Love Has Become a Wound,
Nowhere to Be Found
Chapter 1
It’s been thirty days since the last fight with
my wife, Sarah. She suggested a trip to mend
things, but the moment we landed, she
snapped my ID card in half, smashed my
phone, and left me stranded on a deserted
island.
Someone asked her if she’d gone too far. She
just stroked her belly and scoffed.
“It’s all his fault for being so cheap! I just
wanted to have a baby through IVF for
Michael, and he threatened divorce.”
“The baby’s due in eight months. There’s
fresh water and food on the island; he won’t
starve. It’s just a little punishment.”
Eight months later, holding her newborn son,
Sarah contentedly asked her assistant,
“It’s been so long. Hasn’t he contacted me
L
yet, demanding to come home?”
She didn’t know I died the first day.
1
When I opened my eyes again, my soul was in
Sarah’s delivery room.
Pale–faced, Sarah gently held her baby, her
eyes full of love. Her childhood sweetheart,
Michael, wiped the sweat from her brow,
overflowing with gratitude.
“Sarah, thank you. We have a son.”
I was stunned. I’d been dead that long.
Their son was born.
After Sarah was wheeled out, a crowd
gathered to celebrate, showering her with
gifts and cash.
“Sarah, the baby is adorable! He’s the perfect
mix of you and Michael. He’s going to be a
heartthrob!”
These people used to call me “brother–in- law,” then furiously criticized Sarah’s IVF and
Michael’s pretense.
Of course, they only fawned over me because
I was Sarah’s husband.
Sarah smiled, but her gaze kept drifting
towards the end of the hallway. She absently
picked up her phone.
Then she frowned, asking her assistant, “Didn’t I tell you to get him a new phone?
Why hasn’t he contacted me in months? He
hasn’t even tried to come back?”
The assistant lied smoothly,
“Mr. Gray kept cursing you and Mr. Michael,
saying he didn’t want to talk to you.”
Sarah’s frown deepened.
“Stubborn fool. He’s got such a bad temper.”
“Tell him the baby’s here. Mission
accomplished.”
“If he calls and sincerely apologizes, and
agrees to be the baby’s godfather, I’ll bring
him back.”
I chuckled bitterly.
She didn’t know I was already gone.
Nine months ago, Sarah abandoned me and our child to make room for her baby with
Michael. She said Michael was dying and wanted to leave him an heir.
I, heartbroken, filed for divorce.
Sarah and I had a month–long cold war before she surprisingly reached out, proposing a trip to repair our relationship, promising to terminate the IVF pregnancy
upon our return.
I believed her, only to be left to die on that
island.
Snapping back to reality, Michael whined, “Sarah, if Gray comes back, he won’t hurt me
again, right? He can hurt me, but please don’t
let him hurt our child!”
He adjusted his position, subtly revealing a
small scar on his forehead.
That scar was from when Michael challenged me after I learned about the IVF, purposely banging his head against a wall.
That incident fueled Sarah’s hatred, making
her believe I was bullying a terminally ill man. Sarah was heartbroken and snapped,
“If he dares touch you or our son, I’ll make sure he never returns!”
Everyone laughed.
“Sarah, you’re still so protective of Michael.
Now that the baby’s here, I remember you
two were childhood sweethearts! It’s
perfect!”
“Yeah, Sarah, the baby needs a complete
family! Gray’s so petty and extreme, I’m
worried he might hurt the child!”
Sarah didn’t respond, just clenched her
fingers, and looked up at her assistant,
“Did you send the message? How did he
respond?”
L
Sarah’s phone rang.
Sarah’s eyes lit up, thinking it was me. She
smugly said,
“Gray, you finally…”
The voice on the other end stunned her.
“Are you Mrs. Gray? We need you to come to
the temple to pick up a good luck charm for your baby.”
Sarah asked,
“What good luck charm?”
The voice, chanting a prayer, sighed,
“A year ago, Mr. Gray came to our temple and prayed for his wife’s recovery. He returned later to give thanks, saying his wife was better and pregnant. Our abbot said he
had a strong connection with Buddha and had a special charm made to ensure your baby’s
safety. But we haven’t been able to contact
him for months.”
When Sarah was diagnosed with late–stage
heart failure, I desperately sought treatment, even begging heaven, kowtowing until my
head bled.
I joyfully returned to give thanks, believing we’d overcome the ordeal.
But in the end, I lost everything.
Gripping my aching chest, I laughed bitterly. Even an artificial heart can hurt this much.
Everyone was stunned.
“I never knew Gray was so devoted. When Sarah had heart failure, we thought he ran away because he was afraid of responsibility.
It seems we misunderstood him…”
Sarah suddenly clutched her chest, her teeth
biting her lip.
After recovering, she sneered,
“No, forget the charm. Throw it away.
She hung up.
“”
She lowered her head, gritting her teeth,
“That’s the difference between Gray and
L
Michael.”
“Gray only makes empty gestures, but
Michael saved my life! If Michael hadn’t
donated his heart, I’d be dead!”
“Michael is dying because of it, but Gray? He
only knows how to be jealous and petty, even threatening divorce over little things!”
My mouth tasted bitter.
The person who donated the heart to Sarah
was me.
The doctor told me that even with a costly artificial heart and daily medication, current technology would only give me a couple of
years.
I didn’t regret it, grateful for the time I had.
But when I woke from the coma, Sarah was
tearfully thanking Michael.
I tried to explain, but she accused me of
imitation.
Our relationship only improved after Sarah
got pregnant.
It was when Michael visited Sarah, clutching
his chest and sadly saying,
“Unfortunately, I won’t live much longer. I probably won’t have my own child, or see
Sarah’s child grow up.
“”
Sarah immediately decided to have a child
with Michael.
That’s how the tragedy unfolded.
Listening to Sarah’s accusations, everyone exchanged glances, the air thick with tension. To lighten the mood, someone turned on the
TV,
“Sarah, you just gave birth, don’t get too
upset. Relax.
وو
The news showed a report:
“A drone patrol discovered a male skeleton
on a Pacific island. This is a testament to the
power of drone technology…
“”
Sarah looked up sharply, her pupils
constricting.
“Which island?”
