The Strength to Start Over

Amanda let out a breath. Her face still looked unpleasant, but her tone softened. "If it was a misunderstanding, then forget it."

She glanced at me and added with complete confidence, "Don's a victim too. As the doctor, you should have asked more about his dietary history. Let's all be a little generous. We'll call this even."

"Even?" I actually laughed. "Amanda, you almost killed me just now. And you're telling me we're even? You two apologize right now, or I'm calling the police."

Her expression darkened at once. "Cedric, don't push your luck—"

"Enough," Donovan cut her off and looked at me with open impatience. "Cedric, fine. My bad luck. I ate the wrong thing and blamed you. Manda was only protecting me. If you want to call the police, go ahead. But don't stand here pretending you're the victim."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word. Amanda shot me a vicious glare and hurried after him. "Cedric, you're impossible!"

Exhaustion settled deep in my bones.

…

I checked out of the hospital and went home to pack. My flight left early the next morning. I did not want to stay here a second longer.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard Donovan complaining in an irritated voice. "Manda, those debt collectors gave me a deadline. If the money isn't wired by tomorrow, they'll break one of my legs. Or they'll drag me into some underground fight club and make me fight to pay it back."

He kicked the sofa in frustration.

Amanda rushed to soothe him. "Don't worry. I'm here. Let's see who dares lay a finger on you."

She noticed me then. Her expression cooled immediately, and her voice turned impatient. "Ced, can you hurry up with the patent transfer? Don doesn't have time to wait."

Perhaps she remembered the scene at the hospital because her tone softened slightly.

"As long as you transfer the patent to Don and help him cover the debt, I promise I'll come back to the family. We'll live properly together from now on. And after what happened at the hospital today, you owe Don some compensation anyway."

I swallowed the wave of disgust.

From my bag, I pulled out a thick stack of documents I had prepared earlier. They looked like copies of the patent transfer agreement.

The stack was heavy and appeared official. Buried in the middle pages, however, was something else: a divorce agreement.

I flipped to the final page and pointed to the signature line.

"Sign here."

Amanda did not even glance at the terms. She grabbed a pen and scribbled her name without hesitation.

Donovan's gloomy face finally broke into a smile. "Manda, you really know how to handle things. I owe you one this time."

Amanda patted his shoulder and looked at him with a gentle gaze. "Why are you being polite with me? Your problems are my problems."

I watched the scene with cold detachment. Then I turned and walked into the bedroom and pulled out my suitcase.

The sound caught Amanda's attention. She frowned slightly. "Where are you going?"

"A business trip," I said calmly.

It was the first lie I had ever told her.

She did not question it. She waved a dismissive hand. "Put the trip on hold for now. There's a business reception tomorrow night. Bring the detailed technical materials for the patent. I want to announce the good news publicly and introduce Don to a few investors."

She not only wanted to use my life's work to fill his bottomless debt, but she also wanted to squeeze out its remaining value and pave his future for him. What a perfect plan.

A faint, cold smile touched my lips. I took out a USB drive and handed it to her.

"I might arrive a little late," I said. "But the core data is all in here."

Amanda weighed the USB drive in her hand and studied my calm expression. For some reason, a strange unease stirred in her chest. It felt as though something important was quietly slipping away, something she would never be able to catch again.

While she stepped aside to answer a phone call, Donovan walked over to me. His tone dripped with arrogant mockery. "Cedric, what does it matter if you're talented? Your woman and your life's work all end up dressing me for the wedding in the end, don't they?"

I smiled slightly. "Really? Then I wish you good luck."

…

The next morning, Amanda left early. Before she went out, she reminded me to arrive early that night.

The apartment remained silent behind her. She did not think much of it. She assumed I was sleeping in. A trace of softness crossed her mind. After all this was over, she would make it up to me. Perhaps it was time to start seriously planning for a baby.

Lost in those thoughts, she left with Donovan urging her along.

…

More than ten hours later, my plane landed. The moment I turned my phone on, calls and messages flooded the screen like a bombardment.

Every single one was from Amanda.

[Cedric! Where are you?!]

[Why did the patent office say the patent was transferred to someone else three days ago?!]

[That USB drive was full of viruses! The company's computers are completely down! The investors are accusing me of fraud!]