Chapter 4

The crushing heartbreak combined with the physical torment drained the very last of my strength.

My vision went black, and I finally surrendered to unconsciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, the familiar smell of hospital disinfectant filled the air.

Seeing that I was awake, Ethan rushed to press my hand against his cheek.

"Susan, you're finally awake! Our baby is fine, don't worry."

I stared at him for a quiet moment, then slowly pulled my hand from his warm grip and turned my head away.

Ethan assumed I was still angry and began to explain with forced patience.

"Chloe... she has two kids on her own, life is already hard enough for her. She can't be washing dishes in cold water."

"Otherwise, my brother would never let me rest in peace, even in my dreams."

I bit my pale lip and let out a bitter smile.

"Isn't the baby in my stomach yours, Ethan? Why do I have to live like that?"

A hint of mockery crept into Ethan's tone.

"Susan, back when you worked as a dishwasher in that kitchen, didn't you wash everything in cold water anyway? Why are you being so delicate now?"

"Chloe isn't like you. She's a pianist. You know how precious her hands are."

"You've endured so much all these years. Can't you just bear it a little longer for me?"

I stared at him in stunned silence, completely speechless.

Back when his startup failed, I was the one working three jobs day and night to keep us afloat.

I took care of his aging parents so he wouldn't have a single worry weighing on him.

I even stayed up all night polishing his business proposals, helping his company secure its very first major contract.

That was how he built his empire today.

Yet in the blink of an eye, every sacrifice I made had turned into a weapon Ethan used to stab me.

How utterly ridiculous.

"Ethan, you are shameless."

My words seemed to trample on his fragile male ego.

Ethan threw his arm back and shoved my hand away violently.

The IV needle ripped out, and blood instantly spurted from the back of my bruised hand.

He didn't even care.

"Susan, can't I talk any sense into you? Do you really have to pick a fight with me right now?!"

Just as I opened my mouth, Ethan's phone rang.

His tense expression instantly softened into gentleness.

"Hello? Okay, don't panic, I'm on my way right now."

Ethan stood up, grabbed his coat, and threw a heartless rebuke over his shoulder.

"This is all because of you! Chloe's depression is flaring up again! If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you as long as I live!"

The room went cold as he walked out.

Feeling the faint flutters inside my belly, my heart died completely.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my mother, who lived overseas.

"Mom... I regret it. I never should have married Ethan."

"I want to come home."

Tears soaked into my hair as memories rushed back.

To be with Ethan, I had cut ties with my parents all those years ago.

We hadn't spoken in years.

Yet I knew that the hundreds of thousands deposited into my bank account every year were their silent love and endless concern for me.

On the other end of the line, a reassuring voice answered.

"Sweetheart, as long as you've realized it, that's all that matters. This family will always have your back."

"Mom will book your plane ticket right now."

Hearing my family's comfort broke the dam holding back all my grief.

I clutched the blanket tightly and sobbed until I had nothing left.

It was as if I wanted to cry out every tear I had for the rest of my life.

From now on, I would never shed a single tear for Ethan again.

After the flight was booked, I went back home.

I opened the drawer and pulled out the marriage certificate that had gathered dust, ready to demand a divorce.

But when I sat down with a lawyer, his words dropped me straight into an icy abyss.

"Ms. Vance, your marriage certificate is counterfeit. It has no legal validity whatsoever."