Chapter 1

My wife's first love died on the day we got married. Consumed by grief and suspicion, she accused me of killing him and had me thrown into the police station. However, due to a lack of evidence, I was eventually released. For years after that, she would scream at me with a hate-filled voice, "Why wasn't it you who died instead?" Little did she know, I really was dying. The city was alive with the hustle and bustle that night, but the silence in our villa was suffocating. When I woke up, it was already ten at night. My wife had been gone for three months. I tried reaching her over the phone countless times but she never answered my calls. Maybe this time, she really wasn't coming back. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I picked up the wine glass from the coffee table. I tilted my head back and drank the entire thing in one go. The wine was as sour as our three years of marriage. My phone rang suddenly. I scrambled to find it, fumbling before hitting accept. "Sophie, where are you—" Before I could finish, her tired voice interrupted. "Come to Central Hospital now." "I'll be there soon!" I was worried that she might be hurt and rushed over to the hospital. A quick 20 minutes later, I ignored the pain in my stomach while stumbling into the hospital, sprinting toward the room. For three months, she had vanished without a trace. Something must have happened for her to be gone for so long. I tried to catch my breath outside the room, ran a hand through my hair, and pushed the door open. "Sophie, what happened?" A figure stood by the window, her figure poised and cold. That was my beloved wife. She looked at me without a trace of emotion and pointed at me. Her tone was devoid of any warmth as she said, "He's here. You can draw the blood now." Of course, she didn't think of contacting me because she was hurt. I bit my bottom lip, and my chest tightened. "Sophie, I don't feel well. I'm afraid—" Sophia Holmes' lips curled into a mocking smile, her eyes icy. "Joshua, do you think you have a choice? You owe this to me!" I owed her, huh? She still hated me as usual. I smiled bitterly and looked at her. I tried to ignore the pain in my chest and explained, "Sophie, I've told you before. His death had nothing to do with me—" "Enough!" Her sharp voice cut me off as she looked at me with hatred. "Divorce me, or give me the blood. Your choice." Divorce? No, I would never divorce her. After all, she was my everything. Resigned, I moved toward the nurse and sat down in front of her. Five months ago, I found out that Sophia had been spending time with a boy who bore a striking resemblance to her first love. His name was Edison Stone, whose name was similar to her first love's, Edson Parker. Edison was lured by the promise of money and became her new obsession. However, he was sick. He had coagulopathy. Unfortunately for me, his blood type matched mine. That was how I became his personal blood bank—one more tool for her revenge. While I was distracted, the needle pierced my arm, and my blood flowed into the bag. It was bright red and startlingly vivid. After taking 7oz of my blood, the nurse saw my pale face and asked softly, "Are you alright?" "I'm fine," I rasped. By the time she had drawn 14oz, the room began to spin, and darkness crept in from the edges of my vision. The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was Sophia's indifferent voice. "Is this enough? Take more if you need to." It had been three years, and she still hated me. Would she even feel sad if I died? I woke up to the sight of the white ceiling and the sound of chirping birds. The room was empty except for me. Pulling on my shoes, I was ready to go home. Passing by another room, however, I paused. Through the slightly open door, I saw my wife. She was feeding Edison with a gentleness she had never shown me. "Is it hot?" "No, it's fine. Sophie, you should get some rest." Edison shook his head, his voice was sharp and clear. "I'm not tired." Sophia's voice was laced with exhaustion, but her movements remained tender as she continued feeding him. Edison's eyelashes fluttered, like a docile lamb. From my angle, he looked like Edson. Her love had never wavered. Before Edson passed away, she smiled at me like that, too. However, her love had now turned into hate. Perhaps my gaze was a little obvious. Edison turned his head to look at me, his expression filled with guilt. "Josh, I'm sorry. It's my fault. If it weren't for my illness—" Before he could finish his sentence, Sophia turned to look at me with a cold expression, her eyes were the picture of hatred. "Why are you still here? What are you doing in the hospital?" I stood by the entrance and watched as Sophia talked to me impatiently. My heart couldn't help but tighten. How could a man watch his wife cheat on him so openly? I wanted to head in to explain myself, but Sophia got up and stood in my way, afraid that I might hurt Edison. "Joshua, if you're not feeling well, go home. Don't make a scene here." I watched the way she protected Edison and clenched my fist. I asked softly, "Will you be coming home tonight?" She frowned, her silence weighing heavily in the air before she replied, "We'll see." Her indifference shattered what little resolve I had left. I couldn't understand what I had done to deserve her hatred like this. During these three years of marriage, rumors about her and other men have been endless, yet I've never said a word. However, I couldn't claim that I didn't care. Sophia, I loved you. I loved you so much that I had lost everything. My stomach twisted painfully as I left the hospital. Edison's voice cut through the air as I turned my body. "Sophie, he looks really pale…" "He's strong. He'll be fine," Sophia said. The difference between true love and indifference was truly staggering. I put a hand on my aching stomach to ease it, but it was in vain. The rain had started falling as I stumbled toward my car. I sat in the driver's seat, staring blankly at the storm clouds overhead. The day we got married, it had rained like this too. "Joshua, don't think taking a marriage certificate changes anything. You'll never get my love. You don't deserve it!" Sophia said. Back then, I was foolish enough to believe she would believe me one day and could learn to love me. However, reality had slapped me hard in the face. Pain gripped my stomach again as I curled into a fetal position. Sophia, I was tired.