I touched the ring on my hand. When Henry presented this ring to me, his eyes sparkled, and the ring shone brighter than the stars to me.
But now, the diamond ring had lost its luster, just like my marriage, dull and tasteless.
I said thoughtfully, "I'll think about it."
I took off the ring and handed it to Nova. My hand felt empty, and so did my heart.
"I have some other jewelry here; help me sell them too." I pulled out a box from under the bed and handed it to Nova.Nova said a little anxiously, "These were left to you by your parents; you've always kept them as mementos."
I smiled bitterly, "What's the use of mementos when I'm about to lose my life?"
Compared to these flashy things, money was the most important thing to me now.
Nova then took them with trembling hands. "Don't say that; you will survive, and you will be happy."
I smiled and said nothing.
The money from selling these pieces of jewelry was far from enough for my subsequent treatment.
It was unrealistic to ask Henry for money every time. I needed to think of a way to make money.
Before marrying Henry, I studied jewelry design.
After marrying him, he restricted my social interactions and didn't allow me to work.
He kept me at home in this way, gradually making me a woman who could only rely on him.
Now, if I wanted to make money, I could only pick up my previous work.
But I had no work experience, and I was suffering from illness, so I couldn't work normally.
After much thought, I could only ask Nova to open an online store for me, post some pictures of my previous design drafts and my certificate photos, and take on some design work.
She cursed Henry again while taking photos and helped me register the online store.
Tonight, Nova had a night shift, so she left in a hurry after staying with me for a while.
I didn't expect Nova to act so quickly; she transferred the money to me that night.
A total of one hundred thousand dollars.
Apart from the jewelry necklace my mom left, the other pieces weren't worth much.
I knew she must have added a lot to it.
I estimated the value and transferred eighty thousand dollars to her, including what she had previously advanced for me.
I was browsing my phone when Twitter suddenly pushed a message to me.
I clicked on it and saw a video of Henry surfing with Aria.
Under the blue sky and sea, Henry held Aria's slender waist, his eyes gentle, and a faint smile on his lips.
I opened the comments and casually scrolled through them.
Everyone thought they should be the couple.
[Mr. Phillips spoils his girlfriend so much, first with a drone proposal, and now taking her surfing, so romantic.]
[This is what the best of love looks like.]
[Being Mr. Phillips' girlfriend must be so happy.]
Clearly, I was Henry's wife, but now I felt like a hidden mistress, silently watching him enjoy life with his lover.
I was unhappy, and I didn't want them to be happy either.
I commented: [Mr. Phillips is already married; his wife is his college classmate; I have their wedding photos.]
But this inconspicuous comment was quickly buried. I silently closed the comments.
I once thought Henry's tenderness towards me was unique, but now it seemed it was all fake.
I opened the online store and looked at my account, with only Nova following me. I spent a hundred dollars on promotion, and the effect was better than I expected.
Soon, my first order came. The client's requirements were not high, but the deadline was tight, needing it done within a day and revised until satisfied.
We agreed on the price, a two-thousand-dollar deposit, and a three-thousand-dollar balance.
I took the money and promised to deliver the draft by 10 PM the next day.
I spent the whole night drawing and sent the finished draft to the client immediately. The result was surprisingly good, and they didn't ask for any revisions, transferring the balance to me.
The next day, when Brian came to check on me, he frowned. "Did you stay up all night?"
I considered Brian a friend and didn't hide it from him.
He looked at me with a hint of pity in his eyes.