Chapter 2

Our daughter was critically ill, her life hanging by a thread, yet all she cared about was her dear Ryan.

In that moment, I clenched my fists, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Lily, your daughter's fever has reached 104°F, she's been hoping you'd come see her, yet you're sitting here playing with your phone?"

To my surprise, she looked completely indifferent.

"It's just a fever, take some medicine and she'll be fine! Why make such a fuss?"

"I don't see you making such a big deal when I have a fever."

Making a fuss?

Last month when she had a fever of 102°F, I came home late from work and spent hours making porridge for her.

But she complained it was too bland and wouldn't eat it, saying the porcelain bowl was too tacky, unlike the exquisite ones Ryan had given her.

In contrast, when Ryan was alive.

He once gave her free seaweed soup from the cafeteria, and she was deeply touched, saying it tasted like a three-Michelin-star dish.

A wave of bitterness washed over me.

"Lily, Emma has leukemia, and now her white blood cell count has dropped dramatically."

"You should know that even a small illness could be fatal for her!"

Red-eyed, I showed her the payment slip on my phone.

"I only have $15,000, and we still need another $5,000."

"If we can do this surgery, Emma's chances of survival will greatly increase."

But Lily kept typing on her phone, not even looking at me.

"What leukemia? It's just a small cold."

"Hospitals are all scams, why would she need surgery? Be careful not to get ripped off."

"Rather than wasting so much money on them, why not spend it on something meaningful?"

She looked up, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

"Honey, to accumulate good karma for you and Emma, I just subscribed to ChatGPT for Ryan."

"This is like extending his life."

"Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, heaven will bless you in the future!"

I was stunned, not yet reacting when I felt my phone vibrating frantically in my pocket.

It was a new bank card transaction message.

"Your ChatGPT membership subscription has been credited, successfully unlocking 30 years."

"Bank card ending in 8863 deducted $150,000, balance $0.82."

In an instant, shock mixed with anger burst through my skull.

"You used Emma's life-saving money?"

I felt cold all over, looking at her in disbelief:

"Lily! You've gone mad! $150,000!"

"The medical fees I worked so hard to save! You spent it all on AI?"

"How could you spend it all? What about Emma?"

Faced with my questioning, she frowned, her beautiful face full of displeasure.

"You have the nerve to blame me?"

She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face.

"Jack Thompson, who told you to be so useless."

"You only saved $15,000 in a year, and you're breaking down over me spending a little money?"

"Instead of wasting time, why don't you go deliver more food to save your daughter."

I suddenly felt utterly disappointed.

In seven years of marriage, Lily had never looked for a job.

Daily living expenses, mortgage, and car payments were all my responsibility, leaving basically no savings from my monthly salary.

Besides my main job, I would deliver food after work to supplement our household income.

All the burdens of life were on my shoulders, yet in Lily's words, I had become a useless man.

Suddenly, I felt that all these years of effort, and the so-called wife and daughter who kept me going through wind and rain, were just a joke.

Looking at her, my lips moved.

But in the end, I said nothing.

Lily, loving you has truly exhausted me.

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