Chapter 4

The screen was already on the audio recording page.

I was just about to tap it when the ward door was suddenly slammed open with a loud bang.

Startled, my hand shook.

…

Standing in the doorway was Rebecca, who had rushed back in a hurry. She was still wearing the hiking outfit from yesterday. Sweat clung to her face, her hair stuck messily to her cheeks.

Before I could say a word, she swept her eyes around the ward.

Then her expression darkened at once. "Noah, have you had enough of this nonsense? Where is Ryan?"

Chase, who had followed her in, immediately joined in and accused me as well.

"Rebecca saw the hospital location you sent and really thought something had happened to Ryan. We rushed back without stopping for a second! We almost got into a car accident on the way!"

He turned to Rebecca and added, "I told you he was lying."

So they could make it back to the hospital after all. Then why couldn't they come earlier?

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my emotions under control.

Rebecca looked at me with nothing but disappointment, as if I were the one who had done something wrong. She didn't even want to hear my explanation.

It was obvious she had lost all patience and no longer cared to pretend.

She pulled a divorce agreement from her bag and flung it at me.

"Let's get a divorce. I'm really exhausted. You're not fit to attend Ryan's engagement party today!"

She gritted her teeth. "So you won't disgust him with a brother-in-law who keeps cursing him to die."

Her words showed no concern for my dignity at all.

Ever since Chase returned to the country and reconnected with her, we had argued countless times.

She claimed he was just a close friend—someone who understood her soul.

I had believed it too. After all, I was the one living with her.

Because I loved her, I was willing to compromise again and again. But now, I felt nothing for her anymore.

I asked coldly, "Did you read the message I sent you?"

Before she could answer, I took out Ryan's death certificate and threw it at her.

"I'm not fit to go—neither are you! When Ryan needed you, you weren't there. Now he's already—"

Before I could finish, Rebecca didn't even look at what was written on the paper.

She tore it into pieces and tossed them back at me.

"Today is Ryan's big day. I can't believe you'd do this. You're disgusting! Hurry up and sign the divorce papers. I don't want to spend another second with you."

Suddenly, Chase's phone rang, cutting off her shouting.

"What? The engagement party's canceled?"

Hearing this, Rebecca snatched the phone from his hand and confirmed it several times.

After hanging up, both of them were furious and immediately assumed it was my doing.

Chase was so angry that he punched me outright.

"Noah, you're being way too petty! No matter what, you shouldn't take it out on Ryan's engagement party!"

The venue had been arranged by him personally—at his family's hotel.

Rebecca, humiliated and enraged, rushed over and began hitting me with her bag, despite being in a hospital.

"Yesterday, you said Ryan was dead, and today you canceled his engagement party! Are you only happy if you completely destroy him?"

My body was already pushed past its limit. I tried to fight back, but Chase pinned me down so I couldn't move.

The commotion in the ward was so loud that it alarmed Dr. Parker, who rushed in and shouted at them to stop.

"Dr. Lawson, stop this at once! Ryan… suffered a heart attack yesterday and passed away."