Chapter 1

The moment I touched the rusted metal door of the police station, the cold sensation jolted me awake.

In my previous life, I had rushed into an abandoned warehouse swinging a brick.

Edmund and his crew surrounded me and slashed at me relentlessly. I shielded Ingrid, blood spattering everywhere.

The worst part was that the tendons in my right hand were completely severed. From then on, I, the factory's finest mechanic, could no longer hold a wrench steady and was relegated to watching over the warehouse.

All the bright prospects that should have been mine were ruthlessly cut short.

The Stewart family, feeling indebted to me, insisted on marrying Ingrid off to me.

I had carried feelings for Ingrid for many years, so I privately asked for her opinion, fearing she was being forced into it. But she bowed her head and said she was willing. I thought she held some affection for me after all.

Yet, after our wedding night, she wouldn't even let me touch her hand.

Every time I accidentally brushed against her, she would rush to the bathroom and frantically scrub her hands, as if I were something filthy.

Later, she became pregnant but suffered terribly from morning sickness. I would make her ginger tea and lemon water every day. Even when she vomited on me, I never showed a hint of disgust.

Her gaze toward me gradually softened, and I thought she was finally beginning to accept me.

Until one day, I discovered a stack of love letters hidden in her wardrobe. All of them were written to Edmund. The handwriting was neat, and the dates were consecutive, without a single day missed.

Some described imagined scenes of intimacy, while others poured out her disgust toward me.

Even the day before she gave birth, she had written, "I wish the one by my side was Edmund, not this useless man I'm with."

I stood before the wardrobe, clutching those letters in my hand, feeling as though a blunt knife were slowly carving out my heart piece by piece.

The police station's metal door creaked, pulling me back to reality.

The officer on duty looked up at me. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I want to report a crime," I replied in an eerily calm voice. "Someone is committing indecent acts at the abandoned warehouse."

This time, I wasn't going to let Ingrid ruin my life again. Let her and Edmund live their perfect love story. I was going to live a different life.

About half an hour later, the officers returned with Edmund and Ingrid.

Edmund was handcuffed, still cursing, while Ingrid kept her head down. Her hair was disheveled, making her look utterly pitiful.

Edmund spotted me and immediately pointed in my direction, shouting, "Officer, he's in love with Ingrid, so he's framing me on purpose. You have to see justice done!"

Ingrid looked at me with disbelief, her expression a mix of shock and anger.

I avoided her gaze and said to the officer, "Officer, I was only here to report the incident. I don't know the specifics, so you'd have to ask them."

With that, I stood up and turned to leave.

"Stop!" Ingrid suddenly rushed in front of me. Then, she grabbed my arm and said through gritted teeth, "Wesley Galvan, why did you do this? You meddling scumbag! What business is it of yours to interfere with me and Edmund?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Ingrid, do you really think it was just you and Edmund in that warehouse? There were seven or eight other people there too. Do you honestly believe Edmund truly cares about you? Or was he just setting you up?"

Even though I had resolved not to get involved with her anymore, I couldn't just stand by and watch her life be destroyed.