Early in the next morning, I dragged my body, which had just finished a miscarriage. I chose to leave the hospital despite the doctor's obstruction.

At the same time, I immediately contacted the lawyer to draw up divorce matters. This matter also alarmed my parents who were far away from our home. They were staying abroad at this time.

They defied all odds. After they received the news, they immediately rushed to our country, Des Moines. They would be there soon.

I got my cell phone dead, so I hurriedly charged it. Unfortunately, I did not see my husband, Jonathan, call me back.

I suddenly saw the photo of the wanted criminal in the news, among many portraits.

I immediately recognized the wanted criminal with a reward of one hundred thousand dollars. I asked in my heart, ‘Isn't this Jonathan's uncle and aunt, Uncle Graziano and Aunt Abigail?’

It was then that I realized that the release from prison in their mouths was a lie. They were actually wanted criminals.

Jonathan left me on the highway for the wanted criminal. He also did not care that I was still carrying his child in my belly.

I said in my heart, ‘Oh My Gosh. How blind I was in the past? I thought he was the one I'd trust with my life.’

I immediately took out my cell phone to call the police, “Hello, my car was stolen by a wanted murderer on the Pan American Highway.”

***

The cold wind of February was mixed with rain and snow. No one came to pick me up after I was discharged from the hospital. 

The rain and snow drenched my whole body. My body was weak. The cold wind was piercing my bones. I froze until I was shivering and looked for the nearest hotel to check-in.

The police arrived at the hotel. They took a simple record to understand the situation first. They also asked me to wait patiently for their investigation. 

After the police left, I received a phone call from Jonathan. His words were full of reproaches.

“Why haven't you come back yet? Uncle Graziano and Aunt Abigail are having lunch at our house now. Why don't you hurry back to make the menu? The house is also in a mess, Madeleine. Please, stop making trouble. Come back and clean it up.”

My whole body froze in place. His words were even more painful than after the miscarriage. He didn't ask me where I was, how I was doing and how I was doing as a pregnant woman. He just wanted to reprimand me.

I replied, “You took them home, Jonathan? But you still want me. I am a pregnant woman and have to cook for them?”

Jonathan said angrily, “Madeleine, when did you become so pretentious? Can't I just let you cook for them? Besides, they're not outsiders, Madeleine. They are Uncle Graziano and Aunt Abigail. Don't say it's just a meal. They still have to live here, okay?”

The voice on the other end of Jonathan's phone was noisy. It was like a lot of people were drinking and playing cards. There were also women's ambiguous voices.

I spent all my savings to buy that house. I spent a lot of effort choosing the location and decorating it.

Only because Jonathan was busy at work, he did not have much savings. I remembered he promised to use the remaining money for our lives.

Only then did I agree to rent the house and car? He knew that I had put a lot of effort into these things, but he still abused them.

“Jonathan, you let a bunch of messy people into the house again? Don't you know how much effort I have spent on the house?”

It seemed that there were not only his uncle and aunt in the house but also a lot of other people. Before I could ask him who those people in the house were, I was scolded by him again.

Jonathan obviously hadn't watched the news this morning. The news had already reported the latest wanted criminals.

I wanted to tell him the real identities of Uncle Graziano and Aunt Abigail. Unfortunately, I was interrupted by a cry of surprise.

“Oh My God, Madeleine. I accidentally broke the jade pendant in your room. Is it alright?”

Jonathan answered, “It's fine, Aunt Abigail. It's just Madeleine's jade pendant, isn't it? If it's broken, it's not a big problem for her. Their family is rich anyway and not short of money.”

My heart sank. I just thought for a while. ‘What jade pendant? The only thing in the room was my most precious jade pendant left by my grandmother.’

Jonathan shouted at me, “Do you hear me, Madeleine? Stop being childish, okay? Come back quickly. Don't expect me to pick you up.”

It turned out that what he said last night about coming back to pick me up was also a lie. He never thought about coming back to pick me up at all.

I then realized if I hadn't called an ambulance to take me to the hospital, I would have frozen to death by now.

Jonathan turned his head. He then talked in his dialect. He thought I didn't understand.

“Don't touch it, Aunt Abigail. It's her grandmother's relic. It's an unlucky thing.”

I was shocked after hearing Jonathan’s words. I couldn't keep letting him do whatever he wanted.

“What bad luck? What a relic, Jonathan? That was the last thing my grandmother left me. What right do you have to say that? Do you think I don't understand what you're saying, huh? Don't touch my grandma's jade pendant, Jonathan.”

I was so angry that my face turned red. I yelled at the top of my lungs. My parents were seldom with me when they were doing business. Only my grandma bought me a gift. She gave me so much love. I missed her every day after she left.

No one understood my longing for her better than Jonathan. I really didn't expect that he thought so in his heart.

I thought Jonathan would explain about his words before, but he didn't explain at all. Jonathan just scolded me for yelling at him because of the broken jade pendant.

“Isn't it just a broken jade pendant, Madeleine? Why are you yelling at me like that? Don't come back. Who's going to spoil you now?”

I heard them calling for a broom to sweep the pieces of the jade pendant into the garbage and throw it away.

I couldn't stay calm any longer at this moment. I then rushed out of the hotel in my thin clothes. I really hoped to take a taxi to get back.

Unfortunately, it was raining heavily outside. I could not get a taxi.  My cell phone also was out of battery. I knew I had to walk back even though I was gritting my teeth.

After the miscarriage, my body was weak. I soon fainted on the road because of the cold from the rain. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital again. My parents were around me at this moment. They were crying.

My mother, Victoria Willowbrook looked at me and said, “My daughter, are you awake? Oh God, my poor daughter is finally awake. You scared your mom to death, Madeleine. I told you that Jonathan was not a good guy. But you insisted on marrying him. Now you've become like this.”

My father, Ferdinand Bradley, was silent at this time. He then took a breath.

“You've never suffered like this before, my lovely. That bastard left you eight months pregnant on the highway, right? Not only did you lose the baby, you're hurt too. But he's nowhere to be found right now.”

My mother cried so hard that her nose was sore. I hugged my mother and cried loudly.

Back then, I had just graduated and started working. Meanwhile, Jonathan, as my senior, helped me a lot in my work. 

He was gentle and patient. It made me attracted to him. I truly felt that he was a person who could be committed and entrusted in my future life. Although my parents told me that marriage life was not only about the person but also about the family.

Jonathan Beadsworth was born in the countryside. Our families were very different in every aspect. It made my parents not agree with the marriage. But after we pestered them, they relented and told me that as long as I was happy, it would be fine for them.

Now, after only one year of marriage, I have made myself into this mess. Not only did I lose my child and suffer physical damage, but even the house and car I had before marriage did not belong to me anymore.

When my father heard about the grievances I had suffered, he exploded on the spot. He also scolded Jonathan in a rage.

My dad wanted to pull Jonathan out and beat him up immediately. I was their only child, so they naturally loved me very much. They also were naturally very precious to me.

“Jonathan, the bastard. He actually made my daughter suffer so many grievances. How dare he make my daughter suffer so much, huh? I'll never forgive him. I swear I'll beat him up if I find him.”

My dad was so angry at this time. His face turned red. He then picked up his cell phone and car keys. My dad was about to go and settle the score with Jonathan.

On the other hand, my mom knew that this incident completely angered my dad. My dad was getting serious. It made her hurriedly grab him back.

My mom explained, “Didn't you just hear what Madeleine said, Ferdinand? That group of people not only left her on the highway, but they're still at her house, okay? I heard there are quite a few people, all relatives of that asshole. There's even a wanted murderer.”

My mom took a breath for a while. “There's only two of us, Ferdinand. We're not even enough, okay? We won't be able to fight if we go. Hurry up and call your brothers and relatives. We can't lose anything.”

My dad calmed down for a while. He then got out his cell phone to call someone. Meanwhile, my mom also called her friends to come.

Our family went back to my parents' house. They told the elders of the family what happened.

After hearing what happened in my life, they were collectively furious. They couldn't wait to tear Jonathan apart with their hands immediately to take out the anger for me.

Even my eighty-year-old grandfather rushed back, ''This is too much. How dare you bully my granddaughter like this?”

My parents looked at the large group of people. We were ready to formulate a plan first. We considered that there were still wanted criminals in their house.

Suddenly, Jonathan sent a few photos of Uncle Graziano, Aunt Abigail and a group of strange relatives. A bunch of men and women with fierce looks.  Their eyes were sharp as if they were going to judge me.

The house was a complete mess. There was some graffiti on the walls and tables, leftovers and garbage all over the place.

Jonathan called me by phone. He said, “Madeleine, you've gone too far. I can't believe you haven't come back by now. The elders of the family are very angry.”

“Didn't you just send your Uncle Graziano and Aunt Abigail home first? Do you have to make a scene? It seems that you won't learn your lesson if I don't teach you a lesson, right? I'll teach you soon, Jonathan.”

My husband shouted, “Come back and apologize to my aunt and uncle. Otherwise, you'll never come back to this house again.”

I laughed coldly. ‘How shameless my husband? How dare he talk like that while living in my house?’

I shouted back at him, “Okay, then I won't go back, my husband. As for the house and car, you return it as soon as possible, okay? Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude.”

Jonathan almost exploded with anger after hearing my words. Seeing that my cell phone was positioned at my parents' house, he rushed here immediately with his men.

“Madeleine, I will come to you right now. I'll bring my uncle and aunt to teach you a lesson.”

I hung up the phone and called the police again, “Hello, the murderer who is wanted for a one hundred thousand dollars reward is right in front of my house.”

The police received the message and immediately came out. This time, I wanted to watch them throw themselves into the trap.