Starting Over, Standing Tall - Chapter 6

The cleaning staff were whispering.

That girl was awful.

Her clothes were ripped.

She couldn’t bear the humiliation and she killed herself by hitting her head against the wall.

Noah didn’t believe I was dead.

He went to Mr. Zhao’s private estate.

Mr. Zhao had a wound on his forehead and his personal doctor was treating it.

Seeing Noah, Mr. Zhao was apprehensive.

“I didn’t do anything. She just ran into the wall herself. You can’t blame me for her death.”

Noah’s face was terrifyingly grim. “Repeat what you just said.”

Mr. Zhao was growing impatient.

“I’ll sign another year’s contract with you as compensation for your wife’s death. I’ll even send her body back to your family’s house. I’ve done my part,” he said.

Noah finally lost control, punching him in the face.

“Say that again. Who told you to touch her? I’ll kill you.”

Noah landed blow after blow, mercilessly, beating Mr. Zhao until he was hospitalized.

While Mr. was in the hospital. Women he had been involved with came forward, accusing him of rape.

After being released from the hospital, he was immediately arrested.

For days, Noah couldn’t face the reality of my death.

He couldn’t even look at my body.

It was Noah’s father who arranged the funeral.

No one dared speak my name.

It had become taboo within the family. On the day of my burial, Noah was drunk.

When he returned home, Billy clung to his leg, crying.

“Daddy, I don’t want mommy to die. Can you bring her back?” The word dead seemed to snap Noah out of his stupor.

He paused, lifted Billy with one hand, and slurred.

“Who told you she’s dead? She’s not dead,” Billy, kicking his legs in the air, cried hysterically. “Why didn’t you call her mommy before?”

A maid intervened, claiming Noah’s grandfather wanted to see Billy.

On the seventh day after my death, all the guests came to pay their respects, except for Noah.

He sat silently on the bed, crumpling the divorce papers I had left behind.

After a long while, he looked at the wedding photo on the wall.

Me wearing a simple wedding dress, smiling brightly, leaning against him.

His face was icy, void of any smile.

He had married me to get revenge.

Even the wedding dress and ring had been the cheapest he could find, but I didn’t mind.

I wholeheartedly played the role of his wife.