Part 2Love Heard, A Day Too Late

After finalizing the details, I sent them the video I had secretly recorded at the hospital, instructing them to release it after my "death." Then I printed a copy of the divorce papers and waited for John to come home.

He didn't return. By noon the next day, he was still gone. I was about to call him when I saw his face on the television.

"John Cross, CEO of Cross Industries, kneels up 9,999 steps to the grand temple, praying for the safety of his beloved."

In the video, John's knees were raw and bloody, but he ignored everyone's pleas to stop, bowing his head with every agonizing step, his face a mask of pious determination.

He told the reporter interviewing him, his voice thick with emotion, "As long as the one I love is safe, I would give up everything I have."

The interview went viral. Messages started pouring in.

"Oh my God, Grace! He's willing to do that for you when you're just pregnant? Imagine how he'll spoil you when the baby comes! I heard he invested tens of millions in the hospital just to ensure you have a safe delivery. He's so devoted!"

"I'm so jealous, Grace! You have a husband who loves you so much. You must be the happiest woman in the world."

Reading the messages, I felt a bitter, ironic twist in my gut.

Once, I would have believed it. I would have thought I was the happiest woman in the world.

But now, I knew the truth.

This profound love belonged to Bianca.

I was just a tragic prop in their grand, romantic drama.

I cleared my message history and went to the hospital with the divorce papers.

The moment John saw me, he became visibly agitated. He ignored the pain in his legs and rushed towards me.

"Grace, what are you doing here? I'm so sorry, I must have worried you…"

"Where's the jade amulet?"

John's eyes flickered away. "I… I lost it. I've sent people to look for it. If they can't find it, I'll get you an even better gift."

How could he not find it?

I had seen it hanging around Bianca's neck when I passed her room earlier.

I didn't expose his lie. I handed him the last page of a document. "No need to wait. I've found a house I like. You can buy it for me."

"Of course!" he agreed, signing his name without a second thought.

I frowned. "Aren't you going to look at it? What if… what if it's very expensive?"

"As long as you like it, the price doesn't matter." His eyes were bright and sincere, without a trace of deception.

I couldn't help but marvel at it. To love someone so much that you would do anything for them.

It was just a shame that the person being loved wasn't me.

I put the signed paper—the final page of our divorce agreement—in my bag and prepared to leave. But John, worried about me traveling alone while pregnant, insisted on taking me home.

As we reached the hospital entrance, his assistant whispered something in his ear. John's face changed dramatically. He grabbed my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction.