Chapter 5

I couldn't stand the accusations. I covered my face and ran out of the hospital.

The world was so wide, and there was nowhere for me to go.

Then I thought of Rudolph. Yes, there was still Rudolph. He was my best friend, the one who understood me best, and he would surely take my side.

I took a cab to Rudolph's place. The moment I walked in, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed out everything that had happened.

Rudolph listened, and was quiet for a moment.

Then he poured me a glass of water, his eyes flickering, and started to “break it down” for me.

“Mae, stop crying first. Don't you think there's something strange about all this?”

Rudolph sat down beside me, his face grave.

“Think about it. All you did was block his calls. If Lee really wanted to reach you, doesn't he have my number?

Couldn't he have messaged you through your socials?”

“The hotel we were staying at, our check-ins were all posted online. If he was really desperate, he had a thousand ways to find you.

But he chose to only call. What does that tell you?”

Rudolph gave a cold laugh.

“It tells you he did it on purpose. He deliberately made sure he couldn't reach you, deliberately dragged it out.

He wanted to put on a show of being the devoted son, the one who sacrificed everything,

and then leave you roasting over the fire, saddle you with the name of an ungrateful daughter, turn everyone against you.”

“Mae, this Lee is a scheming man. He's getting his revenge on you.”

Rudolph's words hit like a bolt of lightning, splitting open the chaos in my head.

That was it! Lee had Rudolph's number!

Why hadn't he gone through Rudolph?

Why hadn't he called the police to find me?

He'd done it on purpose!

The guilt turned in an instant into a towering rage, and I shot to my feet.

“Lee! You bastard! You actually schemed against me! I'm going to have it out with him!”

I rushed back home and kicked the front door open.

Lee was in the living room, packing. That was his suitcase. The house was my premarital property, and he was moving out.

Seeing that made me burn hotter. I charged over and kicked his suitcase flying, clothes spilling all over the floor.

“Lee! Quit playing the good guy! You did this on purpose!

You had so many ways to reach me, so why didn't you?”

“You just wanted my dad to die! You wanted me to take the fall! You're just jealous of Rudolph! You wanted to ruin me!”

I screamed it, hysterical, and lunged forward to slap him hard across the face.

Lee didn't dodge. He took it full on, his face knocked to the side.

But he wasn't angry, and he didn't argue back. He just turned his head, and his mouth curved into a smile of pure irony, pure desolation.

That smile sent an inexplicable panic through me.

He asked softly, “Rudolph taught you to say all this, didn't he?”

I froze for a second, then stiffened my neck and shouted,

“So what if he did? The bystander sees clearest! He saw through your scheme in one look!”

Lee nodded, and his eyes went utterly cold.

“Fine. That's just great. Mabel, you really are beyond saving.”

He didn't waste another word. He turned, pulled a manila envelope from under the coffee table, and threw it down hard on the tabletop.

“I was going to leave you a little dignity. We were husband and wife, after all.

But since you don't know what's good for you, since you trust that Rudolph so much, go ahead and open it.”

I looked at that envelope, and a violent unease surged up in me. My hands started shaking and wouldn't stop.

I walked over, picked it up, and worked the string loose.

There were two documents inside.

The first was the 《Divorce Agreement》, already signed with Lee's name, walking away with nothing.

That was what I'd expected. I gave a cold snort. “Fine, let's divorce. Who's afraid of who.”

But when I pulled out the second document, my pupils snapped tight, and the blood in my whole body seemed to freeze solid in an instant.