Chapter 3

Dinner ended in a whirlwind of frustration. As they drove home, Stanley focused intently on the road, his demeanor icy and detached. Meanwhile, Rebecca gazed out the window, a profound emptiness pooling in her chest. Then came the sudden screech of brakes. They both looked up at the same time and saw a car speeding out of control into their lane. Before Rebecca could react, there was a deafening crash. The car lurched violently, and everything in her surroundings began to whirl chaotically. Her head slammed hard against the window, and everything went black. She was on the verge of losing consciousness. She heard Stanley's ragged breathing beside her. Forcing her eyes open, she saw his arm stretched out in front of her, as if shielding her. But in the very next second, her heart turned cold. Stanley wasn't protecting her. Instead, he was shielding the ruby pendant lying next to her, the one Mia had gifted him. At that moment, the ruby pendant was stained with blood, but Stanley seemed oblivious to his own injuries. All he cared about was gently wiping the dirt from its surface. A faint crack had appeared on the stone. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Get in touch with the best restoration expert right away. I need a ruby pendant repaired." Rebecca looked at him, overwhelmed by sadness. She was bloodied and gravely injured, barely able to move as she sat in the passenger seat. Yet, he didn't cast a single glance her way. He didn't care about her injuries. He hadn't even called for help. Instead, he had stumbled out of the car, clutching the ruby pendant. He was desperate to have it repaired. Her consciousness faded, and the world around her dimmed. Just before she lost consciousness, she saw Stanley walking away. In the operating room, harsh lights shone down on Rebecca's pale face. Her consciousness drifted in and out, fading between clarity and haze. She could hear the anxious voices of the nurses. "We can't reach her husband. There's no one to sign the consent form for surgery!" "She's this badly injured, and her husband's just… gone? He didn't even show up? What kind of man doesn't even stop by to sign the papers? What could possibly be more important than a life?" A faint, bitter smile tugged at the corner of Rebecca's lips. In Stanley's eyes, his first love and the gift she left behind would always matter more than her life. "I can… sign it myself…" she murmured weakly, her voice barely audible. The nurse froze for a moment, clearly hesitant. But with no other option, she eventually agreed. Rebecca lifted her bloodstained hand and, with trembling strokes, signed the surgical consent form. Every letter felt like it drained the last of her strength. She didn't know how much time had passed. When she opened her eyes again, she was already lying in a ward. For several days in a row, Stanley didn't come to see her. She knew he was busy with the ruby pendant. He was too occupied to spare a moment for her. On the day she was discharged, her injuries still hadn't fully healed. Hence, she could only leave the hospital in a wheelchair. It seemed Stanley had finally, belatedly, remembered that his wife had been seriously injured in that car accident too. He came to pick her up from the hospital, his expression indifferent, as if it were just another task on his to-do list. The driver took a shortcut, and the car merged onto the bypass highway. The car was silent, save for the rhythmic tapping of Stanley's fingers on the keyboard. Rebecca turned her head and saw his screen containing a chat with his secretary about the progress of restoring the ruby pendant. He treated the ruby pendant Mia casually gave him as a priceless treasure, while Rebecca, alive by his side, couldn't even catch his eye. The car cruised steadily along the highway, the scenery outside flashing by in a blur. Neither of them spoke a word. Suddenly, Stanley's typing came to an abrupt halt. His eyes locked onto something outside the window. His breathing quickened, and his fingers clenched the car door tightly, as if he'd just glimpsed something he couldn't tear his eyes away from. Rebecca followed his gaze. In the crowd, a figure had just passed by. It was a woman in a white dress with softly curled hair. From behind, she looked strikingly like Mia. "Stop the car!" Stanley's voice rose sharply, cutting through the silence. The driver slammed the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt by the roadside. Stanley threw the door open the moment the car stopped, his eyes still fixed on that distant figure. He glanced back at Rebecca, his tone icy and hurried. "Go home on your own. I have something to take care of." Rebecca was stunned, her fingers gripping the armrests of the wheelchair so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She tried to speak, but before she could say anything, Stanley had pulled her and her wheelchair out of the car. Then he barked an order at the driver to turn around. The car spun around and drove off in the direction of the disappearing figure, leaving her completely alone in her wheelchair on the side of the highway.