Chapter 3

The moment I woke up the next morning, Seraphina called. "Remember to go to the nursing home to see my parents today. Don't skip it just because you're angry."

Seraphina prided herself on being filial. Even though her parents lived in the best nursing home, her pronouncement, "Children should personally care for their parents," had me looking after my in-laws for three full years. Meanwhile, I barely saw my own parents once a year.

"Yeah, got it." I numbly replied, hung up the phone, and drove alone to the nursing home.

"Oh, sweetie, look how wonderful Caleb is! He's going to be our son-in-law!" My mother-in-law was proudly telling the nurse, pointing at Caleb on the TV, as I walked into the room carrying a pot of freshly made soup.

The nurse's eyes lit up. "Are they really getting married?"

"Of course!" my in-laws said in unison.

My steps faltered, and a familiar sharp pain pierced my chest. I suppressed the bitterness in my throat and softly spoke. "Mom, Dad."

As soon as they heard my voice, my in-laws' faces immediately soured. The nurse looked at me, a bit confused. "And this gentleman who comes every day is...?"

"He's our godson!" my mother-in-law quickly interjected.

The nurse suddenly understood, a look of envy on her face as she left. "Sir, I'm so envious you get to be Seraphina's brother. How lucky!"

I forced a smile, but it wouldn't reach my eyes.

The moment the door closed, my mother-in-law's voice turned shrill. "Julian, why didn't you tell us you were coming? You want to scare two old people to death?"

I managed a strained smile. "Mom, Dad, you seemed to be enjoying your conversation, I didn't want to interrupt."

"I made you some soup today. Please try it."

As soon as the soup was handed to them, my father-in-law sniffed it and slammed the bowl on the floor. The hot soup splattered on my hand, making me wince in pain, but they just said, "What kind of soup is this? It's so greasy! Julian, you can't even cook properly anymore. What good are you?"

"I'll make it again next time," I said, enduring the pain as I cleaned up the mess on the floor. A profound sense of powerlessness swept over me. Suddenly, I felt that three years of unwavering care had all been in vain.

After massaging my in-laws, I prepared to leave, but couldn't resist asking one last question, holding onto a final sliver of hope to gauge their attitude. "Mom, Dad, do you know? Seraphina is going to have a wedding with Caleb." I said, trying to sound calm.

"Really?!"

As soon as the words left my mouth, my in-laws cheered excitedly. "That's wonderful!"

Though I had anticipated it, my heart still sank. "But... I'm her husband..."

"Don't be ungrateful!" My father-in-law frowned and sneered.

"We never agreed to you two being together in the first place. You've bled Seraphina dry enough over the years. You should know when to quit and stop clinging to her," my mother-in-law snapped, her face darkening with impatience.

Bleed her dry? Even though I knew my in-laws were always harsh, hearing those words firsthand made my body involuntarily tense up. In three years of marriage, I had never asked Seraphina for a single dime, nor had she spent any money on me. Most of our daily expenses were covered by me. I cared for my in-laws relentlessly, managed everything for Seraphina, and in the end, I was branded a "vampire."

At this point, I understood where Seraphina's coldness and selfishness came from — it was a family trait. Three years of genuine affection had moved neither my in-laws nor Seraphina.

My in-laws continued to chatter, even ordering me to empty their bedpan. I numbly turned around, ignoring their curses and walked out without looking back.

Walking out of the nursing home, I looked at the distant sunlight gradually dispelling the gloom, took a deep breath, and dialed a number.

"Hello, Dad, are you free right now?"

"...I've made my decision."