Chapter 4

I looked at Zoe, then quietly nodded. I reached into my bag, pulled out the divorce papers and a pen, and held them out to her.

"Sign it. You can stay with them for as long as you want. From now on, it won't be any of my business."

Zoe glanced at the documents and fumed. She glared at me, her voice low. "Are you using a divorce to threaten me?"

I couldn't understand what she was talking about. When she refused to take the papers, I shoved them into her hands.

"It's not a threat. I just can't be with you anymore."

My words struck a nerve. Zoe released Liam from her embrace. Frowning deeply, she snapped at me, "What do you mean you can't be with me anymore? We've been fine for the last seven years, and all of a sudden, you can't be with me anymore?"

I wanted to finally say the things I'd kept silent about for years. But Liam suddenly cut in.

"Jared, you haven't met someone else, have you? Sure, Zoe hasn't been home much, but she's always cared about you. You didn't start seeing another woman, did you? That would be cheating. And who's to say the tumor diagnosis is even real? Maybe it's an STD..."

The moment Zoe heard this, she completely panicked. Grabbing my wrist, she demanded, "Is that true? You cheated? Who was it? Was even your illness fake?"

Hearing Liam slander my condition like that, I couldn't stop myself from punching him.

"Aren't you two the ones having an affair here? Don't fucking pin this on me!"

Liam clutched his face, apparently stunned by the punch. He hadn't expected me to lash out. Then, she feigned weakness and pretended to faint again.

"Zoe, I feel so dizzy after getting hit…" As he spoke, he went limp and collapsed into Zoe's arms.

Seeing this, Zoe violently shoved me away and caught Liam. I staggered backward, my abdomen slamming into the edge of the couch.

Pain overwhelmed me. My vision darkened. Instinctively clutching my stomach, I felt wave after wave of dull pain shoot up my spine.

I reached out and grabbed Zoe's sleeve, my voice hoarse. "It hurts! It hurts so bad! Zoe, please help me call a doctor…"

Zoe looked down at me, then sneered. She yanked her sleeve out of my grasp.

"Now, you know what pain feels like? Did you think about that when you hit Liam? Jared, stop pretending. That trick doesn't work on me. I don't have to play house with you here."

With that, Zoe helped Liam out of the room, shouting toward the hallway, "Doctor! Doctor, someone fainted over here!"

But the cramping pain in my stomach was growing more intense. I wanted to call for someone else, but I no longer had the strength. All I could do was watch helplessly as Zoe walked away.

The fluorescent lights above me began to sway. Then, I started vomiting blood uncontrollably.

More and more blood poured out. Then, everything went black.

The doctor said there was nothing seriously wrong with Liam and that he had likely fainted from low blood sugar.

Zoe had just breathed a sigh of relief when she suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of the hospital room. She felt an inexplicable sense of panic. She shot to her feet and started to leave.

Liam tugged at her sleeve and called after her softly. But this time, Zoe didn't stop. She hurried back toward the hospital room. By the time she arrived, the room was packed with people.

Zoe's heart jolted. She desperately pushed through the crowd and rushed inside.

A doctor was performing CPR while shouting, "Clear the way! Everyone, move! The patient fell and suffered a gastric hemorrhage followed by shock! Get him to the emergency room immediately. He's in critical condition!"