Chapter 1

While taking my parents on a high-altitude cable car ride, a breathtaking sea of fireworks erupted at the foot of the mountain, a million bursts of light raining down from heaven and blazing across the sky to form a dazzling declaration.

[Romance until death. My heart belongs to you, Sue.]

I instantly knew this was a grand gesture my husband had prepared to win over his childhood sweetheart.

Under the violent shockwaves from the pyrotechnics, the cable began to sway dangerously, on the verge of snapping.

My knuckles went white gripping my phone as I screamed into the receiver, "Edward, are you insane? Stop it now. My parents are still in the cable car."

But he let out a scoff, with his childhood sweetheart's sugary voice goading him in the background.

He said, "Why should I stop? Three years ago, Sue's parents were lying in the ICU fighting for their lives. You had never failed a surgery before, but that one time, you messed up.

"Today, I'm going to make you feel the pain of losing your loved ones."

Then came the voice of his security guard, acknowledging the order, as he barked out the command, "Double the barrage. Aim every round at that cable car. Don't stop until there's nothing left."

His childhood sweetheart's laughter dripped with syrupy sweetness as she egged him on, "Baby, you are so amazing. Make sure those two old things get blown to ashes."

The cabin lurched downward. My parents' faces went pale with terror.

My eyes nearly split open as I mustered every last ounce of strength and screamed into the phone, "Edward, the people inside are your own parents."

*****

Edward sneered, "Listen to yourself, Linda. Isn't that just laughable?

"My parents are vacationing in the Coral Isles right now. If you're going to make up stories, at least try to make them convincing."

On the other end of the line, Edward's voice was icy cold, and Susan Young giggled. "Edward, you still don't get what she's up to? She's just trying to use your parents to pressure you.

"Just like when you two got married."

Her words hit Edward's sore spot. His face darkened, and he gestured to the bodyguards to target the cable car with five thousand fireworks. "I'm giving you ten minutes to think it over.

"If you agree to sign the divorce papers, leave with nothing, and tell my parents you're doing this of your own free will, then I'll reluctantly let you go. Otherwise..."

The threat in his voice was unmistakable. The cable car's glass doors rattled and squeaked after being blasted.

Before I could say anything, my father-in-law Richard, fed up, snatched the phone from me. "You little punk, is this how you treat Linda when we're not around?"

His voice was hoarse and sharp, made raspy by his fear of heights.

Edward froze for a second, then blew up in fury. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

Richard said, "I'm your father!"

"I never recognized my marriage to Linda. You think you can climb over me and use our connection? You must be asking for trouble," Edward said.

Suddenly, a barrage of fireworks hammered the cable car. The glass exploded, and I was halfway out the window, gripping the doorframe for dear life.

Glass shards stabbed straight into my palm, and the pain had me drenched in cold sweat.

Nora, my mother-in-law, her pupils contracted, and she shrieked, "Linda, your hand!"

For a doctor, nothing was more important than their hands. I gave a bitter smile. "It's nothing."

Nora hurriedly pulled out her phone. "I'll call Tom right now and have him come save us."

But when she dialed, it was still Edward who answered.

Nora was screaming at the top of her lungs. "You little brat, are you trying to get us killed? Hurry up and stop the cable car!"

Edward let out an impatient tsk, rubbing his brow. "Mom, is Linda ratting me out again? Don't buy into her crap. We're perfectly fine."

With that, he hung up. Then my phone rang, and Edward was fuming. "You bitch, you really think you can use my parents as your lifeline?

"Let me tell you the truth. I've already fired Tom. Not even the king of heaven could save you now.

"Either you divorce me, or you die."

Nora was so furious she suddenly collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

Her heart attack was coming back.

I frantically rummaged through my backpack, just managed to find her pills and tried to get her to take them.

Suddenly, a helicopter swooped in and hovered about a hundred meters away from us.

Edward was holding Susan close, a shotgun in his hand as he loaded it and cocked it.

Bang!

The bullet skimmed my cheek, shattering the pills into powder and sending a jolt through my hand so strong that I couldn't feel it anymore.

Another sharp click. Edward leveled the gun right at me. "Ten minutes are up. Are you signing the divorce papers or not?"

Nora squeezed my hand firmly, silently shaking her head.

Richard's face was dark with anger. He was just about to lean out and defend me when Edward shot him in the shoulder as a warning. "I'm counting down from ten. Ten. Nine."

I stared at the two old folks, their lives barely hanging on, and said in a cold voice, "I'll sign, but I have one condition.

"You need to rush over a bottle of heart meds and get Dad to the hospital. This is between us. Don't involve anyone else."

"Fine," Edward replied.

Edward's smile deepened, and he snapped his fingers with a flourish.

A drone hovered in front of me, carrying the divorce papers. I signed without hesitation.

As I reached for the bottle of heart meds dangling from the drone, a bullet tore through my palm. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, barely holding back a scream.

Susan was the one holding the gun, her eyes cold and poisonous as a snake's. "Edward, my parents are dead because of her. Why do her parents get to live happily ever after? I won't allow it."

She pouted and turned her head away, but Edward just kissed her cheek, grinning like a maniac.

"Sue, you're way too impatient. Did you really think I'd let her walk away unharmed? That bottle's packed with rat poison," Edward said.

I jerked my head up, staring at Edward in utter disbelief.

If Susan hadn't shot me just now, even a miracle worker couldn't have saved Nora after taking that medicine.

Seeing my expression turn grim, Edward arched his brow, sarcasm practically oozing from his voice. "I never intended to spare you. Does it really matter if you die now or later?"

He leveled his gun once more, taking aim at the cable car's hook.