Chapter 3

After I left, I moved into the apartment Cassy had prepared for me.

The moment I settled down, I received a payment reminder from the hospital.

Immediately afterward, Sophia sent me a message.

[Since you want a divorce, I’ll make good on my word. I can’t help but wonder if your father will even live to see the day you have the money to pay.]

She always thought I could not live without her. She had always been convinced that I would never divorce her.

I blocked and deleted her.

Little did she know that Cassy had already transferred a year’s worth of my father’s medical expenses to my account.

I threw myself wholeheartedly into uncovering the truth.

After three days and three nights of relentless work, I finally uncovered a glimmer of evidence amid the mountain of documents.

I was the project contractor, Sophie was the investor, and Yohan was the nobody she had forced onto my team.

But what I never expected was that Yohan would embezzle funds!

The procurement records showed massive underreporting of steel and cement usage. The extent of the shoddy workmanship was shocking.

It was no wonder that the bridge collapsed completely just one week after it opened to traffic.

After organizing all the evidence, I immediately drove to the police station.

The next second, a piercing honk rang in my ears.

As if out of control, a large truck slammed straight into the side of my car.

“Bang!”

My car was sent flying several yards away. It rolled over before coming to a stop.

A strong, metallic smell of blood instantly filled my mouth and nose.

The excruciating pain in my body nearly made me pass out. Through the shattered window, I saw Yohan walking toward me with a smug expression.

I tried to break free, but my legs were pinned tight. Every attempt to move sent waves of agony through my entire body.

“What are you doing…?”

He laughed. His voice was light and airy.

“Isn’t it obvious, Mr. Tate?”

He pressed down harder with his foot, crushing my face mercilessly.

“If you’re going to blame anyone, blame yourself for not knowing when to back down. Why didn’t you just get a clean divorce and play the scapegoat?

“You just had to go digging for the truth…”

His face contorted into a snarl as he growled.

“Do you know you’re going to get me killed?”

His voice suddenly turned shrill and venomous.

“However, I don’t want to die! So, you’ll have to take my place!”

At some point, he had grabbed an iron bar.

Without a word, he swung it viciously at me.

In that instant, I thought I heard the sound of bones snapping. An excruciating pain instantly swept through my body.

Suddenly, the sound of brakes screeching came from the distance, followed by Sophie’s anxious voice.

Blood was gushing from my head. I endured the agony as I looked at her pleadingly.

But the words that slipped from her lips left me feeling utterly devastated.

“Yohan, are you okay? Are you hurt? Don’t you know that if we get caught, you’ll go to jail?!

“Didn’t I tell you to leave everything to me? You didn’t need to take this risk!”

Her speech grew faster and faster. It revealed the intense anxiety within her.

It only made my situation seem all the more pitiful.

Gritting my teeth, I questioned, “Why?”

Sophie seemed to have just noticed me, and a complex expression flashed across her eyes.

“Javier, you’re my husband. You have me. No matter what, I’ll always love you.

“But Yohan is different. He’s still young, and his record can’t afford a single blemish. As long as you give up on uncovering the truth, go to the police station to turn yourself in, and admit to the charge of skimping on materials, I won’t hold your affair with Cassy against you anymore. I’ll even take good care of your father.”

I could not help but laugh out loud. As I laughed, tears slid down the corners of my eyes.

Sophie was actually using my father to force me to confess.

The last shred of hope I had for her was completely shattered.

“No way!”

She paused, then raised her voice.

“Javier, what more do you want?

“It’s just a few years in prison at most. Time flies. If that’s not enough, I’ll throw in an extra million. Is that good enough for you?

“You really are all about money.”

I clenched my fists and emphasized each word.

“In your dreams!”

Sophie was instantly consumed by rage and kicked me in the head.

The sharp stiletto heel pierced straight into my wound. She twisted it relentlessly.

“Who gave you the nerve to talk to me like that? Was it Cassy?

“I knew it. You’ve been in cahoots with her all along! No wonder the hospital called to say the fees had been paid. Javier, you’re such a piece of trash. I bet you paid for the treatment by selling your body!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and her voice grew louder too.

“Since you refused my offer, I’m going to make it so that you took your own life out of guilt.”

She turned to reassure Yohan.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, not a single drop of blood will stain your hands.”

With that, she turned and got back into the car.

Yohan laughed maniacally. “See? In Sophie’s heart, I’m the one who matters most!

“What about you? You’re nothing but a shadow! You’re doomed to live in the mud for the rest of your life! Taking the fall for me is the only chance someone like you will ever have to shine.

“After you’re dead, I’ll take over your woman and your fortune. After that, I’ll be sure to enjoy a good life in your place.”

The pain had already clouded my consciousness. I was too weak to argue.

The sound of the car starting echoed in my ears.

Blood blurred my vision as that massive black shadow rapidly closed in on me.

Despair wrung itself tight around me. I had thought that by travelling back in time, I could change the outcome.

I struggled to open my mouth and whispered, “Even if I die, you won’t be the last ones laughing!”

Suddenly, another shadow shot out at lightning speed!

In the blink of an eye, a massive crash echoed through the air.

“Boom!”