Of Fractured Vows and Broken Hearts

My marriage certificate with Shane Galingston was lost again.

By the time we went to replace it for the ninth time, his childhood sweetheart deliberately raised her voice as she said, "Lily has been divorced eight times and has had nine abortions. She also has AIDS and syphilis… practically every vice in the book. Did you know all that?"

With a loud crash, a newlywed couple sitting nearby was so startled that they fell to the floor, groaning in pain.

In an instant, contemptuous and disgusted gazes poured in from all directions, pinning me in place.

The icy slime of rotting refuse dripped down my face, chilling not just my skin but my heart as well.

This time, I didn't hold back. I turned and walked straight toward the complaint counter.

But Shane, who had stayed silent all along, suddenly grabbed my arm. He wiped the filth from my face and coaxed me in a low, gentle voice.

"Don't be angry. She's just childish—she likes to fool around. She didn't mean to smear your name.

"Besides, she's not targeting you. She's just throwing a tantrum at me. How could I not know what kind of person you are?"

As he spoke, he shot his childhood sweetheart a helpless yet indulgent glance.

"Go ahead and help us reissue—"

I pushed his hand away without expression and cut him off.

"No need. Let's get a divorce."

Shane Galingston froze, the tissue in his hand still suspended in midair.

The next second, Fleur Renault burst out from behind the counter and pointed at me, shouting, "You and your brother wouldn't even dare take a paternity test. You got yourself pregnant messing around and then found an honest man to take responsibility. Now, you're married and still sleeping around, hooking up everywhere—and now that you've found your next target, you want a divorce!"

As soon as she finished, a large bottle of water came out of nowhere and was dumped over my head and face.

A draft swept through the hall. I shivered from the cold.

I looked at Shane again. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he said nothing.

Disgust spread across the faces of the onlookers.

"Even her own husband won't defend her. Looks like what that clerk said is true! No wonder she has AIDS!"

"Look at her makeup and the way she sways when she walks—obviously someone from that kind of dirty business!"

This wasn't the first time Fleur had spread filthy rumors about me.

She stole my marriage certificate and ran to my workplace to accuse me of being a shameless slut anyone could sleep with.

She even posted my personal information on shady websites. Under endless harassment and abuse, I lost my job.

I couldn't sleep at night. I lost twenty pounds and swallowed antidepressants by the handful.

Shane used his connections to get me doctors and treatment, yet he was helpless whenever Fleur cried.

Once, standing by my hospital bed, he