Pure Hatred of Marriage

Chapter One

That was the year the deepest hatred bloomed.

Lucy scratched the face of the college student I was sponsoring, and I broke the leg of the male model she was dating.

Then she escalated things, bringing different men home to flaunt them in front of me.

She was trying to force a divorce.

It was all because I’d hidden a love letter of hers years ago, causing her to miss out on her first love.

Her first love got married, she got drunk, and I took advantage of the situation, using every dirty trick in the book to marry her.

But she didn’t love me.

For five years of marriage, she’d been getting even.

I thought we’d torture each other forever.

But then, her first love got divorced and came to her for help.

“Let’s get a divorce,”

Lucy’s voice was cold, not a suggestion, but a statement.

Normally, I would’ve begged and pleaded, wanting to continue our torment.

But this time, I just smiled faintly. “Okay.”

She looked up sharply at my ready agreement.

“What’s the catch?”

I didn’t understand. “What?”

She lit a cigarette, her expression aloof and languid. “I don’t believe you’d be this kind. What’s your condition for agreeing to the divorce?”

I smiled wryly, studying the woman I loved to my core.

Even the way she sat was elegant.

I always told my buddies, she was perfect.

Except she didn’t love me.

Maybe because I agreed to the divorce, Lucy actually looked at me directly for once.

“The house and car are yours, I’ll split the assets fifty-fifty, and you get twenty percent of the company stock. Is that enough?”

I chuckled. “I want fifty percent of the stock.”

Lucy looked at me in silence.

I added, “It’s all marital property, so we split it down the middle.”

“Deal.”

Lucy didn’t hesitate.

Her voice was decisive, with a hint of lightness.

Self-mockery tinged my eyes; she’d been waiting for this day, for a long time.

“Draft the divorce papers and send them to me. I’ll sign, and then we go our separate ways, no interference.”

I didn’t want to look at her again. I grabbed my bag and left.

Lucy suddenly called out.

“Can I ask—”

Her voice was muffled, the ending drawn out.

“Why you agreed to the divorce?”

Even with my back to her, I could imagine her languid yet scrutinizing gaze on me.

I smiled, concealing my emotions.

“I’m just bored. I don’t love you anymore.”

Then I took off, leaving what I considered a cool exit.

Once I was out of her sight in the car, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The driver asked where I was going. “The Siren’s Song Bar.”

On the road, I dropped the pretense. My fake smile gone, I looked genuinely tired.

Thinking back to Lucy questioning my sudden agreement to the divorce, twice even.

I chuckled to myself in the mirror.

She’d never know I agreed to the divorce because of a vivid dream.

I dreamt I was in another dimension, witnessing a horrific scene.

For the first few years, it was exactly like my life.

Until the sixth year of marriage, her first love, Mark Johnson, developed kidney failure and pressured me to donate a kidney.

I refused, and Lucy drugged me and locked me in a room with a bunch of women all night.

The next day, compromising videos of me from every angle went viral.

My reputation was destroyed; I was cyber-bullied relentlessly, becoming a pariah.

Lucy coldly stared at me:

“Serves you right.”

“If you’d agreed to donate a kidney to Mark, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If you’d agreed to a divorce sooner, you wouldn’t have ruined my life with Mark. You deserve this.”

Her words pierced my heart, I screamed and woke up, realizing it was a nightmare.

But I knew.

It might not have been a dream.

The car pulled up to the bar. The driver glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Sir, we’re here.”

As soon as I got out, I called my friend, “I’m at your place, Kevin.”

“To celebrate my divorce, you’re buying, get me ten girls.”

Kevin owned the Siren’s Song Bar.

Hearing about the divorce, he patted my head incredulously.

“Man, your brain’s not fried, is it?”

“Divorce actually came out of your mouth? You didn’t use every trick in the book to get Lucy, and you’re giving her up?”

I was irritated.

Apparently, everyone knew I’d forced my way into the marriage.

Making the ending even more humiliating.

“Don’t mention it. Lucy’s history. Get me the hottest girls you’ve got.”

One after another, beautiful women in heels came and sat beside me and Kevin.

We drank and partied for hours, until I was half-drunk, and I looked up to see Lucy.

I rubbed my eyes; the alcohol was making me hallucinate.

I looked again, and it wasn’t a hallucination.

Lucy stood tall in the crowd, always the center of attention.

She was negotiating with a group of thugs, protecting a meek man behind her.

It was Mark, her first love.

I realized he was being harassed and she was stepping in to help.

Kevin nudged me, “Isn’t that your ex-wife?”

“Wow, the guy she pines for is such a loser. No taste.”

I felt sick.

I was just about to be grateful she wasn’t there to rub it in, that it was a clean break.

But here I was, running into them being lovey-dovey.

“Ugh, let’s go somewhere else.”

Kevin agreed, and as we left, Lucy somehow saw me.

“Steven.”

I ignored her, but Lucy stepped in front of me, staring coldly.

“Did you send those guys after him?”

“I thought you really agreed to the divorce, but you’re just playing games!”

Anger flickered in Lucy’s eyes, and I realized she thought I’d sent the thugs after Mark.

I found it laughable.

“Why would I do that? You two are finally back together, I should be happy for you.”

I raised my glass to her green tea, “Thanks, my benefactor.”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have escaped that terrible marriage.”

My smile must have been too sharp.

Lucy’s face turned even colder.

Kevin pulled up the security footage and called the police, dealing with the thugs.

And clearing my name in the process.

Mark, teary-eyed, apologized.

“I’m sorry, Steven, Lucy was just worried about me.”

“I’m alone in this city, she’s my only friend, so I was a little harsh. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Don’t let me affect your relationship.”

Mark was the type a lot of girls liked, his gentle voice could melt your bones.

No wonder I couldn’t win Lucy over in five years, only making her hate me more.

She liked this type.

I smiled wryly. “Relationship? I don’t remember one.”

I glanced at Lucy; she remained expressionless, staring coldly.

Unreadable.

Lucy quickly looked away. “Mark, your clothes are dirty, let’s get you some new ones.”

Her tone was tender and affectionate, unlike anything I’d ever heard.

Mark shyly nodded, gave me an apologetic smile, and followed her.

Kevin was planning our next stop, but I lost all interest.

“Let’s call it a night. We’ll hang out another time.”

After Kevin and the others left,

I went up to the rooftop, sat under the stars and stared blankly.

The stars were tiny and distant, countless, suffocating.

Since deciding on the divorce, I’d done a lot of soul-searching.

Telling myself I shouldn’t love Lucy anymore.

Even when I thought I’d moved on.

Hearing her tender and affectionate tone with Mark,

I felt like a clown, utterly defeated.

For a single obsession,

I’d sacrificed five years.

Lost my edge.

Alone on the rooftop, talking to the stars, I drank several more bottles.

When I finished, I got up and left.

Drunk, I stumbled out of the cab and went straight to my apartment.

After taking off my coat and lying on the bed, I realized, why was I back?

I was about to get up when Lucy leaned against the doorway, watching me.

She said nothing.

I said, “Sorry, wrong room.”

As we passed each other,

Lucy grabbed me, pinning me against the wall.

“I’m warning you, Mark isn’t as scheming as you are, he’s innocent and fragile, don’t hurt him.”

I laughed angrily.

As if I was the schemer.

“I told you I didn’t, the police explained it to you, right? Those girls had nothing to do with me.”

“And we’re almost divorced, why would I do that?”

I shrugged off Lucy’s hand, grabbing my coat to leave.

“Where are you going so late?”

Lucy’s cold voice came from behind.

“You reek of alcohol, don’t go out.”

My coat was suddenly lighter; she’d taken it.

I think I hallucinated, catching a glimpse of affection and concern in Lucy’s eyes.

The next second, I slapped myself.

Even if I believed my eyes were playing tricks on me, I didn’t believe she would look at me like that.

But I couldn’t understand.

Why Lucy was waiting outside while I showered.

“You drank so much, I was afraid you’d slip and hit your head and change your mind about the divorce.”

I was furious.

“Don’t worry about me. If you have the divorce papers, I’ll sign immediately, no second thoughts.”

Lucy hesitated. “It’ll be a few days, the lawyer is finalizing the terms.”

I hummed, slamming the door shut.

Fueled by alcohol, I slept soundly.

In the morning, I saw Lucy in the living room, seemingly helping someone with lesson plans.

I knew it was for Mark, the elementary school teacher.

“Give me the car keys.”

I reached for Lucy. “Didn’t you say the car was mine? You don’t need it, I’m going for a drive.”

Lucy glanced at me, said nothing, and handed over the keys.

As I went out, I saw Mark enter.

Unlike his usual clean-cut image, he was wearing makeup, a white shirt, and a subtle perfume.

He nodded at me.

Sitting in the car, I watched Mark go over to Lucy. They were affectionate, laughing and talking. Lucy seemed to be teaching him something, their arms touching.

I chuckled wryly, stepping on the gas.

The strange dream came back to me.

Whenever I felt lingering feelings for Lucy, the image of her cruel face in the dream would appear, reminding me to escape.

To get her out of my head, I started dating more girls, getting involved quickly.

“Want to experience a night of fleeting passion?”

The girl looked at me amusingly, “I’d like to, but I’m worried your wife won’t be happy.”

Without thinking, I blurted out, “I don’t have a wife.”

“And my wife wasn’t satisfying, I’ve wanted to replace her for a long time.”

The girl awkwardly coughed, looking behind me.

The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.

“What’s wrong?”

The girl gestured behind me.

Understanding, I looked back, meeting Lucy’s icy glare. She’d heard me.

“Steven, come here.”

Lucy’s voice was tight with suppressed anger.

I ignored her, continuing to talk to the girl, going upstairs to her room.

As we turned the corner, I saw Lucy sit down dejectedly, downing her drink, then leaving.

The door slammed shut.

Seeing me freeze, the girl giggled, waving her hand in front of my face.

“Hello? You still with us?”

Lucy ruined my mood.

“Sorry, excuse me.”

I used to try to get Lucy’s attention and wouldn’t even see her for half a month.

Now that I wanted to end things for good, I bumped into her constantly, always when I was with other women.

I lost interest, grabbed my bag and wanted to go somewhere else.

But I was pulled into someone’s arms at the stairwell.

Lucy was furious, staring coldly.

“I’m warning you, Mark’s too good for this, he’s simple and vulnerable, don’t hurt him.”

She got fierce, kissing me.

“Have we been apart too long, do you need a reminder?”

Her dominance was strange.

We’d been separated for years.

After she found her first replacement, I found her disgusting, and started dating other women as revenge.

Poor college students, pretty hotel girls, random girls I met.

I was acting, trying to make her jealous, but she didn’t react.

Now I was tired, I didn’t care anymore.

But she started getting jealous.

“Lucy, you’re hurting me.”

I tried to push her away, but her grip was strong, holding me captive.

“Are you crazy?”

“These past few years, you had your male models, I had my flings, we kept to ourselves.”

“Why are you acting all affectionate now…”

Before I finished,

Lucy kissed me again.

She finally released me, then put her arm around my neck, leading me to a room upstairs.

I was stunned.

“Aren’t we getting a divorce? What does this mean?”

Lucy looked at me calmly, being unreasonable.

“We haven’t signed the divorce papers yet, we’re still married.”

She kicked the door open and slammed it shut.

The next second, I was thrown onto the bed.

Lucy leaned over me.

Her hands started to wander.

Slowly going lower, her voice raspy, she asked:

“Have those women touched you here?”

I groaned.

She asked again, “Here?”

“And here?”

Her reaction scared me.

Remembering the tragic ending in my dream two years later, I shivered.

I pushed her away hard.

“Lucy, if you’re horny, go find your first love, don’t bother me.”

Lucy looked at me deeply, said nothing, and left, grabbing her coat.

Afraid of Lucy doing something crazy again, I went to stay at Kevin’s place for three days.

I couldn’t understand this.

I thought she was upset because I badmouthed her to other women, saying she wasn’t good enough.

It was my fault for saying bad things about her behind her back.

So I called Lucy.

“About the other day, it wasn’t intentional.”

“No one knows who my wife is, right, and we’re getting a divorce, your next husband will know your ability.”

“So, I didn’t say anything bad about you…”

Lucy looked at me calmly.

She lit a cigarette and smoked it nonchalantly.

“What are you trying to say?”

I pulled out a document.

“To avoid any problems—”

“I printed the divorce agreement, let’s sign it now.”

“If you think 50% of the company’s shares is too much, then 40%.”

Lucy looked at me silently.

“30% is also fine, no less.”

Lucy gave a sarcastic smile.

She didn’t sign, but tore up the agreement.

“What are you doing?”

The divorce was something she’d longed for for five years.

Now that she was about to get it, why would she refuse?

I widened my eyes in terror, had she planned a scheme to ruin me, waiting for me to fall into it?

Lucy stared at me and said something baffling.

“I never had any new lovers.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she left without looking back.

That night, when I went to Kevin’s place, I ran into Lucy sending Mark home in the parking lot.

I recognized the car immediately; it was mine.

And Mark lived in Kevin’s building.

“We’re here. Get out.”

Lucy was colder than usual.