Chapter 2

Serena’s eyes widened. She took a step back, her face a mask of disbelief.

Her hands shook as she reached for the urn, but the next second, she regained her composure, scoffing at me.

“Leo, your tricks are getting more elaborate, even bringing props now. I can’t believe a grown man, a father even, is so childish, acting out of jealousy to this extent.”

I grabbed her wrist, my voice deadly serious. “If you don’t believe me, come home with me and see for yourself if Lily is still there.”

Her eyes openly conveyed disgust and contempt, as if I were nothing more than a pathetic, clingy nuisance.

Julian, standing nearby, sighed.

“Leo, Noah’s mother isn't here. Serena was just being kind. You’re a grown man, you should understand, there’s no need to be so petty.”

“If you’re really so bothered, you could have just told me directly. I would have convinced Serena to go home. But Lily… how could you curse your own daughter with death? She’s innocent!”

His last words were undoubtedly meant to fan the flames, but Serena, to my utter despair, looked at him with eyes brimming with tenderness and gratitude.

A wave of bitter envy washed over me.

How I wished she would look at *me* that way.

I clenched my fists, my knuckles cracking, and couldn’t help but snarl at Julian, “Stop trying to stir up trouble!”

Serena’s temper flared. She shoved me with all her might.

“Leo, are you done?! Julian is telling the truth! How long are you going to keep being so unreasonable?!”

I stumbled backward, hitting the table behind me. The urn slipped from my grasp, and Lily’s ashes scattered across the floor.

In an instant, the entire hospital room fell into a deathly silence.

Serena saw the ashes on the floor, her lips moving silently a few times, but she stubbornly insisted, “You’re really committed to this act. You should become an actor.”

I ignored her sarcasm. I dropped to my knees, frantically trying to scoop up the scattered ashes.

Torrents of tears poured from my eyes. “Lily, I’m so sorry. Daddy messed up. Daddy didn’t hold you tight enough. Did you get hurt, my darling?”

Serena had never seen me cry so miserably. A flicker of emotion finally crossed her face. She opened her mouth as if to speak.

But then, Noah whined from the bed, calling out for help.

Serena reacted like a reflex, rushing to him instantly.

“There, there, Noah. Auntie Serena is here. Don’t be scared.”

Julian stroked Noah’s head, comforting him. “Noah’s okay. Auntie Serena and Daddy already chased the bad guys away.”

I watched the warm scene unfolding before me, a picture of a perfect family of three. It felt like a thousand tiny needles piercing my heart, making it impossible to breathe.

Even if Serena didn’t believe Lily was dead, she hadn’t shown a single ounce of concern for our daughter. No worry about whether she was hurt.

She was perfectly content doting on another man’s son.

I closed my eyes, clinging to a final sliver of hope, and slowly spoke.

“What if I told you… I’m dying?”

Serena frowned.

Julian put on a sympathetic front, cutting in before she could speak.

“Serena, you should go home. I can take care of Noah by myself. It’s my fault today, I’ve affected your relationship with your husband.”

He finished, then gave Noah a subtle look.

Noah immediately understood, shaking Serena’s arm. “Auntie Serena, don’t leave. Noah needs you.”

As expected, Serena took the bait instantly.

She pointed a finger at me, unleashing a torrent of abuse. “When Julian went abroad, you took advantage of him and married me. Then you used a child to get some attention from me. Now you’re using lies to gain my sympathy.”

“Leo, you are truly despicable!”

Despicable?

A bitter smile twisted my lips.

So, that’s what she thought of me all along.

“If you want to die, then go die! Bringing an urn into a hospital is just bad luck!”

Her words held no trace of fondness for our relationship, only a pervasive annoyance.

Tears eventually run dry, just as hope eventually crumbles away.

I nodded. “I understand. I won’t bother you anymore, then.”

As I closed the door, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed Julian’s lips.

I had no energy to decipher its meaning. Dragging my exhausted body, I left.