Ryan fumed."You!"
He'd never guess why his family's graves were targeted.
"Let's go, Vicky. Waste of breath!" Victoria snapped." Ethan, I'll wait for you to beg!"

After they left, Sophia raised a brow."Beg her for what?"
I snorted."Probably thinks I'll grovel for forgiveness, begging her not to take my'joke'divorce seriously."
Sophia tsked, sipping coffee."She needs my card."
I burst out laughing.
She stared, smiling."Ethan, keep smiling. You look good when you do."
…

Soon after, Victoria sent the signed divorce agreement.
I signed instantly, fearing she'd back out.
We set a date to finalize it.
During the waiting period, she kept issuing lofty demands:" Bow, and I'll forgive you."

"Ethan, just bow!"
My silence drove her mad.
On divorce day, Ryan waited outside the courthouse with a massive bouquet of roses.
"Look at Ethan, Vicky," he sneered." What's he like?"
"A drowned rat," she scoffed, glancing at me."Exactly."
She sped off.
My leg, after relentless rehab, was nearly normal.
Watching the exhaust, I dialed a number."You can start."
During my seventh therapy session, Victoria's world collapsed.
Her company's flagship project imploded—the lead absconded with funds.
Police couldn't find them.
By the time the company reacted, Victoria and Ryan had vanished.
Debts piled up, her assets frozen.
Her old home was splashed with red paint, crowds cursing at the door.
Ryan's disappearance caught me off guard.
I hadn't expected him to bolt before the police moved.
Five years passed.
My leg was nearly normal for slow walks.
My pinky, though permanently damaged, no longer shamed me.
I married Sophia.
Our daughter was born the next year.
I bought back the company—my life's work.
The dark memories no longer broke me.
Then a call came: Ryan was arrested.
At the station, I watched a video.
It showed Victoria, barely human from torture, dated years back.
"Per the suspect, in their second year in Central America, Victoria was fading. Ryan sold her organs on the black market."
Victoria was dead.
She likely never understood why Ryan, her beloved, betrayed her.
But I knew.
I'd found my dad's old notebook.
The case against Mitchell Enterprises had a whistleblower feeding critical evidence to sink a rival.
Their last name? Hayes.
I thanked the police and left.
Years ago, I got a call from an unknown number—just stifled sobs, nothing else.
I looked at the blazing sun, warmth washing over me.
"Honey, what's for dinner?" Sophia asked, eyes crinkling.
"Anything you make,"I said.