Chapter 10

When my phone unexpectedly lit up with a call from Sophia, I froze for a moment. She rarely called me of her own accord. And when she did, it was almost always to mock or humiliate me. What was it about this time? I tried to convince myself not to answer, but a nagging thought that it might be something urgent compelled me to pick up. The moment the call connected, her scornful voice came through, dripping with derision. "Joshua, how are you feeling?" For a fleeting moment, I thought she was concerned about my condition. But her tone made it clear that wasn't her intention. Clenching the bedsheet tightly, I gritted my teeth and asked while trembling, "Was it you? Did you orchestrate the mess at my company?" "Of course it was me!" She didn't bother denying it. Instead, her voice became light and almost cheerful, as though this was some kind of game to her. "Don't get upset just yet. How will you cope with what's coming next if you can't handle this small inconvenience?" My entire body stiffened. It felt as though a knife had been plunged into my chest and twisted around, shredding every inch of me. I took a deep breath, gripping the sheets even tighter. "What are you trying to do, Sophia?" "I don't want a divorce." Her voice was laced with cruel amusement. "I received the divorce papers your lawyer drafted. You're giving me the house, the car, and most of the assets. I have to say, Joshua, you're being quite generous." "W-Why don't you want to divorce then?" My voice wavered against my will, betraying a flicker of hope. For a moment, I thought I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. But the next moment, that light was mercilessly snuffed out. A cold laugh echoed from the other end of the phone, sharper than any blade. "Don't flatter yourself, Joshua. In this lifetime, I will never love someone like you—a scheming murderer! "I refuse to divorce you for one reason only—to make your life a living hell. You'll spend the rest of your days wishing you were dead." I turned my head to look at the sunlight streaming in through the window. It was so bright and warm, yet I felt nothing but ice in my veins. Her voice interrupted my thoughts. "And if you even think about pushing for the divorce again, your precious little company won't survive the week." I bit my bottom lip, staying silent. She hated me to the core. She wouldn't let me die because she needed me alive—to atone for Edson's death. She feared that without me, no one else would remember Edson. But I hadn't done anything wrong. The silence stretched until Sophia's mocking voice broke it again. "It seems your precious company isn't all that important to you." I closed my eyes, drained of energy. "Fine. Sophia, I won't bring up divorce again." "Good. Move back home tonight." I glanced at the IV drip still slowly emptying into my veins. I didn't have much time left anyway. Moving back didn't make a difference. Just as I thought she was about to hang up, I heard a man's voice in the background. It was familiar. "Sophie, are you not coming over tonight?" "I'll come," she replied, her tone sweet and warm—so different from how she spoke to me. They chatted freely, discussing plans for dinner, trips they wanted to take, and their next vacation. Their laughter was light and carefree, like needles pricking at my heart, one after another. At first, I used to feel hurt, even angry. I would argue with her. But nothing ever changed. She would keep moving from one ambiguous relationship to another. Her lovers looked increasingly like Edson, and her treatment of them grew gentler and more affectionate. "Sophia," I whispered to the empty room. "How I wish I'd never met you." If she hadn't rescued me from that dark, suffocating room all those years ago, maybe I'd be living an ordinary life now. It's been ten years since we first met and three since we married. I've spent almost my entire life loving her. I've guarded her silently, worried about Edson deceiving her, feared for her safety, and fretted about her going hungry or cold. I've loved her carefully, humbling myself to insignificance, yet I could never reach her. "Sophia, I'm so tired." "Joshua, your suffering has just begun. Don't expect any relief." With that, she hung up. I lay there in silence, staring at the stark white ceiling, my chest aching. I closed my eyes, and a sharp cough escaped my throat the next moment. When I opened my mouth, bright red blood spilled out. The crimson stains spread across the white sheet like cruel reminders of my fragility. My vision grew blurry and dark, and my body grew heavier. "Sophia, I'm truly exhausted." Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely heard the panicked voice of a nurse calling out, "Doctor! The patient in Room 211 is coughing up blood and is unresponsive!" My eyelids felt heavy, yet I could still hear the chaos around me. I heard myself being rushed to the emergency room, followed by a doctor's urgent voice. "The patient is hemorrhaging. Prepare blood of the same type immediately. Begin a transfusion now." The pain was unbearable. My stomach twisted in agonizing spasms, and the blood wouldn't stop flowing. Tears leaked from my eyes as memories flooded my mind like flashes of light. Most of them were of Sophia. Then, slowly, those fragments shattered, and the light faded into complete darkness. The Sophia I once knew—the gentle, kind girl who climbed through a window to save me—was long gone. She had turned into a merciless demon, cold and unfeeling. My life spent loving her with every ounce of my being had turned into nothing more than a cruel joke. A farce. "His breathing is slowing! Oxygen saturation is dropping rapidly. He's in critical condition. Get the family to sign the notice of critical illness!" "Tilly, go find the attending doctor and prepare for an emergency operation!" The piercing sound of the heart monitor echoed in my ears. Slowly, even that began to fade. Moments later, I heard a nurse rush back in, her voice trembling with urgency. "Dr. Cowell! The family isn't here yet. What should we do?" Then came the sound of another familiar voice—Jayden. The chief physician arrived and began issuing orders for emergency procedures. Gradually, my hearing started to clear, as though the world was slowly returning to focus. Summoning all my strength, I opened my eyes and saw Jayden standing by my side. His expression was filled with guilt and worry. He owed me nothing, yet he had still done so much for me. The next moment, he clasped my cold hand in his. "Joshua, don't speak. Don't give up. I've gone through so much trouble to keep you alive, and it wasn't so you could leave without saying goodbye. "You owe me a meal. We still need to visit our alma mater and say hi to the homeroom teacher. There's so much left to do."