My father was hit by a car. When I found the perpetrator, my wife, Jessie Ford, stepped out of the passenger seat with her clothes in disarray.

I stayed at the hospital to care for my father, yet Jessie stayed with the perpetrator at the police station while he was being questioned.

I refused to settle the case, and she picked up a thermos and struck my head. “He’s a lawyer. Do you want to ruin his career? What are you trying to do?”

I calmly wiped the blood from my forehead and looked at Jessie, who stood there flustered and slow to understand the situation.

This was not Jessie’s first affair, but it was the most serious one.

I suddenly remembered the fifth year of our marriage when she grinned at me and said, “Don’t you get tired of sleeping with only one person for the rest of your life? To be fair, I won’t interfere with how you fool around. What I give them is sex; what I give you is love.”

Later, I did exactly what she suggested and got involved with the girl she sent to me, yet she begged me to come back.

Blood kept flowing nonstop. Jessie Ford hurriedly pulled out a pack of tissues and rushed toward me. She wiped the blood while frowning and said, “Why didn’t you avoid it? Does it hurt? I didn’t do it on purpose. I panicked. Shane Harvey is young and talented. I hate to see talent wasted. Be good, just let it go.”

I pushed her hand away with a firm expression. “That is my dad we are talking about.”

“Alright, your dad loves money. If you really care about him, just accept the money and end this.”

My expression darkened. I was about to speak when her phone rang.

“Ms. Ford, where are you? They have been questioning me for so long and will not let me eat. I am so hungry that I feel dizzy. I cannot even stand.”

Jessie accidentally pressed the speaker button, and Shane’s aggrieved voice filled the air.

She tightened her grip on her phone, looking worried. “Wait for me. I will go back right now.”

After hanging up, she looked at me again with a serious expression. “Liam Charleton, I am giving you one last chance. Are you going to sign this settlement agreement or not?”

When I refused, Jessie turned and left without looking back.

I had watched her walk away countless times over the years.

It had not always been like this.

After graduation, I worked at the Ford family’s company, and Jessie was my first apprentice.

Back then, no one in the company knew her true identity, including me.

She was inexperienced yet energetic, passionate, and driven, but she often made mistakes. I always had to clean up after her. At a party, she had a few drinks and kissed me without warning. “Liam, I like you. I do not want to be only your apprentice. I want to be your girlfriend, and even your wife.”

The smell of alcohol on her breath made my head spin. I agreed in a daze.

By the time I learned who she really was, it was too late to walk away.

Jessie loved me, and everyone could see it. She replaced all the employees on her floor with women for my sake. She remembered every date related to me, including my family’s birthdays. She noticed anything I liked and secretly bought it for me, even if I only glanced at it once.

People mocked her for being a powerful CEO who let a man control her, but she never cared.

Unexpectedly, in the fifth year of our marriage, Jessie told me she wanted an open marriage.

She was not asking. She was announcing it.

Shane, the man who hit my father, was her 44th lover during our marriage.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and wiped my father clean.

He had come all the way from my hometown to visit Jessie and me. Before the accident, he carried a bag full of local specialties in his hands.

When I arrived at the scene, all I saw was a mess and my father with blood on his face.

This was the first time Jessie had come to the hospital to visit him since the accident.

“Dad, are you feeling better?” She set down the fruit she brought and pretended to be concerned.

I stood up to get some water, refusing to stand beside her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

When I returned, she was holding my father’s hand and thanking him. Her reddened eyes made it look as if she had just cried.

The moment I stepped back into the room, she hurried out again, claiming she had work to do.

My father trembled as he held my hand. His voice was weak. “Forget it. All that matters is that you two live a good life.”

I was confused and assumed he sensed another conflict between Jessie and me.

It was not until I called the police officer handling the case that he said in surprise, “Didn’t you say it was settled? Your father agreed to it himself.”

The veins on my forehead throbbed. Anger shook through my entire body.

I remembered the day Jessie visited. She held her phone tightly to my father’s ear. Everything became clear.

The police officer played a recording of my father’s voice. His expression was helpless. “Your father’s voice and the signed settlement agreement. These cannot be faked. Your family is strange. One moment you want to hold the driver accountable, the next you do not. Your wife has been running around helping him too…”

He stopped himself. I lowered my head and clenched my fists.

Following the procedures, Shane wired the compensation to me. He grinned and leaned close. “In the end, Jessie just cares too much about me. I told her I could afford the compensation, but she still insisted on wiring the money to me later.”

I almost raised my hand.

“Honey!” Jessie suddenly appeared and grabbed my fist.

She glared at Shane and forced her hand into mine. “Honey, let us go back to the hospital to see Dad.”

I was about to speak when Shane interrupted.

He pouted at Jessie. “Ms. Ford, I am in shock and cannot drive. Could you give me a ride home?”

Jessie hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

I let out a short laugh, pulled my hand away, and walked off.

On the way, I received a text from Jessie.

Jessie: [Honey, I will be there in a bit.]

However, she never appeared at the hospital that entire day.

My phone kept ringing. Not wanting to disturb my father, I stepped into the hallway and answered.

It was Jessie.

The moment I picked up, I heard rapid, breathless sounds on the other end.

“Honey, are you wearing the one I bought you?”

“Of course, I am wearing it all over.”

The sounds continued. Each one felt like a needle stabbing into my chest.

I thought I had grown numb to everything. I thought I had let go of all my feelings for Jessie. Yet the wounds I believed had healed tore open again, bleeding freely.

After my father was discharged, he insisted on returning to his hometown.

Only after sending him off did I go home.

When I opened the door, I saw leftovers from several days ago still on the dining table. Every corner of the house made it clear that Jessie had not been home for a long time.

I ignored the moldy food and went straight to my room to pack my luggage.

I had just reached the foyer when the door opened from the outside.

“Who are you? Why did you barge into my son’s house?”

A couple stood outside the door with their luggage and keys.

The plump woman stepped forward angrily. “Speak now. We will call the police if you do not.”

I sneered and met her gaze. “Call the police. Go ahead. I would like to see who your son is. How dare you call my home his?”

The woman looked doubtful and stepped outside to check the house number. “There is no mistake. This is my son’s home.”

“Darling, stop talking. It must be a burglary. Look, he is holding a gift box. It looks expensive.”

Her eyes landed on the box in my hand. Her expression changed instantly. She rushed toward me and raised her hand.

She slapped me hard. Her sharp nails scratched my face. “You thief. How dare you steal my daughter‑in‑law’s jewelry? Do you know who she is? She is the CEO of Ford Group. How dare you cause trouble in her home? You must have a death wish.”

My face snapped to the side, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. Before I could turn back, the man punched me in the stomach, then struck my face again.

The woman kicked over my suitcase, spilling everything onto the floor. “I want to see what you stole from our house.”

“Do not touch my things.” I gasped for breath as blood dripped onto the floor.

“Oh, how dare you yell? Darling, call security. What kind of fancy neighborhood is this? They cannot even stop a thief.”

“John Harvey, call our son and daughter‑in‑law right now. They do not even know a thief broke in.”

During the days I cared for my father, I could not eat or sleep, and I fell seriously ill. If not for that, I would not have been beaten so easily.

Seeing my weakened state, the couple smiled smugly. While waiting for Jessie, they began touching the items in the house. “Who bought this painting? It is so ugly. Let us throw it away.”

John picked up the painting with a disgusted look. He was about to toss it outside when I widened my eyes. “You cannot throw that.”

“You fool, who gave you the right to speak?” John stomped on my face. His dirty shoe pressed against my skin.

“You cannot throw it. I told you, I am the owner of this house.” My cheek throbbed, swollen and numb, making my words slur.

“Pah. Are you crazy for money? You think everyone is as lucky as my son to marry a rich woman? Who do you think you are?”

He spat on my face.

“Look how dirty you are. If our daughter‑in‑law sees this, it will ruin her impression.”

John pouted, stood up, and carried the painting outside. I scrambled to my feet and limped after him.

“You want it that badly?” John stroked his chin, a cruel smile forming. “Kneel down and beg me.”

I gritted my teeth. All that mattered was getting the painting back.

He did not keep his promise. He raised the painting high and slammed it onto the ground.

“No!” I cried out.

The protective glass shattered. He picked up the painting and tore it to pieces.

It was my grandmother’s last work, the one she said she would leave to her future granddaughter‑in‑law.

My grandmother had been a famous painter. Her works were priceless.

My strength left me. I collapsed to the ground in despair.

Suddenly, the headlights of a nearby car shone on me.

“Honey!”