Chapter 5

I stalked after Luther and watched as he attentively took care of Reya until the doctor permitted her to leave the hospital.

Upon returning to Reya’s house, she clung onto him and lamented, "Now that my parents are gone, you’re the only one I can count on, Luther. I’ve had nightmares of being trapped by columns of fire the last two nights. I’m so scared. Could you spend just two more days with me?"

Luther requested days off without a second thought. The same man who claimed that my need for affection was getting on his nerves was now displaying endless patience for another woman. The sight of it pained me.

Reya relied on him for everything, and he was more than happy to oblige her needs.

The pair stayed home for a few days.

Then, Luther received a strange call. At first, he assumed it was a call from work.

As soon as he picked up the phone, he was assaulted by my father’s furious voice.

"My daughter has been lying in the morgue for seven days, but you don’t even care about her! I disown you as a wretched son-in-law!"

Luther was furious as well and snapped back at him, "How long are you people going to keep up this song and dance? Have you forgotten that time you told me about the car accident? Is this another one of your antics?

"Tell her she can forget about faking her death! Let her know I will not let her get away with it and that I’m going to divorce her!"

My father did not expect Luther to snap back at him. He could not believe that the son-in-law whom he had been trying to get in contact with for so many days would say such cruel things to him.

"My daughter and I will not let you and the perpetrator get away with it!"

Luther thought my father was being ridiculous. He hung up angrily while Reya looked at him with concern. "Luther, did someone make you upset?"

Luther pinched his eyebrows and tried to calmly assure her, "Nothing, it’s just Amaranth getting her father to scare me."

After that, he chuckled in a baffled manner. "They are a very strange family. What kind of father would make up a story about his daughter being in the morgue? I can’t believe it."

Something flickered in Reya’s eyes. "Since Amaranth is being so ridiculous, have you decided you were going to divorce her?"

Luther suddenly fell silent.

After what seemed like forever, he spoke meekly, "Well, I only said what I said out of anger and thought if I threatened her with divorce, she would behave. We have been married for five years after all…"

He brushed at his face and his tone suddenly softened, "Although Amaranth was a little out of line with you, we do usually get along pretty well, and she takes good care of me. My parents and colleagues are very fond of her, too."

As it turned out, Luther remembered the good parts of me.

Over the last ten years, we had gone from friends to lovers. I forced myself to be strong so I could become a safe harbor for him.

Whenever he came home tired from work, I would greet him with food fresh from the stove. I would listen to him rant about work and massage him in the bath.

I would also buy gifts for his colleagues and invite them to dinner at our place to help him build rapport with them.

Whenever he was busy with work, I would attend to his parents for him. When his parents became sick and bedridden, I would be with them throughout the day and look after them as if they were my parents.

However, I soon realized that I was not stirred by the emotive look in his eyes. If anything, I think he was only lamenting not having me around as a helper anymore.

When Luther began to go on about the things he appreciated about me, Reya’s expression dropped.

"Luther…"

Before she could continue, the front door of her house was suddenly thrown open with a powerful kick.

I turned in the direction of the commotion and spotted Luther’s father storming into the house.

"You little brat!"

He grabbed a cup and flung it in Luther’s direction without warning.

"Now I understand why Amaranth died without anyone to save her! How dare you spend time with this wretched vixen when something so terrible has happened to your wife?"

Luther seemed taken aback by this. When he came to, he grabbed his father and asked, "Why are you playing into Amaranth’s lie? There’s no end to this woman’s nonsense. I…"

His father slapped him straight across the face with his hands trembling the entire time.

"Nonsense? You’re the one who is being nonsensical! Don't you know your wife is dead? You were the one who abandoned her in the fire and were responsible for her burning to death!"