Chapter 3

After the funeral, I immediately took over Adrian's company.

As his legal wife and original shareholder, this was my right.

Adrian's ghost could only watch helplessly.

When I went to the company, he floated in corners, watching me work, constantly cursing, basically accusing me of not understanding business and that I'd eventually destroy his life's work.

During contract signings with partners, just as my pen touched the paper, his roar would sound in my ear:

"Noah is still fighting for his life in the hospital, and here you are looking so smug. You'll pay the price sooner or later."

On the way to inspect branch offices, he followed close behind, coldly mocking:

"Stop pretending. Without me as your backing, you're just an ordinary nobody."

I ignored his ranting the entire time.

To me, Adrian was no longer the person I once shared a bed with, just a handful of cold ashes buried in the earth, not even worth getting angry over.

That afternoon, I finished work early and drove to pick up Lily from kindergarten.

While still some distance from the kindergarten gate, I spotted Melissa with Jennifer, crouched in front of Lily. Jennifer's fingers were gripping the child's wrist tightly, refusing to let go.

Lily's eyes were red, her small face full of fear, but she stubbornly pressed her lips together, not letting tears fall.

"Let her go!" I rushed forward, swatting away Jennifer's hand and pulling Lily protectively into my arms.

Lily burrowed into my embrace, her weak voice tearful: "Mommy..."

Melissa and Jennifer stumbled from my push, both with red, swollen eyes and tear-stained faces.

Parents picking up their children gathered around at the sight.

"Evelyn, please help me." Melissa dropped to her knees with a thud, nearly sobbing.

"Noah can't hold on much longer. The hospital searched everywhere but couldn't find a match. Lily might be compatible with him. Just draw a little blood for testing. If it really works, please save him, okay?"

Jennifer also started wiping tears, chiming in: "Evelyn, the child is innocent. Just do this good deed. Adrian is watching from heaven and will be grateful for your mercy."

The two sang the same tune, every word morally blackmailing me, trying to use public opinion to force me to compromise.

In the crowd, a white-haired old lady softened first, sighing: "Young lady, it's a living life. Help if you can."

"Yes, it's not right to refuse to save a dying person." Another middle-aged woman also looked at me accusingly.

Hearing these words, Melissa cried even more miserably, looking up at me with pleading in her voice:

"Evelyn, I know I wronged you, but Noah is also Adrian's child, Lily's brother! You can't be so heartless and just watch him die."

I laughed coldly: "During Adrian's brain tumor when he was bedridden, who kept pestering him, deliberately aggravating his condition? And who took his money and squandered it recklessly, completely indifferent to his health? Now that he's barely gone, you're still not satisfied and are targeting my daughter?"

I turned to look at the gathered parents, my voice clear and firm: "Everyone, put yourselves in my shoes. If your husband concealed his marriage and had a child with a mistress, and the mistress kept coming around demanding money, and on his deathbed your husband's only thought was saving that illegitimate child, and finally, the mistress forced your own daughter to donate her heart to save that child's life—would you agree?"

The surrounding murmurs instantly ceased. The parents who had just implied I was heartless changed their expressions dramatically. Looking at Melissa and Jennifer, their eyes held only undisguised contempt and disgust.

"So she's a homewrecker who destroyed someone's family. Shameless!"

"She even scammed money and squandered it, and now she's morally blackmailing. I wouldn't agree either!"

"She caused her own karma and now wants to drag someone else's child down with her. This is too much!"

Accusations rose one after another. Melissa and Jennifer's faces turned deathly pale as they collapsed weakly on the ground, their lips trembling, unable to utter a single word of defense.

I looked down and gently stroked Lily's hair, softly comforting her: "Don't be afraid, Lily. Mommy will take you home."

Adrian's gaze fell on Lily in my arms, the guilt in his expression deepening, but he remained silent, unable to say a word.

I understood his struggle—on one side was the daughter he'd neglected for years, on the other the illegitimate son whose life hung by a thread. But all this predicament was created by his own hands.

His lips moved slightly, a weak voice emerging: "Evelyn, I know I was wrong, but Noah..."

I didn't acknowledge him and drove away.

An apology could never make up for the harm he'd caused us.

And Noah's life or death had always been the karmic debt between him and Melissa, nothing to do with Lily and me.