Seven Years Keeping Him Alive, I Choose to Be His Widow

It was New Year's Eve, and I was barely a month post-miscarriage. Jonathan Goode brought me a bowl of freshly made beef stew.

And a signed divorce agreement.

Kathy, Maya is pregnant.

Let's part ways amicably.

The rich aroma of the soup instantly lost its appeal. He was talking about the female student he'd sponsored, the very person responsible for the loss of my child. But I didn't cry, didn't make a scene. I just asked calmly, "Why?"

Jonathan looked relieved, yet indifferent. "For these seven years, whenever I lay beside you, I couldn't help but feel disgusted."

"Kathy, even if you were violated because of me, I can't stand the stain on you."

"It's probably for the best that the child is gone. We're even now."

So that was it. But Jonathan didn't know that the "stained" person he spoke of was actually him. Nor did he know that seven years ago, to save him, I had a memory chip implanted in his brain. In three days, that chip would expire. Then, he would remember everything.

And he would die.

"Financially, I won't shortchange you." Seeing my silence, Jonathan laid out the agreement. "I've left you the car and the house, plus half the money. It should be enough even if you don't work anymore." This meant he intended to cut me out of the corporation we had built together. Swallowing the bitterness that rose in my throat, I pushed the agreement aside. "I need time to consider."

Jonathan frowned. "Kathy, Maya is different from you. She's pure, she's only ever had me, and I have to be responsible for her." His voice grew menacing at the end. "As a married couple, I don't think you'd want me to turn this into a fight."

I couldn't help but recall how, before he made his fortune, he was once pressured at a business dinner to concede profits. The opposing party merely showed a hint of aggression, and Jonathan smashed a wine bottle over his head. Now, he was aiming that bottle at me.

"Don't worry, I'll sign it." But not the divorce agreement. "The day after tomorrow is our tenth wedding anniversary. At least, have dinner with me." Jonathan paused, then reluctantly said, "Kathy, why are you doing this?" He thought I was desperate. "The day after tomorrow, I promised Maya I'd go with her for her prenatal check-up. If this is the only way you'll sign, I'll make time to come back."

Just then, Maya called. "Jonathan, my tummy feels a bit uncomfortable. I wonder if the baby misses you too much." She was only two months pregnant; the baby wasn't even fully formed. Yet, Jonathan's eyes softened instantly, and a look of doting affection I'd never seen before appeared on his face. "Okay, I'll come right back and give him a good talking to."

Before leaving, Jonathan paused. "Kathy, this is the home I've always wanted." He had said those very words years ago, when he broke ties with his family for me. Such a privileged man, living in a drafty rented room, yet he still found it cozy. All because I was there. "Kathy, you are my home." Today, that home, me, had become the hell he was desperate to escape.

The unfinished beef stew had grown cold. I stood up, tossing the bowl and its contents into the trash. Then, I made two calls. One to a lawyer, asking him to draft a stock transfer agreement for me. The other was to a moving company. I wanted every single item connected to Jonathan removed.

That night, he didn't return, as expected. Maya sent a photo of him bare-chested, warming milk. There were fresh hickeys on his chest.

[The baby's gone and you still won't divorce him, Sister? Aren't you pathetic?]

[See? Only with me can he be unrestrained, truly wild.]

[He must have been so miserable holding back with you; he even wanted me while I was pregnant.]

Once, seeing these things would have sent me into a furious frenzy. Like a madwoman, I'd throw out all the disinfectant in the house, then cut up his long-sleeved pajamas. I'd ask him again and again why he avoided me like a disease. I'd ask myself again and again why I'd made that choice all those years ago. But now, I no longer asked. I just calmly saved the messages, then turned off my phone.

I was very clear. Apex Holdings, under Jonathan and my leadership, was now worth hundreds of millions. Our joint assets alone amounted to nearly a billion, not to mention our standing in the Chamber of Commerce. My goal was now unambiguous. I wanted all the money and all the power.

The next day, I went to the lab where the memory chip had been developed. It was ironic, really. The head of that lab, Ethan Reed, was a brilliant but impoverished student whom Jonathan had initially refused to fund. Back then, our company was just getting on its feet, and funds were limited. Jonathan claimed he saw his past self in Maya and insisted on sponsoring her. Unwilling to see Ethans talent hindered by his background, I secretly funded a lab for him, allowing him to earn money through his own abilities.

After Jonathan's incident, Ethan worked tirelessly for a month, developing that memory chip for me. Maya, meanwhile, chose to climb into Jonathan's bed.

"Ms. Thorne, the chip implanted in Mr. Goode's brain will expire in less than 48 hours, but the data isn't ideal." Ethan pushed up his glasses, a hint of worry in his eyes. "When the chip was first implanted, I warned you that forcibly extending its lifespan could cause irreversible neurological damage to Mr. Goode."

He still thought I was the same person who would do anything to save Jonathan's life. He didn't realize I had changed.

"Let nature take its course." I closed the report, not even asking a single follow-up question. Ethan paused. "Ms. Thorne, I actually have a backup plan here..."

"No need." I stood up and picked up my bag. "Just save the data." I didn't need to imagine how Jonathan would react once his memory returned. But I wouldn't make the same stupid mistake twice.

Walking downstairs, Jonathan called, asking me to attend the graduation ceremony at our alma mater, Kingston University, with him that afternoon. "We usually attend together every year. I don't want to be gossiped about before we're divorced." I knew he was protecting Maya's reputation. After graduating from Kingston, she had stayed on as a teacher with Jonathan's help. Rumors about them had been circulating for a while. But I didn't expose them. After all, I didn't want any additional complications right now.

At the university, the moment Maya saw me, all traces of yesterday's malice vanished. Instead, she clutched her stomach and spoke nervously. "Kathy, you're here." In front of Jonathan, she was always so careful and cautious. And he fell for it every time. Even when Maya pushed me and caused my miscarriage, he believed I was the one making things difficult for her. Just like now, he immediately stepped in front of her.

"Kathy, you're a rational person. Don't disappoint me." He was warning me. I tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Move aside." With that, I pushed past him and sat down. Jonathan paused, clearly surprised by my composure. "Kathy, you..." He was interrupted by Maya.

"Kathy, what happened last time was my fault." She said, hinting at something. "To make it up to you, I've specially prepared a surprise for you today."

It wasn't until she went on stage to give a graduation address to the students that I understood what she meant by "surprise." She played a video, claiming it was AI-generated, based on an old kidnapping case in Kingston City years ago. A girl, blinded by vanity, was lured abroad, subjected to abuse, and ultimately became a man's plaything. Every frame focused on that terrified, pained face. Piercing screams, heavy gasps... Though no private parts were shown, the entire audience was still in an uproar. Because that face was mine.

The year Jonathan was kidnapped, our company was about to go public, and couldn't afford any negative press. I had no choice but to block the news. I used all my money and connections to reach out to the local Chinese Association and rescue him. But I never expected that the ordeal would drive him mad. His physical wounds could be healed. But the trauma in his mind, even hypnosis couldn't mend. After Jonathan's ninety-ninth suicide attempt, Ethan Reed suggested the memory chip. It could forcibly alter that memory, and it wouldn't be affected by any emotions or events. However, the underlying pain still needed to be healed so that when the chip expired, Jonathan wouldn't try to end his life again. So I chose to sacrifice myself. Because I believed love could conquer all difficulties.

But it turned out that Jonathan not only found it repulsive, but he also turned it into a knife to stab me with at any given moment.

When the video finished, Maya's gaze subtly swept towards me. "Some people, though alive, have long lost their dignity and become parasites clinging to others."

"So I hope everyone can learn from this, learn to protect themselves, and uphold their bottom line."

After the ceremony, as Maya approached, Jonathan frowned and spoke. "Maya, what you did was too risky." He wasn't blaming her. Maya looked innocent. "Jonathan, I put that up because I admire Kathy's courage and wanted her to be a role model for the students." Then she adopted a concerned expression for me. "Kathy, this video is something I've prepared for a long time. I just want to motivate you, help you move past that incident sooner, and stop being a burden to others."

Hearing this, a doting look crossed Jonathan's eyes. "Oh, you're just too kind." Then he looked at me. "Kathy, Maya meant well. Be more generous." I stared at him coldly. "Do you know what impact this video will have on me?"

"What impact could it have?" Jonathan suddenly became impatient. "The truth always comes out. Did you really think you could hide it forever? Besides, Maya said the video was computer-generated and didn't name names. Even if someone talks, just don't take it personally, right? No need to throw a baseless tantrum!"

So, in his eyes, such humiliation was my own fault.

"Fine." I didn't press the issue, instead smiling faintly at Jonathan. "I hope you won't regret it." With that, I left, leaving him with a stunned expression.

The rumors spread faster than I could have imagined. As if pre-arranged, within an afternoon, numerous versions circulated online. My face was edited into various obscene short videos, and even turned into memes, spread everywhere. With my identity exposed, coupled with the deliberately misleading captions in the video, I was subjected to endless curses and humiliation.

[Turns out the Mrs. Goode from Apex Holdings was messed up years ago, no wonder she hasn't had kids all these years.]

[Poor Mr. Goode, so handsome, but he's the oblivious cuckold.]

[AI was too subtle; she clearly sounded like she was enjoying it, where was the pain?]

The group's stock price fluctuated as a result. The next day, my position was suspended by the board of directors. Jonathan spoke to me on the phone in a business-like manner. "Kathy, it wasn't easy for Apex to get to where it is today. It can't be ruined by your indiscretions." He completely forgot that this was all thanks to Maya. "Don't worry, as long as you sign, I'll give you the compensation you deserve."

I gripped the phone tightly. "Your so-called compensation is to step on my reputation, kick me out, and force me to sign the divorce." Jonathan was silent for a moment. "Kathy, don't blame me." He didn't deny it. "Maya is innocent and insecure. If we continue to work together, she won't be able to handle it."

"I just want to protect my home." He still didn't know that his so-called home was on a countdown. Only ten hours remained until the chip expired. And at this critical juncture, the media leaked photos of Jonathan taking Maya to a prenatal check-up.