For her, there was only one way out.---Nina had no idea how she survived the night. It was excruciatingly long and torturous. She lay on the sofa, wide awake the entire time. When she finally became fully alert, it was already the break of dawn.She was exhausted and feeling completely drained.Dragging her weary body to the bathroom, Nina washed her face and looked up, only to be startled by her reflection. She thought she was seeing a ghost. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face haggard and colorless, resembling someone gravely ill.She touched her face in disbelief, questioning how she had come to look like this. Was a broken heart enough to completely bring her down? Could she not live without Nash?The answer was no.Hadn't she already contemplated severing ties and divorcing him long ago? It just so happened that he initiated it this time. She had to move on and live a better life, a hundred times better than before.Nina made up her mind. One night of sadness
Her life was fortunate in many ways. She had a harmonious family and many people who cared about her. Her misfortune lay in her love life. Perhaps her life was too stable, and there had to be some turbulence, which manifested in her romantic failures.Her words made Wilfred laugh. He sat by her side, watching over her, his brown eyes exceptionally gentle. "You didn't exactly risk your life for me, but you did give me life," he said. He decided not to hide and face the truth with her. "You'll understand when you remember."He had saved her multiple times, and she believed he would not harm her, despite his complex identity. Now, the only person who stayed by her side was Wilfred."Do you have friends?" she asked."No.""None of you have friends?""I don't need friends," he replied."What about your parents?""I don't know who they are.""You must feel so lonely, without friends or family. Life must be dull," she said, suddenly feeling pity for him.Fate had not been enti
Wilfred's expression was complicated. If she knew what he had done, she would not say such things. He did not dare touch her hand, let alone tell her about the darker parts of his life.Wilfred did not refuse her this time, letting her hold his hand. They sat quietly for a long while. The beads in Nina's hand seemed to deepen in color, the red tint becoming more prominent. She noticed this and asked, "Are these beads changing color?"Wilfred's eyes darkened. "Are they?"Nina held the beads up to the sunlight, confirming the brightening red. "I thought the beads might darken over time from wear, but this red seems to be getting brighter. These are your beads, right? Haven't you noticed?"Wilfred instinctively clenched his wrist, then smiled. "Maybe they're fake. I never had them tested."Nina's gaze fixed on Wilfred. "Would you wear fake beads for so long? I'm not saying they're fake, just that it's strange to have blood inside them."She sniffed the beads. "They smell of
"It’s my first time," Wilfred said.Nina raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for a first attempt. Let's see if you have a natural talent."Half an hour later, Wilfred emerged from the kitchen. There was no smell of smoke, which meant he had not blown up the kitchen. But when he set the dishes on the table, Nina was taken aback.She stared at Wilfred in horror.Wilfred, sensing her confusion, calmly explained, "This is chicken heart, and this is chicken liver… both are internal organs. This part is the chicken breast, and the legs have the most tender meat..."Listening to Wilfred's descriptions felt like a lesson in anatomy rather than a meal. She could almost picture Wilfred performing a dissection on the chicken while cooking. Instead of feeling hungry, she felt nauseous.Seeing Nina not touching the food, Wilfred asked, "What's wrong? Does it not look appetizing? I tried to keep it all intact.""It's not that..." Nina replied. "You didn't have to keep it so intact. Do you have anythi
Wilfred flinched, clearly not wanting to be touched. This only made Nina more suspicious. "Why are you still bleeding?" she demanded. His injury had been there for a while. Even if it had not fully healed, it should not still be bleeding unless he had a new wound. Wilfred tightened his sleeve, but the few drops of blood were hard to ignore. Forcing a smile, he made an excuse. "I cut myself while cooking. It's nothing serious."Nina was not convinced. "You've handled surgical tools for years. How could you accidentally cut yourself? You can't fool me! This doesn't look like a cooking injury. What really happened?"Wilfred remained silent. Seeing his reluctance, Nina took his hand and saw the hastily wrapped bandage around his wrist. It was not well done, likely because he had to do it himself with one hand. "It's just a minor injury," Wilfred said softly. "You've seen worse on me. This is nothing."He hoped she would drop the topic, but Nina's suspicions only deepened. "Did
Her gaze shifted back to Wilfred. He looked at her with a casual, unbothered expression. This was no longer surprising to him. Nina understood that the place Wilfred had come from was far from legitimate or transparent. As he said, they lived in darkness, away from the light.Even so, Nina was still deeply shocked, unable to fathom how people could live such different lives. "How could you give me your blood?" Nina's voice was filled with reluctance. "I would have woken up eventually. You didn't need to cut your wrist to help me. It's harmful to you. I don't need you to do that."Wilfred smiled, as if this was the easiest thing he had ever done. "It's just a bit of blood. It won't kill me.""You can't say that. You mustn't do it again!" Nina firmly opposed. "With me, you are a person who deserves respect, not an animal, and certainly not someone who needs to sacrifice themselves for anyone else. You are free. Don't bind yourself."Nina wanted to convey that he did not need to
Yvonne felt like she was in a dream, her head spinning. She could see that they loved each other, so how could they divorce so easily? Yvonne asked, "What happened? Nash is such a jerk for changing so quickly. I have to go confront him!"Nina had already accepted the reality. "There's no need. It's better this way. Look, now I have money and a house. I'm a rich lady now. Even if I never work again, I won't starve. You should congratulate me.""That just benefits the other woman!" Yvonne fumed, imagining herself in Nina's position. How could she bear it?"How much can she benefit, really?" Nina said. "Don't worry about it. It's over now.""Got it. I'm just worried about you. Are you okay? Do you need me to keep you company? I've been calling you, and you didn't pick up. I was so worried." Yvonne was genuinely concerned, but she knew Nina was resilient. Otherwise, Nina would not have stayed by Nash's side for so many years like an unyielding weed."If it were me, I'd divorce suc
"Alright," Wilfred said, watching Nina as she left.Nina pedaled her bicycle towards the city center, not far from her home. Nash had left her the most valuable property. It was a busy time, and she stopped at a red light, waiting to cross the street.When the light turned green, she pushed her bicycle across the street. Suddenly, a young man offered, "Let me help you."Nina glanced back and saw a young man pushing her bicycle from behind, seemingly noticing that she was pregnant and might be struggling. Today, she was dressed casually, with her hair in a braid, wearing a straw hat, and a loose dress that revealed a slight baby bump. Apart from her outfit, there was little to indicate she was pregnant.She was not weak enough to need help, but not wanting to waste his goodwill, she said, "Thank you." Once she crossed the street, the young man headed in the opposite direction. She continued riding her bicycle along the non-motorized vehicle lane.For some reason, she noticed th