Chapter 1

The moment I rushed into the backyard, I saw my husband throwing a torch toward the shed where my father was locked.

In that instant, all the blood in my body froze.

“Jackson! Lucas! What are you doing?!” My voice went shrill from fear.

I had dragged my exhausted body all the way back from the police station, but the scene in front of me still went far beyond what I’d imagined.

Jackson turned around, the torch in his hand flickering.

There was no expression at all on his handsome face, only cold indifference.

“Ella, you’re always like this. Every time your father does something wrong, you make excuses for him.”

Fifteen–year–old Lucas was standing next to his father, his face lit up with an excitement that didn’t match his age.

“Mom, can’t you be more gentle like Aunt Amy? Grandpa is totally unreasonable! Aunt Amy is such a good person; why does he have to keep picking on her!”

My heart clenched violently. I rushed toward the shed, but Jackson grabbed my wrist with one hand.

His grip was so strong that my eyes instantly filled with tears.

“Are you two crazy? That’s my dad! Lucas, that’s the grandpa who raised you since you were little!”

“We’re just burning the junk outside the door to scare him a little.” Jackson’s voice was as cold as ice. “He’s not in there at all. I had the driver take him home this afternoon.”

Just then, the smoke grew thicker and thicker, and I heard a muffled coughing from inside the shed.

My whole body went rigid—I recognized it immediately. That was my father’s voice.

“Liar!” I struggled desperately, but was pinned by the bodyguard next to us. “Dad! Dad, are you in there?!”

Jackson’s brows twitched almost imperceptibly. He seemed to be surprised by that voice as well.

Right then, Amy started coughing and weakly leaned against Jackson’s shoulder.

“Jackson, my head feels so dizzy… There’s too much smoke here, I can’t breathe…”

Jackson immediately let go of me and turned to support Amy. “Don’t worry, we’re leaving right now. Lucas, take good care of Amy.”

As they walked past me, Amy suddenly stopped.

She crouched down, pretending she was going to help me up, but instead leaned close to my ear and whispered, “So pitiful, Ella. To be honest, I never sent the driver at all. That old fart has been locked in there since this afternoon… Guess if he can still breathe right now?”

“And your son was the one helping us come up with ideas the whole time.”

Those words were like a dagger dipped in poison, driven straight into my heart.

I watched the three of them walk away and disappear around the corner. My legs gave out and I sank to the ground, staring at the thick smoke pouring out of the gaps in the shed.

At that moment, it felt like my heart was dissipating with those clouds of smoke.

I remembered the first time I met Jackson.

Back then, I was Amy’s roommate and Jackson was Amy’s boyfriend.

I’ll never forget that afternoon—the sunlight streaming through the library windows onto Jackson as he explained a math problem to Amy, his eyes were like a gentle pond.

From that moment on, I fell hopelessly in love with this brilliant man.

Just to get closer to Jackson, I willingly became Amy’s little follower.

I passed their notes, saved seats for them, and even acted as the third wheel on their dates.

As long as I could look at him for a few more seconds, I was willing to do anything.

Later, on the night Jackson planned to propose to Amy, she disappeared, leaving behind only a text message.

In the message she said she had a terminal illness, that she didn’t want to drag Jackson down, and that she was going to Europe for treatment.

After that came the news that Amy had died overseas.

That night was the first time I had ever seen Jackson so fragile.

He was drinking himself at the bar, and even though I knew I was allergic to alcohol, I still sat with him and downed one drink after another.

When he was drunk and took me home, I knew perfectly well it was a mistake—but I still let myself indulge in it.

Even if I was just a way for him to entertain, I was willing.

A month later, I showed up at Jackson’s place with a positive pregnancy test in hand.

He stared at the two red lines for a long time before finally saying, “Since we’re having a child, let’s get married.”

No wedding, no vows—just a piece of wedding paper.

Later, I moved into his big house and gave birth to our son Lucas.

During these ten years, I tried my best to be a good wife and a good mother, taking care of his daily life in every detail and managing the house chores.

I thought time could heal everything, that one day Jackson would see my good.

But today, this cloud of smoke and these vicious lies shattered all my foolish hopes from the past ten years.

So Amy hadn’t died at all. Not only had she miraculously recovered, she had come back.

And Jackson and Lucas had chosen Amy without a second thought.

For Amy, they were willing to deceive me together and send the only family I had left in this world to death.

A savage wave of fury forced me back onto my feet. I grabbed a wooden stick and, ignoring the heat of the smoke, pried at the door that had been wedged shut with all my strength.

Wood splinters pierced my palms; the smoke was so choking I couldn’t stop coughing, but I didn’t stop.

I don’t know how long it took before the door finally opened a crack.

Inside, I saw my father, his skin blackened by the smoke, curled up on the floor.

“Dad! Hold on!” I screamed as I rushed inside and dragged him out with all my strength.

He was already hanging on by a thread. I held his burning body in my arms as big, heavy tears fell down my face.

“Dad! Just hang on! We’re going to the hospital right now!”

I used everything I had left to push him into the car and sped all the way to the emergency room.

“Doctor! Please, save my father!” My voice was shaking uncontrollably.

But the nurse looked troubled. “Mrs. Jackson, all the specialists in the hospital have been summoned by your husband to examine Miss Amy. No one can take on such a serious case right now!”

It felt like a bolt of lightning hit me where I stood.

Just because she pouted and said she “felt dizzy,” he emptied the entire hospital for her?

By the time I finally managed to beg a doctor to come over, it was already too late.

Watching my father’s body being covered by a white sheet, my heart died completely.

So in his heart, a single strand of that woman’s hair was more important than me and my father’s life.

In despair, I instinctively dialed the only person who might be able to help me, but also the person I least wanted to bother—Felix.

He was my senior from law school and a rising star in the legal world. He’d suggested his feelings for me many times.

Unfortunately, back then my world had been filled with nothing but Jackson. I had never seen anyone else.

“Felix…” My words stammered. “My dad… the hospital…”

“Ella, calm down and listen to me.” Felix’s voice was steady and powerful, with the power could comfort a heart. “Send me the address.”

In less than ten minutes, a black sedan pulled up at full speed.

Felix came in person, with two excellent doctors in white coats following behind. They were carrying professional emergency kits, and the badges on their chests bore the name of the best private hospital in the neighboring city.

“These two are leading authorities in cardiopulmonary and burn medicine.” Felix’s tone was as steady as a mountain. “Let them take a look.”

I clung to them like a drowning person grabbing a life preserver and led the doctors back to my father.

But everything was just too late.

My father held my hand, used the last of his strength to look at me one more time, and then closed his eyes forever.

I collapsed to the ground. Felix crouched down, reaching out to steady my shaking shoulders.

I suddenly jerked my head up, and a long–overdue thought occurred with terrifying clarity:

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You warned me about what kind of people they were, but I…”

My voice cut off. I looked at his calm eyes, but the words that followed stuck in my throat.

Felix silently met my gaze, and that silence itself was an admission of everything.

Of course he had known.

He had reminded me back then that Jackson wasn’t a good match.

It was me who let the illusion of love blind me, who insisted on having my way, taking step after step until I ended up in this hell.

Now his words had become a prophecy come true.

One wrong step had led to another, until there was no way back from this abyss.

A massive wave of remorse and self–mockery swallowed me whole, and I lowered my head powerlessly.

Three days later, the cemetery was desolate and quiet.

Dressed in black, I stood in front of my father’s urn.

During these three days, Jackson and Lucas had never appeared, not even called once.

Felix had stayed silently at my side the entire time, like a quiet shadow.

I stared at my father’s portrait, as if I wanted to carve his face into my heart forever.

At last, I turned around to face Felix, my voice eerily calm. “Felix, the agreement… is it ready?”

“It’s ready.” He looked at me, his gaze complicated. “Are you sure you want to do this now…”

“I’m sure.” I cut him off. “I want to leave them. The sooner, the better.”

He didn’t say anything more and simply handed me a document.

“This is the divorce agreement you asked for.” He looked at me. “Ella, are you sure you want to go back alone? Let me come with you…”

“No.” I interrupted him again, my tone resolute. “This is something I have to end myself.”

He was silent for a moment, then finally sighed and placed a small metal piece, about the size of a button, into my palm.

“All right. But take this. It’s a locator. If anything feels wrong, press it immediately. I’ll know where you are.”

I curled my fingers tightly around the cool locator and nodded.

Then I ordered an Uber on my phone.

Felix watched me get into the car, worry written all over his face, but he respected my decision.

I looked out at the gray sky, my face completely expressionless.

No anger, no sadness, not even the slightest ripple.

This husband who had never had me in his heart, and this son who no longer cared me—I didn’t want either of them anymore.

This time, I was truly done.