Chapter 1

I awoke as if by some miracle, greeted by a crowded hospital ward and the livestream camera pointed directly at me.

Ella York, my wife, whose dark circles were prominent, tenderly moistened my cracked lips with a cotton swab. She had lost a great deal of weight over the years, and though her eyes showed weariness, they remained deeply affectionate.

"How do you feel, Zack? You see, the doctor says you're doing well and will be speaking again soon."

I noticed Mom and Dad standing beside the hospital bed. Their hearts were heavy with concern and gratitude as they looked at Ella. "You've been through a lot these past five years, Ella. We, the Fuller family, owe you so much."

Ella shook her head. Her voice was thick with emotion yet full of resolve as she said, "Please don't say that, Mom and Dad. It's all worth it now that Zack is awake. It seems like fate was kind to me after all; it really brought Zack back to me."

She brushed away her tears, and her eyes were sparkling with joy as she gazed at me.

I looked back at the perfect woman in silence. I then exerted all my strength to utter my first words after regaining consciousness. "I-I want a lawyer. I-I want to get a divorce."

In that instant, everyone in the hospital ward fell completely silent, while the comments in the livestream interface surged rapidly.

"What's going on here? Isn't this supposed to be a joyful reunion between lovers, filled with tears of happiness?"

"Is Mr. Fuller confused because he spent too long asleep? Is it possible that he is suffering from amnesia?"

"It's the classic amnesia trope for those wealthy families. Maybe his memories were altered."

Ella's hand, which was clenched around the cotton swab, froze in mid-air. Her face turned pale instantly as tears streamed down her face. "W-What are you talking about, Zack? You must still be disoriented. I'm your wife, Ella York!"

Mom rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. "How could you be such a monster, Zack Fuller! Ella has stayed faithful to you like a widow for five years! How could you just divorce her the moment you regained consciousness? How could you be so heartless!"

Dad was more level-headed than Mom. He asked, "Do you realize what you just said, Zack?"

I nodded calmly in response.

Dad shook with fury. "You damn fool! You must still be confused from sleeping too long to spout such nonsense! Have you no conscience?"

Ella threw herself in front of Mom, weeping. "Please don't hit Zack anymore, Mom. He's just disoriented from waking up. I don't hold it against him; I'm fine with anything as long as he recovers."

She wept piteously, looking as though she had been deeply wronged, yet she still chose to be magnanimous.

It was then that the door to the hospital ward swung open and my cousin, Henry Lund, sauntered in.

He took one look at the scene and sneered, saying, "You've actually woken up, Zack! You see, I thought you'd kicked the bucket! You want a divorce, right? You can rest assured that I'll find you the best lawyer in the city and ensure that Ella gets nothing in the settlement!"

Seething with rage, Dad grabbed a glass of water from the table and hurled it at Henry. "Get the hell out of here, you miserable brat!"

Henry dodged the glass with ease and walked right up to my bed. He then added with a tone carrying a hint of provocation, "You'd better think this through, Zack. You see, if you go through with this divorce, that 51% stake in your company is going to be up for grabs."

I faced his provocative gaze and said with great effort, "I'll transfer all of those shares to you, so get right to it!"