Chapter 5

I remained expressionless.

Ivan was taken aback. Once he recovered, he let out a cold snort.

"Looks like you already knew. Trevor, this is your comeuppance. If you'd let me win back then, none of this would've happened. Just look at how weak and pathetic you are now. Why, I almost feel sorry for you."

I laughed. "Look who's talking. At least I can still get a kidney transplant, whereas you're stuck in a wheelchair and can't even stand up. You're the one who's truly screwed."

Instead of getting angry, Ivan burst out laughing. Then, right in front of me, he stood up and even took several steady steps.

With a triumphant laugh, he said, "Bet you didn't see that coming, huh? I've been faking it all along! Trevor, you've finally paid the price for your arrogance. All those five years I spent pretending weren't for nothing!"

I stared at him in utter disbelief as a wave of profound sorrow washed over me.

Because of his supposed paralysis, Carla had deceived me for five years, destroyed my body, and ruined my career.

And yet, his paralysis had been nothing but a lie.

For a brief moment, I actually felt a little sorry for Carla.

All because Ivan had faked his paralysis, Carla had felt so guilty that she sacrificed herself and turned to the dark side just to get revenge on me.

I wondered how she'd react if she ever discovered that the man she loved had been manipulating her all along.

Ivan seemed to guess what I was thinking and sneered. "Carla will never believe you. Don't believe me? Let's put it to the test."

As he spoke, he walked over to the stairwell. Then, he let out a scream and tumbled down the stairs.

Hearing the commotion, Carla rushed over. The moment she saw Ivan covered in injuries, she hurriedly called Betty over to help carry him up.

After comforting Ivan, she strode coldly toward me and slapped me across the face.

"After everything Ivan's been through, why can't you just leave him alone?" she snapped angrily.

"I didn't do anything," I replied calmly.

Carla glared at me in disgust. "You're still lying? If you didn't push him, are you telling me he got out of his wheelchair and deliberately threw himself down the stairs?"

Ivan chimed in, his voice full of wounded innocence. "Yes, I got up on my own and fell down the stairs. Trevor had nothing to do with it. Please don't blame him."

Carla looked at him with heartache and gently reassured him. "Ivan, don't be afraid. I'll make sure you get justice."

She raised her hand to hit me again.

I instinctively lifted my arm to shield myself, forgetting that it was covered in needle puncture marks from dialysis. Her forceful blow landed squarely on my arm, and blood immediately began to seep from the wounds.

I furrowed my brows and let out a muffled groan. The pain was so intense I broke out in a cold sweat.

Carla looked momentarily stunned. She was about to check my injury when Ivan suddenly clutched his head and cried out, "Carla, my head hurts so much! Am I going to die?"

Carla immediately panicked and pushed Ivan away in his wheelchair.

"Trevor, wait here. I'll take Ivan over first, then come back for you."

Betty tended to my wounds, and the people sent to pick me up arrived soon after.

I asked the hospital to retrieve the surveillance footage.

Ivan had no idea the cameras had already captured everything, and there was nowhere left for him to hide behind his lies.

I placed the divorce papers I'd prepared on my hospital bed, then sent Carla the video.

Once that was all done, I turned and walked away.

…

After making sure Ivan was okay, Carla rushed into the hospital room, only to find me gone.

"Where's Trevor?" she asked Betty.

Betty looked confused. "He was transferred to another hospital. Didn't you know that?"

"What do you mean, transferred?"

Carla was still trying to make sense of it when she suddenly spotted the divorce papers on the hospital bed.

She frantically reached for her phone to call me, only to find the video I'd sent her. With a trembling finger, she tapped on it.