Chapter 97 Relief (Part Two)

Sherry, meanwhile, was desperate for relief. Any kind of relief.

She turned away from the photo and stood, placing her hand on the desk to support herself. She was so weak that she had to prop herself up on the walls as she made her way to the kitchen, where she scattered utensils in the drawers until she found a sharp knife. She walked to the bathroom while gripping the knife with one hand.

She sat down on the edge of the bathtub and opened the taps. The hot water let out clouds of steam. When the bathtub was half full, Sherry clambered in without taking off her clothes. At first the water felt too hot, but as her body adjusted, she began to feel pleasantly warm.

Sherry drew her knees to her chest and lifted her left hand to look at her wrist. Faint lines crisscrossed the soft white skin. They were the remnants of the scars from when she'd cut herself.

She put down the knife on the edge of the tub and traced the scars with her finger. A numbness washed over her. She thought, 'Why not add to these scars?'

Without giving herself time to think, Sherry picked up the knife again. She held the blade to her left wrist.

After all, she had nothing now. The man she loved most had hurt her more deeply than she'd ever thought possible. He even threatened her. Now her heart was dead, burned to ashes by the unbearable pain.

'Dying isn't such a big deal,' she told herself. 'Right now it's better to die than to live.'

With that, she pressed down on the knife, cutting through her skin and veins.

Blood flowed out at once. The deep red liquid flowed down along her forearm, staining the water in the tub. Within moments the clear water had been tinted red with blood.

Sherry let her head fall back. Her arms dropped into the water, and the knife sank slowly to the bottom. The bathroom was soon filled with the strong metallic scent of blood.

She had been moved, loved, and hated. She had worked so hard for so long, but in the end, it was all for nothing.

But now she was free at last. It was better to die than to live in pain.

Her eyes drifted shut. She d

her body with his own. His arms gripped her tightly as though afraid she would disappear if he loosened his hold.

Beisy drove as fast as she could to the hospital. Every now and then she glanced at Chester and Sherry in the rearview mirror. She was extremely worried.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Chester continued. "I even found someone to help me open the door of the house so I could look for you... and I found you too late!"

Chester had always thought of Sherry as an energetic and lively woman, and the sight of her like a lifeless doll in the bathtub had hit him like a punch to the gut.

At that moment, he felt that if she died, his heart would die with her.

"Promise me that you won't die," he said. "Please don't leave me. From now on, I will protect you. I will never let Jeremy hurt you again! I will always be by your side!"

Chester cupped her cheek with one hand, staring down at her with the tender gaze of a lover. "I'll take care of you, Sherry. I'll make you forget about Jeremy. I'll make him pay for what he's done."

Beisy heaved a deep sigh. She wondered uneasily what had happened to Sherry.

Jeremy must have done something truly awful, or else Sherry wouldn't have tried to commit suicide.

Sherry was one of the strongest women Beisy knew. She had always been resolute and strong-minded. What would drive someone like Sherry to kill herself?