Chapter 1

My dad and my husband got into a car crash on their way to a conference.

Ethan picked up the female driver and ran, abandoning my sixty-year-old father inside the wrecked car.

When the paramedics asked if anyone else was inside, Ethan snapped, "What are you wasting time for?! Don't you see Chloe's forehead is bleeding? Treat her right now!"

By the time I rushed to the hospital, Dad was barely breathing because his rescue had been delayed.

His trembling hand reached out, still worrying with his dying breath, "Is Ethan... is he okay?"

With those words, his eyes closed forever. The heart monitor went flat.

I broke down in agonizing tears, and right at that moment, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

"Babe, you're type O, right? The hospital blood bank is running low. Please come donate blood for my junior Chloe."

Hearing my silence, he resorted to guilt-tripping me. "A life is on the line! Can you stop being so petty for once?"

I sneered through my tears. So, you know a life is on the line?

Then why shouldn't you two cheating scumbags pay with your own lives?

Ethan kept whining into my ear. Without a word, I blocked and deleted him everywhere.

From the moment Dad died, all my hope in this man turned to ash.

Handling the funeral took days. Two days later, dragging my exhausted body back to Dad’s house, I saw the last person I ever wanted to see standing right outside the door.

Ethan grabbed my arm and yanked me inside.

"You think running back to your family's place clears you? Do you have any idea that your selfishness almost killed a young girl?"

"If your dad knew what you did, you'd make him turn in his grave!"

I was holding Dad’s wooden prayer beads in my hand. Hearing those words, the string snapped, and the beads scattered across the floor.

I scrambled to pick them up, stood up, and sneered at him.

"What a shame. So, she didn’t die?"

Ethan's pupils shrank. When it registered, he pointed a finger straight at my face.

"Natalie, do you have any humanity left in you? You really had to wish death on Chloe? Well, you're going to be disappointed! Good things happen to good people. God wouldn't let such an innocent girl die."

A sharp pain tore through my chest.

Good things happen to good people? Then what about my dad? Did he deserve to die?

Clutching my chest, I slowly sat down, forcing myself to breathe to steady my racing heart.

I pulled out the divorce papers and slapped them on the table before him, my voice icy.

"Looks like you've found true love. Sign the papers and get out of my life. I wish you two a long, miserable life together—and permanent infertility."

Ethan stared at the divorce papers in sheer disbelief.

"You're the one in the wrong, and you're acting like this? Natalie, do you still not get why I'm mad at you?"

I looked at him in shock.

What did he just say? Why he is mad?

Ethan sat down across from me, trying to lecture me like a reasonable man.

"You donate blood every year. You do charity. Everyone praises Professor George's daughter for having such a kind heart. So why do you turn a blind eye when someone actually needs your help? I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking so frustrated and tormented.

I felt nothing but sheer disgust. What right did a cheating liar have to preach to me?

His phone buzzed. A voice note from "My Little Angel" popped up on SnapChat. Ethan tapped it instantly, completely forgetting I was sitting right there.

"Ethan, are you coming over tonight? Never mind... I just miss you, but I don't want you to be too tired."

Ethan panicked, shutting his screen off and stammering an excuse.

"Don't get the wrong idea. The girl is scared of the dark. I already hired a private nurse for her."

I scoffed without a hint of emotion.

"You're quite considerate, aren't you? So why did you forget there was a third person in that car the day of the crash?"

For some reason, that question pushed his buttons.

Ethan shot to his feet.

"What could have happened to your dad? He just passed out! There were plenty of paramedics and doctors on site."

"Chloe told me he was already back at the university giving lectures today! What more do you want? Natalie, stop acting so righteous and blaming me. The biggest problem in this whole situation is you!"

I listened in stunned silence to his ridiculous words. I realized Ethan had probably been lied to.

But I had zero desire to correct him. I wanted to see his face when the brutal truth hit him.

"You're right. I do have a problem. My biggest mistake was marrying you."

He waved his hand dismissively, signaling me to shut up.

"Here we go again. Fine, fine! Let's say I neglected your dad for a second that day. I was wrong too, happy?"

"It's still early. Let's take your dad out for dinner. Consider it my apology to him."

An apology?

I burst out laughing. The more I laughed, the more hopeless I felt, tears streaming down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"If you really want to apologize, why don't you jump off a building?"

Even if they died a thousand times, they wouldn't be worthy of apologizing to my father.

Watching me cry, Ethan frowned in annoyance.

"So dramatic. Chloe was hurt so badly and she didn't even shed a tear. What's there for you to cry about? You think you're still a little princess?"

Every single word felt like a dagger in my heart. I grabbed a glass of water from the table and hurled it straight at him.

"Get out! Get out of my house! Get the hell out!"

Ethan stormed off, cursing under his breath.

Right then, I made up my mind. As soon as Dad's sea burial was done, I would expose this cheating pair to the entire world.