“Sophia, you’re not seriously saying you and Lucas…”

Before my mother, Martha Parker, could finish her sentence, Sophia nodded calmly, as if admitting it without hesitation.

“That’s right.”

“Before I dated Ethan, I did have a brief relationship with Lucas.”

“What?”

“That’s it?” My mother looked startled.

Sophia gave a sorrowful smile. “Yes, that’s it.”

“But Lucas and I only dated for three days before realizing we weren’t right for each other. We never went beyond holding hands.”

“So when we broke up, there was no awkwardness. We remained close friends.”

“I told Ethan about all of this. I thought he didn’t care, but I was wrong…”

“It turns out that this was like a thorn, buried deep in his heart all along.”

The more she spoke, the more emotional she became.

Finally, she clutched the blood-stained gauze over her chest and cried out with a trembling voice:

“Honey, after I risked my life to take that knife for you, was that still not enough to prove my devotion?”

“Not enough to remove that thorn from your heart?”

“Do you think you’re being fair to me?!”

I stared at her in surprise.

There was no guilt, no shame in my heart—only a cold smile.

Her performance… was quite something.

“Phew…”

Lucas let out a discreet sigh of relief, his eyes darting before he suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.

“Sophia, I’m sorry.”

“I truly didn’t realize my presence could cause such a rift between you two.”

“I’ve decided—starting now, you and I will cut off all contact and never see each other again.”

“Ethan Parker, that should be enough for you, right?”

He turned to leave, but had barely taken a step when my father, Richard Parker, stopped him.

“Uncle?”

Lucas looked at my father in confusion, but my father’s face was ice-cold, his eyes wide with fury, the veins at his temples bulging.

That was always the prelude to his outbursts.

Sure enough, the next second he roared:

“You little bastard—kneel!”

“Apologize to Sophia and to Lucas!”

My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles went white.

Seeing this, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Lucas’s face, though he quickly put on a humble expression, waving his hands at my father.

“Uncle, I don’t mind. As long as he sincerely apologizes to Sophia and the two of them can live well together, that’s enough.”

The onlookers, hearing this, nodded in admiration while quietly feeling indignant on his behalf.

“What a good guy—clearly wronged, yet still so magnanimous.”

“Exactly. Even after such a misunderstanding, he’s showing more grace than Mr. Parker could ever hope to match.”

“Remind me again, why did our boss’s wife leave Mr. Bennett for Mr. Parker in the first place?”

“If I were her, I’d have stayed with Mr. Bennett—such a fine man.”

“Shh! We’re supposed to put out the fire here, not fan the flames!”

Listening to my employees gossiping, my father’s face darkened even further.

He patted Lucas on the shoulder and said, “Lucas, I can tell you and Sophia are completely innocent.”

“What Ethan did today damaged both your reputations. He owes you both an apology!”

Then he shot me a fierce glare.

“What are you still standing there for?”

“Sophia is a girl who’s terrified of pain, yet she risked her life to shield you from that knife.”

“And you’re still holding a petty grudge over something so trivial? For the record, your mother wasn’t my first love either!”

“You’ve disgraced me enough—apologize to her right now!”

I took a deep breath and looked my father, Richard Parker, straight in the eye.

“Dad, I’m sorry.”

“But this is one apology I will never give.”

“And this marriage—I’m ending it.”

Without another word, I turned and walked away.

“You ungrateful brat!”

“If you dare walk out today, don’t ever think about setting foot in the Parker family home again!”

“The Parker family has no place for a petty, cold-hearted man like you!”

I didn’t stop.

His furious shouts chased me down the hallway, stabbing into my chest like knives, cutting into me over and over.

Bitter?

The one truly wronged here wasn’t Sophia Reed or Lucas Bennett—it was me.

Yet I could only endure the accusations of relatives, friends, and employees in silence, without speaking a word in my own defense.

After I left, my father exchanged a glance with my mother.

Martha Parker understood instantly and turned to comfort Sophia in a gentle tone.

“Sophia, Ethan’s just being foolish in the moment—don’t hold it against him.”

“Don’t worry. Even if he doesn’t recognize you as his wife, we do.”

“We’ll make sure you get justice.”

Sophia forced a fragile smile and shook her head sadly.

“Dad, Mom… thank you.”

“But it’s not necessary.”

“I believe real love is about letting go.”

“If Ethan has truly made up his mind, then…”

“I’ll let him go, and make way for the woman he loves.”

With that, she slowly picked up the divorce agreement.

“No!”

“Sophia, give Ethan another chance—your mother-in-law believes he’ll come around.”

Martha was still trying to persuade her, but Richard stopped her with a sigh.

“Forget it.”

“That fool doesn’t deserve Sophia. Better to cut the cord now than live in pain later.”

“It’s just our bad luck in the Parker family that we couldn’t keep such a good daughter-in-law.”

The others in the room nodded in sympathy, sighing in regret.

Sophia flipped to the last page of the divorce agreement—and froze.

As she hesitated, the others leaned in to see.

Five words stared back at them: The woman leaves with nothing.

Silence.

The hospital room went deathly still, the kind of stillness that feels like the moment before a storm.

A woman who risked her life to take a knife for love—not only was she met with betrayal and divorce, but she was to leave with absolutely nothing?

Was there any justice left in the world?

It was an outrage beyond belief.

Just as my parents and the others were about to explode, Sophia’s lips curled into another faint smile.

She spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, as if to herself:

“I’ve loved him for three years, and this is his final answer to me?”

“Forget it…”

“When a person is gone, what’s the point of money?”

“I… accept.”

Wiping away her last tear, she moved to sign.

“You will not sign that!”

My father barked, snatching the pen from her and tossing it into the trash.

My mother held Sophia’s head against her shoulder, sobbing so hard her voice shook.

“Child, are you crazy?!”

“You’re not the one at fault—why should you walk away with nothing?”

Sophia’s smile was bitter, tinged with sorrow.

She said lightly, “As long as it makes him happy, that’s enough.”

Her words broke the hearts of everyone in the room.

“Ethan’s behavior is inhuman!”

“If I had a wife whose heart was full of me, I’d cherish her with my life, not throw her away like garbage!”

“What a disgrace!”

“Damn it, I can’t hold it in anymore!”

“Even if Mr. Parker is my boss and gives me my paycheck, I still have to say it—he’s cold-blooded!”

“I’m standing with Mrs. Parker!”

…

Sophia Reed and Lucas Bennett exchanged a glance, and a faint, almost imperceptible gleam of satisfaction flickered in their eyes.

“Everyone, please don’t say that,” Sophia said softly. “Ethan used to treat me very well.”

“Maybe the pressure from the company going public has just been too much lately. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll have a good talk with him.”

Hearing her still speak in my defense only stoked the crowd’s outrage further. My parents’ hearts grew heavier with guilt and resentment toward me.

Finally, my father, Richard Parker, took her hand and made a solemn promise.

“Don’t worry, child. I’ll stand up for you and make sure that brat gives you an explanation.”

The next morning, just after I got out of bed, I received a message from my father:

“Get yourself to the hospital right now and apologize to Sophia, or your mother and I will issue a public statement cutting ties with you.

When that happens, don’t say we didn’t warn you!”

I read it and tossed my phone aside without a second thought.

So they were pulling that card—harsh, but useless.

I went about my usual breakfast routine: shrimp omelet, clam stew, pan-fried mackerel, seafood and pork congee…

Only after setting everything on the table did I realize there was no one sitting across from me anymore—just me, alone.

These were all Sophia’s favorites. No matter how busy I was before, I’d make them for her every morning, switching up the dishes every day. It had become a habit—a sign of how deeply I’d loved her.

But now, everything had changed.

After a moment of staring blankly, I quietly picked up the only seafood-free item—a slice of toast, since I’m allergic to shellfish—and ate in silence.

An hour later, when I arrived at the company, I noticed employees giving me strange, sidelong glances.

No need to ask—my so-called “jerk move” at the hospital yesterday had clearly spread through the entire office.

I ignored them and headed for my office. As the elevator doors opened—

It was Sophia.

She was still in her hospital gown, her face pale as paper. Her back was slightly hunched, and she walked with visible difficulty.

“It’s Mrs. Parker!” someone called out.

Immediately, a crowd swarmed toward her, with several female employees carefully supporting her.

The affection and concern they showed her instantly made me, their boss, look like the villain.

“You’re so badly hurt—what are you doing out of the hospital?”

“Exactly, Mrs. Parker. If you need anything, just call us—we can take care of it for you.”

“No need, I can manage.”

Sophia smiled kindly, then lifted the fruit basket in her hand toward me.

“Ethan, I noticed you had a small cold sore yesterday. You must be stressed lately, so I brought you some fruit to help cool down your system.”

“Make sure you eat it—don’t neglect your health.”

“Wow!”

“How sweet is that!”

“Mrs. Parker, you know there are plenty of single people here—are you sure it’s okay to flaunt your love like this?”

“Boss, come on—the basket isn’t just full of fruit, it’s full of her love for you.”

“Sigh… after everything she went through yesterday, she’s still dragging herself here to offer you a way to make peace. If you don’t take it now, you really will be in the wrong!”

I said nothing.

But as soon as I accepted the fruit basket, Sophia’s gentle smile vanished, her eyes widening in sudden anger.

The next second, she yanked open my shirt collar and exclaimed furiously—