As soon as David heard Joe was ill, he hurried over, arriving at the third-floor inpatient ward by noon the next day.

Ellie met him in the corridor.

"How's your father?" David’s words were urgent, but his eyes betrayed a different concern.

"What perfect timing," Ellie said flatly. "A little later, and my father would have been discharged."

David knew Joe had just undergone major heart surgery—discharge was impossible. This was Ellie's angry retort, furious he hadn’t been there yesterday.

But Carolyn had complained of stomach pain last night. Was it wrong to keep her company?

Spoiled rich girls were so unreasonable, he thought.

"I'll go see your father."

"No need. He hasn’t woken up yet." Her words slapped the air between them.

David gave her a puzzled look. She had always been gentle with him. Why this icy rage today?

"Ellie, why do you look so pale?"

"Do I?" She stared coldly. "I've always looked unwell."

Since becoming pregnant, Ellie had been running a low-grade fever. Now, less than twelve hours after the abortion, she felt utterly drained.

Just then, a sugary voice called from down the hall.

"David?"

Ellie turned to see Carolyn holding her cheek, eyes red and swollen.

When his sister-in-law appeared, David rushed over with concern. From a distance, Ellie watched as Carolyn pointed insistently at her teeth.

David examined them as if the pain were his own.

Carolyn stood on tiptoe, whispering into his ear.

Suddenly, David looked toward Ellie, his eyes filled with venom. Then, catching her gaze, he smiled again, his expression softening like warm sunlight.

In less than half a minute, Carolyn glanced at Ellie, offered a faint smile, and left.

David strode forward, his voice dropping to a hiss.

"You didn’t come home last night. Where were you?"

Ellie didn’t want to tell him about the abortion. Not now.

When she stayed silent, David sneered, a vein throbbing on his pale forehead.

"How impressive! While your father was in surgery, you were off in the woods with another man, weren’t you?"

…

Ellie’s eyes brightened slightly.

So that was how the “bastard” had come to be.

She didn’t want to explain. There was no point.

"Did Carolyn tell you that?"

David’s brows knotted. "My sister-in-law is honest and decent. She wouldn’t lie. Your father’s surgery ended yesterday—why weren’t you home last night?"

His gaze fell darkly on Ellie’s abdomen.

Suddenly, she laughed.

"So you knew all along the surgery was yesterday? I thought you’d just found out."

Her words left him speechless.

Unlike before, her father hadn’t died. That meant she still had value to David.

Having died a miserable death once, Ellie refused to back down.

"People in the company housing saw you and Carolyn kissing in the woods… Could it be last night, you two were going at it in my bed?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw David’s face tremble. From anger or fear, she couldn’t tell.

"Nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"

Ellie smiled faintly.

"She can slander me, but you can’t stand being accused yourself?"

David’s face drained of color, then flooded with angry red. He dragged Ellie into the stairwell, his voice sharp with accusation—as if she had stripped him of every shred of dignity.

“Don’t you dare accuse me! A widow’s reputation is fragile enough. Carolyn is a virtuous woman. I won’t let you tarnish her!”

“She seems to have a very clear view of *your* business, though.”

Ellie sniffed, letting a note of hurt creep in. “Carolyn? It’s always Carolyn with you. It really upsets me.”

“Consider this your final warning. Send your precious sister-in-law packing, back to where she came from. Or we’re getting a divorce.”

In truth, Ellie was just playing with him.

Just as he had played with her life in her last one.

Divorce had never been up for negotiation.

Whether David sent Carolyn away or not, this marriage was already over.

Hearing the word ‘divorce’, David’s brow furrowed; his tone softened slightly.

“Ellie, my brother is dead. She’s all alone in the world. You want me to send her back to that mountain village? How would she survive?”

“Have a little compassion, will you?”

Only in the final days of her past life had Ellie learned the truth: Carolyn and David had been childhood sweethearts.

They had compassion, alright—for each other. But where was that compassion when she was bleeding out on the floor, begging and crying for help?

It seemed all their sympathy was reserved for one another.

Ellie gave a casual shrug.

“Can’t bear to part with her? Then I guess it’s divorce.”

A heavy silence settled in the stairwell.

The next morning, Joe regained consciousness.

Ignoring the searing pain in her abdomen, Ellie tended to her father—administering injections, giving medication, keeping vigil through the night. Only when he drifted back to sleep did she return home for a change of clothes before heading back to the hospital.

The moment she stepped inside, David was there, gently offering her a pill as if yesterday’s fight had never happened.

“Ellie, time for your vitamins.”

She took the tablet, held it up to the light bulb, turning it over and over.

*Plunk.*

She dropped it into a glass of water and let out a cold laugh.

“David, don’t insult my intelligence. An abortion pill? You think a doctor wouldn’t recognize one? If you suspect the child isn’t yours, you can always divorce me.”

“Just don’t try to play dirty.”

Her words drained the color from his face.

“You…”

Before, she’d swallow whatever pill he gave her without a second glance. Now she was inspecting it?

After a brief panic, David regained his composure. He pushed the glass toward her. “Ellie, just drink it. It’s for the sake of our marriage.”

Ellie took the cup and flung the contents directly into his face.

At that moment, the bedroom door opened.

Carolyn, seeing David drenched, hurried over with a handkerchief to dab his face. Then she positioned herself behind him, pressing close, letting her tears fall onto his shoulder with soft, dramatic patters.

“It’s all my fault. My body failed me. Your brother died, and I couldn’t even give him an heir.”

She reached out and grasped Ellie’s hand.

“Sister-in-law, David’s child is the only hope left for the family. You can’t be so selfish, trying to pass off some… bastard as his…”

Ellie pulled her hand free and fixed Carolyn with a steady gaze.

She’d let this woman into her home out of pity, a widow alone in the world.

Looking back now, her past self had been a fool. She’d forgotten the fable of the farmer and the snake, ignored every warning about playing with fire.

She had no interest in arguing with Carolyn. Nor any intention of continuing this farce of a marriage.

“David,” Ellie said with a faint smile. “Make sure she’s gone by tonight. Otherwise, we’re filing for divorce first thing tomorrow.”