The Rise of a Woman from Divorce: Sally's Journey

After Jere White divorced me, I became the laughingstock of my family, the Mitchell family.

My father Robb Mitchell punished me by making me kneel at the door for three days and nights, hoping this would make the White family reconsider their decision.

To survive, I stopped Nate Wall's car as it passed by our house.

"I saved your life once. Now, it's time for you to repay me." I said.

Later, I became the Mrs. Wall that everyone in the city admired.

In terms of my ex, he regretted it.

1

At the entrance of the Mitchell family estate, I knelt on the cold, hard ground, my knees raw and bleeding.

Despite the pain, Robb showed no sympathy.

Not even a flicker of concern crossed his face, even though I had spent the last decade as his most trusted aide, managing the family business with unwavering dedication.

The reason for my punishment? My nominal husband, Jere, had divorced me.

I had done everything expected of a dutiful wife, yet none of it mattered.

All my efforts were overshadowed by Jere's cold words. "Sally, I don't like you."

Those words, along with a divorce agreement I hadn't even consented to, had brought shame upon the Mitchell family.

Robb was furious. He punished me to kneel in front of everyone as he learnt this, "I went to great lengths to marry you into the White family," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "And you let Jere divorce you, making us the laughingstock of the entire city. Do you know what people are saying about you? They're calling you a barren woman, a failure. That's why Jere left you. You've humiliated me!"

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving me kneeling on the concrete.

Jenny, my stepmother, stood at the doorway, her eyes cold and distant. "Stay here and reflect on your mistakes," she said before closing the heavy doors behind her.

The crowd that had gathered around me wasted no time in voicing their judgment.

"How shameful," one woman sneered.

"Divorced by the White family? Who would want her now?"

Another chimed in, "What's the point of being pretty if she can't even bear a child? No wonder he left her."

I knelt there for three days and nights, without any food or water.

Robb didn't send anyone to check on me, nor did he ask for my side of the story.

No one cared to know that Jere had never touched me during our marriage.

The raindrops that began to fall felt like icy needles against my skin, a cruel reminder of my isolation.

It was so cold.

2

From the moment I understood the world, I knew my life wasn't my own.

As a daughter of the Mitchell family, my fate was sealed-I was a pawn in an arranged marriage.

"Sally, this is your future husband, Jere White," Robb had said when the match was made.

Although the Mitchell family held a certain position in the business world, when compared with the White family, it still paled in comparison.

The White family dominated the business world, their influence stretching across half of the city, which outshone the Mitchell family.

Jere, the heir to this empire, was the golden boy of the social elite, the man every woman dreamed of marrying.

I knew the stakes were high. To secure my place as the wife of Jere, I worked tirelessly.

I earned dual degrees, excelled in every project at the Mitchell Group, and made sure my name was known in the business world.

When the Whites finally agreed to the marriage, I thought I had succeeded.

Shortly after the White family agreed to the marriage, I married Jere as I had hoped.

But I had never expected things might go wrong.

On my wedding day, Jere shattered that illusion.

Standing coldly before me, he said, "Ms. Mitchell, I don't like arranged marriages. To be honest, I don't like you either. I want a woman who marries for love, not ambition."

It turned out that in his mind, I was a woman willing to give up love for the sake of career.

Before I could even respond, he walked out, leaving me alone in my wedding dress, tears staining the fabric.

My biological mother Moria's words echoed in my mind. "Sally, no matter what happen, don't cry. It's your wedding day. Remember that."

How ironic that her words had come true.

3

When the divorce papers arrived, I wasn't surprised.

I had always known this day would come.

What I hadn't expected was the darkness that followed-the humiliation, the isolation, the endless rain that seemed to mirror my despair.

On the third night, as the rain poured down, I drifted in and out of consciousness.

The cold rain and fever created a torturous contrast of hot and cold.

But aside from kneeling, I had no other choice.

In a dream, I saw my biological mother Moria Mitchell again.

That year, I was eighteen, and Robb, disgusted by her aging appearance, locked her away in a house in the suburbs, refusing to see her again.

Moria knew that her life would end this way, so on the day she chose to end her life, she told me to secure my position by becoming one of the Whites.

"Remember, you can only rely on yourself," Moria said, her voice firm yet tinged with worry. "Before marriage, you must make yourself indispensable. That way, the White family will know your value and won't do any harm to you."

"You must understand," she continued, "In wealthy families, there's no such thing as true love. Only interests can secure your position."

But Moria didn't know. Jere was determined to divorce me, even if it meant losing his fortune.

He made it clear.

He could never stand a woman as strong-willed and unyielding as me.

4

The gatekeeper, seeing my flushed face and trembling body, had already rushed inside to inform Robb about my fever.

Yet, nearly half an hour passed, and the door to the old mansion remained firmly shut.

My head grew heavier and dizzy, my body shivering.

At that moment, it dawned on me-Robb might actually want me to collapse.

If I fainted, perhaps Jere would feel guilty and reconsider the divorce.

That way, the Mitchell family's business wouldn't suffer.

Night fell, and the rainy season emptied the streets.

The sound of an approaching car and its blinding headlights blurred the line between reality and dream.

It wasn't until I saw the familiar license plate that I snapped back to reality.

I stumbled in front of the car, my knees bloodied and trembling. Biting my lip hard, I fought to stay conscious.

The car door opened, and a pair of polished leather shoes came into view.

Nate Wall's lips curled into a faint smile as he approached, taking in my disheveled state.

Just as I was about to collapse, his warm hands caught me, pulling me into his embrace.

Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the rain. "Nate... help me..." I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The bitterness and discomfort were overwhelming.

"Nate... please help me..."

5

Years ago, I saved his life. He told me that if I ever needed help, I should just ask.

He seemed to look at me with a serious gaze, and despite the rain outside, I felt a strange sense of ease in his arms.

"Alright," he said casually, his voice a lifeline in the darkness.

I didn't know it then, but he would become the only light in my life for a long time to come -a light that would never fade.

6

To be precise, I had saved Nate's life.

Years ago, when Moria was exiled to the outskirts, I stumbled upon him, who was lying in a pool of blood after a car accident.

When he woke and learned the truth, he handed me a business card. It wasn't until he left that I realized he was the head of the Wall family.

Ruthless and cruelty-these were his trademarks.

What was more, some people said that ever since Nate took over the Wall family, there hadn't been anyone who had guts to offend him. Everyone began to care more about their own lives than ever before.

No one dared to cross him, yet he owed me a favor and promised to save my life.

Leaning against him, I listened quietly to the strong beat of his heart.

When I woke again, Robb summoned me to the old mansion's hall. It was filled with traditional engagement gifts from Nate, including priceless jewels and antiques.

Nate's assistant had already left, and Robb sat in the main seat, his expression grim.

Before I could speak, he hurled a cup at me.

It struck my knee, and I barely managed to stay upright by clutching the table.

Before I could recover, Robb's insults came crashing down on me.

"Sally! Are you insane? Do you have an idea who he is?" Robb roared, his voice shaking with anger. "How dare you agree to marry him just a week after divorcing the White family! He has no principle. If he became one of our family member, and we offend him, we will be definitely dead without even knowing how! The Mitchell family is doomed because of you! I don't care if there's any affection between you two-I won't allow this marriage!"

My white pants were stained with blood, yet no one seemed to notice.

I swallowed my bitterness and looked up at him.

"This time, Father, I'm afraid the decision isn't yours to make."

His sharp gaze suggested he didn't expect my answer.

From his expression, I could tell that he wanted to punish me further. But he knew that with Nate in the picture, I was no longer the Sally he could control.

The awkward silence was broken by Jenny's voice.

I stared at her, remembering how she had orchestrated Moria's exile and eventual suicide.

That pain was something I could never forget.

"Sally," she said sweetly, "listen to your father. If Nate comes, let Anna marry him instead. After all, she's also a Mitchell, and she's never been married. I'm sure Nate would be more satisfied with her."

I frowned.

Her plan was transparent -let Anna Mitchell, my sister, become Mrs. Wall, taking my place and enjoying the wealth and status that came with it.

No wonder they were so desperate to stop me.

Robb didn't object, and I watched them coldly, unmoved.

I looked at them coldly, unmoved.

It was almost laughable.

I had given so much to this family, yet in their eyes, I was nothing more than a pawn.

7

In the end, Anna didn't marry Nate.

He quickly learned of their scheme, and the next day, he arrived at the mansion with a "generous" gift for Robb.