Chapter 3

However, Heather turned out to be ungrateful and demanded a divorce. Since she was so determined to court disaster, she could just wait to reap what she sowed.

I couldn't be bothered to stick around and watch Heather and Lucas flaunt their love, so I turned to leave. However, Heather called out and stopped me.

For a moment, I thought she'd had a change of heart, but her next words plunged me into an icy abyss.

"Randall, since you've already signed the divorce agreement, let's go to the courthouse right now to get the divorce process over with, so we can get the divorce certificate as soon as possible."

I never expected Heather to be in such a hurry. Six years together, and she couldn't spare even a shred of regard for our marriage?

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and said coolly, "Let's talk about it tomorrow. I have to go to the hospital for a follow-up and get an IV drip."

Not long ago, Heather had snatched a major deal from a rival company, and they had harbored a grudge ever since. They hired someone to deliberately ram a car into her on her regular route, intending to cripple her all over again.

At the critical moment, I threw myself in front of her and saved Heather, but I ended up with myocardial damage. Now I had to go to the hospital every day for check-ups and nutrient infusions just to maintain basic vital signs.

Heather froze for a second, as if only just remembering this had happened.

Just as a flicker of emotion crossed her face, a dark glint flashed in Lucas' eyes. He tugged at Heather's sleeve, and his eyes reddened as he said, "Hattie, Randall was only pretending to back off earlier. He never really intended to go through with the divorce.

"If that's the case, then we should find time to terminate the pregnancy. I don't want my child to be called an illegitimate child after it's born.

"And more than that, Hattie, it pains me to see you torn like this. Randall saved your life, and all those years I was abroad, he was the one by your side, taking care of you. It's only natural you'd waver."

His acting was obviously terrible, yet Heather bought every word of it. The hesitation in her eyes was quickly replaced by icy indifference.

"Randall, I didn't think you were this manipulative, resorting to playing the victim card just to soften me up. You can go to the hospital anytime. To avoid any further complications, we're going to the courthouse today to finalize the divorce!"

Even though I no longer held any expectations for Heather, a dull ache still throbbed in my heart.

When I was first diagnosed with myocardial damage, she had cried and promised to treat me well for the rest of our lives. Yet the lifetime she spoke of had only lasted six short years.

It was because of her that I suffered from myocardial damage in the first place, and she knew full well that if I skipped my IV infusions at the hospital, my life would be at risk.

Yet she insisted I go through with the divorce first just to keep Lucas happy. Was my life really less important to her than getting a divorce?

I felt like six years of my devotion had gone entirely down the drain.

Still, Heather wouldn't be so smug for much longer. After all, everything she now possessed would soon come crashing down because of her own self-destructive choices.

Although getting the divorce certificate would allow me to strip Heather of everything, I had no intention of dying just yet.

So, gritting my teeth, I pleaded, "Heather, my check-up really can't wait. Can you, for the sake of the fact that I once saved your life, put off the divorce until tomorrow?"

Before Heather could speak, Lucas cut in. "Randall, after all this talk, you just don't want to go through with the divorce, do you? You're still putting on a pitiful act, trying to make everyone feel sorry for you and cast me as some unreasonable villain. You're setting me up to be torn apart by public scorn.

"All I want is to be with Heather. Why do you keep standing in our way? You're even going so far as to pressure Hattie with the fact that you saved her life before? Well, since you won't let the three of us be a family, then I'll give you my blessing and leave. Happy now?"