Her Wedding Day, My Last Breath I heard my wife’s junior colleague was dying. His one and only wish was to have a wedding ceremony with my wife, Seraphina. The moment she agreed, I told the System, “Help me leave this world.” Seraphina asked me for a divorce twice. Both times, I couldn’t make it to the courthouse as planned. Not until I was lying on the operating table, a terminally ill patient. She, the lead surgeon, looked at me, horrified and desperate, “How can it be you?” What shattered her even more was this: I would, as per the System’s design, die by her hands. Leaving her with eternal guilt. Seraphina was a surgeon, the hospital’s renowned “golden hand.” She was incredibly busy. So busy that she only notified me of our divorce via SnapChat. “Find some time to finalize the divorce.” “Julian’s emotions are unstable; he can’t wait.” I stared at the table, laden with cold food, the edges of the cream cake melting. Just like our relationship – ten years, from our school days to wedding vows, all crumbling in an instant. I called her several times; she finally picked up on the fourth ring. Her voice was distant. “Something wrong? I was busy.” I instinctively wanted to apologize, thinking she was in surgery. Doctors, after all, always have to be responsible for their patients. But then, I heard a man’s soft chuckle in the background. “Clothes are off, come quickly.” Blood rushed to my head. “Seraphina, we’re still married, aren’t we?” She explained, her tone cool and collected. “You misunderstood. I was bathing Julian’s dog.” I closed my eyes, my nails digging into my palms. “Seraphina, if we divorce, I will disappear.” This was the System’s original setting; no one could change it. She didn’t reply. I heard movement on her end. She must have moved to a different spot to talk. She lowered her voice. “Liam, I’ve explained it many times. It’s just a ceremony.” “After I fulfill his wish, we’ll get back together.” “Why do you always use ‘disappearing’ to pressure me?” When she used my full name, it usually meant she was angry. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Seraphina’s breathing grew heavy. Because she’d once said she hated it when I was silent and unresponsive. “Liam, be rational.” I scoffed. “You’re at Julian’s place late at night, telling me to be rational? Don’t you think that’s funny?” Legally, she was still my wife, after all. There was a long sigh on the other end. Then, her indifferent words pierced my heart, one by one. “Liam, Friday morning. Let’s get the divorce done.”
I scooped a bite of cream into my mouth, a bitter taste spreading on my tongue. It was laughable. She remembered bathing Julian’s dog, but forgot it was my birthday today. Maybe her heart had wandered, and her memories had gone with it. “System, can you sing ‘Happy Birthday’?” “No, I only sing dirges.” I chuckled. “Then don’t bother. Save it for when I die.” “Help me leave this world.” If I left here, I could return to my original world. In that world, though I didn’t have a healthy body, I had a loving family and friends. I missed the rice noodle rolls from downstairs and the beef soup from the old street market. And of course, my dad’s warm, hearty porridge. Here, I only cooked for Seraphina. Because she was a doctor. Her hands were vital to her patients, and to her. But when I saw Julian’s Ins post, I completely broke down. Her slender, well-protected fingers, those hands I cherished, were patiently peeling crawfish for him. The caption read: “My golden hands only peel shrimp for me.” It made all my past efforts seem like a joke. “Host, won’t you try harder?” “No.” My heart was dead. The moment she decided to divorce, the mission was doomed to fail. It was just a matter of when I would die. Why not end it sooner? The System sighed faintly. “Self-termination will be a bit painful.” “Good news is, you get to choose how you die.” I thought about it seriously. A faint smile touched my lips. “Seraphina never believed I would disappear.” “Then I’ll die by her golden hands.” I bet her expression would be priceless then.
I couldn’t make it to the courthouse to finalize the divorce that Friday. After the termination protocol started, my body quickly showed signs of decay, my immune system severely weakened. I had a fever. My lips were dry and cracked. Subconsciously, I called out, “Seraphina, water.” Usually, whenever she was home, I would always have perfectly temperate water. I liked and was used to her accommodating me in small things. But opening my eyes, I remembered she’d moved out long ago. The day she agreed to marry Julian. “He’s my teacher’s son. For my teacher’s sake, I have to take care of him.” “He’s practically dying; it’s just a wedding ceremony. Can’t you be the bigger person?” That day, I stared at her blankly. “If it’s just a ceremony, why bother getting divorced?” She lowered her eyes, her fair, beautiful face tinged with frost. “We can’t have him known as the other man, can we?” Right, legally, we weren’t divorced, so he would be the “other man.” She was really going all out for this act. I looked at her indifferently. “Seraphina, if we divorce, I can’t ever get back together with you.” She froze for a second, dropping her suitcase. She gripped my arm tightly. “What did you say?” “You won’t be with me? Who will you be with?” “You said you were an orphan in this world; you have no family except me.” Perhaps she hurt me physically, and it also stung my heart. I patiently pushed her away. “Let go. You were the one who didn’t want me first.” But she ignored me and threw herself into my arms. Remembering our ten years together, my eyes welled up. “Don’t be sad, Liam. If you’re sad, I’ll be even sadder.” “How could I not want you?” She awkwardly tried to comfort me. Her kisses trailed from my lips down to my Adam’s apple. She said she was an orphan and her teacher had taken care of her so much since she was little. She said Julian was just like a younger brother. I believed her. After all, he had a rare, terminal illness and was dying, wasn’t he? The System said if we restored our marital relationship within three months, the mission wouldn’t be a failure. It wasn’t until a week later, when I went to the hospital to bring her some nutrient soup. Passing by the outdoor parking lot, Julian was in the driver’s seat, car windows fully open. She stood outside the car, hands in the pockets of her white coat, looking stunningly elegant. The next second, she bent down and kissed her “little brother.” It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. I watched numbly as she reached out a fair, slender finger and playfully ruffled his hair. “Be good, go home and rest.” He seemed to mumble something, then put on his sunglasses and drove off. All of this felt so familiar. She used to do all that for me. She wanted to fulfill his wish to marry her, and a chilling realization dawned on me. Was it merely sympathy and a sense of responsibility? Perhaps, her heart had already wandered? Wandered to another man, all while trying not to violate the vows of our relationship. No wonder she was so eager to divorce and get married to him. That day, I threw the nutrient soup into the trash. And along with it, the heart I once gave her so completely, so unconditionally.
In a feverish haze, my phone rang repeatedly. I struggled to reach for it and answered. Seraphina’s voice, tinged with annoyance, came through. “Do you have any sense of time? I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour.” Oh, I was burning up and forgot about the divorce today. I said weakly, “I have a fever. Can we reschedule?” I was so weak, I couldn’t even get out of bed. How was I supposed to go? She chuckled on the other end. “You forgot I’m a doctor? With your strong-as-an-ox physique, how could you possibly have a fever?” “You’re 28, not a little boy like Julian. Stop being dramatic.” I actually laughed, angered. “You might not know, but the ‘little boy’ you speak of is only two years younger than me.” She used to call me ‘little boy’ too. Maybe she was just tired of it now. It didn’t matter. I had no expectations of her anymore.
I missed the second divorce appointment too. On my way out, I had a bit of an accident. At a crosswalk, a two-year-old girl in a cheerful, cartoon-print overall dress, with her short legs, rushed out to find her dad. A car turning the corner lost control due to speeding. Without thinking, I pushed her forcefully to a safe zone. *Bang!* I felt like I was being shattered. The hit-and-run driver didn’t stop for a second, speeding away. I turned my head and saw the license plate – it looked familiar. In a flash of lightning, I remembered Julian’s car in the hospital parking lot. It was him. The girl was picked up by her frantic family, crying inconsolably. “Uncle, Uncle is hurt.” All I felt was pain, the kind that made my organs feel crushed. But there was no blood, as I’d expected. “System, am I dying?” It didn’t go as planned, a bit regrettable. But to save a cute little kid before I died, I felt no regrets. The System paused for a few seconds, then replied calmly. “Congratulations, Host. Before your designated death date, you temporarily cannot die.” “All the symptoms of the car accident will only manifest on the day you leave.” The System then sheepishly added, “This is a perk I managed to get for you.” 小·虎bot文件防·盗印，找丶书·机器人选小·虎，稳·定靠谱，不踩·坑！ I found the System unexpectedly endearing. I smiled. “Good. Then Seraphina can see what her new husband did to me.” Lily’s dad and grandmother surrounded me. Lily’s dad said with red eyes, “You saved my baby, you saved our whole family.” They almost knelt down to me. I repeatedly insisted I was fine, but they still enthusiastically urged me into their car and took me to the hospital. “How can you be fine? The car’s bumper was completely caved in.” “You’re telling me a person is tougher than a car?” Left with no choice, I called Seraphina in advance. “I was in a car accident. Can we reschedule?”
I never expected them to take me to Seraphina’s hospital. “Let me see the report.” A familiar voice sounded from above my head. Seraphina burst in like a whirlwind, her forehead glistening with sweat. As if she had just rushed back from somewhere. The other doctor patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dr. Seraphina, he’s fine.” Before the System-assigned death date, no instrument could detect any issues with my body. Seraphina meticulously read every paper report. When she looked up again, her eyes held an unfamiliar sharpness. “No external or internal injuries. What kind of car accident is this?” “Liam, you’ve stood me up twice now. What’s your game?” I folded my hands. “A car accident, that’s what. Oh, and it was your new husband who hit me. He fled the scene too.” She didn’t even think, frowning as she retorted, “Impossible. Julian is a good guy; he wouldn’t do something like that.” “So you’re saying I’m not a good guy, that I’d lie?” Both of us froze after I said that. A flicker of awkwardness crossed her eyes. Because she, too, realized that she trusted Julian more than me. I asked the System in my mind, “Will he get caught?” The System replied definitively, “Yes. This world is still a society governed by law.” Oh, good, then I felt relieved. Let the law judge her ‘good guy.’ If it weren’t for the System protecting me, that massive impact should have killed me instantly. He was a hit-and-run driver. I raised my hand to check my watch. “Seraphina, let’s go. To the courthouse, now.” “Otherwise, I’m out of time.” Her hands were in her pockets, her tone flat. “What do you mean, ‘out of time’?” “I’m dying.” Three days from now, at 4 PM. I once asked the System, “Is there anything special about that time?” “Ten years ago, at 4 PM, was when you two first met.” Oh, full circle. Seraphina glanced indifferently out the window, her tone impatient. “Liam, you should see a psychologist.” I laughed, angered. “Seraphina, you’re the one who’s sick, wanting to have your cake and eat it too, you manipulative…!” I turned to leave, but she grabbed my wrist. “Haven’t been eating properly lately? You’ve lost weight.” “None of your business.” “Eat something first, Liam.” Just as I was about to refuse, her phone vibrated. I saw Julian’s name on the screen. Seraphina instinctively let go of my hand. He was whining on the phone, saying he had a nightmare and was scared. Seraphina softly soothed him for a few moments. She glanced at me, then replied to him, “Yes, I’ll be back soon.” When she ended the call, a flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. “Liam, you go eat first—” I scoffed internally. A nightmare? Or was he scared and guilty from hitting someone? Perfect. By choosing him again, Seraphina missed our last meal together. When she thought back on it later, would she regret it? The final countdown of my life. I lay on the cold operating table. Waves of stomach-churning, organ-shattering pain washed over me. It’s okay, just bear with it.
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