“Don’t worry, I’ll send it back to you. Or give me the hospital’s bank account, I’ll transfer the money straight to them so they can perform Luke's surgery as soon as possible,” my mother said, her voice thick with concern.
Mom had always been kind—just like me. And just like me, she had been fooled by Luke for years. I took a deep breath and told her everything that’s been going on with me, Luke and Willow.
Silence hung between us for a long moment before she let out a heavy sigh, disappointment laced in every word.
“How could he? I didn’t expect them to….” She paused, then said, “Well, never mind. Do what you think best for you, honey. I will always on your side.”
Then, after another moment of hesitation, she added, “If you’re worried about the money, I can hold onto it for you. Once you’re done handling the divorce, I’ll send it back.”
She spent a long time comforting me before finally hanging up.
I tilted my head back, staring at the sky. It was clear and bright, yet I felt nothing but heavy clouds looming over me.
This marriage needed to end. It had been over for a long time.
I called my lawyer and told him to prepare the divorce papers. With no assets to split, it’d be a clean break.
The nurse from the hospital had also sent me several messages, telling me that Willow had been staying in Luke’s hospital room almost the entire time. She had no idea what they could possibly be discussing for that long, but every time she checked in, they both looked visibly startled, their guilty expressions betraying them. It made the nurse certain that they had just been up to something.
I chuckled and sent back a quick thank-you.
By the time everything was arranged, night had fallen.
For the next two days, I stayed away from the hospital. And without me there, those two got real comfortable. Willow waltzed into Luke’s room in her white coat—but underneath, she wore nothing but sheer black lingerie. She stayed for an entire morning and when she finally walked out, her legs were shaking.
Even the nurses noticed something was off and subtly warned me multiple times, suggesting I come and take a look. But I decline. It wasn’t time to burn everything down just yet.
I wasn’t idle during those two days either. I spent every moment gathering evidence of Luke transferring money to Willow during our marriage so I could use it in court.
Then, the day of his surgery arrived. I still hadn’t paid a dime.
And, just as I expected, Luke lost his composure and started bombarding me with messages.
Luke: [Honey, where are you? is scheduled for this afternoon. Did you get the money together?]
Luke: [Why aren’t you answering? Did something go wrong with selling the house? Please don’t carry this burden alone. I’m here with you. If it doesn’t work out, we can just forget the surgery. My life isn’t worth that much—don’t make yourself suffer for me.]
Luke: [If I don’t make it, find yourself a good man and move on. I won’t blame you.]
I read the texts and let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
Oh, he was good. Really good.
This wasn’t some heartfelt farewell—he was trying to guilt-trip me into paying for his surgery.
Willow wasn’t nearly as composed. She started calling me nonstop, her voice breaking with panic. She said Luke was vomiting blood. Then she said he had fallen into a coma and wouldn’t wake up.
The hospital had already issued three critical condition notices and she had handled all of them for me. I responded calmly, telling her I was on my way.
She exhaled in relief, probably thinking she’d won. But in the background, I could faintly hear Luke chuckling in satisfaction.
Go ahead, laugh. After today, he wouldn’t have anything to laugh about.
Before heading to the hospital, I had hired a private investigator to dig into Luke and Willow’s transactions. What I found was an absolute goldmine.
By the time I arrived, the waiting area outside Luke’s room was packed. His mother had gathered the whole damn Rhodes Family like it was some kind of reunion.
The second they spotted me, they swarmed.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Luke’s mom gushed, grabbing my hands like I was some kind of saint. “You’ve been through so much. I just found out Luke was in the hospital—I can’t believe you’ve been shouldering this alone! We’re so lucky to have a daughter-in-law like you. The Rhodes Family is truly blessed.”
I raised a brow. Blessed? Oh, she had no idea what was coming.
Willow rushed up to me, her face tight with fake worry.
“You made it just in time!” she practically shouted. “The doctors said if we wait any longer, it’ll be too late! Hurry and pay the bill—I’ll go tell them to prep for surgery!”
The, Willow shot Luke’s mom a quick, almost imperceptible glance.
The older woman blinked, then—right on cue—her expression crumpled and the waterworks started.
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched my arm. “Please, Nova, save my son! You’re his wife! If you don’t help him, who will?”
