Chapter 8

Eli followed Christina to Jason's hospital room.

The moment Jason saw him, he immediately put on a frightened expression. Christina hurried over and assured him, "Jason, he's here to apologize to you."

There was undisguised triumph in Jason's eyes as he looked at Eli.

Eli pretended not to notice and said expressionlessly, "I'm sorry."

Jason looked dissatisfied. "That apology seems a little too perfunctory, Eli."

Eli had expected this. "Then what do you want me to do?"

Jason let out a cold snort. "If you're sincerely apologizing to me, then you should get on your knees, of course."

Christina frowned and was about to speak, but Eli had already dropped to his knees, his face expressionless.

Her face flashed with shock. "Eli…"

Eli didn't look at her. He simply gazed quietly at Jason. "I'm sorry. Is that enough?"

Only then did Jason smile and nod. "Alright. For Christina's sake, I'll be magnanimous and forgive you."

He pulled out a sheet of paper, signed his name, and tossed it straight at Eli's face.

Eli skimmed the document and saw that it was a letter absolving him of all responsibility for the incident. His expression remained calm as he folded it away, then turned to Christina.

"Can you give me my son now?" he asked.

When Christina saw the dead look in Eli's eyes, her heart tensed with unease. She handed him the urn. It was cold and hard, yet Eli cradled it in his arms as carefully as if he were holding his most precious treasure.

She followed him out of the hospital room. Reaching out, she caught his arm. As she looked at his pale face, her voice softened. "Darling, can we please stop this now? You used to be such a thoughtful and kind man. Why have you become like this?"

Sighing, she reached out and pulled him, urn and all, into her arms. Her eyes reddened slightly.

"Since you injured Jason, while he's in the hospital, I have to take care of him myself. You've always wanted us to have a wedding and make our marriage public, haven't you?

"Well, all you have to do is stop causing so much trouble. Once this is all settled, we'll have one. We'll officially make it public that you're my husband, Eli.

"From now on, we'll live happily ever after, okay? We'll have another child, alright?"

Eli looked at her. Even now, after everything that had happened, she still thought he was just throwing a tantrum. How could she still have the nerve to talk to him about living happily ever after together?

The tenderness and helplessness she showed him now only made her seem all the more phony to him, and it sickened him.

Through all those countless confrontations, if she had chosen him and trusted him without hesitation even once, things wouldn't have come to this. They would never have lost their son.

Clutching the urn tightly to his chest, Eli broke free of Christina's embrace. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.

Feeling an emptiness in her chest, she called after him, "I won't be able to get away for the next couple of days. Remember to go to the courthouse and cancel the divorce petition."

Eli's footsteps only faltered for half a second before he carried on walking away.

…

Two days later, Eli received a notice from the courthouse. He grabbed his luggage and went to the courthouse to pick up his copy of the divorce certificate.

As for Christina's copy, he had it delivered to her company via courier service. After putting away the divorce certificate, he hugged the urn tightly and boarded a train back to his hometown.

As he watched the scenery rush past outside the window, the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.

"Zach, Daddy's taking you home."

Life was filled with endless regrets, and his unwavering devotion had ultimately earned him nothing but disappointment.

He never wanted to see Christina again.