After saying that, she embraced Russell and walked away. I stood frozen, watching her retreating figure, my heart aching so deeply I could hardly breathe.

It all began when Kendra's old injury flared up, preventing her from continuing her competitions and leading to the loss of all her funds due to a breach of contract. Desperate, Father Glover searched everywhere for a solution and discovered that only a retired genius doctor could heal her. But despite his constant pleas, the doctor refused to help.

As Kendra locked herself away, growing increasingly depressed, her situation worsened. Eventually, Kendra's father learned that my grandfather had once helped this miracle doctor, and he was willing to extend his support for another five years. In a desperate attempt to repay this kindness, I used my position as Kendra’s husband to ask the doctor for help.

For three days and nights, I knelt before the doctor, fasting and pleading until I finally moved him to act. When I woke up, Kendra could swim once more, her health restored. We celebrated with a grand wedding, and I took care of her with the devotion of a perfect husband.

Two years later, when Lester was born, my care for her grew even more. She was the first person to show me love after my parents passed, and I, blinded by gratitude, grew desperate to hold onto her, believing she was my salvation.

But when Russell reappeared, everything began to fall apart. Kendra’s attitude towards me soured, and she became increasingly indifferent to Lester. She convinced herself that it was Russell who had arranged for the miracle doctor’s help, and that it was Russell’s support that made her recovery possible. In her mind, I was the villain who had manipulated Kendra's father to take the credit. Despite Father Glover’s reminder of the five-year agreement, she refused to believe him and treated me with increasing coldness.

Once Kendra left, the smell of smoke filled the backyard. I staggered toward the front yard, covering my mouth and nose, only to find Russell ordering the servants to throw Lester’s belongings into the fire.

"Hurry up! Get all of this in. Kendra said everyone here will listen to me now. If you don’t like it, leave!" he shouted.

My eyes went red with rage. I rushed forward to grab Lester’s things, but Russell stopped me with a command.

"Why are you burning Lester’s things?" I shouted.

But he ignored me, picking up the last item—a toy Kendra had bought for Lester’s birthday. Lester had been so happy to receive it; he would hold it close every night, even sleeping with it. Watching it burn, piece by piece, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I laughed bitterly, my voice hoarse.

"Burn it well," I muttered.

Exhausted and broken, I collapsed to the ground, unable to fight anymore.

The next thing I knew, I woke up lying on a bed. I glanced at my phone—it was already the next day. Today marked the end of the five-year agreement and, more painfully, Lester’s funeral. I forced myself to sit up, splashed cold water on my face, and shaved off the stubble. I couldn’t let Lester see me like this; I needed to maintain some dignity, to give him the peace he deserved.

Just as I finished, the door burst open. Kendra stood in the doorway, looking furious.

She froze for a moment before slapping me across the face.

"Joseph, you’re still shaving, and you—it's your fault! You poured oil on the steps and caused Russell to break his leg!" she spat.

Before I could respond, she grabbed my arm and dragged me into Russell’s room. He was lying on the bed in pain. When he saw me, he instinctively tried to move his legs, and tears streamed down his face.

Seeing this, the private doctor beside Russell immediately spoke up:

"Ms. Glover, Mr. Craig has just broken his leg. If there is another injury, it could be impossible for him to heal properly. Whether he’ll ever dance again depends on fate."

No sooner had the doctor finished speaking than Russell, in a dramatic gesture, crawled out of bed and bowed to me.

"Joseph, I know you despise me, and you think I ruined your relationship with Kendra, but how could you be so cruel as to pour oil at my door and break my leg? I’m a dancer!"

Upon hearing this, Kendra kicked me hard, helped Russell up, and furiously scolded me.

"Joseph, I was just worried you'd catch a cold lying outside, so I dragged you back inside. I didn’t expect you to be this vicious!"

"Just because I want to send you and Lester to the old house, you break his leg? What’s next, are you going to attack me directly? This time, I won’t let you off easily!"

She motioned for a servant to bring in a divorce agreement, signed a few lines, and tossed it in front of me.

"From today on, you are no longer a member of the Glover family. I’ll remove Lester’s name from the family tree. Only the child between Russell and me deserves to be the Glover family’s eldest son!"

I stared at Kendra in shock, unable to comprehend her words. My voice cracked as I yelled at her.

"Kendra, Lester is truly gone! He shares your blood. Without the family tree, he’s just a lonely spirit—helpless and open to being mistreated by anyone. Even if I don’t believe in ghosts or gods, I can’t let him rest in peace after all this!"

Kendra hesitated for a split second, but Russell’s voice quickly silenced any doubts.

"Joseph, how can you say such things? Lester wasn’t harmed by Kendra. He was just holding his breath in the pool, practicing. Kendra’s a professional; she would never harm her own child. You’re trying to stop Kendra, aren’t you? You want to use Lester against me, don’t you? You’ve already broken one of my legs; do you want to break the other one?"

"Kendra, it’s all my fault," Russell added, his voice strained. "You shouldn’t divorce Joseph. I can’t live in fear anymore. I’ll leave now and never return."

He pulled away from Kendra’s grip and stumbled toward the door, blood dripping from his leg as he walked. It was a horrific sight.

Kendra’s face hardened. Gritting her teeth, she seethed,

"Joseph, you’re still lying! I’ve been through much worse since I was a child. Why is your son so fragile? Holding his breath could suffocate him? Do you think I’m that gullible?"

"I just saw you shaving. If Lester truly died, how could you still care about your appearance? As a father, you should be grieving, not worried about how you look. I’ll make sure you can’t harm Russell again!"

She ordered a servant to bring in a spiked board and a whip, placing them in front of Russell’s door. Then, she forced me to kneel on them.

"Come here and watch him! If he dares to move, whip him."

With a cruel look in her eyes, she demonstrated, cracking the whip across my back. The pain was excruciating, and blood began to seep from the wounds. She instinctively loosened the whip in her hand, intending to check on me, but Russell suddenly collapsed, clutching his head.

"Kendra, I feel dizzy. Is there bleeding in my head? Am I going to die? I’m terrified of losing you again."

Kendra rushed to his side, concern replacing her fury. She helped him up and shot me an angry glare.

"Remember this lesson, Joseph! Tomorrow, you’ll bring Lester to the hospital to apologize to Russell. Don’t even think about trying any tricks again!"

With that, she helped Russell out of the room, leaving me kneeling in my own pain.

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually, Kendra's father, who had been waiting for me to attend the funeral, rushed in. Seeing me covered in blood, he immediately insisted on sending me to the hospital.

I waved my hand to refuse his offer, insisting that I needed to see Lester on his final journey. As I watched his ashes being lowered to the ground, despite the unbearable pain in my body, my heart felt strangely at peace.

"Lester, don't choose me as your father in the next life."

When all the guests had left, I bowed deeply to Kendra's father and turned to walk away.

"Joseph, you’re free now," I whispered to myself.

That evening, Kendra was still feeding Russell chicken soup, spoonful by spoonful, when suddenly, Kendra's father burst into the room, knocking the bowl from her hands.

Kendra frowned, irritation flashing across her face.

"Dad, did Joseph complain to you again? He just didn’t want Lester to apologize. He’s always been difficult, hasn’t he? It’s as if it’s a bargain for him to divorce me."

"Shut up!" Kendra's father shouted, his cane striking her harshly. He trembled with rage, his voice shaking with fury.

"You vile woman, you killed Lester, and now you expect him to apologize to this bastard?!"

"You didn’t even attend the funeral today! Do you know how the world now sees the Glover family?"

Kendra froze, and a moment later, her lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Dad, Joseph lied about the child’s death. You’re his grandfather—why are you going along with his nonsense?"

Russell, too, spoke up, his voice filled with pain.

"Uncle, I know you’ve never liked me, but please don’t make light of children’s lives."

Kendra's father, now thoroughly enraged by their denial, clutched his chest and threw a death certificate at Kendra.

"I can’t believe the Glover family has someone so blind as you. Open your eyes and look carefully!"

Kendra’s hands trembled as she held the death certificate. Her face drained color.

"Is Lester really gone?"