The rain poured outside,mirroring the frustration in the air.Ethan's face twisted in impatience as he tapped furiously on his phone,messaging me:

"I've already told you,Vera is our god-sister.Today’s her birthday,and we’ve always celebrated it together,just the three of us—me,my brother,and her.It’s our tradition."

Bitterness welled up inside me as I read his messages,finding them sickeningly ironic.He probably didn't realize there was still a bright lipstick stain on the collar of the white shirt he wore.

"She doesn’t have any friends in this country.She needs me more than you do,stop being unreasonable!"

He was defending her again,brushing aside my feelings as though they didn’t matter.

"You should learn from Vera.She even invited you to celebrate her birthday.But what did you do?Instead of being considerate,you’re just been selfish and stubborn.You upset her,and now she feels guilty because of you."

His words cut deep.

"You’re not a child anymore,stop sulking like one.You’re pregnant and yet,you’re out on a night like this?Are you even fit to be a mother?"

I clenched my fists as another message came in.

"Tomorrow,apologize to Vera in person."

Ethan waited for a response.I left the message unanswered.His last message was what landed a punch to my gut:

"Star,do you think I can't live without you?Without me,you are nothing."

Years of love reduced to nothing in his mind.His words echoed in my head,but my tears wouldn’t fall.My best friend,still beside me,tried to calm me down.But I was numb.

The next morning,our battered bodies were found by scavengers,washed away by the heavy rain.A crowd had gathered by the time Ethan arrived with his team.He was expressionless,squatting beside the body,performing his job with chilling detachment.As if he were a stranger.

"Age between 25 and 30…very young…"

His voice was steady as he examined the body,but his hand faltered as he turned me over.Something about my form—my proportions—was too familiar.He hastily lifted my left hand,brushing the dirt from my fingers,and examining them closely.His fingers stopped at my pinky,the one that had been injured when I was a child.Ethan knew it well,but he didn’t know that before my death,each finger had been broken—cracked at every joint.

I screamed until my voice gave out,as the kidnappers showed me the photo of Vera wrapped in Ethan’s arms.Her teasing voice had taunted me,

"The famous forensic expert,huh?A loyal husband at home and a lover outside.What a lucky woman you are.”

I had kicked one of the men in his groin with my last bit of strength,but my defiance only earned me brutal beatings.My best friend had tried to protect me,sacrificing herself to buy me time,pushing her bloodied phone into my hands before a shovel hit her head repeatedly.I watched helplessly as her skull cracked open.

Fighting through the pain,I dialled Ethan’s number,praying for a miracle.The call connected,but what I heard broke my heart all over again.

"Ethan,zip up my dress,I can't reach it."It was Vera’s voice,playful and carefree,as usual.

Desperation clawed at my chest,and I whispered into the phone,

"Help...please…"

His voice,cold and irritated,came through.

"What is it now?Another fake emergency?You’ve already sent hateful messages to Vera and cried wolf over a fever.What's the excuse this time?Help?"

I choked back sobs as he continued,

"I'm exhausted,Star.When you're dead,call me.I'll give you an autopsy myself."

In the background,Evan laughed as well,

"Tell my wife that if she keeps throwing tantrums about Vera,I’ll divorce her.There’s no love between us."

Then came the sound of their laughter,mingling with Vera’s voice,playful and carefree.And just like that,the phone line went dead.

I turned to my best friend’s lifeless body beside me.We exchanged a final,hollow smile,silently surrendering to the inevitable.

The kidnappers continued their assault,but neither of us was struggling anymore.

"Ethan,is there a problem?"The assistant's voice brought Ethan back from his thoughts.

"Nothing."He shook his head,lowering his gaze.A flicker of relief was evident in his eyes as he stated the results of his analysis with a serious tone."The deceased are two young women.Their faces are unrecognizable;they suffered severe violence before death.There are over two dozen stab wounds on their bodies,multiple burns,all of their limbs and ribs are broken,and their fingerprints have been intentionally destroyed.This was done by professional criminals..."

With each additional word,the faces of those around him darkened further.When Ethan finally dropped the last sentence,"There are traces of being cut open at the stomach..."

Someone who could no longer contain themselves,cursed."A beast worse than a pig or a dog!"

Several police officers joined in,cursing with righteous indignation.Ethan's hand trembled slightly,and his face turned a shade darker.

Seeing the embarrassment in his eyes made me want to laugh.Did he feel any shame?From the moment he assisted the criminal in destroying evidence for Vera,he became unworthy of that white coat.

Ethan stood up,removed his gloves,and handed them to his assistant."More detailed clues will have to wait for the autopsy results."

After explaining,he walked to the door,hurriedly pulled out his cell phone,and clicked on my chat page.There was still no reply.

He stared at the screen for a long time,his brow furrowing as he exited and re-entered the chat repeatedly,refreshing it over and over,only to find the same result.His brows knitted in confusion;he didn’t seem to expect that I,who had always shown weakness and compromise,would one day stand my ground.

The time I hadn’t replied was already the longest in our history.This feeling of losing control was unsettling him.

He quickly typed a message:"Still mad?"

"You're the one who did something wrong.What reason is there for you to be angry?"

"Vera doesn’t care.Is it that hard to just apologize?"

He took a deep breath as if enduring countless insults and demands."As long as you change your selfish,lying ways,I’ll consider making up for our wedding anniversary."

The chat page remained motionless—clear green boxes,without a single white box appearing.

It was ironic;it felt as though our roles had reversed.The chatter I once took for granted had faded away,and he was now the one growing anxious.

Frustrated,he typed one last message:"I’ll give you one last chance.If you don’t reply by the end of the day,we’ll get a divorce!"

The word"divorce"used to feel monumental to me.He put away his phone,seemingly victorious,expecting me to come running back out of fear.

I laughed silently and bitterly.Ethan,you don't need to wait.This time,I truly don’t want you.

He wouldn't know what it meant to me when he hung up after my last call.

Just then,Evan walked in with a briefcase.He had a meeting with the public office,pretending to briefly negotiate with Ethan before submitting the indefensible paperwork,claiming there was no evidence left by any criminal on the bodies.

Frustrated,he raked his fingers through his hair."Ethan,has Star replied to your messages?"

"I’ve called my wife more than ten times.None of them got through."

"It’s just a wedding anniversary.It’s not worth getting this angry.I sent her a message suggesting we make up in a more grand way,but it seems endless."

"Pregnant women can be troublesome;they’re just a headache!"

BFF muttered bitterly,"If you knew that these troublesome women were dead,lying less than two meters away from you,you should be happy to celebrate with fireworks."

I held my best friend's hand in silence.She blinked back tears,saying resignedly,"Star,we were both blind."

I sighed silently,watching as the two bodies,covered with white cloths,were carried away on a stretcher.I noticed Ethan suddenly clutching at his heart,perhaps disturbed by the word"pregnant."He pulled Evan aside to explain,"Now that we are about to know the identities of the deceased,we’ll need to provide their families with support."

Evan nodded and was about to leave when the phone in his pocket rang.It was a call from the hospital’s psychiatric department.

When they rushed to the hospital,Vera was perched on the windowsill of the eighth floor,her wide hospital gown billowing in the wind.The doctors and nurses stood nearby,anxious yet hesitant to approach her,begging her not to jump.

"Vera,don’t be impulsive!If there’s anything you want to say,tell Ethan,and I’ll make sure it happens,"Evan called out,his voice trembling with anxiety.

Vera blinked her tear-filled eyes and spoke with a quiver in her voice,"I feel like a burden.My mom and dad don’t want me.There’s no home for me;no one cares,no one loves me.Is living this painful?Wouldn’t life be better if I just died?"

"How could you even think that?We care about you,we love you!"Evan patted his chest,desperately raising his voice to ensure she could hear him.

"But you all have wives.When danger comes,you’ll choose them first."She bit her lip,tears streaming down her cheeks."I’d be better off dead so I wouldn’t have to endure Star and Emily taking turns to scold me for being a shameless mistress."

Evan hissed,clenching his teeth in frustration."Don’t listen to them!You are always the most important to us;no one can compare."

To prove his sincerity,Evan removed a life-preserving talisman from around his neck without a word."This is a blessing that Emily begged for me after she knelt on three thousand steps.I’ve carried it with me for five years."

With determination,he tore the talisman in half and flung it out the window."You see?You were always more important than Emily."

My best friend shook with anger,her eyes red and swollen,now brimming with fresh tears.

Years ago,Evan had nearly died after being stabbed by the family member of a defendant who lost a lawsuit.He had never believed in God or Buddha until his best friend knelt for that talisman,only to accidentally roll down the steps and injure her collarbone,leaving a deep scar.

After that incident,Evan truly awakened;he realized he couldn’t keep Vera at arm's length anymore.Once treated like a treasure,she now felt worse than garbage in his presence.

I hugged my devastated best friend,but my attention was suddenly drawn to Ethan,who pulled my wedding ring from his pocket—the one I had removed due to my pregnancy swelling.

Without hesitation,he handed it to Vera."I will give you a home.You’ll not be my mistress;you will be my wife."

The tenderness in his dark eyes sparkled like stars,but the reflection no longer held me.

It was a moment I knew all too well;he knelt on one knee,his expression serious."I will divorce Star and take you as my wife.Will you accept?"

Vera blinked,her innocence shining through her tears."But Star won’t be willing."

"Who cares about Star?In my heart,you are my only wife."

Vera wept with joy,climbing down from the windowsill and rushing into Ethan’s arms.They embraced tightly,like a weary bird returning to its nest after a long journey.

"Star..."

My best friend held me tightly,her voice breaking."Don’t look;let’s not look,okay?"

I tried to smile through my tears,but the floodgates opened,and I couldn’t hold them back.

Everyone in the hospital room sighed in relief,the doctors and nurses applauding warmly for this successful resolution.

Just then,someone walked in interrupting the warm and romantic proposal.It was Ethan’s assistant,gasping for breath.His face was pale,and he looked at Ethan,trembling as he spoke,"Ethan,the DNA test results of the corpse just came back...it’s your wife!"