A car accident put me into a coma for three years.
My relatives were ready to give up on me—ready to authorize pulling the plug.
But Rachel Stevenson fought against it.
She declared, “Even if Ethan Marks never wakes up, I will never abandon him.”
“Through sickness and health, I will stay by his side—always.”
Later, Marks Holdings called for a Board of Directors meeting to replace me and hand over all authority… to her.
And right at that moment—
I woke up.
Inside the Private VIP ICU Suite, Nurse Kelly was wiping my body down.
When I opened my eyes, she screamed like she had seen a ghost.
I sighed. “I’m not rising from the dead. Do I really look that scary?”
She recovered awkwardly.
“Mr. Marks, you’ve been unconscious for three years! The doctors thought you might never wake up again… It’s a miracle you opened your eyes!”
I raised a hand to cut her off.
“Where’s Rachel?”
The nurse froze for a split second before replying quickly,
“Ms. Stevenson visits you every day. But today, she said Marks Holdings was holding an urgent Board Meeting… She promised she would come after it ends.”
I nodded.
“In these three years, besides Rachel… who else came to see me frequently?”
She hesitated.
I shot her a glance. Calm. Cold.
“You’ve taken care of me for three years. I won’t forget that. I’ll make sure you’re financially secure for the rest of your life.
So, speak freely. No one will hurt you over what you tell me.”
With that reassurance, Nurse Kelly leaned closer, whispering carefully:
“Mr. Marks… aside from Ms. Stevenson, your family shareholders came many times.”
“They insisted on withdrawing your life support. They said they couldn’t stand seeing you lying here like a vegetable… but anyone with half a brain knows all they want is your inheritance.”
“I overheard them. If you died, Ms. Stevenson wouldn’t even be granted full control of your estate. They’d split nearly half of it among themselves…”
“And… for protecting you, Ms. Stevenson has been fighting them constantly. Some of them even tried to drug you… and even planned to eliminate Ms. Stevenson too. Thankfully, she caught on and stopped them in time…”
Just as she kept praising Rachel and condemning the vile Marks Family shareholders, Dr. Harris rushed inside, breathless.
“Mr. Marks… You’re awake? This is extraordinary! I need to run full tests—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I’m heading to Marks Holdings. I’ll take the tests afterward.”
He panicked.
“Mr. Marks, your body is very weak. You need rest. Ms. Stevenson is already managing things for you. You can trust her—”
I gave him a smile. A mocking one.
No more words needed.
Borrowing Nurse Kelly’s phone, I dialed a number.
A lazy female voice answered,
“Oh? Congratulations.”
I said quietly,
“Marks Holdings is having their Board Meeting today. I bet they’re planning to strip me of my position as CEO… and divide up everything I own.”
“If I end up penniless…” I spoke lightly,
“You’ll take care of me, right?”
She laughed on the phone.
“Not only will I take care of you, Ethan Marks… I’ll help you reclaim everything that’s yours.”
“They think three years of coma gives them the right to seize your empire?
Idiots. If they knew what you’ve actually been doing these years… they’d die from fear.”
—
Inside Marks Holdings’ expansive New York headquarters, the Boardroom was packed.
Shareholders. Investors. Partners.
All gathered in a chaotic storm of greed.
The Marks family shareholders—my so-called relatives—were the loudest:
“I’m Ethan Marks’ uncle! His assets are family property! Even in a coma, his shares are not yours to control!”
“I’m his cousin! I helped him when he took over the company! If someone must be CEO again—it should be me! Not that woman!”
“Don’t be fooled by Rachel Stevenson’s fake loyalty! She’s cheating on Ethan! I saw her entering a hotel with a man—”
They hurled insults at Rachel not because they cared about me—
but because today, she was scheduled to replace me as CEO.
And if she gained that power…
they would no longer be able to bleed the company dry.
Jason Lee, Rachel’s assistant, snapped at them:
“Watch your mouths! If it weren’t for Ms. Stevenson managing this corporation, you greedy parasites would’ve already bankrupted Marks Holdings!”
“She’s Mr. Marks’ legal wife! He’s been unconscious for three long years—no one knows if he’ll ever wake again! She has every right to take over his responsibilities—”
Before he could finish—
Uncle Robert Marks slapped him across the face.
“You insignificant nobody!” he shouted.
“If Rachel hadn’t dragged you in, you’d never step foot into this room!”
“I heard she’s been keeping you as a boy toy—you two have probably been cheating behind my nephew’s back for years—!”
Jason exploded with rage, but Rachel raised a hand to stop him.
Rachel Stevenson narrowed her eyes at them—
her voice calm, but laced with ice.
“For three years, I tolerated you because you were Ethan’s relatives.
I looked away from your disgusting behavior.”
“But instead of restraint, you have grown bolder. You plot to steal what belongs to me and my husband.”
“My patience… ends today.”
“Security, get them out of here. They’re no longer allowed to step into Marks Holdings again. If they continue this nonsense, call the police and have them arrested.”
Rachel Stevenson’s voice was cold and commanding.
“I have plenty of evidence that could destroy your reputations. If any of you dare cause trouble again, don’t think I won’t let you rot in prison.”
Her words left the Marks family shareholders both shocked and enraged.
At that moment, the conference room doors swung open.
I appeared—sitting in my wheelchair—entering their line of sight.
Faces filled with disbelief froze under the bright conference lights.
“What a lively scene,” I said calmly.
In an instant, silence swallowed the entire room.
No one spoke. It felt as if my sudden return had ripped open a buried nightmare.
“What’s wrong?” I asked mildly. “Not happy to see me?”
The tension in the air thickened. The boardroom full of executives and partners shifted their gazes instinctively—not toward me—but toward the woman seated in the chairman’s spot.
Rachel Stevenson.
Only then did Rachel finally recover from her shock. She stood and hurried to my side, eyes glistening with tears, her soft smile trembling.
“Ethan… Ethan Marks, you’re awake… You really woke up!”
“Thank God I never gave up on you!”
She gently pushed my wheelchair next to the table, whispering in a fragile voice:
“It’s been three years.”
“You know how hard I’ve fought to keep everything together?”
“Marks Holdings was surrounded by threats. I lived in constant fear someone would try to finish what the accident started…”
“I was so terrified… so tired…”
Tears streamed as she buried herself against my shoulder.
Her assistant, Jason Lee, glared at me while defending her passionately:
“Mr. Marks, Ms. Stevenson’s dedication to Marks Holdings these years has been undeniable! After your car crash, she stepped up as vice president, leading the company through crisis after crisis!”
“But your relatives—those shareholders—kept undermining her at every turn!”
“They even pushed for pulling your life support when doctors believed you might never wake up! She refused—again and again—yet they insulted her, and even attacked her physically! Worst of all, they spread slander about her all over the internet!”
Jason’s angry accusations quickly stirred the room.
Executives and long-time business partners joined the chorus:
“They went too far.”
“In your first year of coma, they already tried to take your shares!”
“If it weren’t for Ms. Stevenson’s intervention, this company would be gone by now!”
“They even tried to steal clients behind her back—just to force her to give in!”
The Marks family shareholders turned pale as the condemnation piled up.
I narrowed my eyes at them.
“Anything to say for yourselves?”
Silence. Then, outrage.
One of them—my uncle by blood, Robert Marks—snapped first:
“Ethan! I’m your uncle! Is this how you speak to your family?”
“You swore at your parents’ grave you’d support every member of the Marks bloodline! And now you want revenge?”
“Yes, we considered ending your life support! But only because we didn’t want you suffering forever! We did it for your own good!”
