A car accident left me with severe brain injuries. I was left hanging by a thread.

My wife, a renowned medical genius, personally operated on me for 18 consecutive hours, pulling me back from death's grasp.

Yet, the first words I said to her after waking up were, "Grace, I want a divorce."

Her eyes were filled with tears. "Derek, I just saved your life, and now, you want to leave me? Is it because I've been too busy at the hospital? Because I haven't spent enough time with you?"

I frowned. "It's exactly because you saved me that I want this divorce. I won't let you sacrifice your reputation for me."

The family elders tried to reason with me. "Grace is such a wonderful wife. She takes care of everything and loves you deeply. Why insist on a divorce? Why throw away such happiness?"

No matter who approached me, I dismissed them with the same response. "If you think she's so perfect, then she'll be available once we're divorced."

The elders were furious. "Fine! Get your divorce! But don't come crying to us when you regret it!"

I whispered under my breath, "The only thing I regret is not divorcing her sooner."

The door to the hospital ward burst open as my mother charged inside.

"You ungrateful wretch! Grace didn't sleep for three days trying to save you, and the moment you wake up, you spout this nonsense?"

I looked down. "Haven't you always wanted a daughter? Why don't you take her as one? Such a wonderful woman is wasted on me anyway."

"You!" Mom trembled with rage.

Grace Reed steadied her, saying gently, "Mary, please don't get upset. Derek just woke up. His mind isn't clear yet."

I let out a cold laugh. The way she called my mother was so intimate.

The attending physician entered, frowning as he glanced at Grace, whose eyes were red and swollen.

"Mr. Hudson, you just came back from death's door. Your health should be the priority. As husband and wife, you shouldn't fight when you just cheated death."

I closed my eyes, refusing to engage. The ward fell silent except for the monotonous beeping of the medical equipment.

Shortly after, a student nurse entered carrying a syringe. "Ward 6, time for your blood work."

She held the needle, repeatedly positioning it over the back of my hand. The first attempt missed the vein. A drop of blood appeared as she frantically pressed a cotton swab to the spot.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She tried a different spot, her hands shaking even worse. The second needle went straight through the blood vessel.

Sharp pain shot through me as cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The rage inside me ignited completely.

"Get out," I growled.

The nurse was on the verge of tears.

"What's happening here?" A clear male voice came from the doorway.

Ryan Cross, Grace's graduate student, walked in. Seeing the nurse's distressed state, he frowned. "Can't you handle something this basic?"

He looked at Grace with obvious concern. "Dr. Reed, you haven't rested? You look awful."

Grace's previously tense expression unconsciously softened when she saw Ryan. "It's fine. I'm used to it. What brings you here?"

"I finished my shift and was worried, so I came to check." Ryan naturally took the syringe from the nurse's hands. "Let me handle this."

I swatted away his approaching hand.

"Keep your filthy hands away from me," I said through my labored breathing.

The head nurse who had just entered was furious. "What kind of man are you? You've managed to offend everyone in our hospital by taking your anger out on us. I think someone as wonderful as Dr. Reed should definitely leave you."

I laughed bitterly. "She absolutely should."

Mom grabbed my hand, sobbing hysterically. "Derek, what's gotten into you? Don't frighten me like this!"

Grace's usually calm, dark eyes showed a hint of hurt as she tugged at Mom's sleeve. "Mary, Derek just woke up and needs rest. Let's step outside."

I wearily closed my eyes as they filed out one by one. Once the ward was completely quiet, I struggled to sit up.

My body felt like it had been torn apart. I was unable to summon even an ounce of strength. The aftermath of the car accident was far more severe than I had imagined.

After word spread about my divorce from Grace, I became the ungrateful modern-day villain who abandoned his savior. The nurse changing my IV clearly jabbed the needle into my vein with extra force.

"Ouch." I winced in pain.

She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Serves you right, you ungrateful bastard."

Her voice was just loud enough for me to hear. I did not bother responding, but I filed a complaint against her.

Afterward, Grace's senior colleague, Dr. Michael Anderson, came to visit.

"Derek, people should know how to repay kindness." He patted my shoulder earnestly.

"Grace gave up her opportunity to attend an international academic conference abroad for your surgery. You can't be foolish and break her heart."

I listened with no expression. "That was her choice. What does it have to do with me?"

Dr. Anderson was left speechless and walked away while shaking his head.

Mom entered carrying chicken noodle soup, slamming it down on the bedside table with a loud thud.

"Now, the entire hospital knows that Derek Hudson is a bastard who wants to divorce his wife right after she saved his life! You've completely humiliated me! Derek, what on earth are you thinking?" She finally could not hold back anymore.

"Has Grace ever wronged you? How can you treat her like this? You've been married for over ten years. You said you wanted to be childfree, and she went along with it. No matter how much I tried to convince her otherwise, she always said you came first. But what about you?

"Tell me honestly, do you have someone else?"

My tone was mocking. "Mom, you're smart. Why don't you guess?"

"Are you serious?" Mom laughed in disbelief. "Don't tell me there's not only another woman but a child too?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Grace entered with Ryan for rounds, interrupting our argument. She maintained a completely professional demeanor, as if nothing had happened yesterday.

"Recovery looks good." After checking my pupils' response with a flashlight, she concluded in a gentle tone.

Ryan stood behind her, holding a notepad and scribbling notes quickly. Then, quite naturally, he pulled a thermos from his bag and handed it to Grace.

"Dr. Reed, you stayed up late reading research materials last night again, didn't you? You have dark circles under your eyes. Have some warm water to soothe your throat."

"It's nothing." Grace unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

I let out a cold laugh.

"Yes, Dr. Reed works so hard." My voice dripped with sarcasm. "Saving her 'ungrateful' husband and then mentoring such a 'thoughtful' graduate student... She must be stretched thin."

Mom looked at me in shock while Ryan's expression changed.

"Mr. Hudson, please show some respect!" he said righteously. "Dr. Reed has been working tirelessly because of your condition. Instead of being grateful, you're making snide remarks. Just what is left of your conscience?"

"Ryan." Grace's cool voice cut through, her eyes carrying a hint of warning.

Ryan pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. Grace leaned down and straightened my blanket. Her expression showed the kind of helpless exhaustion one might have when dealing with an unreasonable patient.

"Derek, get some rest and stop overthinking. When you're discharged, we'll have a proper talk."

I pushed her hand away and pulled out the divorce papers from the drawer.

"There's nothing to talk about. Here's the divorce agreement. Look it over and sign it quickly."

She stumbled backward, and Ryan quickly steadied her.

Ryan grabbed the divorce papers. "What? You want Dr. Reed to leave with nothing? On what grounds?"

I tilted my chin up defiantly. "What gives you the right to speak to me like that?"

Ryan was momentarily speechless, then said with concern, "Dr. Reed, don't bother with this jerk. Let's go."

"You all—" Mom was about to say something when she was interrupted by a commotion.

A middle-aged woman stormed in aggressively, pointing at me and cursing, "So, you're Derek, the ungrateful bastard? You make me sick! Dr. Reed delayed my son's surgery to save you! How dare you mention divorce? You animal!"

Getting more worked up, she grabbed the portable urinal from under my bed and splashed its contents all over me.

A pungent stench filled the air. I was stunned. Grace then rushed into the bathroom and returned with a towel to clean me off.

I did not appreciate the gesture. I snatched the towel from her and silently wiped the urine from my face and hair, cursing, "Damn it, this divorce is happening right now!"

Grace was slightly taken aback. "Derek, what's wrong with you? Please don't casually mention divorce. What have I done to upset you? Tell me and I'll change."

I replied firmly, "Change, my ass. Just divorce me already!"

She seemed shocked, probably because she rarely heard me use such crude language. Within ten minutes, Grace's extended family packed my hospital ward to capacity.

"Derek, have you lost your mind? Grace is such a wonderful wife, and you want to divorce her?" Her eldest paternal aunt, Margaret Reed, came in swinging.

"Exactly! Look at the state you're in! Without Grace, you'd be six feet under!" Her second maternal aunt, Dorothy Stone, chimed in.

"Grace gave up her opportunity to study abroad for you. Do you have no conscience?" Her third paternal aunt, Beverly Reed, joined the chorus of condemnation.

My mother-in-law, Helen Stone, sat beside the bed, crying dramatically, "Derek, you're trying to kill me! How can you treat my Grace like this? She's been so good to you, and you..."

I rubbed my throbbing temples, not wanting to deal with this group of women anymore. "This is between Grace and me. It has nothing to do with you."

"How does it have nothing to do with us?" Margaret jumped up immediately upon hearing this. "If you get divorced, how will this look for our family? Grace is the pride of our family!"

"That's right! If you dare divorce her, we'll go to your office and make a scene every day!" Dorothy threatened.

The cacophony of accusations made my head throb.

"Get out," I growled again.

Then, the group of women began physically attacking me. I knew I could not fight off so many of them.

The IV stand and everything on the table crashed to the floor. The nurses, who finally appeared after watching long enough, escorted them out.

At midnight, I was asleep when a sharp pain jolted me awake. I could not help crying out as my abdomen felt like it was about to explode.

I struggled to open my eyes and saw Grace's delinquent younger brother, Jake Reed, standing beside my hospital bed, holding a wooden stick.

"What are you doing?" I asked weakly.

"Damn it, you dare abandon my sister? I'll kill you!" Jake sneered viciously. "You have no idea what you're missing out on. I'll teach you a lesson!"

Before he finished speaking, the stick came down again, striking my head hard. Everything went black as I completely lost consciousness.