I went to pick up my mother-in-law from the countryside, but the highway suddenly collapsed, and the car tumbled down the mountain.

Thanks to the buffering of the roadside trees, my mother-in-law and I narrowly escaped death. We struggled to crawl out of the car but were both severely injured.

The rescue team couldn't see us in this dead angle, so I hurriedly took out my phone to call Alan Green.

He was filming a variety show nearby, and the crew happened to have a helicopter for rescue.

"Alan, quickly send the helicopter over to pick us up..."

Before I could finish speaking, a sweet female voice interrupted, "Alan, I want to take the helicopter to see the night view. Come on over."

The call was abruptly cut off. When I tried to call back, I couldn't get through.

***

I dialed the number over and over again, but all I got was a cold automated message, "The user you are calling is out of the service area. Please try again later."

My mother-in-law crawled over to me and shook her head. "Ella, you can still crawl out along that tree-covered area. If we keep delaying, we'll both die here."

I struggled to get up and tried to help her. "Mom, I'll bring you out. Don't worry. I won't leave you!"

She was very weak. "I think my leg is broken. I can't move at all."

I glanced at her severely deformed leg, pursed my lips, and didn't know what to say.

I'm only 1.6 meters tall and weigh just 45 kilograms. I might not even be able to climb up myself.

She persuaded me, "How about this? You crawl up first and call the rescue team if you meet them."

After hesitating, I helped her lean against a tree and left the only half bottle of water we had with her.

Hardening my heart, I turned and started climbing up the branches.

It was a very steep cliff, and we had landed on a flat section in the middle of the collapse. Below us was an abyss.

I had no athletic ability, and even light exercise at the gym would leave me injured. If it were just me, I might have chosen to stay and accept my fate.

But looking at my mother-in-law below, I gritted my teeth and kept climbing. I ignored my fear of heights and the pain from the branches scratching my body. My only belief was that I had to find someone to save her.

My parents died early, and Alan was my classmate and the one I secretly loved.

I followed Alan around all the time, and everyone called me his little tail. Because of this, his mother got to know me and took care of me after learning about my situation.

Later, it was also his mother who decided on our marriage after I dated Alan for many years.

In my heart, she was no different from my own mother.

When I climbed back to the highway, my hands were almost skinned to the bone, with several nails ripped off from digging into the earth.

"Save, save my mother-in-law!" I dared not faint and clung to the rescuers' pants.

However, she did not wait for us to save her. She had already died from excessive blood loss.

After a brief hospital treatment, I arranged for her body to be sent to the funeral home.

After completing all the procedures, I was so dizzy that I could hardly stand. It occurred to me that I hadn't eaten for a whole day and night. I walked out slowly, thinking of getting something to eat, and unexpectedly ran into Alan and Divina.

She was the woman who had taken the phone and asked Alan to take her to see the night view.

Divina was a rising actress who had reached her position solely because of Alan. At that time, Alan was already a top-tier star, and she was just an unknown supporting actress.

During a shoot, Alan had stood up for her when she was being bullied and introduced her to a role. It was the first time he had recommended anyone, so people thought they had a special relationship and gave her extra scenes, making her role as significant as the second female lead.

There were many rumors about the two of them, but Alan always ignored them, saying that the truth would speak for itself. Being a top-tier star, no one dared to confront him, and people only gossiped behind his back.

Alan saw me and frowned, "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to pick up Mom?"

Speaking of his mother, I glared at the woman in front of me, the one who had robbed her of her only hope of survival.

Noticing my gaze, Alan immediately shielded Divina and said, "Forget it. It's good you didn't go. Your driving skills are terrible. I'll pick up Mom after I'm done filming the show."

I pointed towards the funeral home, "Mom is in there."

Alan glanced at the place without really looking and said casually, "Then get back early. What are you doing in this remote area so late at night? You are always running around in strange places."

I tried to explain, but dizziness hit me again, and I stumbled but managed not to fall.

Alan didn't notice my condition at all. He simply said, "I have to go back and film with Divina" and left hurriedly.

Divina looked back at me with a victorious smile.

This area was remote, and I feared I might actually faint.

Ignoring Alan, I rushed to find a small stand, ate a couple of buns, and then went back to handle the funeral arrangements.

Before her cremation, I called Alan again, and this time Divina answered.

I forced myself to hold back my anger, "Alan's mother passed away. Tell him to answer the phone."

Divina scoffed, "Ella, are you using such a lame excuse to get him back? That old woman spoiled you, letting you make such outrageous claims. Tell you I won't let Alan go back."

After that, she hung up and turned off the phone. I sent Alan a message and hurried to the crematorium.

When the staff handed me her ashes, tears I thought had dried up flowed again.

I took the ashes and got into a car to go home. Everything happened so suddenly that I hadn't had time to find a burial place. I planned to bring her home first.

The house was eerily quiet. I curled up on the sofa, turned on the TV, and saw Alan's live variety show.

The show had ended, and Alan was throwing a surprise party for Divina near the funeral home.

Divina said, "Many families had accidents on the highway today. I want to donate all the money Alan transferred to me."

The camera showed Alan sending her a transfer of 99,999 dollars.

Only when the comments reminded me did I realize that today was May 20th, a day for expressing love in local culture, and that was Alan's gift to her.

Alan praised Divina's kindness on screen, and their affectionate looks were almost tangible.

I couldn't help but wonder if Alan would hate Divina if he knew he missed his mother's last moments because of her.

Maybe he wouldn't. Alan was always indifferent to everyone, including his mother, but he doted on Divina.

Even though I, his childhood sweetheart, had been with him all the way and was his wife, he always treated me as dispensable.

People often say childhood friends can't compete with sudden love interests. Perhaps we were just like that.

I went to the company and resigned from my job.

I worked as an editor at the company where Alan was signed, a low-key position responsible for publishing social media articles. Besides me and the supervisor, the entire department was almost all interns. With a monthly salary of only 3,000 dollars, it was far from enough.

I just wanted to be closer to Alan. Initially, I wanted to be his assistant, but he said he wanted to focus on his career and didn't want any rumors spreading.

I majored in science in college, which has nothing to do with a media company, nor do I have any interest in chasing stars or gossip. I barely managed to find this position.

However, now I plan to let go because I intend to give up on Alan.

After resigning, I immediately went to a law firm to draft a divorce agreement.

Then, I went home to take my mother-in-law's ashes. Initially, I planned to buy a nearby cemetery for her, but I reconsidered. My mother-in-law had deep feelings for her hometown. Perhaps she wanted to stay close to her deceased husband.

She had come to the city to support Alan through college and then returned home. Even after Alan became successful, she refused to come to the city to enjoy life.

She returned this time because I was pregnant and she wanted to take care of me.

Since that was the case, I decided to let her return to her roots and be buried at the old house.

To my shock, when I arrived at the old house, a construction crew was there with an excavator, demolishing the place. The flowers my mother-in-law had tended so carefully were uprooted and destroyed, their roots buried in the soil, no longer showing their usual tenderness.

Ignoring the danger, I stood in front of the excavator and shouted, "Stop! Who are you? Why are you demolishing this house?!"

I thought they were from the demolition team, but then Alan and Divina emerged from behind the excavator.

Alan frowned with displeasure, "Why aren't you at home taking care of Mom? What are you doing here?"

I demanded, "Why did you demolish the old house? This place holds Mom's memories."

Alan dismissed my concerns lightly, "Because she keeps thinking about this place, she refuses to come to the city to enjoy life. The countryside is inconvenient for everything. It's not where she should live. I'm breaking her attachment for her own good."

Divina added, "Next month, I want to have a rustic-themed birthday party, so Alan gave me this place."

I was incredulous, "What right do you have to give her this place?"

Alan, with a cold face, said, "Ella, this house belonged to my parents. How I dispose of it is none of your business."

I forced a bitter smile. Indeed, what did I mean to Alan?

Divina continued, "Miss Smith, sometimes you shouldn't be too controlling. Alan is like a star in the sky. He is destined not to be hidden in the house by you and let you order him around like those incompetent men."

I held the urn tightly, wanting to tell Alan that his mother had passed away and his actions now left her without a proper resting place.

Divina pushed me away frantically, acting as if she were scared, "How can you hit someone?!"

The urn fell, spilling ashes on the ground.

My mind went blank, my eyes turned red, and I raised my hand to slap Divina, "How can you be so malicious!"

But before my slap landed, Alan grabbed my wrist, "Ella, I warned you not to go crazy. If you hurt Divina, forget the consequences you'll face, her fans' online harassment will make your life unbearable."

He flung my hand away, and I took a few steps back, falling on the muddy, excavated ground.

As I tried to get up, a sharp pain in my lower abdomen made me speechless.

Holding my belly, I had a grim feeling that I might lose this child.

Divina tugged at Alan this time, "We need to go back for another photoshoot for the endorsement."

Alan looked at me sitting on the ground and coldly said, "If you have any sense, go home and take care of Mom. Stop causing trouble."

Without helping me up, he and Divina got into the nanny car and left.

The wind from the departing car scattered the ashes of my mother-in-law.

Before I lost consciousness from the pain, I wondered if Alan would regret and feel guilty when he knew the truth, or would he just blame it all on me as usual.

When I woke up again, I was in the hospital, and the doctor told me I had a miscarriage.

Although I was only two months pregnant and didn't show, I knew because I had checked after missing my period.

But when the doctor said I had miscarried, I felt empty.

At this moment, Alan called me, his voice cold, "I got the divorce agreement. Meet me at the civil affairs bureau tomorrow at nine."

I weakly replied, "Can we do it another day? I'm in the hospital right now."

He chuckled, "Ella, I told you, I hate women who use breakups or divorce to cause trouble. Since you said divorce, I won't give you another chance. I can't believe I didn't see how manipulative you are. What are you doing in the hospital?"

I wanted to say I had a miscarriage, but then I thought Alan didn't know about the pregnancy, and now that we were divorcing, there was no need for another tie.

I bit my lip and softly said, "Nothing. See you at the civil affairs bureau next Monday."

Alan looked like he had expected this. He laughed, "I thought you had something to say. Turns out you can't even make up a good excuse. See you next Monday."

He hung up without waiting for my response.

I was discharged two days earlier than planned.

After leaving the hospital, I chose a cemetery near the old house, facing the sea and the mountains, where my mother-in-law's ashes could rest, overlooking the old home.

She had told me long ago about the many places she and my father-in-law had planned to visit but never did. Young, they couldn't leave Alan; old, their health prevented them from traveling.

I thought her ashes scattering in the wind might be a good thing. She could travel to all the cities she and her husband had planned to visit, free from any responsibilities or constraints.

And maybe she could meet her husband again in another dimension.

After dealing with my mother-in-law's affairs, I returned home to pack, taking only important documents and a few changes of clothes, leaving everything else behind.

I packed leisurely, not worrying about running into Alan. In the two years we were married, he barely came home.

He was always busy.

Before his fame, he was known in the industry for his relentless work ethic, taking every role and running between sets daily.

I learned to drive during that time because he had no assistant, let alone a dedicated car. Taxis were too expensive, so he drove himself.

Distances between sets were vast, and minor roles would be replaced if late, so he often went days without sleep.

To let him rest during the drives, I overcame my fears and learned to drive, picking him up and dropping him off daily.

At that time, my irregular meals due to his schedule led to stomach problems, but I never felt it was hard or tiring. At least those were the days we spent the most time together.

After he became famous, besides work, there were endless social engagements. But by then, he had an assistant, a dedicated car, and even a personal driver, so he didn't need me anymore.

Unexpectedly, when I finished packing and was about to leave, I ran into him at home, with Divina behind him.

I didn't know when their relationship became so close that he brought her home. If the paparazzi caught this, Alan's scandal-free record would be broken.

But it had nothing to do with me. Since I decided to let go, whether he lived a good life or not, his life was his own.

He saw me and mocked, "Weren't you in the hospital? I haven't been home for a few days and how did our home become a hospital?"

"None of your business," I said, dragging my suitcase.

He blocked me, asking, "Did you say something to Mom? Why hasn't she come home? She doesn't answer my calls. Don't think you can act recklessly just because Mom favors you."

Divina stepped forward, "Miss Smith, Alan and his mother have depended on each other for years. I don't think you should sow discord between them. After all, we are adults, not children who run to the teacher whenever there's a fight."

Alan said coldly, "You wanted the divorce. Even if Mom disagrees, it doesn't matter. Adults must face the consequences of their words."

I looked at him and handed him a business card with the cemetery's address, "Mom passed away. This is the address. She's on the top row, the third one."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" He looked at me in amazement, and it took him a while to react, still in disbelief.

Divina took the card, glanced at it, crumpled it, and threw it away, "Miss Smith, I've warned you before when you said such words! Now you come up with another business card to spread such lies! Though people today aren't superstitious, using such ill omens on the elderly repeatedly is too vicious!"

I looked at Alan, "In a few days, someone will contact you for the household deregistration. The death certificate is issued and it is in the study."

I glanced at Divina and added, "Oh, on the day of the cremation, I called you. This Miss White answered the call."

Divina's face turned pale, trying to explain, "Alan, listen to me. She must have said it on purpose. So I didn't tell you to not upset you."

I smiled faintly, interrupting her, "That day, if you hadn't taken Miss White to see some night scenery and rushed over by helicopter, maybe Mom could have been saved. Also, the box Miss White knocked over at the old house contained Mom's ashes. The grave holds only an empty box."

With that, I pushed past them and walked out.

Behind me, Alan frantically pulled out his phone, "Quickly, find out where my mom is. Her ID number is..."