Chapter 3

Madison could have explained the doctor's recommendation.

But she didn't, and she actually enjoyed the feeling of being sympathized with by everyone.

I suddenly felt too tired to speak.

Looking at the woman putting on an act with extreme disappointment.

I asked her, "Have you had enough of this act?"

No one felt the pain of losing the child more than I did.

Besides, it wasn't my fault.

"Madison, why would someone like you get married and harm others?"

"Being your closest person is such bad luck. I won't stop you from being busy loving the world---let's get divorced."

I packed my things and moved out. Before leaving, I returned her slap.

She covered her reddened face from my slap but didn't ask me to stay.

Because she didn't need to do it herself---naturally, others would come to defend her.

First were my parents.

They threatened me with both carrot and stick:

"What exactly did Madison do wrong? This whole thing was your fault to begin with. Who told you to agree to it? It's understandable that she's so angry."

"And look, which daughter-in-law would run over on the weekend to go shopping with her mother-in-law? Last week I just coughed a few times, and she bought medicine and made soup to take care of me---she's like my own child."

"Anyway, I won't allow you to throw tantrums with her anymore!"

Seeing that I wouldn't listen to anything, Dad issued an ultimatum:

"You must move back in today and apologize properly to Madison, or our father-son relationship ends here!"

Then there was my best friend, Marcus.

He was still moved by how Madison once drove him back to his distant hometown.

Following my parents' lead, he kept accusing me:

"Jason, you really are in the wrong here. I feel like ever since you got married, you've become so petty. Not knowing how to be understanding isn't a good habit."

Even my good friend had received favors from Madison.

Only I, since getting married, had never received a single bit of kindness from her.

She could donate a month's salary to a stray animal organization.

She could also, at an invitation from the community group chat, happily abandon me to go volunteer.

During a hurricane, the window in our house cracked.

I was scared and shivering.

She took a call and left to accompany a male friend from the community, telling me to stay alone.

I said I was scared.

She found me pretentious: "What's there to be scared of? Do you think you're still a child?"

After hurting me with her words, she went out into the storm.

Even when she fell heavily in the strong wind and broke bones all over her body.

She still got up and endured the pain to go accompany that male friend.

Or like when she promised to go with me to the hospital for a gastritis checkup, but the next second abandoned me to go eat with friends.

Things like this were too numerous to count on ten fingers.

Sometimes I really felt I was worth less than trash.

Disapproval floated in Marcus's eyes as he continued to accuse me:

"Jason, I won't help you this time either. No matter what, you shouldn't have agreed to it."

Looking at these people's faces, I pulled out the medical report.

"The doctor said the baby couldn't be saved. Can you understand that? It wasn't that I agreed to it."

"You're all as stubborn as Madison, never caring about her well-being."

Seeing the evidence, they were left speechless and finally shut up.

But what I didn't expect was this.

During the cooling-off period between Madison and me, Marcus would take advantage of the opportunity.

He claimed to have stomach cancer and begged Madison to accompany him for wedding photos.

His excuse: "My life is about to end. My only dying wish is to take a set of wedding photos, I just need a bride..."

Then he blinked at me: "Jason, can I borrow your wife? You won't be angry, right?"