After I Died, My Wife Began to Love Me

Part 3

The next day, I couldn't make it to the civil affairs office because my mother was admitted to the hospital. But Emma and Jack, they wouldn't miss any opportunity to humiliate me.

They showed up in the quiet hospital room, Emma clinging to Jack's arm.

"Oh, look at you. Big talker, huh? I thought you'd actually grow a spine."

"Emma, what are you doing here?"

My mother, unaware of Emma's affair with Jack, looked at me anxiously, seeking an explanation. I gently patted her hand, then got up, intending to lead them outside the room.

The doctor had warned me that my mother had a heart condition; she couldn't handle any more stress.

Sensing my intention, Emma slapped my hand away.

"Do you really think your son is such a catch? Who would want him?"

"Do yourself a favor and convince him to get a divorce. He's like a piece of trash stuck to my shoe, and it's time to scrape him off."

Her disdain for my mother had always been palpable, but I had grossly overestimated her decency. Now, she was openly taunting her.

My mother clutched her chest, her breathing growing shallow. Panicking, I pressed the call button by her bed, summoning a doctor. She gripped my hand tightly, but the pain was all in my heart.

"Keep pretending, go ahead. It's been years, and your tricks haven't changed. I want to see how long you can keep this up."

Emma continued to hurl insults at my mother, completely indifferent. Jack, meanwhile, wrapped an arm around Emma, chiming in.

"Auntie, come on, this isn't funny anymore. The hospital has cameras, and they're capturing everything crystal clear. You're too old to be pulling these scams."

I focused on calming my mother, while rage built inside me. I turned and roared at them.

"Get out! Both of you, get out!"

"Tom, watch your tone. Who do you think you're yelling at?"

Emma let out a scoff, still wearing that smug expression.

And as if to up the ante, she pulled Jack closer by the neck and kissed him, flashing me a taunting look mid-kiss.

"You, you two..."

My mother pointed at them, but before she could finish her sentence, she fainted.

"Doctor! Doctor!"

I shoved them aside and rushed out, frantically calling for help.

Emma followed behind, still spewing insults.

"Tom, are you and your mom trying to pull a stunt together? Trying to fake a health scare to keep me from leaving? How desperate."

In a blind fury, I slapped her hard across the face. The disbelief in her eyes matched the shock in mine as I watched the doctors wheel my mother into the ICU.

As the light above the operating room flicked on, my body collapsed to the ground like a broken doll.

Emma snapped out of her stupor and pounced on me, hitting and pulling at me, forgetting all pretense of dignity in front of Jack.

"You bastard, Tom! How dare you hit me! I nearly died giving birth to your daughter, and now you think you can hit me?"

I sat there, staring blankly, not saying a word.

Then, by some twisted coincidence, my own doctor happened to pass by.

"I've been calling you to come to the hospital for days. What, you finally decided to show up now? We can only delay things for so long."