Chapter 6

I woke up again in a hospital room.

The warm air I exhaled condensed into a layer of white mist on my oxygen mask. My body felt heavy as lead, and even moving a fingertip was incredibly difficult.

The nurse beside me saw I was awake and immediately walked over. “Mr. Hayes, you’re finally awake! Madam Kingston has been here several times these past three days while you were unconscious. If you hadn't woken up, all of us in the hospital would have been jumping off the roof!”

Her words made me smile. My bloodless lips moved, and I asked weakly, “Aside from Madam Kingston, has anyone else been here?”

The nurse shook her head. “No, I’ve been here the whole time, and I haven't seen anyone else. It was your housekeeper who called the ambulance. Thank goodness the blood clot was removed in time, or you'd be a vegetable for the rest of your life!”

I frowned. I remembered passing out at home, and my entire family had been there.

I’d been unconscious for so long, and not a single one of them had come to the hospital?

A chill ran through my heart. I remembered the doctor's advice not to get angry, so I silently took deep breaths, trying to calm my emotions.

I lay in the hospital room until evening. During that time, Madam Kingston, having heard I was awake, called to check on me. The conversation soon turned to Seraphina, and her tone became utterly indignant.

“That Davis girl, she’s utterly shameless! You almost lost your life, and she’s still fawning over that Caleb Hayes. I need to teach the Davis family a lesson and get some revenge for you!”

I hadn’t understood what was happening, feeling puzzled, when Caleb suddenly sent me a video.

In the video, I was in the hospital, wearing a hospital gown, my damp fringe clinging to my pale face—a frail, pitiable, sickly sight.

Beside my bed, Mrs. and David Hayes’ eyes were swollen from crying.

A slender, woman’s hand held a spoon, patiently feeding Caleb soup. The wedding ring on her left ring finger was identical to mine.

Who else could it be but Seraphina?

After Caleb finished a spoonful of soup, another small hand reached over, feeding him a perfectly peeled orange. A child’s voice whispered, “Uncle Caleb, get well soon. I hate seeing you sick…”

So, the reason my family hadn’t shown up was that Caleb was also hospitalized, and they were all with him.

I closed my eyes and turned off the video.

Affection from my family was a luxury I no longer sought.

All I wanted now was some peace and quiet.

However, even such a simple wish seemed impossible to achieve.

Not long after Caleb sent the video, the family wheeled him to my room.

“Asher…”

Seraphina’s voice was hoarse. She looked at me, hesitant to speak.

Faint dark circles underscored her eyes. In just three days apart, she seemed to have lost weight and her face looked undeniably exhausted.

The sight of the entire family rallying together gave me a bad feeling.

Before I could speak, Caleb knelt beside my bed, crying.

“Brother, I have a terminal illness. I don’t have much time left.”

As soon as he finished, David Hayes covered his face and wept.

Mrs. Hayes sighed softly, patted David Hayes’ shoulder, and looked at me with red eyes. “We’re here today to ask you to lend us Seraphina so she can take some memorial photos with Caleb before he passes.”

Memorial photos?

The request was so absurd that I remained silent for a long time, making sure I hadn't misheard.

Looking at my family’s expressions—so self-assured, so certain I would agree—I let out a scoff, my voice laced with sarcasm.

“What if I don’t agree?”

“Asher, how can you be so cold-blooded! Your brother is practically dying!”

David Hayes rushed over, shouting at me with bloodshot eyes, his shock and disgust almost overflowing.

I saw my own bloodless face reflected in his eyes and calmly said, “You want to pamper and spoil him, I can’t stop you. But as long as Seraphina and I are still married, I will never agree to such an absurd request. Unless—”

I looked up at Seraphina, my gaze cold. “Unless we get a divorce.”

Seraphina froze for a few seconds. Perhaps it was my imagination, but her pupils seemed to tremble slightly, and a flicker of anger crossed her eyes.

A moment later, her red lips parted, her voice clear and cold.

“Alright, then let’s get a divorce.”

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