Chapter 1

At the butcher stall that reeked of meat, I caught the scent of a familiar perfume.

“Pete, it’s been a while!”

She was wearing expensive clothes with a full face of make-up as she appeared before me.

I was not affected at all. I treated her like all other customers. I asked, “It’s three dollars per pound for pork and five dollars per pound for ribs. What do you want?”

She frowned as her gaze became conflicted.

Looking at my dirty clothes, she said guiltily, “You’ve been raising Poppy alone all these years. It must have been tough on you.”

I said indifferently, “Poppy’s dead.”

I thought that I would burst into tears when I mentioned my daughter’s death, but I did not.

I only felt a coldness in my empty heart.

Bella Anderson’s eyes widened in shock.

“When did that happen?”

“Three months after my wife died.”

She teared up immediately. She wanted to touch my hand, but then stopped and clenched it into a fist.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault!

“I didn’t have a choice other than faking my own death back then. I—”

I pulled my hand back and interrupted her coldly, “If you’re not going to buy anything, please leave.”

Bella wanted to say something, but I pointed at her phone.

Someone was calling her. The caller ID was her husband’s.

She frantically put her phone face down. After a long while, she said, “I have to take this call.”

Then, she covered her hand over the phone speaker, turned around, and whispered to the person on the other end.

“I bought some ribs. I’ll make stew for you tonight.”

When she faced me again, I had placed two pounds of ribs before her.

“Have a good day.”

She paused. I went to attend to my other customers, so she had no choice but to leave with the ribs.

After a while, I received a bank transfer of a million dollars.

There was no note, but I knew she was paying that to me as compensation.

However, the money had arrived too late. It was as late as her apology.

A vendor that I had worked with for a long time called me and told me that there was a dinner party tonight.

He told me to deliver a whole pig over. The buyer was a very rich man. He offered to pay three times the market price.

I went to the mansion following the address I was given. The man at the entrance saw me and looked shocked.

“Professor Taylor, it’s only been five years! Why do you look so haggard?”

Someone asked him curiously, “Mr. Reid, do you know him?”

Carlson Reid smiled. “Yes, he’s my wife’s ex-husband.

“He’s also the person who faked his research findings five years ago!”

At Carlson’s words, everyone looked at me in disgust.

Back then, the incident had been a huge deal. I was researching cancer medicine.

During the clinical trial period, many patients died because of the medicine.

I was sued.

Even though I had proven my innocence, my daughter died because no one took care of her when I was locked up for three months.

The culprit who had caused this tragedy was standing smugly before me.