Chapter 6

Back home, Ryan spent the entire night in Keira's room. He cried endlessly, even banging his head against the wall in his grief.

I couldn't sleep either; my pillow was soaked with tears.

The next day, as I was going through Keira's things, I came across a Father's Day gift she had prepared for Ryan, a neck massager. Inside the box was a card that read: "Dear Dad, I'll be leaving for college soon. Let this massager stand in for my hands to help you relax. Please take care of yourself while you're saving lives."

Keira used to always stop what she was doing and rush to take care of him when he came home exhausted from work. She'd fetch his slippers and massage his shoulders, knowing how much strain his neck endured during long surgeries that lasted anywhere from a few hours to over ten.

I covered my face and sobbed.

Ryan wailed in grief, begging Keira for forgiveness over and over.

The bookshelf was lined with Keira's awards and trophies, from childhood to adulthood. Keira had always been exceptional.

On her desk, there were piles of books and a framed family photo, with Keira smiling brightly. That smile, one I'd never see again, was now just a memory.

Ryan couldn't continue going through her things. He grabbed his phone and started looking through old videos of him and Keira.

"Dad, I want to apply to the medical school at Harvard and become an outstanding doctor like you. When I was little, you were my pride. When I grow up, I want to be your pride," Keira said in one video, hugging him as she spoke with such sincerity.

As evening came, the crimson glow of the setting sun bathed Keira's room in a haunting light.

I wheeled my suitcase into the living room, and Ryan looked up, shocked.

"I've left the divorce papers on the coffee table. Look them over and call me if there are no issues. We can go to the civil affairs office to finalize the divorce," I said coldly.

"No, I won't divorce you. I absolutely refuse to," Ryan rushed over and clung to me. "Lena, I do love you."

I pushed him away, disgusted. "Don't talk about love. It makes me sick. Once we're divorced, you can be with Sophia. Isn't that what you've wanted all along?"

"Lena, believe me, there was nothing inappropriate between Sophia and me."

"Whether there was or not doesn't matter anymore."

"Lena, I've already lost Keira. I can't lose you too. Please, give me a chance to make things right. I swear I'll never contact Sophia again." In front of me, he blocked and deleted all of Sophia's contact information.

At this point, blocking and deleting her was meaningless. "The moment Keira died, I gave up on you too."

"Lena, I know I was wrong. I didn't set proper boundaries with Sophia before. I let you down. Please don't leave me. You're all I have left now." He knelt in front of me, desperate.

This was the first time in 20 years of marriage that Ryan had ever begged me for anything.

"Our marriage has ended," I said, voice breaking.

"No, it hasn't. When we got married, we promised to grow old together. Are you going to break that promise?"

"When we married, you promised you'd never hurt me, that you'd always treat me with love. But because of Sophia, you broke my heart over and over again. You were the first to break our vows," I said through gritted teeth, my pain raw in every word.

"Lena, Keira is gone. If you leave me too, how am I supposed to live?" he said, broken.

"How dare you mention Keira? Do you even remember why she's gone? You're the one who killed her. Every time I look at you, I'm reminded of your cruelty to our daughter. You killed Keira. How could I possibly live with a murderer?" I spat, my anger and sorrow pouring out.

He was silent, unable to respond.

I grabbed my suitcase and moved toward the door.

"Where is Keira's urn?" he asked in a whisper.

"You still have the nerve to face Keira's ashes?" I snapped.

He gripped his hair in shame, sobbing uncontrollably.

I left the home where I had given my all.

As I walked downstairs, I thought I heard Keira's voice calling out to me from behind. I spun around, heart racing, but no one was there.

I collapsed to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably.