"This is the body donation agreement, Mr. Lewis. Please sign here."

Joel Lewis looks at the paper before him. His hand trembles as he grips a pen.

The other party can sense his hesitance. They say considerately, "Body donation is a big thing, and it's normal for people to change their minds at the last minute. You can go home and discuss this with your family—"

"I've already signed it." Joel smiles bitterly.

"Family" is a term that's beyond him. There's no longer any space in his wife's heart for him, after all.

"This is the body donation agreement, Mr. Lewis. Please sign here." Amy Hanks, a staff member of the body donation department, handed the agreement over.

Joel Lewis stared at the thin paper placed before him. His hand trembled slightly around the pen he was gripping.

Amy noticed his hesitation and said kindly, "It's normal to have second thoughts—after all, body donation is a big decision. You can take some time to talk it over with your family before deciding on it."

Joel could tell that Amy was giving him an out, allowing him to back out if he wanted. However, he only smiled and signed his name in the bottom right corner. "It's done."

Amy thanked him sincerely. "Thank you for your contribution to the medical field, Mr. Lewis. This is your body donation certificate."

…

The house was empty by the time Joel returned. On the table lay the breakfast he had prepared before leaving that morning. It remained untouched.

There was an unread text message on his phone. It was a text from "darling" which read: "I'm working late tonight. I won't be coming back."

Joel chuckled bitterly. Rachel Harrison had been "working late" more frequently lately.

He knew that she was likely spending time with Christopher again.

Christopher Scott was Rachel's secretary. He was suffering from depression.

He fell in love with Rachel but was torn between his feelings and the guilt of betraying his conscience. Unable to accept being a homewrecker, he eventually succumbed to the emotional conflict, leading to depression.

As such, Rachel took all the responsibility upon herself.

She had often told Joel that the reason behind Christopher's condition was due to her marriage with him.

Rachel felt guilty toward him, so she took even more care of him and indulged him. Eventually, her pity gradually turned into love.

Joel wasn't sure what sparked their love. He only knew that the woman who once loved him so deeply and clung to him eventually fell in love with someone else.

He lay on the couch, bored out of his wits as he scrolled through his phone. Big data was impressive—it showed him just exactly what happened last night without needing him to search for it.

The video began with Christopher, wearing nothing but thin white pajamas. He was standing on the rooftop of a landmark building in the city center.

His pajamas stood out even more under the dark night sky. Countless people noticed him, causing quite a stir in the city center.

"What happened to him?" someone asked.

Another replied, "I heard it's because of love troubles."

Someone else said, "How pitiful! Which woman is foolish enough to take such a good man for granted?"

Christopher looked thin and frail. He was dressed plainly in white, and he looked lonely and pitiable.

Everyone sighed for a moment, then a burst of chatter suddenly erupted from the crowd.

"Someone finally went up!" someone yelled.

Another person exclaimed, "Oh my, they're kissing now!"

Someone said, "What a romantic scene. It's just like something straight out of a movie!"

Joel enlarged the video and carefully observed the kissing couple on the screen. The man was handsome while the woman looked delicate. It truly was romantic.

The woman seemed to love the man deeply. She hugged him tight and cupped his face before giving him a passionate kiss.

In the end, they embraced each other and faded away from everyone's sight. The whole city witnessed their beautiful love that night.

Joel turned his phone off, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. It slid down his cheeks and eventually landed on the couch.

This was the couch he'd picked out with Rachel when they first got married.

When they were still madly in love, she would hug him as soon as she returned home. She would take in the scent of his hair and close her eyes while holding him quietly.

Rachel would hug Joel tightly and sweetly say, "Just let me hold you a little longer, Joel. I feel at ease in your embrace."

But now, the person in her arms was no longer him.

…

Rachel brought back breakfast when she returned.

When she saw Joel, she asked, "Why are you up this early? It's perfect though, since I bought you breakfast."

She was evidently surprised when she saw the breakfast spread on the table.

Joel mustered a forced smile and said, "You must be tired after working the entire night. Do you want to lie down on the couch for a bit?"

Rachel replied awkwardly, "It's alright, I'm not too tired."

Joel asked, "Do you want to cuddle then?"

"No need," Rachel declined as she walked past him to the dining room.

It was unusually quiet at the dining table.

After eight years of knowing each other and five years of marriage, they had finally reached a point where there was nothing left to say.

Rachel's phone buzzed. She took it out and glanced at it while mumbling, "It's a spam call."

She then ended the call immediately. However, the other person was insistent and called her again.

Joel softly said, "Just take the call. I can't take responsibility if Christopher tries to kill himself again."

Rachel's face turned pale. She gripped her phone for a moment before accepting the call eventually. "What's wrong, Chris?"

Joel momentarily stopped biting on his bagel when he heard the nickname "Chris".

He couldn't hear what was spoken on the other end of the call, but Rachel sounded extremely gentle when she replied.

"Don't worry. Even though I got caught in the rain, I'm not sick."

"Alright, alright. I'll go get changed now."

"You don't have to worry about me. Just take care of yourself when I'm not around, okay?"

"I'll buy them for you every day if you like the bagels there."

Looking at the bagel in his hand, Joel suddenly lost his appetite.

Rachel's bright expression turned gloomy once again after she ended the call.

She said in a low voice, "Christopher had another episode last night. You know how he gets whenever it rains."

Joel asked, "Did you buy two portions of this bagel?"

No wonder it was already stale. Rachel must have brought it to Christopher first before bringing it home.

Rachel did not deny it.

Joel asked calmly, "Is Christopher alright?"

This time, Rachel replied, "I got there in time, so nothing serious happened. But his mental state is really unstable. He could snap at any given time."

"So you'll have to constantly stay by his side, am I right?" he asked.

She replied, "Yes."

Joel asked, "Are you a doctor, Rachel? Can you cure his depression?"

Rachel's temper flared. "I've told you countless times. He got depressed because I was already married to you! I have to take up this responsibility!"

"What about me? I'm your husband. What about your responsibility toward me?" Joel asked.

Rachel looked incredulously at him. "You're healthy, and he's sick. How could you even compare the two?"

Joel retorted, "So, is being healthy my fault now?"

"Why have you become like this, Joel?" she asked.

He said, "How have I become now?"

Rachel replied, "You're cold, selfish, and even turning a blind eye to those in need!"

Joel looked at her coldly. He took a deep breath and asked, "What if I told you I'm also sick now?"

Rachel frowned. "How are you sick now? Aren't you healthy enough to fight with me now?"

Joel chuckled, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. He slowly let out a deep breath.

Rachel continued, "Can you stop making a fuss, Joel? I only went to save his life last night. That's all."

Joel smiled slightly. He then looked up at her and asked, "Do you need to kiss him to save his life?"

He must have touched a nerve, as she suddenly lost it. "He was having an episode then, and he's standing right at the edge of the rooftop! What if he had a meltdown and jumped down if I refused him?"

Joel stood up as well. "But you already had him in your arms, didn't you? You could've pulled him away from the edge, so why did you still have to kiss him?"

Rachel said coldly, "You're truly impossible, Joel!"

She left, slamming the door behind her. The loud bang echoed through the house.

However, all Joel could feel at that moment was a sharp pain coming from his stomach. He rushed to the washroom and vomited violently.

He let out a bitter laugh when he saw the bright red blood in the toilet.

Joel had advanced-stage cancer. He had less than a month left to live.

All this while, he had been going to the hospital for check-ups and chemotherapy. His hair fell out in clumps, noticeably thinning—yet his wife had never noticed.

Joel found himself waking up in the toilet the next day.

His mental state was affected as his condition worsened for the past few days. Sometimes, he would faint from the pain.

All he remembered was vomiting a lot of blood yesterday, staining the toilet bowl red.

Joel flushed the toilet, watching the thick, red liquid swirl away.

The doorbell rang suddenly. He wondered if Rachel had come back.

Joel hurriedly cleaned up the mess and rinsed his mouth. He then wiped the bloodstain off the washroom floor before heading to the door.

"Rach—" he started.

However, Rachel wasn't the one standing outside—it was Christopher.

Christopher had already changed into a set of designer clothes. His hair was perfectly styled, and his complexion looked healthy.

He looked nothing like someone who had just gone through a suicide attempt due to depression.

Christopher smiled and greeted, "Hello, Mr. Lewis, I'm Christopher Scott."

Joel wasn't sure what made him come unannounced. "Why are you here? You're not welcome at Rachel's and my house."

Christopher sneered. "Perhaps you should start being nicer to me now, Mr. Lewis. After all, I'll be the man of this house from now on.

"I might even show some mercy and put up a shabby grave for you somewhere. I'll even drop by and place some wilted flowers on your grave once in a while."

Joel's gaze landed on Christopher's exposed wrist. All he saw was a men's sports watch and a leather bracelet. There were no signs of injury at all.

He recalled Christopher having yet another suicide episode last week. He wasn't threatening to jump off, but he had wanted to self-harm.

Joel still remembered the bloodied photo he had seen. How was it possible for Christopher's wrist to be free of blemishes in just a few days' time?

He asked, "Where are the cuts on your wrist?"

Christopher laughed and replied, "Cuts on my wrist? I'd never cut my wrist when it's so painful and would even leave a scar!"

Realization dawned on Joel suddenly. "Is your depression just a lie? Have you been deceiving Rachel?"

Christopher's smile grew wider. "It doesn't matter as long as she believes it. Women are vain creatures. It'll feed her ego knowing that a man suffered from depression because of her.

"She'd also feel even more guilty toward me. Whenever I faked an episode, she'd worry and think about me. She'd even drop everything to be by my side."

"Christopher!" Joel was beyond enraged. "You're using depression to deceive her and tear her family apart. Do you have no shame?"

Christopher looked at him gloatingly. "Don't you think you're ridiculous, Joel?"

He loosened his collar slightly, showing Joel the love bites on his neck. "I have these marks all over my body."

Christopher then stepped forward and grabbed Joel's hand. He placed it on the love bites on his neck. "Do you want to see them? She has kissed every inch of me, even my—"

He deliberately leaned close to Joel's ear and whispered the intimate parts that were hard to say aloud.

Christopher asked, "Where else do you want to see? Tell me, Mr. Lewis. I can show them all to you. I'll show you just how much Rach loves me, and how wild she gets when she's with me."

Joel struggled to retrieve his hand, yet Christopher refused to let him go.

Suddenly, Christopher's expression shifted from smug amusement to one of fear. Joel's hand was also pressed against his neck.

Christopher cried out loud, "Please let me go, Mr. Lewis. I'll truly die like this!"

"Chris!"

A cold wind swept through, and Joel felt himself being shoved back. He fell onto the ground. The sharp pain made him turn away, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

When he looked up, he could only see Rachel cradling Christopher preciously in her arms.

Her voice was filled with concern when she asked, "Did he hurt you?"

Christopher hugged her tightly and cried out, "I'm so scared, Rach—"

"Don't be, I'm here now," Rachel replied.

Christopher said, "I'm no longer afraid of anything with you by my side."

Rachel helped him up and walked right past Joel, who was lying motionless on the ground.

She brought him straight to the bedroom—her and Joel's master bedroom—and slammed the door shut.

Through the wall, Joel could still hear Rachel's voice. It was filled with guilt and concern. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at home resting?

"I've told you, he has been moody recently. He's irritable and quick to anger. And your mental health isn't doing good either. What should I do if something happens to you?"

"But I don't know where else I could go other than to come and find you," Christopher replied.

Joel chuckled bitterly and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. He then slowly got up and leaned against the couch to rest.

He was growing weaker each day due to his chemotherapy. It was hard for him to even get onto the couch now.

Rachel was met with the scene of Joel struggling to get onto the couch when she walked out.

She looked at him condescendingly and coldly asked, "Are you done pretending?"