Part 3The Ten-Year Lie: My Husband’s Secret Vengeance

Three days later, after visiting some of the families harmed by my father, I returned to the hospital for a follow-up.

"Your condition is in the intermediate stage right now. As long as you receive active treatment, the chances of a cure are very high." The doctor was a man around my age named Liam.

For some reason, his name sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it.

My stomach started cramping again. As I stood up, my feet felt like they were stepping on cotton—powerless.

I felt a bit dizzy, and by the time I came to, he was holding my arm, steadying me.

"You look terrible," Liam said. "I recommend you get admitted as soon as possible."

"Give me a little more time. I still have some things to do." I wanted to finish visiting all the victims' families, hoping to make amends for my dad, and I wanted to wait until his sentencing was announced before I was admitted.

"Sophia, don't be stubborn. While there is life, there is hope." This was the first time Liam had used my first name directly, and I was slightly taken aback.

I met his serious gaze, then quickly lowered my head and looked away.

"Give me a few more days. I want to wait for my dad's sentence." Those few short words drained all the strength from my body.

After a long pause, Liam replied, "Okay."

"I'm off the clock too. Where do you live? I'll give you a ride." Before I could speak, Liam offered.

"It's fine..." I waved my hand weakly. "I can go back myself..."

"With your current condition, how can you go home alone?" Liam sighed. "Ms. Miller, I don't want you joking around with your life."

He spoke very seriously, like a teacher scolding a bad student.

Helpless, I could only nod.

Since coming to the hospital for check-ups, I had seen Liam a few times. We didn't have much to talk about, and the ride was silent.

Until...

He parked his car in the underground garage of my rented apartment. The moment I stepped out, headlights from the opposite car flashed directly at me, blinding me for a few seconds.

When my vision cleared, I saw it was Ethan's car.

He was suddenly right in front of us.

With a loud thud, Liam was knocked to the ground, a glaring smear of blood on the corner of his mouth.

My mind was in chaos. I had no idea why Ethan suddenly appeared here, nor why he hit Liam.

I quickly shoved Ethan away and helped Liam up. "What are you doing?"

Ethan's eyes looked murderous, a dark, hostile aura filling his pupils.

"What are you doing?" he pointed at Liam. This time, I saw the watch on his wrist clearly.

The strap was engraved with his initials, 'EV'. It was definitely the one I gave him.

"Bringing another man home the very day of our divorce. Sophia, if you commit adultery, I think our divorce agreement should be void." Ethan's words carried a gritted-teeth intensity.

Liam warily tried to shield me behind him. Seeing this, Ethan raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab me first.

With a cold sneer, I raised my hand and slapped him.

The crisp sound echoed through the underground garage, and Ethan's cheek quickly swelled.

He slowly turned his head back, clearly caught off guard by my slap.

"Ethan, have you lost your mind?!" My palm stung fiercely. The recoil kept my hand hovering in the air, trembling slightly.

"That child in Chloe's belly is yours, isn't it? After all these years at the company, you know perfectly well what you two did behind my back! If we're really going to calculate who cheated first, you're the one who should be leaving with nothing!"

My face felt like it was burning. I realized I was screaming, tears uncontrollably streaming down my face.

I looked pathetic.

And it was all in front of Liam, an outsider.

To my surprise, Ethan actually laughed after hearing this. "What if I told you that Chloe and I have never been intimate, and when she went to the hospital for a check-up today, she told me the positive pregnancy test in the photo wasn't hers?"

Ethan's gaze shifted to Liam, and he leaned in closer. "What about you?"

Ethan's words were like a bombshell, completely overturning all my previous certainties and leaving me at a loss.

I didn't understand why he was acting like this. One moment he agreed to the divorce, throwing away everything that held our memories, and the next, he appeared before me in a rage, questioning my relationship with Liam.

"Are you alright, Mr. Vance?" Liam spoke before I could. He wiped the blood from his mouth with a tissue. "I think you've misunderstood. Ms. Miller and I are strictly doctor and patient. Given her current health, I didn't feel comfortable letting her drive home alone, so I offered to give her a ride.

"I also hope Mr. Vance can manage his emotions and think before acting. Since you're already divorced, there's no need to harass her. If you're trying to reconcile, don't use such an aggressive approach." Liam finished and exchanged a glance with me. "Ms. Miller, remember to get admitted on time and take care of yourself. Goodbye."

I nodded at him, full of guilt. "About today... I'm really sorry."

He gave a small smile. "Don't blame yourself."

Ethan seemed lost in Liam's words, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

I couldn't be bothered to deal with him anymore and headed straight for the elevator entrance.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind me: "Sophia, that report... is it real?"

Ethan caught up with me and pulled the door shut just as I had opened it.

I looked up, meeting his somewhat vacant eyes. "Does it have anything to do with you? Wasn't your goal to 'catch me in the act' so I'd leave with nothing?"

Just like that morning, Ethan still refused to believe the report.

But before it was disdain; now, it was denial.

"Sophia, it's not like that..." He scratched the back of his head in frustration, then suddenly grabbed both my hands as if he remembered something. "The reason I came is because Andrew told me just now that he's selling all his shares. He also told me that the person who initially invested was actually you."

He looked at me, his eyes full of remorse and helplessness.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I loved you." When you like someone, it's just like that. You only want them to be happy, you don't want to see them defeated by difficulties, you don't want to see them sad or dejected.

So back then, I took out all my savings and asked Andrew to put on an act for me.

I knew Ethan's pride, so I never planned to tell him the truth.

Even when I needed to sell the shares to pay off my dad's debts, I didn't let Andrew reveal the truth.

I didn't expect Ethan to find out anyway.

"I said loved, Mr. Vance. Don't misunderstand." I tried to pull my hands away, but his grip only tightened.

"And now?" he asked, the anger surrounding him instantly turning into an obsession.

"Now, I don't love you anymore." Since he never loved me, why should I keep loving him?

Ethan's eyes flickered, as if stung by something, a faint shimmer in the corners of his eyes.

"Why..."

"You clearly loved me so much. Why divorce me just like that?" He grabbed my hands and pulled me into his arms, the strong smell of nicotine enveloping me.