When I was brutally mutilated by the thugs, my wife was feeding her childhood sweetheart mouth-to-mouth.
Before I died, enduring excruciating pain, I managed to make a final call to her with my remaining arm, only to hear her cold, mocking voice.
"What, do you want to seek my forgiveness?"
"Dream on! It's your jealousy that triggered Calvin's heart condition. I'm done with your pettiness. Unless you die, I'll never forgive you!"
As the call was cut off, I closed my eyes in despair.
The next day, my wife, desperate to find a heart for her beloved, pulled some strings and miraculously acquired one.
Little did she know, that heart came from me.
Later, as the top forensic expert, she spent an entire day meticulously identifying my dismembered body parts but never found my heart.
***
Two days after my death, someone reported finding an unidentified object in a dumpling shop.
After hearing the news, the police quickly sealed off the scene and confiscated all the meat for examination.
That same day, my wife, Sofia Smith, known as a forensic prodigy, swiftly identified that a third of the samples were human flesh.
Captain Andy of the criminal police spat in anger, "The killer is ruthless, to commit such an atrocity!"
Sofia stayed silent. As she examined the remains, she suddenly murmured, "Hmm?" and picked up a piece of brain matter, resuming her work.
After a pause, Andy asked, "What is it? Did you find any clues?"
Sofia furrowed her brow. "The victim's death occurred at least three days ago, but there are still active brain cells."
"In other words, the victim suffered unimaginable torture before death, and the heart is missing."
Her eyes flickered as she finished.
Andy was startled and barked orders to his team, "Hurry up! Search the area immediately! Even if you have to dig up the ground, find that missing heart!"
"Damn it! They just passed a ban on this kind of violence, and yet these scumbags still dare to act so heinously! It's like they have no regard for the law."
He then turned to Sofia with concern.
"Sofia, I heard you and your husband had a fight."
Sofia's face instantly showed disgust. "Don't mention him. He ruined someone's life. It's better if he died out there!"
Hearing this, my soul ached, even in death. She still blamed me for Calvin's heart attack.
Andy apologized, "I didn't mean to bring it up, but someone in your neighborhood saw a strange car in the area recently. It was the same night your husband, Andrew Jones, left home after your argument."
"We've already checked the neighborhood. No one else is missing. Only your husband remains unaccounted for. Shouldn't you call him?"
2After a brief silence, Sofia's expression shifted to a cold sneer.
"He's always been petty and jealous. This isn't the first time we've fought, and each time, he comes crawling back to apologize. He's just trying to show me how 'hurt' he is this time."
"Andy, you should focus on solving this murder. This trivial matter doesn't warrant your concern."
Hearing this, Andy hesitated and sighed, turning to arrange the search.
I let out a bitter laugh. I had thought our fights would make her realize my frustration.
But now I see—she just saw me as a fool.
Sofia continued her work in the lab.
For two days, she had been tirelessly trying to piece together the process of how I had been tortured and mutilated.
It wasn't until her head began to ache that she finally stopped.
Just then, her phone rang.
It was someone from my company.
"Hello, are you Sofia, Andrew's wife? He has been absent for three days, and if he doesn't come in soon, we'll have to terminate his employment."
Sofia sneered. "He has always been irresponsible, and he is violent. You should definitely fire him!"
"Could you contact him? His phone seems to be off..."
"I'm sorry. I don't have time. If he doesn't show up, just fire him."
Before hanging up, she added, "And never rehire him. He is a danger to your staff."
"..."
The phone was hung up.
At this time, Andy approached. "Sofia, maybe you should go home and rest. Give your husband a call. After all, you're still married, and understanding goes both ways."
Hearing this, Sofia wanted to refuse but relented when the pain in her head grew sharper.
On her way home, she turned on her phone and checked her call logs.
At the top was a recent call to Calvin Yukio, her childhood sweetheart, with the affectionate label "Dear Calvin."
Looking at this note, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at myself.
Even though she was immersed in her forensic work, she had been checking on Calvin's condition throughout.
As for my last call, it was three days ago.
That day, Sofia had taken Calvin to our house. She had called me in advance, asking when I'd be home.
I had bought her favorite necklace, hoping to surprise her, and lied, saying I was working late.
But when I opened the door, I saw them in the living room, locked in a passionate kiss.
Their clothes were half-off, their hands exploring each other.
Furious, I grabbed a broom and swung it at Calvin.
But before I could reach him, he collapsed to the ground.
Ignoring my questions, Sofia immediately called an ambulance and accompanied him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with heart disease.
That night, she ran home angrily to blame me, saying that if I hadn't frightened him, Calvin wouldn't have had a heart attack and almost died.
But she was blind and I didn't see her lover at all. Calvin's heart had failed because of their intense encounter, not because of me.
In a fit of rage, I left home, never to return.
Sofia's fingers hovered over my name in her contacts before she unexpectedly tapped it.
I held my breath. Before I died, I had set up an automatic voicemail message on my phone, then flung it into the woods.
3As long as the thugs hadn't found and destroyed it, if Sofia called, she would know I was already dead.
But after a few seconds, she canceled the call, smirking coldly. "Playing hard to get? Let's see how long you last before begging for my forgiveness."
"But even if you kneel before Calvin, I won't forgive you."
I let out a hollow laugh.
She didn't know I was already dead.
Even if I wanted to apologize, it wasn't possible anymore.
And yet, why she felt entitled to cheat on me, use my heart to save her lover, and still expect me to grovel?
It was my fault—I had tolerated too much, letting her trample over me without any respect.
I screamed at her in rage, but she couldn't hear me.
At that moment, Sofia arrived at the hospital and walked into a room where I saw Calvin lying pale and exhausted.
When he saw her, his face lit up, but when he reached out to her, he collapsed, coughing violently.
Seeing this, Sofia immediately ran up, held his hand, and regardless of the stains on Calvin's hospital gown from coughing, she struggled to carry him back to bed.
Seeing this, I felt a sharp pang in my heart. Despite knowing their betrayal, it still hurt to witness.
When she was with me, except for the year we got married, Sofia had always kept her distance from me.
But here she was, holding him without hesitation.
I used to think she had a germaphobia. I had clearly misjudged her.
Then, Sofia wiped the saliva from Calvin's lips and apologized, "Calvin, I'm sorry. There's been a gruesome murder case, and I've been fully focused on solving it."
Calvin sighed. "If even you, the forensic genius, find it difficult, I can't imagine how horrible it must be."
Hearing this, Sofia told him all about the case.
When Calvin learned that the victim's heart was missing, he touched his chest.
"Sofia, do you think... it could be mine?"
Hearing this, Sofia froze for a moment before hugging him tightly.
"Calvin, don't think too much. There is no such coincidence in the world. Besides, I obtained it through legal channels. It couldn't be the victim's."
Listening to her blatant lies, Calvin nodded happily.
"Well, if it weren't for you, I'd be dead. I'll believe anything you say."
Sofia nodded gently.
Their gazes met, full of affection.
But then, Calvin's expression grew worried.
Sofia asked, "What's wrong, Calvin?"
"Sofia, your husband is terrifying. We just hugged each other for a while after not seeing each other for a long time, and he actually wanted to beat me to death."
"Why would you marry someone like him? What if he comes back to hurt me?"
Hearing this, Sofia's face darkened with anger. "He's always been small-minded and couldn't stand seeing me with you. But don't worry. This won't happen again. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Calvin's eyes lit up. "Sofia, does that mean..."
After a moment of silence, Sofia's eyes showed determination as she said, "When he returns, I'll divorce him."
"Really!?"
Sofia gazed at Calvin affectionately and nodded.
They kissed again.
Afterwards, she deleted my name from her call log without hesitation.
I was stunned.
I hadn't expected her to plan on divorcing me for Calvin.
Three years of marriage, and it had come to this.
But I was already dead. She'd probably be happy—there would be no need for a divorce anymore.
At that moment, Sofia's phone rang.
After a few words of reassurance to Calvin, she stepped out to answer it.
Andy's urgent voice came through.
"Sofia, have you reached your husband, Andrew?"
Hearing my name, Sofia, who had just decided to divorce me, frowned, "Andy, this is my family matter, you..."
Before she could finish, Andy interrupted her. "I'm not trying to meddle, but we've found a lead on the missing heart."
"It might be connected to your husband, Andrew."