Chapter 5
“Pete, even if you begged me this lifetime, I would never enter your family ancestral hall.”
The phone went quiet for a moment. Though panicked, Pete stubbornly persisted, “Fine! Remember what you said today – don’t come crying and kneeling, begging me to take you back to the Lin family home!”
Pete angrily hung up.
I matched his action by blocking his number.
As the plane took off, I deleted everything related to him from my phone with one click.
A man who doesn’t love me, in–laws who think I’m not good enough for their son – I want none of it!
I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but my dreams were restless.
In my castle of love, Pete and I had a fair, chubby son, and our happy family of three counted down to the new year.
3, 2, 1…
Fireworks exploded in the sky, breathtakingly beautiful.
But in the next moment, piercing alarm sirens cut through my eardrums, reaching deep into my soul.
I couldn’t find Pete and our son anywhere.
I kept calling, searching, only to be knocked down by the panicking crowd.
I found my son then, in my arms, his face covered in blood…
Screams echoed through my hollow chest.
Heart–wrenching pain struck as I turned to see Pete holding a heart, presenting it to Mary, “My darling, didn’t you say you liked stars? Look, I plucked one for you!”
Looking down at my chest, I realized – what he held was my heart.
I struggled to breathe deeply but couldn’t catch my breath, until the flight attendant shook me awake, “Miss, are you alright?”
I shook my head numbly as she brought me thick blankets.
In the sunlight, I could see faint death spots appearing on my skin.
To avoid frightening others, I wrapped myself tightly in the blankets.
13:59
Screw You, Ex! My New Life’s Hotter Than Your Money!
36.0%
Chapter 5
After landing, I applied heavier makeup to look indistinguishable from the living.
Only after putting on gloves did I dare approach my eagerly waiting parents.
The moment she saw me, Mom burst into tears, looking me up and down, her voice breaking. “Angel, Mom’s heart has been so unsettled these past few days. Seeing you safe now, I can finally relax.”
Mother–daughter connection having almost been a mother myself, I understood her anxiety.
I hugged Mom tightly, all my grievances pouring out as tears.
Dad quietly wiped his eyes too, moving passing strangers to console us, “Family reunion is a blessing – don’t cry away your good fortune.”
But thinking how I only had five days left with my parents, I couldn’t control my sorrow.
In that moment, I deeply regretted ever falling in love with Pete.
As memories faded, I increasingly couldn’t understand why I’d risked my life for such a man.
Even in death, I’d worried about his safety.
Back home, my parents worked together to prepare a feast.
As the steaming, delicious food entered my body, my ice–cold form began to warm.
Mom noticed my gloves and hurried to turn on the air conditioning, “Angel, take off your gloves. You’re not a child anymore – why so afraid of cold?”
“The north is much colder than our south – haven’t you adjusted after all these years?”
I refused to remove the gloves, stuffing my mouth with rice, mumbling, “That place is too cold – you never adjust no matter how long you stay.”
It was a place that even my heart couldn’t warm.
My parents lovingly added food to my bowl, carefully asking, “Will you leave again this time? Can you stay with us for a few more days?”
Shame filled my heart.
For someone unworthy, I’d left my parents alone all these years.
They had to be so careful even asking me to stay longer, afraid I’d get upset and not visit them for another year.
Suppressing my bitterness, I half–joked, “If I can find someone who loves me like life itself, I won’t leave.”
My parents exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up, “Angel, do you mean it?”
13:59
Screw You, Ex! My New Life’s Hotter Than Your Money!
36.49
Ch
