Chapter 3

“Ruth told me everything. Your mom’s always getting sick with one thing or another. You’ve never been able to save any money all these years because of her. Honestly, she should be dead.”

I looked at Ruth with a conflicted face when I heard that.

“Zac, if you spend money on your mom’s surgery today, we’re getting a divorce.”

In that instant, my heart sank.

Ruth and I grew up together as childhood sweethearts. All these years, whenever her family had problems, my mother was the one who helped them out.

Even my mother’s chronic health problems were because she had risked her life saving Ruth from under a car in the past.

“Fine. Let’s get a divorce.”

When Craig heard me say that, his eyes lit up.

He continued putting up an act.

“Zac, Ruth only said that to test you. How can you take it seriously? I really have to question your love for Ruth at this point.”

Ruth gave me a cold, sideways glare. “You think you can pressure me by threatening me with a divorce?

“Stop wasting my time! Just sign the Refusal of Treatment form and the form declining to press charges.”

She shoved both the forms in my face.

I sneered and said, “What do I have to sign that? The person in the operating room is your mother.

“You’re the one who should sign it.”

Ruth frowned and glared at me.

“Zac, why are you throwing a fit right now? How could my mother possibly be lying on an operating table? You’ll say anything to trick me into giving you the money.”

Craig nodded. “Yeah, Ruth. Good thing you checked the dive roster beforehand. Otherwise, Zac really would’ve tricked us.”

“What if it really is your mother in the operating room?” I asked again.

Ruth saw how serious I looked. She hesitated a little.

Craig quickly tugged at her sleeve. “Ruth, don’t you fall for it!

“If she survives, you won’t be able to focus on diving anymore. Zac will have a million ways to keep you stuck at home taking care of his mom.”

Ruth said firmly, “Even if that is my mother in the operating room, I still wouldn’t save her.”

Just then, a man in a police uniform walked over from a distance.

Ruth glared at me. “You called the police?”

I sneered. “What else was I supposed to do? Don’t people have to pay for hurting someone deliberately?”

Craig was panicking.

“No! I’m still so young. I can’t have a criminal record!

“Ruth, didn’t you say you’d protect me? The police officers are coming to arrest me!”

When Ruth saw that I had no intention of signing the form, she signed both forms herself.

Then, she turned to the doctor. “We’re giving up on saving her.”

She looked at me and said, “I signed the form declining to press charges for you. I’m not going to let you ruin Craig’s future.

“As for your mother, I’ll give you ten thousand dollars as compensation. Take the money and stop making a scene.”

I lost all desire to argue with her when I heard her absurd words.

The police officer had indeed come to arrest Craig. “Where’s the suspect?”

Craig quickly hid behind Ruth. She also tensed up.

“Officer, this is all a misunderstanding! It was an accident, and the patient’s family has agreed not to press charges.”

She hurriedly pulled out the form declining to press charges that she had signed.

I grabbed her wrist and tried to reason with her.

“Who are you to forgive a murderer on your mother’s behalf? You’re just helping a monster.”

She pulled her arm away. “I told you! Stop saying that the person in there is my mother!”

I could not persuade her.

Just then, a voice broke the tense atmosphere.

“Ruth, you finally made it!”

My mother’s voice rang out. There she was, walking over while carrying a food container.

Ruth’s eyes went wide. Her expression shifted from surprise to panic.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the operating room? If you’re here, then who’s in there?

“Where’s my mother? No! There’s no way that’s my mother in there.”

Just as she started screaming, the operating room doors opened.

The doctor walked out, pushing a body covered by a white sheet.

“I’m sorry. We couldn’t save her.”

My mother quickly set the food container on the floor and pulled Ruth into her arms.

“Ruth, I’m so sorry! This is all my fault. I should’ve stopped your mother from going into the water with that diver. Otherwise, none of this would’ve happened.”

Ruth was still frozen in shock. Her whole body trembled as she lifted the white sheet in terror.

She lifted it halfway, revealing just enough to see Adeline’s lifeless eyes.

“Mom!”