The Winter He Begged Too Late

After my daughter died, I finally became the version of myself Adrian had always wanted.

When he kissed his adopted sister, I pretended not to see.

When he slept with her, I was even willing to buy them condoms.

Everyone said I was so understanding, so generous. Adrian finally let down his guard around me.

But I seized the opportunity to escape and went to Antarctica for research.

Five years later, when I returned home wearing an international award medal, Adrian knelt in the falling snow begging for my forgiveness. I simply took the arm of the man beside me.

"Mr. Blackwood, long time no see. This is my husband."

Lynn's POV

After my daughter died, I finally became the version of myself Adrian had always wanted.

When he came home late from business dinners, I no longer cared what time he returned.

When he traveled for work, I no longer asked who accompanied him.

When he drunkenly murmured the name "Melissa" unconsciously, I no longer became hysterical.

Even when my fever reached near-delirium levels, I forced myself to call for emergency help and got myself to the hospital.

The nurse looked at me and couldn't help saying,

"Ms. Hart, do you want to notify your family?"

Family?

I laughed. Part self-mockery, part utter relief.

"No need."

My voice was soft.

"I don't have any family."

The nurse opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but finally just sighed and left with her clipboard.

The hospital room returned to deathly silence.

I closed my eyes. My daughter's sweet face calling "Mommy" appeared vividly in my mind once again.

Following that came Adrian's cold, resolute face.

"Lynn, Anna needs a bone marrow transplant. Only Melissa is a match. She has one condition."

"She wants you to sign this divorce agreement."

"Trade your departure for Anna's chance to live. It's fair, isn't it?"

Fair? How laughable!

When had Adrian ever been fair to me?

After I married him, I learned that his heart belonged to someone named Melissa Blackwood.

The adopted sister he treasured like a jewel, frail and unable to care for herself.

I once naively believed that if I tried hard enough, loved him enough, I could eventually melt his heart.

But five years of marriage resulted in him forcing me to choose between my daughter's life and our marriage, all for his so called sister.

I signed the papers, gave up my position as Mrs. Blackwood, only asking that he keep his promise and save our daughter.

But he ultimately deceived me.

At the last moment, Melissa backed out, using her poor health as an excuse to refuse the donation.

And Adrian simply said to me dismissively,

"Melissa's body is weak. Donating bone marrow is too risky for her. We'll find another way."

Another way?

Late-stage acute leukemia. Where was there time for another way?

Two weeks ago, Anna finally stopped breathing in my arms.

At that moment, my heart died with her.

"Ms. Hart, your husband is here."

The nurse's voice came from the doorway, carefully cautious.

I opened my eyes and, unsurprised, saw Adrian standing at the hospital room door.

The man was still strikingly handsome. His perfectly tailored black coat made his figure appear tall and upright, though his brow was shrouded in lingering gloom and barely perceptible irritation.

He walked to the bedside in a few strides, looking down at me, his tone carrying his usual interrogative edge.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick? If the hospital hadn't notified me, how long were you planning to hide this?"

I met his gaze.

"Mr. Blackwood is so busy. I didn't dare trouble you with such a small matter."

I paused, then added,

"Besides, we've already signed the divorce agreement. We'll be divorced soon."

I pronounced "Mr. Blackwood" with particular clarity, deliberately distant.

I knew.

He hated seeing me like this.

Because the me in his memory wasn't like this.

I used to blush for half the day over an offhand word of concern from him, would carefully call to ask when he wasn't coming home for dinner, would even secretly cry under the covers over an ambiguous phone call from Melissa.

Back then, he found me annoying, thought I wasn't magnanimous enough, unworthy of being Mrs. Blackwood.

But now that I'd truly become what he wanted. No longer asking about his affairs, not even needing him when I was sick. He was unhappy.

"We only submitted the divorce application. We're not officially divorced yet! And even if we divorce, I'm still Anna's father!"

Adrian practically growled this sentence, trying to use our daughter to maintain the pitiful connection between us.

Hearing my daughter's name, my body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but quickly returned to calm.

"Anna doesn't need a father anymore."

I lowered my lashes, hiding the immense grief that instantly welled up in my eyes.

"Adrian, from the moment you chose Melissa and abandoned Anna, you lost the right to be her father."

"You!"

Adrian's face turned iron-blue. He wanted to argue back but couldn't find the words.

Just then, his phone rang with a special ringtone. Melissa's.

He instinctively glanced at me. I'd already turned my face away, looking out the window, because everything around me was now irrelevant.

Adrian answered the call irritably, though his tone unconsciously softened.

"What's wrong?"

Melissa's delicate, helpless crying came through the phone.

"My heart feels uncomfortable. It's so hard... Can you come stay with me?"

Adrian's brow furrowed deeply.

"I'll be right there."

After hanging up, he looked at me, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to say something.

I spoke first.

"If Mr. Blackwood has business, please go ahead. I don't lack people to care for me."

In the end, he couldn't say a single word.

The moment the hospital room door closed, a tear finally slid from the corner of my eye, quickly disappearing into my hair.

Not for him.

But for the me who once foolishly loved him, and for the daughter who never got to see this world.

Then I reached under my pillow for my phone and dialed a number.

"Professor Cooper, I accept this assignment. I'm willing to go to Antarctica for the research project."

Lynn's POV

On the phone, Professor Cooper's tone was serious.

"This is a national level polar research program that will last at least five years. During that time, complete confidentiality is required. You cannot have any contact with the outside world. This means you must completely sever past social relationships, including your family. Have you thought this through?"

I gripped the phone tightly.

"I've thought it through very clearly."

"But you previously declined three important overseas research opportunities to stay with Adrian. Now you want to leave for five years. Are you really willing?"

Willing?

What was there to miss?

My heart was dead. There was nothing left here worth cherishing.

I lowered my eyes dimly.

"Professor Cooper, Adrian and I have already signed divorce papers. The documents will be processed soon, so you don't need to have these concerns."

"Alright, I understand. Departure is on the fifth of next month. I'll send the relevant materials and confidentiality agreement to your email. Once you sign, there's no backing out."

After the call ended, Professor Cooper quickly sent the email. Without hesitation, I signed my name on the confidentiality agreement.

After signing, my phone screen went dark, reflecting my pale, gaunt face.

My beginning with Adrian was at an academic summit.

He was a young investor invited to attend. I was a new researcher brought along by my advisor to gain experience.

He was handsome and brilliant, with exceptional eloquence, yet showed tremendous patience and interest in the somewhat reserved me, initiating conversation.

His way of pursuing me was low-key but thoughtful.

He remembered literature I'd mentioned in passing, and when my experiments hit bottlenecks, he offered unexpected perspectives from his businessman's way of thinking.

He said he'd never met a girl like me. Pure, persistent, intelligent, like a rough diamond, already shining from within, making people want to protect her.

He asked if I could give him a chance to be my protector.

So I uncontrollably fell for him, dove in headfirst.

After marriage, we had a sweet period.

Until shortly after I discovered I was pregnant, I accidentally overheard an intense argument between Adrian and his mother outside the study in the old mansion.

"What's wrong with Lynn? Clean family background, highly educated professional, good reputation, impressive credentials. In what way is she not good enough for you? In what way is she not good enough for the Blackwood family?"

"But I don't love her! You've always known who my heart belongs to!"

"Precisely because I know, I can't let you be foolish! I'm telling you. Either have a proper marriage with Lynn, or tomorrow I'll send Melissa somewhere you'll never find her!"

That's when I learned that Adrian's initiative in approaching me, marrying me, was merely the Blackwood family's way of covering up the scandal of his romantic relationship with his adopted sister.

In that moment I finally understood why every time Adrian and I were together, Melissa always found various excuses to call him away from my side.

But even then I deceived myself, fantasizing that if I loved him enough, I could eventually find my way into his heart.

Yet now, reality not only slapped me hard in the face but took my daughter's life.

This belated awakening made me understand what heart-piercing pain truly meant.

Two days later, I handled the discharge procedures alone and returned to the villa.

I found a large cardboard box and sorted out everything I didn't need, placing it all in the box.

Carrying the packed box outside the villa to the garbage bins, I threw it out with a single motion.

Just then, urgent braking sounds suddenly rang out.

"What are you throwing away?"

Adrian got out of his car and quickly approached.

He then saw the cardboard box by the garbage bin filled with various items I'd treasured.

Like the movie tickets from our first date, like small gifts he occasionally brought me from business trips, like photos from our honeymoon, and so on.

There was even my diary.

"Lynn, have you lost your mind?"

Adrian's pupils contracted. He looked at me incredulously.

"You've always treasured these things. What does suddenly throwing them all away mean?"

Lynn's POV

"It means nothing."

I didn't even look at him.

"Things I used to consider treasures, I don't care about anymore. Since I don't care, there's no need to keep them."

With that, I turned and walked back to the villa.

Adrian pursued me without a second thought.

"Lynn!"

He caught up with me at the staircase, gripping my wrist.

"How long are you going to keep this up? Anna's death is hard for me too. I'm her father as well! Do you think only you're in pain?"

"You're in pain?"

I repeated softly, as if I'd heard the world's most ridiculous joke.

"If you really cared about Anna, you wouldn't have chosen Melissa and given up Anna's chance to live."

"Melissa's body is weak and she has a heart condition. I couldn't watch her risk her life to save Anna!"

Yes, of course he couldn't let the woman he loved risk her life to save our daughter.

Laughable. When they presented their conditions, I truly saw them as my last hope.

Then came even deeper despair.

"Lynn, please stop this, okay?"

He gripped my hand, pulling me into his embrace, softening his tone to soothe me.

"We're still young. We can have another child in the future. We-"

"Don't touch me! Adrian, you disgust me!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he struck some nerve in me. I suddenly became furious and shoved him hard.

Caught off guard, Adrian staggered back a step from my push, hitting the stair railing, looking at me in shock.

I laughed bitterly in my anger.

"Do I need to remind you again? We've already submitted our divorce application. Soon we'll have nothing to do with each other. In the future, you can have children with whoever you want!"

My only child was Anna.

Meeting my gaze, Adrian panicked.

"I only had you sign the agreement to placate Melissa, to get her to agree to donate to Anna. I didn't expect she would ultimately..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, then continued,

"Don't worry. I'll withdraw the application before the divorce takes effect. We won't get divorced."

Withdraw the application?

Too bad. Too late.

I sneered inwardly.

What Adrian didn't know was that after he made me sign that divorce agreement, I'd already had someone expedite the divorce processing.

I would never love him again, never stay by his side, and never bear another child with him.

I would go somewhere he could never find me, disappear from his world forever, and let him be with Melissa.

I didn't want to say another word to him. I coldly withdrew my gaze and silently turned back to the bedroom.

"Lynn..."

Just as Adrian was about to follow, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

He took out his phone and answered, impatiently asking Melissa,

"What now?"

"Stomachache? Go to the hospital! I'm not a doctor. What's the point of calling me?"

I didn't know what Melissa said to him.

But I heard that after the call, Adrian ultimately left the villa once again.

I'd grown accustomed to scenes like this.

Over these years, Melissa always used excuses like being weak or having heart discomfort to make him abandon our daughter and me when we needed him most. I'd lost count of how many times.

I used to be hurt, would try repeatedly to stop him, tell him Melissa was doing it on purpose, ask him not to go.

I'd also cry and rage, smashing the entire villa to ruins after he still chose Melissa.

But now, my emotions couldn't stir even a ripple.

It turned out that after your heart died, the things that once drove you to hysteria truly no longer seemed important.

Lynn's POV

The next afternoon, Adrian came home early from the company. He said he'd reserved my favorite French restaurant, hired my favorite violinist to perform, and asked me to change and go out with him.

I refused without thinking.

"I don't want to go out."

"Lynn, since Anna's funeral, you've been cooped up at home all day. You'll make yourself sick like this."

Concern showed in his eyes, his tone softer than usual.

"Go listen to some music and change your mood, okay?"

How much I used to long for him to care about me even a little.

Now he was finally starting to worry about my mental and physical health, but only after my heart had died to ash.

I didn't understand why, now that I'd finally stopped fussing and cleared the way for him and Melissa, he was acting like he cared about me.

Just as I was about to refuse, Adrian pulled me along, taking me to the car outside the villa without allowing refusal.

"Never mind, what you're wearing is fine. There won't be outsiders anyway."

I struggled but couldn't break free from his grip.

At the French restaurant, we were led by a waiter to a window seat.

When I saw Melissa sitting there in an off-white dress, I stopped.

I turned to look at Adrian and smiled.

"This is what you call changing my mood?"

"She's felt terrible about Anna all along."

His grip on my wrist tightened as he coaxed softly,

"When she learned about what I prepared for you today, she begged me for a long time. She said she wanted to use this opportunity to apologize to you in person, to make amends for what she owes you and Anna."

Melissa stood and approached me. Her eyes immediately reddened.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I know it's too late to say anything now, but I truly-"

"Shut up!"

I directly slapped away her outstretched hand, sarcastically curling my lips.

"Apologize? Make amends? Melissa, what game are you playing now?"

Melissa's eyes immediately reddened further.

"I know you've never liked me, and Anna's death made you hate me even more, but Anna's gone, and that makes me very sad too..."

My hands clenched tightly into fists.

"Enough, Melissa! If you really feel guilty, then go kneel at Anna's grave! What's the point of this performance in front of me?"

Melissa's expression stiffened, then she looked at Adrian with grievance.

"Adrian..."

Adrian's brow furrowed deeply, as if I were being completely unreasonable.

"Melissa came to apologize sincerely. Can't you just let the past be the past? We're all family."

"Who's family with her?"

I interrupted him, my gaze coldly sweeping over him, then looking at Melissa, enunciating each word,

"My only family was my daughter, and she's dead."

That one sentence froze the air.

Finally, Adrian's expression showed displeasure as he pushed and pulled me into my seat.

"Today isn't for you two to argue. Eat properly and listen to the music."

He then clapped his hands. Waiters began serving food, and the waiting violinist started playing.

Graceful, light music flowed through every corner of the restaurant.

This violinist's performance was what I used to love most. Every dish on the table was what I used to love eating most.

But now I couldn't take in the music or swallow the food.

Especially not while sharing a space with Melissa, sitting at the same table.

Halfway through dinner, I excused myself to use the restroom.

When I came out, Melissa blocked my path at the door.

The timid, guilty look she'd had earlier was gone, replaced by a triumphant light laugh.

"It's not pleasant, is it? Getting your hopes up, only to fall even deeper."

Lynn's POV

I didn't want to engage. I didn't even spare her a glance, simply moving to step past her.

The moment we brushed shoulders, Melissa said with apparent regret,

"Anna's angelic little face, with those two dimples when she smiled. Thinking about such an adorable child just gone like that. It's truly a pity."

I thought I'd gone numb from the pain, but hearing these words, thinking of my daughter's face, my heart still couldn't help but clench.

I stopped and looked at Melissa.

"You never planned to save her, did you? From beginning to end, you were just toying with me, wanting to watch me get hope then experience even more painful despair, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?"

Melissa raised an eyebrow languidly, lifting a cold smile.

"Adrian and I are truly in love. You're just a tool the Blackwood family used to silence outsiders. The child you gave birth to was never supposed to exist. A child who never should have been born."

"Melissa!!"

Bastard?

Deserved to die?

In an instant, all my remaining rationality was destroyed.

Furious, I raised my hand and slapped Melissa hard across the face.

Melissa staggered backward from the blow.

"You..."

She covered her face, now bearing a clear handprint, but abnormally showed no anger. Instead, tears instantly welled up as a flash of triumph passed through her eyes.

"What are you doing!"

A harsh rebuke came from behind.

The next moment, a large hand clamped on my shoulder, roughly and angrily pulling me away.

The force made me lose balance. Caught off guard, I crashed into the wall.

My head hit the hard wall heavily. Stars immediately burst before my eyes, and intense dizziness struck, nearly making me unable to stand.

Perhaps realizing belatedly that he'd used too much force, Adrian's expression froze.

"You-"

Just then, the massive decorative oil painting hanging on the wall behind me made an unusual sound.

Immediately after, the entire painting suddenly loosened and fell directly down.

"Watch out!"

Adrian's pupils contracted sharply. His body reacted on instinct before his brain could process.

Not knowing what was happening, I saw his expression turn horrified as he pulled Melissa into his arms and quickly turned, his back toward me.

The next instant.

Standing beneath the huge oil painting, I took the full impact.

I didn't even feel the pain before darkness swallowed my consciousness. I was knocked unconscious on the spot.

When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I saw the white ceiling of a hospital room.

Then my head felt like it was exploding with pain, my body like it had been run over by wheels.

"You're awake?"

Adrian's concerned voice came from beside me, carrying barely perceptible relief.

But I just stared at the ceiling without even moving my eyes.

"Are you uncomfortable anywhere else? Are you dizzy? The doctor said you have a mild concussion, with multiple contusions on your back and legs. You need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days..."

He reached out, wanting to touch my forehead.

I tilted my head slightly, avoiding his touch.

Adrian's hand froze in midair. Displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He withdrew his hand, his tone growing heavier.

"Even if you hate Melissa, you shouldn't have hit her. You left her face all red. How could you strike so hard?"

Ha...

Remembering how he'd protected Melissa in his arms before I was knocked unconscious, I wasn't at all surprised to be questioned like this when I woke.

I pulled at the corner of my mouth, wanting to laugh but unable to.

I turned my gaze to look at him.

"Do you know what she said to me?"

"What could she say?"

Adrian frowned deeply.

"She just wanted to apologize to you, said something about Anna that made you sad. I know you're hurting inside, but Melissa-"

"She said,"

I interrupted him,

"that Anna was a bastard who never should have come into this world, and deserved to die."

Hearing this, Adrian's form trembled, his expression freezing.

"Adrian, was our daughter a bastard? Do you also think she deserved to die?"

Lynn's POV

"Melissa would never say something like that!"

Adrian almost reflexively defended her without thinking.

"I know you're suffering. You hate her. But no matter how much you hate her, you can't use words like that to slander her."

He didn't believe me. Didn't believe those words came from Melissa's mouth.

I wasn't surprised at all.

After all, in Adrian's mind, Melissa was so delicate and unable to care for herself, so purely innocent.

"Besides, bone marrow donation is voluntary. Melissa had no obligation to save Anna. You shouldn't harbor such resentment toward her over this."

He paused, then added with finality,

"Anna's matter ends here. Stop making a fuss."

Ends here?

It turned out that when your heart died to the extreme, even anger would be extinguished.

The bone-deep exhaustion made me feel like all my strength had been drained. Suddenly I didn't want to waste any more words on him.

"Then you should go."

I closed my eyes again.

"I'm tired. I want to rest."

Adrian didn't move. His jawline tightened slightly.

"I'm not comfortable leaving you here alone. I'll stay and keep you company."

I said nothing, just turned slightly to my side, giving him my back.

Over the next few days, Adrian pushed aside considerable work and social obligations, truly staying in the hospital room.

He brought me tea and water.

He even peeled apples, cut them into small pieces, stuck toothpicks in them, and placed them within my reach.

When my hand grew cold during IV drips, he'd raise the air conditioning temperature and clumsily try to warm my hands.

Even the nurse who came to change the IV said,

"Ms. Hart, your husband is so considerate."

Considerate?

In the past, how much I longed for him to care about me even a little.

Now he was finally starting to worry about my physical and mental health, but only after my heart had turned to ash.

I didn't understand that I'd finally stopped fussing and cleared the way for him and Melissa. Why was he acting so concerned about me?

I refused the fruit he offered. I pushed away his attempts to warm my hands.

I wanted no more of his kindness, however small.

I completely ignored him, as if he were transparent. Even when Adrian showed displeasure several times at being ignored, I paid no attention.

This continued for several days.

One evening a few days later, I woke from light sleep.

Adrian, who'd been sitting on the sofa, was nowhere to be seen.

I didn't care. I just felt my throat was terribly dry. Supporting myself with my arms, I slowly sat up, wanting to pour myself some water.

Just then, the hospital room door was forcefully pushed open as a man's voice rang out.

"Lynn, why did you do this?"

Adrian brought with him biting cold and towering fury. He crossed to the bedside in a few strides, his tall figure overwhelmingly oppressive as he demanded answers.

I paused, water glass in hand, halfway to pouring.

"What did I do?"

"Still pretending?"

The fire in Adrian's eyes burned fiercer.

"Melissa has been kneeling at Anna's grave for a full day and night without eating or drinking! She says unless you forgive her, she won't get up!"

Melissa knelt at Anna's grave?

I hadn't even processed this information when Adrian said with an iron-blue face,

"What exactly do you want? Our daughter is dead. Must you torture the living like this?"

Not understanding what game Melissa was playing now, I was too lazy to think about it.

I said, "She kneels if she wants. What does it have to do with me?"

"Nothing to do with you?"

Adrian snatched the water glass from my hand and slammed it heavily on the bedside table.

"If you hadn't threatened and coerced her, why would she use this almost self-abusive method to beg your forgiveness? I never thought you'd become like this!"

Threatened? Coerced?

I raised my eyes and looked at him quietly for two seconds.

"What ability do I have to threaten her?"

"Still pretending!"

Adrian was furious beyond measure.

"If you hadn't told her that unless she knelt at Anna's grave until you forgave her, you'd tell Mom and Dad to send her abroad, would she be kneeling there without eating or drinking? Don't you know she has a heart condition? If something happens to her, can you bear the responsibility!"

I see.

The same thing again.

Anytime, anywhere, no matter the truth, whatever Melissa said, he always believed without reservation.

Clearly, if he just thought about it, he'd realize. I detested Melissa so much, if telling his parents could send Melissa away, why wouldn't I have done it earlier?

Forget it. Let it be.

"Yes."

I simply nodded.

"I threatened her and forced her to kneel at Anna's grave in repentance. So what? Are you here to get justice for her?"

Adrian froze, seemingly not expecting this reaction from me.

In the past, I would have argued my case to the death, never admitting it.

His brow furrowed, his tone softening somewhat.

"I'm not trying to get justice for her. I just want you to go to the cemetery and tell her you forgive her so she'll come back."

Lynn's POV

Adrian half-forced me out of the hospital and brought me to the cemetery.

"I was wrong. I really know I was wrong..."

When Melissa saw us, she crawled on her knees to us, grabbing my legs with both hands.

"Please, don't tell Mom and Dad. Don't let them send me away... I'll kneel, I'll keep kneeling. You can make me kneel as long as you want."She begged tearfully, large tears rolling down her face.

"Melissa, get up first."

Adrian immediately stepped forward and bent down, trying to help Melissa up.

"The ground is cold. You're not well. You can't kneel like this."

Melissa avoided his hand, shaking her head through tears.

"If she doesn't forgive me, I'll kneel here until I die... This is what I owe Anna."

Adrian's brow furrowed tightly. He turned to look at me.

"Don't forget what you promised me."

I looked down at Melissa clutching my legs, my mind recalling that day outside the bathroom. Melissa's contemptuous, vicious words.

I had to admire this woman's acting skills. Truly exquisite.

I smiled and slowly bent down.

Just as Adrian thought I was going to help Melissa up, the next second, I forcefully shoved Melissa away.

"Melissa, you don't need to put on this performance for me. Want me to forgive you? Dream on!"

"Ah!"

Melissa was pushed over, her whole body falling backward and landing heavily on the stone pavement.

"Melissa!"

Adrian's expression changed drastically as he rushed over.

He knelt on one knee to help Melissa up, his distress overflowing.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

Melissa's face was covered in tears, but she bit her lip and shook her head, putting on a brave face as if enduring pain without wanting him to worry.

"I'm fine... It's not her fault. I shouldn't have made her angry..."

Adrian noticed her trembling hands. He hastily picked up her hands to examine them, seeing her scraped palms oozing bright red blood.

The fury in his eyes could no longer be suppressed. His gaze cut toward me like a knife.

"Have you lost your mind? What did you promise me before we came here?"

I looked at him.

"I don't remember promising you anything."

From beginning to end, I never said I'd forgive Melissa, much less that I'd help him persuade her to go back.

"Lynn!!"

I said coldly,

"Melissa will never deserve my forgiveness in this lifetime. If she wants to kneel here until she dies, I certainly won't stop her."

He was furious beyond measure.

"Since you're so stubborn and insist on continuing like this, then I'll help you cool down and think clearly about whether you want to keep acting like you've lost your mind!"

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

After the call connected, he commanded coldly into the phone,

"Come take my wife away. Send Mrs. Blackwood to Southhill Sanatorium. Without my permission, no one is allowed to visit her, and she's not allowed to leave."

Security guards soon appeared at the cemetery, gripping me on both sides.

"Mrs. Blackwood, please come with us."

I hadn't expected him to go this far for Melissa.

I tried to resist, struggling a few times, but couldn't break free from their powerful restraint.

My lips trembled slightly as I said to Adrian,

"You'll regret this."

Southhill Sanatorium accepted patients with mental problems.

The seven days I was locked in there were among the darkest times of my life.

I was deemed to have gone mad from losing my daughter, so I was strapped to a special chair for electroshock therapy and force-fed pills of various colors.

The orderly holding me down said,

"Mr. Blackwood is very concerned about your recovery. He hopes you'll cooperate with treatment, come to your senses soon, and live happily as a family."

I found it utterly absurd and laughable. I stubbornly struggled and resisted, claiming I wasn't sick.

But in return, I received even more brutal treatment.

At night, almost every evening, screams and crying came from other rooms in the corridor, along with dull thudding sounds that terrified me.

My body and spirit endured dual torment, pushing me to the brink of collapse several times.

My heart was left nothing but an empty, numb wasteland.

Until a week later, Adrian finally appeared and had me brought out of the sanatorium gates.

He got out of the car, his tall figure standing before me.

"Have you thought it through? Are you going to keep making a fuss over our child's death?"

"Adrian."

Without answering his question, I slowly raised my eyes.

Then I curved my lips and said,

"Every day in there, I kept thinking that the biggest mistake of my life was... ever loving you."

Lynn's POV

Adrian immediately grabbed my hand.

"What do you mean 'ever loved'? Are you saying you... don't love me anymore?"

I smiled, my lips moving.

"No..."

Before I could finish, Adrian's phone suddenly rang from his pocket.

It was a call from Adrian's mother.

He frowned, glanced at me, and finally answered the call first.

"Mom."

"Where are you two? The whole family is waiting for you to eat."

"Almost there. We're on our way."

Adrian answered briefly before ending the call.

His gaze returned to my face, his lips pressed thin.

"There's a dinner party today. Mom and Dad want me to bring you back. Get in the car."

With that, he took my hand and led me to the car.

I didn't struggle, letting him pull me along.

The Blackwood estate.

When Adrian's mother saw me, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Lynn, why have you gotten so thin?"

She walked forward, grasped my cold hands, and comforted me earnestly.

"Mom knows you're heartbroken. Anna's death... we're all very sad. But no matter how sad you are, you must eat properly and take care of yourself. After all, you and Adrian are still young. You can have children in the future."

I kept my eyes lowered, saying nothing.

Adrian's mother assumed I was still immersed in grief. She sighed and patted my hand.

"Alright, let's eat first."

In the dining room, Melissa was already sitting in the seat next to Adrian.

Hearing Adrian's mother's words, her fingers tightened slightly. Her eyes swept over me with unconcealed jealous hatred before she quickly masked it, resuming her usual docile appearance.

Throughout the meal, I ate very little.

I sat there quietly, out of sync with the entire atmosphere of the dining room.

Adrian's father asked Adrian a few questions about the company. Adrian's mother occasionally tried to steer the conversation toward me, but I deflected with silence or brief responses.

Midway through, my phone vibrated.

I glanced at the screen. It was the lawyer's number.

I stood up, saying softly,

"I need to take a call."

Finding a quiet corner, I answered.

The lawyer said,

"Ms. Hart, your divorce decree from Mr. Blackwood has been processed. When you have time, please come pick it up."

"Alright, I understand. Thank you."

After hanging up, I stood there for a few seconds, slightly dazed.

Finally, this day had come.

I turned around, about to return, when I heard lowered voices from the balcony direction.

My steps halted.

The balcony curtains weren't completely drawn. Through the gap, I saw Melissa standing in front of Adrian, her face upturned, eyes red.

"Do you think she'll tell Mom and Dad? They were already against our relationship. If she tells them I deliberately didn't want to donate bone marrow to save Anna, will they send me away in anger?"

"No, they won't. Don't overthink it."

"But I'm really scared... I'm afraid of leaving you, afraid I'll never see you again..."

Melissa's tears fell, looking utterly pitiful.

Adrian sighed helplessly, reaching out to wipe away her tears.

"She should have learned her lesson this time and won't dare make trouble again. After this, I'll find a time to talk to her. As long as she stops dwelling on the past, I'll withdraw the divorce application. She'll still be Mrs. Blackwood, and everything will go back to how it was."

"But I'm still uneasy."

Melissa raised her tearful eyes.

"After the party tonight, can you take me back to my apartment? I don't want to go back alone."

Adrian hesitated for a moment but finally agreed. "Okay."

Hearing this, I silently turned and left. After saying goodbye to Adrian's parents, I walked out of the Blackwood estate and hailed a cab to leave alone.

An hour later, at the law office.

I received the divorce decree from the lawyer.

I suddenly thought of the day I married Adrian five years ago.

Back then, I didn't know this marriage was full of deception, harm, and cold ruthlessness. I thought I'd found true love and happily took photos with Adrian.

Looking back now, that happiness felt like something from a previous century.

I closed my eyes and put away the divorce decree.

Shortly after returning to the villa, my phone showed a message from an airline, reminding me of my boarding time.

Then I pulled a suitcase out of the closet.

I'd already prepared my luggage for departure. Some simple clothes, important documents, and a photo of just my daughter and me.

I pulled the suitcase downstairs without looking back at this house I'd lived in for five years.

On the way to the airport, my phone vibrated again.

This time it was a message from Adrian on social media.

"I've had someone withdraw the divorce application. Wait for me to come home later. I have some things I want to discuss with you in person."

I stared at these words for a few seconds.

Then I typed a message in reply.

"There's no need to talk anymore, Adrian. I'm letting you be with Melissa. We'll never see each other again in this lifetime."

After sending it, I dragged the man's contact into my block list, then sent an audio message to Adrian's mother's number before turning off my phone, removing the SIM card, and throwing it out the car window.

Adrian, in this lifetime, we will never meet again, in life or death.