I could not help but let out a laugh.
My body seemed scary to her? When it was she who had maliciously said she wished I were dead in the first place, John bought into her act immediately. He wrapped his arms around Tammy, gently patting her.
“Alright, don’t be afraid, Tammy. I won’t look. Let’s get out of here.”
Just before leaving, he stole one last glance at my body. By then, the staff had already covered me back up and wheeled my body away.
Since John could not be reached by phone, the hospital had no choice but to notify his mother to come and identify the body. When she saw the state of my corpse, she nearly collapsed on the spot, fainting immediately.
John’s mother and I had always gotten along. She tried her best to compensate for the coldness her son showed me, showering me with affection. We even planned to take the baby to the beach after it was born.
It looked like I would not be able to keep that promise. After she regained consciousness, she called John.
“John, you need to come see Sandra. She-”
Before she could finish, John cut her off, his tone impatient
“Mom, I’m busy with something important. Whatever it is, can’t it wait until I’m done?”
His mother was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, but before she could say anything more, John hung up on her. Worried that his mother might pester him to go home, John switched his phone off.
When Wilson heard the news, he rushed to the hospital as well. He immediately dropped to his knees in front of my body, burying his head in his hands as he wept. He cried so hard he could barely speak, clutching my scarred arm and hitting his own face in frustration.
“Sandra, it’s all my fault. For all these years, I watched as that bastard John hurt you, and I didn’t even try to convince you to leave.
“If only I had pushed harder to find you that day, maybe you wouldn’t have died.”
Watching his grief broke my heart. I wanted to comfort him but I could not.
In truth, it was not his fault. It was mine. I was too stubborn, believing that if I gave it enough time, John would
see my sacrifices and feel even the slightest bit of gratitude toward me. I never realized that nothing one did would ever be right when someone did not love one back.
John‘
mother was heartbroken but diligently took care of all the paperwork. As she walked through the hospital lobby, she saw John sitting with Tammy, feeding her a piece of strawberry cake. They looked like a couple madly in love, displaying their affection shamelessly for all to see
Chapter S
+25 BONUS
John’s mother stormed over, furiously slapping the cake out of his hands.
“John, how could I have raised such a heartless beast? Sandra just passed away for a few days, and you’re here feeding cake to another woman!”
The frosting smeared on John’s clothes, but he did not even glance at his mother. He took the napkin Tammy offered and wiped it off calmly.
“Mom, did Sandra brainwash you or something? You’re making ridiculous excuses to trick me into coming home?
“Even if Sandra’s your daughter–in–law, do you think it’s appropriate to curse like that?”
His mother snapped. Completely losing control, she gritted her teeth and slapped him hard across the face.
“John, are you even human? Sandra has been missing for days. Did you even call her once?”
John frowned, about to argue back, but then stopped, realizing he had not tried to contact me. He licked his lips and shrugged indifferently.
“Does it even matter? Haven’t all of you been chasing after her this whole time?
“Besides, I’ve met plenty of criminals–hundreds, at least. can tell when someone’s dangerous. I knew the man only wanted money or something else. As long as she didn’t resist, what danger could she possibly be in?”
Wilson, who had been standing silently at the side, could no longer hold back. He rushed forward, shouting, and kicked John squarely in the chest.
John staggered backward, crashing into Tammy before he regained his balance. He clutched his chest, his face twisted in pain, bending over as he gasped for air.
He straightened his body and glared at Wilson.
“Wilson! Have you lost your mind?”
Wilson swung at him again, punching him in the face. He put all his strength into it, causing blood to drip from the corner of John’s mouth.
“Me? Lost my mind? You’re the one who’s gone insane!
“Sandra was an amazing woman, but she wasted her life on a scumbag like you!”
