My father announced that I was never allowed to return to Vermont, never allowed to go back home.
To punish my stubborn behavior, he even relied on his contacts in Louisiana.
He tied me firmly to Eulalie.
No separation, no divorce.
In this lifetime, whether affection or hatred, we can only stay beside one another.
At that time, Eulalie knelt in front of me.
She promised she would love me for her whole life and said I would never regret my decision.
Yet in the second year after we married, she broke our vows.
Holding her lover in her arms, she faced me boldly and said, “Yes, I was cheating. What can you do about it?”
“Valerian, you have nowhere else to go.”
“In this life, you can only stay bound to me!”
I called my family, crying and saying I was sorry for my choice.
My father ended the call without warmth. My mother watched and stayed silent.
They said this was the path I chose, and even if I cried, I had to walk it until the end.
Because of that, knowing I would not leave, Eulalie grew prouder and more reckless.
Lovers came and left, and rumors spread everywhere.
Now, she even openly brought people to the house.