“You take a taxi back first. I didn’t drive very far. I’ll reschedule with the designer.”

Jeremy's long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel. It was his physical sign that his patience was about to run out.

“No need.”

Then I forced my broken body to open the door and get out of the car.

The moment I slammed the door shut, Jeremy’s car shot forward like a bullet, racing against the clock.

The truth staring me in the face was too obvious and I could not deny it any longer. In Jeremy's heart, Lucy, his stepsister, was more important than me, his partner, who had been with him for eight years.

As I was staring at the blood seeping through my clothes, I fought to stay conscious to flag down a taxi and instruct the driver to take me to the hospital.

Seeing the blood on me, the driver stepped on the accelerator and drove as fast as he could, afraid something might happen to me.

When I got out, he insisted on supporting me, escorting me into the nurse's care before leaving.

It felt like ages since I had experienced such concern and care. My eyes involuntarily reddened. At my most vulnerable moment, even a stranger showed me more warmth than Jeremy, my own husband.

When the nurse changed my bandages and saw the wound, she instinctively gasped. “You haven't healed when you left the hospital. When your husband insisted on bringing you home, I thought someone would take care of you. How did it get this bad?”

I gave her a weak, forced smile. “I didn’t walk steadily and hit the edge of a table.”

After that, the nurse started chatting with another nurse who had just come in and they were talking about someone who was at Staten Bridge and threatening to jump into the river.

"Exactly! A young girl, quite pretty too, why would she be so desperate?"

"A girl at her age jumping over a river like that? It's probably just a matter of love. Maybe she's trying to force her boyfriend to show up!”

I looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly and the occasional crisp chirp of birds filled the air.

On such a beautiful day, in the prime of her life, how could someone be so foolish?

“Hey, sir! This is a private room. You can't just barge in like that!”

I heard the nurse beside me raise her voice in protest. Instinctively, I turned my head toward the doorway.

It was Jeremy.

His face was filled with anxiety. Jeremy, who always cared about appearances, now had his suit and tie loosened and even the top button of his shirt was undone.

Ignoring the nurse's protests, he rushed toward me and grabbed my arm so tightly that it made me wince.

“Come with me!”

Just as I was about to pull my arm free, the nurse strode over in long steps, pushed Jeremy away and pointed at him angrily.

“Now I remember—you're her husband, right? You never took proper care of her before and now her wound has reopened. Not only did you fail to look after her, but you're making a scene here. What kind of irresponsible husband are you?”

Clearly, Jeremy was ignoring the nurse's words. He kept staring at me with bloodshot eyes.

“Anne, just come with me this once. After this, I won’t trouble you again. I’ll let you recover properly.”

How ridiculous! Do I need his permission to recover in peace?

Seeing the indifferent look on my face, he immediately grew even more dissatisfied and snapped irritably, "Anne, this is a matter of life and death! How can you be so cold-hearted? Lucy is so distraught over your refusal to forgive her that she's threatening to jump into the river. You must come with me and tell her personally that you've forgiven her!”

Before hearing those two words, I could have let him rant and rave on and on. But now...

I grabbed the pillow behind me and hurled it at him with all my strength.

“Get lost! Let her live or die!”

Jeremy clenched the pillow I’d thrown at him, his knuckles white as he gritted his teeth and said, "Anne, why didn't I see it earlier that you're such a vicious woman? No matter how much you dislike Lucy, she’s about to lose her life. And you can still say something so malicious?”

“You clearly weren’t like this before.”

“This is my fault. I spoiled you too much. That’s why you’ve become so unreasonable and tyrannical now, unable to tolerate even Lucy, your own sister.”

So, this is how he thought of me. He never considered why I’d become this way—only how to make me accept Lucy’s existence.

I had thought seeing him treat me like this now wouldn’t trouble my heart. But after loving him for eight years and dreaming of growing old together year after year, I still felt a wave of helpless sorrow rise within me.

“I want to go home.”

Return to my own home.

Jeremy let out a cold laugh and directly scooped me up in his arms.

“Lucy wants to go home too. But because of you, she’s standing by an icy bridge right now, exposed to the chill wind. You need to take responsibility. Come with me to persuade her to come down and I'll take you home.”

Hearing this, I ignored the risk of my wounds reopening and twisted my body relentlessly, trying to force him to put me down.

“Let go! She's the one who's crazy, trying to jump into the river! What does that have to do with me? Why should I be responsible for her?”

Seeing my reaction, the nurse hurried over.

“Sir! Please release our patient! Otherwise, I'll call security!”

Could not withstand the force of two people, Jeremy had no choice but to put me down.

"Anne! You're ruthless!”

I laughed bitterly, lifting my hospital gown to reveal the wound. From the struggle, the gauze had soaked through again, stained with fresh blood.

“Jeremy, I didn't do anything, but you made me take responsibility for Lucy? Then who should bear this responsibility?”

It seemed Jeremy had finally reached his limit. After grabbing a few hairs, his fingers were trembling when he pointed at me, as if I had bullied him; he looked devastated.

"Anne, that wound is barely the size of a palm. It’ll heal in a month at most. Yet you used it as an excuse to wrong Lucy time and again, but she never held it against you. Now, to earn your forgiveness, she’s willing to prove her loyalty with her life. If she really jumps into the river, she’ll lose her life!"

I stared coldly at him as he accused me. The man I once loved so deeply had become utterly repulsive.

“I can go with you… with one condition. If you agree to sign the divorce papers, I'll go with you.”

I heard myself talking calmly.

Hearing this, Jeremy didn't grab me in anger as I expected. Instead, a faint smile touched his lips, an expression that said, “I knew it,” and “Here we go again.” I knew he must have misinterpreted me.

But it didn't matter. As long as he agreed to divorce me.

“Anne, I didn’t expect you to say something like divorce just to avoid saving Lucy. Fine! You think I’d be hesitant?”

He grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.

“Didn’t you want a divorce? Anne, I’ll take you right now. I’ll let you see the consequences of acting on impulse. When you want to beg me to remarry later, it won’t be so easy!”

My arm was red from his grip, but hearing his agreement to divorce made the pain in my wounds feel somewhat eased.

I signaled to the nurse who’d been trying to help me, then followed Jeremy out the hospital doors and into the car. Leaving everything else aside, when it came to efficiency, his efficiency was truly remarkable.

While driving, he called his lawyer and had the contract drafted. By the time we reached the law office, the lawyer handed him the freshly prepared divorce papers.

At least, Jeremy still had some decency. He split everything equally, leaving me nothing to complain about.

Just as I was about to take it and sign, Jeremy impatiently yanked me up, eager to go to Staten Bridge to Lucy.

“I haven’t signed yet.”

“Anne, you’ve been through business battles too. The contract is already drafted, so you need to let me see some ‘down payment,’ don’t you?”

Sure enough, it was like snatching food from a dog's mouth. I knew getting a “divorce” from him wouldn't be this easy. I got in the car.

As soon as we reached the riverbank, the cold wind made me shiver violently. Only then did I remember that in my haste to leave the hospital, I had left my coat on the hospital bed.

“Lucy!” Jeremy shouted excitedly beside me, then sprinted toward Lucy by the riverbank as if he had just spotted a lover he had not seen in years.

Lucy's pitiful, delicate appearance at that moment really did match the fragile, lovable little innocent girl often seen in Korean dramas.

He rushed to Lucy's side, draped his coat over her shoulders, then used those hands that had once said they would only ever hold mine to gently clasp another woman’s hands. Afraid she might be cold, he even breathed warm air onto her fingers.

I stood by like an outsider, my icy hands tucked deep into my jacket pockets. It was simply too cold and I couldn’t help but speak to them.

“Let’s go.”

After glancing at me, Jeremy raised his hand to feel Lucy’s forehead, then strode toward me.

Eight years of being together made me instinctively alert; it seemed he was furious.

I instinctively took a step back, but couldn't dodge his slap. The hand that once warmed me now struck my face with force.

Heartbreak, agony, disappointment and even hatred became a tangled complex of emotions that overwhelmed me, leaving me without the strength to react immediately.

“It's all your fault! If you'd come sooner, Lucy wouldn't have stood by the river so long and caught this fever!”

Compared to the pain on my face, my heart really hurts at this moment.

“Jeremy, when did you become this stupid? Did I make Lucy come to the river? Did I tell her to jump? She’s an adult. If she won’t take responsibility for her own life, why should I take responsibility for her actions?”

I pointed angrily at Jeremy. “And you! Jeremy, we're getting divorced! What right do you have to lecture me now? I'm calling the police. What you just did was intentional assault. I think you need to spend a few days in jail to reflect on your actions!”

Jeremy's face darkened slightly. But before he could speak, Lucy's slightly excited and surprised cut him off. "Jeremy, are you getting a divorce? Is it true?"

Jeremy’s voice rose, as if desperately trying to prove something. “Whether it’s true or not has nothing to do with a child like you! Your sister-in-law is just acting on impulse and making a fuss about divorce. She’ll regret it sooner or later!”

Hearing this, Lucy's almond-shaped eyes darted about. After feigning a few coughs, her body began to sway unsteadily.

Jeremy hurriedly helped her.

“Don't stand out here in the wind. I'll take you to the hospital to get checked, so it doesn't get worse.”

Saying this, Jeremy picked Lucy up. As he did, he shot me a sardonic glance. “Since you want to divorce so much, get out of the house first and let me see your determination!"

He didn't need to remind me; I was going to go back and pack my bags anyway.

After Jeremy drove off, I took a taxi home. There wasn’t much worth taking, so two suitcases were enough.

When I passed by Jeremy's study, I pushed the door open and placed the document folder in my hand on his desk. I didn’t know when he would see the gift I’d left him, but it's not too late to see it.

After leaving, I checked into a hotel. I didn’t look for a place or leave immediately, because I planned to return to the orchard my father had left me once the divorce agreement was signed.

But before that, I needed to wrap up the procedural matters my father had left behind here.

I hadn't realized how complex his affairs were until I started sorting them out. I'd thought it would take three or four days, but a week had already passed and I'd barely managed to get things in order.

The doorbell rang.

Aside from going out to eat, I had hardly ever left the hotel for a l week. I shouldn’t have had contact with anyone.

Through the peephole, I saw that it was Jeremy.

Was he coming here to sign the divorce agreement? But he wasn’t holding anything and he looked irritated. It didn’t seem like good news.

“If you're not here to sign the divorce papers, leave.”

Though I could not see Jeremy's expression through the peephole, I could see him knocking impatiently on the doorframe, muttering something about needing to speak with me.

“Other than divorce, nothing interests me," I said coldly.