My Wife Said Only Death Could Set Me Free

Chapter 8

Roman reacted quickly, blocking the door and pulling me into a hug.

"Luka, Luka, listen to me. Stay calm," he said, dragging me back to the bed. "You know what's going on inside; don't go there. Mia cared for you so much—she wouldn't want to see you like this."

I was completely dazed.

A fit of emotion kept crashing over me, making my nose sting.

I suddenly broke down, crying uncontrollably.

I never thought a tough man like me could cry like this.

Roman gently wiped my tears away and told me that Mia had passed away last night.

I hadn't been able to see her one last time because I had been asleep.

But last night, I was just sulking at the nightclub because of that brooch.

It was all my fault. If I had just taken a step back then, none of this would have happened, and I wouldn't have missed my chance to see Mia one last time. This was devastating for me.

I slid down to the floor by the bed, crying loudly. Roman knew that any comforting words would be pointless, so he just stayed quiet and kept me company.

I was still a mess when Lyra came in.

She saw me crying, snot and tears everywhere, and tossed a card at me. "Two million. That's way more than you asked for. Stop crying and get the doctor to change the kidney."

When the card hit me, it felt like a huge rock crashing down, making it hard to breathe. This card had been tied to Mia's life, but at that moment, it meant nothing.

I was so angry at myself and at Lyra. Why didn't she give me this card sooner? Now that Mia was gone, nothing mattered anymore.

Filled with rage, I picked up the card and threw it back at her. "Mia thought your money was dirty, and that's why she left last night."

In that moment, Lyra was shocked. Before she could say anything, Luka piped up. "Lyra can't predict the future. The company really was struggling financially when you needed the money."

Ha, how ridiculous!

If the company was struggling, how could she afford a thirty-million-dollar brooch? I knew all too well about Lyra's finances. What I needed, just a few hundred thousand, was nothing compared to her resources.

I looked at Luka with disdain. "So you're pretty proud, right? Even when the company is struggling, she still spends this much on you, a little boy toy?"

I had never been this harsh with Lyra before. Luka seemed stunned and quickly adopted a guilty look, hanging his head in silence. To an outsider, it probably looked like I was the one bullying the faithful partner.

Lyra's voice was cold when she said, "Isaac, you've gone too far."

Did she feel uneasy when I called Luka a boy toy? If he was in my position and all the ruthless reporters were throwing dirt at him, would she feel sorry for him?

"I said what I said." I smirked sarcastically. "If you can't handle it, feel free to divorce me and give him a proper title."

Lyra didn't expect me to say something so harsh, ignoring the situation at the nursing home. She froze for a moment, then laughed. "Isaac, I told you to give up. The only way you're getting what you want is your death."

Then she smugly linked her arm with Luka's and walked out of the hospital room.

Just as Lyra left, the doctor came in. He handed me this check-up report and the previous outpatient report.

He sighed and said, "Go do what you want to do."

Roman took care of the discharge paperwork and helped me out.

There was so much I wanted to do. But right now, there was one thing I hadn't done. Next, I needed to make sure I completed it.

I arrived back at the nursing home.

Just two days later, the director looked a lot older. When she saw me, her eyes glistened, and she forced a smile. "Isaac, are you here to sort through Mia's belongings?"

I stayed silent, feeling a lump in my throat.

The director led me to Mia's room. Even though I had been here many times before, this time my steps felt unusually heavy.

Back then, I was just a kid sorting through my dad's things. This time, as an adult, I was here for Mia. Mia didn't have much; a small box was enough to hold her things.

The director looked at the box and said proudly, "She was very frugal. Her favorite things are all in here."

I held Mia's most cherished items close. Would her spirit return to check on me if she couldn't bear to leave?

The funeral was set for four days later. After leaving the crematorium, we would scatter her ashes into the sea.

Mia always wanted to see the ocean but never got the chance because I was too busy to take her. Later, she said she wouldn't see the sea in this life, so if possible, she wanted her ashes scattered in it.

On the day of the funeral, the sky was overcast, just like the old eyes reluctant to leave this world.

I was holding her ashes, ready to take a car to the seaside when Lyra showed up.

Her car was parked right outside the crematorium.

When I stepped out, she rolled down the window and said firmly, "Get in."

I stayed where I was, unmoving. "Lyra, I'm not your dog that you can call and dismiss as you please."

"You know that's not what I mean." Her tone softened, which was rare. "Just get in; I want to talk about Mia."

The car moved slowly, and neither of us said anything for a while. Finally, I broke the silence. "What do you want to talk about Mia?"

"I want to clarify that Mia's death has nothing to do with me. Whether or not there's money, she wouldn't have survived."

I was stunned. I never expected her to rush to clear her name. I couldn't believe the person sitting next to me was the Lyra I'd known since childhood.

"You waited outside the crematorium just to say this?"

The car came to a stop, and Lyra looked at me with growing impatience.

He said, "Isaac, don't you think you've had enough? Sometimes I really don't get you. You love me, but you keep making things worse, targeting Luka, even getting into a fight with him over a brooch. Why do you have to be so stubborn? You know that if you always obey me, I'd still be yours."