Ex-Husband, Your Move

During the third week of Caleb Shaw's business trip, I booked a flight to M City. I wanted to surprise him; after all, it was our third wedding anniversary. Before I left, I messaged his secretary, Whitney Lynn, asking which hotel Caleb was staying at. Whitney replied promptly and even offered to wait for me at the hotel entrance. At the time, I thought she was thoughtful; now I realize it was all a trap. After leaving the airport, Whitney approached with a smile and handed me a bottle of ice water. "Ms. Scott, you must be tired from the trip. Have some water to refresh yourself first." I didn't think much and just twisted off the cap to take a few sips. Soon, my head grew heavy and my vision blurred. "You..." I was about to ask her what was going on when I lost consciousness. When I woke again, a sharp, biting wind cut through my collar. I was tied up in a corner on an unfamiliar street; rough hemp ropes bit into my wrists and ankles. Around my neck was a cold metal collar, its chain secured to a nearby lamppost. "Awake now?" Whitney Lynn's voice sounded from above. I looked up and saw her standing not far away, wearing the black coat that Caleb Shaw often wore. "So it was you?" My voice was hoarse and dry. "Who else could it be?" Whitney Lynn gave a light laugh and stepped closer. "Susan Scott, do you really think Caleb's heart belongs only to you?" I struggled to stand, but the iron chain yanked me off balance, and I fell heavily to the ground. My knees hit the hard concrete floor, and the pain made my vision dim. "Let go of me! Where is Caleb Shaw?" I shouted at her. Whitney crouched down and grabbed my chin with such force it felt as if she wanted to crush my bones. "What's the hurry? He'll be here any moment." She said, then raised her hand and slapped me. The sharp sound echoed through the silent street. My cheek instantly burned with pain, and a trace of blood welled at the corner of my mouth. "How dare you hit me?" "What's wrong with hitting you?" Whitney stood up and kicked me in the waist. "A useless person who only occupies Mrs. Shaw's position should have left long ago." I curled up on the ground, so much in pain that I couldn't speak. Just then, a familiar black sedan slowly drove up and stopped not far away. The car door opened, and Caleb Shaw stepped out. I felt as if I'd grasped a lifeline and shouted at him, "Caleb! Save me!" But he just stood there, looking at me coldly, showing no sign of coming over. Whitney Lynn walked up to him, naturally linked her arm with his, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Caleb, look at her like this—isn't it amusing?" Caleb Shaw chuckled softly, reaching out to wrap his arm around her waist: "You really understand me; this kind of humor suits my taste perfectly." Humor? It was like being struck by lightning; I felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen. I had prepared a surprise for him, but was betrayed by his lover, drugged, and tied up on a foreign street, humiliated. And he not only looked the other way but even considered it a form of "humor." "Caleb Shaw," my voice shook uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face, "Is our three years together nothing but a joke to you?" He seemed not to hear me, lowering his head to Whitney Lynn and saying, "It's cold outside, let's go back." "Alright." Whitney smiled in response, and before leaving, glanced back at me with eyes full of pride and mockery. The car slowly drove away, leaving me alone in the cold wind, bound by chains, enduring the twin torments of body and soul. At that moment, something within my heart shattered completely.