Silenced, Broken, Unbowed

My cheating husband crashed into me and left me paralyzed in bed, but my mother-in-law brought his female boss, the woman he cheated with, into the house and demanded that I divorce him.

1

On the third day after I was paralyzed in a car accident and brought back from the hospital to my husbands family home, cockroaches crawled onto my body and gnawed at the wounds on me.

Click.

I heard the sound of the door opening.

My mother-in-law, Margaret Miller, had come back, but she was not alone.

Sophia, Im sorry, but there really isnt anything good at home to serve you right now. Usually, we rely on Ethan alone to make money, and now that hes been locked up because of this woman, I truly didnt know what else to do except come to you.

Separated by only one wall, I pressed my lips tightly together.

It was the female executive Ethan had cheated with.

Margaret, what do you want me to do?

Doesnt your family have connections? It should be easy for you to get Ethan out, right?

He was driving drunk, and thats illegal, so I cant help with that.

If anyone broke the law, it was because Ethans wife forced him into it. Sophia, Im begging you to help Ethan. Once Ethan gets out, Ill make him divorce that disaster and marry you right away.

I did not hear Sophia Blake answer, but out of nowhere, I heard her ask to see me.

My dazed, muddled mind snapped awake a little, and then the bedroom door was opened, and Margaret was sent away.

Sophia was wearing a tasteful dress suit, her hair carefully styled, and she carried a handbag that looked expensive at first glance.

Why does it smell so bad in here?

Sophia covered her nose in disgust and refused to step inside.

I felt embarrassed and humiliated, and the hatred I had for her after she destroyed my family spilled out with it.

Did you come to laugh at me?

Sophia actually shook her head.

I may not have much morality when it comes to relationships, but Im not low enough to kick someone when theyre down. Did you cause Ethan to drive drunk?

I was so angry that my whole body trembled.

I went to a job center to look for work, and Margaret called Ethan and yelled that I had run off with a man, so Ethan drove straight into the rideshare I was in, or else how would I have ended up paralyzed?

Sophias mouth fell open in shock, and then she left without saying anything to me.

2

Sophia did not agree to help, and she cut off contact with Margaret.

Margaret was the kind of bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, so she did not dare make a scene at Ethans workplace and took all her anger out on me instead.

She gave me no water and no food, and every day, she cursed me and asked why I did not hurry up and die at home.

Bang!

Margaret slammed the door and left, and the loud noise made me shudder, which caused urinary incontinence from the aftereffects of the accident.

I could not help crying out loud, and I supported myself with both hands against the floor, crawling with difficulty to the bathroom to clean myself up.

From the knees down, both my legs had no feeling, and my wounds seeped blood and pus.

By the time I forced myself to take off my pants and change into clean ones, an hour had already passed.

I crawled to the bedroom door and wanted to go out to find something to eat, only to discover that Margaret had locked the door.

That night, she did not come back.

A huge panic closed over me.

I went to push the window open, only to find that the window was locked too, and I had no idea when she had done all this.

My stomach was starving, and my wounds itched and ached, and I began to panic as I realized Margaret truly wanted me dead.

3

After the car accident, my phone had disappeared, and when I asked Margaret, all I got was impatient abuse.

After I shouted for help for a long time, a neighbor finally heard my voice.

They pried the door open and came in to save me, and I said I wanted to call the police and report Margaret for imprisoning me.

But I never expected Margaret to come back.

When she saw the room full of people, she began wailing and throwing a fit, saying one moment that there was no justice and the next that the neighbors were ganging up to bully her.

An older woman could not stand it anymore and wanted Margaret to realize what she had done wrong.

You locked your daughter-in-law inside the house, and shes still a patient, and you gave her no food or water, so how is that acceptable?

Margaret realized something, glared at me viciously, and began crying that she had been wronged.

How is that possible! I only went out to handle something, and even if this dead woman got my son locked up, I still wouldnt do something that could kill a person!

She cried and shouted as she accused me of ruining her son, and she said that despite everything, she had swallowed her resentment and tried every possible way to borrow money for my medical treatment.

The neighbors expressions changed, and when they looked at me, there was a faint rejection and coldness in their eyes.

I hurriedly explained, Thats not true. Her son hit me while driving drunk, and her son cheated too!

What nonsense are you talking, you bitch! Margaret raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face.

My face burned, and the older woman who had spoken for me angrily scolded Margaret for hitting me, but Margaret simply stopped pretending.

This is our family business, so why is an outsider like you meddling so much? Arent you afraid youll have a son born cursed? I havent even mentioned that you broke my door open, so pay me back!

She looked like a shameless shrew, and spit flew straight into other peoples faces as she spoke.

I knew that if this continued, it would only turn into a farce in the end and solve none of the real problems I had.

I said to the older woman beside me, Maam, can I borrow your phone to make a call?

What are you trying to do?!

Margaret immediately charged over like a savage, trying to snatch the womans phone.

The neighbors were all driven out by Margaret, and in a fluster, Margaret called someone to repair the lock, then only cursed me viciously a few times before letting me off.

4

Margaret planned to go out again, and this time, she left me food before she left, but she also left a warning.

If you want to run, I wont stop you, but even if you call the police, will they treat your illness for free? Go ahead and bother the neighbors all you want, and see if theyre willing to get stuck with a burden like you. The only thing you can do is go back to your hometown and become a burden to your poor parents.

I had to admit that Margarets words successfully stopped my impulse to run out of their house.

The only family I had was my parents.

They were deaf and mute, and they even had impaired vision.

I was not their biological child, but an orphan they had picked up after my birth parents abandoned me because they favored sons over daughters.

It had not been easy for the elderly couple to raise me, and I could not cause them more trouble.

Ill say this right now. If my son cant get out, Ill definitely settle the score with those disabled parents of yours!

Margaret picked up her bag and sneered at me, and her face looked like an evil ghost, chilling me from head to toe.

He brought this on himself! What does it have to do with my parents?! I could not stop myself from questioning her.

To kill a snake, you hit it where it hurts. Only then will you know pain, or else how can I make you understand the suffering of my precious son being in jail?

The door closed in front of me, blocking out the light shining in from outside, while darkness grew together with the fear and hatred in my heart.

I was terrified my parents would be hurt, and for the first time, I had the thought of wanting Margaret dead.

5

The anti-inflammatory medicine, iodine, and gauze at home were all used up.

In July weather, the wounds on my body festered uncontrollably every day, aching and itching, and even I felt disgusted by the thick yellow pus.

I crawled through every corner of the house, but I could not find any medicine or gauze that could be used as substitutes, and I could not find the phone I had lost in the car accident either, so maybe the phone was truly gone.

On the fifth day I was locked in the Millers house, I lay on the bed like a piece of stinking dead meat and stared at the scissors on the nightstand that were used for cutting gauze, and the thought of suicide passed through my mind countless times.

I had no children and nothing much tying me down, and my cheating husband was definitely going to jail, while Margaret treated me like an enemy and only kept me locked in the Millers house because she wanted to watch me suffer.

For a paralyzed cripple, rather than live and be humiliated, it would be better to die.

But just as I picked up the scissors, the sun came out outside, and a beam of sunlight shone through the window and landed on my hand, carrying a bit of warmth.

In that instant, my tears poured out.

I thought of my parents.

If I died just like this, what would happen to them, and once Margaret lost me as her punching bag, she would go after them.

I wanted to live, and I decided not to sit back and wait for death anymore, but to negotiate with Margaret and make her help treat me.

I did not wait for Margaret, but for Sophia.

I did not know where she had gotten the key to the Millers house, but she came in with disheveled hair and rushed straight to the sickbed, slapped me, and looked completely different from the woman whose eyes had held hidden pity the last time we met.

This is all your fault, you bitch! Why didnt Ethan just hit you hard enough to kill you? Margaret is an old bitch too, and she actually dared to threaten me by saying shed make a scene at my workplace!

She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and threw them in front of me, forcing me viciously to sign it.

I lowered my head and saw the words Letter of Consent written on it, and the content stated that Ethan and I were husband and wife, that the car accident had happened by accident because of a small marital argument, and that as one of the victims, I was willing not to pursue the matter.

I wont sign it. I tore up the paper and threw the pen at her.

Sophias face twisted, and she raised her hand to grab my hair, then slammed my head down against the bed.

I also went ruthless, biting down on her arm until I drew blood, and Sophias scream was deafening as she smashed her handbag hard against my head.

I was hit until I had no strength left and was forced to loosen my teeth, and Sophia took out another consent form, grabbed my hand, and forced me to sign and press my fingerprint on it.

You bitch, when Ethan comes back, just wait and see how he kills you!

My head hurt so much that waves of dizziness hit me, but my thoughts were extremely clear and calm, and I forced myself to say to her, Do you think that if you get Ethan out of prison, hell torture me for you? Youre too naive. Just wait and see. Between you and me, hell definitely choose me, or why would he refuse to let me go even after he crashed into me and broke my legs?

Sophias expression changed, and after cursing, You delusional bitch, she slammed the door and left.

I lay paralyzed and inhaled hard, trying to calm the pain all over my body.

The news that Ethan was coming back filled me with fear, but I was not going to simply let him slaughter me either.

The words I had just said to Sophia must have planted a seed in her heart.

6

Ethan came back, and the moment I fell off the bed, he pushed the door open and walked in.

You look disgusting right now.

I felt equally sick when I saw him, but I noticed a new watch on his wrist, and after a few guesses formed in my heart, I took the initiative to mention Sophia.

Why didnt you go find Sophia?

How could she be more important than you? Ethan crouched in front of me and grabbed my hair, forcing me to lift my head and look at him.

A chill ran through me, because this was the first time I had seen him with this kind of face.

It seemed that ever since he drove into me, Ethan had torn away that layer of disguise he wore.

Does Sophia know youre saying that?

Ethan gave a light scoff and cursed Sophia right in front of me.

That woman is disgusting too. Back in college, she was basically an escort, and thats how she met a bunch of rich men. Then after she got into a state-owned company, she wanted to act clean. She saw that I was good-looking and came on to me first, but honestly, I was just playing with her.

I froze where I was, feeling that his pale, handsome face looked incomparably hideous, and even the canine tooth I once thought was cute looked like a demons fang.

Stunned? Ethan patted my face affectionately, smiling brightly. Dont worry, my love. The person your husband loves most is you. That wedding vow will always count, and I wont divorce you.

The hair on my body stood on end, and I said with difficulty, I want a divorce. Ill only be a burden to you like this, and your mom wont want you to keep being with a cripple either.

Ethan whistled. My mom listens to me the most. Now that Im out, why would she still drive you away? People online love stories of unwavering devotion the most now, baby. Thank you for helping me find a new way to make money, because now I wont need to rely on Sophia anymore.

I did not understand what he meant, but the fear was real.

You drove into me, and even if were husband and wife, you still have to go to prison

Smack!

A slap landed heavily across my face, and my ears buzzed, but Ethan was still smiling.

Baby, youre too naive, and too vicious. Even the driver who gave you a ride doesnt plan to pursue me anymore, but were family, and you still want to sell out your husband. Ill tell you the truth. There were no cameras in that place, and neither the driver nor I had dashcams in our cars.

The pain made my vision go black, and in my heart, I kept praying that Sophia would be useful for once.

The facts proved that Sophia had listened to what I said when she left that day, because she became estranged from Ethan, and Ethans watch had a listening device installed in it.

When the police came to the door, Ethan was training me like a dog, crouching two meters away from me with ointment in his hand and making me crawl over.

When he heard the recorded evidence, Ethans face turned terrifyingly vicious, and he cursed Sophia as a bitch, then attacked the police and tried to run, only for the officers to twist his arm out of place and pin him to the floor.

I watched him lying there in a wretched state like a maggot, and the resentment in my heart finally eased a little, while the corners of my mouth could not help slowly lifting.

But at that moment, Ethan suddenly turned his head and mouthed silently at me, Your parents

My whole body instantly turned ice-cold, and the tiny thought I had of calling the police for help disappeared.

Ethan was destined to go to prison, but Margaret was still outside, and given how much Margaret doted on him, if Ethan asked her to take revenge on my parents, Margaret would do it no matter what.

The mother and son were truly cruel, because they had grabbed my weakness and left me unable to move.

Your injuries are this serious, so let us take you to the hospital. The officer frowned as he looked over my condition, then glanced at Ethan and said to me meaningfully, Dont be afraid. Ill help you contact your family.

I did not know how I said the words, Im fine.

After the police left, Margaret, who had been happily buying groceries outside, finally got the news and hurried back.

For the entire day, Margaret was busy trying to get her son out again and barely came home.

Later, when she came back to change clothes, I heard her cursing and saying that Sophia, that whore, had changed jobs and could not be found, and she also cursed Sophia for not knowing who she had hooked up with to get herself completely removed from the matter.

When I heard the news, I was not surprised, but I did feel a little regret in my heart.