My Crime 1

“You’re mine now,” Reynaldo Humphrey declared as he cuffed me to bed.

I loved Reynaldo’s younger brother more.But at an alumni reunion, I got drunk, and Reynaldo took advantage of me.

The scandal exploded—everyone knew.

Out of options, my dad let me marry him.

Reynaldo had a miserable childhood. His dad began neglecting him after he divorced his mom and remarried.

He had a dark, brooding presence I never liked, but my dad did.

That was why he approved of this marriage.

But I was unhappy, for the man I wanted was Reynaldo’s brother.

Frustrated, I took every opportunity to pick on Reynaldo. I made him sleep on the floor, and we never shared a bed.

At the dining table, my elder brother Quentin and I mocked him all the time, refusing to let him have a single bite.

Once, when I was out with friends and it started to rain, Reynaldo brought me an umbrella, but I snapped at him anyway.

I wouldn’t feel at ease unless I lashed out at him.

But Reynaldo was a weirdo. No matter how my family and I bullied him or insulted him, he never got mad, always amicable.

To be fair, he was good-looking. But back in school days, he was so taciturn, doing poorly on tests and constantly repeating grades. Every time his name was mentioned, the students shook their heads with disappointment.

In contrast, his brother Winston Humphrey was optimistic and handsome. Coupled with his good grades, he was quite a star at school.

The thought of how Reynaldo had crushed the budding romance between Winston and me filled me with rage.

In the middle of the night, I got out of bed and kicked Reynaldo, who was soundly asleep on the floor, and told him I was thirsty.

He got up briskly to pour water for me.

It was early autumn, so he thoughtfully got me a glass of warm water.

However, I recalled the night of the alumni reunion, when he took advantage of me. Anger took the better of me, and I poured the glass of water on his face.

Even so, he didn’t get angry, just quietly going to the bathroom.

A tinge of guilt stirred in my heart as I watched his tall, silent figure. But it vanished instantly when I thought of how he ruined my happiness.

Just like that, he lived with me for three years, enduring my bullying and insults.

A lot of things happened in the past three years. For example, my family went bankrupt; I developed feelings for him; And … he told me he wanted a divorce.

When he handed me the divorce agreement, he said the girl he liked came back.

I had to admit it saddened me to hear that, like a big hand was squeezing my heart, making it hard for me to breathe.

But as spoiled as I was, my pride didn’t allow me to show any sign of sadness or dejection. I signed the divorce agreement without hesitation.

Then, he asked in a lukewarm voice, “Do you want the chauffeur to give you a ride?”

It was a while before I realized what he meant.

Right. This house, where I’d lived for over 20 years, was no longer mine.

My family was broke, and all our properties had been sold.

And Reynaldo—the man who married me by underhanded means, the man we once scorned as a worthless live-in son-in-law—started his own business behind our backs. His company had been thriving, and he bought our villa.

However, I couldn’t blame him or demand a share of his wealth. He earned it. For years, he swallowed his pride and suffered in silence. He was a self-made man. He didn’t spend a cent of our money.

Reynaldo just looked at me quietly, not pressing me for an answer.

His gentleness reminded me of how horrible I was to him, making me blush with shame.

The tables had been turned. I was weak now, and he was in power. It was understandable if he got back at me for the humiliation he suffered.

But he didn’t. He was as tender as ever.

I quickly replied, “No. I’ll go back on my own.”

I ran out in a panic.

His calm voice came from behind me, “Did you come here for something tonight?”

“No, nothing.” I darted out of the yard without looking back.

It was raining outside. I squeezed the gift in my hand.

Today was our third wedding anniversary.

I had been a horrible wife. But now that I knew I had feelings for him, I wanted to celebrate our anniversary with him for once.

To my dismay, he gave me the divorce agreement instead.

I smiled bitterly, letting the rain pour on me until I was soaking wet.

The next day, I lay in bed, sick and feverish.

A commotion came from outside.

I stumbled out, only to find my dad sitting on a wall with peeling paint, threatening to jump.

We lived in a run-down residential building now. It was a messy, sketchy neighborhood, but the rent was affordable.

My mom was crying her eyes out. She said if he jumped, she’d jump, too.

My head throbbing, I comforted my dad that being broke was no big deal. As long as we were alive, there was hope.

My dad suddenly fixed his gaze on me, the intense look in his eyes making my heart skip a beat.

Then he said, “Ask Reynaldo to help me, will you? He’s your husband. He’ll surely help us out.”

My mom echoed, “Yes. We were mean to him, but he’ll help us for your sake. Go beg him.”

I smiled bitterly. They didn’t know Reynaldo had dumped me already.

I said no, but my dad threatened to kill himself.

I had no choice but to compromise.

For that purpose, my mom bought me a deep V-neck dress and a pair of sexy stilettos with the meager money she still had.

She even hired a makeup artist for me so I could have nice makeup and a pretty hairdo.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I sneered.

I didn’t look like someone going to beg Reynaldo for help. It was more like I was gonna seduce him.

However, even if I stripped myself naked in front of him right now, he wouldn’t be interested.

One thing still haunted me: why had he slept with me that night? Was he drunk, too? Did he mistake me for the girl he liked?

I expelled the upsetting thought from my mind. To shut my parents up, I decided to go and ask Reynaldo for help anyway.

I asked around and learned he was in his office, so I went there in that outfit.

My parents waited outside the office building for my “good news.”

Their expectant looks broke my heart, and I didn’t know what to say to them.

The staff gave me strange looks when I reached the floor his office was on. Harsh comments and mockery came to my ears.

I pretended not to hear them. Straightening my shoulders, I entered Reynaldo’s office.

But the moment I saw him, I crumbled.

Seated in the chair, Reynaldo was smiling at me with a distinguished air…