My fiancé's brother, Mark, was in a horrific car accident. A steel pipe went straight through his lung. He was in the ICU, fighting for his life. And where was my fiancé, Ethan? Maxing out my credit card to throw a birthday party for his old flame’s dog. Panicked, I called him. His response was sharp, annoyed. "So I accidentally used your card for a bit of cash? Did you really need to make up some story about someone dying?" The last time I went looking for him, I found him and his old flame, Chloe, locked in a passionate kiss at a dog café. It was like he didn’t care at all that the person lying cold in the morgue was the brother who’d raised him, the brother he’d depended on for years. ... When I got to the scene of the accident, Mark had just been loaded into the ambulance by the paramedics. A steel pipe was still gruesomely lodged in his chest. The sight shocked me to my core. A police officer approached me. "Family should follow the ambulance to the hospital. We're investigating the scene now and will update you as soon as we know anything." I nodded numbly, my body trembling as I climbed into the ambulance. Ignoring the shaking in my hands, I pulled out my phone and tried calling Ethan. Looking at Mark, unconscious and critically injured, tears streamed down my face. The line was busy. I called again and again. But even by the time Mark was wheeled into the operating room, Ethan hadn't answered. A doctor approached me with consent forms. "Family needs to sign these immediately." I reached for the pen, but the doctor stopped me. "It needs to be signed by immediate family." Staring at the unanswered call on my phone screen, I felt a desperate urgency. I had no choice but to dial again. This time, finally, it connected. "Ethan, you need to get to the hospital right now! Mark was in an accident. He needs you to sign for surgery." "Oh, you're looking for Ethan?" A sweet, almost singsong female voice answered. I froze. It was Chloe, his old flame. "He's helping me look for my dog right now." Thinking of Mark, waiting, I couldn't waste time questioning why Ethan was with Chloe. I just yelled, "Put Ethan on the phone!" A moment later, Ethan's irritated voice came through. "What are you yelling about!" "Chloe's dog ran off, so I'm helping her look for it. What's the big deal? Can you stop being so controlling? We're not even married yet." My chest tightened, my nails digging into my palms. I fought to control my voice, tried to stay calm. "Ethan, I'm not joking. Mark was in a serious accident. He needs you at the hospital to sign consent forms..." He cut me off with a sneer. "Give it up, Maya. I already told my brother I'd marry you. What more do you want?" "You insisted on marrying me, used my brother as leverage, so you have to accept that I need... let's call it emotional support elsewhere." "I have important things to do today. Don't call me again!" Ethan hung up abruptly, giving me no chance to say another word. I felt like my blood had turned to ice. A chilling cold seeped into my bones. Dragging myself over to the doctor, I begged him to start the surgery for Mark anyway. A nurse came out of the OR, saying Mark's condition was too critical. The doctor just sighed heavily and went back into the operating room. I stood there, stunned, feeling like a thousand knives were twisting inside me. Ethan and I met in college, dated for five years. We were finally getting married, the date set for the eighth of next month. But then, Chloe suddenly came back to the country, and Ethan told his brother he didn't want to marry me anymore. Mark had seen our relationship grow from the beginning. He refused to accept Ethan's change of heart. It led to a huge fight between the brothers. And now, Mark was lying in surgery, and Ethan didn't even believe me. I don't know how I made it to the payment counter. "I'm sorry, the payment failed. Could you try swiping the payment code again?" The cashier's voice snapped me back to reality. I tried several more times. Still declined. I almost never touched the savings in this account. I called the bank. They informed me that my entire balance had been wiped out half an hour ago. It was Ethan. 2 When I first met Ethan, he was just a broke kid. His parents had died young. It was Mark who raised him, working tirelessly to support him and put him through college. Back then, Ethan was sensible. He always worked part-time jobs to earn his own money, trying not to ask Mark for too much. Me? I grew up comfortably. With my parents' support, I started my own small business early on and had considerable savings. After Ethan and I got together, I linked my bank card to his account. "Ethan, what's mine is yours. Just use it." At first, he refused. "I'm a grown man. How can I spend your money?" It took a lot of convincing before he finally agreed. "Okay, but when I make money, I'll pay you back double." I smiled brightly, my eyes shining as I looked at him. He gently stroked my head. Later, when he started his own business, he relied on support from both me and Mark to get by. It took him three years to become successful, a small business owner with his own savings. But I never unlinked my card. And lately, he'd barely used it. I called his number again. It was like he was waiting for it; he picked up instantly. "What, now you're calling to chew me out for using a little bit of your money?" I couldn't hold back my anger. "Ethan, Mark needs money for surgery! Transfer the money back to me, now!" Ethan chuckled lightly. "Is that it? Is he really having surgery?" I thought he finally believed me. Even though he couldn't see me, I nodded. "Yes, really! Hurry up and send the money back, Mark he..." "Shut up!" Ethan's tone was laced with mockery. "Stop acting, Maya." "Didn't you used to say I could spend the money on this card whenever I wanted?" "And now, just for a little cash, you're making up all sorts of crazy stories." I choked back my fury, my voice trembling, almost crying. "Ethan, it's true! We can call off the wedding, I don't care, but Mark can't wait!" A cold laugh came from the other end of the line. "If he can't wait, then let him die. Just bury him, problem solved." I was shaking with rage. Ethan kept talking. "If it wasn't for my brother pulling strings back then, your brother would have died years ago. Living these extra few years? He already got lucky!" The line went dead again. I felt like I'd fallen into an icy abyss. It took me a long moment to realize Ethan had misunderstood. He thought it was my brother who needed surgery. After five years together, I never imagined he could say something so cruel. Just then, my phone rang. It was my brother. When he heard about Mark's accident, he immediately wired me a significant amount of money. After paying the medical bills, I saw Ethan had posted on social media. The picture was of a Golden Retriever wearing a party hat, sitting in front of a birthday cake. The background was unmistakable – they were at The Valencia, the most expensive hotel in the city. Even the cake was from the city's most renowned baker. In the corner of the photo, I saw two hands clasped together. The woman's hand wore a diamond ring – the engagement ring I had picked out. And Ethan's caption read: 【Happy Birthday to Chloe’s Sunny! And happiness to my Chloe too 】 But Ethan, your brother is still in the operating room, waiting for you. While I was anxiously waiting outside the OR, the police found me. "Ms. Adams, regarding Mark Johnson's accident, our preliminary investigation suggests it was caused by vehicle brake failure." "Impossible. That car was just serviced three days ago." 3 The words slipped out before I could stop them. I couldn't believe the police's findings. Ever since Ethan became successful, he'd actually been very good to Mark. Even when they argued, he made sure Mark's car and anything else potentially dangerous was regularly maintained by professionals. I grabbed the officer's arm. "Officer, there has to be more to this story." The two officers exchanged a look. "Don't worry, this is just a preliminary assessment." "We will continue to investigate thoroughly." I finally let out a breath of relief. After talking with the police, a long wait began. Late into the night, the light above the operating room door finally went out. The doctor emerged. "Hello, Mark Johnson's surgery was successful, but he's not out of the woods yet. He's being transferred to the ICU." Watching Mark being wheeled into the intensive care unit, I suddenly felt exhausted. I slid down the wall, sitting on the floor in a daze. My clothes were still stained with Mark's blood. Pushing myself up, I hailed a cab, planning to go home and grab some clean clothes. It looked like I'd be spending the next few days at the hospital. I'd given up on Ethan. All I could do was pray that Mark would be okay. Mark wasn't my biological brother, but he treated me like one. Ever since Ethan and I started dating, he treated me like his own little sister. So, no matter what, I had to take care of him. Waiting at a red light, I glanced out the window and a car caught my eye. It was my car. The car I bought when Ethan was just starting his business, to help him look professional. And right now, sitting in the passenger seat, was Chloe. The light turned green. Ethan sped off. "Driver, can you follow that car?" The driver gave me an "I got this" look and slammed on the gas. They drove to a resort hotel on the outskirts of the city and parked. I stopped a short distance away and watched, horrified, as they started making out. Ethan was tearing at Chloe's clothes like a starved animal, her chest heaving up and down. My expression grew colder and colder. The cab driver glanced at the bouncing car in the distance, then awkwardly wiped his forehead. He turned to me, his eyes filled with sympathy. "Can't trust a cheater, ma'am. Catching him in the act! Need any backup?" I couldn't suppress the rage boiling inside me anymore. I could tolerate him seeing his old flame; fine, I wouldn't marry him. I could tolerate him not believing me; I'd take care of his brother alone. But for Ethan to stoop this low... Using my car, deliberately, to do something so filthy, so disgusting, just to spite me. Furious, I reached for the door handle, about to get out, when my phone rang. It was my brother. "Maya, get to the hospital now! Mark... Mark's not going to make it!" Using the last of my strength, I told the driver, "To the hospital, please. As fast as you can." I had no energy left to confront Ethan. As their car disappeared from my peripheral vision, a wave of nausea washed over me. I gagged, trying to hold back vomit. And finally, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. I started sobbing. The driver handed me tissues, murmuring words of comfort. He thought I was crying because Ethan cheated. His voice faded into the background. I could barely hear him. My mind was consumed by thoughts of Mark. He was such a good person. My own brother had suffered from a rare disease years ago, getting weaker day by day. It was Mark who never gave up, searching relentlessly for doctors who could help. His job took him to many places, and eventually, he found the specialist who saved my brother's life. I was eternally grateful to him. My brother considered him a true brother too. When Ethan and I first started discussing marriage, Mark had already prepared a house for us. He felt that as a woman, I needed security in a marriage. So, he bought another property just for me, putting only my name on the deed. "Sister-in-law," he'd said, "you're the best woman I know. This is my wedding gift to you. I wish you both happiness." He was like my own brother, maybe even better. I couldn't accept that he was just... gone. When I reached the morgue, all I saw was the figure covered by a white sheet. My body trembled uncontrollably. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. My brother held me, tears streaming down his face too. A nurse looked at us with pity and sighed. "You should arrange to collect the body and handle the arrangements soon." My phone rang. Shockingly, it was Ethan. I hesitated for a second, then answered without a second thought. Mark's death was major news. Ethan absolutely needed to be told. I opened my mouth to speak, but sounds came from the other end first. I couldn't believe what I was hearing... A woman's moans. Rising and falling, loud and clear in my ear. 4 I gripped the phone so tightly I thought it might shatter. Just as I was about to hang up, I heard voices. "Ethan, are you really going to marry Maya? What about me?" Following a final grunt from Ethan, he chuckled lightly. "I can't really disobey my brother's orders." "But don't worry, I only love you. Even after we're married, I'll prove to my brother he made the wrong choice." ... I couldn't listen to any more of their repulsive flirting. "Nurse, excuse me," I asked, "Mark doesn't have any other family. Can I sign to release his body myself?" She finally nodded. After signing the papers, as I was about to arrange for Mark's body to be moved, my brother stopped me. "Maya, no matter what, you should tell Ethan." I took a deep breath. I sat in the hospital corridor all night. It wasn't until morning, as the sun began to rise, that I picked up my phone and called Ethan again. This time, there was no anger, no pleading in my voice. Just cold detachment. "Ethan, Mark has passed away. He's being cremated tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want to come?" He sounded groggy, woken up by my call, and clearly annoyed. "Are you nuts? Calling this early talking about cremation? How morbid." His attitude didn't faze me. "I'm asking you one last time. Are you coming or not?" "No! If someone's dead, just cremate them already! What good would I do there? Is he going to magically come back to life? God, you're annoying. Why don't you just go die with him?" Before he could finish, I told him the location of the crematorium. This time, I hung up the phone. I was done expecting anything from him. Mark was like a brother to me. Even if Ethan didn't show up, I could send him off myself. I would give him a proper, dignified farewell. My brother and I waited at the crematorium. Ethan never came. My brother drove me back to Mark's house. I needed to sort through his belongings. "Maya, he's gone. You need to be strong..." My brother's voice cracked before he could finish. He turned away, covering his mouth. I went into the room alone. I hadn't expected Mark to have prepared wedding gifts for Ethan and me so early. There was also a video. In it, he was smiling warmly, like a gentle spring breeze on a winter day. Comforting. "Maya, Ethan, when you see this video, you'll already be married." ... "Brother wishes you a happy marriage. In the years ahead, you need to understand and tolerate each other." "Especially you, Ethan. I watched you grow up. Don't act like a spoiled kid all the time. You have to be good to Maya." ... I turned off the video, tears streaming down my face. I didn't have the courage to watch anymore. Ethan and I were never going to get married. Among Mark's things, I found so many items related to Ethan. Even his old school uniforms, awards he'd won – Mark had kept everything. A pang of guilt hit me. If Ethan didn't come to Mark's funeral, Mark would surely be heartbroken, wherever he was. After some thought, I took out my phone again and texted Ethan the time and place of the funeral service. This time, he replied almost instantly.
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