Chapter 199 Love Letters to Ashes

Five years into our marriage, my husband, Liam, fell madly in love with a college student.

The girl was poor but proud. She rejected the black card Liam handed her, saying, "I won't be anyone's trophy bird in a gilded cage."

That single sentence made Liam obsessed.

He chased after this college girl, causing a scandal all over the city, completely forgetting he had a wife at home—a wife he had wooed with ninety-nine love letters before she finally agreed to marry him.

I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, every time he hurt me for her sake, I burned one of those love letters.

When all ninety-nine letters were ashes, that would be the day I left him for good.

The day the first letter burned was our wedding anniversary. He stood me up to sit in the boba shop where she worked, waiting all day just for her shift to end.

The day the thirty-sixth letter burned was a stormy night. I had a fever of 104, and he dumped me on the highway because she was afraid of thunder and needed him.

The day the seventy-second letter burned was when he took down our wedding photo from the living room wall and replaced it with a doodle she had drawn, just to make her smile.

...

The ninety-fifth letter burned on the day of an auction.

Liam had accompanied me to bid on my mother's necklace, the sapphire one she loved most before she passed. It was her legacy.

But as soon as the auction started, he saw the college girl working there as a server.

She glanced at the necklace twice. Liam immediately lit the sky lantern, bidding an astronomical price to win it, then gifted it to her in front of everyone.

"I saw you liked it, so I bought it for you," he said, his voice low and seductive. "Do you like it?"

She was wearing a server's uniform, pushing his hand away self-righteously. "Sir, I told you, I'm not interested in wealth, and I don't want to be your mistress. No matter what you give me, it's useless. Please take the necklace back and let me work."

With that, she turned and walked away with her empty tray.

Liam wasn't angry. Instead, he chuckled and chased after her, leaving everyone—including me—behind.

My heart seized. I stood there, stunned for two seconds, then ran after them.

On the windy deck, Liam was still pestering her. seeing she really wouldn't accept it, he casually flicked his wrist...

And threw the priceless sapphire necklace into the ocean.

"If you don't like it, I'll pick another one," he said, his voice impossibly tender. "I'll keep picking until you're satisfied."

He walked away with her without looking back, completely oblivious that...

I was climbing over the railing, jumping into the dark, freezing ocean without hesitation.

As the seawater flooded my nose, I suddenly remembered that five years ago, he proposed to me on a cruise ship just like this.

He said, "Paige, from now on, even if you want the stars in the sky, I'll pluck them for you."

But now, he could toss my mother's legacy into the sea like it was trash.

It took me all night to crawl out of the freezing water.

I clutched the necklace in my hand, the metal gleaming from the saltwater, but my fingers were frozen stiff.

On the way home, I scrolled through my feed. All the rich kids were posting about it...

"Liam is really gone this time, chasing a waitress and making headlines."

"He didn't make this much noise when he chased his wife, did he?"

My finger paused. My heart felt like it was being strangled by a thin wire.

Yeah. When he chased me, he wrote 99 love letters and confessed 99 times before I nodded.

We went from high school sweethearts to walking down the aisle. Our marriage was sweet once. Everyone said Liam was crazy about me.

Until the fifth year. He was at the hospital getting an IV, and he met a clumsy intern. She missed his vein several times, turning his hand blue, but he didn't get mad. Instead, he stared at her flustered face and smiled.

Later, he threw money, cars, and houses at her, trying to make her his mistress. But she rejected him with a face full of integrity:

"Mr. Luke, I'm not interested in your money. Please have some self-respect."

She even came to me and said, "Please control your husband. Don't let him harass me anymore."

Anyone else, and Liam would have exploded.

But with her, he wasn't angry. He chased harder.

I confronted him, and he said nonchalantly:

"She's interesting. I'm just playing. When I've had enough fun, I'll come back."

"Paige, I love you, but loving one person for a lifetime is too hard. You have to allow me a moment to wander."

I was in agony, but I couldn't bear to leave him.

So, I took out those 99 love letters and decided to give him 99 chances...

Every time he hurt me, I burned one.

When the letters were gone, I would be done with him.

Right now, I flicked my lighter and burned the ninety-fifth letter.

As the flames devoured the paper, I thought: He only has four chances left.

When the car arrived at the villa, I saw Liam standing on the stairs, looking down at me as soon as I walked in.

"You're back? I need to talk to you."

I nodded and walked up the steps, defenseless as always.

But just as I reached him, he suddenly reached out and shoved me hard!

"Ah...!"

I tumbled down the stairs, the back of my head slamming against the steps. Warm blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision.

I was shaking from the pain, looking at Liam in disbelief.

He walked down slowly, crouched in front of me, and wiped the blood from my face.

"Paige, bear with it."

"She's looking for a caregiving job... Only if you're injured do I have a reason to let her move in."