The Liberating Death,Finding New Love

In the coffee shop, I had just signed the fake death agreement Shawn handed me when Joshua's mother called. "Evelyn, you need to come back right away. I have something important to tell you."

My mother-in-law's tone was urgent. I didn't ask for details. After hanging up, I got ready to leave.

Shawn grabbed my arm, his face full of concern. "Evelyn, you've been exhausted lately. If you want, I can arrange for the fake death earlier."

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. "No need. Let's stick to the original plan."

There were 20 days left. That day happened to be the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Joshua. It seemed fitting for Evelyn's life to end on that day.

I drove straight to the Sinclair Family's residence. As soon as I walked in, I saw my mother-in-law arguing with Zafrielle in the living room. When she spotted me, her eyes lit up and she immediately called out, "Evelyn! You're finally here! This woman says Joshua wants to divorce you. Tell me, is it true?"

I frowned and looked coldly at Zafrielle. Her eyes were filled with arrogance and provocation. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she smirked and said, "Of course it's true. Auntie, I'll be your daughter-in-law from now on. Joshua loves me."

My mother-in-law clutched my hand tightly, her grip so strong it made my wrist ache. She looked at me desperately. "Evelyn, she's lying, right? Joshua loves you, doesn't he?"

"Mom, I … " I lowered my head, unsure what to say. For the past five years, my mother-in-law had treated me well. Of course, Joshua was also very good to me before.

Before the accident, no matter how hard I racked my brain, I never would have imagined that one day he'd treat me like this.

"Auntie, I told you, Joshua wants to divorce her. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you in the future." Zafrielle took my mother-in-law's arm, making herself at home.

"Let go of me! Stop talking nonsense! Joshua isn't that kind of person!" My mother-in-law yanked her hand away, her voice trembling with rage.

Zafrielle only looked more smug. "Joshua is crazy about me. He can't live without me."

"That's a lie!" My mother-in-law shouted, then suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed. Zafrielle froze, momentarily panicked. Then, as if afraid of getting involved, she quietly stepped back.

My mother-in-law has a heart condition and I was so nervous that my hands were shaking when I called 911. When I finished the call, I realized Zafrielle had slipped away. The paramedics arrived, but they couldn't save her despite their efforts. "I'm sorry for your loss," one of them said.

My phone slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. Joshua rushed in and Zafrielle was in his arms, crying as if she were the most devastated person in the world. Before his mother's body had even cooled, he slapped me across the face without a word. My head rang and I tasted the bitter tang of blood in my mouth. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with confusion.

"Zafrielle told me everything. You're the one who angered my mom to death! Evelyn, how could you be so cruel? Even if you don't want to divorce me, how could you come here and cause trouble? She had a heart condition, didn't you know that?"

Joshua's accusations felt like a cruel joke. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Zafrielle. She seemed guilty and avoided my gaze, lowering her head. My cheek burned; Joshua's slap had been forceful and it hurt. So hurt that the pain numbed my heart. At that moment, I truly wished Evelyn would die. I even wondered if Joshua would kick my corpse if I were the one who had died today. Did he really hate me that much?

"I don't want to argue with you in front of Mom. Don't worry, I'll sign the divorce papers after the funeral." How did I say those words?

Each one felt like a needle stabbing into me, but Joshua was like a beast smelling blood. His eyes were red with fury as he pointed at me and roared, "You have no right to attend my mother's funeral! You killed her!"

Tears slipped down my face, but he only wanted to hurt me more. "Get lost! You're not welcome here! With you around, my mom won't rest in peace!"

I curled my lips into a bitter smile, grabbed my coat and turned to leave. Before stepping out, I glanced back at him and Zafrielle. The whole world felt eerily quiet. I said, "Joshua, I had nothing to do with Mom's death. It was Zafrielle who provoked her. I know you won't believe me, but I still had to say it."

After saying that, I turned around and walked away very quickly. I was afraid of hearing anything I couldn't bear from Joshua again.

Just as the doctor said, the car accident had severely damaged his nerves. He was now a simple-minded creature, blindly believing Zafrielle. Her words were gospel to him and anything I said was just a calculated scheme.