Breaking Free from the Cage

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill us both?"

We almost crashed into another car because she grabbed the steering wheel.

Ivy did not care. She tried to grab it again, but I was not fast enough to stop her.

The car swerved wildly on the road. Suddenly, a large truck appeared from the opposite direction.

The truck had just turned the corner when our car slammed into it with a loud bang.

The impact knocked me out. In the haze, I heard Jay's worried voice.

"Are you okay, Ivy?" he asked anxiously.

Ivy cried, "It was all Rachel's fault! She wasn't driving properly."

I was sent to the hospital right away. When they wheeled me into surgery, I was the only one there.

I signed the surgical consent form myself.

Luckily, my injuries were not too serious, so I could still take care of myself. If I had been in worse shape, the hospital would have had to call my family.

I laughed bitterly in my mind. Jay would never come to take care of me.

The nurses whispered among themselves, saying that a rich, handsome CEO had brought in a top surgeon just to treat his wife's little wound.

"He's so good to his wife," one of them said.

"She must be so happy being married to a man like that."

I laid back on the hospital bed and pulled the blanket over myself. I finally had my first good sleep in a week.

During the days I stayed in the hospital, Jay never visited me.

He did call once, just to accuse me of attempted murder.

His voice exploded through the phone, filled with rage.

"You're insane, Rachel! You could've killed someone! Ivy almost died because of you. Stay in the hospital and reflect on what you did. If you pull something like that again, I won't hesitate to send you to a psych ward!"

Ivy must have twisted the whole story and played the victim perfectly in front of him, but I did not care anymore.

She used Jay's social media to post her own photos and updates—candlelight dinners, luxury vacations and business banquets. She said it was compensation by Jay for her injuries.

Ivy was trying to make me jealous, but it did not work. I was not bothered anymore.

I had something more important than a man—my career.

Back then, I had poured all my energy into making Jay love me. Maybe I had won a little affection from him for a while.

However, Jay was a playboy. It did not take long for him to leave me behind.

I gave up my profession because of him. Luckily, my college friend, Leeya Chester, had always kept in touch.

With her help, I tried to launch a few original product designs in the industry. The feedback was pretty good.

Leeya had invited me to work with her years ago, but I was demotivated by Jay back then.

I finally had the courage to start again.

During my hospital stay, Leeya visited me every day. She always came full of energy, cheering me on.

"Don't worry, Rachel. Whatever product we design together, we'll crush it. Mark my words. In five, no, three years, you'll be one of the top designers out there."

I sent her the product ideas I had in mind and some early sketches. She looked through them, her eyes lighting up again and again.

"You doing housework all these years is such a waste of talent. Jay has no idea what he threw away."

I smiled. That marriage had cost me a lot, but I had to admit that Jay kept his promise.

I replied, "Anyway, I don't regret it. Grandma wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for him. I would've lived in pain for the rest of my life."

There were only two days left until the agreement ended. Soon, I would walk away from all of that.

Jay called me on the day I was discharged. He had just returned from his trip.

"Are you still sick or something? The butler said you haven't come home in a week. Are you running away from home now?"