"Whatever you want."

The call ended. My world fell back into silence.

My throat felt tightly blocked. It was raw and aching, as if something were stuck there. Tears slid down uncontrollably, one after another.

My parents-in-law were good people. Even though there was no love left between Orion and me, I still hoped my parents-in-law would stay healthy and live long lives.

Yet now, Mr. Hale lay in the emergency room, while his own son would rather be tangled up with an assistant than come to the hospital and stand watch.

They came from scholarly families, well-mannered and dignified. They didn’t want to argue with Vera in public, but they never imagined that their restraint would only give her more confidence, emboldening her to hurl insults until she quite literally angered Mr. Hale into the hospital.

Two hours earlier, I had been accompanying my parents-in-law at Mooncrest Pavilion for dinner.

Mooncrest Pavilion used to be my family’s restaurant. It was also Orion’s parents’ favorite place to eat, as well as Orion’s.

Before we left, Mrs. Hale carefully packed up the remaining bouillabaisse.

"Orion said he’s coming home for dinner tonight. When he was little, this bouillabaisse from Mooncrest Pavilion was his favorite. I’ll take it back and cook some pasta for him, and satisfy his craving."

She smiled with her eyes half-closed, telling me stories from Orion’s childhood, when suddenly a figure rushed forward and slapped the bouillabaisse out of her hands.

The soup splashed all over her face and clothes, even into her eyes. I didn’t have time to demand an explanation. Neither did Mr. Hale. We hurried to wipe her clean.

However, Vera refused to let it go.

"Lyra, do you even know what kind of place this is? This is Mooncrest Pavilion! Where did trashy, poor people like you come from? You can’t even finish a bowl of bouillabaisse without packing it up, and you still have the nerve to eat here?"

She stood in sky-high heels, wrapped head to toe in luxury brands Orion had bought for her as she peered down at my parents-in-law with undisguised arrogance.

"Look at what these two old things are wearing. What kind of rags are those? If your parents are that poor, they should eat at a roadside stall. Why come to Mooncrest Pavilion? Orion was right about you. You married him for his money. Shameless."

Mr. Hale understood immediately. She had mistaken them for my parents and was deliberately humiliating them as poor relatives.

Being the dignified man Mr. Hale was, he didn’t expose her mistake. Instead, he chose to speak up on behalf of my parents.

"Young lady, how can you speak like that? Whether someone is qualified to enter Mooncrest Pavilion isn’t for you to decide. And how old are you, anyway? We are your elders. Lyra is also several years older than you. You should show some respect and apologize."

Vera didn’t apologize. Instead, she lifted her high heel and swung it hard at his face. If I hadn’t reacted quickly and blocked it, the heel would have struck his eye.

She snorted coldly. "You want me to apologize? Do you even know who I am? I’m the girlfriend of the president of the Hale Group. If I so much as open my mouth, he’d give me Mooncrest Pavilion itself. And what are you, exactly?

"You probably don’t even know this yet. Your precious daughter was kicked out of the Hale family a long time ago. She didn’t get a single cent. And here you are, eating a fancy meal, enjoying yourselves, expecting Orion to foot the bill? Keep dreaming."

Before her words had even finished falling, a neat row of men in Mooncrest Pavilion uniforms lined up behind her.

The staff I used to manage here had long since been replaced. My parents-in-law were low-key by nature, so no one recognized us.

The men bowed respectfully to Vera, then, without a word, forced the three of us down onto the ground.

"What kind of broke trash thinks they’re qualified to eat at Mooncrest Pavilion? Do you even know who you’ve offended? Miss Rhodes is Mr. Hale’s precious favorite. You made her unhappy. Just wait and see how Mr. Hale deals with you!"

Mr. Hale already had trouble with his legs. After his knee slammed heavily into the ground, he couldn’t get back up. Beads of sweat instantly broke out across his forehead.

I rushed forward and shouted sharply, "I’m Lyra Hale. Orion Hale’s wife. These two are Orion Hale’s parents. Open your eyes and look carefully! Get Mr. Hale to the hospital immediately! If anything happens to him, you won’t be able to bear the consequences!"

The manager, Calvin Brooks, snorted coldly. Grabbing my chin, he swung his hand and slapped me hard.

"I’ve seen this kind of pathetic dine-and-dash trick countless times. Every day, someone claims to be Mr. Hale’s girlfriend to get out of paying. So why haven’t I ever seen Mr. Hale bring you here to eat?

"Up to now, the only person Mr. Hale has personally brought here is Miss Rhodes. We only listen to Miss Rhodes."

At that, Vera burst into laughter, grinning wildly. "Looks like these people can’t afford to pay. Just take them to the kitchen and make them work it off. Washing the dishes should cover the bill."

Calvin and the others ignored everything we said. They confiscated our phones and dragged the three of us into the kitchen at the back, forcing us to scrub dishes and sweep floors under watch. If we stopped working, we were beaten.

It wasn’t until Mr. Hale was locked inside the garbage room and was unable to breathe and collapsed unconscious that Calvin finally realized someone might die. Panicking, he threw us out through the back door.

As I climbed into the ambulance, I happened to lock eyes with Vera, who was just leaving after finishing her meal.

She stood at the entrance, her expression vicious. "Lyra, this time was just to teach you a lesson. This is what happens when you go against me."

Mrs. Hale came to her senses not long after that, still worried about her husband. With tear-filled eyes, she clasped my hands tightly.

"Lyra, don’t worry about us. Please go and bring Orion back. I don’t want Edmund to leave this world without even hearing his son’s voice."

She threw back the covers and got out of bed, trembling as she insisted on waiting outside the operating room.

I had been full of resentment. I thought that since Orion treated me like that, I would no longer involve myself in matters between his family. However, when I saw the pain on Mrs. Hale's face, I simply couldn’t bring myself to be that cruel.

By the time I reached Vera’s place, they had just finished.

Using a fire extinguisher to smash open her front door, I stormed inside and threw clothes onto Orion’s bare upper body.

"Get dressed. Come with me to the hospital and see Dad one last time."

Vera hooked Orion’s shirt with her foot and disdainfully kicked it out the window. "Lyra, can’t you see Orion’s busy? You’re so utterly unromantic. No wonder he doesn’t want to come home."

I ignored her. I flung the critical condition consent form straight into Orion’s face and stared at him as I repeated myself, "Mom is holding herself together with her own frail health, waiting outside the operating room for the results.

"She begged me to bring you to the hospital to see Dad one last time. I’ll give you five minutes. Get dressed and leave."

With one arm wrapped around Vera, Orion casually picked up the notice with his free hand and glanced at it. He scoffed, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it out the window.

"You think forging a critical condition consent form like this will make me believe you? Lyra, you’re still the same as you were five years ago. Stupid and blindly confident. Disgusting."

I let out a deep sigh. A sense of helplessness surged up from my chest.

I had deliberately taken the critical condition consent form just to prove to Orion that the man lying in the operating room really was his father.

I never imagined he wouldn’t believe it at all.

I could only stand there, pale and desperate, as I forced myself to explain.

"Our phones were all taken. I have no way to prove that the people who were hurt are your parents. But they really are at the hospital right now. Your mom dragged herself there despite being so sick, and she begged me to come get you.

"You need to come with me. They need us. Don’t waste any more time.

"And besides, Orion, we’ve been married for eight years. Even if the ones lying in the hospital right now were my parents, would that really have nothing to do with you? Don’t you have any obligation to at least go see them?"

Orion suddenly grabbed the water glass from the bedside and hurled it at me. The shattered glass sliced a deep gash across my face. Blood immediately dripped onto the floor.

"Lyra, what right do you have to talk to me about obligation? You know exactly why you married me.

"Learn something from Vera. Look at her. Even though she came from nothing, she’s never once opened her mouth to ask me for money. And you? Even if your parents die, what does that have to do with me? Aren’t you just trying to get me to pay your parents’ medical bills?

"Or even make me handle their funerals? Dream on. I won’t give you a single cent—"

Before he could finish, I lunged forward and slapped him across the face.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Mr. Hale was still lying in the operating room, his life hanging by a thread, and Orion kept talking about funerals and coffins.

He was not fit to be my parents' son-in-law, let alone his own parents' son.

When Orion realized I actually dared to hit him, he immediately grabbed my throat with one hand. With the other, he mercilessly drove punch after punch into my temples.

"You dare hit me? You put on this whole performance just to squeeze money out of me for your parents, and now you even dare to hit me? I’ll beat you to death!

"I’m telling you, Lyra. Not only am I not going to the hospital today, but neither are you. Aren’t you so devoted to your parents? I’ll make sure you don’t get to see your dad one last time. This is your punishment for hitting me."

As he spoke, he slapped me hard twice more, until my mouth and nose were filled with the metallic taste of blood and my swollen eyes could barely open. Only then did he pull out a thick coil of rope and bind me tightly to the window pillar.

I could only brace my body and desperately keep my balance. The moment I tried to struggle, I would lose my footing and fall out the window, hanging headfirst in midair.

Seeing the terror on my face, Orion was clearly satisfied. He gripped my chin tightly.

"Gold-digging witch. That’s all it takes to scare you? Didn’t you say back then that as long as I gave you money, you’d do anything? You can’t even handle this little bit of suffering. How are you supposed to beg other men for money in the future?"

I didn’t want to waste any more time settling old scores with him.

I twisted my head away from his hand, spat out the blood in my mouth, and spoke each word slowly and clearly, "Orion, go to the hospital and see your parents. As long as you go, I’ll agree to the divorce. When you come back from the hospital, we’ll get it done immediately."

At those words, Vera’s eyes lit up. Without saying a word, she ran to the wardrobe, grabbed a new shirt, and moved to help Orion put it on.

Orion didn’t even look at her. He shoved her aside and sneered, grinding the cigarette butt out against my collarbone.

The pain made me suck in a sharp breath, tears streaming down my face. He clamped his hand over my mouth, not letting me make a sound.

Orion laughed. "Divorce? I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want a divorce anymore. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re really after by suddenly agreeing to it. There’s no clean break anymore. You want to split my assets.

"You can’t squeeze money out of me through your parents, so now you’re aiming for a big payout so you can run off. On what grounds? I won’t let you have it easy. I won’t give you a single cent."