In the coffee shop, I had just signed the fake death agreement Shawn handed me when Joshua's mother called. "Evelyn, you need to come back right away. I have something important to tell you."

My mother-in-law's tone was urgent. I didn't ask for details. After hanging up, I got ready to leave.

Shawn grabbed my arm, his face full of concern. "Evelyn, you've been exhausted lately. If you want, I can arrange for the fake death earlier."

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. "No need. Let's stick to the original plan."

There were 20 days left. That day happened to be the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Joshua. It seemed fitting for Evelyn's life to end on that day.

I drove straight to the Sinclair Family's residence. As soon as I walked in, I saw my mother-in-law arguing with Zafrielle in the living room. When she spotted me, her eyes lit up and she immediately called out, "Evelyn! You're finally here! This woman says Joshua wants to divorce you. Tell me, is it true?"

I frowned and looked coldly at Zafrielle. Her eyes were filled with arrogance and provocation. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she smirked and said, "Of course it's true. Auntie, I'll be your daughter-in-law from now on. Joshua loves me."

My mother-in-law clutched my hand tightly, her grip so strong it made my wrist ache. She looked at me desperately. "Evelyn, she's lying, right? Joshua loves you, doesn't he?"

"Mom, I … " I lowered my head, unsure what to say. For the past five years, my mother-in-law had treated me well. Of course, Joshua was also very good to me before.

Before the accident, no matter how hard I racked my brain, I never would have imagined that one day he'd treat me like this.

"Auntie, I told you, Joshua wants to divorce her. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you in the future." Zafrielle took my mother-in-law's arm, making herself at home.

"Let go of me! Stop talking nonsense! Joshua isn't that kind of person!" My mother-in-law yanked her hand away, her voice trembling with rage.

Zafrielle only looked more smug. "Joshua is crazy about me. He can't live without me."

"That's a lie!" My mother-in-law shouted, then suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed. Zafrielle froze, momentarily panicked. Then, as if afraid of getting involved, she quietly stepped back.

My mother-in-law has a heart condition and I was so nervous that my hands were shaking when I called 911. When I finished the call, I realized Zafrielle had slipped away. The paramedics arrived, but they couldn't save her despite their efforts. "I'm sorry for your loss," one of them said.

My phone slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. Joshua rushed in and Zafrielle was in his arms, crying as if she were the most devastated person in the world. Before his mother's body had even cooled, he slapped me across the face without a word. My head rang and I tasted the bitter tang of blood in my mouth. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with confusion.

"Zafrielle told me everything. You're the one who angered my mom to death! Evelyn, how could you be so cruel? Even if you don't want to divorce me, how could you come here and cause trouble? She had a heart condition, didn't you know that?"

Joshua's accusations felt like a cruel joke. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Zafrielle. She seemed guilty and avoided my gaze, lowering her head. My cheek burned; Joshua's slap had been forceful and it hurt. So hurt that the pain numbed my heart. At that moment, I truly wished Evelyn would die. I even wondered if Joshua would kick my corpse if I were the one who had died today. Did he really hate me that much?

"I don't want to argue with you in front of Mom. Don't worry, I'll sign the divorce papers after the funeral." How did I say those words?

Each one felt like a needle stabbing into me, but Joshua was like a beast smelling blood. His eyes were red with fury as he pointed at me and roared, "You have no right to attend my mother's funeral! You killed her!"

Tears slipped down my face, but he only wanted to hurt me more. "Get lost! You're not welcome here! With you around, my mom won't rest in peace!"

I curled my lips into a bitter smile, grabbed my coat and turned to leave. Before stepping out, I glanced back at him and Zafrielle. The whole world felt eerily quiet. I said, "Joshua, I had nothing to do with Mom's death. It was Zafrielle who provoked her. I know you won't believe me, but I still had to say it."

After saying that, I turned around and walked away very quickly. I was afraid of hearing anything I couldn't bear from Joshua again.

Just as the doctor said, the car accident had severely damaged his nerves. He was now a simple-minded creature, blindly believing Zafrielle. Her words were gospel to him and anything I said was just a calculated scheme.

Joshua hadn't come home for days. He was probably busy with his mother's funeral. I saw Zafrielle's social media posts – fragmented images of him and her, looking fragile. It was like a scene from a movie, so beautiful. I laughed bitterly and tapped Zafrielle's profile, selecting "blocked." I was choosing to exit their movie.

I started packing at home, removing all the reminders of the happy times Joshua and I had shared from my world. Gifts I'd given him, gifts he'd given me – I packed them all up, ready to throw them away. Those memories meant nothing to Joshua anymore. If he saw them, he'd probably feel disgusted.

The door burst open with a bang. Joshua stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. He walked straight toward me and grabbed my throat. "Evelyn! How long are you going to keep harassing me? Isn't killing my mother enough for you?"

I managed a weak smile, my eyes stinging and tried to pull away. Joshua looked down and saw a heart-shaped pendant in my hand. It was a gift he'd given me for our first wedding anniversary. The pendant was filled with crimson liquid, which was Joshua's heart blood that he put in to prove his love for me. He once held this pendant and told me, "I will love you forever, until the day I die."

He let go of me, frowning slightly and picked up the pendant. His reaction was strange. I couldn't help but ask, "Do you remember?"

Joshua clenched the pendant, a low groan escaping him. "Evelyn, what trick are you playing now? Why does my heart hurt so much when I see this?"

I suddenly laughed, laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face. So, even if a person loses their memories, their body will still remember. His heart still ached. I held my sore throat and said mockingly, "Joshua, even your heart knows how to lie?"

"What do you mean?" Joshua stared at me coldly. Just then, his phone rang. It was Zafrielle.

"Joshua, my stomach feels a little uncomfortable. When are you coming back?"

"I'll be right there."

As she spoke, Zafrielle caught sight of the pendant in his hand. Her voice suddenly sharpened. "Joshua, that pendant ... that pendant … "

"What is it?" Joshua asked, his voice tense.

"Joshua, don't you remember? That pendant, I gave it to you. The blood inside is mine."

I staggered, barely catching myself on the wall. Joshua glanced at me blankly and said, "Zafrielle, I'm on my way!"

He hung up and turned to me, his eyes filled with cold disgust. "Evelyn, just how many of my memories with Zafrielle have you stolen? How can a woman be as vicious as you?"

He looked at me one last time, his eyes bloodshot with hatred. "You're faking your stomach pain too, aren't you? Evelyn, just stop. I won't fall for your tricks again."

He slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the house. I couldn't hold on any longer. I slid down the wall, the pain overwhelming me and blacked out. The stomach disease that had not occurred for several years under Joshua's gentle care acted up again without any warning. Just like Joshua's love, it came and went as it pleased.

Five days left. I went to see the fake death agency's preparation of my "corpse." I imagined how Joshua would react five days from now when he saw my lifeless body in the morgue. He'd probably be happy. Finally, get rid of me. He could live peacefully with Zafrielle, no longer burdened by my presence.

As I exited the building and waited for Shawn's car, I saw Joshua and Zafrielle drinking inside a bar across the street with a group of his fair-weather friends. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows across the road, Joshua suddenly lifted his head and locked eyes with me.

His friends noticed me, too. They exchanged a few words in hushed voices. Then, one of them stood up and walked toward me. It was Tommy, Joshua's old college friend. "Well, well, what a coincidence," he sneered. His eyes scanned me with ill-concealed malice, his tone slightly contemptuous. "Did you follow Joshua here on purpose? Pretending to run into him by accident?"

I ignored him and glanced at my watch.

"Come on, it's been a while, hasn't it? Gotta say, you've really matured. You've gotten sexier even. Now that you and Joshua are divorced, how about giving me a shot? I don't mind. To be honest, I've always liked you. You're way wilder than any of my exes." His words got filthier by the second and he actually reached out to grab my waist.

I quickly dodged, but he wasn't about to back off. When I looked up, I saw Joshua and Zafrielle watching the scene with amusement. Their lips curved into faint smiles, their eyes filled with detached amusement—like they were watching a circus act. "Get lost! Touch me again and I'll make you regret it!" I snapped, trying to shake him off.

However, Tommy's smile grew even more brazen. He tried to pull me into his arms, his other hand wandering over my body. "Bitch, stop pretending! We all know how slutty you are in private! How else could you have tricked Joshua?"

My blood boiled. I bit my lip hard and raised my hand to slap him with all my might. Unfortunately, before my arm could fall, he grabbed it. The disparity in strength between a man and a woman was painfully obvious at that moment.

Tommy leaned in close, his voice laced with mockery. "Come on, Evelyn, drop the act. You're not expecting Joshua to swoop in and save you, are you? Let me tell you something—he's the one who told me to mess with you. He's got his dream girl in his arms now. You? He couldn't care less."

Laughter erupted from the bar. Joshua raised his glass, took a slow sip and watched. At that moment, I meant less to him than to a stranger.

I felt a sense of disorientation, as if Joshua hugging another woman across the glass window was a completely different person from the one who used to cherish me. A wave of embarrassment and helplessness washed over me. Tommy's ugly face was about to come closer again, so a sleek Maybach pulled up to the curb.

Shawn stepped out, dressed in a long black trench coat. Without a word, he yanked me behind him and swung a brutal punch at Tommy. Punch after punch, Tommy's nose and mouth were bleeding. His face was now black and blue.

Joshua and his friends rushed over, but Shawn didn't glance at them. He pulled me into the car and sped off. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Joshua grabbing Tommy and saying something. I thought I saw him shove Tommy right before we turned the corner. It must've been my imagination. Even if they did argue, it had nothing to do with me.