Adrianna was caught in the turbulent waves, barely escaping with her life, while my husband was off tending to his first love, who suffered a mere bruise in a minor car accident.

Standing outside the intensive care unit, I called him.

“Honey, Mom’s not doing well. She’s waiting to see you one last time.”

He thought I meant my mother. His response was impatient and irritated. “If your mom’s not well, that's her problem. I’m just her son-in-law, not her son. I don’t have time to come over.”

“Reyna was in an accident and has a scratch on her leg. I need to be with her.”

He hung up the phone and blocked me.

That night, Adrianna passed away, and I handled her affairs alone.

Just as the funeral was ending, my husband suddenly appeared. Looking at the urn in my hands, tears welled up in his eyes.

“I thought... I thought it was your mom.”

I slapped him across the face, my voice shaky with emotion, “Jerk! So, my mom deserved to die?”

---

I kept vigil outside the emergency surgery room, watching doctors move in and out. After an agonizing four hours, the surgery light finally went off. The doctor emerged, exhausted, and removed his mask. “I’m sorry, we did everything we could. You should say your goodbyes.”

I rushed into the surgery room, where Adrianna lay on the table, an oxygen mask over her face, barely clinging to life.

“Mom…”

I knelt by her side, holding her hand, tears falling uncontrollably. Since marrying into the family, Adrianna had been more of a mother to me than my own. Seeing her here felt like my heart was being ripped apart. The pain was unbearable.

Adrianna squeezed my hand with all her remaining strength, her voice barely audible. “Ophelia, is Jaden here? I… I want to see him one last time.”

“He’s not picking up the phone. I’ll keep trying.”

I called Jaden Johnson again. My hands trembled so much it took me a while to dial correctly. After countless attempts today, he finally answered.

His voice on the other end was irritable. “Ophelia, why do you keep calling? So I didn’t come home, big deal. Reyna was in a car accident and has a bruise. I’m with her.”

“Stop pestering me with these calls. It’s annoying!”

Reyna Ray! It was always Reyna!

She was always his favorite!

I didn’t want to argue with him now, so I held back my emotions. “Can you come to the hospital? Mom’s not doing well, and she wants to see you one last time.”

I glanced at Adrianna on the table, who seemed to be hanging on by sheer willpower.

But Jaden lashed out at me instead. “Your mother’s health is your problem. I’m just a son-in-law, not a son. I don’t have time to come over—I’m with Reyna.”

“Jaden Johnson!”

I wanted to say more, but Adrianna squeezed my hand again, shaking her head at me. Jaden ended the call right then.

I thought about calling him again, but Adrianna stopped me. “No need… Ophelia. If he can leave me alone at the beach today, I’m done with him. But I can’t stop worrying about you…”

Adrianna struggled to breathe, pausing for a while.

“I’m not going to make it. There are two things I need to say to you.”

I held her hand tightly, tears choking my voice, waiting for her words.

Perhaps sensing the end, Adrianna’s speech was starting to falter.

“Don’t tell that ungrateful child of my passing, and divorce Jaden. He’s not good enough for you.”

With that, her hand suddenly fell, and the life monitor turned into a steady line, emitting a flat, continuous beep.

“Mom!” My choked sobs turned into a heart-wrenching scream.

I shook her, hoping she would wake up, but Adrianna would never wake again.

The doctor heard the commotion and came in, covering Adrianna with a sheet before wheeling her to the morgue.

I spent the whole night sitting by the morgue door. Normally, such a grim place would terrify me, but with Adrianna there, I felt no fear.

The next day, I staggered to my feet and contacted the funeral home to take her away.

After they instructed me on a few things to keep in mind, I decided to go home, shower, and change.

That’s when Jaden called.

I didn’t want to answer, so I declined the call.

He rang again, the urgency of his calls a grating reminder of how he had treated mine yesterday.

I picked up, my voice weary and cold. “What?”

“Ophelia, where were you last night? You’re a married woman; it’s inappropriate not to come home. Who were you with all night?”

“I wasn’t with just one man. I was with many. If you can’t stand it, then let’s get a divorce!”

“You…”

I hung up on Jaden, sensing his fury on the other end just before I did.

I returned home. As soon as I stepped into the foyer, I saw Jaden Johnson and Reyna Ray sitting on the couch. This wasn't the first time since our marriage that Jaden had brought Reyna home.

They always acted as if their love was the real deal, as if I, the legitimate wife, was just an outsider. I was too exhausted to argue today, so I merely glanced at them. Reyna had a noticeable scrape on her foot, and Jaden was attentively tending to it, resting her leg on his lap as he carefully applied the ointment, like she was a fragile treasure.

I couldn't help but smirk. I remembered the time I was cooking and a splash of hot oil badly burned my arm. Jaden just sneered, "Can't even cook properly—what good are you?" Despite my severe injury, Jaden showed no concern for me and even hurled insults. Yet now, Reyna had just a minor scrape, and he was overflowing with compassion, personally tending to her wound.

Just like that, the part of me that once loved Jaden so deeply stopped. It even felt a bit nauseating...

Reyna was the first to notice me, yet she didn't withdraw her leg but instead gave me a challenging look. "Ophelia, you're back. I got injured, and Jaden is helping me with it. You don't mind, do you?"

Jaden's hands didn't stop moving. "Does she have the right to mind? If it weren't for the pressure from my family, I'd have married you in the first place."

It was true. Reyna had always been Jaden's favorite, ever since campus days to graduation. But Reyna's family background didn't fit the expectations of the Johnsons, who instead forced me, the girl-next-door he'd known forever, upon him.

I had secretly loved Jaden for many years, and despite knowing there was someone else in his heart, I married him. I convinced myself that if I tried hard enough, I could win over Jaden's heart. But it was futile. Not only did Jaden not love me, he grew increasingly annoyed with me and often brazenly brought Reyna home.

I used to care a lot. But gradually, I stopped... especially after Adrianna's incident. I just wanted to sort out her affairs and then divorce Jaden.

"Do whatever you want." This time, I didn't have the energy to argue and turned to head upstairs.

"Stop!" Jaden called after me, blocking my path. He stood so tall, towering over me and casting a shadow.

I didn't want to engage with him and tried to move past, but he gripped my hand, demanding answers.

"Who were you with last night?"

"Didn't I tell you? A bunch of wild guys having a blast."

I glanced at Reyna on the couch again. "So it's okay for you to have a great time with your first love, but not for me to hang out with other men? At least I don't bring them home."

I struggled to free myself from his grip.

"If you can't stand me, let's just get a divorce. I'll give up the title of Mrs. Johnson—I don't care for it anymore!"

As I spoke those words, there was a twinge of pain in my heart, but it was barely noticeable, easy to ignore. I turned and went upstairs.

After showering and changing my clothes, I packed a fresh outfit. Downstairs, Jaden and Reyna were still cozied up on the couch. Reyna eyed the clothes in my hand and said pointedly, "Ophelia, are you not coming home again tonight? As women, we should center our lives around the home and our husbands. What you're doing... it's not right."

She said this while clinging to Jaden. Suddenly, I recalled what Adrianna looked like in her final days. A surge of strength came from nowhere as I strode over and yanked Reyna up, slapping her face repeatedly.

Each slap echoed louder than the last.

"What right do you have to speak to me? Reyna the homewrecker! Proud of stealing someone else's husband, are you? I've refrained from hitting you before out of disdain, but now, you're asking for it."

"I'm in a foul mood today and am determined to deal with this homewrecker!"

Reyna screamed, trying to dodge but unable to escape me.

"Jaden, help me! Ophelia's gone mad!"

"Quiet!" I grabbed a cloth from the table and stuffed it into her mouth as Jaden tried to pull me away. I don't know where I found the strength, but I grabbed a vase and smashed it against Jaden.

"Get lost, jerk! You dare to stop me? Jaden Johnson, yesterday, why did you leave your mom alone at the lake? Why?!"

I roared, tears streaming down my face. "Do you know, do you even know, how dangerous it was for her to be alone?"

Jaden clutched his wounded arm, grimacing in pain. "Mom's a grown woman; what could happen to her? Besides, there were other people at the lake."

"Other people? Other people? Jaden Johnson, that was your mother! You just abandoned her?"

"You're unreasonable," Jaden spat with disdain. "Reyna had a car accident yesterday. She was here, alone and helpless. What was I supposed to do? Mom wouldn't want you acting like a jealous wife."

I laughed bitterly, though tears kept falling.

"Jaden Johnson, do you realize you missed the last moments with the most important person in your life yesterday?"

He seemed to remember something. "Oh right, you called yesterday saying your mom died, didn't you? In that case, I won't hold today's antics against you."

"And don't flatter yourself by saying your mom is the most important person in my life. We weren't that close."

I almost laughed. How could the call go through? Adrianna was gone!

"Thirty grand? You're giving it to her? Tell her yourself when you see her. Jaden Johnson, tomorrow, at 108 Blakeney Street. That's where Mom will be. Make sure to come!"

I wondered what Jaden's reaction would be when he found out the truth tomorrow...