Chapter 1
“What did you say?” Ava might not have heard clearly, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. Those deep, loving eyes had fooled me in my previous life. I had believed she loved only me, but she had deceived me for a lifetime. “Ava, don’t worry. Lucas makes good money, he can definitely support you. He’s young, he can even pick up a second job,” said Ryan, the young man beside her, patiently comforting her. Ava had told me Ryan saved her during the accident and was her savior. In my previous life, I had been so focused on the devastating news of Ava’s paralysis that I hadn’t noticed how familiar they seemed with each other, as if this wasn’t their first meeting. Perhaps seeing no reaction from me, Ava’s red-rimmed eyes darted to Ryan. He immediately understood her meaning and spoke directly to me: “Lucas, let me be frank. Women are sensitive, and now that she’s in this condition because of you, she’s bound to have doubts. As a man, you should give her some security. For example, you could put your savings in her hands. It would be good for your family’s stability.” The same words as in my previous life. On the day of Ava’s accident, I had just returned from a business trip abroad. Having finished my work early, I had waited until I reached the airport to tell her, wanting to surprise her. As a result, Ava had rushed to pick me up and gotten into an accident on the way. I had spent a lifetime drowning in guilt and pain, trying everything to make it up to her. But it wasn’t until just before I died that I learned the truth: that day, Ava had been in Ryan’s car, and they weren’t on their way to pick me up at all. Yet she had never told me the truth, allowing me to be consumed by guilt day after day. Coming back to my senses, this time I didn’t hurriedly offer her my salary card and apologize, promising my loyalty as I had in my previous life. Seeing that I still hadn’t moved, Ava grew angry: “Lucas, I’ve become like this, what do you mean by this attitude?” Ryan also seemed anxious but still tried to mediate: “Maybe Lucas is still in shock from the bad news and hasn’t processed it yet.” I earned a good salary and had always been generous with her. Whenever she asked for money, as long as it wasn’t excessive, I would give it to her. Perhaps she also felt that handing over my salary card wasn’t a small matter. Not suspecting anything, she sighed and said, “No matter what, Ryan is my savior. He saved my life, you should at least show some appreciation.” “You probably haven’t prepared a gift, so why don’t you give Ryan a red envelope with $2,000?” “Oh, I couldn’t,” Ryan immediately declined. Ava insisted, “No, you must. When it’s given, you should accept it.” The scene was repeating itself. In my previous life, after Ava said this, I immediately gave him $3,000, even adding an extra thousand. After all, I believed a life was priceless. Later, I even sent him many other gifts to show my gratitude. At the time, the look in his eyes had been strange, but I had thought he was just shy. Now I understood that it had been mockery at my stupidity. This time, I didn’t move. Seeing this, Ava, annoyed at my hesitation, reached for my phone herself. She knew my bank card PIN and had secretly transferred money to Ryan many times before. Whenever I asked about it, she would use the “life-saving grace” to silence me. This time, I dodged Ava’s hand and stepped aside: “It’s fine to give money as thanks, but I have a few questions first.” Ava was clearly surprised that I, who had always been quick to give money, would suddenly challenge her. She looked puzzled. Ryan also froze for a moment, glancing at Ava before saying, “What questions?” I looked at Ryan: “I heard that all the car doors were jammed shut. How did you manage to pry them open?” This was Ava’s version of events, but there were many holes in the details she had given me. In my previous life, whenever I questioned the details, Ava would get angry and eventually explode, accusing me of being heartless, saying she had almost died and I was focusing on such trivial matters. Eventually, I stopped daring to ask. To avoid bringing up painful memories, I even avoided mentioning the accident altogether. Ryan’s eyes darted around: “I’ll tell you these things in private later. Let’s not revisit the accident in front of Ava. She’s already upset, and I’m afraid it might cause her more trauma.” I laughed and asked, “Are you really afraid of hurting her, or are you looking for a chance to get your stories straight?” Both Ryan and Ava’s faces darkened. They spoke in unison: “What do you mean by that?” Their synchronization was impressive. No wonder they had been able to fool me for a lifetime, leaving me penniless and alone in the end. I swallowed my hatred and said with a cold smile, “Ryan doesn’t look strong enough to force open a car door. How did he manage it?” “Besides, forcibly opening a door would surely have left injuries on his hands. The wounds I see on your hands don’t look like they’re from prying open a car door. They look self-inflicted.” “Also, the accident happened two days ago. Why didn’t you come then, and only show up now? I heard you were in a car accident yourself a couple of days ago? What a coincidence, isn’t it?” “…” “Enough!” Ava angrily interrupted me before I could finish. Ryan, still young, was already looking guilty. He said pitifully, “Ava, I never thought Lucas would doubt me like this. If that’s the case, let’s forget it. I’ll leave.” Ava grabbed his wrist, refusing to let him go. Then she turned to me, her eyes blazing with anger: “Lucas, what’s wrong with you? Is this how you interrogate someone who saved my life?” “I order you to transfer the money to him right now and apologize to Ryan!” It was clear she was truly furious. I chuckled lightly and asked innocently, “What is there to apologize for? These are normal questions. If he’s not lying, why is he so flustered?” “Besides, he’s your savior, not mine. If anyone should transfer money, it should be you.” But I knew that over the years, she had secretly transferred all her money to Ryan behind my back. Now she couldn’t come up with any money. Sure enough, Ava flew into a rage. She grabbed the fruit knife from the bedside table and hurled it at me. I dodged just in time; the blade barely missed my face. She acted as if she hadn’t seen it and pointed at me, shouting, “Is this how you treat me? Fine! Why should we stay together? As soon as I’m out of the hospital, we’ll go file for divorce!” “Divorce?” I repeated the word questioningly. Ava thought I was scared and a flash of triumph crossed her eyes. She was about to say something, but I calmly interrupted her with a question. “Aren’t we already divorced?” 0