The light had gone out of Su Qingyu's once-bright eyes. Her gaze was flat as it fell on him. “Do you even care if I live or die?” Li Tingchen scoffed. “I’m just worried that if you die, there'll be no one left to sign.” His words pierced her battered heart like shards of glass. Su Qingyu dragged her drenched body inside. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. With an unnatural calm, she pulled the divorce agreement from its file folder. “Don't worry. I've already signed it.” She placed the agreement, stark in black and white, on the dining table. Li Tingchen had never found the word ‘divorce’ so jarring. She had only one condition: a ten-million-dollar settlement. “I knew you wouldn't give up so easily. It was always about the money.” His sneer was all she could see. Before, she might have argued, but today, she was just too tired. So Su Qingyu simply stood her ground and answered softly, “I could have taken half of your fortune, Mr. Li. But I only asked for ten million. I suppose, in the end, I'm just too kind.” Li Tingchen took a step forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over her. His long fingers gripped her chin. His voice was low and cold. “What did you call me?” “If ‘Mr. Li’ bothers you, I don't mind ‘ex-husband.’ Sign the papers, and you can leave.” The defiance on her face stoked Li Tingchen’s anger. “This is *my* house. What right do you have to tell me to leave?” A cold smile touched Su Qingyu’s lips. “I have no right. Don't worry, Mr. Li. As soon as we have the divorce certificate, I'll move out of here.” With that, she wrenched her chin from his grasp. Her dark eyes stared straight through him, and her red lips parted as she spoke, her voice like ice. “Mr. Li. Nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Bring the divorce agreement and your documents. I'll see you at City Hall.” Alone in the dead of night, she went to the bathroom to wash up. The steaming water chased away the chill from her body. She rubbed her swollen, red-rimmed eyes and walked to a room, pushing the door open to reveal a warmly decorated nursery. She gently nudged a mobile, and the simple melody of a music box filled the air. The room was cast in a soft, yellow glow. It should have been a scene of perfect warmth, but for Su Qingyu, the tears flowed uncontrollably. Perhaps this was her punishment. She hadn't protected her child, and now fate was coming to claim her life. Su Qingyu climbed into the small, four-foot-long crib and curled herself into a tight ball, like a shrimp. Tears from her left eye streamed into her right, spilling down her cheeks to dampen the baby blanket beneath her. She clutched a stuffed animal, murmuring, “I'm so sorry, baby. It's all mommy's fault. Mommy couldn't protect you... Don't be afraid. Mommy will be with you soon.” Ever since her child's death, her spirit had been broken. She was like a vibrant flower, withering day by day. Staring into the oppressive darkness, she thought that once she secured the money for her father, she could finally go and be with her baby. The next morning, before the sun had risen, Su Qingyu was already dressed. She looked down at her own beaming face on their marriage certificate. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. She made an easily digestible breakfast. She didn't have long to live, but she wanted to hold on for as long as she could to take care of her father. Just as Su Qingyu was about to leave, she got a call from the hospital. “Ms. Su, your father had a sudden heart attack. He’s been rushed into emergency care.” “I’ll be right there!” Su Qingyu rushed to the hospital. The surgery was still in progress. She waited outside the operating room, her hands clasped in prayer. She had already lost everything; her only hope was for her father to live. A nurse approached with a stack of bills. “Ms. Su, these are the costs for your father's emergency treatment and the surgery.” Su Qingyu glanced at the itemized list. It was over a hundred thousand dollars. Her father's regular care already cost fifty thousand a month, and she worked three jobs just to break even. She had just paid this month’s hospital fees, leaving only five thousand dollars in her account. Where was she going to find the money for surgery? She had no choice but to call Li Tingchen. His voice was frigid. “Where are you? I've been waiting for half an hour.” “Something urgent came up. I can't get away.” “Is this some kind of game to you, Su Qingyu?” Li Tingchen sneered. “I knew you'd changed your tune too easily. Do you take me for a fool, making up such a pathetic excuse?” He actually thought she was lying. Su Qingyu tried to explain, “I’m not lying to you. Before, I couldn't let go. I thought you must have had a reason for treating me that way. But I see things clearly now. There’s no point in this marriage anymore. I truly want this divorce. The reason I’m not there is because my dad had a heart attack and needs surgery…” “Is he dead yet?” Li Tingchen asked. The question was so bizarre, Su Qingyu couldn't process it. Who would say something like that? “No, they’re still operating. Li Tingchen, the surgery costs over a hundred thousand dollars. Can you give me the ten million now? I promise, I will divorce you!” Her plea was met with a derisive laugh. “You’d better understand something, Su Qingyu. I want your father dead more than anyone. You can have the money, but only *after* I have the divorce certificate.” The line went dead. Su Qingyu stood there in disbelief. She remembered how respectful Li Tingchen had been to her father when they were dating. But the hatred in his voice just now had been chillingly real. He wanted her father dead? Why? Her mind flashed back to the Su family's bankruptcy two years ago. Suddenly, things started to connect. It couldn't have been a coincidence. Maybe he was the one behind her family’s ruin. But what had her family ever done to him? Shaking off the thoughts, Su Qingyu knew her priority was to scrape together the money for the medical fees. The doors to the operating room opened, and Su Qingyu hurried forward. “Dr. Zhang, how is my father?” “Don’t worry, Ms. Su. He’s a fighter and pulled through. But he’s in a very fragile state emotionally. Please make sure he doesn’t suffer any more shocks for now.” “I understand.” Su Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Dr. Zhang.” Su Qiping was still unconscious. Su Qingyu found the caregiver and asked, “My father was in good spirits. Why would he suddenly have a heart attack?” The caregiver quickly explained, “Mr. Su has been quite cheerful lately. He even said he was craving shrimp dumplings from Shanhai Zhai. I figured the restaurant was only a ten-minute trip, so I went out to buy him some. By the time I got back, he’d already been taken to the ER. Ms. Su, this is all my fault!” “Did anyone visit him before you left?” “No, Mr. Su was perfectly fine when I left. He even told me to pick up an order of their turnip cakes because he remembered you liked them. I can’t believe this happened so suddenly…” Su Qingyu felt something was wrong. She told the caregiver to watch over Su Qiping closely and hurried to the nurses' station to check the visitor log. “Ms. Su, no one visited Mr. Su this morning,” the nurse informed her. “Thank you.” “By the way, Ms. Su, has your father’s bill been settled?” Fighting back her embarrassment, Su Qingyu said, “I’m about to pay it. I’m sorry.” She left the nurses' station, hailed a cab, and rushed to City Hall. Li Tingchen was nowhere in sight. Frantic, Su Qingyu dialed his number. “I’m at City Hall. Where are you?” “The office.” “Li Tingchen, can you please come over now so we can finalize the divorce?” He laughed coldly. “What do you think is more important? A hundred-million-dollar deal I’m about to close, or you?” “I can wait until your meeting is over. Li Tingchen, I’m begging you. My father needs the money urgently.” “If he dies, I’ll pay for the funeral.” With that, he hung up. When she tried to call back, his phone was off.