Chapter 2

By the time I woke up, Liam was already gone.

The living room was spotless. Even his coat from last night was neatly hung back on the rack.

There was a breakfast prepared by Liam on the table.

Next to it was a sticky note: Wait for me to come home. I'll make your favorite steak.

I picked up the plate, walked to the kitchen and poured the breakfast into the rubbish bin.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from him.

Emma, I'm at the funeral home. Did you have the breakfast?

I didn't reply.

A few minutes later, another message came through.

Once I finish this week, I'll spend more time with you. Olivia and I really are just colleagues.

I stared at the screen for a long time before finally typing back one line.

9 AM. Don't be late.

Then I blocked his number.

At eight-thirty, I stood outside my lawyer's office.

People came and went. Most were couples, some clinging to each other sweetly, others staring ahead with cold indifference.

I leaned against a pillar, watching the street. Nine-thirty. He didn't show.

I pulled out my phone, unblocked him, and called.

It rang three times before he declined it.

Rage flared in my chest. I called again.

This time, it went straight to voicemail.

I waited another half hour. Just as I was about to dial again, an unknown number called me.

I answered. A young woman spoke rapidly on the other end.

"Mrs. Vance? This is City General Hospital. Your husband Liam was in a car accident and is currently in the emergency room. We need you to come at once."

I froze, unable to process it.

The voice on the line grew more urgent. "Mrs. Vance? Can you hear me? Mrs. Vance!"

Before she could finish, I hung up and flagged down a cab.

By the time I arrived, Liam had already been moved out of emergency surgery and into a private room. The hallway was packed with people.

Several figures in dark funeral home uniforms stood in a cluster, speaking in low voices.

One of them, a young woman, looked up and saw me. Her eyes immediately turned red as she rushed over.

"Where the hell have you been?! Do you know Liam was calling your name the entire time he was being wheeled into the OR?!"

"How is he?" I asked, looking toward the room.

The woman's eyes went wide with fury, tears streaming down her face.

"What are you planning to do?!"

I ignored her and walked steadily toward Liam's bedside.

He didn't look too bad. One eye was swollen shut, but the other stared directly at me.

"You came... Don't worry. I'm okay."

I clenched my fists, pulled a manila envelope from my bag, and took out the divorce settlement and a pen.

"Sign this, or I won't pay a single cent of your medical bills."

My voice was cold and detached, drawing shocked stares from everyone in the room.

The woman from earlier lunged forward and slapped me hard across the face.

"Liam got into that accident because he was distracted answering your call while working!"

"And you have the audacity to threaten him with this?! Are you even human?!"

Olivia's face was grave. She put a hand on my shoulder.

"Emma, Liam and I really are just colleagues."

"If you truly don't believe us, I'll resign. But you can't treat him like this. You're the only one in his heart."

My cheek stung with pain. I shoved her hand off.

"It's none of your business."

I walked back to Liam's bedside and spoke again.

"Sign the papers, or you may be kicked out of this hospital."

Liam's open eye overflowed with tears.

"Why?" he whispered.

I looked down at him and said flatly, "Because you are so disgusting."

Liam cried harder, his chest heaving with sobs.

"I won't sign. I'd rather die than sign. I love you, Emma. I haven't done anything to betray you."

"I already bought tickets to Hawaii... You said you wanted to go diving..."

Several of the women in the room began crying softly.

A sharp pain flared in my chest, but it faded just as quickly.

I gritted my teeth and gripped the settlement papers even tighter.

"Sign it."