Even when things between Rina and Johann became suspiciously intimate, I still chose to trust her—hoping she would eventually come back to her senses.
But this time, she crossed a line I can never forgive—she chose a cycling trip with Johann over our own son’s life.
“Mom,” I said quietly, gripping her trembling hand.
“This time, I really, truly can’t forgive her anymore.”
It took me four days to finalize my resignation. After that, I packed up everything into a single suitcase.
Holding Henry’s urn in my arms, I took one last look around the villa. Just as I was about to leave, the front door swung open.
Rina walked in with her arm looped around Johann’s. She glanced at the suitcase by my feet and frowned.
“Going on a business trip? Who’s going to take care of Henry then?”
She said it so casually, with not a shred of concern in her eyes. She didn’t even notice the white mourning banner hanging above the door.
“Oh right, Johann got injured saving me. Cancel your trip and stay to take care of him.”
When I didn’t respond, she added matter-of-factly, “Let him have the master bedroom. You can sleep in the study.”
I shot her a cold look, grabbed my suitcase, and walked toward the door.
Seeing this, Johann immediately put on his usual act. “Mr. Jensen, if it bothers you that much, I’ll leave...”
“Don’t mind him,” Rina cut him off, yanking him back by the arm and giving me a contemptuous glance.
“Give it three hours. He’ll come crawling back to apologize—and beg me like a dog to donate bone marrow for our son.”
Her words sliced through me like knives, ripping open wounds that had barely begun to heal.
I clutched Henry’s urn tighter and kept walking.
“William, stop right there!” Rina suddenly shouted.
“Leave behind your parents’ medals of honor. Johann’s younger brother needs them for something.”
I turned slowly, my eyes like ice. “No. Those are honors my parents earned with their lives.”
Rina scoffed, completely unfazed. “Then name your price.”
Twenty years of companionship. Seven years of marriage. And in the end, she couldn’t spare me even a sliver of respect.
“You’re unbelievable!” I instinctively shielded the backpack behind me. “Asking for them is an insult to my parents!”
Johann suddenly stepped forward and reached out to snatch my backpack.
I quickly dodged and shouted, “What do you think you’re doing?”
But he didn’t back down. He just gave me that same fake smile. “Mr. Jensen, don’t make things difficult. It’s just a small favor.”
Fury exploded in my chest. I shoved him hard—he staggered and fell, clutching his knee and howling in pain.
“Ow! My knee! That hurts!”
“Johann, are you okay?!” Rina rushed to his side, flustered and worried.
She started shouting for help and calling for a doctor, making such a scene that it drew my mother-in-law from her IV drip.
With a deep frown, she scolded, “Rina! What are you yelling about now?”
Taking advantage of the chaos, I turned and tried to leave with Henry’s urn.
But Rina wasn’t done—like a madwoman, she chased after me and yanked open my backpack, digging frantically through it.
She quickly found the medals.
I immediately set down the urn and lunged to grab them back.
For the first time ever, I defied her. She stared at me, her expression a mix of shock and rage, as if she couldn’t believe I would actually resist.
“Didn’t you say you'd give me anything I wanted? Now you’re taking it back?” she demanded.
I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. After all this, she still had the audacity to ask me for more.
“These belong to my parents. No one has the right to take them!”
Rina choked on her words, stunned into silence.
