I’ve been Julian’s shadow since we were kids. The moment I graduated, I married him. Julian, the beautiful boy with autism. Even after marriage, we were practically strangers. He barely spoke to me. A stream of floating text—livestream comments from another dimension—scrolled across my vision: [Don't worry, he just doesn't want to talk to the Side Character. Wait until the Female Lead shows up, he'll be chatting up a storm.] At first, I didn't believe it. Until the night of the Truth or Dare game. A girl drew a card: "Spend the night with a man here." She closed her eyes and spread a rumor: "I pick Julian. He's good for eight rounds a night. Looks innocent, but he's into everything. I've tried him." Julian’s face went red, then white. For the first time in his life, he spoke up voluntarily: "Liar... You haven't tried." 1 "Liar... You haven't tried." I froze. I never expected Julian, the boy who lived in silence, to speak up on his own. The floating comments went wild: [LMAO Chatterbox Baby has skills! She provoked the autistic Male Lead into speaking!] [Look at Maya, her eyes are popping out.] [So sad. The Male Lead never spoke to her first. Can't help it, her personality is just unlikeable.] [Yeah, she's nothing like our Sunshine Girl Female Lead.] Chloe, the "Sunshine Girl," looked at me smugly. "Everyone says Julian is autistic and hates talking. "But look, it's not that hard to make him speak. Maya, why can't you do it? "Oh, I know. It must be because you're too boring. Hahaha. "Julian, don't you think being with me is way better than being with a wooden block like Maya?" I stood there, feeling like I’d been slapped. Shame burned from my cheeks to my ears. This party was Julian’s mother’s idea. Mrs. Thorne told me to organize it so Julian could socialize. It was supposed to be good for his condition. Everyone here knew about my situation with Julian. The crowd started jeering: "Chloe, if you can make him say one more sentence, we'll each give you a hundred bucks." "Deal." Chloe grinned at Julian. "Julian, you're 6'2", right?" A boring question. Julian remained silent, as usual. But then, Chloe laughed. "Do you know the root formula? It's (Height - 105) x 0.618 / 3.14. So, you're packing 6.3 inches down there?" Julian understood. His face turned beet red, forced to speak again: "No..." Chloe knew what he wanted to say. But she teased him on purpose: "No what? Not enough? More?" Julian’s ears were burning. "Don't do that." Chloe laughed so hard she shook. "What a good boy. Holding it in all this time just to say 'Don't do that.' "I can't take it, you're too cute. "Hey, pay up! I won!" The others paid up, laughing. The comments flooded my vision: [Baby is a genius! What kind of math is that?!] [I'm dying, how does her brain work?] [LOL look at Maya. After all these years, Julian hasn't said a full sentence to her.] [Honestly, Julian probably said more to Chloe in five minutes than he's said to Maya in a decade.] [Maya is sitting there like a background NPC. Julian won't even look at her. If I were her, I'd dig a hole and die of embarrassment.] [Comparison is the thief of joy. Look how lively Julian is with Chloe!] I bit my lip, emotions churning inside me. Chloe leaned on the table, eyes curving as she smiled at Julian. "Hey, you're really handsome. God-tier visuals. Even the top idols aren't as good-looking as you. "And your voice is amazing. You really should talk more. "Say something else. Come on." But Julian had retreated into his shell again. Chloe leaned in closer, whispering loudly. "With a voice like that, you must sound so hot when you moan in bed. "Tell me, have you slept with Maya?" Julian, who never spoke, surprisingly answered her. "No." "Don't like." I was stunned. Chloe burst out laughing. "You guys have been together forever and you haven't slept with her? "He says he doesn't like you! Hahaha! Maya, how annoying are you really?" She found Julian more and more interesting, finding new topics. "By the way Julian, has Maya ever tried to seduce you? Does she wear lingerie for you? Does she go commando..." I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up abruptly, drawing everyone's gaze. "This is our private life. I don't think you have the right to ask, Miss Chloe." The happy atmosphere instantly froze. Chloe blinked, surprised by my outburst. Then she stuck out her tongue, unbothered. "It's just a joke, why are you so fierce? "Are you jealous because Julian talked to me? "Oh well, it's a skill issue. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. "Making a mountain out of a molehill. No wonder Julian won't talk to you." The comments started again: [What the hell? Ruining the vibe with one sentence.] [Yeah, Julian finally spoke, she's just jealous.] [Understandable, boring people tend to be buzzkills.] [It was just a joke, petty woman.] [It's okay! Chloe is the FL, the Male Lead will protect her unconditionally.] I didn't let Chloe gaslight me. I enunciated clearly: "A joke is only a joke if the person involved finds it funny. I don't find it funny at all. "And I don't think sexual harassment counts as a joke." With every word, Chloe's face fell further. Finally, she lowered her head, eyes misting up. "Julian, your wife doesn't seem to like me talking to you. "Maybe I shouldn't talk to you anymore." I wanted to say more. But the next second, Julian grabbed my hand. His grip was unintentionally hard. "Don't. Be mean to her." His voice grew colder. "You. Apologize." My heart gave a sudden, sharp throb. I came to the Thorne house when I was thirteen. I took care of him cautiously for twelve years. This was the first time he voluntarily spoke a complete sentence to me. And it was to defend a stranger he just met. 2 After all these years, Julian was still like a child—no control over his strength. My wrist turned red fast. I said softly, "Julian, you're hurting me." He froze, then let go slowly, realizing what he did. I tried to reason with him like he was a kid. "She said disrespectful things to me. That's why I argued." But Julian didn't listen. "But you made her unhappy. "Why do you always make people unhappy?" I stood there, frozen. My mother was the Thorne family's nanny. After my father died, I was brought to the Thorne estate. Mrs. Thorne was surprisingly welcoming. She held my hand and said, "The doctor says Julian needs to interact with kids his age. Take good care of him." My mom told me to seize the opportunity. To get along with Julian. I became responsible for his daily life. Mrs. Thorne often praised me for being gentle and attentive. But Julian hated me. The first time I saw him, he stood at the top of the stairs in a white shirt, staring at me with empty black eyes. He was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. Lips pressed into a thin line, clean and quiet. I was mesmerized. I didn't know then that I would hear "No" from those beautiful lips so many times. No entering his room. No touching his things. He liked silence. So no noise. No laughing. I used to be a lively girl. My teachers said I had ADHD because I couldn't sit still. I'd chat with stray dogs on the street. When we first met, I fearlessly offered him my favorite doll. "You're so pretty. You'd be even prettier if you smiled. Here, this is my favorite thing. For you." He slapped the doll to the floor. He said, one word at a time: "Don't smile. Looks. Disgusting." People with autism don't consider other people's feelings. When they dislike someone, the malice is direct and unfiltered. I stood there, too scared to pick up my doll, unable to speak. I didn't understand why he hated me so much. Every time Julian was mean to me, my mom would come into my room at night and slap me across the face. "Why can't you be more obedient? More sensible? "Why did you upset Young Master Julian again? "Why can't you talk less and do more?" It hurt. I was afraid of pain. So I listened to her. I learned to be steady, to be silent. I shrank myself until I was invisible. To take better care of Julian, I followed him from elementary school to college. I carried his backpack. I highlighted the hard questions in his homework. I poured the warm water for his morning meds. They all said I was Julian’s little maid. Julian didn't like to talk. Once after school, he left without me. When I caught up, a group of boys had him cornered. "Mute. Can you speak? "Do you think you're better than us?" Someone was about to dump a bottle of water on his head. Julian closed his eyes, bracing for impact. But the water didn't hit him. He opened his eyes and saw me standing in front of him. The heavy bottle hit my head with a dull thud. My forehead swelled up instantly. Later, when the maid was cleaning my wound, Julian asked, "Does it hurt?" I shook my head. "No." He nodded, believing me, and went upstairs. It would be a lie to say I wasn't heartbroken. I thought his heart was frozen solid. But one day. I was taking notes for Julian in class. A classmate snickered at me. "Come here, little maid. "We're Julian's friends, so you should serve us too. "Do our homework." I didn't want trouble. I didn't want to cause issues for Julian. I was about to get up. But Julian grabbed my hand. "She is not a maid. "Don't bully her." I was stunned. That day, I was so happy. I thought maybe I was becoming special to him. Maybe if I tried harder, he would accept me. But now he asked me. Why do I always make people unhappy? Suddenly, I felt tired. So tired. A deep sense of powerlessness washed over me. 3 The party ended badly. I thought it was over. But the next day, Julian brought Chloe home. He took her into his art studio. His sanctuary. They say autistic people have genius talents. Julian was a prodigy artist. His paintings sold for fortunes. To stay in school with him, I gave up music, which I loved, and chose art, trapping myself in a world of shapes and colors I didn't understand. Julian hated my lack of talent. He’d poke my forehead and call me stupid. But Chloe didn't like painting either. She constantly interrupted him. "Your room is huge. Speaking of huge, your..." "You've been painting a long time. Speaking of long..." "Why won't you look at me? Your world is only yourself. Speaking of self..." The comments were laughing: [Hahaha, this meme never gets old.] [Am I the only one who thinks this is vulgar? Respect yourself.] [Upstairs, stop pretending to be pure.] [Chatterbox Baby is so talkative, so lovable.] Julian hated interruptions when he painted. Before, if I walked in softly to remind him to take his meds, he’d knock the pills over, eyes red, pushing me out. "Get out! Out!" But. But now. He said he hated noise, yet he tolerated the noisy Chloe. He didn't get mad. He just sat there, painting quietly. Chloe yawned. "Boring. I want to go home." Julian finally stepped out of his world. "Painting. Is fun. "I'll hold your hand to paint. Don't go, okay?" Chloe said, "No. Boring." Julian thought for a moment. "Then I won't paint. You stay." This was the first time I saw Julian compromise. Clumsily learning to please someone else. Even Mrs. Thorne said, "I've never seen Julian so gentle with a girl." It was time for his meds. She reminded me to take them to him. I obediently brought the tray in. "Time for medicine." Julian hated taking medicine. So he hated me, the messenger. But he didn't know I hated it too. Every time was a battle. Coaxing, pleading. When he was unhappy, he’d swat the bowl away. Hot water splashed on my hands, burning me. Sometimes he’d grab my wrist and twist until bruises formed. He fought like a bull, knocking my elbows into table corners. It was just a pill. But he acted like it was poison. And I always suffered for it. Predictably, it didn't go well. He glared at me. "If you don't apologize, I won't take it." He still remembered yesterday. I used my trump card. "If you don't, I'll tell Mrs. Thorne." He was afraid of his mother. He hesitated. But before I could relax, he exploded. He shoved my hand away so hard I stumbled. "Go away! You're a parasite! I hate you! "If you force me again, I'll divorce you!" I froze. "Who taught you that?" He said, "Chloe said you eat my family's food, wear my family's clothes, live in my family's house. You're a parasite. I can divorce you if I want. "You have no right to order me around." The comments: [Hahaha, this kid is so honest.] [True though, she is a parasite.] [Our Baby is smart. Julian said he didn't want meds, Chloe told him to threaten the bad woman with divorce.] I stared at the scrolling text, throat tight. He really was obedient. He listened to whatever Chloe said. I just wanted him to take his meds. To get better. Why did I become the villain? My nose stung. Eyes burned. The grievances I hid for so long surged up, blocking my chest. Twelve years. No matter what I did, it was never enough. Suddenly, I didn't want to be the bad guy anymore. I didn't want to force him. Didn't want to watch him hate me. Didn't want to guard this empty life anymore. Leave. The thought popped up, and the heavy weight in my heart lightened. Seeing me silent, Julian thought the threat worked. His tone softened. "Apologize obediently, and I'll take the meds. No divorce." I refused. He frowned. "Is apologizing that hard?" I said, "Yes. It is." Maybe if I acted like before, coaxing him like a child, indulging his whims. Maybe if I lowered my head and soothed him, Julian would forget today. He would take his meds. But my heart felt like it was sinking into ice water. Tired. Really tired. Twelve years is long enough. Who can stand on tiptoes for a lifetime to accommodate someone else? I took a deep breath and used all my strength to say: "Fine. "Since you want a divorce, let's divorce." He didn't expect that reaction. He froze. "W-what did you say?" 4 I repeated it. "You want a divorce, right? I agree." Julian didn't speak for a long time. He stared at me blankly, like his brain short-circuited. According to Chloe, I should be terrified. Divorce meant losing my luxurious life. It meant twelve years of effort wasted. So I should be begging, pampering, yielding. Apologizing to Chloe. But sunk costs shouldn't dictate future decisions. His temper flared again. Julian pushed me out the door, avoiding the issue. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you. "I'm going to paint." He was always this willful. Tragically, I was used to it. I knew not to fight him when he was emotional. I stepped back, voice soft. "Okay. "Paint. I'll come back later." 5 After being shoved out, I wandered aimlessly around the villa. I looked at the place I lived for twelve years. Every blade of grass. Thinking of the bits and pieces of accompanying Julian. I realized I didn't have much attachment. I wandered for a long time. Cutting through the garden to leave, I heard whispers from the gazebo. Chloe and Julian. Julian asked, "Why does Maya always control me?" Chloe said nonchalantly, "Simple. Divorce her for real, and she won't dare to act up." Julian was silent, then asked, "What does divorce mean?" Chloe was stunned. "You don't know? "You have a certificate, so you're legally husband and wife. "It means you can live together openly. Legal cohabitation. "Sleeping in the same bed, doing couple things, it's all allowed. "As your wife, she manages your life, even restricts who you see. That's common in marriages. "Divorce means she has nothing to do with you. She can't live here, can't manage you, won't appear in front of you. You'll be totally free." Julian had no reaction until the last sentence. His eyes widened slowly. "She won't live in my house?" Chloe said, "Of course not." Julian paused. "I don't want a divorce." Chloe didn't understand. "Why? You hate her." Julian pursed his lips. "Because I... don't want not to see her." My fingers trembled. My heart moved slightly. But then he said: "She has to take care of me forever. No one else can. I only want her." Chloe laughed. "What? I can take care of you too." Julian shook his head. "No." Chloe asked, "Why not?" Julian said, "You're different. You're fun. "You play with me. She can't do that. "She's used to taking care of people. I'm only used to her doing it." I froze. Then I smiled bitterly. Even in his mind, my value was graded. Chloe was the fun playmate. I was just the servant. The tiny spark of hope that maybe he cared about me was extinguished instantly. Chloe continued persuading him. "But if you don't, she'll control you forever. "Don't you hate that?" Julian looked at her blankly. "What should I do?" Chloe smiled. "I've seen women like her. "Vanity. Mooching off your family since childhood. Wanting your money. She won't leave. "I have a way to deal with gold diggers. "Just pretend to divorce her. Once is enough. She'll learn her lesson. She'll beg you like a dog to take her back and never dare control you again." The comments were cheering: [Wow, Baby is so smart!] [Exactly. Someone like Maya needs to be taught a lesson, or she'll think she owns the place.] I ignored the malicious text. I held my breath, waiting for Julian's answer. He thought seriously for a moment. Then he nodded earnestly. "Okay, I'll try." In that moment, my heart skipped a beat. Yeah. It's okay, Maya. Isn't this expected? I didn't want to listen anymore. I didn't want to care. I quietly walked away.
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