When Love Becomes a Wasteland

Five years into their marriage, Tyler Stone discovered that his wife, Annaliese Murphy, had been cheating on him since before they were even married.

Their son, whom he had doted on wholeheartedly for three years, was the illegitimate child she’d had with someone else.

Three days ago, their son, Corey Stone, had fallen seriously ill. His chief physician suggested that Annaliese get the child’s father to donate bone marrow.

Tyler had just reached the door of the hospital room when he heard Annaliese speaking in a very low voice.

“We can get the bone marrow donation, but not from Tyler. He’s not the child’s biological father.”

At that moment, Tyler felt as if he had been plunged into ice. The blood in his body seemed to freeze.

He could not understand why Annaliese would do this to him.

They were childhood friends and had been in love for many years. Tyler had even given up his career to marry her. He had willingly remained by her side to be a full-time father.

But this was what he got in the end.

Tyler still felt as if he were in a stupor, but he forced himself to collect his thoughts.

As he sat in the hospital room, he felt as if a thin string had wrapped itself around his heart, squeezing it tight. It was extremely painful.

He didn’t dare look at Corey again, afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from taking the boy for a paternity test. He was even more afraid that he was acting crazy—and that he would become an object of ridicule.

He suddenly remembered that Annaliese had once said to him, “Ty, I’ll never let you down!”

She had made such a firm promise, and it still seemed to echo in his ears. However, reality had been a rude awakening.

He suppressed the pain he felt in his heart and ran out of the hospital.

At the entrance to the hospital, he bumped into his older sister, Amaris Stone, just as she got out of a car.

When she saw how panicked he looked, she grabbed hold of him quickly. “Ty, where are you running off to? How’s Corey? I’m here to see him.”

Ever since Corey had gotten sick, the entire Stone family had been beside themselves with worry. Amaris had even declined to attend an international conference and flown straight back to the country that very night.

Tyler’s eyes were red, and tears threatened to spill out of the corners of his eyes. “Amaris, please help me check something.”

“What is it?”

“Corey…” Tyler looked aggrieved, and his voice was hoarse. “He might not be my child…”

…

“Ty, where have you been? Corey’s been asking for you.”

Tyler’s tears splattered on his phone screen when he saw the message that Annaliese had sent.

Every year at the end of the year, she would take Corey up to their hilltop villa to stay for a week. She said that she did it to build up their relationship as mother and son.

For four whole years, Tyler had never suspected that there was anything wrong. Now, he felt that he had been a fool.

She hadn’t been building her relationship with her son. She had obviously been taking Corey to see his biological father.

If Tyler hadn’t overheard her that day, he would probably still be taken in by her lies.

Tyler was scrolling furiously on his phone. Family photos of the three of them flashed past relentlessly.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, but Tyler felt cold all over. He could not stop trembling. Perhaps he should have realized earlier that promises could not be believed.

Humans were heartless and indifferent by nature, and Annaliese was someone in a high position. She had many better choices. That was why she had given up on him and their long relationship without a second thought.

But she had once said that she would never let him down…

Tyler felt as if he was being stabbed with a blunt knife. It hurt so much that he curled up into a ball instinctively.

They had been in love for years. Everyone in their social circle knew that she was devoted to him.

When he had been bullied in school at the age of 14, she had gone up to the bullies alone just to stand up for him. They had pulled her hair and spilled ink on her favorite skirt, but she had just comforted Tyler and told him that it was alright.

At the age of 18, he had forgotten to reply to her message while he was out meeting his friends for a meal. She had been so anxious that she’d practically combed the whole of Berville for him. The moment she found him, she’d sobbed like a child.

At the age of 22, she’d asked her father for the Murphy family heirloom, which was a pure gold pocket watch.

She had said, “Ty, let’s get married. I’ll never let you down.”

The intense look in her eyes had seemed more searing than the sun. Tyler had said yes.

Not long after they were married, they welcomed their first child. However, the child never left the operating theater. Instead, Tyler received the devastating news of the child’s death.

Amidst her grief, Annaliese decided to prepare for another pregnancy.

The day she found out that she was pregnant with Corey, her eyes filled with happy tears. She even took a long leave of absence from work to focus on preparing for the baby. She could not let any mistakes happen again.

However, the entire Murphy family had objected to her decision. Her father, Craig Murphy, had even brought up the family rules. He had berated her for being an ungrateful daughter who did not put her career first and declared that he would beat her until she came to her senses.

Annaliese knelt in front of Craig’s study for a whole night. She refused to compromise even when her knees became bruised and battered.

She said, “I’ve already lost my first child with Ty. I can’t let anything happen to the second!”

Tyler now realized that it hadn’t been his child that she couldn’t take any chances with. It was her illegitimate son with someone else.

A video call popped up on his phone. The name flashing on the screen was “Honey”, and it seemed particularly jarring.

Tyler answered the call with a cold expression on his face, and a pretty woman’s face appeared. “Ty, where are you? Why do you look so grim?”

In the past, she would be the first one Tyler told about anything, no matter what it was. However, he no longer wanted to face her.

“Ty, where are you? I’ll come and pick you up right now!”

Annaliese shot to her feet, looking anxious.

“I’m fine. I came out to buy a cup of coffee.” Tyler had no wish to continue talking to her. He looked weary as he said distractedly, “I’ll be back soon.”

Annaliese breathed a sigh of relief, but her gaze drifted to a point off-screen. After a few seconds of silence, she said softly, “Come back soon. Corey’s waiting for you.”

Tyler grunted dismissively. He was about to hang up when he saw a man’s figure flash across the screen and slide an arm around Annaliese’s waist.

Tyler paused, but before he could react, the video call ended abruptly.

Tyler stood rooted to the spot. He slowly raised his fist and pummeled himself over and over on the chest. Despite this, pain flooded him, and he could not stop it.

She was with that man in Corey’s hospital room.

Tyler buried his face in his arms and tried his best to suppress the rage that he felt. However, he could not stop the sobs that escaped him.

So, this was what it felt like to be in extreme despair. It hurt too much.

He had considered the possibility that Annaliese was the one being pestered by the other party. However, it was now clear that she was perfectly willing.

Amaris sensed that something was wrong, and she didn’t even pause to get her coffee before running over to him. She was upset to see how much Tyler was suffering.

“Ty, Annaliese isn’t worth your tears.”

Tears trickled out of the corners of Tyler’s eyes and dripped onto his shirt, forming a large, wet patch.

Amaris’ heart ached for him. She was at a loss as she patted his shoulder, and her voice began trembling.

“Don’t worry, Ty. There’s good news. I contacted the doctor who delivered the baby back then. She told me that your child didn’t die! I’ll help you find your child.

“As for Annaliese, she’ll pay the price for what she’s done. But Ty, what are you going to do? Have you decided?”

Tyler nodded, feeling choked up. He had decided. He had made a decision the moment he had discovered Annaliese’s deception.

Tyler sat in the cafe for the entire night. His mind was crowded with thoughts.

He had given up a bright future for Annaliese and stayed by her side for several years.

He was the distinguished heir of the Stone family, and everyone had acknowledged him as a genius at designing clothes. Therefore, he had the courage to start again, despite feeling emotionally shattered.

He called a friend of his, Caden Langley, who was far away in Paxia.

“Caden, didn’t you say that you needed a design director for your company? Do you think I’m suitable?”

Caden paused before replying, sounding confused, “You want to come? Can your wife bear to let you go so far away?”

“Yes. I want to go.” Tyler laughed bitterly. “She’ll let me go. We’re going to get divorced.”

“Divorce? Why?” Caden’s tone sharpened. “Has something happened between you?”

Tyler’s lips quivered slightly, and he suppressed his emotions with effort. “I’ll tell you the details when I get to Paxia. Send me an invitation, and I’ll go get my visa done tomorrow.”

After they had made the arrangements and ended the call, Tyler washed up quickly in the cafe’s restroom before leaving.

First, he went to the police station. He entered his information in the database for those who had lost a child and begged the police to help him find the child. He also contacted a private detective.

After that, he went to a law firm and asked a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. Once he was done with everything, Tyler composed himself and returned to the hospital.

He did not want to alert Annaliese yet. He knew that she was not the kind of person who would let him go if she found out.

Besides, he had raised Corey. It wouldn’t be that easy to leave him.

However, he had been worried for nothing.

When he reached the door to the hospital room, Tyler heard Corey laughing loudly. Through the window, he saw a man feeding Corey. The two of them were talking and laughing together and seemed to have a very close relationship.

Tyler paused, and his eyes were drawn immediately to the watch on the man’s wrist.

Wasn’t that the watch the man in the video yesterday had been wearing?

Tyler felt as if he had understood something. He drew in a sharp intake of breath and suppressed the fury he felt as he turned to leave. However, he saw Annaliese at the end of the corridor, running toward him in a panic.

She looked exhausted, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked as if she had not slept at all the night before.

Tyler was surprised. He hadn’t been around yesterday, so wouldn’t she have had time to be with the man?

However, she did not look as if she had enjoyed herself at all. In fact, she looked as if she had been busy all night.

In the blink of an eye, Annaliese had reached him. As soon as she steadied herself on her feet, she hugged Tyler fiercely. Her hugs were always passionate, and the faint smell of her perfume felt refreshing.

However, Tyler did not want to be near her. In fact, he felt nauseous.

“Ty, where were you all night? I called you countless times. Why didn’t you answer? Were you too worried about Corey? Don’t worry. He received bone marrow from a donor, and his condition has improved.”

Annaliese’s eyes were filled with worry. She did not seem to be faking it.

Tyler still couldn’t understand why the woman who had said that she would love him forever had borne the child of another man. He also couldn’t understand why she had lied to him and said that his child was dead.

His lips were pale as he pressed them together, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed all the grief he felt. He wanted to interrogate her. He wanted to throw a fit.

However, his rationality was telling him to let it go. He could look for his child on his own, and he would just abandon her.

“I’m fine. I accidentally fell asleep in a cafe last night, and I got back as soon as I woke up.”

Annaliese’s furrowed brow finally smoothed out. “In the future, you must tell me in advance before you go anywhere, or I’ll be worried sick.”

She sounded as gentle as always, and anyone who listened to her couldn’t help but be entranced by her. However, he could still see that her eyes were flicking in the direction of the hospital room.

The man inside was standing at the window, staring fixedly at the door. At once, Annaliese pushed Tyler away.

She avoided his eyes as she said, “Since you didn’t sleep well last night, I’ll ask the driver to send you home to get some rest. Someone will take care of Corey. Don’t worry.”

Tyler smiled bitterly. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew that she was getting rid of him.

However, it no longer mattered. It just made his heart ache a little.

He nodded indifferently and was about to turn around when the man in the room pulled the door open and walked out.

“Hello, Mr. Stone. I received financial assistance from Ms. Murphy when I was in college. My name is Jonathan Geller. We’ve met before.”

Jonathan was a bright, charming young man. He resembled Tyler when he was younger.

Tyler did not answer. He glanced expressionlessly at him before leaving.

However, as soon as he reached the entrance to the hospital, he received a message from Jonathan.

“If you want to know the truth, come to the underground garage.”

Tyler did not even pause to think before running down to the underground garage in a hurry.

The moment he got out of the elevator, he saw Annaliese and Jonathan kissing passionately in a car.

Tyler covered his mouth at once so that he wouldn’t make a sound.

Annaliese was flushed, and she looked as if she was already aroused. She suddenly straddled Jonathan.

“You little bitch. You’re never satisfied!”

Jonathan’s hands roamed all over her body, and there was a hungry look in his eyes.

“Don’t you want me now that your precious husband is back? Forget it. I didn’t come for this anyway. I came to tell you how that child is doing—”

“You can talk later. Let’s get down to business!”

Before Jonathan could finish, Annaliese pulled off her skirt quickly, exposing her long, pale legs.

Jonathan glanced smugly out the window. “Ms. Murphy, how could you be so heartless? That’s your child! I hear that he’s having a very hard time, as he’s often bullied for not having any parents. Haven’t you ever thought of bringing him back?”

Annaliese paused for a few seconds and slid off him. She rubbed her temples wearily.

“Forget it. So many years have passed. If Ty finds out that Corey isn’t his, he won’t be able to accept it.”

“Ultimately, you still can’t bear to hurt him! What does that make my son and me, then?” Jonathan pretended to be angry, and his tone became harsher.

Annaliese smiled and leaned in close to his neck. “What nonsense are you talking about? You and our son are my first priority. Otherwise, why would I have gone to all the trouble of getting rid of the child I had with Ty before giving birth to Corey?

“I did it so that Corey would become the main successor of the Murphys, so both of you would be set for life. As for Ty, he’s my childhood friend, and we have a child together. I can’t be that heartless.”

Upon hearing this, Jonathan glanced triumphantly out the window once more. His eyes met Tyler’s, who was as pale as a sheet.

“Are you really going to leave that child out there and hide it from Tyler for the rest of his life?”

Annaliese sighed wearily. “Let’s just leave things at that. Ty has Corey, and that’s enough. As for the child, go and see him when you can and give him more money.”

Jonathan tugged at Annaliese’s collar and brushed his finger across her cheek.

“Ms. Murphy, you know that I can’t compare with Mr. Stone. However, all fathers want the best for their children. I can’t let Corey be known as an illegitimate son for the rest of his life. So, I’m sorry…”

Annaliese’s eyes softened at once, and she hugged Jonathan tightly. “Why are you apologizing? I did it all willingly. If anyone is to blame, it’s that child himself for being unlucky enough to be born as my child with Ty.”

She raised her hand and gently wiped away the crocodile tears that Jonathan was shedding. The tender look in her eyes felt like a knife stabbing right into Tyler’s heart.

Tyler dug his nails into the palms of his hands. Blood trickled out from between his fingers, but he could not feel any pain at all.

How could the pain in his hands compare to what he felt in his heart?

When Tyler left the hospital, he was in a daze.

The sun shone down on him as he stumbled down the road, looking like a zombie. Sweat mingled with his tears and blurred his vision. They soaked his clothes, but he was completely unaware of it as he continued walking aimlessly.

Along the way, he lost his shoes, and his feet were soon scraped and bloody. He was run over by a car, and blood gushed out of the wound on his forehead. He walked for an entire day before getting back to Murphy Manor.

The butler jumped in shock when he saw Tyler, and he hurried up to ask, “What happened to you, Mr. Stone? Ms. Murphy was searching for you all night. She’s beside herself with worry. Have you seen her?”

Tyler’s lips twitched slightly, and he gave the butler a bleak smile.

Yes. Everyone thought that Annaliese was madly in love with him. He was the only one who knew that it was a lie.

He shook his head and said hoarsely, “I’m fine. I just need to rest for a while.”

He stumbled upstairs and locked himself in the bathroom. He slumped against the door in a daze, and images of Annaliese with Jonathan flashed through his mind.

He could no longer bear it. He bent over and began throwing up.

He had thought that he had already accepted the facts, but after seeing her betrayal with his own eyes, the wound in his heart had been torn open once more. It was unbelievably painful.

His sobs echoed in the bathroom, and even though he had turned on all the taps, they could not hide the sound.

He really wanted to ask Annaliese how she had managed to play the part of a loving wife while cheating on him with the college student she’d financially assisted.

He sat in a daze for the entire night and only felt the pain subside early the next morning.

Today was the day he had made an appointment to get his visa done. He could not let it be delayed.

After carefully dressing his wounds, he changed into proper attire and went out. Annaliese called him several times while he did so and tried to connect with him via video call, but he ignored them all.

After completing all the procedures, he dragged his exhausted body back to the villa at noon.

However, Jonathan was in the living room, playing a game with Corey.

Jonathan sat on the couch, looking as if he were the owner of the house. Nearby, Corey was calling out to him. “Mr. Geller!”

They seemed very affectionate with each other.

Jonathan got up quickly when he saw Tyler walk in and smiled brightly at him. “Mr. Stone, you’re back. Corey was discharged today, so Ms. Murphy asked me to bring him home with her.”

Tyler clenched his fists tightly, anger rising up inside him.

Was Annaliese already that bold? Wasn’t it enough for her to cheat? Did she have to fool around with him at home too?

Annaliese saw that Tyler was displeased, so she explained quickly. “Oh, it was Corey! He kept holding on to Jon and refused to let go. Since he’s only just recovered, I indulged him.”

Tyler’s eyes widened in anger as he stared fixedly at her. Fury blazed in his heart.

The two of them were going too far.

“Annaliese, doesn’t Corey have a father? Why must you let another man keep him company?” Tyler could not stop trembling, and his eyes were crimson with rage.

Annaliese laughed guiltily and hurriedly walked over to him to explain.

“Don’t be angry, Ty. I just thought that you’ve been working so hard to take care of Corey, so I asked Jon to come and help out. It’ll make things easier for you. But if you’re not happy, I’ll ask him to leave right now. Okay?”

Tyler pursed his lips as he looked expressionlessly at her.

Annaliese was an excellent actress. She acted so well that everyone thought Tyler was the most important person in her heart and that his moods were the rules she lived by.

Now that Tyler was unhappy, she had immediately asked Jonathan to leave. However, no matter how good she was at acting, she could not deceive someone who already knew the truth.

Tyler was tired, and he no longer wanted to play along with her. He opened his mouth to tell the truth when Corey suddenly rushed over to him and grabbed his sleeve.

“Dad, let Mr. Geller stay. I like him, and I like playing with him.”

Corey’s crying and shouting made Tyler feel as if his head was about to burst. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the child that he had raised for three years. There was a bitter feeling in his heart.

“Corey, do you really like Mr. Geller? But I don’t like him. What will you do?”

“Then go, Dad. I want Mr. Geller to stay and play with me.”

Tyler’s pupils contracted, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

He should have known that this would be the case. What had he been hoping for?

He pulled his hand roughly away from Annaliese’s and went straight upstairs to lock himself in the bedroom.

Annaliese was very agitated, and she kept banging on the door.

“Don’t be angry, Ty. I’ll make Jon leave right now, alright? Since you don’t want to talk to me right now, then have a good rest. Let’s talk when you’ve calmed down.”

Tyler sat with his back against the door and did not say a single word in reply. As he listened to Corey’s laughter from downstairs, he felt as if his heart was bleeding.

Jonathan wasn’t the one who should leave. He was. After all, the three of them were a family. Who was Tyler to them?

He was so exhausted that he did not even have the strength to look up. After a long time, he woke up and realized that he had fallen asleep on the floor. Jonathan was sitting in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” Tyler propped himself up with difficulty and scrambled to his feet. He looked angrily at Jonathan. “Get out of here right now!”

Jonathan’s lip curled into a smirk as he strolled over to him. “Why are you so angry, Mr. Stone? I only came to tell you where that child of yours is.”

Tyler scoffed. He knew that Jonathan would not be so kind. “I’ll find my child on my own. Now please get out!”

“Oh? Don’t you want to know whether your child is a boy or a girl, or what they look like now?”

As he spoke, Jonathan opened a video and placed it in front of Tyler.

In the video, there was a boy who was about three or four years old. He was covered in wounds, and his cheeks were swollen. Someone was yanking on his hair and pouring something in his mouth.

Tyler started in shock, and he felt a dull ache in his heart.

Although he had never seen his child before, there was a connection between father and son that could not be ignored. He only had to look once to know that it was his son.

“Why is he so badly injured? What are you pouring into his mouth?” Tyler’s veins bulged in anger, and he clenched his hands until his knuckles turned white.

“You know that children without parents deserve to get bullied. As for what’s in his mouth, it might be cow droppings, horse droppings, or maybe even human feces. I don’t know either. In any case, it’s some kind of feces. He’s force-fed it several times a day!” Jonathan laughed wildly and triumphantly, which made him look devilish.

Tyler could no longer endure it. He lunged forward and punched him viciously.

Right after that, Annaliese rushed in.

Jonathan immediately stood behind her, his eyes red. “Ms. Murphy, I only wanted to come and apologize to Mr. Stone. I didn’t expect him to hit me.”

Annaliese looked at Tyler, who was still furious, and her eyes drifted from one man to the other. Then she yanked Jonathan out impatiently from behind her.

“Apologize to Ty at once! You deserved to be hit. Why did you make him angry?”

Jonathan was startled. He clutched his face and looked at Annaliese in disbelief.

She yelled angrily again, “Didn’t you hear me?”

Tyler laughed bitterly and shook his head. He no longer wanted to watch their charade, and he pushed them both out of the room firmly.

Tyler did not sleep a wink the entire night. As soon as dawn broke, he went out.

His child was suffering inhumane torture, and he could not wait any longer. He would lodge a police report and find his child.

However, as soon as he stepped out the door, two black-clad men pulled a sack over him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was dangling in the air in an abandoned factory. Over a dozen black-clad men were standing around him.

Jonathan sauntered out from behind them. “Mr. Stone, you’re awake?”

He spoke gently, but there was a venomous look in his eyes.

Tyler looked at him in shock. “What do you want, Jonathan?”

“What do I want?” Jonathan swung a metal bar and flashed a terrifying grin at him. “I want to get revenge for that punch last night, of course!”

As he spoke, he turned to the black-clad men. “Go on! Beat him up! Ms. Murphy says that you just need to leave him alive!”

Tyler was horrified. Had Annaliese arranged this? Was she going to kill him just because he’d punched Jonathan yesterday?

Tyler struggled madly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

No. Annaliese couldn’t have arranged this. Jonathan had to be lying to him.

“What’s the matter?” Jonathan walked up to him, smiling. “Don’t you believe that this was arranged by Ms. Murphy?

“I’ll give you a chance to call her. If she answers, I’ll let you go. If she doesn’t, don’t blame me for what I’m about to do.”

He gestured for the men to let Tyler down.

Tyler’s hands trembled as he called Annaliese’s number. However, she hung up abruptly after just one ring. Undeterred, he called a second time, but she hung up again.

He called a third, a fourth, and kept it up relentlessly. Finally, on the 99th call, his phone ran out of battery. Tyler’s heart was as cold as ice.

It really was her.

Tyler laughed bitterly, his eyes filled with tears.

Before he had time to reflect on it, someone yanked him to his feet by his hair.

Steel bars whistled through the air toward him.

The first blow landed on his head, and blood spurted out from his forehead at once. The second landed on his waist, and he grunted as he doubled over. The third swiped across his knees, and he seemed to hear the sound of bone shattering.

…

After a long time and countless blows, Tyler lay lifelessly on the ground. Blood mingled with the mud beneath him, staining the ground red.

His lip curled. He suddenly felt that his life was a complete joke.

How could he have thought that Annaliese would never hurt him, even if they could no longer be husband and wife? In the end, she had let him be beaten to within an inch of his life for some other man.

He looked up with difficulty at Jonathan’s smug, arrogant smile. There was a stab of pain in his heart, and he wished fervently that he could kill them both himself.

However, he could not. His child was waiting for him, and he had to stay alive to get his child back safely.

Jonathan began yelling again, “Come on! Hang him up! Since Ms. Murphy won’t let us beat him to death, then let’s leave it up to fate!”

The black-clad men strung him up roughly and let him dangle from the rafters.

The moment he became airborne, his vision went black from the pain he felt. The ropes were tied so tightly around him that he could see a flash of bone from the deep wounds on his arm.

He hung there like a rag, looking completely lifeless.

Jonathan stood a few steps away and looked viciously at him. “If you know what’s good for you, get divorced from Ms. Murphy as soon as you can and stay far away from her. Otherwise, you’re going to suffer!”

He then turned and left.

As Tyler watched his retreating figure fade out of sight, he felt his head grow heavier. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his own panting.

When Tyler woke up again, all he could see was a blinding white light.

Annaliese was sitting by his hospital bed, resting with her eyes closed. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she hadn’t even had time to change. She looked exhausted.

When Tyler opened his eyes, she lunged at him and pulled him into her arms. “Ty, you’re finally awake!”

Tyler paused and pushed her away with difficulty.

There was no greater grief than utter despair. When he thought about how she had hung up on his calls for help countless times, he felt a deep hopelessness.

Tyler did not say a word to her. He stared up vacantly at the ceiling, wondering how he could escape from the hospital to call the police.

However, for the next few days, Annaliese acted as if a spell had been cast on her. She remained glued to his side at all times. She gave him sponge baths, fed him, read to him, and told him jokes.

She was trying to make him happy. However, he could not smile. His heart felt dead.

He looked up coldly at Annaliese. “You don’t need to stay with me. I’m fine.”

Annaliese was startled. She said in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry, Ty. I was in a meeting that day, and I didn’t get your call—”

Tyler laughed. He laughed and laughed until his eyes turned red.

She hadn’t gotten his call? She just hadn’t wanted to answer.

“Oh?” He turned his back to her and dashed his tears away. “How do you plan to make up for it then? What are you going to do with Jonathan?”

Annaliese’s brow wrinkled slightly, and she looked discomfited. “Jon just started working. He doesn’t know anything. Ty, can you forgive him for my sake? I promise that he’ll never hurt you again.”

Tyler glared at her in disbelief.

Was she joking? Jonathan had almost killed him, and she was pleading for him.

Tyler’s brows furrowed deeply. “So, you’ve been staying with me for the past few days just to find a chance to plead on his behalf?”

Annaliese paused but denied it quickly. However, Tyler knew that it was her real motive.

“Get lost!” he yelled in fury. “I don’t need your company. Get out of here!”

Annaliese immediately started forward to try and embrace him, but he pushed her away roughly.

He used too much force, and it made his wounds burst open once again. Blood seeped out of his bandages and began dripping everywhere.

He was sweating from the pain, and he lay on the bed, unable to move. However, he was still shouting, “Get lost! Get out of here!”

Annaliese had no choice but to leave the hospital room. She decided to talk to him once he calmed down.

Tyler was left alone in the hospital room. He lay on the bed, taking in huge gulps of air. He felt as if there was a huge hand squeezing his heart, and it was so painful that he felt as if it was bleeding.

It took him a while to calm down. Finally, he felt for his phone with trembling hands to call the police and ask about the progress in their search for his child.

At that moment, the police called.

“Hello, Mr. Stone. We have good news for you. We have a rough estimate of where your child is and we’re planning the next step to rescue him.”

“Really?” Tyler asked joyfully as he hastily dried his tears.

The call felt like a boost of morale that dragged him back from the edge of death.

Ignoring the pain he felt, he called the embassy and Amaris. He wanted the embassy to get a temporary visa for his child, and he was calling Amaris so that she could collect evidence of Jonathan abducting him.

Tyler was in the hospital for a week.

The day he was discharged, Annaliese sent a car to bring him home. However, as soon as he walked in, he saw Jonathan sitting in the living room in silk pajamas.

Tyler’s lips curled, but he went upstairs without saying anything. He was in no mood to tussle with Jonathan.

The police had warned him to act casually if he wanted to rescue his child. He could not alert the enemy.

He sat in the bedroom for a while when Corey suddenly walked in with a cup.

Tyler’s heart softened at the sight. After all, he had raised Corey for three years, and he still loved him.

Corey saw him sitting there and obediently held out the cup to him. “Dad, you’ve been working hard lately. Have a drink.”

Tyler smiled and drank it all in one gulp, but he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

He frowned, a look of pain on his face. “Corey, what drink did you give me?”

The child grinned fiendishly. “Nothing. It’s just water mixed with a few litt