I were driving down the scenic route toward Napa Valley.

We hadn't been on the road for thirty minutes when an elderly woman suddenly collapsed onto the asphalt just a few yards ahead of our bumper. Silas slammed on the brakes, the tires letting out a violent screech.

"Please, kind souls," the woman groaned, her voice trembling as she huddled on the tarmac. "Help me up. I can't stand."

She looked incredibly frail, lying there in the middle of the road. If someone didn't help her, she could easily be hit by another car.

Silas immediately reached for his seatbelt, ready to get out.

I grabbed his arm, my grip tight and unyielding. "If you dare step out of this car to help her, we are getting a divorce."

Silas froze, his hand hovering over the door handle. He turned to look at me, his eyes wide with utter confusion.

"Vivian, since when did you become so heartless? That is a human life!"

I knew exactly what it was, but I didn't feel a single shred of pity.

"My point stands. Step out of this car, and we are done."

"Vivian, I know you're worried about scammers, but we can't just leave a helpless old woman in the middle of the road!"

Silass voice was soft, trying to soothe me.

Seeing that we weren't getting out, the woman on the ground let out an even louder, more agonizing wail.

"Please, dear Lord, someone help me! My leg, it hurts so much!"

Silas was growing increasingly anxious, his tone softening into a plea.

"Vivian, I understand you're afraid of being sued. But what if shes actually hurt? How are we supposed to live with ourselves if we just drive away?"

He reached over, gently placing his hand over mine.

I shook his hand off coldly. "If you want to play the hero, go ahead. Just sign the divorce papers first."

Silas stared at me, looking as if he were staring at a complete stranger.

The old woman continued to groan on the asphalt. Realizing we weren't budging, her cries became louder and more dramatic.

A few passing drivers began to pull over, rolling down their windows to peer at us. A few even pulled out their phones, aiming their cameras at our car.

"Oh, the pain! It's unbearable!" the woman cried, her voice cracking. "Young people these days have no heart!"

A girl in a pink cardigan rolled down her window from the lane next to us.

"Hey! What's your problem? The poor lady is hurt, go give her a hand!"

Silas's face flushed deep red. He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out.

Seeing his hesitation, the girls brow furrowed in disapproval.

"Seriously? She fell right in front of your car. The least you can do is get out and check on her!"

Before she could finish, a battered van pulled up behind her. A burly, bald man stepped out, his voice booming over the sound of the idling engines.

"Hey! What's the holdup? You're blocking the road!"

But the moment the bald man walked over and saw the old woman groaning on the ground, his expression shifted. He didn't say a word, quietly turning around and walking straight back to his van.

More cars began to pile up, and the backroad quickly became congested.

The onlookers started whispering among themselves.

"How can people be so cold-hearted?"

"Record them! Put them on the internet!"

"Driving such a luxury car, yet they have garbage for hearts!"

With the growing crowd, the old womans groans reached a theatrical crescendo, her voice trembling with artificial tears.

"My leg is completely numb! Please, someone show some mercy!"

Silas was sitting on pins and needles. He reached for the door handle again.

"Think carefully, Silas," I warned him.

His hand froze, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle.

"Vivian, what is wrong with you today? You've never been like this! You'd stop the car to rescue a stray dog or cat, but you won't even help a human being? Besides, with our financial standing, even if she tries to sue us, we can easily handle it."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with near-desperation.

But I remained entirely unmoved. "If you want to help, do it on your own. It has nothing to do with me."

The old woman on the ground continued to howl, her voice surprisingly strong for someone supposedly on the verge of death.

Silas's frustration finally boiled over.

He threw the car door open and stormed out, marching directly toward the old woman.

I immediately got out of the car, grabbing his arm before he could reach her.

"Vivian, can't you see she needs a hospital? Let go of me!" Silas yelled, his eyes red as he tried to shake me off.

I held on tighter, my nails digging into his sleeve. "Wait."

I quickly pulled out my phone and started recording.

Aiming the camera at Silas, myself, and the old woman on the ground, I spoke clearly and calmly.

"Let the record show that I strongly object to Silass decision to help this woman. This is his personal choice, entirely independent of me. Any legal, financial, or civil liabilities resulting from his actions are his sole responsibility. I assume zero liability."

"Vivian... you..." He was so furious his voice shook.

"And since you're so determined to do this," I added, locking eyes with him, "we're filing for divorce as soon as we get back."

The old woman suddenly stopped crying. Instead, she offered a sweet, fragile smile, speaking in a gentle tone.

"Young man, don't worry about me. Don't let a poor old lady ruin your marriage. Just leave me here to rot."

This sudden act of selflessness from the victim instantly turned the crowds hostility toward me up to eleven.

"My god, shes actually recording a video to protect herself? What a toxic woman!"

"Bro, how can you stand her? Divorce her! You have to divorce her!"

"Unbelievable. To be this selfish is a disease!"

Standing amidst the shouting crowd, Silas's face flushed a deep, embarrassed red.

He looked at me, pleading one last time. "Do you really have to do this? Are you seriously throwing away your conscience and your dignity just to avoid a little trouble?"

I looked at the righteous crowd surrounding us.

"If any of you want to help her, be my guest. But if anything goes wrong, you take full responsibility."

The moment I said that, the girl in the pink cardigan scoffed loudly. "Listen to her! What an absolute piece of garbage!"

I ignored her, turning back toward our car.

Silas grabbed my hand. "Vivian! I know you're not a bad person. This is just anger talking, right? Let's stop fighting."

"Fighting?" I yanked my hand back.

"Silas, let me ask you: before we left, you insisted on taking this backroad, didn't you? You said it would save us an hour."

Silas blinked, confused. "Yes... I thought there would be less traffic. Are you really throwing a tantrum over a route?"

Less traffic meant fewer witnesses. And more blind spots for surveillance cameras.

I let out a cold laugh.

I had a strong feeling that if I checked our dashcam right now, it would be conveniently broken.

"Vivian," Silas said, lowering his voice. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have chosen this road without asking you."

He reached out to touch my arm, but I stepped back, easily dodging his hand.

"I know you're angry, and it's all my fault. From now on, I'll listen to you. For the rest of the honeymoon, we'll take whatever road you want, stay wherever you want. I promise I won't make any decisions without you, okay?"

If this had been before, his gentle apology might have softened my heart.

"You don't need to apologize to me. Do whatever you want. We're getting a divorce anyway."

My tone was entirely flat, but Silas looked panicked.

The old woman on the ground spoke up again. "Forget it, young man. I don't need your help. I'll just crawl to the side of the road myself. I'd feel terrible if I caused a divorce. Thank you for your kindness, truly."

"Ma'am, please don't move," Silas said quickly. "Let me talk to my wife."

The old woman's movements stiffened slightly.

"You fell so hard you couldn't move your leg," I chimed in, staring at her. "Moving now might cause secondary injuries. We certainly can't afford to take responsibility for that."

I tapped on my phone screen.

"I've already called emergency services. An ambulance is on its way, and I've filed a report with the police. They will investigate the cause of your fall. Even though this road is quiet, there should be a traffic camera at the intersection back there. Once the police and medics arrive, they will perform a full inspection. If we are at fault, we will pay. If not, the law will decide."

Hearing my words, Silas looked like he was about to explode with rage.

"Vivian, since when did you become so cynical? How can you suspect a poor old lady of lying? I'm telling you, I'm helping her up right now. Can't you see how much pain she's in? Stop being so heartless!"

Right then, my phone began to ring. It was my mother.

"Hello, Mom."

"Vivian! I just saw a video trending online. People are claiming you and Silas left an old woman to die on the road! The video is blurry, but the license plate looks exactly like yours! The comments are absolutely brutal!"

I kept my breathing steady. "Mom, don't worry. She fell on her own. It has nothing to do with us. Silas wanted to help, but I stopped him."

"What? Why would you stop him?" my mother asked, her voice tight with anxiety. "This is terrible for your public image! Besides, we aren't short on money. Even if she's a scammer, we can just pay her off!"

"Mom, don't worry about it. Oh, and by the way, I'm divorcing Silas."

There was a sudden, stunned silence on the other end of the line.

"Vivian! What nonsense are you talking about? A divorce over a little road dispute? Have you lost your mind?"

"I'll explain when I get back, Mom. I have to go." I hung up and tucked my phone away.

Silas glared at me, his voice hoarse with fury. "Vivian! You..."

But seeing the absolute seriousness in my eyes, he didn't dare move.

The silence lasted for a moment before the girl in the pink cardigan stepped out of her car.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you two?" she snapped, her tone dripping with self-righteous anger. "Are you done arguing? The poor lady is still on the ground! If you're not going to help, get out of the way! The rest of us have places to be!"

The old woman immediately let out a weak groan, attempting to push herself up only to collapse back onto the road with a fragile sigh.

"Miss, thank you for your concern," I said, looking at the girl. "But we've already called the police and an ambulance. Until the professionals arrive, we shouldn't move her, both to preserve the scene and to avoid any unnecessary medical complications. It's the responsible thing to do for her, and for us."

The girl blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "How long is that going to take? We're in the middle of nowhere! You're just trying to find an excuse to be heartless!"

"Precisely because we're in the middle of nowhere, we need professional help," I replied, my voice hardening. "If you move her and cause a spinal injury, are you going to take responsibility? If there's a dispute over her injuries later, who is going to settle it?"

The old woman's groans paused for a fraction of a second.

The girl in pink was momentarily silenced, her face flushing with embarrassment, but she remained stubborn. "You're just cowards. Heartless cowards!"

"Yes, I am. So let's all wait patiently for the deputies to arrive."

Hearing this, the girl grew visibly anxious.

"Fine! If you won't help, I will!"

With that, she marched directly toward the old woman.

Silas quickly stepped forward, catching her arm. "Miss, please, let us handle it. It wouldn't be right to let you take the risk."

He turned back to look at me, his eyes filled with a dramatic mix of guilt and heroism. "Vivian, this happened in front of our car. We can't let a stranger bear the risk. If anyone is going to help her, it should be me. If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility!"

He spoke with grand, heroic resolve.

The surrounding crowd began to whisper in approval.

"At least the guy has some decency. His wife, though..."

Silas seemed to stand a little straighter, his chest swelling with self-righteous pride.

"Silas, you must be joking," I laughed. "We've already made things clear. If you touch her, it has absolutely nothing to do with me. You're on your own."

"You..." Silas gritted his teeth, unable to vent his fury.

He knew his place. He was nothing but a dependent husband who had married into our family, signing a strict prenuptial agreement because he didn't bring a single cent of his own to this marriage.

My family was one of the most prominent dynasties in the city. Marrying me was the jackpot of his life.

Yet here he was, publicly defying me.

He thought he could play the hero, but without my money, he couldn't even afford to pay for her band-aids.

"Oh, right," I added, my voice dripping with cold amusement. "Lest you forget, you're just a dependent who married in. I'm simply throwing you out now."

"Vivian, do you really have to do this?" his voice was dry.

"I'm just stating facts."

"You two are unbelievable. Arguing back and forth while this poor lady is left to suffer!"

The girl in the pink cardigan scoffed, bending down to grab the old womans arm. "Ma'am, let me help you! We don't need these heartless snobs!"

I watched her hand stretch toward the old womans sleeve.

"Wait."

I spoke up again.

The girl froze, glaring at me with irritation. "What cold-hearted comment do you have to make now?"

"Nothing. I just haven't started recording yet. I need clear evidence that you were the one who moved her, just in case there's a dispute later."

I slowly lifted my phone, aiming the camera at her and the old woman.

"Why are you recording this?" Her tone was no longer as aggressive, a hint of nervousness slipping into her voice.

"Just keeping a record." I adjusted the angle, ensuring a crystal-clear view.

I paused, tilting the camera slightly toward the old woman. "Ma'am, you understand, right? This kind girl is trying to help you, so we should make sure she feels safe doing it. If you're really in that much pain, waiting for the paramedics is the best option anyway, don't you think?"

Suddenly, Silas stepped in front of the lens.

He blocked my view of the girl and the old woman completely.

"Enough, Vivian."

He lunged forward, trying to snatch the phone from my hand. During the struggle, he pushed me back.

My patience vanished.

Slap!

The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the quiet road, leaving Silass cheek burning red.

"Get out of my way, Silas." I pushed past him before he could react.

But I was too late.

Taking advantage of our distraction, the girl in pink had already pulled the old woman to her feet.

The old woman stood perfectly straight. Though her back was slightly hunched, both of her feet were planted firmly on the asphalt.

"Ma'am, how do you feel? Can you stand?" the girl asked quietly.

"Oh... much better. Thank you, dear. You're a savior."

Silas clutched his cheek, glaring at me with utter humiliation. "Look at that! She's perfectly fine! Did you really have to make such a disgusting, embarrassing scene over nothing?"

He tried to apologize to the old woman and the girl, before grabbing my arm to drag me back to the car.

"Are you done making a fool of yourself? I didn't even touch her, and you still managed to ruin everything!"

I violently shook his hand off, my expression ice-cold.

"I told you, we are getting a divorce."

My voice was loud, echoing across the quiet road.

Silas froze, his arm still suspended in the air.

He stared at me as if he couldn't comprehend my words.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. "What... what did you say?"

"I said," I met his stunned gaze, "we are getting a divorce, Silas. Right now. We're going straight to the lawyers as soon as we get back."

The remaining onlookers began to whisper among themselves.

"She's divorcing him just because he wanted to do a good deed?"

"Yeah, this woman is ruthless."

"Look at how pale the poor guy is."

With the crowds support, Silas seemed to regain his courage, standing a little straighter.

"Vivian, listen to them! Everyone can see the truth! I only wanted to help someone today. Was I wrong? Even if my methods weren't perfect, did you really have to humiliate me in public and throw around the word 'divorce'?"

He grew more confident, his voice rising. "We're married! If there's an issue, can't we discuss it behind closed doors? You had to slap me, scream at me, and demand a divorce in front of all these strangers... What do you think of me? What do you think of our marriage? Is it just a joke to you?"

Silass accusations, coupled with the murmurs of the crowd, made me look like a hysterical, toxic villain who was single-handedly destroying her own marriage.

A few people in the crowd even started live-streaming the scene on their phones.

"Look at this, guys! The couple involved in the roadside incident is fighting! The wife just slapped the husband, and now shes demanding a divorce!"

"The poor guy just wanted to help an old lady, and his wife is treating him like trash..."

"She looks so arrogant. Shes probably used to getting her way."

The whispers and the annoying electronic chimes from the live broadcasts were incredibly grating.