Peggy Flannery, the new recruit who's being mentored by my husband, Eugene Shaw, insists on practicing how to carve words onto a patient's heart.

It so happens that my mother-in-law has suffered from a sudden heart attack. So, I quickly take her to the hospital so that Eugene, who's also known as a genius surgeon, can save her life.

Unbeknownst to me, Eugene is quick to entrust my mother-in-law to Peggy, who has barely joined the hospital for three days, so that she can practice her carving on her.

Peggy is very careless with her strength. When she's in the middle of carving something onto my mother-in-law's heart, she accidentally punctures a heart valve, resulting in my mother-in-law's instant death.

Once the death happens, Peggy wails to Eugene, "That hag is really frail and delicate! I'm not even done carving my name onto her heart! What should I do now?"

Eugene wipes her tears away gently. There's heartbreak in his eyes as he says, "It's fine. No one will be able to bully you with me around."

Once Eugene exits the operating theater, he declares that the surgery is a failure and that I should start preparing the funeral matters.

Unable to accept reality, I grab him by the shoulders and keep questioning him.

"Isn't this just a minimally invasive surgery? How did Mom die just like that? I want to see the surgical footage!"

But Eugene responds by slapping me angrily.

"Your mom is already old, to begin with! How dare you pin the blame on others when her frail and weak body is the main cause of her death! I haven't even begun to settle the score with you for giving Peggy such a huge fright!

"Hurry up and sign the letter of forgiveness! If this incident does affect Peggy in any way, I'll file for a divorce right away!"

Needless to say, I'm so furious that I can't even utter a single word after hearing Eugene's shameless words.

Does he seriously think that my mother is the one who's dead?

I merely chuckle icily in return. "Honestly speaking, you have more right to sign the letter of forgiveness than I do."

When I rushed to the hospital, I walked straight into the sight of Eugene Shaw with his arm wrapped around his intern. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law, Amanda White, lay alone on a stretcher. The upper half of her body was covered with a white sheet, but her chest was soaked in blood.

My head buzzed.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, I reached out with trembling hands and lifted the sheet.

Eugene grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "She's already dead. What's there to look at? There are young girls around here. Don't scare them. Not everyone is as tough as you."

I took a deep breath, forcing down my anger. "Why are you so nervous? If there's nothing to hide, why won't you let me see? Eugene, you're supposed to be a world-renowned cardiac surgeon, yet you managed to kill someone during a routine heart surgery… I want to see the surgical footage."

He reacted like a cat that had its tail stepped on, instantly flying into a rage. He dragged me toward the nurse's station.

"Your mom was in poor health. Who can you blame for that? At her age, dying is no big deal. Just sign the consent form and stop causing trouble. Don't drag Peggy into this, or I won't let you off!"

A nurse immediately handed me the document.

I glanced at it. The name of the deceased clearly read Amanda White, but Eugene was too busy doting on his precious intern to even look at it.

How could he assume the one who died was my mother?

I let out a cold laugh and suddenly pulled the sheet back. "Eugene, take a good look. Do you even know who's lying here?"

The face beneath was drenched in blood, completely unrecognizable, while the chest cavity lay wide open with two bold letters, PF, carved into the heart.

My mind went completely blank.

I had braced myself for this, but the anger still hit me like a wave.

I rushed forward and slapped Eugene across the face twice. "You animal! Do you even realize that's your mother?"

He slapped me twice without hesitation.

His eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Lorraine! I'm trying to help you, and you dare curse my mother here?

"Your mom was the one in poor health. She died from something so minor, and she even scared Peggy. My mother is in Ousbornia right now. Keep talking nonsense, and I'll divorce you!"

I let out a bitter laugh.

Did he really not know that Amanda had collapsed because of the red-eye flight he booked just to save money?

She had insisted on returning for treatment because she trusted him completely. After all, her son was the best cardiac surgeon. She believed he would save her.

However, that same son didn't even spare her a glance. He sent her straight into surgery and handed her over to his intern to play this sick game.

I suddenly found myself looking forward to the moment Eugene realized the dead person was his mother.

If he didn't care, why should I?

I spread my hands and shrugged. "I can't sign this."

I was telling the truth.

The one who died wasn't my mother. How could I sign it?

Eugene instantly exploded, assuming I was deliberately making things difficult.

He flung the document straight at my face. "You won't sign? Someone, lock this crazy woman in the morgue! Don't let her out until she signs it!"

My face went pale. "Eugene, have you lost your mind? You know I'm afraid of—"

Eugene let out a cruel smile and patted my cheek. "Then be a good girl and sign it, or I won't go easy on you."

After seven years of marriage, I finally saw how cold and heartless Eugene truly was.

The nurse picked up the document and sighed. "Ms. Beaumont, just sign it. I know you're upset and acting out of jealousy, but Peggy is Dr. Shaw's student. If something happens to her, Dr. Shaw won't escape responsibility either. He's your husband. You don't want to ruin his career, do you?"

I looked at her in disbelief. "If the one who died were your mother, would you still be this generous?"

Her face flushed red with anger. "What kind of attitude is that? I was just trying to help!"

I let out a cold laugh and filed a complaint on the spot. These nurses treated that intern with far more respect than they ever showed me.

I had loved Eugene so deeply that he and everyone around him saw me as some pushover. However, that was over now.

While the nurse wasn't paying attention, I slipped away.

The moment I got outside, I contacted a lawyer and drafted a thorough divorce agreement.

Just as I was about to reach out to Eugene, he came looking for me first.

Eugene held a document folder in his hand and awkwardly rubbed his nose before clearing his throat. "Raine, I was wrong this morning. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly, but you need to understand, I'm doing this for your own good.

"In a few days, I'll bring some gifts and visit your father to help him through this. Just sign the consent form. After that, we can start trying for a baby. Haven't your parents always wanted a grandchild?"

For a brief moment, his sudden attempt to soften me made my heart waver. I thought maybe he had changed.

But in the end, he was just covering for his precious intern.

We had been married for seven years and never had a child. At first, he claimed he wasn't ready. Later, he used work as an excuse. Over the years, the pressure fell entirely on me. Everyone assumed I was the one at fault.

I endured it all for him.

I had never said a single bad word about him, and now he was acting like signing this consent form was some kind of favor he was doing for me?

How generous.

The absurdity made my blood boil. I swung my hand and hit him square across the face.

Eugene froze, clutching his cheek. "Are you out of your mind?"

He flinched as if to strike, then stopped himself.

He drew in a slow breath, trying to rein in his anger, and forced a smile. "Your mom just died. I get that you're emotional, but please be reasonable and sign it. If you do, I'll treat you right from now on. Come on."

I let out a cold laugh and crossed my arms, trying to keep my anger in check.

"Eugene, I'm not the one who should sign. Why don't you go see for yourself? You haven't even checked the body. How can you be so certain it was my mom?"

His face darkened, and he slammed his hand against the table.

"Lorraine, don't push me. Fine. If you won't sign, then we're done. Let's get a divorce!"

I raised an eyebrow and calmly handed him the divorce papers I had prepared beforehand. "Go ahead. Sign these."

Eugene didn't expect me to actually have divorce papers in hand and froze in shock.

"You're serious? Lorraine, is this really necessary? It was just an accident. Your mom died during the surgery, but do you have to make it such a big deal?

"If you divorce me, you'll get nothing. Who would want someone like you? Sign it now. If Peggy loses her promotion because of you, don't think I'll let it slide!"

Who did he think he was scaring?

I rolled my eyes. "Is life worth nothing to you? Do you really think saying it was an accident makes it all okay?"

Eugene snapped, "Are you done yet? If your mom weren't so weak, she wouldn't have died from something so trivial. Peggy has done this to countless people, and only your mom ended up dead. If she were useless, she wouldn't have come in the first place.

"Suit yourself if you won't sign, don't regret it later! Your mom got what she deserved! Your whole family is heartless, ganging up on a young woman just starting her career!"

Eugene stormed off, cursing under his breath. I watched as he walked away and let out a helpless sigh.

All these years, Mom had treated him like her own son. She woke early every morning to prepare his breakfast and always came hours ahead so as not to disturb his rest.

Even his job had been secured through my parents' connections and money, and yet he could speak with such cold cruelty.

The chill in my chest only deepened, strengthening my resolve to divorce him.

But before I could plan how to make him sign the papers, devastating news arrived.

"Where is my mother-in-law's body?"

As soon as I got the call from the hospital, I rushed over. A doctor who couldn't stand by in silence secretly called me and said that Eugene had already secretly dealt with the body in order to cover up for Peggy.

"You're too late. Your mother-in-law's body has already been cremated," he whispered. "Dr. Shaw signed the consent form for you and even used Peggy's name to access a free body donation program. All of the organs have been harvested…"

My mind went completely blank. Had that damned lunatic Eugene completely lost his mind?

I called my father-in-law, Edison Shaw, who was on his way back to the country, while speeding toward the crematorium.

I arrived just as Amanda was about to be pushed inside.

My vision went black for a moment, and I pounded on the glass with all my strength. "Eugene, stop! Are you crazy? That's your mother!"

Eugene removed his mask and shot me a look of pure disgust. He bent down to kiss Peggy on the cheek and walked out casually.

He then slapped me hard across the face and pinned my head against the glass, making me watch as Peggy handled the body clumsily and disrespectfully. "Look closely. You refused to sign, didn't you? This is what happens when you don't."

Peggy stuck her tongue out at me, then pulled out her phone and opened some silly camera filter. She aimed it at Amanda's body, took a photo, and deliberately showed it to me.

"Ms. Beaumont, your dead mother was completely useless," she said. "I just toyed with her a bit, and now she's gone.

"At least her organs were worth something. It helped me secure my promotion. It's not a total waste, right? You should thank me. People like her are useless alive and take up space when they're dead, so I did you a favor and took care of it."

As a medical professional, Peggy didn't even have the slightest respect for the deceased.

Amanda had always treated me kindly, and I couldn't bear to see Eugene allow Peggy to humiliate her in death.

I shoved him away furiously. "Eugene! Are you insane? I've told you countless times, the person in there is your mother! What else do I have to say for you to believe me?"

Eugene frowned, refusing to accept it. "You don't need to make up excuses to hold me back. The forms are signed. It's too late to turn back. You left me no choice, or I wouldn't have gone this far."

I felt utterly helpless.

During the surgery, Eugene had handed everything over to Peggy. He stood off to the side, serving her tea and flirting while she worked. He hadn't even glanced at the patient's face.

Later, Peggy's error splattered blood all over Amanda's face, and Eugene couldn't recognize his own mother.

No matter what, we were married. I couldn't just watch him let a murderer destroy the evidence.

I shouted, "I'm not lying! My mom is perfectly fine at home, probably snacking on chips! You can call her if you don't believe me!"

Eugene hesitated for a moment before calling Mom, but the call wouldn't connect. Then it hit me—I had asked her to pick some peaches from home yesterday.

She must be out getting them and was probably on a plane with her phone set to flight mode.

Eugene's temples throbbed as he angrily hurled the phone at my face. "If you keep lying and cursing my mother, I will divorce you! Stay here and watch how your useless mother ends up with nothing left."

He turned to leave, but another doctor stepped in. "Eugene, the deceased really is your mother. If you don't believe us, you can check the medical records yourself."

Eugene slapped me across the face and snapped, "Are you insane? Did you even hire someone to act just to trick me into coming here?"

He then turned to the doctor, "Did Lorraine pay you to go along with her scheme?”

The doctor shot him a look. "If you don't believe us, wipe the body's face clean first, then speak."

Eugene froze, staring into the room. His face darkened, and he didn't dare step forward.

Could it really be true, just as I had said?

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

Peggy leaned against him, whining in a high-pitched voice. "Eugene! That old woman is terrible! She kept trying to come between us. I was only helping her mother through her last journey, and she just kept screaming and blaming me…"

She gave the body a deliberate push, and the flames instantly engulfed Amanda's head.

He stared at the body, which had been burned beyond recognition, even to his own eyes.

My vision went dark, and I nearly stumbled. "Eugene, you're beyond saving. How could you let a murderer treat your mother's body like this? I hope you don't regret it when the truth comes out."

He gripped Peggy's hand. "Do you recognize her face? Does it look like this?"

He pulled up a photo of Ananda on his phone.

Peggy cocked her head and thought for a moment, then shook it. "Nope. The patient's face is all wrinkled, the skin all stuck together. She's really old, and she looks a lot like your wife. It has to be her mom."

Eugene let out a long, relieved sigh and grinned triumphantly at me. "See, Lorraine? I told you it was your mother. Good thing she's gone, now she won't be meddling and disturbing my sleep."

Something inside me snapped. Mom had been waking early and working late every day to take care of him, and he called that meddling?

Fine.

I held up my hands. "Alright. You've signed the papers, your precious intern handled the body, and you've made your point. There's nothing left for me to argue."

Assuming I had given up, Eugene let Peggy do as she pleased.

Perhaps to get back at me, Peggy deliberately slipped and sent the body straight into the cremator. Not even the ashes could be saved.

Peggy smirked. "Eugene, I got scared and slipped a little. You won't be mad, right?"

Eugene kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry. She got what she deserved. I wouldn't dirty your hand, Peggy. You handled it perfectly. Well done."

The two of them leaned into each other, as though they were about to kiss.

At that moment, Edison stormed in with my parents. "Where's Amanda's body? I want to see her one last time!"

I pointed at the disposal room. "Dad, I'm sorry. I couldn't stop Eugene. Mom was… You'll have to see it yourself."

Edison went pale and almost collapsed.

Dad kicked the door open, and the startled pair jumped apart.

Eugene stepped forward to confront them. When he saw Mom, his lips trembled, and all color drained from his face. "How is your mother here? Then who is this?"