I took a deep breath and looked my father, Richard Parker, straight in the eye.
“Dad, I’m sorry.”
“But this is one apology I will never give.”
“And this marriage—I’m ending it.”
Without another word, I turned and walked away.
“You ungrateful brat!”
“If you dare walk out today, don’t ever think about setting foot in the Parker family home again!”
“The Parker family has no place for a petty, cold-hearted man like you!”
I didn’t stop.
His furious shouts chased me down the hallway, stabbing into my chest like knives, cutting into me over and over.
Bitter?
The one truly wronged here wasn’t Sophia Reed or Lucas Bennett—it was me.
Yet I could only endure the accusations of relatives, friends, and employees in silence, without speaking a word in my own defense.
After I left, my father exchanged a glance with my mother.
Martha Parker understood instantly and turned to comfort Sophia in a gentle tone.
“Sophia, Ethan’s just being foolish in the moment—don’t hold it against him.”
“Don’t worry. Even if he doesn’t recognize you as his wife, we do.”
“We’ll make sure you get justice.”
Sophia forced a fragile smile and shook her head sadly.
“Dad, Mom… thank you.”
“But it’s not necessary.”
“I believe real love is about letting go.”
“If Ethan has truly made up his mind, then…”
“I’ll let him go, and make way for the woman he loves.”
With that, she slowly picked up the divorce agreement.
“No!”
“Sophia, give Ethan another chance—your mother-in-law believes he’ll come around.”
Martha was still trying to persuade her, but Richard stopped her with a sigh.
“Forget it.”
“That fool doesn’t deserve Sophia. Better to cut the cord now than live in pain later.”
“It’s just our bad luck in the Parker family that we couldn’t keep such a good daughter-in-law.”
The others in the room nodded in sympathy, sighing in regret.
Sophia flipped to the last page of the divorce agreement—and froze.
As she hesitated, the others leaned in to see.
Five words stared back at them: The woman leaves with nothing.
Silence.
The hospital room went deathly still, the kind of stillness that feels like the moment before a storm.
A woman who risked her life to take a knife for love—not only was she met with betrayal and divorce, but she was to leave with absolutely nothing?
Was there any justice left in the world?
It was an outrage beyond belief.
Just as my parents and the others were about to explode, Sophia’s lips curled into another faint smile.
She spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, as if to herself:
“I’ve loved him for three years, and this is his final answer to me?”
“Forget it…”
“When a person is gone, what’s the point of money?”
“I… accept.”
Wiping away her last tear, she moved to sign.
“You will not sign that!”
My father barked, snatching the pen from her and tossing it into the trash.
My mother held Sophia’s head against her shoulder, sobbing so hard her voice shook.
“Child, are you crazy?!”
“You’re not the one at fault—why should you walk away with nothing?”
Sophia’s smile was bitter, tinged with sorrow.
She said lightly, “As long as it makes him happy, that’s enough.”
Her words broke the hearts of everyone in the room.
“Ethan’s behavior is inhuman!”
“If I had a wife whose heart was full of me, I’d cherish her with my life, not throw her away like garbage!”
