Chapter 3

The living room fell silent instantly. Frank and Martha exchanged a look of shock. "What did you just say?" "I said, I want to divorce Caleb," Winona repeated slowly. At once, Frank slammed the table in anger. "Nonsense! You're becoming more outrageous by the day! With a family like the Solts and a man like Caleb, what could you possibly be unhappy about?" Martha chimed in, listing all of Caleb's virtues. Winona merely listened, her face devoid of emotion. Seeing her stubbornness, Frank nearly choked on his rage. He grabbed the teacup on the table and hurled it to the ground. "If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll never know your place! Someone, drag Winona to the punishment room and discipline her until she agrees to stay married!" Two household staff stepped forward and seized Winona. In the punishment room, the icy rod struck her back and legs repeatedly, each blow searing with pain. She clenched her teeth, cold sweat streaming down her carefully made-up face. Her red dress darkened, stained with blood. "Tell me, do you still want a divorce?" Frank demanded. "Yes." Winona's voice trembled from the pain, yet it rang startlingly clear. The rod fell again. "Do you still want a divorce?" "Yes!" … After countless blows, Winona was on the verge of blacking out. Barely conscious, she still forced the words through clenched teeth. "I want a divorce…" Frank trembled with rage. "You insist on a divorce, huh? Fine, then give me a reason! How has Caleb wronged you?" Winona lifted her head abruptly, her face streaked with sweat and blood, yet her eyes remained sharp and unwavering. "Because he doesn't love me! He loves someone else, alright? I'm not some beggar who'll settle for just anyone!" She expected her parents to look shocked or furious. Instead, after a brief silence, Frank and Martha exchanged guilty glances. Martha sighed. "Y-You found out about it?" Winona felt her heart shatter, the pain nearly stealing her breath. They knew? They knew Caleb was in love with someone else. That was why they married her off—the eldest daughter they no longer cherished was sacrificed to Caleb. They never failed to remind Winona that she was living a life that rightly belonged to her sister, Cecilia, and that she must be forever grateful for the opportunity Cecilia missed. A soft, broken laugh escaped her lips, slowly rising and building into a loud, bitterly sorrowful, self-mocking sound. When she was little, her parents doted on her. Later, when they asked if she wanted a younger sibling, she innocently replied, "If I have a brother or sister, would you still love me the way you do now?" Their answer had been, "Of course. You'll always be our darling." But everything changed after Cecilia was born. They always told her, "Winnie, you're older, so you need to put Cecilia first." Her toys, her room, her parents' attention and love—all were taken away bit by bit until nothing remained. That was why she became arrogant, defiant, and reckless, causing trouble wherever she went—not out of malice, but simply to be noticed, even if only to be scolded, the way they fussed over Cecilia. Looking back, it all seemed like a cruel joke. "Why are you laughing?" Frank snapped, irritated by her laughter. Winona was about to reply when a timid voice came from the staircase. "Dad, Mom, stop forcing Winona." It was Cecilia, descending slowly in an ivory-white dress. "Ceci, why are you downstairs? You're not needed here. Go rest," Martha said quickly, her voice full of worry. Cecilia shook her head and walked over to Frank. She spoke softly, "Dad, Mom, since Winona wants a divorce, just let her be. I actually quite like Mr. Solt, so I'm all for it for their divorce." Frank and Martha exchanged a look, doubt and contemplation flickering across their faces. Winona felt as though her heart had been stabbed again, blood gushing from the wound. She had endured hundreds of blows without swaying her parents, yet Cecilia's casual remark carried unbelievable weight. Cecilia turned to Winona, her eyes clear, though a faint trace of ambition lingered in her voice. "Maybe Winona just isn't enough to win Mr. Solt's heart. If I step in, things could be different. After their divorce, I'll do everything I can to capture his attention." Silence ensued. Moments later, Frank sighed heavily. "Fine. Since you've made up your mind, we won't stop you. We'll head to the Solt family to discuss the divorce." He waved, signaling the household staff to release Winona. "Go back and wait for our news. Don't linger here and upset us further." The entire scene felt absurd to Winona. She forced her aching body to stand, unsteady but resolute. Gazing at her family, she flashed a mocking yet dejected smile. "Don't worry. I'll never come back to this house again." Frank and Martha looked visibly startled. "What do you mean?" Frank demanded angrily. "I mean it literally." Winona stood tall, her words cutting. "I can survive without a husband, without my parents, and without my sister. This divorce is the last thing I'll ever ask of you. From now on, consider me dead."