Chapter 2

Victoria arrived much sooner than I expected. Clearly, their situation hadn't been nearly as dire as she claimed.

Just as I predicted, her and Julian's arrival brought zero comfort—only mockery.

They pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Victoria looked at me with cold suspicion.

She was convinced I was playing sick in bed just to manipulate her.

Julian hovered right behind her, sporting that familiar innocent, delicate routine.

He was the root cause of everything, yet he stepped forward first, speaking in a gentle, lecturing tone:

"Even if you're upset, Logan, you shouldn't lie to her like this."

"Victoria is really hurt this time. Just apologize to her, okay?"

His tone was soaked in condescending pity, neatly framing me as the toxic villain in the room.

I lay silently on the bed, offering no excuses, no defense.

I knew very well that nothing I said would change their minds.

So I stayed quiet, watching them with icy detachment.

"Logan, you really had the nerve to leave me stranded. You sure went all out for this little act! You even rented a hospital bed!"

"You're such a disappointment. Throwing a massive jealous tantrum over nothing in the middle of a disaster! Why can't you be sensible like Julian for once?"

I let out a cold smirk.

"Right. So even now, you think I'm faking? Don't you think you're flattering yourself a bit too much?"

Refusing to back down, Victoria marched up to the bedside, a look of righteous determination on her face.

Bent on proving I was lying, she yanked the blanket off me in one swift motion.

In that instant, shock and horror washed over her features.

Those eyes that once held affection were now filled with raw disgust.

She saw my shattered leg—the mangled, stitched-up flesh, swollen and bloody. It was a gruesome sight, and it made her gag instantly.

Julian rushed forward, patting her back soothingly.

"Don't look, don't look... I'm right here with you."

Yet Victoria seemed frozen, standing in place, staring at me with hollow, repulsed eyes.

"Oh god... that's disgusting... why is there so much blood?"

She dry-heaved, turning her face away from the sight of my injury.

I couldn't help but remember when my parents had rushed into the room earlier. When they saw my leg, their eyes were filled only with heartache and tears.

They had stood quietly beside me, unable to speak, weeping out of pure love and agony for their son.

Yet my wife of three years looked at my shattered limb and felt nothing but disgust.

Her reaction cut deeper than any blade.

I felt a sickening regret for every year wasted on this marriage, mourning all the good times I had mistakenly cherished.

Victoria seemed to finally catch her breath. She now knew I wasn't lying, but not a shred of remorse crossed her face.

"You're so careless! Letting your leg get mangled like that—you almost made me throw up!"

"Can they even fix that?"

I opened my mouth to snap back, but right at that moment, Julian suddenly gasped and clutched his forehead.

He groaned in pain, his face turning pale as if he were about to collapse on the spot.

Seeing him like that, Victoria instantly forgot all about me. She whirled around, her eyes brimming with panic and tender concern.

"Julian, what's wrong? Did you get startled?"

She grabbed his arm anxiously, preparing to rush him off to get checked out.