Chapter 3

“Did you forget how Grandma died? Did you forget how I was ruined… How do you still have the cheek to ask me to be understanding?”

To this day, I still couldn’t understand. How could Sarah be so heartless as to fall in love with the killer who caused Grandma’s death and even get pregnant with his baby, a baby we would never have together?

Recalling those unbearable memories, Sarah’s face turned pale. With red eyes, her lips trembled as she looked at me.

“I’m sorry… Dan, I…”

Digging my fingernails into my palms, I closed my eyes numbly.

“I’m tired. Let’s go to the courthouse.”

When the clerk handed over that official divorce certificate, I froze for a moment. Suddenly, I remembered the day we got legally married.

Back then, Sarah was as happy as a kid, getting our photos taken again and again just to make sure we looked our absolute best. It had only been a few years, yet it felt like a lifetime ago.

By the time I snapped out of it, we were already standing outside the courthouse.

“Dan, let me drive you back.” Sarah grabbed my arm, leading me into the car before I could refuse.

Silence filled the ride. When the car pulled up to my apartment building, she followed me upstairs.

The key turned in the lock, and the moment the door opened, a figure jumped out from the master bedroom. Joseph was throwing himself straight at Sarah.

“Babe, surprise!”

Sarah’s expression changed instantly, and she shoved him away.

“Why are you here? Dan, I didn’t give him the code. I don’t know why he’s here either!” she frantically tried to explain to me.

Only then did Joseph notice me. His face betrayed no attempt to hide the sneer on his face.

“You’re divorced, yet you’re still going home with your ex-wife? Daniel, you really are as pathetic and cheap as ever!”

“Joseph, haven’t you made enough of a scene? You don’t belong here. Get the hell out!” Sarah barked at him.

Joseph was stunned. “Sarah, how could you yell at me like this?”

I ignored them both and walked straight toward the bedroom, wanting nothing more than to pack my things and leave as soon as possible. However, the moment I pushed the bedroom door open, my blood ran cold.

The Doberman that Joseph had brought along was rolling around in a pile of gray powder—my grandmother’s ash—and chewing on a silver watch.

That was my grandmother’s ashes and the heirloom she left for me!

“No!”

I charged forward, throwing myself at the dog to wrench the watch from its jaws. Startled, the Doberman barked and sank its razor-sharp teeth deep into my arm, ripping off a whole piece of flesh.

A sharp pain shot through me, and I sank to my knees.

“Daniel!”

Sarah rushed in. Seeing the scene before her, her face turned terrifyingly white. In a panic, she snatched a heavy vase off the table and smashed it against the rabid Doberman.

With a dull thud, the dog let go and slumped limply to the ground.

“Dan… Dan, how are you feeling?”

She threw herself toward me, her hands trembling as she tried to touch my bleeding arm.

“Get away! Get away from me, all of you!”

I shoved her back, desperately trying to gather the blood-soaked ashes on the floor into my chest like a madman. However, as the blood mixed with the dust, I couldn’t scoop them up no matter how hard I tried.

“This was our grandma! How could you… How could you let someone do this to her?” Tears streamed down my face as my entire body shook from the pain, and I said, “We’re divorced! Why won’t you just let me go?”

Sarah froze. “Don’t do this… Dan, come on. Let’s go to the hospital, okay?”

She dropped to the ground and pulled me tightly into her arms.

Her choked voice was filled with remorse. “I’m sorry, Dan… I’ll have someone fix the watch for you. You’re hurt. Let’s go to the hospital and get you treated first, alright?”

The agony in my wrist had spread throughout my entire body. Powerless to resist, I let her hold me as we sprinted out of the room.

Meanwhile, Joseph watched the whole scene with eyes full of malice.

“Sarah!”

He stood in front of the door, grabbing a kitchen knife and holding it right against his own neck.

He yelled, “Sarah, if you take him to the hospital, I’ll kill myself right now and leave the baby in your belly fatherless!”

Sarah looked at me, who was nearly unconscious, and then at Joseph. A conflicted look flashed in her eyes.

“Joseph, stop this at once!”

With bloodshot eyes, Joseph yelled, “If you walk out that door, I’ll die right in front of you!”

The arms around my waist tightened.

Just when I thought she was going to abandon me for Joseph yet again, Sarah gritted her teeth and spat out, “Whatever.”

After that, she took me straight into the car before dashing to the hospital, running all the red lights along the way.

“Dan, stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Before her words could settle, she had rushed off. As it turned out, she still couldn’t let go of Joseph. That was why she left so hurriedly.

She was in such a hurry that she didn’t even realize she had dropped me off not at the trauma and emergency department but right at the door of the obstetrics and gynecology department.