But Marcus acted as if he didn’t see him.
With a deeply affectionate look on his face, he quickly walked towards me.
When he was just a step away, I spoke coldly, “Stop. Don’t come any closer. You’re disgusting.”
A flicker of hurt crossed Marcus’s eyes. He moved his lips, “Aurora, don’t be like this… I came to apologize, I’m sorry…”
He stammered, clearly struggling to humble himself.
Seeing me remain with my arms crossed, a cold smile on my face,
He grew anxious and shouted excitedly, “Aurora, I’ve found out what kind of person Vanessa Bell truly is! She’s a greedy gold–digger who only cares about money! Back then, I thought she was a pure, gentle sweetheart. Now I realize I made a mistake that all men might make-”
Then he choked up again. “But how could you marry someone else and have children? Didn’t I tell you to wait for me? How could you do this?!”
His eyes were red, almost roaring, “Aurora, how could you?!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Betrayal? Our marriage ended five years ago! You said we had to split, and then you expect me to cry and come back to wait for you? I’m not a husky! Do you think so little of myself?!”
I spoke slowly, word by word, “Marcus, have some backbone, okay? We are completely over. The fact that I endured five years without seeking revenge on you is already the greatest kindness I could offer.”
I wanted to turn and leave, but he grabbed my hand.
“Don’t go, Aurora! Your daughter is Caleb Hayes’s child, Isn’t she? What about us? What about my son? Didn’t Caleb Hayes let you keep the
child?”
<
“I understand now! Please, give me another chance, reconcile with me! Let’s start over! I still love you…”
The mention of the child unleashed years of suppressed fury.
He actually had the nerve to say that!
I violently flung his hand away and slapped him hard across the face.
“You don’t deserve to mention the child! You don’t deserve to mention him!”
I practically shrieked at him, “You want to know where he is? Then go die! Go to hell and accompany him! See what kind of beast you, the so–called father, are!”
I screamed until my voice was raw. He stood there, momentarily stunned.
He trembled as he asked, “What are you saying? What happened? The child… what happened to him?”
I looked at him coldly and slowly spoke, “That child died five years ago. You locked him in that car and suffocated him to death inside me!”
“The debt you created for that, you can never repay it in this lifetime!”
His entire world seemed to shatter before his eyes, without warning.
He suddenly fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands, tears streaming down. He kept muttering, “No… I didn’t know… I really didn’t know..”
He suddenly gritted his teeth. “It must be Vanessa’s fault! It’s all her doing!”
Seeing him like this, I sighed and stared at him scornfully. “She did a lot of bad things, that’s true. But are you completely blameless? You were messing around behind my back, abandoning your wife and child, only thinking about your own pleasure. You are even more despicable than her. You two are two of a kind. I used to be terrified of you two being entangled, but now I sincerely wish you’d get together and stay together forever.”
I added, “And, you’d better not appear in front of me again in this life. Otherwise, I’ll truly make you regret not dying sooner.”
With that, I turned to leave without looking back.
But behind me, Marcus’s hoarse shouts echoed, “Men are all like this! I’m just a bastard. But do you think Caleb Hayes is any better? He’s just all show and no substance! Aurora Hayes, do you really expect to be happy with him? Impossible! Only I am your destined person!”
10
Hearing his repulsive words, I took off, walking even faster.
My bodyguard grabbed Marcus and dragged him away. He yelled and screamed outside, his voice slowly fading into the distance.
I threw myself into Caleb Hayes’s embrace. He wrapped his arms around my waist, then gripped my chin without a word, lowering his head to kiss me.
“Ignore him. Nothing that trash says is worth believing. Next time this happens, have security kick him out directly.”
“Don’t take anything he says to heart. I’ve always lived an honorable life and understand my responsibilities as a husband. We’re truly a match made in heaven.”
Hearing Caleb Hayes’s words, I couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps it was seeing Marcus that had caused such emotional turmoil.
I suddenly remembered when Caleb and I first met.
At that time, I was physically and mentally exhausted, my entire being in a terrible state.
I had come to the beach with my deceased child’s ashes, intending to scatter them into the sea for burial. But in my dazed state, I walked into the water, deeper and deeper.
J
Just before I passed out, a strong, firm hand
my wrist, pulling
me back.
The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was smell the pungent scent of disinfectant. I looked up and saw a pair of eyes as deep as ink.
“Although I don’t know what you’ve been through, please live bravely. Your child would want his mom to be happy.”
Those were the first words Caleb Hayes ever said
- me.
From then on, he began to appear frequently in my life.
After learning about what I had endured, he didn’t pry. Instead, he quietly stayed by actions.
y my side, comforting and accompanying me through his
He took me to see a therapist, accompanied me shopping, on walks, and to dinner, slowly healing my heart through his own methods.
Later, he confessed his feelings and proposed to me.
Knowing I had some fear of marriage,
The day before we officially registered our marriage, he transferred most of his assets to my name and signed an agreement: if he committed any infidelity after marriage, he would leave with nothing. “Aurora, marriage shouldn’t be a burden to you. I want to be your rock. I will never do anything to betray you.”
Perhaps there was some truth to what Marcus said.
But all this time, Caleb Hayes’s actions have given me so much peace of mind.
Even if he were to betray me one day, I would still have the confidence to start over.
The next time I heard about Marcus, I had already moved back to the city.
The police suddenly called me:
W
24444 h 4
– P A T H H H H H 4 17 4 4 4 4
“Ms. Hayes, your former husband is holding a woman hostage at knifepoint. He wants to see you. The situation on–site is extremely critical. Please come and cooperate in persuading him.”
My heart tightened.
Even if Marcus was desperate, he wouldn’t do something so extreme, would he?
When I arrived at the scène, Marcus was standing at the edge of the building’s roof, a knife at Vanessa’s throat. Her face was pale, and her clothes were stained with blood. It looked like she wouldn’t last much longer.
Seeing me, Marcus’s eyes reddened, and he began to cry. “Aurora, you know I still love you, right? I knew you’d come! Will you leave with me? Let’s start over together. I promise I’ll treat you well.”
I listened, utterly incredulous.
This man must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.
He was a nationwide fugitive, and he still dared to drag me into his crimes?
I looked at him coldly, my voice calm. “You’re wrong. I’m only here because the police ordered me to. If I’d known you were holding Vanessa hostage, I wouldn’t have bothered coming”
Marcus’s eyes hardened, and he tightened his grip on the knife, shouting, “This is all *her* fault! After the company went under, I tried to pick myself up, to start over with our emergency funds, but then I found out she had secretly transferred all my assets!”
“And her so–called terminal illness was all an act! She was never sick at all! For the past five years, she never let me accompany her to the hospital. She just used my money to go play with male models!”
“I felt unwell and went for a checkup a few days ago, and I found out I contracted HIV! She gave it to me!”
The amount of information in his rant was overwhelming. I was momentarily stunned.
Marcus, however, took my hesitation as hope, staring at me with expectant eyes. “I can stabilize the condition by taking medication… Can you forgive me again?”
“No!”
I cut him off, disgusted. “Marcus, I’m sick of the sight of you. We can never go back.”
11
“I already have a loving husband and wonderful children. You’re broke and sick now, and you still want me back? What a joke!”
Seeing my cold expression, the last spark of light in Marcus’s eyes vanished.
He let out two bitter laughs, pulling Vanessa back with him, muttering, “You’re right. How could a rotten person like me deserve your forgiveness…”
“Aurora, I’m sorry. I’ve committed too many sins in this life. It’s time for me to pay for them. If there’s a next life… I’ll love you properly.”
With that, he suddenly pulled Vanessa and leaped from the high–rise building.
In the second he plunged down, a series of images flashed through his mind.
Aurora Hayes was only four months pregnant then.
Under the soft lamplight, she gently took his hand and placed it on her slightly swollen belly, saying softly, “Marcus, the baby’s kicking. Can you feel it?”
The first time he felt the baby move inside her, he was so excited he stayed awake all night, even buying several new father guides.
At that moment, he swore he would become a responsible father and a worthy husband.
But in the end, he failed to keep any of it.
Desire had blinded him, and he had personally ruined his own life.
If there were a next life, he hoped to atone for the regrets of this one.
The accident happened too fast. The screams around me merged into one continuous sound.
But I was shielded by a strong pair of hands. “Don’t look. Don’t let yourself be tainted by such filth.”
I hadn’t noticed when Caleb Hayes had appeared behind me.
I leaned into his embrace, sighing deeply. “Perhaps this is his karma.”
The sun broke through the clouds, and the five years of gloom finally dissipated.
Some mistakes cannot be forgotten, nor can they be forgiven.
But thankfully, I found my own light.
Yesterday
—
