Chapter 4My Wife Sent Me to Cremation for Her First Love

Clang—

The door to my hospital room closed, and Serena Caldwell’s footsteps echoed down the hallway until they disappeared entirely.

My mind was a whirlwind of disbelief. I couldn’t reconcile the sweet, caring woman I’d married with the person I had just overheard.

We’d met two years ago through mutual friends, bonded over our shared love of hiking, and quickly married.

Though she had always been a bit distant due to her workaholic nature, she’d shown me moments of tenderness that I cherished. She’d cook me dinner whenever I returned from a business trip and bring me coffee late at night when I was buried in work, urging me to take better care of myself.

I still vividly remember the moment I decided I wanted to marry her—just three months into our relationship. But it wasn’t me who proposed. Serena surprised me by dropping to one knee with a ring. She said she felt sorry that I’d lost my parents in high school and spent so much of my life alone. She wanted to give me a home.

Back then, her words filled me with warmth, her actions proof of her devotion.

But now, lying helpless in this hospital bed, trapped in a body that refused to obey, the truth stared me in the face.

She’d never loved me.

It was all a scheme. Her kindness, her affection—they were calculated moves to get her hands on the hefty life insurance payout my parents had left me.

The love I thought we had was a lie, a con. And I had fallen for it—completely.

My heart burned with equal parts rage and despair. Worse yet, her phone call had made it clear she was done waiting. Serena was ready to take the final step to claim my money—my life.

I was a vegetable, completely at her mercy. If she wanted me dead, she could easily finish the job right here in the hospital.

I couldn’t fight back. I couldn’t run. I could only wait. Wait for a miracle to pull me out of this nightmare.

Time passed, and slowly, I began to notice faint signs of improvement. A twitch of a finger here, a subtle jerk of my leg there.

The first time a nurse saw me move, she rushed to fetch a doctor. But his verdict dashed any hope:

“It’s just a nerve reflex. Nothing to indicate recovery.”

But I knew better. I could feel it. The heavy weight trapping my body was lifting—little by little.

One day, after the doctor finished his rounds, commotion erupted in the hallway outside my room.

Moments later, a group of people filed into my room. Among them was a reporter with a cheerful, melodic voice.

“Dr. Caldwell, I understand that in addition to the multi-car pileup, there was a boating accident in the city that day. The victim of that accident… was your husband, correct?”

“Yes,” Serena replied, her voice tinged with the perfect amount of sorrow. “My husband runs an advertising agency. That day, his company was organizing a speedboat promotion event. Unfortunately, there was an accident…”

Her voice broke slightly, as if she were holding back tears.

“Although the emergency team worked tirelessly, he was underwater for too long. He survived but is now in a vegetative state.”

“Dr. Caldwell, this must have been devastating for you,” the reporter continued. “And on the same day you were leading the rescue efforts for the car crash victims, no less. The pressure must have been overwhelming.”

Serena cleared her throat and let out a dramatic sigh.

“We’ve only been married for two years. I never imagined I’d see my husband like this. Of course, it’s been hard. I wish I could take his place…”

Her words dripped with faux sincerity, and I felt sick listening to her performance.

My body, sensing my boiling anger, responded with sudden, jerking movements.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The machines hooked to me sounded their alarms, sending the reporter into a panic.

“Dr. Caldwell! What’s happening to him?!”

“Nurse, help me!” Serena shouted, rushing to press down on my thrashing body.

The nurse quickly checked the monitors and gasped.

“Dr. Caldwell, his heart rate is spiking, and his blood pressure is dropping fast!”

“Prepare for emergency resuscitation!” Serena barked, pulling the privacy curtain to block the view of the reporters.

She knelt on the bed beside me and began performing CPR. Each compression felt like a boulder crushing my chest. I couldn’t breathe and was on the verge of blacking out.

“Patient has gone into cardiac arrest…” someone muttered as the equipment was disconnected from my body.

I heard Serena’s voice break as she sobbed over me.

“Ethan…”

Tears streamed down her face as she called my name again, her cries echoing through the room.

“Dr. Caldwell, we’re so sorry for your loss. He wouldn’t want you to dwell on this,” one of the reporters tried to console her.

“Exactly. Sometimes death is the kinder fate,” another chimed in.

Serena wiped her tears and sniffled.

“My husband loved life deeply. He even signed a body donation agreement. I’ll honor his wishes by giving his life a new purpose.”

The reporter burst into tears, overwhelmed by Serena’s supposed selflessness.

“Dr. Caldwell, you and your husband are true heroes. I’ll make sure your story reaches everyone—people deserve to know about your sacrifice.”

Their words only added fuel to the fire inside me. This vile woman wasn’t just plotting my death and taking my money—she was using me to make herself famous.

But my rage couldn’t move my body. I was still trapped. Still helpless.

Until, in my fury, I felt it—a fist. My fist. Clenched tight.

I could move.

A surge of adrenaline shot through me. Summoning every ounce of strength, I forced my eyes open and sat upright.

Serena’s horrified expression was priceless.