"Jess is only moving in with us because my mom is afraid she'll be overwhelmed by memories at home and keep thinking about my brother. I can't refuse.

"We've made it through ten years together. Don't you understand my feelings by now? I'm stuck in the middle—can't you try to be a little more understanding of me?

"Let's not waste time. I'll take you to the hospital first. I still have things to take care of afterward."

Back then, for the sake of marrying me, he had been willing to sever ties with his family. Even when they pressured him, when he couldn't find work, when he could no longer play the piano, he still married me without hesitation.

He had done something so difficult back then. And yet now, when his mother asked him to take care of his late brother's widow for a lifetime, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

The moment Jess was in danger, he threw himself into saving her without a second thought. He even let my child become part of her life—while abandoning me, who needed him just as much.

Was it really that hard to admit that his heart had changed?

Perhaps it was hard. After all, falling in love with his deceased brother's wife wouldn't sound very good if word got out.

He took me to the hospital and helped me register, but he didn't say a single word to me the whole time. When he left, he only repeated, "Get some good rest," and walked away without looking back.

He left just like that, without even turning his head. All that remained for me was his cold, retreating figure.

Sudden, searing pain swept through my body, and with it, a large piece of my memory seemed to slip away. Even the ache in my heart dissipated just like that.

I barely managed to make it home from the hospital. Exhausted, I lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

Not long after, panicked shouting erupted outside.

I forced myself to sit up, trying to see what had happened, only to find flames rising from the rose bushes in the garden. The housekeeper was leading the gardeners in a frantic effort to put out the fire.

Sam and Jess stood to one side, at a complete loss.

When Jess saw me, she ran over with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Natalie, I'm so sorry. Jonathan asked me to get familiar with the surroundings. I was playing in the garden and accidentally set the rose bushes on fire."

She stood there, tears about to spill over.

"I'm sorry, Natalie. You can punish me however you want."

Hearing this, Sam hurried over as well. Seeing Jess crying, he quickly came to my side to plead for her.

"Mom, don't blame Aunt Jess. I was the one who kept pestering her to do magic tricks for me. That's how the bushes got set on fire by accident."

I wasn't fully awake yet. I stared blankly at the rose bushes that were still burning.

Those roses had been planted by Jonathan himself in the year Sam was born. He had said they symbolized his love for me. No matter how the garden was renovated in the future, this patch of roses was never to be touched.

And now, even they had turned to ashes.

Dizziness washed over me. My pale lips moved slightly.

"Sam, these roses were planted by your father the year you were born. They were meant to celebrate your arrival and to represent your father's love for your mother. Do you think something like that can be destroyed so casually?"

Guilt flashed across Sam's face. He lowered his head, crying silently, unable to say a word.

Seeing this, Jess suddenly dropped to her knees and said weakly, "Natalie, if you're angry, then I'll kneel and beg for your forgiveness. I'll keep doing it until you're satisfied."

Sam panicked and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her up. Through his sobs, he cried out, "Mom, please don't bully Aunt Jess like this…"

Just then, Jonathan happened to return.

When he saw Jess kneeling on the ground, his expression changed abruptly. He told the housekeeper to take Jess and Sam away.

Jonathan walked up to me, looking down from above. His voice was cold.

"They're just some roses. If they're gone, we can plant more. Is this really worth making such a fuss over?"

My heart trembled. After a long moment, I forced my pain-wracked body to hold on and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"These roses were specially shipped back from overseas by you. You planted each one with your own hands. Even when your hands—your most precious asset as a pianist—were pricked until they bled, you just smiled and said it didn't matter, that this was the only way to show your love for me.

"The Jonathan from before would never have treated them as something insignificant. He would never have said, 'We can plant more.'"

My words seemed to strike something in him. His face turned pale in an instant, and he avoided my gaze.

"But the flowers are already burned," he said. "Are you really going to make your sister-in-law kneel and atone over a few roses?"

He reached out to grab my hand. "We can plant another patch exactly the same. We can fill the entire garden with them."

"No need," I said quietly. "Some things—once they're gone, they're gone."

I avoided him and walked to the charred, ruined flowerbed, standing there in silence.

Jonathan stood behind me without a word. It was as if something had suddenly been ripped out of his chest, leaving him briefly flustered. He only told the housekeeper to keep an eye on me.

That night, I sat in the garden while the housekeeper, Heidi, stayed by my side.

"Ma'am, even if you and sir had an argument, don't keep it bottled up. It's bad for your health."

"Did I argue with Jonathan?"

I froze. I couldn't remember. It seemed I wasn't far from completely losing my memories.

Hearing that, Heidi's mouth fell open in shock. After a long pause, she spoke carefully. "Tomorrow… Jess will be moving in."

"That's fine."

I tugged my lips into a faint smile.

Tomorrow, he would bring another woman home to take care of for the rest of his life. And the system would take me home. We would both get what we wanted. It was fine.

Heidi thought I was forcing a smile. Her eyes reddened at once.

"Ma'am… if you want to cry, then cry."

But I truly wasn't pretending. Because no matter how hard I tried to think, I couldn't remember why I had ever fallen in love with Jonathan in the first place.

Everything about us—I had forgotten it all.

I spent the entire night tossing and turning in pain, enduring until the next day, when the noise outside finally began.

And then, the system voice I had been waiting for rang out.

"Host, welcome home. Friendly reminder: the moment of death will be very painful."

I smiled. "It's fine. I'm not afraid of pain."

The next second, my head exploded with agony. I opened my mouth but couldn't draw in air. The intense suffocation made me writhe on the bed like a fish pulled from water, desperate and gasping.

It hurt. It really hurt.

Hearing the commotion, Heidi rushed in, startled out of her wits. She hurriedly dialed her phone as she backed away.

"Ma'am, what's wrong? I'm calling an ambulance right now!"

"No need… th-thank you." Even through the unbearable pain, I couldn't help smiling. I said sincerely, "Heidi, I'm… going home now."

She stared at me in shock, as if she finally understood something. Tears streamed down her face.

"Ma'am… take care."

Just then, lively voices drifted in from the villa entrance, along with Jonathan's familiar voice. "Jess, I'll take care of you the way my brother did—for the rest of my life. From now on, this will be your home."

Amid the clamor and celebration, I slowly stopped breathing on the bed. And from that moment on, there was only silence.