In the end, the pain overwhelmed me, and I passed out.

Just before losing consciousness, I caught a fleeting trace of pain in Cedric’s eyes, but it vanished almost instantly.

When I woke up, I was still lying on the cold floor, but the word “bitch” was crudely stitched across my back.

Gritting my teeth, I called my father once again. “Dad, I want a divorce from Cedric.”

Three hours later, I left our house with my father’s car.