In my eyes, that demolition money was a gift from heaven—a lifesaving fortune.
Even if it all got spent, as long as Stella could get better, I was willing.
Money could be earned again, but once a person was gone, there was nothing left.
I had lost my parents when I was little and I didn’t want to lose the woman who treated me like her own child.
Stella hugged me and comforted me with a smile, then looked at Mike. “Stop talking about divorce all the time. A good woman like Zerra is hard to find even with a lantern. Apologize to her.”
“I was planning to divorce her after you died, but I can’t wait anymore. She disgusts me.” Mike glanced at me. “A fake saint like her will ruin the family sooner or later. Stop pretending to cry and just sign the divorce papers.”
“Mike, have I spoiled you too much?” Stella glared at him. “Do you really want me to die without peace?”
“Look at her—does she look like a woman in her early thirties?” Mike gave me a disgusted look. “Anyone who doesn’t know her age would think she’s a forty- or fifty-year-old housewife. She’s never even bothered to buy herself a single nice piece of clothing.”
“Just looking at her shortens your life. Living every day with such an ugly woman would drive any man crazy. You wouldn’t even dare take her out to eat. At the kindergarten, people always mistake her for the child’s grandmother.”
Stella’s eyes turned red. “Mike, are you even human?”
“Why doesn’t she dress up? Does she even have time? She wakes up early and works late every day, taking care of the child and me. Whenever she has a bit of free time, she goes out to do odd jobs to earn money. Look at her hands—do they look like the hands of a normal woman? They’re all calloused. She’s your wife and you don’t even feel sorry for her. Instead, you insult her. Where’s your conscience?”
Stella was truly angry now. She went on, “You say she doesn’t buy clothes—do you know why? Because she’s trying to save money!”
“You heartless bastard! After work, you either go out drinking or lie at home playing games. You buy cigarettes that cost four or five a pack, expensive wine worth hundreds of dollars just to ‘try,’ and you spent over ten thousand on a motorcycle just to ride it on weekends.”