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Lucas turned to the final photo, and his pupils trembled.
Tucked behind it were more than a dozen hospital reports–mine.}
In those reports were the traces of all the efforts I had made to win his mother’s approval.
To prove myself worthy, I went from hospital to hospital, enduring examination after examination alone.
Each scan, each diagnosis, each prescription was a quiet cry for recognition.
“Marry her only when she has a child.”
That was what his mother had said.
And that single sentence imprisoned me for years, trapping me in a cycle of silent desperation.
Lucas flipped through the documents, his hands growing colder with every turn. He didn’t know what he was feeling anymore. His throat was bone–dry. No words would come.
His chest tightened as though crushed by a giant fist. Every breath became laborious.
A pang of regret stabbed him, sharp and relentless.}
He regretted hurting me–the simple, devoted woman who had never wanted anything more than to love him and be loved back.}
Even after discovering Emily’s affections, Lucas never initially intended to give me up.”
Ten years.
Ten long years of loyalty and shared struggle–he couldn’t deny those.>
I had never failed him. Never betrayed him.
He just thought… Emily would give birth, appease his mother, and things would go back to normal.}
But he had forgotten a basic truth: lies never stay buried.}
No matter how carefully he concealed the affair, Emily couldn’t stay in the shadows forever.
She didn’t want to be a secret.}
What Lucas never expected…
Was it that I had known the truth for a long time.
I wasn’t blind.}
I was enduring.}
As Lucas looked around the now–empty home we once shared, memories flooded his mind–memories of smiles, of quiet dinners, of nights spent side by side.
Memories that now mocked him.
He had hurt the one person who loved him unconditionally.
His tears started falling again. He tried to wipe them away forcefully, but they kept coming.
“I don’t believe it… You couldn’t have left me like this!“}
Desperate, he fumbled over a different phone and tried calling again.)
He dialed over and over–using different numbers, asking old contacts for help–but no one picked up.
He reached out to the friend who had helped him earlier and asked again for confirmation.”
But the answer remained unchanged.
I was on that flight.
Flight ZY003.D
And it exploded mid–air,
No remains were found. No survivors. It was as though the passengers had vanished into thin air.
Lucas stared blankly at the news alert on his phone. His heart felt like it had been pierced with a thousand needles.
At that moment, a voice broke through the silence.
“Lucas! What are you doing here?!“}
It was his mother–Sandra–standing at the doorway, glaring at him.”
She was startled by his appearance.
Disheveled hair, swollen eyes, tear–streaked face–her son looked like a madman.
Lucas sat motionless on the ground, staring at his phone with a broken expression. He looked as though he no longer belonged to this world.”
Sandra approached and tried to pull him up. But he didn’t respond.§
She grew frustrated and kicked him twice in anger.
“Lucas! What are you doing?! Where’s Emily? Didn’t you say Zoe would take the blame for her?! Then why was Emily still dragged away by those people?!“}
“Why are you just sitting here?! Go and save her! She’s carrying our only grandchild! You’ve been with Zoe for so many years, and she
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never gave you a child. Now that we finally have one–go save them!”
She stared at him with urgency and regret in her eyes.§
Lucas finally stirred at her words. His eyes slowly brightened with a glimmer of realization.
“Yes… Emily. She was taken. I have to save her…”
He got up shakily from the ground–but then he stopped mid–step.
Zachary.
Emily offended Zachary–the most powerful corporate director in their industry.
Apologies wouldn’t be enough now.
Sandra noticed his hesitation and slapped him on the head.}
“Think, Lucas! Didn’t Zachary say he would let it go for money? Then go find Zoe! Tell her to give everything she has! Let her pay!“} She spoke like it was the most natural thing in the world–that I should foot the bill for the chaos they caused.
That single statement dragged Lucas back into the pit of guilt.
“Zoe… Zoe is dead…”
His voice cracked as he uttered the words, pain washing over his features.
He sank down again, holding his head, shoulders trembling with grief.”
What?!”
Sandra’s eyes widened. She stood frozen in disbelief.
The news came like a slap to her face. She hadn’t even had the chance to fully squeeze me dry–how could I die now?!
But within seconds, her shock turned into greed.
“Hmph! Then better that she’s dead!”
She sneered.
“Everything she owned is ours now. Go check her things! If there’s anything valuable, sell it!“}
Sandra’s voice was sharp and callous, echoing in the apartment like a hammer to the chest. And in that moment, Lucas realized just how deep the rot had gone.}
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