Blurb：
Elaine endured nine divorces from Marcus, all orchestrated by her manipulative sister-in-law Clara. Living as Clara’s maid while pregnant with Marcus’s child, Elaine faced constant humiliation. Marcus always chose Clara, claiming the baby was his late brother Andrew’s legacy. After signing the final divorce papers, Elaine called her grandfather to cut off family investments. As Clara gloated, Elaine vowed to leave forever, realizing Marcus’s empty promises. This emotional tale explores betrayal, family secrets, and a woman’s journey to reclaim her power. Keywords: Elaine, Marcus, Clara, divorce, pregnancy, revenge, Andrew, sister-in-law.
Content：
Clara, my sister-in-law, had forced Marcus and me to divorce nine times.
She lived in our house. I’d been her live-in maid since she got pregnant.
No matter how she treated me, Marcus always told me to endure it, even when Clara wanted a divorce between us.
He never once stood up for me or stopped the divorces.
Clara once told me smugly, “I’m carrying his child. Of course he listens to me.”
Only then did I figure out the child she’s carrying belonged to Marcus.
I held back my tears and called my grandfather.
“Grandpa, Marcus and I are officially divorced. Please send someone to pick me up tomorrow. And also, withdraw all of our family’s investments from him.”
“This is the ninth divorce.” I closed my eyes to fight back tears.
Marcus rubbed his forehead and spoke with regret.
“Elaine, my older brother passed away so suddenly, leaving Clara alone with a baby on the way. I can’t just abandon them.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get back together as soon as the baby is born. This time, we’ll never split again.”
I’d heard those exact words eight times before.
People were already calling me the queen of eight divorces.
Expressionless, I signed the printed divorce papers, deciding that I would leave forever this time.
The moment Marcus and I walked out of the courthouse, Clara rushed over.
“Where’s the divorce paper? Let me see!”
Marcus looked helpless. He took the document from me and handed it to her gently.
“Elaine and I are divorced now. Why would I lie to you? You’re due soon. Focus on resting.”
She inspected the certificate closely, then gave me a smug smile.
“That’s perfect. Now I can relax and focus on my child.”
I faintly smiled back at her, feeling only pain inside.
Marcus completely missed the cold stare Clara shot at me.
“Great, now that we have the divorce papers, let’s go home quickly.”
Just as I reached for the car door, Clara stepped between us, her belly brushing against me.
She clung to Marcus’s arm and glared at me like I’d done something wrong.
“You have no shame? Didn’t your parents teach you that men and women shouldn’t get too close once they’ve split?
“You two are divorced. Why are you still getting into his car? Don’t you care about what people will say?”
Anger rose inside me. I glanced at Marcus’s face. There was warmth in his eyes when he looked atClara.
He gently touched her belly.
“Clara, you’re almost due. Even though Elaine and I are no longer married, she’ll stay around to take care of you.
“Besides, there’s a lot to prepare for the baby. With Elaine by your side, you won’t have to worry about anything. Just rest and wait for the delivery.”
Clara reluctantly agreed, giving a sharp look at me.
“Fine. You can stay at his house for now. But don’t ride in his car. Take a taxi!”
Marcus turned to me with an apologetic look.
“Elaine…”
Here we go again.
Whatever she said was treated like a law, and he always expected me to go along with it, no matter how ridiculous it was.
And now, I couldn’t even sit in his car.
I forced a smile. “It’s fine. I’ll take a taxi.”
Clara sat in the front passenger seat, looking as pleased as ever.
Marcus reached for my hand quietly and looked at me with guilt.
“Clara gets very emotional during pregnancy. We should try to be more understanding. After all, the baby she’s carrying is the last piece of Andrew’s legacy. I can’t risk anything going wrong.”
“Honey, I know you’ve been through a lot. Once she gives birth, we’ll get married again and stay together forever. I promise.”
Before I could say anything, Clara yelled from the car.
“Marcus!”
He pulled his hand away quickly and hurried into the car.
As the car drove off into the distance, I felt my heart lighten.
The first time we divorced was because we went to a movie for our anniversary without letting Clara come along.
The second time was because she claimed her crystal bracelet broke.
The third time happened after she had a dream about Andrew, my brother-in-law.
And then came the fourth, fifth, and so on…
Each reason was more ridiculous than the last, yet Marcus fell for every one of them.
Over the past few months, I tried talking to him countless times. I even tried to make a scene like what Clara did.
But each time, he just gave me a few designer bags, and then held my hand gently.
“Elaine, I don’t blame you for not understanding, but right now, we need to make sure Clara comes first.
“I’m sorry you have to suffer through this, but I promise, once the baby arrives, she won’t be spoiled anymore. Please just hold on a little longer.”
Too many promises turned into empty words.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I pulled out my phone and made a call.
A warm voice greeted me.
“My dear Elaine, did you miss me?”
My eyes welled up at once. I fought hard to stop myself from crying.
“Grandpa, Marcus and I are officially divorced. Please send someone to pick me up tomorrow.”
“And also, end all business ties with him. I want nothing more to do with him.”
My grandpa, Nathaniel Hensley, was shocked—he knew how deeply I’d once loved Marcus.
As the heiress of the Hensley family, I married beneath my status.
Grandpa had tried everything to stop me, but I went through with it anyway, hiding my identity to protect Marcus’s dignity. Grandpa had no choice but to secretly support Marcus for my sake.
Now that Marcus’s career was taking off, our marriage had fallen apart.
Grandpa might be pleased, but deep down, he knew how much I’d suffered—and it broke his heart.
“Elaine, I’ll come get you myself tomorrow,” he said gently.
Back home, I was shocked to see my clothes scattered all over the living room.
Someone had clearly thrown them around.
My chest tightened as I made my way to the walk-in closet.
From down the hallway, I could hear Marcus and Clara’s voices laughing from inside.
“Marcus, I want to buy tons of clothes and shoes for the baby. Shouldn’t we just toss out Elaine’s shoes, too?”
“Buy whatever makes you happy,” Marcus’s voice was soft. “Her things can go anywhere you like.”
I pushed open the door without saying a word.
The closet that used to be mine was now filled with baby supplies.
Marcus stood beside Clara, gently stroking her belly with an affectionate look.
The moment he noticed me, he flinched and pulled his hand back, looking uneasy.
“Elaine,” he explained quickly, “there isn’t much storage space left. I cleared out your closet to make room for the baby’s things. I’ll give you a bigger closet once things settle down.”
A baby that young couldn’t even walk yet—what was the point of having so many pairs of shoes for it?
And somehow, that baby already owned more clothes than I did.
It was all so absurd, but I didn’t feel like arguing.
I was leaving next morning anyway. None of it mattered anymore.
“Do whatever you want,” I said flatly.
He looked relieved and gave me a warm smile.
“I’m lucky to have a wife like you—so kind and understanding.”
He grinned before casually draping the apron over my shoulders.
“You have no idea how long we’ve been tidying up, and Clara is starving. Now that you’re here, get cooking for her quickly.”
Before I could answer, Clara flopped down onto the couch and ordered me around like I worked for her.
“I want steak,” she said, lifting her chin. “The meat should be soft. My teeth aren’t great.”
Seeing her bossy attitude, I pulled off my apron and tossed it on the floor.
“She’s pregnant, not helpless. If she’s hungry, she can cook for herself.”
I turned to walk away, but Marcus caught my wrist.
“Elaine! What’s with the attitude? Why are you acting out just because I asked you to cook?”
“Show some respect for Clara.”
“What’s gotten into you? Did I do something to upset you?”
He still thought he hadn’t done nothing wrong.
I let out a bitter laugh and yanked my hand from his grasp.
“What right do you have to boss me around? I’m not your wife anymore, and I’m definitely not your maid. Know your place.”
Marcus stared at me, stunned. He had never expected me speak to him like that.
Right then, Clara came waddling over, grabbing my arm.
“Are you blaming me for your breakup? I’m dealing with depression—I can’t always control my emotions. Can’t you try to be a little more understanding?
“My child doesn’t have a father, and Marcus is all I’ve got left. Don’t you think I’m struggling too?”
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my wrist as Clara squeezed my hand tightly. I instinctively pulled away from her grasp.
Screaming, Clara collapsed to the floor, clutching her belly.
“My stomach! —Marcus, it hurts so much. Do you hate me that much, Elaine? Even push me on purpose?”
“Clara!” Marcus panicked and shoved me out of the way without a second thought.
I slammed into the door frame and then hit the floor hard.
My vision spun. Pain shot through my swollen knee.
Meanwhile, Marcus checked on Clara, softly comforting her. Once he saw there was no blood, he let out a breath of relief.
He gently lifted her onto the couch to rest.
Then, without warning, he yanked me up and dragged me to the kitchen. His eyes were cold as ice.
“Elaine, she’s pregnant and just wanted you to cook something! How could you push her like that? What if anything happens to her or the baby?!”
“I thought you were understanding, but now you’re just cruel. I’m disappointed in you! If you don’t make dinner tonight, I’ll lock you in here until you do!”
With that, he slammed the kitchen door shut.
I stared down at my swollen purple knee and the red marks on my wrist from earlier.
Clara was the one who grabbed me. I only shook her off, barely using any strength. Her fall didn’t make any sense.
I reached for the door. The kitchen was really locked.
Tears rolled down my cheeks—not because I was sad, but because regret hit me hard.
I regretted walking away from everything for this marriage.
I regretted loving him so much that I stood by him as he built everything from nothing, and enduring all the hardships alongside him.
Grandpa had been right all along—Marcus was never worthy of my future.
I stayed in the kitchen for two hours.
With my phone outside, I could only wait in silence.
Faint laughter and sweet talks from the living room came through the door.
After a few minutes, Marcus came back.
Noticing I was still on the floor, he sighed and crouched down next to me.
“Elaine, I was a bit tough earlier, but you still shouldn’t have pushed her.”
“She only asked for a meal. If you’d just cooked, none of this would’ve happened.”
He gently blew on my knee and spoke softly.
“That fall must’ve hurt. I was wrong just now. I do love you, but Clara is important too—she’s carrying Andrew’s child.”
“I can’t just ignore her. If you two keep fighting, it puts me in a tough spot.”
I shot him a cold glance and brushed his hand off my leg.
Marcus’s expression darkened a bit, yet he kept his tone soft.
“I get it. You’re still upset. Between the divorce and what just happened, I owe you an apology.”
“Just give me a little more time, and I’ll sort everything out, okay?”
I didn’t answer. He patted my head gently.
“Someone from the Hensley Group is coming soon. Whether we land the 50 million deal depends on you.”
“This could be our company’s big break. You’ve always had my back. Can you help me one more time?”
As he spoke, he pulled out a small note covered with a list of dishes.
“These are the meals the clients like. Rest up a bit, then start cooking, alright? You make the best food. I’m sure we’ll win them over.”
The visitors from the Hensley Group had to be my grandfather.
He told me he’d pick me up tomorrow, but maybe he came early out of worry.
Tears filled my eyes as I took the note from Marcus.
He immediately lit up with joy and kissed me on the forehead.
Then he brought in tons of ingredients. “I’ll wait outside. Just call me when you’re done!”
Once the door closed, I tore the note to pieces and dumped it in the trash.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Marcus burst into the kitchen, his eyes shining with excitement.
But when he saw the spotless counters and untouched stove, his smile disappeared.
“Elaine, what’s wrong with you?! You didn’t cook a single dish! They’re already at the door!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he rushed out again, flashing a charming smile at the white-haired elder and apologizing repeatedly.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Hensley. This is my fault. My wife acted out. I promise she’ll start cooking right away. I’ll make sure we treat you properly.”
I stepped out too, and when I saw my grandfather’s white hair, my eyes filled with tears.
His face darkened immediately as he shoved Marcus aside and came straight to me with his cane.
“Elaine, what happened to your forehead?
“Who did this to you? Tell me. I’ll make them wish they were never born.”
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