Chapter 4My Husband Does Not Know I Am Dead

Rhys drafted the divorce settlement.

He was relatively generous, offering me more than half of their substantial assets.

Yet, he looked profoundly unhappy.

Was he sad?

“Sera Miller, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t endure it anymore.”

One tear, then another, slid down his face.

My heart ached with his.

After the accident, I was bedridden, and he was the one who woke up at 5 a.m. every day to brew my medicine.

He was the one who massaged my stiff legs every night, his touch progressing from clumsy to expert.

For me, he canceled all out-of-town projects, moved his office home, handling work while listening to me smash things in frustration.

He was good enough over these eight years.

Anyone else might not have lasted this long.

“I just want a normal life. Is that so wrong?”

His voice was hoarse.

He was only in his late thirties, in the prime of his life. He shouldn’t have to struggle with me in this mess.

I was the one dragging him down.

I had to leave.

I floated back to the twenty-second-floor apartment.

The balcony was chillingly empty. The wheelchair was still parked where I left it.

“Ding! Ding! Ding!”

The 5 p.m. alarm went off.

Sam should be getting out of school.

I was getting another chance—a chance to pick him up one last time.

I floated at the school gate, waiting and waiting.

Finally, a familiar figure walked toward me. I waved my hand.

He smiled and waved back at me.

I rushed forward in a frenzy of joy, wanting to hug my son.

But he walked right through me and rushed straight into Kinsley Tate’s arms.

Kinsley skillfully took his backpack and affectionately smoothed his hair.

They looked like a real mother and son.

“Ms. Tate, what happened to your face?”

Kinsley quickly covered her cheek with her hair, her eyes immediately welling up.

“It’s nothing, sweetheart. It’s grown-up stuff. Don’t worry about it.”

She paused.

“Sam, you don’t need to worry. After I marry your father, I’ll only love you. Because I can’t have children now, you’ll be my child forever!”

Sam froze, his small body rigid.

After a long silence, he looked up, his eyes dark and unreadable.

“Dad told me everything. This time, Mom did it again, didn’t she?”

Kinsley was silent, which was as good as an admission.

I lunged forward like a madwoman, howling:

“No! Sam, it wasn’t me! Your mother never hurt her!”

But Sam lowered his head, utterly convinced that I was a cruel and wicked mother.

The dark clouds pressed down, and the air was suffocatingly heavy.

We walked in silence until we reached the complex gate, and Kinsley left.

Bang! The front door was violently kicked open.

Sam angrily threw his backpack onto the floor.

He screamed toward the balcony:

“How could you do something so malicious?! Ms. Tate can never have children now! Are you happy?”

“Do you think that because I owe you, you can do whatever you want?!”

“Having you as a mother makes me sick!”

I wanted to explain, but I didn’t know how.

He was crying, tears streaming down his face.

He was trembling with pain and shock.

“Does it make you happy that I have to live my whole life in guilt?! You should have just let me die!”

“Why didn’t you let me die? I wish I had died instead!”

I tried to wipe his tears away with my hand, to tell him it wasn’t true, that Kinsley was lying.

Your mother never blamed you!

But my fingers passed right through his body.

I forgot. I was already dead.

I embraced Sam.

“Yell at me. Get it all out.”

“It’s okay. Mom will never trouble you again. Never make you feel guilty again.”

“See? Mom is already gone. Please, don’t be sad anymore, alright?”

But Sam couldn’t hear a word I said.

The door was abruptly pushed open. Rhys stood framed against the light.

He placed the divorce papers on the table, speaking toward the balcony.

“Sera Miller, let’s get divorced!”

“I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’ve decided to set us both free. I’m tired, and Sam is tired too.”

“I’ll take care of everything for you. France is your best home now, and I’ll hire the best people to care for you.”

The balcony was silent. Not a sound.

Rhys, I’m already dead. I don’t need the money. You don’t need to divorce me.

I am no longer your burden.

Rhys frowned slightly.

“Stop acting like a child. Sam and I have made our decision. I hope you can respect our choice.”

“Let this be a chance for both of us to have a new life!”

A moment of silence hung in the room. Everyone waited for my reply.

But I remained silent.

Father and son exchanged a look.

“Mom, I’ve thought this through very clearly. I want to stay with Dad and Ms. Tate. Please, let me go.”

“I’m begging you. I really want a normal mother like Ms. Tate. I don’t want to live the rest of my life in guilt.”