That day, I got into an argument with my lawyer wife’s male best friend. To get revenge for her best friend, she had me thrown into a detention center. After I was released, I decided to let go. I left divorce papers and walked away, even posting my well-wishes on Twitter before I left. Ten minutes later, she called and cursed me to die. But when her wish came true, she broke down completely. The day I was released from the detention center, I found dozens of unread messages on my phone. They were all photos of my wife with other men. In the pictures, she was wearing a swimsuit, playfully splashing water with a man. I met Isabella during a court case where she appeared as a legal assistant. Her crisp, professional attire in the courtroom caught my eye, and after the case ended, I began pursuing her relentlessly. For two years, my efforts were in vain. Just when I was about to give up, she suddenly appeared before me one day, looking lost and agreeing to my pursuit. She even insisted on getting married right away. It wasn’t until after we were married that I realized some people’s hearts can never be warmed. Before I got together with her, I knew she had a male best friend. She said they were just friends, so I didn’t think much of it. Looking back now, the day she agreed to my pursuit was the same day Liam left the country. And the day we got married coincided with Liam’s wedding day. When I got home, I couldn’t help but call her, but there was no response. Just as I was getting impatient, Liam sent me a video. In the frame, Isabella was sitting opposite him in a stunning evening gown. She took a glass of wine from the man’s hand, took a sip, and flashed a sweet smile. When was the last time I saw her smile like that? Three years ago? Five? Maybe even earlier. Ever since Liam returned to the country, she had grown increasingly cold towards me. At first, I was anxious and tried to communicate calmly with her, but she seemed impatient, thinking I was making a big deal out of nothing. “Jack, I have my own dreams. I can’t be by your side all the time. Don’t be so sensitive,” she would say. But when I saw intimate photos of her with other men on her private Twitter account, I couldn’t help but confront her. Her response was even crueler cold treatment. She blocked me and ignored me for two weeks, showing me through her actions that I shouldn’t lack trust in her on this matter. After that, I never asked her about it again. But I secretly vowed that when I received a hundred such photos, I would leave. It hasn’t reached a hundred yet, but I can’t bear it anymore. Each photo feels like a death warrant, making me more mentally exhausted. At midnight, there was still no reply from her, but I received another video from Liam. The stars were him and Isabella. This video tore my heart to shreds. I packed my bags, left divorce papers, and turned to leave without hesitation. Some things, if not done now, there might never be another chance. The next day, I boarded the first flight to North City. Besides traveling, there was one more crucial thing to do.
I had been diagnosed with intracranial hypertension for some time now, relying on medication to manage it. During my time in detention, the episodes became more frequent, with severe headaches feeling like thousands of needles piercing my brain. The doctor suggested I go to the neurosurgery department at North City Hospital when I had time. It gathered the most renowned neurologists in the country, and there might still be a chance. I had originally decided to accompany Isabella on her birthday before going for the check-up. But on her birthday, I gave up a multi-million dollar order to personally go to the mall to pick out a gift for her, only to find her arm in arm with Liam, shopping. That morning before leaving, she had clearly told me to keep everything simple as she had work and would be busy late into the night. I tried to suppress my anger and calmly inquire, but she accused me of shamelessly stalking her. Seeing Liam’s provocative smile behind her, I could no longer control myself and punched him. Isabella immediately pushed me away as if I had touched her reverse scale, and crouched down to gently caress his cheek. Afterwards, to get revenge for Liam, she actually accused me of intentional assault and sent me to the detention center. My condition was also delayed for a long time because of this incident, and it wasn’t until today that I could come to North City for the check-up. As soon as I got off the plane, Isabella’s call came in. “Jack, congratulations on your release. I hope this detention has made you more mature. I don’t want to see you act like a barbarian again.” Her voice was as cold as an emotionless machine, completely different from the smile that could melt winter in yesterday’s video. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the sky. It was clear and sunny, and my mood improved along with it. “Isabella, let’s get a divorce.” At this moment, my mood was calm, as if I was talking about an insignificant matter. There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by an angry voice. “Jack, I’m very busy here and don’t have time to entertain your childish behavior. It seems this detention hasn’t made you grow up at all. What a waste of my good intentions.” With that, she hung up before I could respond. If it had been before, hearing her rebuke would have kept me awake for days. Now, there wasn’t even a ripple in my heart. Perhaps I had understood long ago, but still harbored unrealistic fantasies. Now that I’ve let go, I only feel a sense of relief. It’s just a pity that I realized too late, and there’s not much time left. After taking care of the hospital procedures, I began to walk along the path of memories. At first, we met in a coffee shop near the law firm to discuss business. At that time, her shoulder-length hair gave me the first impression of being capable and efficient. Not long after, I started inviting her to stroll in the nearby park. There was a popular dating spot for young people in the park. Every time, I would pretend to get lost and lead her through it, while she would lower her head with a slight blush, holding onto the hem of my clothes the whole time, not daring to look around. Later, I found her drinking herself into a stupor at a bar. During that period, I gave up on business and devoted myself wholeheartedly to being by her side, comforting her. I even taught myself how to cook and made her favorite sweet and sour fish. My sincerity finally conquered her. We confirmed our relationship at the dinner table when she wiped her mouth and said to me, “Want to give it a try?” A sharp pain shot through my head, and I suddenly sat down on the ground. The pain spread from my head, and my vision went black again. I frantically took out the pill bottle from my pocket, but my hand wasn’t steady, and it fell to the ground. I panicked, and my head hurt even more. I curled up on the ground, holding my head with both hands. A kind passerby handed me the pill bottle, and I quickly swallowed two pills. It took quite a while before I felt better. Seeing that my complexion had improved, he walked away reassured. From this stranger, I felt a long-lost concern. I had never hidden my illness from Isabella. The medical records were neatly placed on the table, and so were the purchased medications. If she had paid even a little attention, she would have noticed that something was wrong with my condition. I had also had episodes in front of her more than once, but she never gave me a second glance, only focused on grinning at her phone screen. “Jack, you’ve really disappointed Isabella. Do you want her to ignore you forever?” Liam sent me a message. It seems he was right beside her during the phone call. I promptly blocked him. Now, even if she wants to care, I don’t want it anymore. Back at the hospital, the admission procedures had been completed. Lying on the hospital bed, I received a message from an unknown number. “Give up, you’re not good enough for her!” Funny, I’ve already given up, but you think I’m acting. Well, you’re convinced that I love her so much that I wouldn’t give up, and even if it’s true, you don’t want to believe it. Isabella could become a legal consultant for big companies and the star of a top-tier law firm all thanks to my connections. Without me pulling strings to help her gain experience, with her skills, she might have just become a regular employee by now. Moreover, the news of being cheated on would affect my public image more than theirs. My losses would be far greater than theirs. They thought I would choose to keep quiet rather than go public, so they acted without restraint. Clowns! I didn’t bother responding and blocked this number as well.
When Isabella called me, my phone once again popped up with a payment notification for tens of thousands of dollars. From my release until now, adding up all the big and small expenses, it must have been several hundred thousand dollars, all with the memo “Hawaii xxx”. This credit card was Isabella’s own, but to make it easier to pay, I had also linked it to my phone. However, I’m about to be gone, so to remind her, I called her again. “Isabella, you’ve spent so much money, are you feeling better?” I could hear the tour guide’s voice through the phone. “What, are you feeling the pinch?” she said impatiently, “This is all necessary for client relations. And Jack, let me remind you, I allowed you to link my credit card only for the obligation of paying the bills, who gave you the right to monitor my account!” I was about to explain when the nurse’s voice came through, “Bed No. 3, time for blood draw.” “You’re in the hospital? What trick are you playing now?” Isabella’s words made me laugh. Even the old doctor helping me with my illness knew to show some concern, but my own wife’s first reaction was that I was putting on an act. “I’m really sick, feeling unwell, came for a check-up. Isabella, about the divorce I mentioned last time.” Isabella flew into a rage: “Haven’t you had enough, Jack? That’s quite enough, I’m busy as hell here, I don’t have time to deal with your childish temper.” Busy being intimate with Liam? Or busy flirting with him? If the three of us stood together, they might look more like a couple, and I might not even compare to a stranger. I sighed, why is getting a divorce so troublesome? I was about to hang up when Liam’s voice came through from the other end: “Jack, Isabella hasn’t slept well for days worrying about you. I’m accompanying her to meet clients, she’s been absent-minded all day. Isabella, I couldn’t bear to hear him speak like that, so I said a few words. You won’t blame me, will you?” “You’re doing it for his own good. It’s good to have you by my side these past few days.” I didn’t hear what was said after that, I just hung up the phone. A wave of dizziness came over me, and I struggled to endure the pain as I posted their intimate photos on Twitter, with the caption “Wishing you both happiness.” Less than a minute after the message was posted, a news alert popped up about Golden City Group unilaterally terminating their legal contract with Isabella. Immediately after, the phone rang, and cursing came through from Isabella’s end. “Jack, are you determined to ruin me? You’re so disgusting, why don’t you just die!” Hearing such venomous words, I was momentarily stunned, feeling as if the memories of the past had shattered like a mirror dropped on the ground, never to be whole again. Then, I heard someone calling for a doctor, along with Isabella’s impatient voice: “Jack, haven’t you had enough of this act? If you were even half as good as Liam, I would have less to worry about.” When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the hospital bed with a respirator on, and the throbbing in my head had subsided a bit. I felt there might still be hope, but the old doctor’s subsequent words made my mood plummet.
“Young man, your condition has reached a critical point and can’t be delayed any longer. The surgery must be done as soon as possible, but the success rate isn’t optimistic. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you should seize the time to complete them.” The doctor’s words left me stunned, a strange chill rising in my heart. I realized that this probably meant the success rate of the surgery wasn’t promising, and the doctor’s words seemed more like a hint for me to arrange my affairs early. However, faced with this sudden “death sentence,” my heart was strangely calm. After experiencing all kinds of mental torture, death had become a longed-for release for me. I slowly picked up my phone, my fingertips hovering over the screen for a long time before finally pressing that all-too-familiar number – Isabella’s phone. At the end of my life, I realized that the one I couldn’t let go of was still her. My parents passed away early, and I was raised by my grandmother. After my grandmother passed away, Isabella became the longest-lasting companion in my life. However, this companionship was full of twists and bitterness. On the other end of the phone, it was still the cold “The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.” I put down the phone helplessly, understanding that Isabella had blocked me again. This was her usual tactic. Whenever I did something slightly against her wishes, I would suffer this treatment. She never gave me a chance to explain, unless I knelt down to apologize, her expression would only then improve slightly. Since I couldn’t get through on the phone, I could only try to contact her through Twitter. However, when I opened Twitter, an overwhelming flood of abuse and accusations popped up in my private messages, almost making it hard to breathe. Isabella had accused me on Twitter of long-term cold violence towards her, portraying herself as a victim who had endured humiliation for the sake of the family. She claimed that she had taught herself to cook to please me, leaving countless knife scars on her fingers, but her efforts received not a shred of care or understanding from me. She even said that once, when she accidentally broke a cup, I yelled at her loudly. She even slandered me, saying I often didn’t come home at night and always had other women’s hair on me. Whenever she asked about this, I would hit her and then ruthlessly block her. Reading this tweet that turned black into white, I felt dead inside. These things did indeed happen, but the victim was me, not her, Isabella. Her private message was even more heartbreaking: “Jack, even if I did cheat, what can you do about it? Now everyone is on my side, and you’re just like a clown, losing miserably.” These words undoubtedly stimulated my fragile nerves, and my head felt like it was about to split open. I rolled and struggled on the hospital bed until I fell to the floor, my head continuously hitting the ground. The thudding sound attracted the attention of the nurse. With her help, I gradually eased out of the pain. “Mr. Jack, why do you get a headache every time you look at your phone?” The nurse gently massaged my scalp, asking curiously. I smiled bitterly and mocked myself, “Perhaps this is the obsession before death.” Then, I recounted my story. By the time the story ended, the nurse was crying uncontrollably, tears rolling down like broken strings of pearls. Just then, the phone rang suddenly, and I answered with a glimmer of hope.
“Mr. Jack, in light of your recent lifestyle issues, we have decided to terminate our cooperation with you and withdraw all investments. At the same time, we will pursue legal action for the negative impact you have brought to the company. Please be aware of this.” I hung up the phone dejectedly, not because of the legal action against me, but because that glimmer of hope had been shattered once again. Over the next few days, investors called one after another to withdraw their funds, the company’s stock price plummeted, and my reputation hit rock bottom. Unfortunately, I didn’t care about any of this. What was more terrifying than death was dying alone. Recently, my episodes have become more and more frequent, from initial dizziness to now relying on machines to maintain life. I knew time was running out. During the intervals of consciousness, I signed the surgery consent form, and inadvertently saw the private messages in the backend again. I clicked in, and the image showed Isabella and Liam naked, embracing each other, passionately kissing. The next second, a sharp pain pierced my brain like a needle tip. I bent over in agony, my whole body twisted like a tightly wrung towel, cold sweat pouring down. Using all my strength, I replied to that private message, “Let’s get divorced.” Then, I could no longer hold on and fell into a coma. When I woke up, the ward was quiet. I looked up and found everything pitch black before me, unable to sense any light. I quickly called for the doctor. “Mr. Jack, your condition has become very serious. The intracranial pressure continues to stimulate, causing severe lesions. If you don’t have surgery now, I’m afraid…” The doctor’s words hit my heart like a heavy hammer. I realized that this probably meant the success rate of the surgery was not optimistic. The doctor’s words seemed more like a hint for me to arrange my affairs early. I remained silent for a moment, then nodded firmly: “Let’s begin.” No matter the outcome, I no longer want to live on in such a state of suffering. The surgery process was long and painful. I felt as if I had been drifting in darkness for countless centuries. When I woke up again, I found myself back home. I was stunned when I saw Isabella. How did I come back? Was the surgery successful? However, when I tried to approach her, I found my body seemed to have become transparent. I passed through her body as if passing through a patch of empty air. My gaze fell on the window beside Isabella, where only her reflection was visible. At that moment, I was dumbfounded. No miracle had occurred. My illness had been delayed for too long; if I had had the surgery earlier, there might have been some hope. At this time, the bedroom door was pushed open, and Liam walked out from inside. An ambiguous atmosphere permeated the air, making me feel nauseous. I was clearly dead, but seeing this scene, I could still feel a splitting headache. Do you two dogs have to torment me even after death? Isabella looked at Liam as he approached, her eyes full of tenderness. I was about to leave when Isabella’s voice came, carrying a hint of questioning and confusion. “Liam, why didn’t you agree to let me divorce him?” So it was Liam who didn’t let Isabella divorce me! And I was very curious, from the start, I hadn’t seen the diagnosis report left on the table. Looking around, I couldn’t see that paper, but I clearly remember leaving it on the table when I left. Liam walked to Isabella’s side and held her tightly: “Isabella, trust me, before long, everything of his will be yours.” Isabella opened her eyes wide, looking at him in disbelief. Then, she seemed to think of something and broke free from Liam’s embrace, picking up her phone and repeatedly trying to call me. However, the phone remained powered off. Right, I’m dead, who would charge my phone now. Isabella’s face grew increasingly grim, and she couldn’t help but smash the phone! “Liam, what do you mean by saying this? And why haven’t you let me come back all this time? Are you hiding something from me?” Liam’s face darkened, “Isabella, everything I’ve done is for you. Don’t tell me you’ve really fallen in love with him? You only married him to climb the social ladder using his connections!” I was suddenly stunned, followed by a bitter laugh. Yes, I might have always known. I pursued Isabella for three years, and it wasn’t until Liam went abroad with his mistress that she accepted me. I foolishly believed that sincerity could win someone’s true heart. She liked watching fireworks, so I spent a fortune arranging fireworks shows for her birthday every year. When she felt her work wasn’t going well, I would beg people and send gifts to arrange comfortable positions for her. However, some people’s blood might just be naturally cold. After Liam returned to the country, Isabella began to gradually distance herself from me, and her feelings grew increasingly cold. Having it pointed out bluntly by Liam, Isabella’s face couldn’t hide her discomfort. A crisp sound rang out, and a clear handprint appeared on Liam’s face. Watching these two in conflict made me happier than if I had earned millions. “Isabella, you need to calm down.” Liam left, covering his face. I told him to get lost from behind, and kept slapping my palm on the handprint on his face. Although this couldn’t make him feel humiliated, it certainly made me feel happy. Looking at Liam’s retreating figure, Isabella showed a dejected expression. I had only seen this expression on her face when Liam went abroad. She was already regretting her impulsive action right after slapping him? As soon as Liam left, the phone on the table rang. I looked, and the contact name was mine! Wait, I’m dead, how could I be calling her? After answering, Isabella vented the anger from earlier on me, “Jack, haven’t you had enough!”
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