Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Sorry, we did our best. You should go in and see the patient one last time." My mother-in-law lay on the operating table, unable to speak anymore. Her eyes, however, kept glancing toward the door, searching. Unfortunately, the only one who entered was me. Her daughter, the one she longed to see, was not there. Seeing the elder who treated me like her own son lying there, my heart ached as if it was being torn apart. "Mom, Claudia is on her way. Please hold on a little longer, just one more moment." Hearing my words, my mother-in-law used every ounce of her strength to smile at me. Her tears fell onto the back of my hand. Unable to bear seeing her final wish go unfulfilled, I repeatedly called Claudia Jackson. Alas, no matter how many times I dialed, the other side only returned the mechanical echo of rejection. The following day was Claudia's birthday. My mother-in-law had gone out early to buy groceries to prepare a celebration. Who would have foreseen she would be hit by a car and thrown into the greenery? When she failed to return after so long, I got ready to look for her, reaching for my phone, only to realize she had accidentally taken my phone instead. A deep unease swept over me, wave after wave, until the police finally brought news late into the night. When they found her, my mother-in-law was already on the verge of death. "It was a remote area. After the elderly woman made a distress call, she had no strength left. As her family, you really should've…" It felt as if my heart was clenched even before the officer finished his words. That call was made to Claudi, but she had coldly hung up. Claudia must have thought the call was from me. While waiting outside the operating room, the first call I made to Claudia was answered. "Claudia, come to the hospital quickly, Mom—""Get as far away from me as possible!" Claudia interrupted roughly. "Can't you give me a little privacy? You'd resort to using my mother's phone when I don't answer your calls, just to bother me? My mom is perfectly fine! "If you want to die, just die already!" The call ended abruptly, but before it did, I heard the laughter of Nolan Sanders, her first love. At that moment, my heart ached so much I could barely hold the phone steady. Seeing that she still would not answer, I wiped away my tears and stepped back into the operating room. Before I could kneel by my mother-in-law's side, my phone suddenly rang. However, the voice on the other end froze me in this sweltering summer like I had fallen into an ice cave. "Stop calling already. Claudia just finished her shower, and we're about to go to bed. "Oh, by the way, Claudia is divorcing you soon, so don't cling to her like some pathetic stray dog!" Nolan's voice echoed through the operating room, loud and clear. Every word was heard by my mother-in-law lying on the bed. Tears, mixed with blood from her wounds, seeped into the pillow. Her eyes, however, were filled with pain—not for herself, but for me. She trembled as she gripped my hand, her lips quivering. "I... I'm sorry... on Claudia's behalf... I'm... sorry to you… It's... all my fault... so... sorry..." Even as her voice faltered, my mother-in-law forced herself to speak for Claudia's sake. I leaned close to the oxygen mask, straining to hear her words. Only when the monitor emitted a long, continuous beep did I slowly lift my head. I would never forget that look. Even in death, my mother-in-law did not close her eyes, nor did she get to see Claudia one last time. A nurse stepped forward to catch me as my legs gave way, then covered my mother-in-law with a white sheet. "Time of death: thirteen minutes past ten at night."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

The doctor announced my mother-in-law's time of death, and at that very moment, my phone rang. The screen still bore the bloodstains from her desperate attempt to call for help. I opened the notification and saw it was a friend request on Facebook. [There's something you need to see. You won't regret it.] Against my better judgment, I clicked the 'accept' button. Even though I thought I was mentally prepared, my heart still skipped a beat when I saw the photo of Claudia lying on top of Nolan. Nolan's exposed skin was covered in marks of intimacy. The woman in his arms had her eyes closed peacefully, with a smile of satisfaction I had never seen before. Thinking about my mother-in-law who had just passed away, I suppressed the nausea rising in my throat and called Claudia's best friend, Susan Dole. "Where's Claudia?" Susan, on the other end of the line, scoffed. "Can't she have some privacy? Does she have to report her whereabouts to you?" Susan was Claudia's closest friend, so she must have known where Claudia was. "If you don't tell me, I'll expose your affair to everyone—your husband, your company, and all your family and friends." I had always scorned Susan's behavior, and when I found out Claudia occasionally helped her cover it up, I even tried to persuade Claudia to stay away from her. Unfortunately, Claudia did not listen. She even scolded me for meddling. It was clear that they were birds of a feather. "Three... two...""Union Hotel! She's at Union Hotel!" Before I could count to one, Susan had already betrayed Claudia. I thought I was ready for the worst, but hearing those words still pierced my heart like a needle. I stood outside the hotel room door and rang the bell. "Who is it?" Claudia's questioning voice came faintly from inside. I did not answer. I just knocked harder, pouring all the pain of the night into those knocks. "Are you crazy? Why are you banging on the door?" The door cracked open slightly, but before I could see Nolan's face, I shoved it wide open and barged in. Nolan stumbled and fell to the ground without even trying to stop me. It was only when I saw Claudia, drowsy and still lying on the bed, that I realized he had done it on purpose. "Get dressed and come with me now!" I threw her clothes onto her face, refusing to look at her any longer. Hearing my voice, Claudia immediately snapped awake. "Henry Scott, what are you doing here?" When she noticed Nolan on the ground, her expression shifted. "Who gave you the right to hit him? Are you out of your mind?" Nolan got up shakily, his face full of feigned grievance. "Henry, you misunderstood. We just finished putting my pet to sleep and were exhausted, so we came up to rest for a while..." As he spoke, he adjusted his collar, revealing the red marks on his neck. Noticing my gaze, he pretended to cover his neck guiltily and looked at Claudia for help. My eyes caught sight of an urn on the table nearby, and a surge of fury rose from the pit of my stomach. "So what if we were just resting on the same bed? Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Claudia spoke slowly, blaming me for overreacting. She held her clothes in her hands but made no move to put them on. I took a step forward and yanked her off the bed. "Get dressed and come with me! Mom is still in the hospital. Let's go now—" Before I could finish, I felt a sharp pain in my head. With a loud bang, Claudia had smashed an ashtray against my skull. "My mother always did you right, and you're using her name to lie to me? Stealing her phone to trick me wasn't enough, was it? Now you've come here to scare me? "You just wanted an excuse to spy on me and Nolan, didn't you? Well, now you've seen it, so get lost!" Claudia stood on the bed, pointing at my nose and cursing furiously. Nolan rushed over to comfort her, his eyes filled with smug satisfaction. Thinking about my mother-in-law, lying all alone in the morgue, I swallowed the pain in my head and stepped forward. "Please, come with me. Just this once. Trust me, even if it's just this one time. I'd never joke about something like this." In front of Claudia and Nolan, I was as humble as I could be. However, as long as Claudia was willing to see her mother one last time, it would all be worth it. Seeing me like this, Claudia hesitated and pushed Nolan aside. However, in the next second, her phone rang. It was a call from Susan.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

"Claudia! Your husband just called me. He said he'd kill me if I didn't tell him where you were. That man is deranged, I tell you! "No matter what he says, don't believe him. Who knows what Henry might do?" Susan, fearing that Claudia would find out she had betrayed her, quickly lied. Claudia, who had just been ready to leave with me, took a step forward and slapped me across the face. "Get lost! The farther, the better! I won't believe a single word you say!" The pain on my face and head could not compare to the helplessness in my heart. Looking at Claudia leaning in Nolan's arms, I closed my eyes briefly. "Claudia, let me ask you one last time. Are you really not coming with me?" Claudia responded with a cold laugh, turning her head to talk to Nolan as if I were invisible. Just before the hotel door closed, I heard her comforting Nolan. "Tomorrow morning, let's give the dog a proper send-off. Don't be too sad, okay?" I wandered aimlessly back to the hospital. My mother-in-law's body was still in the morgue. "The hospital has arranged the cremation. Are there any family members who want to see the patient one last time?" The nurse's words jolted me back to reality. Recalling Claudia's words at the hotel, I froze on the spot. Claudia did not believe me, nor was she willing to come to the hospital. Nonetheless, I felt sorry for my mother-in-law, who died without seeing her daughter one last time. I hesitated, then pulled out my phone. "Mom is going to be cremated. I wasn't lying. Please come to the hospital." After sending the message, a red exclamation mark appeared next to it. Claudia had blocked me. Noticing the nurse still waiting nearby, I put away my phone and turned to her. "No one else. Let's just let her rest in peace." I watched as my mother-in-law was wheeled into the cremation chamber. By dawn, the woman who had been alive and well just yesterday was reduced to a small box in my hands. In the car, a notification from my memo app went off. It was Claudia's birthday. Just a few days ago, I had specially asked my assistant to airlift a truckload of roses from abroad to surprise her. At this point? That seemed unnecessary. [The memorial service for my mother-in-law will be held at home today. Friends and family are welcome to come pay their respects.] After sending out the notice, I realized belatedly that Claudia probably would not see it. I could not help wondering how she would feel when her birthday became her mother's memorial day. I stayed up all night. By morning, the house was fully set up. Friends and relatives, upon seeing the notice, began arriving one after another, mourning for the kind-hearted elderly woman. "How did this happen? Have they found the driver responsible?" "Not yet. The police said the area was remote, with little surveillance. They'll need time to investigate," I replied, gathering the necessary items for the funeral. "What about Claudia? Is she so heartbroken she's locked herself in her room?" "You're her husband, you should console her properly." Before I could respond, Claudia walked in, holding Nolan's arm and carrying a cake with a cheerful expression. "Mom! Why didn't you lock the door—" Her words caught in her throat the moment she saw the candles and prayer books in front of her. The room fell silent. All eyes shifted to Nolan's hand on her wrist. Feeling guilty, Claudia quickly withdrew her hand. As I knelt on the ground and prayed, Claudia strode forward and overturned the items. "What the hell are you doing, Henry?! Just because I didn't go home with you yesterday, you pull this superstitious nonsense at home? "It's my birthday! Are you out of your mind?" Before she could finish, her uncle grabbed her arm and yanked her back before tightly slapping her face. He pressed her shoulder down onto the altar by the window. "Open your eyes wide and take a good look! Who's in that picture? How could your mother have a daughter like you?!" Claudia stared blankly at her mother's black-and-white photo, and she froze.