My father-in-law was killed by my wife’s male assistant, who ran a red light, but he was ultimately convicted of fraud.

I sued three times, and lost each time.

Just as I was about to appeal for the fourth time, I discovered that my father-in-law’s body had been stolen.

I was about to call the police when my lawyer wife, Susan, suddenly approached me and threw twenty thousand dollars at me:

“You should know that I, Susan, have never lost a case. Even if you have more evidence, your father won’t win this case.”

“I said your father committed fraud, and that’s all he did. You keep appealing just to get more compensation. I’ve already had your father’s body sold on the black market. Twenty thousand in total, so he deserved the best for his life.”

“Stop harassing Michael. They’re being merciful by not asking you to pay for the car repairs.”

I was wondering why Susan kept defending the perpetrator. It turned out she always thought it was my father who was killed. I pushed the money toward her:

“You should keep it. I’m not entitled to it.”

——

Susan, assuming I disagreed, suddenly raised her voice:

“Twenty thousand is too little, you think?”

“Chris, get this: your father was a homeless vagrant. The fact that he risked his life to earn twenty thousand is already a great honor for your family. Don’t push your luck!”

I shook my head:

“You’re mistaken. What I mean is that this is money you earned with the help of your family, and only you can take it.”

Susan frowned deeply, her face full of disgust:

“This is money earned from selling your father’s body. What does it have to do with me?”

“Do you think I, like you, need such unscrupulous money?”

Susan comes from a single-parent family.

Her mother died young, and her father-in-law raised her with great care.

To support her dream of becoming a lawyer, her father-in-law worked several jobs, developing numerous health problems.

Susan saw it all and remained extremely devoted to him. At first, I didn’t understand why Susan didn’t even return home after my father-in-law died, instead focusing entirely on defending Michael, the perpetrator.

I didn’t realize it was because she thought the man who died was my father.

I looked at Susan and said seriously,

“Susan, I advise you to return the twenty thousand and redeem your father’s body.”

“It wasn’t easy for him to raise you.”

I thought I was being clear, but Susan still didn’t understand. She angrily said, “Are you mentally ill? When did your father ever raise me?”

“Also, what do you think the black market is? You can redeem something just because you want it back?”

“Your father’s body must have been chopped into pieces by now. How can you possibly recover it? Take the money and stop causing trouble!”

My father-in-law wasn’t my biological father.

Not only was he killed for no reason, but he was also charged with fraud. His own daughter even sold his body on the black market, where it was dismembered. Thinking of his tragic fate, my eyes welled up.

“Susan, since you know how the black market disposes of corpses, how could you have the heart to sell my father’s body and destroy it? Are you a beast?”

Susan curled her lips. “He’s your father, not mine. Why should I be so heartless?”

“Besides, the dead can’t feel pain. Being able to make money on the black market demonstrates your father’s value.”

“Who told him to be so careless? Not only was he killed, but he also gave Michael nightmares for days!”

Looking at Susan’s self-righteous attitude, it’s hard to imagine how she would react if she knew the dead man was her father.

Seeing I didn’t say anything, Susan continued:

“To be honest, I’ve long felt your father’s face showed he had a short life. Even if he hadn’t died in the accident, he wouldn’t have lived long.”

“Be content with the twenty thousand you can get now!”

“Hurry up and take the money. Buy something tomorrow and go to the company to apologize to Michael. Let’s call it a day.”

After saying that, Susan left the money and turned away.

Watching Susan’s resolute back,

I suddenly realized that the lawyer who once fought for justice had become corrupt.

This marriage, too, should end.

The next day, I drafted the divorce agreement and went to her law firm.

Upon entering the office, I saw Susan, who suffers from severe mysophobia, kneeling on one knee, gently massaging Michael’s foot.

The look in her eyes was a tenderness I had never seen before. Upon seeing me, Michael immediately feigned panic.

“Chris, don’t misunderstand. I sprained my foot, and Susan was kindly massaging it.”

He pulled his foot back, tugged at Susan, and said anxiously,

“Susan, please explain! I don’t want to lose my job…”

Susan patted his back lovingly, soothing him softly.

“Don’t be afraid. He came to apologize.”

She glanced at me with disdain and said coldly, “Didn’t I ask you to buy something? Why are you empty-handed?”

“You’re old, and you can’t even say sorry?”

Not wanting to say more, I coldly pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and handed it to Susan.

“Sign it. Divorce.”

Susan stared at the agreement, stunned. Then she frowned angrily, “What are you doing?”

“You know my dad only recognizes you as his son-in-law. He’ll never agree to our divorce.”

“Aren’t you doing all this just to get my dad to scold me?”

It turns out she still has her father in her heart. I forced a bitter smile and said coldly, “Your father won’t be able to scold you anymore.”

Susan’s expression shifted slightly, and she asked, “What do you mean?”

My face was heavy: “Go home and see for yourself.”

Susan glared at me impatiently: “Stop playing tricks on me.”

“It’s just that your father died. Why are you still going on and on?”

“Get out of here! Don’t embarrass me in my company. I won’t divorce you!”

Seeing this, Michael, who had been watching the show, suddenly wiped away his nonexistent tears and sobbed:

“Chris, although I bought my license and my driving skills aren’t great, you really can’t blame me that day!”

“Are you asking for a divorce now to threaten Susan and force her to send me to jail?!” Michael spoke pitifully, as if he were the victim who had suffered the worst injustice.

His tearful eyes broke, and Susan’s heart ached. She pulled Michael into her arms and said, “Michael, don’t cry. With me here, you’ll never go to jail.”

After saying that, she glared at me again:

“Chris, Michael is still a child. Is it necessary for you to pick on him like this?”

“You think threatening divorce will get me to stop defending Michael? You’re dreaming!”

“I’m telling you, your father died in vain. You won’t get any compensation, and don’t even think of hurting Michael!”

Watching Susan glare at me to protect the man who had killed her father, I couldn’t help but feel sorrow for my father-in-law all over again.

Forget it.

Since she, as his daughter, has expressed her views like this, what else can I, an outsider, say?

I took a deep breath and spoke each word with a measured tone:

“I’m getting a divorce.”

Susan was so furious that she tore up the divorce agreement on the spot, flung the pieces into the air, and gritted her teeth:

“You really want to divorce me, don’t you?”

“Fine! I’ll give you that!”

“But I’m telling you, even if it’s a divorce, I’ll be the one drafting the agreement. I’ll ruin your reputation and drive you out of this house!”

“I want my dad to see clearly that the son-in-law he adored is nothing more than a vile man who exploited his father’s death to squeeze money through lawsuits!”

Through the falling confetti, I saw Susan’s fierce and resolute eyes.

And the faint, smug smile curling on Michael’s lips.

In the end, I said nothing.

I turned and left the law firm.

After returning home, I quietly began packing my luggage.

Just as I dragged my suitcase downstairs in the apartment complex,

a large group of people suddenly rushed toward me. Each of them, holding a camera or phone, frantically filmed me:

“Look, that’s him! He pushed his elderly father into fraud!”

“After his father was killed in a scam, he used his father’s death to extort money. When that failed, he sued for more! He drove a young man, a recent graduate, into depression and nearly to suicide several times!”

“Luckily, his wife is a righteous lawyer who fights for justice, defending the innocent. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to that young man!”

“Now he blames his wife for not siding with him and is threatening her with divorce. He’s already packed up and is leaving!”

The sharp accusations echoed endlessly.

Through the crowd, I caught sight of Michael and Susan’s gloating faces in the background.

So this live broadcast was Susan’s way of destroying my reputation? The backlash was indeed huge. The live streamers hurled accusations, and the major streaming rooms were filled with constant abuse:

“Damn, this guy’s scum. He even used his own father’s life for money?”

“What parent could live long with a son like that?”

“Like father, like son. His father’s death was fate!”

“Yeah, why didn’t the car hit anyone else, only his dad? That proves his dad was worthless too!”

Public opinion spread quickly, and within moments, my photo was trending online.

Labels like “beast’s son,” “villain,” and “scammer” became synonymous with me.

With the streamers adding fuel to the fire,

the crowd at the scene began throwing eggs and rotten vegetable leaves at me.

I stepped on the filth, pushed through the mob, and approached Susan:

“Susan, are you really going to take things this far?”

Susan frowned slightly. Before she could speak, Michael piped up again, tears streaming down his face.

“Chris, even though your father is dead, I haven’t been feeling well lately!”

“Please, please let me go. Stop holding me back!”

Susan’s eyes flashed with heartache, then she looked at me firmly.

“Chris, you brought this on yourself.”

“Your father was struck and killed because he was scamming people. You shouldn’t keep suing and making life hard for Michael.”

“Michael’s new car was damaged by your father. He’s kind enough not to charge you for repairs, yet you still nag me. No wonder your father died young, having such a vicious son like you!”

The moment the words left her mouth, someone in the crowd who looked like my father stepped forward, and a murmur ran through the crowd and fixed his gaze on Susan.

"Who's dead?"