The Building To-be-Demolished
He looked up at me, his eyes flickering with hesitation, but still handed me the agreement.
Wendy, Vivian's parents saved my parents back then. Giving her a suite is only fair.
I took the agreement, my fingertip brushing over the words 'Property Transferor: Wendy Scott,' and it all felt ridiculous.
This house was left to me by my late father. It's premarital property, and the Property Deed has only my name on it.
"I'm not giving it."I set the agreement down on the coffee table, my tone leaving no room for discussion.
Leo Luke's mom came out of the kitchen, holding a spatula, her apron dusted with flour.
"Wendy, you're the Luke Family's daughter-in-law. It's only right that you repay us. Vivian is just a poor little girl, an orphan with no parents—how pitiful she is."
I looked at her and remembered that last year she said the exact same thing, and in the end, I bought Vivian Lincoln a car worth two hundred thousand.
"Mom, I've already helped Vivian so many times—car, job, and now the house. I'm not obligated to keep plugging this hole."
Leo Luke suddenly stood up, the sofa cushion slipping crookedly beneath him.
"Wendy Scott, how can you be so cold? Vivian is my friend! If you don't sign today, we're getting a divorce!"
I froze for a moment, then laughed.
Divorce? He's been saying that for three years. Every time I don't give in to Vivian Lincoln, he threatens me with divorce.
I lifted my hand and slipped the ring off my ring finger.
That ring was bought last year for our wedding anniversary. It was silver, with edges worn shiny from wear. He said he'd replace it with a diamond ring someday, but so far, nothing.
I went to the trash can and tossed it in.
"Fine, divorce—I've wanted one for a long time."
I grabbed my suitcase and had just reached the door when I heard a thud behind me.
I turned around and saw Vivian Lincoln kneeling on the floor, clutching my pant leg, tears streaming down like beads breaking loose.
Don't be angry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked for the house. Please don't divorce him.
My parents passed away early. He's all I have left, so don't blame me.
Her voice was choked with tears, sounding unbearably pitiful.
I bent down and pulled my pant leg out of her hands.
Vivian Lincoln, your parents died early, but I didn't cause that. If you want to blame someone, blame Leo Luke, not me.
Three years ago, you wanted a car, so I bought it for you; two years ago, you wanted a job, so I got my uncle to help you land a position at a state-owned company; last year, you said you wanted to learn piano, so I signed you up for private lessons costing fifty thousand.
What more do you want from me? Sell me off to get money for you?
Leo slammed the table hard, splashing the soup in his bowl onto the tablecloth, leaving an oily stain.
Wendy, are you serious? Vivian's parents are off-limits. Bringing them up like that—are you just trying to hit where it hurts?
My heart sank, as if a stone had struck me right in the chest.
All these years, whenever I argued with Vivian, he was always the first to blame me.
Leo, get this straight—she's the one trying to snatch my house, not me bullying her.
If you really feel like you owe her, then use your own money to buy her a house. Don't keep eyeing my premarital property.
Leo Luke's dad came out of the study holding a newspaper, his face cold as stone.
Wendy Scott, your attitude is all wrong! Leo Luke is the head of this family. When he asks you to sign, you sign. Talking it over with you is just to save face.
Our Luke family hasn't treated you badly. How can you be so ungrateful?
Vivian was still kneeling on the floor, sneaking a glance at me with a hint of smugness on her lips.
I drew a deep breath, forcing down the fire burning inside me.
"You think I'm unreasonable? Your whole family treats me like an ATM, takes everything I do for granted—how is that being reasonable?"
"I'm definitely getting a divorce. I'll hire a lawyer to draw up the papers, just wait and see."
As soon as I finished speaking, Leo Luke's dad suddenly threw his newspaper at me. The corner scraped my face and it stung a bit.
"How dare you! The Luke Family married you in, not to worship you like some goddess!"
I clenched the suitcase handle so hard my knuckles turned white.
I remembered last year when they made a scene at my company, accusing me of taking project kickbacks, which got me suspended and under investigation for two weeks.
In the end, it was all just a misunderstanding, but my reputation at work was already destroyed, and the promotion I deserved was handed to someone else.
I cried and poured my heart out to Leo Luke, but he just shrugged it off, saying, "You gave the money to Vivian early on—would she have caused any trouble?"
And last month, I found out Vivian used my beauty card to pay for treatments totaling 100,000 dollars, and she even pawned the jade bracelet my mom gave me.
When I confronted Leo Luke, he said, "Vivian's young; it's normal for her to care about her looks. Don't be so petty."
All these things feel like thorns stabbing straight into my heart, slowly killing every trace of love I once had.
"There's nothing I'm afraid of."I looked at the whole family and said, "I'm not giving up this house, and I will get a divorce. Don't even think about pushing me any further."
Leo Luke stared at me, his eyes suddenly shifting with calculation.
"Wendy, I forgot this house was left to you by your dad. That was my mistake."
"How about this: you let your mom move in with you, then transfer your mom's house to Vivian. Would that finally work?"
A sharp ache welled up in my chest, and I almost broke down in tears.
Back in college, Leo Luke wasn't like this.
Back then, he would save up half a month's living expenses just to buy me the strawberries I loved; he'd tuck my hands into the pockets of his down jacket in winter; and when I had my period, he'd run all over school to get me some brown sugar ginger tea.
But later, I found out the strawberries he gave me were the ones Vivian Lincoln rejected for being too sour; the scarf he gave me was thrown away by Vivian Lincoln for being ugly; all the kindness he showed me was just what Vivian Lincoln left over.
"Leo Luke, you really disgust me."
I grabbed my suitcase, opened the door, and walked out without looking back at them.
The wind outside the door was chilly. I stood in the hallway, and finally, the tears I'd been holding back fell.
I pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my face, with only one thought racing through my mind: Divorce. I need to get a divorce—fast.
The next morning, I was woken by my cell phone ringing. When I checked, there were over forty messages from Vivian Lincoln.
The first was a photo—Vivian leaning against Leo Luke as they lay on a big hotel bed, the blanket pulled up to their waists.
The second was a chat screenshot. Vivian asked Leo, "When are you going to divorce Wendy Scott? I want to marry you."
Leo Luke replied, "Soon. Once I get the house, I'm leaving."
The third was a voice message. Vivian Lincoln's voice was sweet and mocking: "I've been with him for a long time. You're just a nobody. You'd better hand over the house quietly, or I'll make him treat you even worse."
I was shaking with anger. I threw my cell phone onto the sofa, got up, changed clothes, and rushed straight to Vivian Lincoln's company.
Vivian Lincoln worked at a state-owned company, which I got her into through my uncle's connections. Back then, she even cried and told me, "Thank you. I'll work hard and won't let you down."
Looking back now, it's just laughable.
When I got to her company, it was lunchtime. Vivian Lincoln was sitting at her desk, joking and laughing with her coworkers, holding a cup of milk tea.
I walked over, and before she could even react, I slapped her.
With a smack, the entire office went silent.
Vivian covered her face, eyes wide with shock: "Wendy, are you crazy? How dare you hit me!"
"So what if I hit you?"I stared at her. "You seduce my husband, steal my house, and even send me photos to provoke me. You really think I wouldn't come after you?"
Our colleagues crowded around us, pointing fingers and whispering.
"Isn't that Vivian Lincoln? I heard she got into the company through connections."
"I've always felt those two were shady, sticking to each other all the time."
Vivian's face flushed red and pale, then she suddenly broke down crying, crouching on the ground: "You misunderstood. Yesterday was my birthday, he drank with me, got drunk, and that's why we stayed together. We didn't do anything."
"You're still pretending!" I lifted my foot to kick her but someone grabbed my arm.
Looking back, it was Leo Luke. He was holding a thermos lunchbox—probably bringing lunch to Vivian Lincoln.
"Wendy Scott, stop it! Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Leo Luke helped Vivian up and stood protectively in front of her. "Vivian is so kind—how can you treat her like this?"
I glanced at the thermos in his hand and suddenly remembered: last month, when I worked late until ten, I asked him to bring me some food. He said, 'I'm too tired; just order delivery yourself.'
"Leo Luke, I asked you to bring me food, and you said you were tired—yet bringing her food isn't tiring?"
Leo Luke frowned, his eyes full of contempt: "Can you be anything like Vivian? Vivian's fragile—she needs someone to look after her. You're so strong-willed, you don't need anyone."
"Strong-willed?"I laughed, "If I'm strong-willed, it's only because you all pushed me into it. If you hadn't forced me, would I be this hysterical?"
I took out my cell phone and showed the photos and chat logs Vivian Lincoln sent to the colleagues around me: "Everyone, look at this. This is the kind and gentle Vivian you think you know. And this is my husband. They've been together all along!"
After the colleagues read it, the chatter got even louder.
"Oh my god, it's true. This is so disgusting."
"Vivian Lincoln is a mistress climbing her way up, and she's acting all pitiful."
Leo Luke's face turned bright red. He snatched my cell phone, trying to delete the evidence.
"Wendy Scott, don't go too far!"
"Me? Going too far?"I looked at him. "If I were really going too far, I'd have already told your parents about all this. Would I still be waiting around now?"
Suddenly, Vivian Lincoln grabbed the fruit knife from the desk and pressed it against her arm, tears welling up as she stared at Leo Luke: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have made things hard for you. It'd be better if I just died."
Leo Luke was terrified and rushed forward to grab the knife: "Vivian, don't be stupid! I won't let you die. The house will definitely be yours. Don't do anything reckless!"
"I don't want the house anymore. I just want you to be okay."Vivian Lincoln cried, her hand loosened, the fruit knife fell to the floor, and she fainted.
Leo Luke held her tightly, shouting anxiously, "Vivian! Vivian, wake up!"
I stood aside, watching coldly, with not a shred of sympathy in my heart.
She was acting so fake. When the knife fell, she was clearly facing away from herself—how could she have hurt herself?
The colleagues nearby had noticed too; someone whispered, "This is way too fake, like a TV drama."
Leo Luke shot a glare at that person, then grabbed Vivian Lincoln and rushed outside, "I'm taking you to the hospital!"
I followed behind, called 911, thinking: Since you want to put on a show, I'll play along till the end.
At the hospital, the doctor examined Vivian Lincoln, frowned, and said, "It's nothing serious—just emotional stress and a bit of low blood sugar. Rest for a while and you'll be fine."
Leo Luke sighed in relief, then spun around and glared at me, "It's all your fault! If anything happens to Vivian, I won't forgive you!"
I ignored him, sat down on the chair in the hallway, took out my cell phone, and sent a message to my lawyer: "Prepare the divorce papers. As soon as possible."
Less than ten minutes later, Vivian woke up. She weakly grabbed Leo Luke's hand and said, "Don't blame her. It's my fault—I shouldn't have gotten so close to you."
"This has nothing to do with you. It's Wendy Scott who's gone too far."Leo gently ruffled her hair, his eyes soft enough to drip with tenderness.
Watching that scene, my stomach twisted.
I stood up, took the divorce papers I'd prepared long ago out of my bag, and laid them in front of Leo.
"Sign here. Once you do, I'll transfer the house to Vivian Lincoln."
Leo Luke froze for a moment, looking at me. "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely."I looked him in the eye. "I stopped wanting to live with you a long time ago. The house is yours—consider this me cutting all ties with our marriage."
Leo hesitated, picked up the pen, and glanced at Vivian Lincoln, who nodded at him.
He lowered his head and signed his name on the divorce agreement.
I put the divorce papers away, then pulled out a property transfer contract, signed my name, and handed it to Leo.
"I've signed the agreement. Keep it safe. Once the Divorce Cooling-off Period ends, we'll go handle the property transfer."
Leo Luke took the agreement, a smile spreading across his face like he'd just struck gold.
I turned to leave, but just as I reached the hospital room door, someone blocked me.
It was Leo Luke's mom, holding a thermos. Seeing me, she yelled, "Wendy Scott, you fool! How dare you cause trouble at Vivian's company? Do you want to ruin her job?"
She raised her hand and slapped me hard. My cheek burned fiercely from the pain.
I couldn't hold back and slapped her backhanded.
"I don't need you telling me how to handle things! This slap is to make you remember—I'm not some soft target you can just squeeze whenever you please."
Leo Luke's mom was stunned, froze for a few seconds, then suddenly dropped to the floor crying: "This isn't right! A daughter-in-law slapping her mother-in-law! Leo Luke, look at the wife you married!"
Download the SnackShort app, Search 【 472191 】reads the whole book.
My Fiction
SnackShort
Booklite« Previous Post
The Maternity Store Call
Next Post »
An Awakening at the Bedside