Chapter 1

Heavy rain pelted from the sky, blocking all sounds outside the house. I just sat in the guest room numbly while listening to the pitter-patter of the rain outside. At the same time, I clutched the medical report in my hand tightly. My doctor told me that I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. If I were to receive treatment right away, I could still live for another three years. But I didn't want to proceed with the treatment. It was too tiring for me. I wanted to divorce my wife, Wynnie Jakeman. Then, I'd travel around the world to see the sights I had missed out over the past eight years. The moment I heard knocking coming from the room door, I quickly stuffed the report under my pillow. The one who knocked on my door happened to be Richard Leigh, who had just risen to fame in the entertainment industry. His exposed upper body was littered with fresh lovebites. He was able to become the most popular celebrity in the entertainment industry thanks to his gig as Wynnie's gigolo. Richard shot me a mocking smile while looking at me. "Sebastian, Wynnie's calling for you." "Got it." By the time I reached Wynnie's room with a plate of mangoes, she happened to be standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window while admiring the rain. I frowned instinctively, though my brows quickly unfurled themselves. Wynnie didn't like it whenever I nagged, nor would she remember the fact that I hated the smell of alcohol the most. My father loved getting wasted on booze. Once he was completely wasted, he'd use every method he knew just to torture me. The smell of alcohol reminded me of the most painful times in my life. That was why whenever Wynnie came home smelling of alcohol, the first thing she'd do was take a shower right away. I quickly snapped out of my daze the moment I heard Wynnie's voice. "You mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?" Wynnie asked as she walked over to the coffee table in front of the window and placed her wine glass on it. Perhaps she didn't want me to misunderstand her words, for she added, "If Richard sees me drinking, he's going to nag me again." I didn't know how I should feel about her explanation. All I could do was grunt dully in response. For some reason, Wynnie seemed angrier upon hearing my incomprehensible grunt. She stared at me for some time before turning to look at the plate of mangoes. She must have recalled something joyful, for her expression lit up once again. This time, she let out a soft chuckle. "Bring the plate over to Richard. He told me he wanted to try this particular variety of mangoes, but he was busy with work for so long that the mangoes went out of season before he had a chance to savor them. He was even complaining to me about it just now." I just hummed in response. After delivering the mangoes to Richard, I returned to Wynnie's room. Now that there wasn't anything obstructing my hands, Wynnie was able to see the red rashes covering my hands. She frowned at the sight before striding over to grab my hand. "What happened to you?" "I'm allergic to mangoes." Clearly, Wynnie was taken aback upon hearing my answer. But soon, she let out a cold chuckle. "Why wasn't I informed of this allergy of yours in the past? Sebastian, are you playing the pity card now?" The truth was, I had always been allergic to mangoes. However, Wynnie loved eating mangoes. I wanted to prepare mangoes for her, but I didn't want her to worry about me. That was why I kept my allergy under wraps. In the past, I didn't want her to know about my allergy. Now, I couldn't be bothered to tell her about it. Since I no longer loved her, it wasn't necessary for me to tell her anything about me. I couldn't be bothered to talk back to Wynnie. All I did was wrench my hand out of her grip. Since I used too much strength in doing so, my skin reddened from the force. Combined with the rashes, the redness made my hand look quite gruesome. Wynnie's dark expression soured even more. "What the hell are you up to?" "I want a divorce. Let's get divorced, Wynnie Jakeman." I rarely addressed Winnie by her full name throughout our eight-year marriage. During the times I did, it was because I needed to discuss something with her seriously. Little did I know that I'd eventually discuss the matter of getting a divorce with her. "A divorce?" Wynnie reached out to choke me with a hand, her expression insanely thunderous. "Do you have any idea what you're talking about right now?" The immense force coming from my neck made it difficult for me to breathe. I could only gasp for breath with all my might. Soon, my cheeks reddened from the lack of oxygen. If I were still healthy, it'd be incredibly easy for me to break out of Wynnie's chokehold. But I had been sick for far too long. The stomach cancer had completely depleted me of my strength. I could barely summon any just to struggle against Wynnie's grip. All I could do was slap Wynnie's hand repeatedly. At the same time, blobs of darkness began swimming in front of my vision. I wasn't afraid of dying, but I didn't want to die because of Wynnie. When Wynnie slackened her grip, I collapsed to the floor, unable to take it anymore. I panted heavily as though I was a fish out of water. Wynnie gazed down at me impassively, as though she was looking at a piece of trash that was unwanted by all. "Sebastian York, I will never get a divorce with you. It's best if you give up on that idea now." Just as my mind was starting to clear, it was instantly muddled with chaotic thoughts once again. I raised my head to look at Wynnie. In the end, I couldn't help but ask, "Why?" She didn't love me anymore, but why did she want to keep wasting my time? "You abandoned me during the darkest moment in my life. I loved you so much, Sebastian." Wynnie bent down and gripped my chin tightly, forcing me to reveal a pained expression. She couldn't help but chortle happily at the sight. "Now that I'm rich, it's impossible for me to give you another chance to leave me again. You won't be able to escape from me even if you die." The last sentence sent chills down my spine. The joy I had felt back when I first married Wynnie transformed into a sharp blade that ended up penetrating my heart eight years later. After exiting the bedroom Wynnie and I once shared, I saw Richard sitting at the doorway. His lips curled into a small smirk at the sight of the marks on my neck. Then, he slowly got up to his feet while supporting himself with the wall. "Why are you doing this to yourself, Sebastian? The one who's not loved is the actual third wheel in this relationship. Since you're the third wheel, you should stop badgering Wynnie. Can you give her back to me?" I didn't want to badger Wynnie at all. She was the one who refused to let me leave. I turned to leave, not wanting to argue with Richard over this matter. Having realized that he was ignored and denied the outcome he yearned for the most, Richard could only remain rooted to the spot, his expression dark with anger. The house was empty again the next morning. Truth be told, Wynnie rarely returned to this house. She had already bought another apartment which was located near the heart of the city. That apartment was meant for Richard. Wynnie and Richard acted like any other couple. They cooked and cleaned in the apartment every day while making sure to squeeze in moments of intimacy from time to time. That was how ordinary their days were. The thing was, Wynnie and I used to spend the past eight years just like that. A wave of intense pain flared from my stomach at that moment. It hurt so much that I curled into a ball instinctively. My forehead was soon slick with cold sweat.