"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!"

Ethan shook his head as if he hadn’t heard his assistant and repeated,"What wife?What wife are you talking about?"He had released Vera,but his fingers were trembling uncontrollably.

The assistant’s eyes reddened,and he mustered the courage to hand over the report,his voice softening."Ethan,I’m sorry for your loss."

Ethan’s breath hitched,and in a violent gesture,he swatted the report away as if it were something vile.

"Condolences?Why the hell should I accept condolences?My wife is alive and well.What kind of condolences do I need?"

He stepped back,and suddenly,realization struck him."Did my wife bribe you to play along?!"Ethan’s scarlet eyes bored into his assistant as he gripped his lapel."You’re my assistant!Are you fooling around with her?Where is she?Is she hiding nearby,waiting to see how I fall for this trap,laughing at my stupidity?"

He laughed bitterly,threatening in a low voice,"Call her out right now,or I’ll fire you."

The assistant,shaken and unable to move,was met with Vera crouching to pick up the report from the ground.As her eyes landed on the name of the deceased—my name—an involuntary flicker of joy flashed across her face.

She feigned sadness,pulling him closer."Ethan,I’m sorry,but he isn’t lying.The report truly says that the identity of the body is your wife,Star.Don’t worry;you still have me now that she’s gone."

"Get away!"Ethan shouted,pulling back from her touch."Don’t touch me!My wife is nearby;she never liked you.If she sees you pulling at me,she’ll only get angrier."

The man who had proposed so affectionately moments ago was now severing ties with Vera,leaving her to choke back tears.

"So you’re all lying to me?Then I’d better go to hell."

Of course,she had no intention of actually ending her life.

Ethan seemed deaf to her pain as he staggered,laughing and crying uncontrollably."Impossible!She won’t die!She’s just angry with me and hiding.There must be a mistake somewhere.My wife—how could I not know?"

He grabbed the assistant again,clutching him like a lifeline."My wife’s left pinky finger is different from others;it is—"

His words trailed off abruptly.

He had personally examined my hand;every finger was unique,every detail distinct.

"No!It’s all wrong!"He stared at his hand in disbelief,and in the next moment,he clutched his chest in agony,suddenly spewing a mouthful of blood.

Doctors rushed in,their frantic movements colliding with the chaos.

Meanwhile,Evan tugged at his assistant’s arm,desperation in his voice."One body is my Sister-in-law’s;who’s the other?It’s not Emily,right?"

The assistant’s heart sank,and after a long silence,he spoke,his voice heavy with sorrow."Evan,I’m sorry for your loss."

"Impossible!I don’t believe it!"Evan growled,his face twisted in anger.He forcefully snatched the report from Vera’s hands.The sheer force of his action caused her to stumble backwards.

He trembled as he turned to read another page.When Emily’s name met his gaze,he froze,his jaw quivering.

He lost all sense of reality,retreating two steps and knocking over a medical cart.Scissors and medicine bottles clattered to the floor,some scraping against his skin and drawing blood.Yet,he felt nothing;he was like a robot,wooden and devoid of pain.He touched his neck,finding it empty,a cold realization settling in.

Eyes darting toward the window,he muttered,"The peace charm...my peace charm..."

Suddenly,he dashed downstairs like a madman,consumed by grief and panic.