Chapter 5

"Christiana, has someone deceived you? Anthony's the one who's been taking care of your mother all along!"

A woman standing beside me, who knew the truth, couldn't help but speak up.

"If this man had been caring for your mother, how could we, your mother's good friends, not know him?"

"Your mother's body is right there. If you don't believe it, go see for yourself..."

"Enough!"

Christiana stood there, cutting her off with a rebuke. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened a video, and held it up in front of us.

"Stop helping Anthony deceive me."

"Look carefully. My mother is abroad. Paul just signed her up for a tour group—she's traveling and receiving treatment overseas. Here's video proof!"

The woman in the video did look somewhat like my mother-in-law, but with careful observation, you could tell it absolutely wasn't her!

The people who'd gathered around exchanged strange looks, glancing at each other. The words to expose the truth remained unspoken.

I asked through clenched teeth, "Christiana, don't you doubt him at all?!"

"Even if Paul really did you some great favor, doing this—did you consider my feelings as your fiancé?"

"You say you're substituting for Paul's deceased fiancée to marry him."

"But once you bow to heaven and earth, hold the banquet, and all of Paul's relatives show up—after everything's done, will you have married him as yourself, or as a substitute for his dead wife?"

Christiana's brows furrowed. She muttered, "Anthony, you're overthinking this. It's not that complicated. I'm just repaying a debt."

I pointed at Paul and asked, "Overthinking? What if Paul asks you to sleep with him tonight, substituting for his dead wife? Will you do that too?"

Christiana stood there, pressed her lips together, then suddenly raised her head to look directly at me.

"Paul sacrificed too much for me. If he asks, I'll agree."

My body trembled slightly. My heart filled with unbearable bitterness.

"If he asks... you'll agree?"

"But have you considered that Paul is lying to you? I'm the one who's been silently caring for your mother all along!"

"How can you treat me like this?"

"Anthony, that joke isn't funny!"

Christiana stood there, her eyes filled with deep disgust toward me.

Paul stepped forward, smiling. "Anthony, I do owe you an apology for this."

"Actually, six months ago, I couldn't hold back. Christiana and I crossed a line."

I felt struck by lightning, my body rigid.

"You... what did you say?"

Christiana's cheeks flushed slightly. She said reluctantly, "Anthony, you have to understand my situation."

"Paul contracted a serious illness because of me. He could die at any moment. So at that time, I was..."

"In a difficult position!"

Those four words exploded in my heart like a bomb!

I clenched my jaw tightly. Paul smiled at me shamelessly.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I couldn't control my lower half. I took Christiana's first time for you. Please don't blame Christiana for not saving it for you."

My ears rang. Blood rushed upward. Anger drowned my reason.

I raised my fist and punched Paul's nose, breaking it.

"Paul!"

Paul collapsed to the ground, his face covered in blood. I climbed on top of him, punching his face again and again.

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Both sides rushed forward, fists and feet flying.

Paul struggled to raise his hand, barely resisting my punches while shouting to Christiana.

"Christiana, save me! Anthony's going to kill me!"

I heard the roar of an engine. The next moment, an unstoppable force slammed into me, sending me flying.

I collapsed by the bridge edge, my internal organs screaming with piercing pain. My vision turned blood red.

Before me, Christiana sat in the driver's seat, panic all over her face.

After hitting me with the car, she didn't brake in time. The vehicle accelerated and roared toward the people carrying the casket.

Everyone scattered, but the casket remained in place.

"Bang!" A tremendous crash. Christiana's car hit the casket. The excessive speed caused the car's front end to push the casket forward, smashing a hole through the bridge railing.

Instantly, both the car and the casket plunged off the bridge, falling from a great height!

Then came a "crash" as the casket landed on a boulder by the riverbank.

The casket board shattered from the impact. My mother-in-law's body tumbled out of the casket, rolling to rest beside Christiana's car.

Christiana crawled out groggily through the overturned driver's side window, her face covered in blood. Before she could catch her breath, she turned her head.

A face she knew all too well stared back at her with wide-open eyes.