Chapter 4

Derek stopped speaking to me altogether.

He seemed to think that I would do what I always did. He expected me to swallow my pride, try to appease him, and put the painting in his hands, begging him to take it.

Instead, I calmly moved my things out and checked into a hotel.

I booked two plane tickets to Fioren.

Once our divorce was finalized, I planned to take Mom to Fioren.

Then a call from the hospital shattered my hopes.

When I got to the hospital, Mom was curled up in a corner, shivering in a thin hospital gown. Two large bodyguards stood beside her, watching her without a hint of concern.

I rushed over, took off my coat, and draped it around her shoulders. Then, I helped her to her feet.

When Mom saw me, tears filled her eyes, but she still forced a weak smile. "I'm okay. Don't worry.

I saw how pale her lips were, and anger surged through me. I turned to the bodyguard beside her and demanded, "How dare you treat Mom like this! Was it…"

But when I saw how sickly Mom looked, I swallowed the name.

One of the bodyguards said coldly, "Since you're here, take her and leave. If you can't afford treatment, then don't get it. She might as well die.

"That's what he said."

My heart sank with dread.

I clenched my teeth and helped Mom along as we went to find her attending physician.

But I was told that her doctor was away for training.

I asked them to find Mom another bed, even if it was only for one day. The staff exchanged uneasy looks and shook their heads. "I'm sorry, Ms. York. We're completely full."

I knew it was an excuse, but there was nothing I could do.

So, I had no choice but to take Mom back to the hotel. I called and visited hospitals all over the city, but I got the same answer everywhere—there were no beds available.

I called Derek.

He answered right away, sounding unconcerned. "What do you want?"

I screamed, on the verge of breaking down. "Derek, you know Mom is sick. How could you do this?

"You could kill her! She's always treated you well. How can you be so cruel? Are you doing this all because of a painting?

"I'll give it to you. Please, take it out on me instead. Mom has done nothing wrong!"

There was silence on the other end of the line.

After a long pause, Derek finally spoke. His voice was icy. "I told you. If you pull anything else and hurt Nina, I'll stop paying for Susan's treatment.

"You went online and spread lies, getting everyone to call Nina a homewrecker. She's very upset.

"This is just a lesson."

I froze. "Wasn't this because I refused to give you the painting? I didn't—"

Derek ended the call before I could finish speaking.

I quickly checked the social media. The hashtag was at the top of the trending list. My eyes narrowed when I saw it.

The post named Nina in the hashtag, accusing her of being a homewrecker.

It included a recording of a conversation from a distance, so the voices were muffled and hard to make out.

But my voice was still recognizable. "And I'll expose Nina for being the homewrecker who came between a married couple!"

I sank beside a flower bed outside the hotel.

The winter wind was bitter, and my hands and feet were freezing.

But I didn't dare go inside.

I couldn't face Mom. After all, she was only suffering because of me.

All I could do was call Derek, but he ignored every call.

Just when I was losing hope, Derek finally answered.

Faced with his silence, I asked him desperately, "What do you want me to do?

Derek chuckled. "Go ahead and make a scene. Post our marriage certificate. Let everyone know we're married, and call Nina a homewrecker."

I froze. "What?"