1 Dr. Bethany Vance, in a desperate attempt to please her lover, brazenly carved "E.T. I'm sorry" into my grandfather’s liver. Then, she abandoned him on the operating table, leaving him to suffocate. In a furious rage, I dragged her to court, only to discover my own husband, a forensic pathologist, had falsified the autopsy report, fabricating evidence for the murderer. Even more horrifying, to cover up the inscription on Grandpa’s liver, he had mutilated it beyond recognition, a bloody, gruesome mess. My fury simmered, unyielding, my spirit refusing to break. It wasn’t until I was brutally beaten that the chilling truth dawned on me: Dr. Adrian Fairchild, my husband, was the lover who had indirectly caused Grandpa’s death. Later, to coerce me into dropping the charges, Bethany barged into my comatose mother’s hospital room and threatened: “You keep fighting me over that old man. I was kind enough to let your mother cling to life a few more days, but you’re so ungrateful! Guess your husband will just have to deal with another body~” I fought with all my might, but they brutally broke my limbs. Desperate, I found Grandpa Hayes’ handwritten letter at home. He was alive, it turned out, and now the head of a top-secret research facility. Bloodied and broken, clutching the ashes of my family and my parents’ commendations, I dialed Grandpa Hayes, my hand shaking violently: “Grandpa, Mom… she’s gone. Our entire family, laden with honors… now, all tortured to death by the Vance family! Eleanor only asks that you investigate, bring them justice…” … In the courtroom, I clutched the autopsy report, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably. Beneath dozens of horrifying slashes on Grandpa’s liver, the faint, scorched letters “E.T. I’m sorry” were visible. My pupils constricted. I dared not dwell on whether “E.T.” stood for Adrian Fairchild. Adrian rose, and in his capacity as a forensic pathologist, declared in court that Grandpa’s death had nothing to do with Bethany Vance. Fat tears splattered the report, and a storm of rage churned in my chest. My eyes blazing, I slammed my hand on the table. “Adrian Fairchild! Grandpa treated you like his own grandson, yet you’re covering for this incompetent doctor who killed him, falsifying autopsy reports, even mutilating Grandpa’s liver to hide evidence! Have you no humanity left?!” Adrian shielded Bethany behind him, blocking my furious gaze, his expression impatient. “Eleanor Hayes, you need evidence when you speak. How can you pin your grandfather’s death on Bethany? I won’t allow you to ruin Dr. Vance’s reputation like this!” “Besides, mutilating the liver is a necessary part of an autopsy! Your grandfather was good to me, but I am a forensic pathologist. I cannot compromise my integrity and help you extort money!” Before his words faded, he fiercely clasped Bethany’s hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone slander you.” My body stiffened—the wedding ring on his hand was a different style, perfectly matching Bethany’s. Adrian noticed my gaze, frowned slightly, but tightened his grip. Whispers rippled through the gallery: “Dr. Vance’s family are all esteemed physicians! Her father’s a hospital CEO, her mother a university professor. She herself is respected for her exceptional medical skill and unwavering ethics, she’s helped countless people! Eleanor Hayes has clearly lost her conscience, daring to sue Dr. Vance!” “She’s just trying to cash in! Eleanor Hayes comes from a blue-collar background, and her mom’s been in a coma for years. Any crumbs from the Vance family would be more than enough for her.” “Good thing Dr. Thorne is impartial. But with his background, why did he marry such a belligerent woman? Everyone used to say he and Dr. Vance were the perfect match!” Adrian’s lips curved into a sneering arc at the comments. He looked down at me. “Eleanor Hayes, you claim to be suing Bethany, yet you can’t produce any evidence. I suggest you get lost.” Evidence? He had already tricked me into handing it over and destroyed it. Even Grandpa’s body had been held under his authority, citing case requirements. My nails bit deep into my palms, blood oozing, my entire body trembling from the pain. “Are you truly going to disregard our marriage vows and shield the murderer of my grandfather?” Adrian’s face twisted with disgust and anger: “Are you done with your theatrics? Bethany has nothing to do with your grandfather’s death! I testify as his grandson-in-law that your grandfather was already on his last legs. Your family is just trying to extort money! Since that’s how it is, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” With that, without waiting for my reply, Adrian submitted an audio recording. In it, my voice could be heard “conspiring” to slander Bethany Vance, then “furious” arguing after he supposedly stopped me. My chest heaved with rage. I screamed at the judge: “That recording is falsified! I demand an investigation!” But no one believed me. The judge immediately dismissed the request, giving a subtle nod to Bethany before ruling against me on the spot. He even stripped me of all my assets, deeming them compensation for Bethany Vance’s emotional distress. When the trial concluded, I refused to accept the verdict. As I shrieked my innocence, someone suddenly pulled out a commendation plaque and thrust it into Bethany’s arms, deliberately looking at me: “Dr. Vance has a kind heart! You saved my son’s life! We all support you! Don’t let this trash upset you!” “Anyone who dares touch you has to answer to us, the families you’ve helped!” Bethany’s face wore a mask of feigned serenity. As she turned away from the crowd, she mouthed a malicious taunt: “Your grandfather got what he deserved. Who are you to fight me?” Rage, like wildfire, ignited from my feet and blazed to my head. I shrieked, lunged at Bethany, tore the commendation plaque from her arms, and violently slapped it across her face. Bethany clutched her face, crying out in pain. Adrian’s hand swung, connecting with my cheek, then he grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it into my head. Blood streamed from my scalp into my eyes, painting my world crimson. “You shrew! Don’t think I won’t hit a woman! Are you done acting out?!” He didn’t spare me another glance. He scooped Bethany into a bridal carry and rushed her to the hospital. The patients’ families left behind glared at me, fists and feet raining down like a storm. “I don’t hit women, but I hit animals! You dare lay a hand on Dr. Vance, you have a death wish!” “Your grandfather deserved to die! Your whole family belongs in hell!” Security arrived much later to disperse the enraged families. As they left, they didn’t forget to spit at me. I lay in a pool of my own blood, clutching the torn report, tears streaming down my face. 2 Time blurred. A torrential downpour began. I stumbled to my feet, limping, each step a wince, to the forensics department. I refused to believe Adrian Fairchild could control everything there. Grandpa hadn’t been cremated yet. I had to get his body and demand a new autopsy. As I crept inside, behind a one-way mirror, two figures writhed, intertwined. I froze, stunned. So “E.T.” was Adrian Fairchild. The lover Bethany Vance had charmed was my own husband. And Adrian, who had inadvertently caused Grandpa’s death, as an impartial forensic pathologist, was actually providing false testimony for Bethany! Adrian’s face was flushed, his body moving with a ruthless rhythm, eliciting breathless moans from Bethany. And Grandpa’s remains lay on the slab nearby. Rage engulfed me. Just as I was about to burst in, two bodyguards appeared from the shadows, pinning me to the ground. To prevent my cries from attracting attention, they clamped a hand over my mouth. Bethany’s gaze met mine through the one-way mirror, a smirk twisting her lips. “Adrian, don’t be mad at me. I promise I’ll spend my next birthday with you. And now you’ve helped me again. How can I ever thank you enough?” Adrian gasped for breath. “Baby, I want you to unlock more intimate experiences with me. I want to try everything with you. It’s all Eleanor Hayes’ fault, clinging to you so stubbornly. I haven’t been able to be close to you these past few days, I’ve missed you so much…” Bethany let out a melodious moan. “Only me? Is your wife no good?” A flicker of contempt crossed Adrian’s features. “Her? She’s obsessed with her dead-end grandpa and her mom on life support. In bed, she’s cold, lifeless, completely unresponsive.” Vile words forced their way into my ears, and tears of humiliation streamed unchecked down my face. Dusk fell slowly, and the bodyguards forced me to witness the entire lewd scene. My heart had already died for Adrian when he provided false testimony for a murderer. Now, it was utterly, completely cold. When they were dressed, Bethany waved the bodyguards to release me. Just as I prepared to seize the opportunity to take Grandpa’s body, Adrian’s icy voice drifted from inside. “The case is closed. To avoid any further complications, cremate the old man immediately.” A roar erupted in my ears. The next second, I stumbled, forcing my numb knees to carry me forward, bursting into the room. Adrian’s face flashed with panic when he saw me. He quickly adjusted his clothes, then shielded Grandpa’s body. He spoke first, angrily: “Why are you here, instead of preparing compensation money? Still trying to play your slanderous games against Bethany?!” I articulated each word precisely: “Without family consent, a body cannot be cremated. I am taking Grandpa’s body for a new autopsy!” Adrian burst into laughter, as if I had told the funniest joke. “What if you don’t consent?” he sneered. “You’re so naive. Don’t you understand by now? The Vance family holds immense power in Metropolis. You, a pauper, can’t fight them!” “Let this be the end of it. I can still, out of consideration for our past, continue our life together.” Then he smiled like a demon from hell. “Someone, take the body. Cremate it immediately!” 3 My heart instantly felt constricted by a giant hand, the pain tearing through me. My eyes burned red as I glared at Adrian. Grandpa had given his all for him. In all our years of marriage, I understood his hard work, handling all the chores myself. Grandpa, to help him maintain appearances, had even given him most of his retirement savings to buy high-end watches. How could he, again and again, block every path to justice for Grandpa? Enraged, I slapped him directly across the face. Adrian stood stunned. Bethany frowned and pushed me, and a bodyguard kicked me to the ground. “Do you think you can just hit my man, Eleanor?” I lay sprawled on the floor, my chest aching, unable to speak. Adrian regained his composure, his gaze chillingly cold. “Bethany, she’s beyond reform. Let her watch the old man get cremated herself.” My fury surged, and I screamed, “No!” Then I violently coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. Adrian’s eyes flashed with panic, then were instantly replaced by anger. The bodyguards tossed me into the crematorium like a sack of garbage. Grandpa’s body was right beside me, but I was firmly held down, unable to reach him no matter how I struggled. Tears streamed down my face again as I watched, helpless, as Grandpa’s body was fed into the incinerator. The flames instantly roared to life, tongues of fire ravenously consuming Grandpa’s form. I screamed curses at Adrian and Bethany, who stood beside me, smiling. Adrian grabbed my stained, long hair, and with all his might, slapped me, then forced my head to face the fiery furnace. “Look closely. If you don’t behave, you’ll end up like this too.” Blood filled my mouth, mixing with tears as I swallowed, a grotesque, bitter laugh escaping me: “Impossible… I will make you all pay… I will, I will avenge Grandpa!” Adrian chuckled. “All the evidence has been scrubbed. How will you get revenge?” “Just be a docile housewife, and I’ll continue to provide for you. Don’t let me catch you opposing Bethany again, or I will divorce you. Without me, who would want you, a used woman I’ve tossed aside?” Years ago, when my mother was severely injured and became comatose, Adrian had persuaded me to quit my high-paying job to become a stay-at-home wife, claiming it was to better care for her. To compensate Adrian, I did everything to maintain our home, allowing him to focus on his work. But I never imagined people could change so much… Watching him walk away, the last sliver of affection I held for him slowly vanished. The flames in the incinerator died down. I stifled my tears and collected Grandpa’s ashes. As I prepared to bury him, my phone suddenly rang. “Ms. Hayes, your mother’s condition has improved. Please come to the hospital immediately…” I immediately grabbed the urn and flew to the hospital. The moment I pushed open the door, I froze—Bethany Vance’s hand rested on my mother’s oxygen tube, leisurely playing with it, twisting it. I roared, charging at her, but a bodyguard kicked me to the ground, pinning me. Bethany smiled, then yanked the oxygen tube free. “Your mother should have died ages ago! Your parents, investigating organ trafficking, dared to look into the Vance family? Do you know, your beloved husband, Adrian Fairchild, was the one who leaked their undercover identities?!” “I pitied your father, his organs carved out, so I was kind enough to let your mother cling to life for a few more days! But you’re so ungrateful, aren’t you?” “Well then, your mother can’t stay alive either.” 4 My breath hitched. My parents were undercover police officers, outwardly posing as small shopkeepers. Adrian only learned of their true identities after we married. I never, in my wildest nightmares, imagined that the person who killed my parents would be the man I loved most, my husband! Hatred surged in my chest. I struggled desperately. “You beast! Are you even human?! Stop it, you hear me?! Stop! You’re a disgrace to your profession…” My mother’s face, already pale, turned purple. The EKG monitor shrieked, its urgent beeps echoing the chaos. Bethany sneered, and the EKG line flatlined. My body went limp, my mouth agape, unable to breathe, only tears streaming endlessly. Bethany clapped her hands, casually saying, “Looks like Adrian will have to deal with another body for me. Good thing he’s so practiced~” When Adrian pushed the door open, he hadn’t expected to see me. His footsteps faltered. I glared viciously as he approached my mother’s body, screaming, “Don’t touch my mother! You murderers!” Adrian’s cold gaze swept over me. “Your mother should have died years ago. If I hadn’t paid to keep her on life support all these years, would she be alive now?” “Don’t blame me. Blame her for getting in Bethany’s way.” I refused to let them take my mother’s body again, fighting with all my strength. But the harder I resisted, the more brutally I was beaten. As Adrian left with my mother’s body, he glanced back at me. “Stop struggling. Your mother is dead, so be it. I’ll continue to provide for you from now on.” “As long as you drop all this, we can still be a loving couple.” I forced open my swollen eyelids and spat blood at him. “You’re dreaming!” Bethany laughed, throwing herself into Adrian’s arms. “Brother, why waste words on this foolish woman? If a woman’s disobedient, a beating sets her straight~ Brother, you’re not going soft on her, are you?” Adrian shot a glance at the bodyguards. “Hit her!” Then he turned and left, his face impassive, leaving only the order: “Break her spirit, but don’t kill her.” My mother’s body was taken away. I lay on the floor of the hospital room, my limbs brutally broken, barely clinging to life. I refused to give up, clinging to my last breath after they left, searching for my mother’s body. But all I found, in the end, was a handful of ashes. Numbly, I carried the ashes back to my parents’ old house. Inside, it was a mess. The lock had been pried open, and all my parents’ belongings were strewn outside. A neighbor, unable to bear it, spoke up. “Little Eleanor, why are you shaking them down when you could be living a decent life? Your husband had to sell your house to compensate Dr. Vance just to cover for you. Your husband has been good to your family. From now on, you better serve him well and give him plenty of healthy sons.” Bloodied, I forced a bitter smile. “Serve him? He killed my whole family! I will avenge this, no matter what!” The neighbor stiffened, muttered, “Ungrateful wretch,” and quickly slammed her door shut. I ignored her, despairingly picking up my parents’ belongings piece by piece. Then my phone rang. Adrian’s cold voice came through: “You have nothing now. From now on, you can only rely on me. Want to come back home? Then forget everything that happened. Otherwise, go wander the streets.” I gritted my teeth. “Even if it costs me my life, I will pursue this to the end. I don’t believe you and the Vance family can control everything. I will get justice for my family!” Adrian scoffed. “Stubborn to the very end. I’d like to see who in all of Metropolis dares to help you, risking the Vance family’s wrath!” The call disconnected. I took a deep breath to steady myself. They treated human lives like dirt, persecuted the innocent. I refused to believe there was no justice in this world! I continued to pick up my parents’ belongings, accidentally knocking over a metal box. A yellowed letter fell out. It was Grandpa Hayes’ handwritten letter! Only after reading the letter did my tears finally stop. Grandpa Hayes was alive. And he was now the supreme head of a top-secret research facility. Bloodied and broken, clutching the ashes of my family and my parents’ commendations, I dialed Grandpa Hayes: “Grandpa, Mom… she’s gone. My entire family, laden with honors… now, all tortured to death by the Vance family! Eleanor only asks that you investigate, bring them justice…” The moment I finished, blood trickled from the corner of my mouth onto the urn. The person on the other end of the line paused, stunned. “My daughter… my sweet daughter, how could she be…” After a faint sniffle, Grandpa Hayes’ choked, restrained voice came through: “Officer Lee, go to Metropolis at once. Pick up my granddaughter… and the ashes of my daughter and son-in-law.” “Also, deploy personnel. Conduct a thorough investigation into the Vance family in Metropolis!” A quick response from the other end. Soon after, a dozen military jeeps pulled up downstairs.
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