Nora said, "Henry suddenly said a few days ago that he wanted to be a groom. I was just trying to help him recover quickly. Don't worry, once we're registered and done with the wedding, I'll immediately apply to the court to revoke the declaration of your death and restore our marriage."

I let out a cold laugh and shrugged her hand off me.

Staring at the marks all over her body, I said icily, "A fake wedding? If it's just a fake wedding, who gave you all those marks on your body? It seems like our marriage is the fake one!"

After all, Nora and I did not consummate our marriage.

On the night of our wedding, I merely kissed Nora when Henry rushed into the bedroom with a knife and slashed wildly on the bed like a madman.

To stop him from hurting Nora, I stood in front of her and took the blows, ending up with three broken ribs.

But instead, Nora held Henry's hand with concern, the one reddened by gripping the knife handle.

Only after carefully putting a bandage on him did she glance at me.

"Henry has become mentally impaired because he saved me in that accident. You're not allowed to seek revenge on him or kick him out. Besides, you're also at fault. I have told you a long time ago that I don't like people touching me. If you really love me, you wouldn't touch me."

Back then, I loved her to the bone. I actually apologized to her like an idiot.

From that moment onward, our marriage was without intimacy.

Who would have thought my innocent and pure wife would shamelessly fool around with the poor student?

Unable to suppress my rage, I slapped Nora across the face.

All those years that we were married, I always obeyed and fulfilled her every wish. This was the first time I ever hit her.

She stood there, stunned.

Taking the opportunity, I slipped inside the mansion. I located Henry, grabbed him by his collar, and punched him right in the chest.

Nora screamed and called the security guards.

Seeing Henry getting hurt, her attitude completely changed. With reddened eyes, she yelled, "John Xander, don't you dare lay a finger on Henry! I was trying to be polite with you, but it seems politeness doesn't work on you!"

Five security guards surrounded me.

"You have been gone for four years! Who knows if you ran off because you committed a crime! I didn't call the police! I only declared you dead! This is the most I can do!

"You're now legally a dead man! I was just trying to be nice to you! In fact, even if you die here now, no one will know!"

Turns out, all these years that I was in North Westonia on my classified mission, my wife thought that I was a fugitive on the run.

I froze.

We were married for five years, yet she didn't even know me at all! I was like a stranger to her!

How could she have judged me with such malice!

I never would have thought that Nora took my surprised silence as tacit agreement.

She lifted her head high, smugly, ordering the guards to drag me into the underground basement before the guests arrive.

"I'll deal with you once the wedding is over!"

I fought with all my might. One against five security guards. Outnumbered, they forced me into a corner of the wall.

I glared at Nora and said threateningly, "I have been serving my country for the past four years! If you dare touch me, I'll make sure you'll pay!"

I tried to take the medal out of my pocket, but she ordered the guards to strike hard at the ribs I once broke protecting her.

"You're declared dead, yet you still think you have any leverage?"

Back then, I was injured protecting her, yet she now used it as my weakness.

Four of my ribs were broken. The pain in my hand forced it to curl up.

I was dragged away pathetically by the five security guards.

All the way to the basement, I did not see a single trace of the life I once had in this house.

Along the corridor walls, the only photo of Nora and me disappeared without a trace.

In its place were wedding photos of her and Henry in all kinds of intimate poses.

The decorative paintings I carefully selected were replaced by Henry's childish scribbles.

The antique ornaments left behind by my father, treasures I cherished, were all gone. The rooms were filled with toys that only a five-year-old would like.

Nora followed along behind me, looking at my ashen face.

She said mockingly, "If you listened earlier, all of this would have been easier. You knew that Henry saved my life, yet you still tried to hurt him. You brought it all on yourself!"

I only felt irony listening to her words. All these years, she justified her biased actions toward Henry by claiming she saved her life.

But the truth was far from that.

Henry protected her, but I was the one who saved her life!

And this was how she repaid me?

…

Back then, Henry had won a scholarship. To thank me for my sponsorship, he treated Nora and me to dinner.

Somehow, the restaurant caught on fire, trapping us on the third floor.

The fire rescue team was nowhere to be seen. Between dying or getting burned, we all chose the latter.

When a beam came crashing down on Nora, I was the one who pushed her out of the way in time. The price of that was that I was heavily burned.

Henry merely gave Nora a wet T-shirt so fewer sparks would land on her.

Henry might have been mentally impaired to the level of a five-year-old due to the trauma of the fire, but that did not change the fact that I was the one who saved Nora's life.

Yet, Nora's attitude toward Henry changed completely. She branded him as her life savior.

To me, she only spoke words of concern. But every time she saw my nasty burns, I could feel an indiscernible hint of disgust from her.

I knew that she despised me, but she was forced to marry me out of obligation.

My limbs were tied by the security guards as they dumped me in the underground basement.

Looking at the torn, gruesome wounds from being dragged earlier, Nora couldn't help frowning again.

She stepped on my wound.

"Initially, I felt a little guilty toward you, but what you did to Henry wiped it all away. Henry is like a five-year-old. Who knows if you're going to bully him again from now on! I'm going to give him everything you own! So, even if you revoke your declaration of death, you will forever be under his thumb!"

Then, she took out a property transfer agreement.

"I'm going to make you watch as all the wealth you and the Xander family built all these years becomes Henry's!"

At that moment, I looked at Henry, who was behind her. His eyes were gleaming with desire and greed.

This was definitely not an emotion a normal five-year-old would have!

I wanted to protest, but Nora got the security guard to cover my mouth. All I could do was scream.

Nora swiftly signed her name on the property transfer document.

Then she walked up to me, viciously grinding her foot into my wound, using my blood as ink to press down her handprint.

After finishing all this, she revealed a cruel smile.

"Let him go," she ordered the security guards before saying to me, "John, you know? Your look of despair was just like your mother's before she died. On the day I went to court to declare you dead, I deliberately delivered the good news to your mother. Who would have thought that she'd be so frail? She passed away due to a heart attack."

Nora did not have an ounce of pity on her face, only provocation.

"Well, who asked her to hurt Henry? She brought it all on herself."

Overwhelmed with rage, I coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Nora! Henry isn't mentally impaired! You will regret everything you have done today!"

Henry, who was pretending to be a five-year-old, clapped and cheered.

"Serves her right! That old witch yelled at me and wouldn't let me kiss my wife!"

So, it turned out that just because my mother caught Nora and Henry in the act and scolded them, Nora wanted her dead!

No longer being able to endure the pain, I shed a blood tear.

"You'll both face justice!"

Nora cackled and slapped me on the face. "Justice? Great! I'll wait! Oh, by the way, do you know the mayor, Wesley Walton? Henry does! If you kneel and beg, I'll consider letting you meet him."

I was so furious I laughed.

Nora still did not know that I was a key talent personally recruited byWesley into the research institute.

Because I agreed to North Westonia for the national defense research, he promised to ensure my safety and meet my requirements.

Although he could not tell anyone about my mission, he promised he would look after my family.

I never thought that Nora would place the credit all on Henry once more.

How shameless could they be? Taking credit for themselves. I was eager to see what would happen when Nora met Wesley.

Nora still did not know a thing about it. She was still mocking me.

"You must be in shock, huh? Guards, take him to the window upstairs, so that he can see this important figure with his own eyes. Who knows? Perhaps he'll die tomorrow, and he won't get the chance anymore."

Nora got the security guards to drag me out.

Through the window upstairs, I saw Nora proudly walking up the stage with her arms hooked around Henry's.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. The wedding ceremony will soon begin. The reason why we decided to hold this wedding at home is that an important figure will be attending. Please don't be too surprised when you see him."

Many of the guests, upon hearing this, gathered around Nora and began flattering her, eager to curry favor with someone who could connect them to such an important figure.

Soon after, the doors to the mansion opened under the eager anticipation of all guests.

A middle-aged man in a black suit got out of the car and slowly walked over, followed by a squad of police officers behind him.

Nora, still unaware of everything, went up to him with Henry next to her.

"Mayor Walton, thank you for honoring us with your presence. It's an honor to have you here at my wedding."

Then, she eagerly nudged Henry toward Wesley, saying, "This is my husband, Henry Crowley. Thank you for taking care of me all these years on his behalf."

When the guests below heard his identity, the shock on their faces grew even greater.

Nora stood up straight, proudly scanning the surroundings. She gave me a provocative glance toward the window where I stood.

However, the next second, the police officers rushed up to Nora and pinned her down.

Wesley, who always treated her kindly, now had overwhelming fury in his eyes.

He slapped her hard and demanded sternly, "Where's John Xander?! What have you done to the air defense expert I worked so hard to recruit?!"