Broken Marriage: The Destructive Power of First Love

"You even installed surveillance cameras. What else are you capable of?"

He instinctively stood in front of Eden.

He was afraid I might go crazy and harm her.

Xavier coldly pushed me away. "Clara, you know I care about Leah very much. We grew up relying on each other. She means everything to me.

"If you dare use her as an excuse to compete for my favor again, I will really look down on you!"

I couldn't believe it. "What? In your eyes, am I such a shameless person?"

Compete for favor?

How dare he!

"You think you're clever at lying?

"Just two hours ago, I was talking to Leah. She was perfectly fine."

Xavier looked away and ignored me.

He bent down and started picking up the stuffed toys Eden had won, putting them into a bag one by one.

Seeing that I hadn't left, Xavier looked up and coldly stared at me.

"Clara, don't stand here and be a nuisance.

"Eden is alone in this city. It's her birthday today, and she has no one to celebrate with. I promised to be with her today, so I'm not going anywhere."

Just as I was about to speak, Eden interrupted me.

She made that shrill voice again.

"Clara, I know it's not right to be together with Xavier, but I really see him as a brother. He'll just be with me for one day. After today, I'll give him back to you, okay?"

She looked pitiful, with tears about to fall.

Xavier, feeling sorry for her, held her hand and was about to leave.

"Eden, don't bother with her.

"Let's go. I'll take you to have some birthday cake."

Eden, like an obedient girl, was led away by Xavier.

As they left, Eden turned back and gave me a provocative smile.

Just as I realized what was happening and wanted to rush over, my phone rang.

It was a call from the hospital.

"Mrs. Morgan, have you reached Dr. Morgan?

"Please come to the hospital. Leah... she's not going to make it.

"She said she wants to see you one last time."

I put down the phone, got into a cab, and choked back tears on the way to the hospital.

I really wanted to break down and cry.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand how a once happy family had turned out like this.

Xavier would rather be with Eden, playing with toys and eating cake, than believe me or visit his sister in the hospital.

Leah was such a sensible girl, and her own brother could save her!

"Clara..."

Leah, with an oxygen tube, weakly called out to me.

I quickly held her hand, "Leah, I'm here!

"I'm sorry I couldn't get Xavier back. He, he..."

My eyes turned red with tears.

Leah weakly shook her head, trying to smile and comfort me. "Clara, it's not your fault. You're so good...

"It is Xavier's fault."

Leah had known for months about Xavier staying out all night, entangled with Eden.

She had always chosen to stand by me.

She had often comforted me, saying Eden wasn't a good woman, that she had left Xavier for money and came back now that she was broke.

She said Xavier was lucky to have met me.

Leah held my hand and placed a crumpled piece of paper in my palm.

"Clara, if you want a divorce, I support you..."

After saying this, Leah's hand went limp.

"Leah!!"

I cried uncontrollably.

The nurse placed Leah's body in the mortuary, waiting for the family to claim it.

I sat helplessly in the hospital corridor.

I opened the piece of paper Leah had given me.

The doctor said this was her will, written desperately through pain and suffocation before she died.

Because she had no strength, her writing was crooked.

"Xavier, Clara is so good. If you divorce, you must leave with nothing. And don't be with Eden, or I will... die with regrets."

These words made me burst into tears.

Oh, Leah.

Even before she died, she was thinking of me.

I gazed at Leah from a distance, praying for her peaceful journey.

As for Xavier, I was completely disheartened.

"Xavier, you can keep playing with Eden from now on. We're getting a divorce."

He didn't reply to my message.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Xavier finally replied.

"It's up to you."

I sat at the morgue entrance for a whole day and night before I got his reply.

During this time, I watched Xavier's location. After leaving the mall, he went from a restaurant to a hotel and only left the hotel in the afternoon when he replied.

Tears fell from my eyes.

The tears tasted bitter as they ran into my mouth.

"Tomorrow, we'll go for the divorce. As for now, come to the hospital. Leah's body is still in the mortuary.

"You are her only relative. I have no right to cremate her. Come and claim her body."