I heard Dr. Julian Hayes’s junior was dying. Her only wish was to have a wedding with him. The moment he agreed. I messaged the System, “Help me leave this world.” Julian had rushed me to get a divorce twice. Both times, I couldn’t make it to the divorce court as planned. Not until I, a terminally ill patient, lay on the operating table. He, my lead surgeon, looked at me with horror and despair, “How can it be you?” What shattered him even more was this: According to the System’s setup, I would die by his hand. Leaving him consumed by eternal guilt. Dr. Julian Hayes was a surgeon, the hospital’s renowned “magic hands.” He was incredibly busy. So busy that he only notified me about the divorce on SnapChat. “Find some time to finalize the divorce.” “Scarlett’s emotions are unstable, she can’t wait.” I stared at the table laden with cold food, the frosting on the cream cake melting at the edges. It was like our relationship, a decade-long journey from high school sweethearts to husband and wife, crumbling in an instant. I called him several times; he finally picked up on the fourth try. His voice was flat, “Something wrong? I was busy.” My first instinct was to apologize, assuming he was in surgery. Doctors, after all, are always responsible for their patients. But then, a playful female voice chirped in the background, “Clothes are off, hurry up.” My blood ran cold. “Julian Hayes, we’re still married, you know?” He explained it away with an unsettling nonchalance. “You misunderstood. I was giving Scarlett’s dog a bath.” I closed my eyes, my fingernails digging tightly into my palms. “Julian, if we divorce, I’ll disappear.” That was the System’s original setting. No one could change it. He didn’t reply. I heard movement on his end. He probably moved to another spot to take the call. He lowered his voice. “Audrey Hayes, I’ve explained it countless times. It’s just a ceremony.” “We’ll remarry after I fulfill her wish.” “Why do you always use this ‘disappearing’ as leverage?” Usually, when he called me by my full name, it meant he was angry. Seeing I didn’t answer, Julian’s breathing grew heavy. He had often said he hated it when I stayed silent and didn’t respond. “Audrey Hayes, be rational.” I scoffed, “You’re at Scarlett Reid’s house late at night, telling me to be rational? Don’t you find that laughable?” After all, legally, he was still my husband. There was a long sigh from his end. Then, his indifferent words, one by one, pierced my heart. “Audrey Hayes, Friday morning, let’s get the divorce done.”
I dug a spoonful of cream cake into my mouth, a bitter taste dissolving on my tongue. It was ironic. He remembered bathing Scarlett Reid’s dog but forgot it was my birthday. Perhaps his heart wasn’t in it anymore, and neither was his memory of me. “System, do you sing birthday songs?” “No, I only sing funeral dirges.” I chuckled, “Then no need for now. Save it for when I die.” “Help me leave this world.” If I left this world, I could return to my original one. In my original world, though I didn’t have a healthy body. I had loving family and friends. I missed the classic diner breakfast downstairs, and the hearty chicken noodle soup from the old market. And of course, my mom’s warm, comforting homemade stew. Here, I only ever cooked for Julian. Because he was a doctor. His hands were vital for his patients, and for him. But when I saw Scarlett Reid’s Ins post, I instantly broke down. His perfectly sculpted hands, the ones I’d always protected, were patiently peeling shrimp for her. The caption read, “My magic hands only peel shrimp for me.” It made all my past efforts feel like a cruel joke. “Host, won’t you try a little harder?” “No.” My heart was dead. The moment he decided to divorce, my mission was doomed to fail. It was just a matter of when I’d die. Why not end it sooner? The System sighed softly, “Self-initiated departure will be a bit painful.” “Good news is, you can choose how you die.” I thought about it seriously. And let out a faint laugh. “Julian never believed I’d disappear.” “So, I’ll die by his ‘magic hands’ then.” I guessed his expression would be priceless.
I couldn’t make it to the divorce court on Friday as planned. After the departure program initiated. My body quickly started showing signs of decay, my immunity critically low. I had a fever. My lips were so chapped they felt like sandpaper. I subconsciously called out, “Darling, water.” Before, whenever he was home, I always had water at just the right temperature. I loved, and had grown accustomed to, his pampering me in small ways. But opening my eyes, I remembered he’d moved out long ago. The day he agreed to marry Scarlett Reid. “She’s my mentor’s daughter. Out of respect for my mentor, I have to take care of her.” “She’s dying. It’s just a wedding ceremony. Be a little more understanding.” I stared at him blankly that day. “If it’s just a ceremony, why bother getting a divorce?” He lowered his gaze, his fair, refined face tinged with coldness. “I can’t let her be his mistress, can I?” Right, if we weren’t legally divorced, she’d be the other woman. So he was really committing to the act. I looked at him indifferently. “Julian Hayes, if we divorce, there’s no way I’ll ever remarry you.” He froze for a second, then dropped his suitcase. He grabbed my arm tightly. “What did you say?” “If not with me, then who would you be with?” “You told me you’re an orphan in this world, with no family except me.” Maybe he was gripping me too hard. Tears welled up in my eyes. I clenched my fists and hit him, “Let go, you jerk! You’re the one who gave up on me first!” But he pulled me into a tight embrace. My tears stained the collar of his white shirt. “Don’t cry, Audrey. Your tears hurt me.” “How could I ever give up on you?” He awkwardly wiped my tears away. Kissing me all the way from my forehead to my lips. He said he was an orphan, and his mentor’s wife had looked after him since he was young. He said Scarlett was just like a sister. I believed him. After all, she had a rare, terminal illness and was dying, wasn’t she? The System said if we restored our marital relationship within three months, the mission wouldn’t be a failure. A week later, I went to the hospital to bring him some nourishing soup. Passing by the outdoor parking lot. Scarlett Reid sat in the driver’s seat, all windows down. He stood outside the car, hands in his white lab coat pockets, his figure tall and imposing. The next moment, he bent down and kissed the “sister” he had spoken of. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. I numbly watched him extend a pale, slender finger and dotingly ruffle her hair. “Be a good girl, go home and rest.” She seemed to playfully say something, then put on her sunglasses and drove off. It was all so familiar. He used to do all that for me. The thought of him wanting to fulfill her wedding wish suddenly filled me with dread. Was it merely sympathy and responsibility? Or had his heart already strayed? Strayed to another girl, but in a way that didn’t technically violate our vows. No wonder he was so eager to divorce me and marry her. That day, I tossed the nourishing soup into the trash. And with it, the heart that had once loved him so completely.
In my feverish haze, the phone rang repeatedly. I struggled to reach for it and answered. Julian’s voice, laced with annoyance, came through the line. “Can you please have some sense of time? I’ve been waiting for you for half an hour.” Oh, I was burning up and had forgotten about the divorce today. I said weakly, “I have a fever. Can we reschedule?” I was so weak, I couldn’t even get up. How was I supposed to go? He 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 girl like Scarlett. Don’t be so dramatic.” I was genuinely amused. “You might not know, but the ‘little girl’ you’re talking about is only two years younger than me.” He used to call me ‘little girl’ once too. Maybe he just got tired of it. Whatever. I had no expectations left for him.
I missed the second divorce appointment too. On my way out, I had a little accident. At the intersection, a two-year-old boy in a cartoon T-shirt, with his short legs, dashed out to find his mom. A car, speeding around the corner, lost control. I didn’t think twice, pushing him with all my strength into the safety zone. *Bang!* I felt like I was being smashed to pieces. The hit-and-run driver didn’t stop for a second, speeding off with a roar. I turned my head and saw the license plate. It looked familiar. In a flash of insight, I remembered Scarlett Reid’s car in the hospital parking lot. It was her. The boy was scooped up by his panicked family, crying hysterically. “Auntie, Auntie is hurt!” I only felt pain, the kind of pain that felt like my insides were being torn apart. But there was no blood as I had expected. “System, am I dying?” It didn’t go as planned, which was a little regretful. But saving a sweet kid right before I died made it feel worth it. The System paused for a few seconds, then replied nonchalantly. “Congratulations. You temporarily won’t die before your scheduled death date, Host.” “The symptoms of the car accident will only fully manifest on the day you depart.” The System then added a little sheepishly, “This is a perk I fought for you.” I found the System strangely endearing. I smiled, “Good. Then Julian can see what his new wife did to me.” The boy’s parents and grandmother surrounded me. The boy’s mother, with red eyes, said, “You saved our baby, you saved our whole family!” They almost knelt down to me. I repeatedly insisted I was fine, but they still warmly insisted on putting me in their car and taking me to the hospital. “How can you be fine? The car’s bumper is completely dented.” “Is a person harder than a car?” Left with no choice, I called Julian ahead of time. “I was in a car accident. Let’s reschedule again.”
I hadn’t expected them to bring me to Julian’s hospital. “Let me see the report results.” A familiar voice sounded from above me. Julian burst in like a whirlwind, thin sweat beading on his forehead. He looked like he had just rushed back from somewhere. The other doctor patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry, Dr. Hayes, she’s fine.” Before the System’s programmed death date. No instrument could detect any issues with my body. Julian meticulously reviewed every paper report. When he looked up again, his eyes held a unfamiliar, sharp intensity. “No external or internal injuries. What kind of car accident is this?” “Audrey, what kind of drama are you trying to pull, missing appointments like this, twice?” I clasped my hands together. “A car accident, actually. Oh, and it was your new wife who hit me and then fled the scene.” He immediately frowned and retorted, without thinking. “That’s impossible. Scarlett is very innocent, she wouldn’t do something like that.” “So you’re saying I’m not innocent, and I’m lying?” We both froze then. A flicker of awkwardness crossed his eyes. Because he, too, realized he trusted Scarlett more than he trusted me. In my mind, I asked the System, “Will she be caught?” The System replied unequivocally, “Yes, this is a society with laws.” Oh, good, then I felt relieved. Let her “innocence” be judged by the law. If it weren’t for the System protecting me, that massive impact would have killed me instantly. She was a hit-and-run driver. I raised my hand to check the time. “Julian, let’s go. To the divorce court. Now.” “Otherwise, I’m running out of time.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his tone flat. “What do you mean, running out of time?” “I’m dying.” Three days from now, at 4 PM. I had once asked the System, “Is there anything special about that time?” “Ten years ago, at 4 PM, was when you two first met.” Ah, a full circle. Julian looked out the window indifferently, his tone a bit impatient. “Audrey, you should really see a therapist.” I laughed in exasperation, “Julian, you’re the one who’s sick, wanting both… you cheat.” I turned to leave, but he gripped my wrist. “Haven’t you been eating well lately? You’ve lost weight.” “None of your business.” “Eat first, Audrey.” I was about to refuse when his phone vibrated. I saw Scarlett Reid’s name on the screen. Julian subconsciously let go of my hand. She was sobbing on the phone, saying she had a nightmare and was scared. Julian softly comforted her for a few moments. He glanced at me, then told her, “Yes, I’ll be back soon.” When he hung up, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. “Audrey, you go eat first…” I sneered inwardly. A nightmare? Or was it fear and guilt because she’d hit someone? Good. Julian, by choosing her again, missed our last meal together. Would he regret it later, when he remembered?
The final countdown of my life. I lay on the cold operating table. Waves of agonizing pain, like my insides were being torn apart, washed over me. It was okay. Just bear with it. Soon, I could go home and have my mom’s homemade stew. Julian’s violent voice message still echoed in my ears. “Audrey Hayes, do you really think I don’t have a temper?” “Scarlett is dying, can you just be understanding, for God’s sake?!” All because I missed our third appointment. But I had told him, hadn’t I? I was running out of time. I was dying. He just didn’t believe me. Ten minutes later, Julian, dressed in surgical scrubs, entered the operating room with a blank expression. This surgery wasn’t originally his. But the System had set it up so that no matter who the surgeon was, it would ultimately be him. “System, what’s my terminal illness?” “A tumor surgery. Julian Hayes’s golden specialty.” The System almost sounded gleeful. The anesthetic had been administered. Julian was ready. His assistant couldn’t help but quietly ask, “Dr. Hayes, are you okay?” The assistant knew about me. They had even secretly admired him. “Dr. Hayes truly has an iron will.” “Only a ruthless person could operate on his own wife.” But Julian himself, for now, had no idea. Lying under the surgical drapes was the wife he had angrily scolded just an hour ago. He took the scalpel handed to him by the assistant. And with practiced ease, made a sixteen-centimeter incision on my abdomen. Compared to the surgeries he usually performed, this tumor operation wasn’t particularly special. Even if it failed, it would be within a reasonable scope. After all, the surgical difficulty was high, and the success rate extremely low. But thanks to his years of professional experience, the surgery was well within his control. However, the word “accident” is the one thing humans can never control. For instance, Julian unexpectedly discovered a faint pink scar on the skin near the incision. His hand immediately froze mid-air. The assistants were all a bit surprised. This had never happened before. Especially with the patient’s flesh already cut open. Dr. Hayes looked dazed. Only I, in the entire room, knew why.
That scar was all too familiar to Julian. How many nights, wrapped in loving intimacy, had he traced it, kissed it? “Audrey, this is your scar, but it’s my lifelong mark.” Because it was a mark from when I shielded him from a knife. When he was doing his residency, I brought him food. A patient, crazed after a failed surgery, was wildly brandishing a knife. He was just a fresh-faced young doctor then, and it had nothing to do with him. But as he was helping another fallen, innocent patient, The knife swung towards his abdomen. “Watch out!” I pushed him away, and in the chaos, the knife plunged into my lower abdomen. Julian immediately covered my wound. Blood seeped between his fingers, covering his hands. His face was ashen as he scooped me up and stumbled towards the emergency room. It wasn’t until my wound was treated that the hollow look in his eyes began to clear. He looked at me with red-rimmed eyes, burying his head in my neck. “Audrey, seeing you bleed… I hurt so much, I’d rather die myself.” I smiled and patted him, “Then will you promise to be good to me from now on?” He kissed my earlobe. “I’d give my life for you.” That day, he held me, carefully avoiding my wound. And said, with utmost seriousness, “Audrey, you’re too kind.” “Please, from now on, think more about yourself, okay?” He was the one who once told me to think more about myself. Now, he was the one calling Scarlett “innocent” and telling me to be “more understanding.” The assistant quietly prompted, “Dr. Hayes, is something wrong?” Julian paid no attention, quickly taking two steps. Suddenly, he pulled back the surgical drape covering my face. His pupils instantly constricted. His face contorted with horror and despair, “How can it be you?” At that moment, I couldn’t respond. I was under anesthesia, my eyes closed in a heavy haze. My face was pale, cold sweat beading on my forehead. It was the final stage of the departure process. It truly hurt. But it would be over soon. Julian’s throat bobbed several times, his voice trembling uncontrollably. “Audrey, you can’t be hurt. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He wanted to touch me, but couldn’t, fearing bacterial infection. The assistants were somewhat surprised. Didn’t Dr. Hayes know that the person under his scalpel was his own wife? But their professional training quickly brought them back to normal. They refocused on the operating table. The System said coolly in my mind, “This is probably Julian Hayes’s most agonizing surgery.” After all, this surgery had only a 5% success rate. Anyone would be nervous, right? He picked up the scalpel again, his fingers trembling slightly. But quickly, he controlled the tremor with astonishing willpower. Years of professional training took over. The surgery continued systematically. “More anesthetic.” “The tumor has spread, partly free-floating. There’s significant bleeding.” “Use embolization to block the blood vessels.” “Continue adhesion dissection, remove the diseased tissue.” Julian Hayes was indeed the hospital’s most renowned, youngest “magic hands.” Everything was as he said; he could control it. The assistant’s voice came through, slightly excited, “Success!” They were quietly cheering. But I wasn’t surprised at all. The surgery was temporarily successful, of course. Because my departure deadline hadn’t arrived yet. Only two hours left.
Post-surgery, according to protocol, I needed to stay in the observation room for an hour. Seeing that all my vital signs were good. Julian’s composed expression returned. The entire space was left with just him and me. Aside from the brief conversation at the hospital clinic after the car accident. We hadn’t been together for more than an hour in a very long time. He whispered in my ear, “I never thought these hands would one day perform surgery on you, Audrey.” My anesthetic wore off quickly. That was thanks to the System’s settings. I opened my eyes and mocked him. “I never thought your hands would one day peel shrimp for someone else.” In this world, I was an orphan, just like him. I earned my tuition bit by bit. I remembered when we first graduated. We were so poor we couldn’t even afford a washing machine. Southern winters were damp and bitingly cold. Every time I washed clothes, my fingers would turn bright red from the cold, but I never let him touch the water. “No need for you here. Your hands are for holding scalpels, for saving more lives and families.” “Audrey, do you have a filter for doctors or something?” “Yes.” In my original world, doctors had saved my life too. “Okay, I promise I won’t let your admiration down, Audrey.” The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Julian seemed to be choked by my words. After a long while, he sighed softly. “Audrey, Scarlett is dying. Can you please, not hold a grudge against her?” I chuckled, “I’m dying too. Why shouldn’t I hold a grudge against her?” Julian’s eyes instantly darkened. “You won’t die. Don’t you trust my skills?” Perhaps realizing I was now also a patient. His voice softened a bit. “When did you get this illness?” “The day you asked for a divorce, and didn’t believe I would disappear.” He was choked up again, so he changed the subject. “I know you care about your looks, so I stitched the incision beautifully. The scar will be very light.” I didn’t respond. The silence in the air became so thick it made him uncomfortable. He wanted to say something else. Chloe, the nurse, came in. “Dr. Hayes, your phone has been ringing off the hook.” “Audrey, I need to take this call.” After a while, Julian returned, his expression somewhat awkward. “Audrey, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll have the nurse take good care of you.” Of course, I knew what he was going to do. His original plan was to divorce me this morning. And then, in the afternoon, have a garden wedding with Scarlett Reid. Dr. Hayes, truly quite the time management expert, he was busy. “Julian Hayes, I have less than two hours left in this world.” “Are you sure you don’t want to say your final goodbyes to me?” Honestly, I didn’t want to spend much more time with him either. But if he stayed. It would be his last small gesture of sincerity towards our years of shared feelings and marriage. Then I, too, would have been more understanding. Easing his guilt just a little. But he didn’t want to. Julian stood up, and even after three hours of intense surgery, he still looked energetic and graceful. The frantic emotion he’d shown when he realized I was his patient had vanished completely. “Audrey, after you recover, I’ll personally schedule you for a therapy session.” That composed, non-negotiable tone. Honestly, I really disliked it. I let out a cold laugh, “Dr. Hayes, I hope you don’t regret this.” Julian’s expression was calm, as if he thought I was just acting out. He glanced at me, a slight smile playing on his lips, “I won’t.” “Audrey, you need to rest now.” With that, he disappeared through the door. Because his phone, in his pocket, had been ringing with urgent calls for him. By now, his wedding should be bustling with guests. Scarlett Reid probably couldn’t wait any longer. I felt a sense of release. Julian Hayes, this was your choice.
After Julian left, the System sighed in my mind. “Alas, he missed his last chance.” I was surprised that the System would feel regret. “Host, you’re a kind-hearted girl. I secretly fought for an opportunity for you to live well in this world.” “If he had chosen you today, the surgery’s success would have become reality.” I chuckled, “System, did you forget? Even if he stayed today, I wouldn’t live.” “Because Scarlett Reid already ran me over and killed me.” The System was silent for a moment. “Yes, I know.” “Host, do you want to know why Scarlett Reid was speeding that day?” “Because she was rushing to the airport to pick up Julian Hayes.” That was right. That day was when Julian returned from his business trip. She was rushing to pick him up. Because Julian needed to rush to divorce me. The causal link was eerily clear. I sighed softly. “Even if I hadn’t been in a car accident, and the surgery was successful, I still wouldn’t want him.” “You don’t love him anymore?” The System had witnessed our decade together. “No.” “Why?” the System pressed. “Aren’t you the System? How could you not know?” “Ahem, the System isn’t all-knowing, there might be occasional oversights.” I smiled, “Scarlett Reid doesn’t have a dog.” Julian himself had told me that long ago. His mentor’s wife and his junior were both allergic to animal fur. “How could someone allergic to animal fur keep a dog?” The System was stunned for a long while. “So that night, they couldn’t have been bathing a dog?” That line on the phone, “Clothes are off, hurry up,” was enough to explain everything. He had strayed, both physically and emotionally. And yet, he had calmly and confidently lied to me. “System, he’s tainted. I can’t want him anymore.” The System, unusually, swore. “Damn it! What a scumbag. Let him drown in guilt!”
“No, the patient is hemorrhaging, tissue infection!” “Dr. Hayes’s surgery has a massive complication!” “Heart stopped! Put her on artificial heart-lung machine! ECMO ready!” “How did the patient’s liver, heart, and lungs rupture?” I had already completed the detachment. My soul floated above, watching my life slowly ebb away. “Why can’t we reach Dr. Hayes?” “Got through to one, but it was hung up.” I asked the System, “Do you know who hung up?” “Oh, this is good. It was Scarlett Reid.” The System sounded like it was enjoying the show. “Come on, Host, the System will take you to a wedding.” The System was getting cuter and cuter. Before leaving, I glanced at my body on the operating table. The car accident injuries had fully manifested. So, it was that serious? My entire body was shattered, my arm and left leg twisted at odd angles. Probably broken. How pitiful. I was glad I pushed that little boy away. He was so adorable, so sweet. I’m glad he was okay.
Watching someone else’s wedding was surprisingly interesting. Flowers piled high, balloons floating in a riot of colors. It was the picture of happiness. Except, it was stolen. “System, that cake on the long table looks delicious.” “Host, you seem… happy?” “Should I remind you, this is your… husband’s wedding?” I crinkled my nose. “Because I’m going home soon, of course I’m happy.” As for Julian, he couldn’t affect my emotions anymore. When I first found out he was straying. I was heartbroken, resentful. I even doubted myself. I cried myself to sleep night after night, losing clumps of hair. Closing my eyes, my mind replayed endless loops: him and her, hands intertwined; them laughing and kissing; even embracing in bed. The world I had once protected collapsed. Later, I realized such behavior was foolish. I couldn’t punish my kind self for a man who had changed his heart. What I needed to do was find opportunities to live in the sunshine again. “Host, look, there’s the scumbag.” Julian, in a black suit, appeared at the end of the lawn. Handsome, elegant, with an exceptional demeanor. The bride, well, she was beautiful too, her makeup impeccable. At least there wasn’t a hint of the panic of someone who had hit and run three days ago. I slowly floated over to Julian. I heard him quietly ask Scarlett, “Where’s my phone?” Scarlett’s eyes darted away for a moment, “In the dressing room. I put it away for you.” A phone stuffed into a perfectly tailored groom’s suit certainly wouldn’t look good. “Did I get any calls?” “I think there was one.” Scarlett paused, “Do you want to go get it? But… the wedding is about to start.” Julian hesitated, “No need.” He gazed calmly ahead. I wondered if he remembered our wedding. We were so poor we could only afford silver rings, but we were so happy. “Audrey, do you regret marrying a poor guy like me?” “No, Dr. Hayes is a rising star.” Indeed, he later had the means to buy me a huge diamond ring. But I no longer had that same joy. “Audrey, my junior is sick, she’s dying. Can I fulfill one of her wishes?” “She’s only 26, so pitiful. Julian, go quickly.” “Audrey, her wish is to marry me.” I froze instantly. “Julian Hayes, that wish is unreasonable.” “But she’s dying.” “Even if she’s dying, she can’t just steal someone else’s husband, someone else’s relationship.” “Darling, that wish is immoral.” That day, he stood on the balcony, smoking for a long time. Finally, he flicked the ash, and said, with profound coldness: “Audrey, you’ve changed. You’re not as kind as you used to be.” He left me with a room full of silence. “Julian Hayes, did you forget, I’m most afraid of being alone?” I sat in the empty living room, turning on every light, one by one, but still felt something was missing. Finally, I buried my face in my arms, curling into a ball. It wasn’t me who changed. Julian Hayes, it was you. When he was with Scarlett Reid, I called him. “My stomach hurts.” “Julian Hayes, my stomach hurts.” That day, he was with Scarlett at the very top of the Ferris wheel. Legend said that kissing there symbolized love and eternity. I didn’t actually have a stomachache. I was standing below the Ferris wheel, watching them sit intimately together. My heart hurt. Julian, of course, knew my body well. His tone on the phone was distant and cold, “Audrey, I’m a surgeon, not a gastroenterologist.” In that moment, I felt like I was going to die from the pain. When someone can’t tolerate your occasional whims. That’s probably when they’ve stopped loving you. Love and indifference are always starkly different.
“System, is it almost time for the ring exchange?” “That diamond ring is so sparkly, must have cost a fortune, huh?” The System was almost exasperated by me. “Host, shouldn’t you be concerned about when the police will arrive?” “What’s the rush?” Let them be “happy” for a little longer. That way, when the truth comes out, it’ll hurt even more. Scarlett Reid gazed shyly at Julian. “Julian, I’ve actually liked you for a long time.” “Today, that wish finally came true.” Julian’s expression was a bit unnatural. He lowered his eyes, slightly distracted. Perhaps he was thinking back to when we got married. He had said those very same words to me. “Audrey, marrying you, that wish finally came true.” The irony was, today he left me at the hospital to fulfill someone else’s wish. He had probably just taken off our wedding ring. There was still a faint imprint of the ring on his ring finger. But I had no such mark. The women’s ring I once cherished. The day he agreed to marry Scarlett Reid, I threw it in the trash, never wanting it again. At this moment, Julian’s elegant fingertips picked up the diamond ring, preparing to place it on Scarlett Reid’s finger. At the entrance arch, several uniformed police officers suddenly entered. The System’s voice was slightly excited. “Oh, the show’s beginning.” “What, need some popcorn?” “Ahem, Host, you forgot, I’m working right now.” I almost burst out laughing at the System. “Scarlett Reid, we have a public complaint alleging hit-and-run.” Scarlett’s lips trembled, like a drowning person, her hand gripping Julian’s arm tightly. “I… I didn’t.” The police were used to people who refuse to admit anything. They spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, “Surveillance footage shows that on the 11th of this month, at 2:10 PM, the car you were driving, license plate number XXX, was speeding on Oceanview Road, hit a person, and then fled the scene.” “The victim was a young woman.” At this, I saw Julian’s fingers twitch. He was so smart, he must have realized that at that time, the person Scarlett was supposed to pick up was him. Julian’s face turned grim as he pulled his arm away, taking two steps back. He glared fiercely at Scarlett. “You drove a different car to pick me up that day because your original car hit someone?” Scarlett was trembling uncontrollably. He couldn’t help but violently grip her neck. “Did you hit Audrey?” Scarlett stammered incoherently. “It hurts, let go! I don’t know, it’s impossible, there were no cameras there!” The police calmly informed her, “There were cameras. They were just installed the day before.” Scarlett’s body swayed forward. “Madam, we also need to inform you that you are suspected of purchasing falsified medical records and need to cooperate with our investigation.” Scarlett’s face instantly turned ashen. She didn’t even have the strength to argue. Finally, she collapsed like a rag doll and was led away by the police. Criminal prosecution awaited her. Among the guests, murmurs of indignation began. “What an embarrassment, getting arrested on your wedding day!” “She always seemed so sweet and innocent, but she hit someone and ran? How heartless can you be?” “She wasn’t even sick? Faking a terminal illness to gain sympathy? That’s really messed up.” “Isn’t the groom a very skilled doctor? Didn’t he notice anything?” Julian couldn’t have missed it. At that moment, he looked as if he’d been slapped hard across the face. “Host, did Julian really not notice?” I smiled, “Perhaps, he just didn’t want to notice.” He wanted to be the dragon-slaying prince saving the princess. But he never realized he was the dragon himself. The System indignantly spat, “Pfft, what a new breed of scumbag.” Julian finally got his phone from the dressing room. Unfortunately, it was dead, the screen black. He then turned and ran quickly towards the parking lot.
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