Chapter 3

Carter froze for a second, and then his face twisted with pure fury.

"Are you insane?! You want a divorce over this tiny thing? Do you even hear yourself? Do you really think I can't live without you?"

"A tiny thing?" I squeezed the words out of my burning lungs. "You tricked me---someone with a deadly seafood allergy---into eating crab. You call that a tiny thing?"

"Carter, we've been married for so long. Have you ever actually looked at me as your wife? The second Mia has a minor issue, you run to her. But when I need you, you always have an excuse. I am your wife!"

Mia stepped forward again, her voice trembling like a frightened child. "Chloe, please don't be mad at Carter... It's all my fault. Carter only did it to make me smile..." She wiped away fake tears and looked at Carter. "She's only saying this because she loves you. You should go comfort her."

Seeing me collapsed miserably on the floor, a tourist at a nearby table couldn't watch anymore. He frowned and tried to mediate. "Hey, man, your wife really doesn't look good. Food allergies can be fatal. Maybe you should take her to the ER first."

"You don't know her! She just loves playing the victim for sympathy," Carter snapped, cutting the tourist off aggressively. "She always does this. The more people there are, the more she loves to put on a show. Every single time, she makes a mountain out of a molehill. Last time, just because Mia and I shared a quick kiss during a party game, she made a huge scene and embarrassed me in front of all my friends. Now she's pulling this crap again!"

His words felt like ice-cold daggers in my chest. That game happened right after we started dating. He didn't care that I was standing right there. He kissed Mia right in front of my face. When I told him he had no boundaries, he called me petty and insecure.

"Well, if that's the case, she shouldn't have reacted like that. It's normal for a guy to have female friends," another male tourist murmured in agreement. "They didn't do anything crossing the line. Can't you just let it go?"

Hearing a few people take his side only fueled Carter's ego. He looked down at me and barked, "Mia is just a young girl. What bad intentions could she have? Get up right now and apologize to her!"

I stared at them, my vision blurring even more from the physiological tears streaming down my face.

"Why... should I apologize?"

My throat felt like it was blocked by concrete. My heart was pounding frantically against my ribs, suffocating me. The veins in my temples were throbbing so hard I thought they would burst. These were the warning signs of cerebral and pulmonary edema. I knew them all too well.

Seeing that I wasn't apologizing, Mia acted as if she had suffered the ultimate insult. She sobbed, "Chloe, please don't do this. I'm so scared you guys will fight because of me... I don't want to be the reason you divorce. I'll book a flight and go home right now..."

She made a move to leave.

Carter grabbed her hand immediately, his eyes filled with worry and anger. "Mia, don't be stupid! She's just trying to force your hand! Anyone can play the victim!"

Carter whipped around to face me, his eyes filled with disgust and hatred. "You are truly malicious, Chloe. Mia cares so much about you, and you still accuse her of trying to hurt you. Are you really going to ruin our entire honeymoon just because you feel a little uncomfortable?"

How dare he even mention our honeymoon? This was supposed to be our trip. Because of his inappropriate relationship with Mia, we had argued countless times. But he never listened. He never cared. And now, my life-threatening condition was just "proof" of my pettiness in his eyes.

The severe swelling in my throat prevented me from speaking. I could only open my mouth helplessly, making weak, choking sounds.

Mia hid behind Carter, giving me a cold, mocking smirk when he wasn't looking. Then, she gasped dramatically, "Carter, her face looks so pale... Do you think she's actually hurt?"

"It's fake! She's acting!" Carter said firmly. "She just wants to force me to apologize so she can control me later. I won't give her the satisfaction!"

He opened his water flask and handed it to Mia. "Here, Mia, have some warm water. You must be tired from talking so much. Ignore her. Let her cool her head off by herself."

I leaned against the wall, my body sliding down to the cold floor as my consciousness began to fade.

Just then, Mia quietly knelt down in front of me. Her face was flushed and healthy, showing absolutely no sign of the "chest pain" she had claimed to feel earlier. She leaned in, whispering in a voice only I could hear:

"Chloe, you were so good at acting. Why stopped now?"

"To be honest, Carter never loved you. Once you 'accidentally' die, the massive life insurance policy he took out on you will kick in. Don't worry, I'll take good care of him---and his money---for you."

She patted my cheek gently, her voice freezing cold. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll make sure your funeral is absolutely grand."