Chapter 1

Times were rough. My husband's salary plummeted from ten thousand dollars to two thousand dollars.

That was right after our daughter, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition.

To cover the exorbitant medical bills, I took out loans to fund his startup, only for him to lose every single penny.

"Grace, I'm so sorry!"

He stood on the edge of the rooftop, utterly desperate. I sobbed, clinging to him.

"It's okay, we'll get through this together!"

We spent seven grueling years struggling in a cramped studio apartment.

Because we couldn't afford the fifty thousand dollar per dose specialty medication, Lily eventually died in my arms.

Then, I ran into his former colleague, Leo.

"Congratulations! Did you know Hymen's company is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars?"

I clutched Lily's urn, my face ashen.

Leo didn't notice my strange expression and kept talking:

"His first love, Stella, is divorced with a critically ill daughter. For the past seven years, he's been transferring a hundred thousand dollars to her every single month. He even spent a billion dollars developing a special medicine…"

1

I stumbled my way to the pharmaceutical company Hymen had founded.

"Mr. Hymen, Ms. Stella's monthly salary is already twenty thousand dollars. Are you sure you still want to give her a raise? Also, your wife really needs our specialty medication right now…"

Brenda, his secretary, was cut off by Hymen before she could finish.

"Stella's salary must be increased every month! The specialty medication production is low right now. My daughter's heart condition has dragged on this long, it's not like it's gotten any worse. Give the specialty medication to Stella's daughter instead."

My hand, gripping the doorknob, trembled uncontrollably. A chilling dread froze my heart.

Years ago, to raise money for his startup, I had begged every relative and friend.

For the past seven years, I understood how tough it was for him, so I carried every burden myself.

The meager salary he brought home each month wasn't even enough to cover basic medical expenses.

Not wanting to add to his stress, I kept my daily living expenses to five dollars, even resorting to picking up discarded, wilting vegetables from the supermarket floor.

Just then, Hymen's cold voice echoed from the office again.

"I founded this pharmaceutical company for Stella. So, until the specialty medication is mass-produced, no one is to compete with Stella for it. Not even my own daughter!"

My heart felt like it was ripped open. I flung the door open.

"Grace?!"

Hymen gasped in shock, his expression shifting from surprise to panic, then to guilt.

He motioned for Brenda to leave, then composed himself and walked towards me, putting on a remorseful face.

"When did you get here? I was just about to come to this company to beg for a dose of the specialty medication for our daughter. Unfortunately, they're not being flexible. I'm so sorry."

I shoved him away forcefully, tearing off his mask of pretense without mercy.

"Hymen, stop pretending! I heard everything you just said. Do you have any idea that our daughter is dead?!"

My撕心裂肺的尖叫 tore through the air, and tears streamed down my face like a broken dam.

Hymen was stunned speechless by my words, his lips trembling.

"Lily's dead?"

Before I could speak.

The sound of papers dropping to the floor suddenly came from the doorway.

Stella gasped, covering her mouth, silently weeping.

"Hymen, you're actually the boss of this company? So, the one who anonymously transferred me a hundred thousand dollars every month, arranged my job, and got me the specialty medication… that was all you?"

Stella's face went pale as she stumbled backward, mortified with shame.

"Stella, it's not your fault. I did it because I wanted to!"

Watching her cry, her face drenched in tears, Hymen's heart ached for her, an unbearable pain.

It was then that I noticed the Audi car keys in her hand. They looked familiar—they were mine!

Seven years ago, I had sold that car and our house to fund his startup. I never imagined he would give it all to his first love.

I absolutely saw red.

2

"Hymen, you told me my car and our house were forcibly repossessed by the court. How are they in her hands?"

Hymen was speechless, unable to retort.

Stella, completely humiliated, quickly bowed and apologized to me.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I'll return the car keys to you right now, and I promise to move out of your house immediately."

With that, she shoved the car keys into my hand and, turning to Hymen, said firmly:

"Hymen, thank you for your silent support these past few years, but I really don't want to ruin your marriage. Starting today, I'm officially resigning, and please don't transfer me any more money."

She left him with those words, gave him a tearful glance, then turned and ran out.

"Stella!"

Hymen panicked, instinctively chasing a few steps before suddenly stopping.

He turned back to me.

"Grace, is Lily really dead?"

I let out a bitter laugh, tears welling up.

"Do you think I'd lie to you?"

"Grace, I…"

He opened his mouth, his face pale.

To make amends, he decided to choose a good burial plot for Lily.

I remembered how Lily had craved his presence more than anything when she was alive. In the end, I agreed to let him attend her funeral.

Hymen's eyes suddenly reddened, and he stared at me with a complex expression before quickly standing and leaving.

On the day of the funeral, I sat before Lily's tombstone.

I pulled out my phone, intending to call him to ask if he'd retrieved the urn, but instead, I saw Stella had posted something new.

"I heard bone ash can be used as a special ingredient in heart medicine. I wonder if he'd be willing to… "

My heart plummeted. I was enveloped by a terrible premonition.

I rushed to the crematorium's urn storage to inquire.

Mr. Clark, the manager, looked at me curiously.

"Your husband picked it up twenty minutes ago. You didn't know?"

My breathing became rapid. I frantically called him, but no one answered.

A fine layer of cold sweat emerged on my body. My first thought was to hail a cab and rush to Stella's house.

Through the iron gate, I saw that Lily's urn was empty.

And Stella was smiling as she fed the last bit of a liquid medicine into her daughter, Chloe's, mouth.

After telling Chloe to go back to her room to rest, she turned to Hymen, her eyes full of gratitude.

"Hymen, thank you. I'll never be able to repay your kindness."

"You took your daughter's bone ash for my daughter. What if your wife gets angry? Will it affect your marriage?"

Hymen frowned, then dismissed it with an indifferent smile.

"Don't worry. Who else does Grace have to rely on now besides me? She wouldn't dare make a scene."

Rage surging, I burst in, out of control, and slapped him across the face.

"Hymen, are you even human?! You had the specialty medication but wouldn't give it to Lily. Now that she's dead, you won't even leave her ashes alone. You're an animal!"

"And you, Stella, you're a manipulative bitch feigning innocence!"

Hymen was slapped senseless, unable to react.

"Grace, what are you doing here?"

Stella's face went white with fright, and she cowered behind him, not daring to look at me.

I desperately clawed at his face.

Enraged and humiliated, Hymen kicked me hard in the chest.

"Enough! It's just a little bone ash! You're a medical student, you should know that keeping the ashes won't bring Lily back!"

I never thought he would say something so utterly inhumane.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I struggled to get up.

"You'll both get your comeuppance! I'm calling the police to expose you!"

With that, I pulled out my phone, ready to dial 91