Zeke's bright eyes brimmed with confidence. In the past, Carter would have been triggered, but he was no longer the same man. He had since learned that a woman who could be easily wooed by others did not belong to you in the first place.

He refused to spare Zeke one look in the face of Zeke's provocation. Zeke became furious. Snickering, Zeke added, "You'd better not cry when I take Misty from you."

"Good luck," replied Carter dryly.

Although Misty did not love him, she wouldn't fall in love with the young and rash Zeke either. She only cared about Zach. Zeke had only enjoyed Misty's attention because he was Zach's little brother.

Carter helped Misty take care of the incident at the hotel and found new accommodations for Zeke before calling it a day.

An idea occurred to Misty when they headed home in Carter's car. She turned to Carter, asking, "Darling, Zeke is holding an art exhibition in two days. Do you think you could show him some support?"

Carter almost laughed at the absurdity of Misty's behavior. He could not wrap his head around her outrageous and entitled request. Not only was she going out on a limb for another man, but she had to drag her husband into it as well.

Chuckling, he felt a heavy weight on his chest. He whispered, "Misty, I'm not that kind."

She blinked in confusion. "But Zeke is Zach's younger brother…"

"And that's why I can't take it!" Carter stepped on the brakes without warning and pulled over. His eyes were colored with rage underneath the dim streetlights.

Why would Misty unabashedly show off her love to another man in front of him?

Misty couldn't speak. She knew he was angry.

A stifling silence filled the space. Carter had wanted to engage Misty in a heart-to-heart talk, but he finally realized there wasn't a need for it.

Carter started the car and drove home in disappointment.

…

Carter and Misty gave each other the silent treatment in the next few days. Misty understood that she had pissed Carter off, but at the same time, she felt wronged.

Didn't Carter know that she had never gotten over Zach? Why did he have to compete against a dead man?

Besides, she was nice to Carter in their daily life.

Feeling indignant, she ignored Carter, who did the same to her. He often hid in the study without a word when he got home. She poured all her attention and energy into setting up Zeke's art exhibition.

"Misty, won't you anger Carter? You basically spent all your time helping me out," asked Zeke worriedly when they were at the art gallery.

Misty pouted. "Nah."

She assumed Carter's anger would subside in the next few days. Carter had always made up with her within three days whenever they fought. But she failed to notice they had now gone five days without speaking.

"Mr. Flanagan, these are a few PR plans we drafted in the event of your divorce. Please have a look."

Carter opened the file before him in his office. Before he could start, his assistant barged into the room, announcing, "Mr. Flanagan, a fire broke out in the building where Mrs. Flanagan attended the art exhibition!"

Carter's expression crumpled. "What did you just say?"

When he hurried to the scene, he saw smoke billowing out of the building. The left side of the building was up in flames. It was a chaotic situation.

Carter worriedly looked for Misty in the escaping crowds, but he could not find her anyway. He spotted the disheveled-looking Zeke and grabbed him. "Where's Misty?"

Zeke averted his gaze. "Misty is still on the 4th floor."

Carter's heart sank when he learned that Misty was trapped. Without thinking, he ran into the building and into the fire.

Fighting against the flow of the crowd, he finally located Misty, who was attempting to take a painting with her.

His presence came as a surprise to Misty. "Carter, why are you here?"

"Let's go." He grabbed her. "The fire is gonna spread to this floor very soon. Hurry up."

To his dismay, Misty shook off his hand and ran further into the art gallery. "No! Zach's final painting is in there! I'll lose it forever if I don't save it!"

Carter shut his eyes. He arrived at a decision after seeing Misty running into the smoke without hesitation.

He went ahead to stop her. Then, he offered, "I'll get that painting."

When he passed her by, he said to her, "Misty, this is the fourth chance."

Alas, no one heard him in the commotion.

Zach's paintings were displayed at the center of the exhibition, where a huge fire had broken out. Carter wet his shirt with some water before dashing into the area and grabbing that painting.

Before he could leave, a huge glass display case toppled over and hit him. The excruciating pain caused him to drop the painting. He let out a muffled groan and fell onto his knees.

The next second, a figure sprinted past him and picked up the painting from the ground. Misty, after making sure that the painting was unharmed, looked visibly relieved. Only then did she turn around to check on her husband.

"Carter, you alright?"

Carter did not reply. He wondered if the thick smoke or the pain had caused his eyes to tear up.

Dodging her touch, he scrambled up from the floor. "I'm fine. Hold onto that painting."

She listened and guarded the painting in her arms. A sarcastic look flashed across Carter's eyes as he helped her out of the fire. Blood trickled from his wounds, leaving behind menacing traces.

Carter had no idea when he had fainted. When he stirred awake, he found himself in the hospital.

Misty sat by his bed tearfully. When she noticed he had woken up, she threw herself at him. She worriedly asked, "Darling, how do you feel? You lost so much blood that I nearly thought you were going to die!"

While speaking, she started to cry. "I'm sorry. I got you into this mess."

Carter did not know what else he could say. He felt tired to the bones. Misty was genuinely concerned for him and reflecting on her actions, yet she had never put him before Zach.

Her love for Zach was fiery, while he could only be the victim of her passionate love for another man. If given a choice to change the past, he would certainly not marry Misty.

Misty mistook Carter's lack of response as a lack of energy. She tucked him in and whispered, "Darling, rest up. I'll check on Zeke now. He's hurt too."

"This is your fifth chance." His eyes fluttered open.

Misty stopped in her tracks. Her eyes met his calm gaze. Moments later, she finally retracted her steps. "I won't visit him then. I'll stay by your side."

However, once she confirmed that Carter had fallen into a deep sleep, she quietly took her bag and sneaked out of his room.

At the same time, Carter, who she had thought to be fast asleep, opened his eyes slowly. He had been seriously injured and had to undergo surgery for a fracture in the back of his shoulder blade. Because of the surgery, he had to be hospitalized for a month.

During his hospital stay, Misty divided her time between their home and the hospital. But at the hospital, she spent most of her time in Zeke's room with the excuse that no one was there to take care of him.

Utterly heartbroken, Carter felt his heart go numb. He said nothing more and focused on his recovery.

…

20 days later, accompanied by his assistant Taylor Upton, Carter visited the cemetery in his wheelchair for his parents' death anniversary.

In the past, Misty would visit his parents' graves on their death anniversary. To his disappointment, Misty was nowhere to be seen, even after he waited the whole day at the cemetery.

He mumbled to his parents, "Dad, Mom, I'm afraid I'm going back to being alone." He wiped away the dust on their framed photos with a sad smile. "But I think it's great to live alone."

At least, he wouldn't have to suffer from heartbreak if he was alone.

When Carter wrapped up everything and was about to leave, Misty showed up late with a bunch of fresh lilies in her arms. "Carter, I'm so sorry! Zeke suddenly ran a high fever. I fussed over him for a while and almost forgot that it was your parents' death anniversary. Why didn't you remind me?"

"Are you Zeke's doctor?" Carter cut her off in a flat tone. "Or are you his family? What's your relationship to him?"

Misty tried to argue, "But he's…"

He stopped her again. "Are you trying to tell me he's Zach's little brother?"

Misty nodded after some hesitation. Carter stared squarely at her. "But I dislike Zach or anything related to him."

He thought, 'Do you really think I should be understanding of you on all matters related to Zach?'

He warned her, "Misty Lawrence, you've just wasted your sixth chance."

Ever since Carter seriously considered a divorce, Misty had wasted six out of the eight chances he offered her. The alarming speed at which she put Zach before him made him snicker. He had all the reason to believe that their divorce would arrive sooner than expected.

Terrified, Misty stared at the dejected Carter. Her eyes widened in disbelief as though she had seen his true colors.

Between sobs, she wailed, "Carter Flanagan, that's too much!"

Carter remained silent. After he said all there was to say, he stared at his feet quietly. He had kept his thoughts to himself for a long time, and it felt cathartic to say them aloud today.

He even flashed an out-of-place smile filled with bitterness.

Crying, Misty left the cemetery. She arrived home having cried her heart out.

She complained, "Yeah, I might have forgotten about my in-laws' death anniversary, but I hurried to the cemetery when I remembered! Am I the only one who's in the wrong here? How about Carter? He should have reminded me and waited for me!"

Misty had never expected Carter to confront her at the cemetery. She felt humiliated. He had never treated her in that way in the past.

Of course, she knew very well that Carter disliked Zach, but he would never act petty over Zach, not to mention lose his temper.

However, Carter seemed to have changed lately. He often fought with her about anything related to Zach. This was Carter's second time raising his voice at her.

She argued, "There's nothing between me and Zeke! Why is Carter always fighting with a dead man? As if I wasn't nice enough to him!"

She sobbed uncontrollably until her eyes became swollen. Leslie and Kathy, who were listening to her rant, were hesitant to speak. They wanted to tell their daughter off for not remembering a date as important as her in-laws' death anniversary, but Misty was in no mood to listen—she was too consumed by her grievances.

Looking at her state, her parents had no choice but to call Carter, even though they knew Misty was in the wrong.

"Carter, do you want to join us for dinner? I made your favorite soup. Misty is here too. Do you want to drive her home after dinner?" Kathy prodded cautiously.

After a pause, Carter rejected the invitation, "Mom, I'm getting discharged this afternoon. There's a lot of work waiting for me back in my office. I can't make it."

Misty's face paled when he refused to join dinner. She angrily tossed away the pillow in her arms and growled, "Fine! Do not ever set foot into my house again!"

When Misty was busy throwing a tantrum, Kathy realized that Carter must have lost his patience after eight long years. He might be seriously considering giving up on Misty, but Misty seemed oblivious to the fact.

…

After hanging up, Carter placed the bunch of lilies from Misty in front of his parents' headstones—the flowers that she had left behind when she stormed away.

Misty's crying in the background of his call with Kathy distracted him a little. He had never made Misty cry this badly, but Misty was not the only one who got her heart broken. He, too, had feelings.

Wearing a smirk, he left the cemetery in his wheelchair.

That afternoon, Taylor handed a report to him. "Mr. Flanagan, your discharge has been processed."

He grunted. "Okay. Let's go."

When he was ready to leave, he heard a sardonic voice from before him.

"Are you leaving the hospital now? Why don't you stay a few more days?"

Carter looked up and met Zeke's blatantly provocative eyes.

Standing a few steps away from him, Zeke said smilingly, "I heard it was your parents' death anniversary today. I'm sorry that Misty forgot about it because she was too busy fussing over me. She didn't hold up your visit, did she?"

Carter's expression crumpled when Zeke made fun of the important day. Taylor, who served as both Carter's bodyguard and assistant, stepped forward and grabbed Zeke by the shoulder.

Still, Carter, ever the gentleman, suppressed his anger. He addressed Zeke coldly, "You should really work on yourself instead of wasting your time on me. Do you have anything to show apart from that face you share with Zach?"

Compared to Zach, Zeke was truly a good-for-nothing. His business acumen and painting skills paled in comparison to Zach's. He had to make use of Zach's fame to market his own art exhibition.

Losers hated it when people called them out. Zeke's face darkened, but soon, he put on an evil smile. He questioned Carter with hostility, "What about you? You might have come from a reputable family, and you have all the money and status you could ask for, but have you won Misty's love?"

"As for me," Zeke pointed at his own face. "All I need is a face that looks like Zach."

Suddenly, Zeke saw something from the corner of his eye and threw himself at Carter, leaving the sullen-looking Carter with no time to respond.

Taylor, who was on his guard, reflexively landed a kick on Zeke. The kick threw Zeke backward.

At the same time, Misty's furious voice filled the air.

"Carter, what are you doing?"