When My Dead Wife Opened the Door

My wife Vivian was raped and murdered. To avenge her, I stabbed the killer seven times in the abdomen and was sentenced to ten years in prison.

Three years later, I was released early. I tore up the succession contract my billionaire father handed me and chose to become a chef instead.

But the address for my first order turned out to be the crime scene where Vivian was killedour marital home.

My mind in turmoil, I finished cooking. Then I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

I looked up. A figure identical to Vivian walked in with a smile.

I froze in place, my heart pounding as if it would leap out of my throat.

She was being led by a man, walking toward the dining table with a blissful smile on her face.

I recognized that man.

My defense attorneyJulian.

Julian pulled her back just as she was about to sit down at the table, then smiled as he pulled a ring from his suit jacket pocket.

She covered her mouth, eyes wide.

Their friends whistled and cheered around them. Panic seized me, and I stood up and shouted.

"You can't marry him!"

She turned her head, looking at me with confusion and unfamiliarity.

Julian saw it was me and froze, his expression suddenly darkening. "Williams? What are you doing here?!"

His gaze dropped to my chef's uniform, stained with grease until it was nauseating, and a smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

"So you're out of prison. And you're our chef for today."

People around us snickered.

"Is he the guy whose wife was raped, so he killed the rapist in a rage?"

"He used to be such a big shot. Everyone on the street would greet him. Now he's here cooking for us!"

Julian took her right hand and knelt down on one knee with a smile.

"Williams, Georgina isn't your dead wife. She's my bride-to-be."

Georgina stood there, one hand covering Julian's mouth with a smile, extending her other hand to him.

"You don't need to say anything. I do."

Vivian had loved me with all her life.

If she were still alive, she would never accept another man's proposal. Only me.

But Georgina looked like her, sounded like her...

I fell into endless confusion, then glanced up inadvertently.

When Georgina rolled up her sleeve, I saw a small heart-shaped birthmark on her forearm!

My heart trembled!

This was Vivian's unique birthmark. There couldn't be a second person in the world with it!

I rushed forward and grabbed Georgina's hand, pointing at the heart-shaped birthmark on her arm.

"This birthmarkhave you had it since birth?"

Julian grabbed my clothes and yanked hard, throwing me onto the sofa.

He pointed at me impatiently. "Williams, you can leave once you're done cooking."

"I'm proposing to Georgina. Try to interfere again and see what happens."

I stood up and gripped Georgina's arm tightly.

"Georgina, have you lost your memory? How could you forget me?"

"Let me take you to the hospital, okay?"

Georgina struggled fiercely, her face ice cold.

Vivian was an only child.

I didn't believe there could be two people in the world who looked this much alike.

I tried to convince Georgina to go to the hospital for a DNA test.

Julian walked up to me, raised his hand, and slapped me across the face, his finger pointing at my nose.

"Williams, this is my home now, not yours anymore!"

This house had once been the marital home I shared with Vivian.

After she died, I'd asked a realtor to sell it for me to avoid painful memories.

But I never imagined the buyer would be Julian, a student I'd sponsored.

Even less did I imagine that a woman who looked so much like Vivian would appear in our former marital home.

I stood in the center of the living room, covering my stinging face and looking around.

All the memories that belonged to Vivian and me had been completely erased. The furnishings had all changed.

Even the eternal flowers on the cabinetsymbols of Vivian's and my lovehad been removed and replaced with an object covered in red cloth.

I was lost in a daze.

Maybe Georgina really wasn't my Vivian.

Because Vivian had promised me that only when the eternal flowers withered would she stop loving me.

But eternal flowers never wither, and Vivian would never stop loving me.

I turned to leave in dejection. In the midst of cheers, Julian slipped the ring on Georgina's finger and kissed her.

My heart ached unbearably, heat rising in my back.

Before leaving, I couldn't help but look back one more time.

At that exact moment, Georgina made a gesture in the dining room, and my pupils shook violently.

I was convinced Georgina was my Vivian!

Excited, I rushed over, grabbed the wedding ring on her ring finger, yanked it off, and threw it hard on the floor.

I gripped Georgina's hands tightly and said earnestly.

"Georgina, listen to me. You really are my Vivian!"

"When I used to cook this dish for you, I would always add a tiny bit of minced gingerso small no one could see it. No one would pick it out directly. Only Vivian would know these little details. This proves you're my Vivian!"

Georgina tried to pull her hands from mine. I wouldn't let her.

After several failed attempts, she flushed with indignation, raised her hand, and slapped me.

"Get lost!"

I wasn't angry. Instead, I smiled.

Nothing in this world could be more joyful than someone you deeply loved, who had died, coming back to life!

I pulled Georgina toward the exit. Julian rushed over again and grabbed her back.

He picked up the ring and held it in front of my face.

"Williams, I already told youGeorgina isn't your dead wife. She's my fiance."

"It's perfectly natural for her to wear my ring. What right do you have to break it?"

I said, "How much do you want in compensation?"

Julian jabbed his index finger at my chest.

"This ring cost three hundred thousand dollars. It's limited edition. There's only one in the entire country."

"It took me half a year to get it. You need to compensate meat least a million dollars!"

I stood there and took Georgina's hand, heading for the door.

"Money's no problem, but I don't have that much on hand right now. Let me go home and I'll transfer it to you immediately."

"Forget a millionI could afford ten million."

"Now get out of my way. I'm taking Vivian with me!"

Julian lifted his foot and kicked me.

"Williams, you really think I'm stupid?"

"Three years ago when you were a boss, you didn't even have a million in cash. Now you're an ex-con and suddenly you do?"

I was kicked into the corner. The object covered in red cloth above my head swayed precariously.

Several burly men with dragon tattoos on their shoulders stood up from the sofa, cracked their knuckles, and surrounded me.

I got up and said earnestly.

"Julian, I'm the son of billionaire Johnson. Let me take Georgina for a DNA test first, and I'll get you a million dollars immediately after."

I wasn't lying to them.

The billionaire really was my father.

Only people in the highest echelons of society knew this secret.

My relationship with my father had been extremely strained since childhood.

I didn't like anything he arranged for me. Unable to bear it any longer, I ran away from home as a teenager.

When I was in prison, he used reducing my ten-year sentence to three as leverage to make me come home and take over the business.

But after my release, I didn't fulfill my promise to come home and take over. So he froze all my bank accounts.

I stood up, pulling Georgina toward the door. Julian raised his fist and punched me in the face.

"Do you know what kind of big shot Johnson is in Minnesota?"

"If he wants you to shut up, you'd better not even breathe too loud!"

"Would his son be a pathetic loser like you? You're just a lousy chef and you dare to lie to me? Beat him!"

They raised their feet and kicked me in the head again and again.

Georgina was also within their attack range. I shielded her behind me with all my strength, using my back to take all the kicks.

"Williams! Georgina doesn't need your protection!"

Julian bent down, picked up an iron rod, raised it, and brought it down toward my head!

I arched my back, preparing to take the hit, but Georgina suddenly pushed me away.

Julian's rod struck Georgina's calf, leaving a massive bruise.

"Georgina!"

I panicked.

I clenched my fists and punched Julian's nose bridge again and again, madly.

The burly men stepped back, looking at me with fear.

I pinned Julian down. He couldn't break free from my grip. Blood poured from his nose as he grew angrier and more frantic.

"Stop!"

Georgina's shout rang in my ears. I instinctively turned my head.

A wooden stick came flying at me!

"Bang!" A sharp pain exploded in my head. Hot, sticky blood flowed down from above. Stars danced before my eyes.

I staggered and collapsed by the cabinet. Georgina held Julian's face with concern.

Grief and rage filled my heart.

She wasn't calling out to me...

"Crack!" The object covered in red cloth fell from above and landed in front of me.

The red cloth scattered across the floor, revealing what it had been covering.

It was a photograph.

Georgina stood in a pool of blood, smiling. Next to her stood Julian, kissing the back of her hand.

The timestamp in the bottom right corner of the frame was the exact day my wife was raped and murdered.

The photo's title read "Happy Moment."

My heart seized with terror. All the blood in my body froze.

Julian extended his hand and mockingly patted my face.

"Oops. Looks like you discovered the truth."

Georgina rested her head on Julian's shoulder and said to me with a playful smile as I sat there stunned.

"Williams, three years have passed and you're still so stupid."

"You didn't lose your memory..."

The people around us burst into laughter, pointing at me in my grief and mocking me.

"Look at that idiot!"

"He actually believed it! Someone stole his home right from under him and he didn't even know."

Georgina leaned her head close to Julian's ear, her breath like orchids.

"Julian, what if he finds out I faked my death? He stabbed someone to death. What if he stabs me?"

Julian reached out and wrapped his arm around Georgina's waist.

"Then we'll just send him back to prison for a few more years. Or... make sure he dies!"

Julian pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Parker, your father's killer is at my place. If you want revenge, come quickly."

I crawled over and grabbed Georgina's legs.

"Georgina, what are you talking about?"

Georgina lifted her leg, her high heel pressing into my face.

"Williams, you killed someone's father with a knife. We're calling them here for revenge!"

My lips trembled. "Georgina, weren't you raped? Everything I did was to avenge you!"

Georgina laughed so hard she could barely stand. Julian looked at me with amusement.

"But Georgina was never raped. The truth is, you lost your mind and killed someone!"

My standing body began to tremble slightly.

"How could you frame me like this? I killed the pillar of a family!"

Julian grabbed my hair. "Not only that. You also caused a girl who got into a top university to drop out."

I roared, "Julian, I was the one who sponsored you to get out of the mountains! I was the one who got you into the top law firm! And you repay kindness with betrayal?"

Julian narrowed his eyes and raised one hand, lightly patting my face.

"Don't talk to me about sponsorship. All my achievements are due to my excellent abilities."

"Besides, your sponsorship of me, Williams, was earned for me by Georgina."

"Georgina is my true benefactor. You're just a piece of trash who was used."

I opened my mouth wide, a cry coming from my throat. I raised my head and tried to headbutt Julian.

"You pair of adulterers! I want you dead!"

"Dead? Do you have the ability to make us die?"

The burly men grabbed both my arms halfway and yanked hard, restraining me in a spread-eagle position. I couldn't move.

"Ding dong." The doorbell rang.

Julian opened the door and led in a small, thin girl.

Julian pointed at me and whispered in the girl's ear.

"He's your father's killer."

The girl raised her head. In her eyes was hatred so intense it was almost liquid.

"Williams, you killed my father. I want you dead!"

She aimed the knife tip at my chest.

"Thunk!" The blade entered half an inch into my chest over my heart, then stopped.

Excruciating pain shot through me. My face went pale. "Parker, I'm a victim too. Our real enemy is Julian."

"If you kill me, you'll go to prison too. Don't throw away your life for this. Julian is lying to you!"

"Once I investigate everything, I'll compensate you however you want, okay?"

Julian reached out and gripped the girl's trembling arm, gently pushing forward. The blade sank another half inch.

Julian stared at my agonized expression and whispered teasingly in the girl's ear.

"Don't be afraid, Parker. I'm a top lawyer."

"I'll tell the judge in court that you didn't commit intentional murderit was self-defense."

"Don't forget, you used to have a happy family. You got into the university of your dreams. You should have had a bright future. It was Williams who destroyed all your happiness!"

I said urgently, "Parker, after the incident, I transferred all the money from selling my house to you. I never wanted to harm you."

Parker gritted her teeth and roared, "You liar! You never gave me any money!"

My whole body shook. I looked at Julian, who stood there smiling silently.

Back then, as my defense attorney, he'd been the one who prepared the compensation process for me.

Parker's reaction made me suddenly realize that Julian had embezzled the money from selling my house.

This househe'd bought it.

He'd transferred everything from his left hand to his right hand, turning everything that was mine into Julian's!

Julian stroked Parker's hair and laughed heartily.

Parker cried out and gripped the knife in her right hand tightly, thrusting it hard into my chest.

But after a long moment, no sharp pain came from my chest.

I opened my eyes. Julian had collapsed on the floor, a blood-soaked knife stuck in his thigh.

"Julian!"

Georgina cried out and threw herself on Julian, pressing her hands over the wound that was gushing blood.

Julian lay on the floor, cursing in pain.

Georgina stood up furiously, grabbed Parker by the hair, and slapped her again and again.

"You little bitch! Without my husband's charity, you orphan would have frozen to death this winter! How dare you bite the hand that feeds you!"

Parker spat out blood and spat.

"You pair of silly dogs, you really think you can fool me?"

"What charity? That was the money my father died to get for me in the first place."

"I'm not here to kill Williams. I'm here to kill you, Julian!"

Parker turned her head and looked at me with complex emotions.

"Williams, it's my father who wronged you."