Chapter 3

My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe, but I looked him straight in the eye and said seriously, "I don't care about the dowry. All I want is for Eric to be okay."

After that, I took that one million dollars and used it to pay off Eric's debts.

Eric was so grateful to me and my dad that he actually bowed to my dad right there in our living room.

Back then, he looked my dad straight in the eye and swore he'd love me and take care of me for the rest of his life.

But in the end, all my humble 300 thousand still lost out to the simple breakfasts Lily used to bring him years ago.

My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe, but I called Eric again.

This time, the call finally went through.

But instead of Eric, it was Lily who answered.

Her voice was as snarky as ever. "Why are you calling?"

"I need to talk to Eric. It's urgent," I said.

Lily let out a mocking laugh.

"He's in the shower, so he can't take your call. And seriously, stop calling him—he's about to be my husband," she said.

My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe, but I clenched my fists and begged Lily.

"Lily, my dad's in the ER right now. I need Eric to help me get in touch with his friend, to find a specialist.

"I'm begging you, just let Eric pick up, okay?" I said, desperate.

When I said "I'm begging you," I felt utterly helpless. Tears spilled over before I could stop them.

Lily just smirked. "Just let your dad die, then."

And with that, she hung up.

As the cold beeping echoed from the phone, I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my phone at the window in a rage and just cried my heart out.

My chest hurt so much I could barely breathe.

But I didn't let myself cry for long. I pulled myself together and headed straight to the hospital.

After all, my dad was waiting for me at the hospital.

But when I finally got to the hospital, what I saw made my blood run cold.

It really was my dad; They were wheeling him out, his body covered with a white sheet.

I collapsed to the floor, my legs giving out beneath me.

The nanny rushed over, her voice trembling as she tried to explain.

"Ms. Lane, I swear, this really isn't my fault. I never left your dad's side. As soon as I noticed something was wrong, I called 911 right away, and I even gave him his medicine just like the nurse told me to."

My chest felt like it was being stabbed over and over, and big, heavy tears just kept streaming down my face.

It wasn't her fault. It was all on me.

I knew Eric had been acting totally out of his mind lately, but I still dragged him along to my dad's birthday party.

How clueless was I, thinking that if I just spent more time with Eric, he'd change his mind about the divorce and I'd somehow win him back from Lily?

But in the end, not only did Eric force me out in front of all our relatives, in the end, I'd lost my dad because of all this.

My chest felt like it was being crushed, but I forced myself up off the floor after just a moment.

I still had to arrange my dad's funeral.

There were still things I needed to take care of for him.

I couldn't let myself break down now.

Even though my chest felt like it was being crushed, I forced myself to keep going.

My hands were shaking, but I still reached out to all my friends and relatives, and called the funeral home to help do my dad's makeup and dress him in burial clothes for the ceremony.

But while I was painfully dealing with all the arrangements, after I'd called Eric dozens of times, he finally sent me a message.

[Don't forget to show up at the divorce office at 9 AM tomorrow.]

As I looked at Eric's message, my chest felt like it was being crushed.

Over the past year, I'd been hurt. I'd been in pain. I'd even felt hopeless, but I never really stopped loving Eric, not completely.

But now, it felt like something inside me just broke for good.

Maybe the pain was so bad, it actually cleared my head.

I replied: [I'm busy tomorrow. We'll get divorced next Monday.]

With that, I turned off my phone and started making arrangements for the funeral home staff to take care of my dad's body.

The next few days were a blur—people came and went, paying their respects, and I had to greet relatives and friends every single day.

There were so many people who came to pay their respects to my dad, his students and our relatives.

Even Eric's relatives came.

But Eric never showed up.

Instead, Lily sent me a message.

[Heard your dad died. Damn, that's tough. Guess you're an orphan now, huh? That's what you deserve.

[If you'd divorced him sooner, maybe your dad wouldn't be dead. You're the one who killed him, you bitch.]

Then she sent me a video.

On a sunny beach, Eric was sprawled out on a lounge chair, bare-chested, sipping coconut water like he didn't have a single worry in the world.

Lily pointed the camera at Eric first, then turned it on herself. She was in a swimsuit, all giddy as she ran over to him.

She started making out with Eric, totally lost in the moment.

Then, pretending to be all cute and clueless, she asked, "Eric, do you like me more, or your wife?"

Eric looked a little annoyed. "I'm divorcing her for you, and you're still asking that dumb question? Guess you just love to keep talking."

With that, he pulled her close and kissed her again, just as passionately.

The video cut off right there.