The Used Tablet

To save money, I bought a used tablet online. The seller I met for the in-person exchange was a pretty young college student. “Ma’am, this is the latest model. If my boyfriend hadn’t just bought me a huge high-rise apartment as our marital home and built me a custom media room, I would never dream of selling it!” Seeing the pure happiness radiating from her face, I couldn’t help but think of Liam. Once his company’s big project finally launched, we could move out of our tiny rental and buy a place of our own. “He also said no old things in the new house, so I have a lot more stuff to get rid of. You can follow my account and contact me if you see anything you need.” “Oh, my boyfriend’s here!” The girl, Jenna, waved her arm excitedly. I turned to look. A black Maybach was pulling up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face. Our eyes met, and we both froze. The man in the driver’s seat was none other than my boyfriend, Liam. 1 “I’m interning nearby, and he insists on driving me to and from work every day. He’s so worried something might happen to me.” “I told him he’s overreacting, what could possibly happen to me on my regular commute? But he just won’t listen.” I stood there, listening to Jenna’s gleeful chatter, a chilling numbness spreading through my body. A flash of panic crossed Liam’s face, quickly replaced by a look that was both a warning and a threat. His gaze fell to the tablet in my hands. “It’s just a tablet. Why didn’t you buy a new one?” Right. It was just a tablet. But I couldn’t bring myself to buy a new one, because I was trying to save every penny so we could have a home together sooner. Jenna shot me an apologetic look and playfully tapped Liam on the shoulder. “Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean everyone is.” “Besides, my tablet is practically new. If you hadn't insisted on buying me a better one, I wouldn’t be selling it.” She turned back to me. “Don’t mind him. My boyfriend only ever buys new things. If he doesn't want something anymore, he just throws it out. He doesn't understand the secondhand market at all.” “I was going to rent a place near my internship, but he said he didn't like the idea of me living in a pre-owned apartment, so the very next day, he bought me a new one!” “And now he won’t let me use any of my old stuff. My clothes and shoes have to be from the latest season, and my electronics have to be the newest models. He even got on my case for selling this tablet, said I don't know how to save money.” Jenna gave Liam a mock-reproachful look. Her words were a complaint, but her face was aglow with happiness. But I remembered. I remembered when Liam and I were crammed into our tiny rental. To save money, all the furniture and appliances I bought were used. I remembered haggling shamelessly with sellers just to save a few dozen dollars. I had felt so embarrassed, but those few dozen dollars meant I could add a pork chop to Liam’s lunchbox. Back then, he would hold me, his eyes full of pain and guilt. “Chloe,” he’d said, “one day, when I make it, I promise I’ll get you the best house.” But eight years had passed, and I was still living in a rental, still using secondhand things. And he, without my knowledge, had bought another woman a brand-new home. Jenna’s words were like a gaping hole torn open in my chest. A cold wind blew through, freezing me to the bone. Liam glanced at me and cleared his throat. “Let’s get going. Don’t we still have to buy new furniture?” Jenna paused, then stamped her foot playfully. “Oh, right! I almost forgot. If you need anything else used, just let me know!” As Jenna walked around to the passenger side, Liam took the opportunity to lean in and whisper to me, “I’ll explain when I get home tonight.” The Maybach sped away, leaving me in a cloud of dust. I could just make out their conversation through the open window. “So what are we buying?” “Whatever you want. Only the best is good enough for my little princess.” I looked down at the tablet in my hands and suddenly felt like a complete joke. So, in Liam’s eyes, I was the one who only deserved used things. I walked home like a zombie, not even noticing when it started to rain. It was an old, run-down building, with terrible security. Not long ago, I’d been harassed by a man on my way home from working late. I was so terrified that day that every late night at the office since had been filled with dread. But I never moved. Because this place was close to Liam’s office. It meant he could sleep in for an extra hour, even if it meant I had to commute for two. But while I was living in fear, he was playing chauffeur for someone else. I sat on the sofa for hours, and then I turned on the tablet. The moment the screen lit up, I froze. 2 Jenna was still logged into her social media. The screen was on her latest post. It was a selfie of her lying in bed. Beside her, half of Liam’s face was visible. The caption read: [Found the perfect mattress! So expensive, but hubby’s paying! He says I deserve the best. Thanks, honey!] I scrolled down, torturing myself with post after post. Candlelit dinners, morning runs, vacations together… The one that stung the most was a travel vlog. It was from Lover’s Isle, a place I had told Liam I dreamed of visiting. Last year, he had asked if I wanted to go, but I’d calculated the cost and said no. He had just told me the day before that the company’s profits were down. The vlog was filmed during that exact time. The place of my dreams… he had taken someone else there. A surge of pure rage welled up from the pit of my stomach. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. Again and again, he declined the call. My damp clothes were chilling me to the bone. I curled up on the sofa, a sharp, stabbing pain in my heart. In the middle of the night, I woke up burning with a fever. Through a hazy fog, I saw him walk in. He frowned at me, draping his coat over my shivering body. “Why are you sleeping out here? You know your immune system is weak. Are you trying to get sick?” I ripped the coat off and stared at him, my eyes burning. “It’s not what you think. Jenna is my mom’s friend’s daughter. My family asked me to take care of her.” I let out a hoarse laugh. “Take care of her? How? In bed? Or in a river-view penthouse?” His face flushed with the anger of being caught. “Don’t be ridiculous. Jenna is innocent and naive, she’s just starting out. The world is a complicated place, of course I have to look out for her.” “And what about me? Don’t I need to be looked out for?” He stared at me, a look of genuine confusion in his eyes. “You’ve been working for years. What do you need looking out for?” There was a time when all I had was a bad cramp, and he would risk getting reprimanded to bang on the dorm supervisor’s window in the middle of the night just to bring me medicine. And now, he said I didn’t need looking out for. Jenna was a recent graduate who needed care. What was I doing when I had just graduated? I was with him, meeting with clients, being forced to drink until I was sick. And because I didn’t want to jeopardize his project, I suffered in silence and never told him. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I shoved him, hard. “Liam, in your eyes, do I just not need anything? Do you have any idea…” He grabbed my hand, his voice laced with impatience. “Will you just stop? Why are you picking a fight with a kid who just graduated?” His words sent a wracking cough through my body. He reached out and touched my forehead, and his expression darkened. “You’re burning up, don’t you know that?” He swept me into his arms and rushed me to the hospital. I drifted off into a feverish sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm. Liam was sitting by my side. The scene was so painfully familiar, a ghost of our past, and my eyes began to sting. He met my gaze and was about to speak when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and stepped out into the hallway to answer. A tearful voice drifted in. “Liam, I was putting a doll away in the closet, and I cut my hand. I’m so scared!” “How did you do that? Don’t be scared, I’m on my way.” He took two steps, then remembered I was still lying in bed. “Jenna cut her hand. I’m going to go check on her. You… just get some sleep. I’ll come back to see you later.” I watched his back disappear through the doorway, and the tears I’d been holding back soaked into my pillow. In that moment, I understood just how thoroughly I had lost. Later, I was jolted awake by a terrifying feeling of suffocation. I couldn't reach the call button. I fumbled for my phone and dialed Liam. It rang a few times before he picked up. “Help… me…” Liam’s voice was annoyed. “It’s just a cold, what could possibly be wrong? Jenna cut her hand, I have to take her to get a shot. Stop making a scene!” The line went dead. As the dial tone droned on, I lost consciousness. 3 When I opened my eyes, a wave of soreness and a lingering sense of breathlessness washed over me. A doctor was standing by my bed, a complicated look in his eyes. “Ms. Noth, you had an allergic reaction to the medication in the middle of the night, which caused you to stop breathing. We were lucky we got to you in time.” “But we confirmed with the man who brought you in. He said you didn’t have any allergies, so we administered the drug. This is no joking matter, you could have died!” My fists clenched, a dull ache spreading through my chest. Liam. He didn’t even remember my allergies anymore. My phone screen lit up. I answered, and Jenna’s sharp voice cut through the line. “Why is your number in his phone? You already knew him, didn’t you? You bought my tablet just to provoke me!” “I knew his clothes smelled like someone else. It was you, you were seducing him! You shameless homewrecker, I’m going to expose you!” The words ‘homewrecker’ pierced me like a knife. “Liam and I have been together for eight years. Who do you think the homewrecker is?” The line went silent for a few seconds, then she hung up. Twenty minutes later, she called back. But this time, it was Liam. “Chloe! Why did you call and deliberately upset Jenna? She’s young and fragile, she doesn’t handle things well. Are you trying to drive her to suicide?!” “Jenna is threatening to kill herself right now. You need to get over here and apologize to her!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Liam, she’s the one who called and screamed at me. And you want me to apologize to her?” His voice was hard. “Jenna is young and immature, she was just blowing off steam. You’re so much older than her, you shouldn't hold it against her. She almost killed herself, don’t you think you bear some responsibility for that?” I started to laugh, a broken, tear-filled sound. “In your dreams, Liam,” I said, each word a shard of glass. The next day, as I was checking out of the hospital, I noticed people pointing and whispering. “That’s her, right? The other woman who deliberately bought used things to taunt the wife.” “So shameless. Is she here for an abortion? Why doesn’t God just strike her down with lightning?” A jolt of fear went through me. I ducked my head and hurried out of the hospital. Jenna had posted about me online, painting me as the villainous other woman. My phone was flooded with hateful messages. My apartment door was splattered with paint. My boss called and fired me, citing my “poor character.” But I couldn’t let them rewrite the truth. I contacted a popular online influencer, gave him the full story of my history with Liam, and asked him to help me set the record straight. The influencer posted my story, and public opinion instantly flipped. I thought I had won. But I had underestimated Liam’s cruelty. He sent me a video. It was of my younger brother, Aaron. He was on his knees, held down by several men, his eyes wide with terror. Liam’s voice on the phone was chillingly calm. “Chloe, if you don’t apologize, then I’ll have to let your brother apologize for you.” I was in disbelief. “Liam, you’re using Aaron to threaten me? Are you even human?” After our parents died, Aaron had always looked up to Liam as a brother-in-law. A few years ago, when a business rival had sent thugs after Liam, it was Aaron who had protected him, risking his own life. In the scuffle, he had accidentally killed one of the men. He’d also suffered a head injury that left him with a mild intellectual disability and was sent to a juvenile correction facility. I remembered Liam’s tears that day. “It’s all my fault. I promise, I’ll take care of you and Aaron for the rest of my life.” But now, he was using Aaron to force me to my knees. He was silent for a moment. “I can’t let Jenna die.” Maybe it was the death of my last hope, but suddenly, I felt like there was nothing left to fight for. I nodded. An apology. Fine. From now on, I only had my brother. I was still waiting to bring him home. 4 I went to Liam’s office. The receptionist swiped me through the security gate, her eyes filled with contempt. “Mr. Hayes brings Ms. Miller here all the time. Everyone in the company knows they’re a couple. I’ve heard of the wife beating the mistress, but I’ve never seen the mistress cyberbully the wife. You’ve got some nerve.” When Liam’s company was on the brink of collapse, I had used my parents’ inheritance to bail him out. He had sworn then that he would never forget my kindness. But now, everyone in this company saw me as a shameless homewrecker. The irony was suffocating. On a large screen in his office, I saw my brother, screaming in terror. I lunged at Liam, but Jenna shoved me to the ground. My hand landed on the shattered fragments of a glass that had just fallen. Pain exploded in my palm, and blood began to flow. A flicker of pity crossed Liam’s face. He reached out a hand to help me up. But Jenna started to sob. “Everyone online is calling me names. My friends, my classmates… they’re all laughing at me. I might as well be dead!” Liam’s expression immediately hardened. “Jenna’s reputation has been destroyed because of you, she almost died. It’s not too much to ask for you to apologize.” “Kneel, slap yourself a hundred times, and bow your head to the floor ten times. Record a video admitting you’re the other woman, and we’ll call it even. I promise, your brother won’t be harmed. Otherwise…” My body trembled. I clenched my bleeding fist. But no matter how much my hand hurt, it was nothing compared to the feeling of being sliced apart from the inside. I walked over to Jenna, who was holding up a phone to record, and my knees hit the marble floor with a sickening thud. “I’m sorry. I’m the other woman.” I repeated the words, over and over, as I slapped my own face. Again and again. The initial sting gave way to a dull numbness. Soon, my mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. On the screen, my brother couldn't see what was happening, but he heard the sounds and began to struggle wildly. After the slaps, I began to bow, my forehead hitting the cold floor with a dull, rhythmic thud that echoed in the silent office. Liam nodded, satisfied. Just then, his assistant called him out of the room. Jenna knelt down and whispered in my ear. “Did you like the pictures on the tablet? Chloe, how dare you try to compete with me? I’m going to make you lose the most important thing in your life.” Suddenly, my brother clutched his throat, gasping for air. His asthma was acting up! I begged the men on the screen to give him his inhaler, but Jenna stopped them. “Don’t give it to him. He’s just like his sister. A great actor!” “Please, he’ll die! You’re murdering him!” My pleas were useless. I tried to run out to get Liam, but his assistant, who had just returned, pinned me to the floor. My brother lay on the ground, his body convulsing. As I screamed, his struggles grew weaker, until they stopped completely. I lay on the floor, my eyes filled with a burning hatred for Jenna. “What’s all the noise…” Liam walked back in. Jenna immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing. “She suddenly attacked me! She said she would never apologize! In all the chaos, we didn’t even notice that her brother was having an attack…” Liam looked at the screen, his face turning to stone. “Chloe, was an apology that hard for you? Are you happy now that Aaron is dead?” “She wouldn’t give him his medicine!” I shrieked. “Jenna killed him!” Jenna put on a wounded act, which only made Liam’s gaze on me colder. “Since you refused to apologize, and now you’ve gotten Aaron killed, don’t blame me for what happens next.” After he left, I dragged my broken body to the city bridge over the river. My phone buzzed. It was a notification from the official account of Liam’s company, which I followed. They had posted a picture of a marriage certificate. Liam and Jenna’s. The influencer who had helped me had also posted a statement, claiming that the evidence I had given him was photoshopped, that I had deceived him. Public opinion had flipped again. But I didn’t care anymore. I climbed over the railing, looked down at the churning water below, and jumped. Liam. From this moment on, we are done. I didn’t see the phone I left behind on the bridge light up with an incoming call. And at that moment, as Liam was taking Jenna to the hospital, a strange, creeping unease began to settle in his heart. “Don’t worry, Ms. Miller is perfectly fine. This is just a minor scratch, it doesn't even need to be treated.” Jenna pouted, pulling back her leg, which had a tiny scrape on it. “But it still hurts…” Liam looked at the scratch, and for some reason, he thought of Chloe, kneeling on the floor, her hands covered in blood. Chloe. That must have hurt so much. As he was leading Jenna out, they passed a doctor in the hallway. The doctor recognized him and his tone was reproachful. “Hey, it’s you. How could you not know your own girlfriend’s allergies?” “You didn’t even answer your phone that day. If we hadn’t gotten to her in time, she would have died!” Liam froze. “What did you say?”