The day I received my husband’s diagnosis report, he suddenly installed a camera in our master bedroom.
That night, I saw him swearing into the phone.
“I won’t touch her again. I’ve sent you all the account passwords—you can log in and check anytime.”
“I’ve decided… to remain faithful for love.”
Watching his flushed face, burning with emotion, I quietly slipped the diagnosis report into the shredder.
Remain faithful for love…
Fine.
Then remain faithful for the rest of your life.
When the letters ALS on Adrian Carter’s medical report came into view, my knees almost buckled.
Three months ago, Adrian had fallen during a mountain hike and been hospitalized. While he was there, I had asked the doctor to run a full examination, hoping for peace of mind.
Instead, this was the result.
“ALS currently has no cure,”
Dr. Harrison told me gently. “Medication can only slow the progression, but the outcome is irreversible.”
There was sympathy in his eyes.
Adrian Carter was barely in his early thirties.
Handsome. Brilliant. Successful.
A nationally known divorce lawyer, he was decisive, sharp-minded, and famously rational—an elite among elites. In private life he was disciplined and orderly, fond of fitness and mountain climbing, extremely particular about the quality of his life.
The thought that someone like him would one day become a patient unable to care for himself…
I could hardly bear to imagine it.
I sat on the roadside for a long time, watching the endless flow of people passing by.
Finally, I stood up.
I had made up my mind.
We were husband and wife.
Whatever happened to him in the future, I would face it together with him—with our son.
When I returned home, night had already fallen.
Our son, Lucas Carter, was quietly playing Go in his room.
At seven years old, he had already reached fifth-dan level, once interviewed by television as a “child prodigy.”
“Have you eaten?” I asked gently, steadying my emotions.
“Yes. Mrs. Zhang made lotus root and pork rib soup today.”
He didn’t look up, his eyes fixed on the board.
“Where’s your father?”
“Out running.”
Lucas had a quiet personality, speaking in concise sentences.
Just like both of us.
Two hours later, I was leaning against the bed, still debating whether to tell Adrian about the diagnosis, when he returned.
Dressed in a black tracksuit, tall and composed as always.
I felt a sudden rush of concern.
“It’s only a few degrees outside. Why are you wearing so little?”
The doctor had warned me earlier: ALS patients generate less body heat due to muscle loss. They must avoid the cold.
Adrian replied flatly,
“That’s how running is.”
Without another word, he opened a box in his hand and took out a camera, setting it on the cabinet opposite the bed.
Pointed directly at us.
I frowned.
“Why install a camera all of a sudden?”
“There’ve been burglaries nearby. It’s safer.”
“Aren’t you worried about privacy?”
Adrian Carter was someone who valued privacy intensely.
He glanced at me and scoffed lightly.
“Privacy? Who would be interested in your privacy?”
A tangle of emotions stirred inside me, but I said nothing.
When we lay down to sleep, he turned his back to me and kept his distance, clearly too exhausted to talk.
I sighed silently.
He had just finished a highly publicized celebrity divorce case.
The pressure must have been enormous.
Let him relax first, I thought.
In the middle of the night, I woke suddenly.
The bed beside me was empty.
A wave of unease swept through me as I got up to look for him.
On the balcony, wearing only thin pajamas, Adrian stood in the cold wind, speaking on the phone.
I grabbed a coat and walked closer.
“I won’t touch her again…”
His soft voice drifted over.
I stopped in my tracks.
“I’ve given you the passwords and accounts. You can log in anytime.”
“I’ve decided… to remain faithful for love.
”
Through the glass door, I stared at Adrian Carter.
On his usually cold, indifferent face surged an emotion so intense it looked almost feverish.
Watching his flushed, fervent expression, I slowly processed the meaning of his words.
For a moment, I felt as if I didn’t recognize him at all.
Adrian Carter had always had a strong appetite for intimacy.
Restrained and disciplined by day.
Demanding at night.
In recent years his work pressure had skyrocketed. Everything he said and did had to be flawless, calculated, airtight. Gradually he had sealed himself off from the world.
Only during those late-night moments of tenderness—when he breathed against my ear in the dark—could I glimpse the boy I once knew.
The boy who used to blush when he looked at me.
We had met in graduate school.
He had pursued me first.
That aloof, arrogant young man who burned with intensity whenever he looked at me—I fell quickly.
Later, I stayed at the university as a psychology lecturer.
He began as a salaried lawyer and rose all the way to partner, becoming one of the country’s most famous divorce attorneys, earning tens of millions a year.
We were similar in many ways.
Emotionally stable. Rational. Practical.
We valued quality of life and worked hard for our ideals.
I had a respectable, stable career and managed our home and child. Adrian’s career soared in his professional field.
After eight years of marriage, we were courteous to one another, supportive partners.
A luxurious apartment worth millions.
A prodigy son admired by many.
To outsiders, we were the perfect family.
But half a year ago, Adrian began to change.
He had always gone running at night.
Eight o’clock out.
Nine o’clock home.
Then a shower, followed by half an hour of family time.
Without fail.
But suddenly he began leaving at seven and returning at ten.
He seemed exhausted when he came back, going straight to bed after showering.
Family time disappeared.
When I asked him why his runs had become so long, he replied,
“I’m stuck on a case. Staying outside clears my head.”
Mental work could be more exhausting than physical labor.
I understood.
Later, he seemed to lose interest in our intimacy altogether.
I thought the stress had affected his health. I worried silently but never mentioned it, afraid of hurting his pride.
That was why, after his hiking accident, I had insisted he rest properly and persuaded the doctor to run full medical tests.
But now it seemed…
Things were not as I had imagined.
I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling.
Two devastating blows in one day.
Yet strangely, my curiosity overwhelmed my grief and anger.
I wanted to know.
What kind of woman could make the cold, rational Adrian Carter—
become like that?
I had always been a direct person.
The next night, I slipped sleeping pills into his milk.
He slept deeply.
I lifted his finger and unlocked his phone.
Finding the number he had called in the middle of the night yesterday, I stared at it for a long time.
Suddenly, something clicked in my mind.
I had seen this number before.
Three months ago, after Adrian Carter fell during a hike and was hospitalized, I had asked the police for the contact information of the person who first found him and called emergency services. I wanted to express my gratitude.
The number they gave me was this one.
I had an excellent memory, especially for numbers.
There was no way I could be mistaken.
When I called the number in front of the police officer, a woman answered.
Her voice was gentle and polite, though she sounded somewhat older.
She softly declined meeting me and insisted that my thanks were unnecessary. Anyone would have done the same thing, she said.
After the call ended, the police officer smiled and told me that while some people might accept a reward, she certainly would not.
I asked why.
The officer explained that he recognized her during questioning. She had once appeared in the news as “the most beautiful and resilient woman.”
“She’s had a hard life,” he said. “On her wedding day, her husband suddenly suffered a brain hemorrhage and became completely paralyzed. He left behind a seven-year-old son from his previous marriage. She never abandoned them. For thirteen years she took care of him—cleaning him, feeding him—while raising that boy by herself.
”
“Her husband passed away last year. She finally made it through. Now she runs a small stall outside the suburban park selling lamb offal soup.”
“A woman with that kind of moral character would never accept money from you.”
At the time, I had nodded in admiration.
“My husband was lucky to meet someone like her.”
Now, in the quiet of the night, I held the phone for a long time before opening the photo gallery.
Perhaps Adrian Carter trusted himself too much.
Or perhaps he trusted me.
Because he had hidden nothing.
The screen filled with photos of a woman.
The same woman.
Under a starry night sky stood a small stall glowing with warm yellow light, steam rising from pots of soup.
The woman’s eyes were gentle, her smile bright. In some pictures she was cutting ingredients, in others ladling soup, or chatting with customers.
Every frame radiated warmth—peaceful and serene.
Among the hundreds of photos, the woman’s clothing gradually changed from light summer dresses to thick winter coats.
The time span: half a year.
Three days later, I went to the suburban park.
I sat down in front of the stall labeled:
“Lily Hart Lamb Soup.”
I watched the woman called Lily Hart from a distance.
She was crouching beside a flowerbed, speaking softly to a stray kitten.
Two men stood at her stall joking.
“Sister Lily cares more about those cats and dogs than making money.”
She quickly stood up and apologized gently.
“I’m sorry, I just felt sorry for them and got carried away. I didn’t notice you two.”
Another man waved his hand dismissively.
“You’re doing a good deed. All these stray animals treat your stall like home. They know you have a soft heart and come here for food.
”
“Honestly, watching scenes like this is heartwarming.”
After the two men left, I walked over.
“One bowl of lamb offal soup.”
“Of course!”
She responded cheerfully and began ladling soup.
Through the swirling steam, I quietly studied her.
She looked about thirty-five or thirty-six. Fine lines stretched from the corners of her eyes.
She lacked the youthful charm of a young girl, but her features were soft and peaceful.
Her hair was tied casually into a low ponytail, loose strands falling around her face, giving her a gentle femininity.
“Miss, it’s your first time here. I’ll add a few extra pieces of lamb lung for you to try.”
I sat at the small table, slowly tasting the soup.
But one question kept circling in my mind.
A woman like Lily Hart.
With such a past.
With such a reputation.
Would she really interfere in someone else’s marriage?
Would she?
My vision shifted.
Lily Hart had suddenly sat down across from me.
I was slightly startled.
She smiled warmly, her bright eyes looking straight at me.
“You’re Mr. Carter’s wife, aren’t you?”
I put down the spoon and met her gaze calmly.
“So you recognize me.”
She smiled.
“I have a good memory. I saw your photo once on Mr. Carter’s phone.”
I frowned, suddenly remembering.
Adrian’s phone wallpaper used to be a photo of me and
Lucas Carter.
Half a year ago, he had abruptly changed it to a landscape.
She lowered her eyes, silent for a few seconds before speaking gently.
“I know why you’re here. You probably think Mr. Carter and I are having an affair.”
I said nothing.
She slowly raised her head again, her expression warm and sincere.
“Miss, if you trust me—there isn’t anything between us.”
“Mr. Carter simply comes here for a bowl of soup after his run.
”
Her brows showed a trace of worry.
“Later I noticed he often looked very depressed when he came. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, and he seemed under a lot of pressure. So I tried to comfort him a few times.”
“I didn’t expect… well… I think he misunderstood.”
“He started saying strange things. I found it almost amusing. After all, he’s a married man. And even if he were single, a man of his status would never look twice at someone like me.
”
“I told him it was just a momentary impulse. But he wouldn’t listen. Sometimes he even called me and said things that made no sense.”
“Honestly, if you hadn’t come today, I would have wanted to talk to you myself. Mr. Carter must be under too much pressure to behave so irrationally.”
“As his wife, perhaps you could help him.”
I stared at the thin layer of white fat slowly forming on the surface of the soup.
“So what you’re saying is…”
“Everything is Adrian Carter’s one-sided fantasy?”
“And you’ve been rejecting him all along?”
Lily Hart sighed softly and nodded.
I looked at her steadily.
“So installing a camera in our bedroom so you can watch it—”
“That was also his impulsive decision without your consent?”
She froze for a second before replying quickly.
“I’ve already scolded him for that. It was ridiculous.
”
I continued calmly.
“And the hiking trip you two took together?”
“The one where he carried you because your foot hurt and ended up falling off the mountain?”
“Was that also him forcing you against your will?”
Her pupils widened.
She abruptly stood up.
“Hiking? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I looked at her coldly.
“Didn’t you say you have a good memory?”
“I even called you to thank you afterward.
”
“You forgot already?”
At that moment a customer shouted,
“Large portion to go!”
Lily Hart pressed her lips together and hurried back to the stall, stiffly picking up the ladle.
Suddenly—
Bang!
A loud crash rang out.
The pot of steaming lamb offal soup overturned, spilling boiling broth and meat all over the ground.
Hot soup splashed onto her.
She cried out in pain, her eyes instantly turning red.
The customer cursed and jumped away, complaining loudly as he left.
I looked at the mess on the ground.
Not wanting even a drop of that greasy smell on me, I picked up my bag and prepared to leave.
Behind me, she suddenly shouted—
“I’m sorry!”
I stopped and turned back.
She stood there in a miserable state, quietly sobbing.
“I’m sorry. I did hide something from you.”
“That day… I was upset because my stepson had gotten into a fight. Mr. Carter happened to come by and suggested hiking to clear my mind, so I went.
”
“When he fell, I was terrified and called the police. I didn’t dare meet you because I was afraid you would misunderstand.”
Her eyes were red, tears falling one by one.
Her hands had been splashed by the boiling soup, large blisters rising on her skin.
She looked pitiful.
Suddenly a furious voice shouted behind me—
“Claire Bennett! What are you doing?!”
I turned around.
Adrian Carter was running toward us, rage written all over his face.
For a moment, I froze.
It had been a very long time since I had seen such intense emotion on his face.
He was wearing the blue suit he only wore during important negotiations.
Which meant he had rushed here from work.
Once, when I had been in a car accident and called him, he had insisted on finishing his negotiation before coming to the hospital.
Now, however—
Adrian glanced at the mess on the ground, then at
Lily Hart who was quietly crying.
His lips tightened.
Step by step, he walked over to her.
He looked down at the helpless woman before him—
Then suddenly pulled her into his arms.
“Are you okay?”
“Did she hurt you?”
Her face buried in his chest, Lily Hart suddenly burst into loud sobs.
Adrian closed his eyes painfully and spoke softly.
“Don’t cry, Lily. Don’t cry.”
“Remember what you always say?”
“The light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains.
”
“Your suffering is over. Completely over.”
“Nothing in this world is worth a single tear from you anymore.”
From beginning to end—
Adrian Carter never looked at me once.
Chapter 5
I took out my phone and snapped several pictures of them.
Click. Click.
The crisp shutter sounds echoed in my ears.
Lily Hart suddenly stepped away from Adrian Carter’s embrace, taking a few awkward steps back. Her face showed embarrassment and helplessness, as if she had only just realized what she had done.
She glanced at me, flustered, trying to explain herself.
“I… I forgot. I didn’t mean to… I—”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Because I was simply staring at her.
“You don’t need to say a word. I’ll handle this.”
Adrian Carter’s deep, steady voice cut her off. Then, turning to me, he instantly returned to the poised, commanding demeanor of the lawyer I knew—his eyes sharp and unwavering.
“Claire, we’ll discuss this at home.
The park is near your university, and there are a lot of students coming and going. Making a scene here won’t reflect well on you.”
He glanced at the mess on the ground.
“Besides… bullying a defenseless woman—is that fun for you?”
I looked at him coldly, my voice steady.
“So you see, there are plenty of my students around here?”
“Then as my husband, hugging a widow in public like fire catching dry wood… doesn’t that excite you?”
Adrian Carter’s eyes narrowed slightly. Anger flashed, mixed with surprise.
Until now, I had always been gentle, elegant, and composed in front of him.
He had never seen this side of me.
Not even I had.
“Even if I wanted to slap both of you right now,” I continued calmly, “I won’t let someone else’s filth land on me.”
I turned toward Lily Hart, who was quietly trying to clean up.
“Ms. Hart, since you’re not saying anything… I suppose you were planning to blame this on me?”
She shivered.
After a few seconds, she slowly lifted her chin and said loudly:
“Forget it! Stop arguing. I knocked the pot over myself. Is that enough?”
Her reddened eyes turned to Adrian Carter with a look of grievance.
“Lawyer Carter, please take your wife away. Don’t interfere with my business. I won’t serve you again. Please leave!”
Customers nearby had started to notice.
“What happened here?”
“Lily Hart, were you bullied? Who did it?”
“Who dares bully Lily Hart? I won’t allow it!”
Hostile eyes turned toward me one by one.
Adrian Carter’s gaze darkened. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the parking lot.
I couldn’t break free and had no choice but to follow.
Some of my familiar students passed by, holding basketballs. They waved and called out cheerfully.
“Hello, Professor Bennett!”
I smiled politely and nodded.
“Hello.”
When we reached the parking lot, I forcefully shook his hand off and walked calmly toward my car.
The trees on both sides of the road blurred past as I drove.
Finally, the tears began to fall.
I gave myself half an hour.
Anger.
Pain.
Acceptance.
Calm.
Then I turned the wheel and drove to the bank.
Adrian Carter and I shared a
joint family account. Our salaries, bonuses, and dividends all went into it.
When we opened it years ago, he had smiled and said:
“You always say I’m bad at expressing myself. This account will be yours to manage. I’ll just keep depositing money into it. Think of it as security for you and our son. Are you satisfied with this expression of love?”
Over the years, the balance had grown to over 18 million yuan
.
But the bank staff looked at me confused.
“This account has been frozen because of a guarantee default. You didn’t know?”
My hands went cold.
“When did this happen?”
“Two months ago.”
Two months ago…
He had just returned home from the hospital.
I had collapsed from exhaustion, feverish for a week straight from caring for him.
And yet, while I was delirious with illness, he had already started planning to secure an advantage in the upcoming divorce.
I felt a bitter sort of irony.
On the way here, I had even doubted myself—acting impulsively, revealing my hand before planning an escape.
But he had already been calculating against me all along.
When a man changes, he can truly be ruthless.
Returning home, it was completely dark.
Adrian Carter was sitting on the sofa in casual homewear, sipping tea with his usual calm demeanor.
He glanced at me.
“I’ve sent Lucas to my mother’s.
Let’s settle everything at once.”
I sat silently, studying him.
He took a slow sip of tea before speaking:
“I had planned to talk later. I didn’t want to rush things. I wanted you and Lucas to enjoy some happiness before everything ended.”
“But since you chose to take matters into your own hands today, I’ll go along with it.”
He looked directly at me.
“Claire, I’ve fallen in love with someone else. Let’s divorce.
”
I remained unusually calm.
I even gave him the faintest smile.
“Adrian, tell me—what is it about her that makes you betray ten years of marriage, abandon your wife and child?”
He frowned slightly.
“If you insist on knowing…”
After a pause, he spoke gently, almost emotionally:
“These past years, I’ve seen too much deception in marriages through my work. I’ve lost faith in love and marriage.”
“But then I met her.
I realized… there are still women like her in the world.”
“Women willing to give their best years for love and responsibility. Women who can breathe life into a dead, stagnant existence like mine.”
“You ask what I love about her? I’ve asked myself that countless times.”
“Because she’s gentle, kind, and strong. Because life has given her hardship, yet she stubbornly blooms in the mud. Because every cold night, she hands me a warm bowl of soup.
”
His voice trembled slightly as he spoke. His emotions seemed to overwhelm him.
The room fell silent.
After a long pause, I clicked my tongue softly.
“So the soup at home isn’t hot enough? You have to go outside to taste something fishy?”
Adrian Carter’s face darkened instantly.
“Claire, you’re a refined egoist. You’ll never understand this kind of love.”
I nodded.
“In that case, leave with nothing. I’ll agree to the divorce.
”
A smirk appeared on his face.
“Not to mention that legally, there is no such thing as leaving with nothing. And besides… Lin Hart and I haven’t had any physical contact. I’m not even the guilty party.”
I stared at him, stunned.
Had a person really changed this completely?
So cold… so ruthless… as if someone had replaced his soul overnight.
Adrian seemed to sense my thoughts and frowned.
“You don’t need to react like that.
If love is gone, divorce is only natural.”
“When I fell down the mountain waiting for rescue, I realized life is too short.”
“I don’t want to live timidly anymore. Even if I’m criticized or condemned, I want to live fully, once.”
“Claire, don’t forget what I do for a living. I have countless methods. I just decide whether to use them on you.”
I laughed softly.
“Not use them on me? Haven’t you already? Freezing accounts with those filthy tricks—aren’t you desecrating the pure, noble love you claim to have?”
He glanced at me calmly.
“So you checked the account.”
“That’s routine. Just to avoid complications during the divorce.”
“I’ve already drafted the divorce agreement. The money and child go to me. The apartment is yours. You handle the remaining mortgage yourself.”
“Considering my financial contributions to the family, I’ve already been generous to the extreme—”
Bang!
I grabbed the ashtray on the table and hurled it at him.
He clutched his forehead. Bright red blood seeped through his fingers.
“You’re insane!” he shouted.
Shocked and furious, he saw the blood running continuously and grabbed his car keys, rushing out without looking back.
I slowly sat down and poured myself a cup of tea.
In just three days, my life had been completely overturned.
After leaving the bank, I realized: Adrian Carter had finally used all the cunning methods he had perfected over the years… on me.
Perhaps I was more unlucky than other women.
Not only betrayed emotionally, my husband was a top-tier divorce lawyer.
These years, he had trained himself to be cold, ruthless, and profit-driven.
If I indulged in grief, I would be utterly destroyed.
I had to deal with this as he would.
Before coming home, I had picked up Lucas from his grandmother’s and left him with the Go teacher we trusted.
Silently, I drank cup after cup of tea.
Outside, a bright moon had risen without my noticing.
After some time, I entered the bedroom and retrieved the diagnosis report.
My phone buzzed.
Adrian Carter sent me a photo.
His forehead was already bandaged. He lay with his eyes closed on a woman’s lap.
Their hands were tightly clasped.
Below it, a message read:
“Since you don’t cherish him, I feel no guilt anymore. Your actions helped me finally decide to accept him.
”
It was not just a notification.
It was a provocation.
Someone who had survived life’s worst hardships would never be a simple flower blooming in the mud.
This afternoon, when she spilled the soup—it was deliberate.
When she called out to apologize—it was deliberate.
She had already arranged for Adrian to come.
He could calculate profits, but he could not see human nature.
“Men are truly despicable,” I whispered.
I fed the diagnosis report into the shredder.
The machine hummed, and my heart finally settled.
Yes.
One was the most beautiful and kind woman.
The other, a famous divorce lawyer.
But this battle—I would fight to the end.
The marriage would end, yes.
But the child and the money—I would take both.
More importantly—I would make these two lovers bind themselves together for the rest of their lives, unable to separate, even in death.
They thought the “light boat had passed ten thousand mountains”?
I would make sure there were always higher mountains to cross.
I rejected Adrian Carter’s divorce terms.
As a professional divorce lawyer, he would never rely on courts to decide his own case—it would signal failure, a blow to his professional image.
But I wasn’t in a rush.
Not that I wasn’t anxious, but I certainly wasn’t as desperate as they were.
In Adrian’s eyes, Lily Hart was radiant and untouchable.
Before any formal relationship was established between them, any proactive move from her would stain that image.
So she had to play the part of the morally righteous, resisting while maintaining kindness.
Adrian, for his part, could not risk doing anything that would make him the guilty party in the divorce.
So both of them were constrained.
At most, Adrian could justify visiting her stall for a bowl of lamb soup after his night runs.
Lamb offal soup…
I held my steaming tea cup, watching the soft snow dance outside.
The doctor had warned that ALS patients must avoid the cold and high-purine foods, or their condition could worsen.
High-purine foods? Mainly animal offal.
Adrian had stayed at the company for a week before returning home.
When he came in, I was tidying up some things.
His forehead had a bandage. His face was cold, and he entered the bedroom without a word.
He quickly packed a suitcase, then glanced at me and said coldly:
“I planned to leave the apartment to you. But your actions have drained all our feelings. Legally, we have to go by the rules. The bank account is frozen. Our only joint property is this apartment. Do you want to sell it and split half with me, or pay me an equivalent sum directly?”
I tossed the photo albums into a box and laughed.
“What? Has Lily Hart set her sights on this apartment?”
Adrian scoffed.
“You think everyone is like you, only seeing profit? Lily Hart has never mentioned money in front of me. Don’t insult her.”
He noticed something, frowned, and walked over to pick up the albums from the box.
“What are you doing?”
“Throwing out trash.”
“You—”
His face darkened with anger but froze instantly.
He knew the albums well.
They contained all the photos from our university days—photos of him secretly taking pictures of me, of our early relationship, our romance…
Photos I had once treasured in a safe, intending to revisit in old age.
I had taken the albums without expression and tossed them casually.
A sudden dull sound echoed through the quiet house.
“Not leaving yet? Night run time is approaching, isn’t it?”
I reminded him.
His expression darkened. He stood there silently for a moment, then turned and coldly said:
“Hiding Lucas won’t help. He’s my son. Only with me can he have the best future.
I will never give up on him.”
With that, he slammed the door.
Half an hour later, I stood up, clapped my hands, and exhaled slowly.
Everything connected to him had been packed up, ready to be taken to the trash station.
Those youthful memories I had once cherished?
Just this much.
As I pondered this, my phone rang.
A young man’s carefree voice sounded:
“I’m Jake Mason. You looking for me?”
I looked at the young man sitting in front of me, chewing gum carelessly.
Purple hair, a lip ring, a cold gaze—he had a cool, rebellious aura.
But looking closely… on such a snowy day, he wore only a thin padded coat. The sleeves were worn, and the zipper had been crudely stitched with black thread. Clearly his own work.
I came straight to the point.
“You’re Jake Mason? Lily Hart’s stepson?”
He lifted his eyelids to glare at me but said nothing.
I pulled out a stack of cash and handed it to him.
“My husband wants a divorce because of her. I need your help.”
“Deal.” He grabbed the money and rolled it up with his arm.
His response was so quick it surprised me.
“You agreed without asking anything? You trust me?”
“Why not?”
“After all, she raised you—”
“Pfft!”
Jake spat out his chewing gum in a curve, a hint of sarcasm in his expression.
“Rather than say she worked hard raising us, it’s more like she enjoyed the image she projected to outsiders.
”
I measured him with my eyes, then handed him another stack of cash.
He waved his hand and swept it away, speaking casually:
“I learned piano at four. My dad saved money for lessons. She donated it all to the Red Cross. When reporters came to interview her, she said other kids didn’t even have enough to eat. She made herself look like a hero.”
“Do you know how my dad died? Infection from bedsores on his back.
She took care of him—but only for appearances.”
“You say your husband was charmed by her? I’m not surprised. Her image attracts fools. But people like you? This is the first time.”
Jake left, gripping the money, and asked:
“So all I need to do is force her to make my husband divorce? That simple?”
I nodded.
“That simple.”
“Got it!” he said.
The divorce alone wasn’t enough.
It had to be the right kind of divorce
.
I needed to work two angles at once.
The next day, I arrived again at Lily Hart’s Lamb Soup in the soft snow.
Lily Hart knelt in the snow, tying the shoes of an elderly man using a cane.
People nearby, elders and neighbors, gave her thumbs up.
“Whoever marries a daughter-in-law like you has done eight lifetimes of good deeds!”
Lily blushed.
“Someone like me… who would want me?”
When she turned, our eyes met.
Her face went pale.
She walked toward me, lifting her chin slightly.
“Lawyer Carter said if you dare lay a hand on me, he would sue you!”
I lowered my eyes. When I looked up, fury surged through me.
“Lily Hart! What did the message you sent me the other day mean? Are you two involved? Don’t you dare let me expose it! You’ll never raise your head again in life!”
Lily Hart squinted at me, then smiled and shook her head gently.
“I used to think university professors were untouchable, but now I realize they are no different from ordinary women in the street.”
Her gaze was gentle yet compassionate.
“The heart sees what it is. I promised him, because he offered me a burning heart. No woman could resist such sincerity.”
“Adrian Carter is a man under tremendous pressure, yet he cannot receive warmth at home. You simply do not understand how to cherish him!”
“But I am not as dirty as you think. Though I agreed reluctantly, I would never have any intimacy with him while he is married. I am who I am. If he comes, I am here. If he doesn’t, I remain. That’s all!”
I shouted:
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking! You’re just after his money! Otherwise, why would he have to fight me for property to divorce?!”
She smiled faintly, dismissive of my anger.
“All people know, I—Lily Hart—care least about money. Otherwise, in thirteen years, I would have had countless chances to marry into wealth. Only true sincerity moves me.”
I laughed sarcastically.
“True sincerity? If he truly loves you, why not divorce and marry you immediately? It only proves he values money more than you!”
Lily’s peaceful face fell slightly.
“His sincerity, I understand in my heart.
”
I smiled triumphantly.
“Sincerity? If you can make him leave with nothing, then I’ll personally send gifts at your wedding, letting everyone see that even his former wife is moved by your love! Your image will shine brighter!”
Lily’s pupils slowly lit up at my passionate speech.
I knew.
Her endorphins and dopamine—stirring, awakening.
The city had been blanketed in heavy snow for days, making transportation difficult.
But those above—the ones in love—would not be hindered by such obstacles.
Adrian Carter, under the pretext of his habitual lamb soup visits, walked half an hour through the snow and bitter cold every day after work to Lily Hart’s stall.
Even these difficult conditions seemed to make their meetings more intense, more passionate.
Adrian sat at the table. Lily worked only for him, ladling soup and serving meals.
From time to time, their eyes met, exchanging small smiles, a warm and tender scene, cozy and intimate.
All of this, I had seen through the camera.
A few days earlier, Jake Mason had sent me a receipt.
“For reimbursement.”
I asked what it was for.
“I don’t feel like explaining. I bought a camera and installed it. You can see for yourself. Anyway, I can do whatever I want with my dad’s apartment!”
I pondered this quietly and nodded in agreement.
Adrian Carter was meticulous, calculating, and usually reserved.
Only in front of Lily Hart did the rational, precise man become… irrational, almost reckless.
Knowing your enemy—and yourself—was key to controlling the pace.
Besides, using their own methods against them was only fair.
One day, while they were absorbed in soup and each other, Jake returned home with a crash.
He frowned and suddenly shouted:
“So you’re that wild man!”
Their faces instantly changed.
Lily hurried to explain gently. Adrian explained in a deep voice that he was only a customer coming for soup.
Jake scoffed.
“Every day in this freezing weather just to drink soup? Don’t drink and you’d die? I thought the neighbors were just exaggerating! Why panic? If you like each other, be together. What’s wrong with admitting it? It’s just a man and woman’s thing!”
He looked suspiciously at Adrian.
“Are you some kind of scam?”
Adrian’s face darkened.
“I’m a lawyer.”
“So you’re married?”
“I’m just here for soup.”
Jake went berserk.
“Damn! You’re trying to seduce my stepmom! How dare you! Married and still after a widow! I should beat you to death!”
He made a move, and Lily screamed, rushing to pull him back.
The main door stood open, and even on this snowy day, neighbors had gathered to watch.
“Lily Hart, don’t be fooled! These scammers look normal now!”
“Remember a few years ago? The man who used to come often? You thought he was a kind donor, and his wife came to make a scene. Don’t be tricked again!”
Seeing this, Lily smiled and explained. She was only serving a customer. Jake had misunderstood.
After this incident, Adrian, mindful of appearances, stopped going every day. Occasionally, he visited, but always discreetly.
Gradually, longing and desire turned into a form of obsession.
Each meeting, each glance, they were consumed by each other.
Meanwhile, I sent Adrian a version of the divorce agreement.
He replied with three words:
“Impossible.”
I wasn’t entirely confident about Lucas Carter.
By age three, he had a photographic memory.
By five, he was learning Go.
At seven, he had earned the title of “child prodigy.
”
Unlike other children, he never threw tantrums or acted clingy.
Although I cared for his daily needs, he wasn’t especially attached to me.
As a psychology lecturer, I had researched similar cases.
Children with advanced cognitive development often lag behind others in emotional needs and expression.
For Lucas, I, Adrian, and Mrs. Zhang were practically the same.
After leaving Lucas with his Go teacher, every visit I made, he was always fully absorbed in the game.
On the day of his tournament, I accompanied him to the venue and then left to run an errand at the school.
By the time I returned, Lucas had defeated his opponent in record time and was giving an interview.
I saw Adrian and his mother, Margaret Carter.
Margaret held Lucas’s hand, smiling broadly.
Adrian spoke confidently to the camera.
The case that had made him famous—the celebrity divorce—was the reason reporters recognized Lucas as a prodigy’s father and trusted Adrian.
Since then, Adrian had always been Lucas’s spokesperson during interviews, which brought him additional client opportunities.
After the interview, Adrian turned to Margaret and whispered something.
Then he walked toward me.
“Claire,” he said, “considering all the years of our marriage, I’ve already compromised on money and the apartment. Of course, this sum is a lot to you but only a year’s income for me.
Lucas will be better off with me than with you.”
I gritted my teeth and smiled.
“Lucas chose you?”
He snorted and stepped aside slightly, letting me see Lucas holding Margaret’s hand and heading to the car.
“What do you think?”
My body froze. My nails dug into my palms.
Suddenly, the car door opened. Lucas, carrying his backpack, stepped out. Margaret hurriedly called after him.
He walked confidently toward me, small but steady.
“Mom, I went to Dad’s car to get my backpack. You’re late.”
I controlled my excitement and slowly spoke.
“Yes… sorry, Mom is late. I didn’t expect you to be so amazing. You won so quickly.”
Adrian’s face darkened in anger, his voice low:
“Lucas, come with Dad. Dad has arranged a master to guide your Go skills.”
Lucas’s expression remained calm.
“But weren’t you going to divorce Mom? Then I couldn’t go with you and Grandma.
”
He took my trembling hand gently.
“Let’s go, Mom. I need to get back quickly—there’s another match tomorrow.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“All right, son!”
Adrian stood frozen, face darkened with rage.
In the car, I suppressed my shock and excitement and chose my words carefully.
“Lucas, do you truly understand what it means that Dad and Mom are divorcing?”
He sat quietly in the back, his voice young but steady:
“I know.”
“You… sad?”
“The teacher said, never be sad for the empty spaces lost on the board.”
My eyes welled up instantly.
I had always assumed he didn’t understand love or emotion.
I was wrong.
Not expressing it didn’t mean he didn’t understand.
For a prodigy like him, he invests his energy only where it matters.
When the environment is favorable, he doesn’t over-project.
But when circumstances change, he judges instantly and makes choices.
My son, Lucas Carter.
A born master.
Six months later, I was driving Lucas to the Go Academy when we got stuck near a hospital.
I saw Adrian Carter and Lily Hart sitting by a flowerbed on the side of the road, holding report folders. Their gazes were dazed, almost vacant.
Suddenly, Lily stood up and screamed:
“The result is the same! It’s not wrong! Why is my life so miserable?!”
After shouting, she ran away, completely distraught.
Adrian didn’t even lift his head. He stood motionless, staring at the ground at his feet.
A moment later, Jake Mason appeared suddenly.
He strode over, grabbed Adrian by the collar, and swung a punch.
Adrian went down without resistance.
Jake shouted furiously:
“Weren’t you supposed to pay 20,000 per month? You’re two months behind. You want those photos and videos to be leaked?”
Adrian quietly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“No money left. I won’t pay anymore. Do as you wish.”
Jake barked:
“No money? You’re the boss! You have dividends! Who are you trying to fool?”
Adrian tilted his head and looked at the sky calmly.
“I’m sick… ALS. When my partners learned, they withdrew immediately. The value of my shares just covered the 5 million loan. I can’t work or earn income right now.
”
Jake could not believe it.
“Not a penny left?”
Adrian gave a bitter smile:
“If I weren’t sick, that money would be nothing. But now…”
A tear rolled down his cheek before he could finish his sentence.
The rear car window suddenly slid down.
I turned to see Lucas looking outside, calling out:
“Dad!”
Adrian saw us. His body shivered, and then he lowered his head, choking back his voice:
“Lucas, Claire… I’m sick.
I… I miss you both…”
“Dad, your collar,” Lucas pointed.
Adrian lifted his tear-streaked face, bewildered, as if trying to understand what his son was pointing to.
For a long time afterward, I deliberately avoided following Adrian and Lily’s situation.
Once the wheels of fate turn, the ending is already determined.
Until that day, after Lucas and I had just eaten a new dish Mrs. Zhang had learned to make, we were sitting in the living room, digesting our meal.
I had changed the way I educated Lucas.
Beyond Go, I wanted him to experience life more.
He pondered for a moment and asked:
“Mom, do you feel lonely?”
I smiled faintly, then nodded.
“Yes, I hope you can spend more time with me.”
He thought a moment and agreed.
From that day on, he no longer rushed straight to his room after meals.
Instead, we would talk, watch TV together, and enjoy small moments.
When Lily Hart appeared on the news, I froze.
She had changed completely.
Her face was haggard, her eyes exhausted, her cheekbones prominent, her lips thin and almost harsh.
She was wiping tears for the reporters.
“My life is difficult. My husband is paralyzed… this husband is ALS… I hope society will help me…”
The camera then shifted to a simple room, showing a man lying on the bed.
Thin, almost unrecognizable, it was Adrian Carter.
The reporter, speaking passionately:
“Regardless, Ms. Hart’s spirit is admirable. She and her husband stayed together for love. When her husband sacrificed everything to choose her, she did not abandon him in his hardship.”
Lucas stared at the man on TV.
“Mom, I want to see Dad,” he said.
I agreed.
Two days later, when we found the address shown on TV, I was slightly surprised.
It was an old, almost dilapidated building, worse than Lily’s previous home.
I held Lucas’s hand and climbed to the second floor.
The door stood wide open. No one was inside.
The furniture was sparse and broken. Piles of clutter were everywhere.
I wondered if we had come to the wrong place.
From the corner of the room came a muffled, gurgling sound.
Adrian Carter’s eyes were wide open. He stared at us.
I held Lucas’s hand and walked over.
His eyes instantly reddened. Two streaks of murky tears ran down his cheeks as he let out a muffled cry:
“Son… son… son—”
I silently stared at him.
His eyes, once sharp and brilliant, now dim and clouded.
His hair unevenly cut, clearly by someone inexperienced.
His chest damp, with bits of vegetables and rice stuck to his shirt.
I could hardly believe it—this was Adrian Carter, who had once been meticulous about every detail of his appearance.
He stared at me unblinking.
In his eyes were pain, sorrow, regret, and despair…
I took a deep breath before speaking:
“Lucas said he wanted to see you. I brought him.”
Lucas pulled a stack of money from his backpack.
“Dad, this is my New Year money. I want to give it to you,” he said seriously.
“Why give it to him? He still relies on me!”
Lily Hart sneered, stepping forward and snatching the money from Lucas. She quickly counted it.
“20,000?” she spat at me angrily.
“Isn’t that too little? Your father left you over 20 million!”
I watched her silently.
“And what about the original 5 million? Didn’t he already buy a house for you?”
Lily scoffed.
“That house? Only the 20% down payment was paid. How could I pay the mortgage while he’s lying there unable to move? I sold this apartment, at least I have somewhere to live. The remaining 800,000 in the bank earns just over 1,800 a month. With government subsidies, it’s barely enough to live.
”
“Claire, considering he’s your child’s father, shouldn’t you return some of the money?”
I laughed coldly.
“Isn’t that enough to live? You claim money is the last thing you care about. Now that you’re struggling, you come to me. If I were the one in hardship, would you give me a single cent?”
I turned to Adrian, who had been silently crying.
“Once, you swore on the phone to remain faithful for love. You did it—and for a lifetime.
You admired Lily Hart, who cared for a disabled husband without abandoning him. You enjoyed the same treatment.
Adrian Carter, you got what you deserved.”
“So… why are you crying?”
Adrian’s whole body trembled. A long, mournful wail escaped his lips.
I held Lucas’s hand and walked away without looking back.
We drove down the avenue silently.
I asked Lucas:
“Will you ever resent Mom for how I treated Dad?”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“The teacher says, once you place a piece on the board, you must take responsibility for every move. One wrong step, and the entire game can be lost.”
I exhaled slowly and then said urgently:
“Son, when you grow up, you must never become the kind of domineering man who chases a wife recklessly. That’s miserable.”
Lucas looked confused.
“Why chase a wife at a crematorium?”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
He processed it himself and said with calm confidence:
“I understand. Just like Dad. But I won’t, Mom. I am a Go master.”
“A Go master?” I asked.
Lucas’s voice was composed and certain.
“A Go master is responsible for every move.”
“Once a piece is placed, it can never be moved.”
“….”
Though I only partly understood, I believed him.
After all, my son, Lucas Carter, was a true master.
(End of the novel)
