When the Lights Went Out

The first week after I married into Claire Smith's family, her grandfather looked at me across a table full of relatives and said calmly, "From now on, keep your mouth shut and do as you're told." Claire did not say a word in my defense. She did not even look up at me. Yet when we returned to our room that night, she bought me a brand-new watch that had just been released. For the next three years, her younger brother ordered me around like I was his servant, while her mother repeatedly pointed a finger in my face and accused me of living off her daughter. At the family Christmas dinner every year, I was never given a seat at the head table. At the company's annual dinner, I could not even get a proper seat. Every time it happened, Claire would make it up to me afterward with a gift and a few words of comfort. "Just hang in there a little longer. Once I become general manager, I'll finally have a real say in this family." I believed her, so I endured it for three whole years. That all changed when Hank Lawson, a young man Claire had been supporting through a scholarship, joined the company. Hank completely botched a multimillion-dollar project, yet Claire did not criticize him once during the meeting. Instead, she took responsibility for his mistake in front of the entire executive team. "He's still young. He needs time to learn." At the Christmas dinner that year, Hank clumsily knocked over an antique teapot that Claire's grandfather had treasured for years. It hit the floor and shattered, sending pieces of ceramic skittering across the room. Claire immediately grabbed Hank's hand and carefully checked his fingers for cuts, then she looked up at her grandfather. "Grandpa, don't scare him." On Hank's birthday, Claire rented out an entire ballroom at a hotel for the celebration. Almost everyone from the company showed up. They gathered around the two of them, laughing and raising their glasses, as if they were celebrating an engagement rather than a birthday. It was only then that I finally understood. Claire was not incapable of standing up for someone. She simply had never been willing to stand up for me. This time, I did not fight it. I pulled out my phone and called my brother. When he answered, I was silent for a few seconds. I finally said, "I lost. I'm ready to come back and help you." Chapter 1 "Have you made up your mind?" My brother's voice was deep over the phone. There was no hint of blame in it. I looked at the luxury watches piled around my room. For the past three years, whenever Claire Smith hurt my feelings, she would have her assistant buy me something expensive and leave it on my desk. "I have. I overestimated myself. And I overestimated how much she cared about me." "Okay. Your place at home has always been waiting for you. Come back whenever you are ready." After I hung up, I started clearing out everything I had. Claire's mother, Fiona Bruny, walked into the living room with Claire's younger brother, Wade Smith. When Fiona saw me sorting through my files, she crossed her arms and gave a cold, mocking laugh. "What? Living off our family for free isn't enough? Now you're coming to the company just to give me attitude?" Wade immediately piled on, saying, "Mom, look at him! Yesterday, I only asked him to run an errand and buy me something. He actually had the nerve to haggle with me. He's been living off the Smith family. He really thinks he's one of us now?" I finished straightening the last page of the file and looked up at Fiona. "Fiona, do you remember who signed the contracts for the 300 million in government subsidies the Smith family has been receiving over the past three years? You know the answer. "You think I've been living off you for free? Want me to go through the books, line by line, and explain everything to the entire Smith family?" Fiona's expression darkened. She pointed at me and snapped, "You've been relying on the Smith family all this time, and now you dare talk to me like that? Have you forgotten who you are?" Before the argument could go any further, Claire walked into the living room with her purse. She glanced at her watch and spoke in a cool voice. "Enough. I have a meeting. Apologize to everyone, and I will wait for you in the car." With that, she did not even bother looking at me again. She turned and walked straight out the door. Fiona spat after her. "See that? Even Claire can't be bothered with you!" I watched Claire walk away. Her back looked so familiar, yet somehow so strange. That night, I came down with a high fever. My temperature climbed all the way to 103 degrees. Claire was getting ready for bed when she saw me lying on the bed, my face burning red. She casually picked up a spare wet towel from the side. "Why is your fever so high?" Before she could even place the towel properly, her phone suddenly started ringing. It was Hank Lawson. His voice came through the phone, trembling with tears. "Claire, I took the company car out tonight to run an errand. I accidentally scraped the back of it. The other driver keeps yelling at me. I really don't know what to do. Can you come help me?" Claire's hand immediately pulled back. She turned and grabbed her coat. "Don't panic, and don't argue with them! I will drive over and handle it for you!" I forced myself upright, my head spinning. "Claire, my fever is almost 104 degrees. Do you really have to go because of this?" Claire impatiently brushed my hand away. "It's a company car. If this isn't handled properly, it'll become a huge problem! Besides, he only got his license recently. He isn't good under pressure. Something like this could scare him half to death! "How old are you? The fever medicine is right there on the table. Can't you take it yourself? Why are you picking a fight with a kid who just graduated?" The door slammed shut. I pulled a cooling fever patch from the drawer and stuck it to my forehead. Then, I called a car and went to the hospital by myself. The lights in the IV room were painfully bright. Families sat around their loved ones everywhere. I was the only one sitting there alone, watching the IV drip until dawn. Chapter 2 The next afternoon, Claire came home. She pulled an elegantly wrapped watch box from her bag and placed it in front of me. "Hank's situation was unusual last night. Be understanding. I specifically had my assistant pick this out for you." I took the box and opened it. The moment I saw the watch inside, I let out a quiet laugh. "What are you laughing at?" Claire asked, frowning. I pushed the box back toward her. "Claire, for my birthday last month, you had your assistant buy me this exact same watch. The month before that, I was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer. You had your assistant buy me this exact same watch too." Claire froze. "What... How could it be the same?" "Because you don't actually care what you give me." I looked up at her. Claire's face went pale as she hurried to explain, "I was too busy. I must have mixed them up." "You were so busy that you still had time to help Hank deal with the damage to his car and calm him down. Don't you think that's funny? I looked at her calmly. "Claire, keep the watch. I don't deserve to wear it." Claire stood there frozen. I said nothing else. I lay back down and closed my eyes. … The next morning, Claire did something she rarely did. She made a hot latte and brought it over to me. "You just got over your fever yesterday, so I made this for you." Her voice was gentle. "I used whole milk. Drink more of it. It will warm your stomach." I stared at the rich, steaming latte without touching it. "Why are you not drinking it?" Claire frowned. "I made it myself." "Claire, we've been together for four years. I have severe lactose intolerance. I've never been able to drink milk. You know that." Claire froze. Her face slowly turned pale. "I... I forgot. I thought you liked lattes..." "Did you forget, or did you get me mixed up with someone else?" I smiled faintly. "The one who likes whole-milk lattes is Hank, right?" Claire hurriedly looked away. "I've had too much going on at work lately. My head is a mess." I stared at the steaming cup of milk on the table, feeling strangely lost. There had been a time when Claire and I really had loved each other. When we first got together, she would wait for me outside my dorm no matter how bad the weather was. Whenever I worked late and my stomach started hurting, she would run all over the city to find me something warm to eat. Whenever I was upset, she would put her arms around me and tell me that she was there for me. Now, I could not even tell whether Claire had ever truly loved me. "Forget it. Let us not talk about this." She tried to break the awkward silence. "You're going somewhere today, right? What time is your flight?" "Two this afternoon. My grandmother is in the hospital. She wants to see you." A flicker of guilt crossed Claire's eyes, and she nodded. "Okay, I'll go with you this time. Consider it my way of making it up to you." At 1:30 pm, I arrived at the airport with my luggage. Claire was nowhere to be seen. Twenty minutes before boarding, Claire finally called. "I might not be able to go." Her voice sounded rushed. I tightened my grip on the phone, my heart sinking little by little. "Why?" Claire hurriedly explained, "Hank was presenting a proposal at the weekly meeting. He got a few lines of the formatting wrong, and the vice president yelled at him in front of everyone until he cried. He's hiding in the bathroom right now. He says he doesn't want to stay in this department anymore. "I have to go back to the company and help sort out his work. I also need to have a word with that vice president." "Claire, my grandmother is lying in a hospital bed with oxygen, waiting for us." I forced myself to keep my voice from shaking. "You aren't going because Hank got yelled at over a presentation?" Claire's voice grew impatient. "She'll be fine. I can go see her in a couple of days. What difference does it make? Hank just started working. He can't handle this kind of pressure! What if something this small pushes him into depression and makes him quit? "And what if the traffic signals in your hometown are terrible? I'd just be miserable if I went there! Can you stop making a scene right now?" "Making a scene?" I gave a quiet laugh. "Claire, your family has always thought my family was poor and that we were trying to take advantage of you. You've never once been willing to come home with me. Now my grandmother is in the hospital and wants to see you, and you still think going there would be a burden." "Well, it would be. There are so many people trying to use connections these days. I'm doing this for your own good. I don't want you to leave an even worse impression on my family." I hung up before she could finish. Over the airport speakers, the ground crew began calling for the last few passengers to board. My phone vibrated with a message from Claire: [Don't stay mad. Once I take care of things with Hank, I'll fly over myself in a couple of days and apologize to your grandmother.] I stared at the message. For the first time, I felt like the biggest fool in the world. Chapter 3 After spending time with my grandmother back home, I returned feeling completely lost. At the hospital, she had held my hand the entire time, asking why I had come back alone. All I could do was grit my teeth and tell her Claire was too busy with work. Three years of swallowing my anger and putting up with everything had gotten me nothing but disrespect. Two days later, I went back home to make the final preparations. When I arrived at the house, Claire happened to be coming home at the same time. "Why are you back so soon? I was actually planning to fly over tonight." "No need. There's no point." My voice was completely emotionless. "Then I'll go next time." She paused, then smiled. "I have a surprise for you." She handed me a pregnancy test report. "I'm pregnant." Her voice was soft as she looked at me. I took the paper, my fingertips going slightly numb. Right there in the diagnosis section were the words: [Pregnancy, four weeks.] For a moment, my mind went completely blank. "The baby... is mine?" I looked up at her, my emotions tangled. Claire frowned, clearly offended. "Steven, what are you talking about? Who else could the father be? I may have neglected you in some ways, but I'm not that kind of woman!" "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just surprised." I sat on the couch, twisting my hands together as I sank into a kind of pain and confusion I had never felt before. I had already decided to leave, but this tiny life that had suddenly appeared had left me completely at a loss. If I stayed for the baby, should I give this marriage one more chance? I looked up at her, my voice hoarse. "Claire, if we keep the baby, what are you going to do? Can you stay home and prepare for the baby without running off every time someone else calls you?" Claire hesitated. Then, she walked over, sat down beside me, and took my hand. "Of course, I can. Once we have a child, we will build a good life together. And with a baby, my family will definitely treat you better." At that moment, the wall I had built around my heart nearly collapsed. I even thought that maybe, for the sake of our child, I could swallow all the hurt and stay. However, my hesitation did not even survive the night. At 5:00 pm that day, Claire went out. She did not return until midnight. When she finally walked through the door, her face was pale, and the strong smell of disinfectant clung to her clothes. "Where did you go?" I stood up from the couch. Seeing how weak she looked, an uneasy feeling rose in my chest. Claire avoided my eyes and casually leaned against the wall before sitting down. "I went to the hospital this afternoon and had the baby aborted. I stayed in the hospital to get an IV before coming home." My mind went blank with a loud roar. I stood there, completely frozen. "What did you say?" I walked toward her step by step, my voice shaking violently. "Say that again. What did you abort?" "The baby." Claire took a deep breath. "Hank's million-dollar deal was being targeted by a competitor. If I don't personally follow up on it, the entire project would be ruined. I asked the doctor. With all the running around and drinking at business dinners, there was no way I could keep the pregnancy. "The baby could even be born with health problems, so I had it terminated while I was there." "While you were there?" I stared at her, my eyes burning red. "Claire, that was our baby! A human life! You had the baby aborted just for Hank's project? Did you even ask me?" Claire was clearly angered by my reaction, and her voice rose. "It was only an embryo. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it? If Hank loses this project, his entire career could be ruined! I was the one who supported him all this time. He's still young. As his supervisor, I have to help him! "We can always have another child later, so stop acting crazy." "Another child later." I stared at the woman standing in front of me, a woman who suddenly felt like a complete stranger. All the pain and hesitation I had wrestled with that afternoon had meant nothing to her. To Claire, it had been nothing more than a quick choice. Seeing me laugh, Claire looked uneasy. "Steven, don't be like this. I'm exhausted, and I don't have the energy to argue with you. Tomorrow, go with my assistant and pick out a gift—" "No need," I cut her off. Then, I turned and walked into the bedroom. A moment later, I pushed out the suitcase I had packed long ago. Chapter 4 Claire stared at the suitcase. For a moment, she looked stunned. Then, her expression turned icy. "Steven, what kind of stunt are you pulling now? I'm already exhausted. Can you think about the bigger picture for once?" "This isn't a stunt." I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle. "I'm getting a divorce." My voice was completely steady. "I'm done with this rotten Smith family." Claire was about to explode when noise suddenly came from outside. Hank appeared at the door late at night, supporting Fiona, with Wade right behind them. The moment Fiona saw the suitcase in my hand, she shrieked. "Oh, putting on a show in the middle of the night? Who are you performing for? Without the Smith family, you wouldn't even have enough money to eat!" Wade dropped onto the couch with an icy laugh. "Claire, he's just pretending to leave so he can manipulate you into giving him money! Look how stuffed that suitcase is. He must have stolen something valuable from our house!" Wade charged at me, reaching for my suitcase. I kicked the edge of the couch, sending him tumbling to the floor. "Keep your hands to yourself. Do you need me to remind you how many projects the Smith family got because of me over these past three years? Or should I carve every number into your face?" Wade exploded with anger. "Guards! Break open his suitcase!" The bodyguards immediately rushed forward and smashed my suitcase apart. My few old clothes spilled across the floor. Seeing this, Hank hurried over with a bowl of hot stew in his hands. He smiled at me. "Steven, don't get angry. Claire just had an abortion today. She's weak and can't handle any more stress. I made this stew myself. If you're upset, take it out on me. Just don't upset Claire." Looking at Hank made my stomach turn. I slapped his hand away. "Stop putting on this act in front of me. You used my child to pave your own way forward. You must be pretty pleased with yourself, huh?" Hank took advantage of the moment. He tipped the stew all over himself and deliberately threw himself to the floor. The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the entire hall. Claire instantly exploded with rage. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. "Steven, that's enough!" Claire immediately shielded Hank, her eyes cold enough to freeze me. "Hank was only trying to help the two of us. I was the one who decided to terminate the pregnancy. What right do you have to take your anger out on him? Apologize to Hank. Now!" I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. I touched my burning cheek and looked at her with icy eyes. "Claire, I will remember this slap." I stared straight at her. "You had our baby killed for him. And now, you're hitting me for him too." Claire did not even blink. "Hank is still young. I slapped you for your own good. Besides, you made the first move. If this gets out, you're the one who will look bad." Fiona became even more arrogant. She pointed at the door and started screaming, "You really think you can come into this house and throw your weight around? Today, you either apologize properly to Hank in front of everyone… or get out of this house right now! "If you have the guts, leave for good. Don't ever come crawling back to us for help!" Claire stood silently beside her. There was not even a hint of protest in her eyes. "Come crawling back to you?" I swallowed the taste of blood in my mouth, pushed Wade aside, and looked directly at Claire. "Remember this slap. I hope you can still be this confident when the day comes." Wade burst out laughing. "Steven, have you eaten so much of our food that you've lost your mind? Who gave you the nerve to talk to us like that?" "Get out! If you think you can..." Fiona's furious roar suddenly died in her throat. Outside the front door, several bodyguards dressed in black designer suits stood respectfully on both sides. The man at the front had an extraordinary presence. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to me. "Mr. Garcia, Boss Garcia was worried you might be mistreated, so he specifically sent us here to pick you up. Your private jet is waiting on the tarmac." The moment those words were spoken, the entire hallway fell completely silent.