My husband Locked Me in a Burning Building for Her

The phone on the bathroom counter rang. "Miss Lockhart, this is the ninth time you've scheduled an abortion at our hospital." "The first eight times, you canceled just an hour before your appointment." "Please don't keep taking up appointment slots you don't intend to use. I'm going to have to cancel this appointment for you..." The staffer on the line sounded thoroughly fed up. I rested my hand on the slight swell of my belly. I made up my mind this time. My voice came out dry. "No need." "I'll be there on time tomorrow." Xavier didn't come home all night. The next morning, I got up early and headed straight to the hospital. Three hours later, the baby was gone for good. I returned to the mansion, still aching from the procedure. The sound of a party spilled out from inside. "Congratulations on Zoey waking up!" "Last night Xavier totally fell for it. He really thought Zoey wasn't going to make it." "You didn't see the look on his face. He was frantic with worry." Inside, Xavier's friends were ribbing him. Then someone made a suggestion. "Xavier, let’s throw a party to celebrate Zoey waking up!" "Why don't we have Chloe put on a little show for us? A bowl of rice mixed with industrial chili essence." I froze, stunned by those words. My face was still swollen, raw, and unbearably itchy from the chili. It stung every time I moved a muscle. I couldn't stop myself from reaching up to scratch it, and I heard Xavier laugh softly. "Why not?" "Perfect timing. Let's do it to cheer Zoey up." "Chloe used to do mukbang anyway. A little chili won’t hurt her." His words were so cold that I could hardly believe they were coming from the man I'd married. Back when I was doing mukbangs, most of my videos featured spicy food. It took a serious toll on my stomach and nearly wrecked my health. But to scrape together the money for my mother's chemo, I had no choice but to eat. After every livestream, my stomach would burn as if someone had set it on fire. The pain was relentless. It made me stay awake night after night. After I got together with Xavier, I never once complained about how much I’d suffered. I always glossed over it. "I used to do mukbang. I had to eat all kinds of insane spicy food for every stream." Back then, Xavier had pulled me into his arms, his heart breaking for me. He'd whispered the same promise in my ear again and again. "It's all behind you now. With me, you'll never have to do mukbang again." I believed him. I shut down the account with its millions of followers. We got married, and we started trying for a baby. I never imagined that, just four months into my pregnancy, everything would change so completely. Holding the abortion paper in my hand, I walked into the mansion, one step at a time. "Xavier, I'm not going to eat that industrial chili essence anymore." "What did you say?" Xavier's brows drew together. Disappointment darkened his eyes. "Chloe Lockhart, you're the one who did wrong. Why don't you feel a shred of remorse?" "Fine, you won't eat the chili essence. Then get on your knees right now and apologize to Zoey!" His voice thundered with rage as he strode toward me. He grabbed my arm and roughly dragged me over to Zoey. Someone emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of rice drenched in industrial chili extract. The mixture was so dark red it looked almost black. "Chloe, Xavier says you get to pick!" "So what'll it be?" Everyone stared at me, eager to see which humiliation I'd choose. A sharp ache twisted through my lower abdomen, forcing me to hunch over slightly. I was just about to open the abortion paper, when someone shoved me hard to the floor. "Looks like she picks kneeling and apologizing!" I caught myself with both hands, but before I could even figure out what was happening, someone grabbed the back of my head and forced it down again and again, smashing my skull against the hardwood. Thud.Thud.Thud. A dull roar filled my ears, drowning out everything else. After a while, I couldn't even tell how many times they'd slammed my head against the floor. Then I heard Zoey , her voice dripping with false sweetness. "It's fine. I forgive you, Chloe."

"Just let her go!" The hands released my head. I collapsed to the floor, and everything went black. I was barely conscious, struggling to make sense of what was happening. Then Zoey spoke up, her voice suddenly turning wistful. "Our last party got ruined. Such a shame." "How about we make up for it with another party today?" The moment she finished speaking, the room erupted in laughter and enthusiastic agreement. Xavier hauled me up and shoved me into the car. My ears were still ringing when his icy voice cut through the haze. "Chloe Lockhart, Zoey's being generous enough to let this go. Don't you dare cause any more trouble." "Xavier Sheldon, I got rid of the baby." My throat was raw, and every word hurt, but I forced them out anyway. His expression changed instantly. "What did you say?!" He slammed on the brakes. Xavier turned, his face contorted with disbelief. "Chloe Lockhart!" "There's a limit to how far you can take a joke!" "The baby isn't some tool for your petty jealousy!" "I don't want to hear another word like that!" His brows drew together, and his hands tightened around the steering wheel. I was sprawled across the back seat, still trying to catch my breath, when he suddenly slammed his foot on the gas. Bang. I pitched off the seat, and a sharp pain tore through my belly. I cried out. But in the passenger seat, Zoey merely smiled and cranked up the volume. The music blared so loudly that it drowned out every sound I made. The car lurched and bounced the entire way there, leaving me nauseated and fighting the urge to throw up. By the time we arrived, I was barely able to stand. Xavier dragged me into the same private dining room as before. "I'll order first!" "So, do you still want it spicy?" "She does. Let's set her up a table all to herself." The teasing came at me from all directions. Exhausted and barely able to stay upright, I leaned against the wall. A few minutes later, the dishes came out one after another. I dragged a chair over and was just about to sit down when Zoey picked up her chopsticks and suddenly began to sniffle. "Xavier, what can I do?" "I think I've developed some kind of trauma around eating." "Now, every time I see food, I remember how I went into shock from the chili that day." "Am I never going to be able to eat normally again?" Zoey's sobs grew louder, echoing through the room. I was still standing beside the chair I'd dragged over, too weak even to sit down. Someone spoke up. "Zoey's traumatized, and it's all because your wife insisted on ordering chili dishes." "So let's bring out some chili and have her eat it right in front of Zoey. Problem solved, right?" The man grinned as he pulled seven cans of industrial-grade chili extract from his bag. "Good thing I swiped a little from Xavier's place!" The chili extract was so dark red it looked almost black. Even with the cans sealed, its pungent, acrid smell was unmistakable. I stepped back without thinking. Xavier suddenly blocked my way. "Chloe, didn't you hear him?" "Zoey's traumatized. She can't even eat!" He locked one arm around my waist and, as casually as if he were seasoning his own dinner, poured the black-red chili extract over a bowl of rice. "Eat it!" "Don't make me force you!" The acrid smell hit me so hard I could barely breathe. I struggled hard, trying to refuse. Xavier took advantage of my struggle and jammed the bowl against my lips. "Mmph—" Scalding rice drenched in industrial chili extract was forced into my mouth. I clutched at my chest. My face turned red as the burning sensation overwhelmed me. "Wow! It really worked!" "Xavier, I actually have an appetite now!" Zoey immediately reached for the nearest dish and took a bite. She chewed slowly before pursing her lips in displeasure. "Xavier, one bite and I don't want any more." "Does Chloe Lockhart have to keep eating chili before I can get food down…?" Her voice was soft and apologetic, as though she felt guilty for asking.

"Maybe we should just forget it. It's fine if I don't eat..." Xavier frowned and didn't let her finish. He forced my mouth open again and shoved another mouthful of rice drenched in industrial-grade chili extract inside. I'd lost count of how many mouthfuls of chili he'd forced down my throat by the time that meal was over. He didn't let go until every dish on the table was empty. The room spun around me. Clutching my chest, I retched over and over, until it felt as though my stomach might come up with everything else. Then Zoey spoke. "Dinner's over!" "Let's have cake!" "Why are you all looking at me? A woman has two stomachs. One for food, one for desserts." Her smug, sing-song voice grated on my already raw nerves. My face was bright red from the chili, and my arms and legs had gone numb. I opened my mouth to refuse. My tongue had swollen so badly that not a single word would come out. I clutched Xavier's arm and shook my head desperately. After hesitating for a few seconds, he frowned and spoke. "Zoey just got her strength back. Show a little consideration." "She was bedridden all that time. How much chili have you even eaten?" Something inside me went cold. Whatever warmth I still felt toward him vanished. I let go of his arm and pulled out my phone and typed. [Keep forcing that industrial chili essence on me and I'm calling the police.] For a moment, the entire room fell silent. Then it burst into laughter. "Sister-in-law, I've heard of people getting arrested for murder," one of them said. "I've never heard of anyone being arrested for making someone eat chili. Why don't you give us a show?" My grip tightened around the phone as I opened the dial pad and entered the emergency number. I was just about to hit the call when Xavier snatched the phone out of my hand. "Enough!" "Chloe Lockhart, are you done making a scene?" "Just a little chili, it won’t hurt you at all." "A woman who used to do mukbang, and now you're playing delicate?" He seemed taken aback by the contemptuous words that had just slipped out, but a moment later, his expression hardened with anger. Then he grabbed my arm and pushed me down into the chair. "Zoey, just order whatever cake you want." The chatter around me faded into a meaningless blur. My eyes were bloodshot, swollen, and burning so badly I could barely keep them open. "Xavier, can I really order anything?" "Then I won't hold back!" Zoey giggled, playfully stuck out her tongue, and rattled off orders for more than a dozen different kinds of cake. I struggled to open my stinging eyes just as someone spoke up. "Xavier, there's no rice left. What do we do? I can have them bring in more and mix the chili in for your wife—" "No need." "This time, just give her the chili straight." Xavier's voice came from beside me, cold and matter-of-fact. My head buzzed. I gripped the hem of my clothes, struggling to believe what I'd just heard. "Xavier, then let's get started! I can't eat a single bite of cake until I see Chloe eat her chili!" The moment Zoey's urging rang out, Xavier opened a can of industrial chili essence and poured it into a bowl. He scooped up a heaping spoonful. "Eat." The fumes were even more acrid than before, stinging my nose and throat. I pressed my lips tightly together and struggled against his grip, fighting to keep my mouth shut. In the struggle, the bowl in his hand went flying, spilling its contents all over the table. Every cake on the table was coated in the reeking chili oil. "Ah! My cake!" Zoey's shriek of dismay rang in my ears. Xavier seized my arm, scooped up a heaping spoonful of cake soaked in chili oil, and rammed it into my mouth. "Chloe Lockhart, you ruined the food. You finish it." He forced one spoonful after another down my throat, each bite drenched in the burning chili oil. I hadn't even managed to chew when my throat suddenly constricted. I couldn't breathe. "Mmgh—" The cake was made with mango. I'm allergic to mango. My arms and legs I hadn't even managed to chew when my throat suddenly constricted. I couldn't breathe. "Xavier, something's wrong with your wife, I think…?" "Her face—where did all those red welts come from?" Xavier's hand stopped midair. He looked down at the cake smeared with mango, and his whole body went rigid. "Chloe?!" "Wake up!" He frantically patted my back, trying to get a response. Then, fumbling with the pocket of his suit, he pulled out the allergy medication he always carried with him. He had just twisted off the cap when my phone rang. "Miss Lockhart, we're calling to follow up on your abortion procedure." "After this morning's procedure, have you felt any discomfort?" "Miss Lockhart?" "Are you available for a call right now?" "If you're unable to talk right now, we can call back later..." The caller was about to hang up when Xavier's fingers tightened around the medicine bottle. His voice came out hoarse. "What did you say?" "You're saying Chloe had an abortion?"