Later, I walked into Lily's hospital ward like a walking corpse. I started crying as I looked at her thin face.

Our parents had died young. Lily, who was three years younger than me, was the only family I had left. The first year after Jason founded his company, a wealthy heir assaulted her. I called the police without hesitation, but Jason stopped me.

He said the man had promised to invest a huge sum in his company, enough to change its fate. "Even if this goes to court, nothing will happen to him with his family's influence. Lily's reputation will be ruined, too."

In the end, I gave in.

But Lily broke completely. She jumped from the sixth floor and had been in a coma ever since.

Jason had arranged for her to stay in the best hospital, keeping her alive until now. That had always been the responsibility he was supposed to bear. I had never expected him and his mother to use Lily against me.

That was because his mother had threatened me with Lily, too.

"If you tell anyone I'm the one sending these women to Jason, I'll have someone pull Lily's oxygen tube! You can't even give Jason an heir! You forced me to do this!"

Their words were like knives, stabbing deeper and deeper into my heart.

I asked out loud, "Lily, will you leave with me?"

-

The doctor said Sylvia was about a month pregnant, but the pregnancy was unstable, so she needed to stay in the hospital for a few days.

Jason stayed with her day and night.

I finally had a chance to breathe.

I went home, took the few pieces of jewelry I had left, and sold them.

Over the years, Jason had told everyone in our circle how many expensive jewels he had bought for me, but his mother had taken almost all of them. She said I rarely socialized anyway, so there was no need for me to keep so many valuables at home.

As for the card Jason gave me for my monthly pocket money, his mother checked every penny I spent. That was why I could not touch that money now.

With the money from the jewelry sales, I contacted a nursing home in a small town near my hometown. After the divorce, I planned to take Lily there with me. Then, I rented a small apartment near the hospital.

There were still many days before we could get the divorce certificate. There was no way I could live under the same roof as Sylvia.

When I returned to the villa to pack, I took down our enormous wedding photo. Then, a document envelope fell from behind it.

Confused, I opened it. The papers inside had already yellowed with age.

It was a consent form for a liver transplant. My name was clearly signed on it, but the recipient was the son of a powerful official.

I collapsed to the floor, completely stunned.

Eight years ago, Jason had suddenly developed liver disease and needed a transplant. I happened to be a match, so I had the surgery without hesitation.

After I left the hospital, his company seemed to have turned itself around and grown rapidly. I had thought that maybe the gods had finally seen our hard work and decided to favor us for once.

I had never expected all of it to be bought with my liver.

The man I had loved for more than a decade had been plotting against me every step of the way.

Just as I was crumbling, my phone rang. It was a wealthy woman I had gotten to know for Jason's career's sake.

The wife of the rich man sent me an invitation to a charity auction: [My husband is out of the country. Come with me.]

I had planned to refuse, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw the list of the lots for auction.

The emerald bracelet on it was my family heirloom. I had sold it for 1.2 million so that Jason could start his business. After Jason became successful, I tried to buy it back, but someone else had already bought it.

My fists tightened. There was still money left in the account. I had saved somewhere between one and two million dollars over the years.

No matter what, I had to get that bracelet back.

I did not expect Jason and Sylvia to be there as well. "Clara, I'm moving into the villa tonight. Thank you for taking care of me from now on."

Jason ordered me, too. "When we get back, prepare some chicken soup for her."

I ignored them and waited anxiously for my family heirloom to appear.

When the final lot was revealed, Jason stiffened beside me. Like me, he recognized it immediately.

He turned to me. "I'll bid on it for you."

Before I could answer, Sylvia wrapped her arm around his arm and asked sweetly, "It's so beautiful. I like it very much. Will you give it to me?"

Jason nodded without hesitation. Then, he said to me, "I'll give it back to you once she's tired of it."

I blurted, "No!"

The starting bid was three hundred thousand, and I immediately raised my paddle.

I did not expect Jason to raise the bid straight to one million dollars.

The result was obvious. I lost.

After the auction, a staff member brought the bracelet over. I looked at Jason, almost begging. "You know how important this is to me. Give it to me, and I'll pay you back later."

But the moment I finished speaking, Sylvia lifted her hand and knocked the bracelet to the floor. It immediately broke into several pieces.

Furious, I slapped her.

She shrieked and threw herself into Jason's arms, sobbing. "I didn't mean to!"

Jason flew into a rage and kicked me several feet away. Then, he took out his phone and said, "Throw Lily out of the hospital! Clara, you really won't learn unless I teach you a lesson!"

Terrified, I tried to run forward and beg him, but the bodyguards threw me out of the venue.

Outside, rain poured down on the streets.

I could not get a cab at all.

I took off my heels and ran barefoot toward the hospital like a madwoman.

But I was still too late.

By the time I moved my bloodied feet to the trash bin behind the hospital and found Lily, she was already a cold corpse.

I called Jason and demanded, "Are you still a human? Would you have everything you have today without Lily? How could you be so cruel as to kill her?!"

But Sylvia's voice came from the other end.

Then, Jason said with disdain, "Stop lying to me. I didn't actually tell the hospital to throw her out. Hurry home and make the chicken soup. Behave yourself."

After he hung up, I laughed until my eyes turned red. I had planned to wait quietly for thirty days and end our marriage peacefully. Since he had shown me no mercy, it was only fair for me to show him none in kind.

After I took care of Lily's body, I walked into the police station with a thick stack of documents.

They were the papers I had found with my liver transplant consent form.

I would send Jason to hell!