Chapter 2 Shattered Fantasy

• As I walked down the prison corridor, the female inmates banged on the walls, mocking me.
• These chaotic noises had followed me since the day I entered, every single day.
• My meals were always snatched away or spilled on purpose. The female boss of the cell would make me wash her feet. I resisted, but resisting meant getting beaten, so I had no choice but to comply.
• I could still remember the sting when she kicked the basin, splashing scalding water into my face.
• Not long after, someone accused me of stealing. No matter how I explained, the guards didn’t believe me. They beat me with their batons until they were tired.
• Afterwards, the female inmates would mockingly laugh at me, covered in bruises.
• The piercing laughter now echoed again, another cut to my dignity.
• I kept my head low, wishing the path under my feet would shorten so I could leave sooner.
• Finally, I saw the exit of the prison.
• Standing outside the prison, the sunlight was so bright that I couldn't open my eyes. I raised my hand to shield the sunlight. Slowly adjusting, I took step after step forward.
• Standing on the roadside, clutching the only bills in my pocket, I reached out and stopped a bus.
• My clothes were dirty and torn, the smell of unwashed days clinging to me.
• The passengers on the bus cast disdainful glances at me, some covered their noses, some whispered, "This person is so dirty and still getting on. Disgusting!”
• "Who said it wasn't? You hurry up and get off, you're delaying our business!"
• "Get off! Dirty and smelly! Disgusting!”
• I turned to step down, but a middle-aged woman caught my hand, her face twisted in disgust. "Do you have money to buy a ticket?"
• "Yes, I do."
• "If you do, then hurry up and pay! We’re all waiting for the bus to leave, don’t waste time!”
• I looked at the woman who had sat back down. My eyes burned, my hands trembled.
• I bowed to her in gratitude, choking out, "Thank you, thank you..."
• After paying the fare, I found a corner to sit down. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked out at the ever-changing scenery outside the window.
• I wandered for a long time, spending all the money I had, until I finally reached the familiar villa area.
• By then, I stank to high heaven, and my hair was extremely messy. I looked like a beggar. I couldn’t face them like this.
• I walked to the faucet, took a few sips of water, and washed the dirt from my hands and face.
• After a quick tidy up, I took a step forward, but something not far away made me freeze in place.
• There, I saw a familiar face, my husband, with our daughter Zaza by his side. But who was the woman walking intimately with them?
• The three of them strolled together, talking and laughing, like a happy family.
• The words of my cellmate echoed in my ears. "Your husband and daughter are living a great life now, with a beautiful woman by their side. They are a happy family."
• What I had once dismissed as a lie now shattered every illusion I’d held.
• I stood there in shock, tears welling up in my eyes, murmuring, "Mari, how could you betray me? I gave everything for you. How could you… How could you…”
• I had believed my sacrifices would earn me their loyalty and patience. I thought if I endured, we’d be reunited and live as we once had.
• But the truth in front of me was clear: Marius had betrayed me.
• A gust of cold wind brought me back from my painful thoughts and gave me a clear idea of what I needed to do.
• I watched as the three of them walked further away, and I rushed forward in a panic.
• I grabbed Marius by the sleeve, demanding loudly, "Why would you do this to me?!"
• Marius flinched. When he saw my face, surprise flickered in his eyes before he shoved my hand away. "Do I know you, you crazy woman? Let go of me!"
• I stared at him, confused. “You… don’t know me?”
• Marius protectively shielded Zara and the woman behind him, looking at me with disgust, "Why would I know you, you crazy woman!"
• I looked at him in disbelief, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth.
• He stared at me coldly, as if I were a total stranger.
• Security guards from the villa area were already hurrying toward us.
• They looked at me, covering their noses, their faces full of disgust. "Where did this crazy woman come from, making trouble here!" one of the security guards said, reaching out to shove me.
• At that moment, I almost felt grateful for all the pain I had endured in prison. Because of the experiences I had accumulated from being beaten in prison, I was able to skillfully dodge the security guards' shoves.
• I stepped aside and shouted, "You don't recognize me? Now you're saying you don't know me. When you were in trouble, why didn't you say you didn’t know me then? Bastard!”
• The security guards saw the situation, and their actions quickened; their strength increased. Obviously, they were trying to forcibly take me away.
• I kept dodging until one of them tripped and fell, giving me the chance to rush back toward them.
• I fixed my eyes on the unfamiliar woman, then stood up straight, shouting loudly, "Marius! Open your damn eyes and look at me, see who I am!"
• Marius looked at me deeply, silent for a moment, then turned to the woman behind him and said, "Rosalind, take Zaza aside. I don't want Zaza to be affected by this crazy woman."
• Rosalind glanced at me, hesitated, then said, “Okay.”
• She took Zaza’s hand. “Zaza, shall we go over there?”
• Zara gave me a quick glance, then nodded.
• Seeing this, I was about to rush to stop her. "Wait! Zaza! Leave Zaza here, you stand..."
• "Estelle!" Marius grabbed me, whispering.
• I shook, slowly turned to look at him, and chuckled softly, "Do you recognize me now?"
• "Stop it, Estelle!"
• I shoved his hands away, my voice shaking. "What do you mean I'm causing trouble? I'm your lover, I risked my reputation to help you, I even sent myself to that place, and now I'm the one causing trouble, right?!"
• Marius’s cold gaze swept over me, a mocking smile curling on his lips. "The way you are now, it's better not to say you're my lover."
• His contempt dropped my heart straight into ice.
• Was my existence now just a joke to him?
• My eyes turned red, tears of grievance swirling in my eyes, angrily demanding, "Then what about all the things I did for you before?"
• What did those seven years of devotion to him amount to?
• My fists tightened, my body trembling slightly with emotion.