The photo on the wall was taken during last year’s spring festival.

In the picture, Wanda was not smiling even for the slightest. Also, the others wore smiles that felt forced, almost mechanical.

I was the only one seated in the center, grinning like a fool.

Now that I could see it clearly, it was painfully obvious how ironic and absurd the whole scene was.

Unable to hold back, I picked up my phone and dialed Lucas.

The call connected quickly, but I could not hear any traces of any guilt from Lucas at all. Instead, his voice brimmed with excitement. "Dad, you really should come to Estoria to visit!"

"The winter here is truly beautiful. Snow blankets everything as far as the eye can see like the world has been covered in silver."

"Mr. Collins took us to visit so many scenic spots and Xavion and Xavier are having the time of their lives."

"I can’t talk much longer, Dad. We’re about to go dog sledding and Mr. Collins is already calling for us."

Then came the beep of the disconnected line as bitterness welled up inside me.

Several times, I thought of calling Wanda. My thumb hovered over her number, ready to press, but every time, I stopped myself.

We had agreed to part ways. I had no right to disturb her anymore.

Just as I was about to put the phone down, it rang. The screen lit up with her name.

"Yes, Wanda?"

"Ethan, it’s me, Luigi Collins."

I froze, my earlier excitement turning into confusion.

"Wanda is out playing with the boys, so she asked me to call and let you know everything is fine."

This was the first time I had ever spoken to Luigi.

I only knew him as Wanda’s first love and her junior high school classmate. People said he was gentle and easygoing.

"Ethan, I want to apologize to you first."

"It was my idea to invite Lucas and his family to Estoria to visit."

"I thought about informing you beforehand, but Wanda insisted it wasn’t necessary."

"She said the children are grown now and can make their own decisions."

"She didn’t think every family matter needed to go through you."

"Ethan, you’re not upset about this, are you?"

I clenched my teeth, struggling to keep my voice steady as pain and anger swirled inside me.

His polite tone masked something sharper, a provocation disguised as a courtesy.

Taking a deep breath, I forced a calm tone. "No, as long as they’re happy."

Luigi chuckled lightly. "Haha, that’s good to hear. Then I can rest assured."

"Ethan, I must thank you."

"Really, thank you for taking such good care of Wanda all these years. You’ve been a responsible and kind man."

"And actually, Wanda and I are planning to get married next week."

"If it’s convenient, we’d love for you to come to our wedding."

My fist clenched so hard that my nails dug into my palm.

Before I could even respond, I heard Wanda’s voice in the background.

"Luigi, who are you talking to on the phone?"

In the next moment, the call disconnected abruptly.

It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving me hollow and drained. Slowly, I sank onto the sofa.

The weight of loneliness and coldness pressed down on me.

I did not drink a drop of water for the rest of the day.

Late into the night, my phone buzzed with a message from Wanda.

[Ethan, are you asleep?]

I forced myself to pick up the phone and her familiar avatar stared back at me, stirring a storm of emotions inside.

My fingers trembled for a long time until I fell asleep before replying.

[If you’re awake, I’d like to discuss something with you.]

Her tone was so familiar, just like in the past when she would bring up important family matters for us to decide together.

I frowned and replied, [There’s nothing to discuss. We’re divorced. You can marry whoever you want.]

[That’s not what I wanted to talk about. Luigi has never been married and he doesn’t have any children. So I want Lucas to change his surname, along with Xavion and Xavier.]

The anger I had just suppressed instantly surged back, raging in my chest.

I never imagined that Wanda would dare to make such an audacious request.

Not only did she want to marry Luigi, but she also expected all our son and grandsons to take his surname, leaving me as a lonely old man.

My hands shook as I dialed her number and I nearly shouted, "Wanda Larson, do you even realize what you're asking?"

"After decades of marriage, is there truly no love left between us? Must you drive me to death to feel satisfied?"

Her voice was calm and collected, as if she had anticipated my fury. "Ethan, I’m not commanding you. I’m just discussing it. Before you lose your temper, maybe you should ask the boys for their opinion. They’re adults now, so they have their own minds. Don’t you think you’ve controlled them enough over the years?"

I snapped. " I don’t need to ask. And I certainly won’t agree to this!"

"The blood that runs in our children’s veins is Mitchell’s family blood. That’s their heritage, their legacy!"

"They’ll change their surname to Collins over my dead body!"

Before she could respond, I abruptly hung up.

The phone buzzed repeatedly as she tried to call back, refusing to give in. It was not until I blocked her number that the house finally grew silent again.

I stared at the emptiness that had settled in my home, feeling more isolated than ever before.

The next morning, I began clearing out all of Wanda’s belongings. Once the house was stripped of her traces, it felt less suffocating.

I did not sleep the entire night. My thoughts swirled endlessly until a quiet clarity emerged.

A person cannot live solely for love, especially not for someone who doesn’t love you back.

I reminded myself that I was only sixty-three, still young enough to start anew. I resolved to live each day well and to be kind to myself.

Without hesitation, I signed up for a senior tour group. The chosen route was to the Great Northwind.

The Silkrana Road and the vast Loessara Plateau had long captivated me since I was young. But every time I brought up the idea in the past, Wanda dismissed it. She had no interest in barren places, let alone deserts.

Now, with her gone, I could finally go by myself.

Just as I was about to embark on this long-awaited journey, my phone rang. Lucas’s voice came through from the phone.

He spoke tearfully, "Dad, Mom is in the hospital!"

"Dad, Mom is in the hospital! She’s been diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. The doctor said she has maybe half a month left. Please, come quickly!"

For days, I had convinced myself that I had let go of everything. However, upon hearing the news about Wanda Larson, I felt a pang of helplessness.

Without hesitation, I canceled my trip and booked the earliest flight to Estoria.

When I rushed into the hospital ward, what I saw left me frozen in place.

Lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an oxygen tube, was Luigi.

Wanda stood alongside our son and grandsons, their faces pale and worn with exhaustion.

Realizing I had been deceived, anger flared in me. I turned around, ready to leave, but Wanda blocked my path. "Ethan, please listen to me first."

"It’s not me who’s terminally ill. It’s Luigi."

"It was my idea for Feng'er to lie to you."

"I asked Lucas to lie to you. I knew you wouldn’t come otherwise."

I stared at her coldly: "Wanda Larson, we are divorced!"

"What do you want from me? Can’t you just let me go?"

Her tears fell freely now. "Ethan, in all the years we were married, I never begged you for anything. This is the first and the last time I’ll ask. "

"He doesn’t have much time left. The doctor said it could be any day now."

"I don’t want him to leave this world with regrets."

"Ethan, I beg you. I will even kneel."

"Just promise me you’ll allow our son and grandsons to change their surnames!"

"After this, they can be good sons and grandsons for him."

So, that was her true purpose!

Anger surged through me, my entire body trembling. Before I could say anything, Wanda suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

But she was not alone. One by one, my son and grandsons gathered around her.

"Dad, Mr. Collins has already suffered so much. He has no family, no children."

"We’re only changing our surname to give him some comfort in his final moments."

"Grandpa, Dad is right."

"Mr. Collins has been very kind to us. He even wrote us into his will, leaving us his family property."

"Even if we change our surname, we’re still your grandsons."

"It’s not such a big deal."

"Yes, Grandpa. Nowadays, many people take their mother’s surname."

"Besides, Grandma has already remarried. It’s only reasonable for us to follow her lead."

"And if it matters that much, we can always change it back after the funeral."

Listening to their words, I felt that I struggled to breathe.

My son… My grandsons… They were the people I had poured my entire life into.

Lucas was born after a difficult labor. I carried him down five flights of stairs, rushing him to the special care unit. Along the way, my head struck a corner, leaving my face bloodied, but I did not stop.

Xavion was once chased by a rabid dog. I threw myself in front of him, fighting off two mad dogs with nothing but my bare hands. The injuries left me bedridden for three months.

And Xavier struggled with severe asthma as a child. It was I who braved the treacherous mountains, risking life and limb to gather rare herbs to treat his condition.

***

The more I thought about it, the colder my heart grew and the angrier I became.

"If you still want me to agree, it will have to be over my dead body!"

Seeing that her words could not move me, Wanda’s gaze turned steely. Without a word, she grabbed my arm and dragged me to the fire escape outside.

"Ethan, since you’re so stubborn, there’s no point in hiding it from you anymore."

"No matter whether you agree or not, the children should bear Collins as their surname. Not Mitchell."

I was beyond shocked. "You... what are you trying to say?!"

She remained calm as she said, "Do you remember our first Christmas after getting married?"

"Well, I wasn’t on a business trip. I was in Estoria with Luigi."

"Luigi and I stayed in a hotel for three days. We didn’t take any protections... and I got pregnant when I returned."

"So, Lucas is not your child at all, but I lied."

"In case you didn’t believe me, I took Lucas for a paternity test yesterday. See for yourself."

She pulled a folded document from her bag and handed it to me.

My hands trembled as I took the paper from her. Slowly, I unfolded and turned it until they landed on the last page.

The results were clear and completely aligned with her words.

In an instant, my mind was buzzing and my heart felt as if it had turned to ash.

The overwhelming sorrow hit me like a raging storm, tearing through my fragile heart. The pain spread deep within, reaching the deepest places inside me.

I clutched my chest as a sharp ache radiated through it and I sank to the ground.

"Ethan? What's wrong? Ethan!"

Wanda’s voice grew distant in my ears and her words faded further and further away.

My vision blurred, the world dissolving into darkness as consciousness slipped away.

After a moment of dizziness, I finally opened my eyes.

I looked up and found myself back on my wedding day.

Wanda stood across me in her wedding dress, looking incredibly beautiful.

The host’s voice boomed through the room with enthusiasm. "The painted brows are as graceful as the green mountains and the knot they tie today binds two hearts as one. These rings symbolize their love and their hope for a bright future together."

"Next, they will exchange rings as a promise to stay with each other for a lifetime."

The hotel lobby erupted into thunderous applause.

Wanda raised her head and the moment I caught the complicated look in her eyes, I understood everything.

She had been reborn, too.

Under the expectant gaze of everyone around us, she suddenly threw the ring onto the ground.

Then, she said, "I'm sorry to say this, but I cannot go through with this marriage."