My Skin Is Too Fragile for Your Toxic Love

Julian froze, his face instantly turning cold. "Are you threatening me with a divorce now?" He let out a heavy sigh. "I won't hold what happened with Tommy against you. Stop throwing these childish tantrums." I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "I told you, he cut me on purpose with a knife." Julian looked at me with pure disappointment, clearly unwilling to hear another word. As he slammed the door on his way out, the boy in his arms turned back and gave me a wicked, mocking smirk. I got into my car and quietly followed them. They went to an art gallery. Inside, Chloe was leaning beautifully against Julian, who was still holding Tommy. They were looking at a painting of a family of three standing by the sea. "Julian, let me hold Tommy." "No, you're pregnant. Tommy might accidentally hurt you." Chloe pouted, looking a bit sad. "Is this new baby going to be raised by Elena, too?" Julian gently stroked Chloe's cheek. "Taking care of a child alone is too hard. I can't bear to watch you suffer." He paused, his voice softening. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Tommy knows who his real mother is." I clutched my chest, a stabbing pain piercing my heart. No wonder Tommy had refused to get close to me ever since he was old enough to speak. Every time he looked at me, his eyes were filled with hostility. Whenever I told Julian about it, he would just kiss my forehead and tell me I was overthinking. It turned out Julian was the one whispering poison in his ear all along. Because of my Butterfly Skin, my slashed wrist was still bleeding profusely. The winter wind outside was freezing, but I couldn't feel the cold anymore. Trembling, I walked into the gallery. Julian's eyes flashed with panic when he saw me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the two of them. Julian's first instinct was to shield Chloe behind his back. "I know everything," I whispered. Chloe stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Elena, let me explain. I..." Suddenly, she threw herself to the floor, faking a hard fall. Julian's eyes went red. He lunged forward and violently shoved me away. A heavy painting on the wall crashed down around us. "Elena! I'm pregnant! Why would you push me?!" Chloe screamed. The impact of Julian's shove sent me crashing hard against the sharp corner of a wooden table. My fragile skin tore instantly, and blood began to soak through the back of my coat. Julian saw the blood. His fingers clenched tightly, and he made a move to step toward me. But Chloe screamed hysterically, "Julian! Save my baby! It hurts!" Without another look at me, he scooped her up and rushed out toward the hospital. I watched them disappear, my tears mixing with the blood pooling on the gallery floor. The other visitors in the gallery gathered around, whispering and pointing at me. "How ruinous. I came to see an art show and had to witness this drama." "That woman is evil. How could she push a pregnant woman?" By the time I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. A kind stranger had called the ambulance for me. I dragged my battered body out of my room and stumbled down the hallway, only to see Julian and Chloe through the window of a private VIP suite. Julian was holding her close. Chloe looked up weakly. "Thank God the baby is fine. Otherwise, I'd never forgive myself." Julian's voice was thick with suppressed anger. "It's not your fault. Elena is just too pathologically jealous." "I'm going to make her come here and apologize to you." He pulled out his phone and dialed. My ringtone echoed loudly in the quiet hallway. Julian turned and spotted me immediately. "Get in here and apologize to Chloe!" He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the room, showing zero concern for why I was in the hospital in the first place. Bruises were already starting to bloom across my arm where he touched me. It reminded me of when we first got together. Back then, because of my condition, I got bruised and cut constantly. But my family had just gone bankrupt, leaving us with massive debts. I had no choice but to work three jobs a day. Every night when I came home, Julian would look at my bruised body, his eyes red with tears. "I'll pay it off for you," he had vowed. We were just college students then. I thought he was joking. But two years later, when I went to make a payment on the remaining debt, the bank told me it had already been settled in full.

I pressed Julian until he finally admitted the truth. He had been driving long-haul trucks all night, working endless hours of manual labor just to clear my family's name. He had gently wiped away my tears back then. "Why are you crying? I'm not tired." Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, I knew he was lying. But his hard work paid off, and he eventually started his own successful company. After we got married, he hired four maids. He wouldn't let me lift a single finger. Until I got pregnant. One morning, morning sickness hit me hard. I rushed to the bathroom, but some spilled water on the floor made me slip. I broke my wrist, and I lost the baby. I fell into a deep, dark depression. Julian had been devastated. He told me that if I ever ended my life, he would die right along with me. The sharp pain in my wrist pulled me back to the brutal present. "Are you already plotting how to hurt Chloe again?" Julian's cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You're going to stay here and take care of her until she's discharged." A hollow laugh escaped my lips. Tears slipped down my cheeks. Seeing my expression, a sudden, inexplicable panic seemed to flash in Julian's eyes. Sensing his hesitation, Chloe immediately cried out, "Ah! It hurts, Julian! It hurts so much!" Julian's worry for her instantly overrode his momentary guilt. But before he could yell at me again, a nurse burst into the room. "What is wrong with you? I told you your pregnancy is highly unstable. Why are you out of bed wandering around?" the nurse scolded, looking directly at me. Julian gasped, completely stunned. "Elena... you're pregnant?" But I saw the flash of utter disbelief in his eyes. It was as if he believed it was physically impossible for me to be pregnant. He quickly called for a private nurse to watch Chloe, then practically dragged me back to my own ward. He helped me onto the bed and tried to grasp my hands. "Alright, Elena. Now that you're pregnant, stop making a scene." "What happened with Chloe was just a drunken mistake. I only love you. She's your best friend, and she values your friendship so much." "Once she gives birth, I'll send her and both of the kids abroad. I promise." I stared at him, my eyes filled with mockery. What was this? Shoving me to the ground, and then offering me a sweet treat to make me forget the pain? "I'll have your mother come over to take care of you. Just be good, okay?" His phone buzzed with a Snapchat notification from Chloe. My stomach began to ache faintly, and fear crept into my chest. "Julian, I..." Before I could finish, Julian was already walking out the door. During my three days in the hospital, Julian never showed up again. I decided it was time to go back to the Vance estate and pack my things. I didn't even have money for an Uber, so I walked all the way back in my thin hospital gown with only a coat thrown over it. But the moment I pushed the front door open, the scene before me shattered what little sanity I had left.

My Pomeranian, who had been my loyal companion for five years, was lying on the floor, barely breathing. There was blood dripping from its mouth, and traces of chocolate scattered nearby. I looked up at Chloe, who was sitting on the sofa, a smirk playing on her lips. "Why did you feed him chocolate?! You did this on purpose!" Chloe put on her signature fragile act, but her voice was dripping with venom. "The dog took after its owner—greedy and stupid. You can't blame me for its own mistake." Julian walked out of the bedroom holding some blankets. He looked at me with a sigh. "Come on, Elena. It's just a dog. Chloe didn't know dogs couldn't eat chocolate." "Stop being so aggressive." I was being aggressive? Julian had clearly forgotten why we even had this dog. When we first started working, we passed by a pet store. I had fallen in love with a tiny, adorable Pomeranian in a cage. But burdened with debt, I couldn't afford it. That same night, a group of thugs cornered me on my way home from work. Julian had arrived just in time to save me. He had been beaten black and blue, but he just grinned at me. "Let's go home. I have a surprise for you." When we got back, that very Pomeranian was waiting for me. Julian had taken my hands, his eyes overflowing with love. "When I'm not around, let him protect you for me." Seeing me silent, Julian handed me the blankets he was holding. "You almost made Chloe lose her baby. For the next few weeks, she'll be staying in the master bedroom. You can crash on the living room sofa for now." "Let's just consider the art gallery incident settled." I laughed until tears came out, unable to say a word. My reaction made Julian uneasy again. But before he could speak, the front door smart-lock chimed. My mother stood at the entrance, grocery bags in hand. She froze, taking in the sight of Chloe clinging to Julian's arm, while her own daughter stood there pale, bruised, and bleeding. A nurse from the hospital who knew my family had already warned my mother about Julian's affair. Now, she was seeing the proof with her own eyes. My mother rushed over and shielded me behind her. "Chloe Miller! Our family took you in when your father abused you and your mother abandoned you! We paid for your college! Is this how you repay us?!" Julian's face darkened instantly. "Your daughter is the one who tried to hurt Chloe first, and you're blindly attacking Chloe without knowing the facts?"

"Is this how the Cole family raised you to behave, Elena?!" With that, Julian grabbed Chloe's hand, walked out of the house, and drove away. My mother looked at me, her eyes filled with rage and heartbreak. I smiled weakly. I couldn't even cry anymore. Our massive wedding photo still hung prominently in the living room. In it, I was smiling so brightly, believing I had run straight into a lifetime of happiness. It took me seven years to realize that some fairy tales are just horror stories in disguise. I packed up only my personal belongings, leaving behind everything Julian had ever bought me. I grabbed a pair of scissors and sliced the wedding photo right down the middle, separating Julian and me forever. When I arrived back at my parents' house, my father didn't say much. But his eyes were red. "Sweetheart, I've already wired back every single penny Julian spent to pay off our debts years ago." "Your mother and I are still here. Don't be afraid." Hearing my father's words, the emotional dam inside me finally broke. I sobbed uncontrollably in his arms. Later that evening, Julian sent me a message after finding the messy house. "Elena, how old are you? Still playing the runaway card? Grow up." My heart was already dead, yet his words still felt like a physical stab. Suddenly, my phone lit up with a notification. It was a rejection letter from the company I had interviewed with. But just yesterday, HR had told me to expect an offer letter. I took a cab straight to the company's office. There, in the lobby, I found Chloe sipping a latte. She looked at me, her eyes dripping with pure condescension. "Surprised? Even if it's not Julian's company, he still has the power to get me hired over you." Suppressing my tears, I called Julian. "Why did you give Chloe my job?" There was a long silence on the other end. "Stop making a scene, Elena. With your Butterfly Skin, what kind of work can you even do? Chloe was just laid off and desperately needs this job." "She's not like you, who only knows how to live off my money." My hand holding the phone lost all its strength and dropped to my side. Chloe smirked, leaning in close. "Want to know why Julian was so shocked when he heard you were pregnant?" "Because he's been slipping birth control pills into your food every single day." "He only wants babies carried by me. He's terrified you'll give birth to a freak just like you." "And your miscarriage back then? He spilled that water on the floor on purpose. He hated touching your bruised, hideous body." Chloe laughed wickedly. Her words froze me in place like an icy bucket of water. I had truly believed he loved me back then. But he had already checked out of our marriage long ago. My mind went completely blank. I clenched my fists so hard my nails cut into my palms. Chloe let out a sinister chuckle. "Want to see who Julian really cares about?" Before I could react, she clapped her hands, and a group of hired thugs burst into the office. "Take her," she ordered. I fought back with everything I had, but their brutal grip only caused my fragile skin to tear and bruise instantly. The office was crowded, but not a single person stepped in to help me. My phone, lying on the floor, buzzed with a text from Julian. "Elena, once you're done throwing your tantrum, come home." I let out a bitter, lifeless laugh. With my neck bruised and swollen from their rough handling, I was dragged to a shady VIP lounge at a local bar. A group of men surrounded me, forcing alcohol down my throat. Julian, having somehow gotten word, burst into the room. When he saw me being held down and forced to drink, rage flared in his eyes. But right then, Chloe wailed from the couch. "Julian, save me!" Julian saw Chloe, who was also being held by some men. He froze, his steps toward me halting instantly. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then looked at me. "Elena, just hang in there for a moment!" He lunged at the men touching Chloe, screaming, "Get the hell off her! Don't touch her!" Chloe was bleeding from somewhere, and Julian's hands began to shake with panic. Without a single backward glance, he scooped her up and ran to his car. I screamed his name, but he never turned around. The men in the room turned back to me. One of them aggressively ripped the buttons off my shirt. The sheer force left deep, horrific purple bruises all over my skin. But as they stared at my body, which was rapidly turning black and blue from the minor struggle, they stopped. "What the hell is wrong with this woman?" "We barely touched her and she's already covered in bruises. This is bad luck. Let's get out of here!" For the first time in my life, I was grateful for my Butterfly Skin. I pulled out my phone with trembling hands and called my lawyer. "Send the divorce papers to Julian." I gently touched my belly. Julian had been drugging me with birth control, so conceiving this child was a miracle. I couldn't let him hurt this little life. The next morning, I boarded a plane to Europe with my parents. Julian, I hope we never meet again in this life or the next.