Chapter 24

In my memory, my mother had always been a distant presence. During the three years I was married to Sophia—or rather, since I became independent—she only contacted me when she needed money. She never seemed to care about me, unlike most mothers; she only cared about herself.

I had thought Jayden was merely trying to cheer me up, but I never expected my mother had actually visited. “Mrs. Palmer did visit. She cried a lot,” he said.

I was briefly shocked but smiled, saying, “Maybe it’s because I’m about to die, and suddenly everyone’s become a good person.” “You won’t die. As long as you cooperate with the treatment, there’s still a chance for recovery,” Jayden replied, his voice heavy, as if convincing himself as much as me.

In the end, I didn’t argue. I simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll follow the doctor’s treatment plan and stay positive.” He nodded. After a long pause, he asked the question on his mind: “Joshua, do you still want to divorce Sophia?”

Would I divorce Sophia? Honestly, I didn’t know. Sophia was the beautiful thing I’d wanted for over ten years but could never have. I longed for her kindness, but knew we couldn’t return to the past. She still didn’t believe I didn’t kill Edson; she continued to doubt me.

I understood her skepticism, but it made me wonder if her current kindness stemmed from guilt, an attempt to atone for the past. From the moment I woke up to when she fed me soup, I felt like I was in a dream. For a brief moment, I felt we could resolve our issues and live a good life together.

But that wasn’t possible. I couldn’t deceive myself. She was still the same person. We couldn’t divorce. Once I initiated it, I’d have to face the consequences, and the result would be the same. Why repeat it?

I was tired of struggling. I’d pretend everything was harmonious, even if only to fool myself. Looking again, I clearly saw the dark circles under Jayden’s eyes. I knew what I was about to say might disappoint him, but I had no other choice.

“I don’t want to divorce Sophia. Jayden, I don’t know how much longer I have, but I hope to continue living as I am.”

He remained silent. After a long time, he stood up, looked out the window, and smiled. “Joshua, it’s okay. As long as it’s your choice, I’ll respect it.”

When he left the ward, he bumped into Juliette outside. She met his gaze and sneered, “Jayden, you have to accept that there are fools in this world who never learn from their mistakes.” She then turned and left.

Jayden stood there, watching her go, letting out a helpless sigh. If he had done everything he could to stop our marriage from the beginning, would our outcome be different now?

After Jayden left, I spent a long time thinking, eventually gathering the courage to call my mother.