Wendy forced a bitter smile and shook her head. Her own life was a mess.yet she still found time to worry about others.

She quickened her pace toward the hospital room.

Halfway up the stairs, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Her steps faltered, and the stairs seemed to sway before her eyes.

Her foot slpped, and she pitched forward. At that critical moment, a warm hand grabbed her arm,steadying her.

Wendy, still shaken, looked up to see the same man from last time.

His gaze was fixed on her face, taking in her increasingly haggard appearance with a hint of reproach in his eyes. "Why are you always so careless?"

Wendy gritted her teeth and pushed herself up, her arms weak and sore."Thanks," she said awkwardly.

With that, she hurriedly picked up the breakfast and left.

The man watched her thin, frail figure, a complex, unreadable expression in his eyes.

Wendy,filled with exhaustion and worry, stumbled back to the hospital room.

Before she could catch her breath, she heard a faint sound. She quickly looked toward the bed.

Margaret's tightly closed eyes slowly opened. The once cloudy eyes lit up

with a spark of life upon seeing Wendy.

A weak but warm and loving smile appeared on her face.

Wendy's eyes instantly reddened, her throat choked with a mix of worry and relief.

Unable to hold back her emotions, she rushed to the bedside, her legs giving way as she knelt down.

She tightly grasped Margaret's frail hand, pressing her face against it, her voice choked with tears. "Grandma, you finally woke up. You scared me so much."

Seeing Wendy like this broke Margaret's heart. Instinctively,she wanted to reach out and caress her face, just like she had done countless times before,offering comfort and love.

But when she tried to lift her right arm, she realized she couldn't move it.

In disbelief, she tried to wiggle her fingers, but nothing happened. They were completely unresponsive.

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, her lips quivering as she repeatedly asked Wendy. "Wendy, what's wrong with me? Why can't I move? What's happening?"

Her voice was filled with helplessness and fear, like a lost child.

Seeing Margaret likethis, Wendy's heart ached terribly.

Margaret had always been strong and optimistic, never shedding a tear even in the face of illness. But now, she was crying.

Wendy used her free hand to wipe away Margaret's tears, softly comforting

her. "It's okay. Grandma. It's just temporary. We'll take it slow. and you'll get better in time."

Wendy's words calmed Margaret's anxious heart.

She looked at Wendy's pale face, worried. "Wendy, you don't look well.Are you okay?"

Wendy forced a faint smile. "I'm fine, Grandma. Don't worry about me."

But Margaret wasn't reassured. She looked at Wendy intently, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Wendy, be honest with me. Is this about Ethan and Lydia?"

Wendy's heart sank. She quickly leaned closer to Margaret,asking."Grandma,did Lydia say something to you yesterday that upset you?"

Margaret paused, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

She looked at Wendy with deep affection and slowly said, "Wendy, as long as you're happy, I'mhappy."

Wendy's heart twisted in pain. She knew she had worried MAargaret.

She held Margaret's hand tightly, promising, "Grandma, don't worry. I will be happy. In a few days, I'll visit Professor Taylor and go back to work at the hospital. I'll become a good doctor, justlike Grandpa and Mom and Dad."

Margaret listened to Wendy's words, a look of relief gradually appearing in her eyes. "Good, Wendy. I believe in you."

Margaret smiled warmly and gently.

Wendy felt a warmth in her heart. She turned her head to wipe away her tears. "Grandma, let's have breakfast first."

Margaret nodded slightly. Wendy placed the breakfast on the bedside table.scooped up some oatmeal, and brought it to her lips.

Wendy spent the next three days in the hospital,carefully taking care of Margaret, feeding her, helping her wash, and assisting the nurses with various tests. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her steps grew increasingly unsteady. Her body was reaching its limit.

But she didn't want Margaret to notice her weakness and worry,so she made an excuse, gently holding Margaret's hand. "Grandma, I'll come back in a couple of days."

Margaret, seeing Wendy's discomfort, urged her to go home and rest.

Outside the hospital room, Wendy found the caregiver responsible for Margaret and gave detailed instructions before finally feeling a bit relieved.She dragged her leaden legs out of the hospital.

The cold wind outside was biting. She raised her hand to shield herself,standing thin and frail by the street.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone, ready to call Ethan.

Wendy had thought that if she hardened her heart, she could cut off her deep feelings for Ethan in one go. But this love was like a stubborn weed,deeply rooted in her heart.

To break free, she would have to uproot it completely, but it was something that had grown into her heart. Every tug would tear at her softest flesh, and just thinking about it made her feel faint with pain.

With trembling fingers, Wendy opened her contact list. It was empty except for Ethan's name, glaring and prominent.

She bit her lip and pressed the call button.

She called three times, each time met with endless busy signals. This was nothing new, and she shouldn't have felt disappointed. Bat aside from the coldness spreading in her heart, there was only numbness.

Yet, driven by some stubbornness, she kept calling. This kind of persistence was a first since their marriage.

On the eighth call, the waiting tone lasted a long time. Maybe he was annoyed by her frequent calls, but Ethan finally picked up.

"What do you want?" Ethan's cold voice came through the phone.

Wendy's voice was hoarse. "Can you come home the day after tomorrow?"

"What? I've only been gone a few days, Wendy. Do you have to be so pathetic?" Ethan's words were like a knife, stabbing straight into Wendy's heart.

Wendy's body went rigid.

The one who loves the most is always at a disadvantage in a relationship,and Ethan had never given her his heart. She was as insignificant as an ant to him.

Wendy tríed to keep her voice calm. "I have something important to discuss with you. It's something you've always wanted. Are you sure you won't come back?"

Ethan didn't respond immediately. There was a noise on thé other end.

and Wendy could faintly hear Lydia's sweet, soft voice.

Wendy couldn't make out what Lydia was saying, but she heard Ethan's gentle voice. "Sleep,I'll stay with you."

Wendy felt a tightness in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

The phone grew quiet, and Ethan seemed to remember she was still on the line. "What is it?"

Wendy swallowed the blood in her mouth, trying to sound calm. "Ethan,if I told you I was dying, would you feel even a little bit sorry for me?"

Ethan let out a derisive laugh, his voice icy. "Wendy, what game are you playing noww? Do you think I don't know what kind of person you are?What serious illness could you have? You're just trying to get sympathy,playing the victim."

Wendy's heart felt like it was being torn apart.

He said he knew what kind of person she was? That she was playing the victim?

She managed a huge house all by herself, working until she couldn't stand up straight, and he called her spoiled.

When Juniper and Sarah threw her cooked meals in the trash, andshe complained, he called her petty.

When she was sick and asked him to take her to the hospital, he said she was making a fuss!

How ridiculous! How absurd!

She was so foolish, foolish beyond hope, to be so obsessed with him.

Wendy hadn't spoken yet when Lydia's voice came through,urging,"Ethan, Wendy must miss you. You should go see her."

Wendy heard every word loud and clear, and a wave of nausea swept over her.

How stupid was she to ask such a humiliating question,needing Ethan's mistress to pity her and urge him to go home.

Recalling the years of humiliation and pain, Wendy finally made up her mind.

She didn't even know when the call ended. She just stood there,holding the phone, her fingers numb.

After a long time, Wendy gripped the phone tightly, her fingers typing a firm message to Ethan: [Let's get a divorce.]