She Chose to Forget His Name

1.

It all started when Grace had a fight with that woman.

Because of it, her husbandDNathan Crawford, the head of the Crawford GroupDhad her committed.

He claimed she was emotionally unstable and prone to violence and instructed the family's private psychiatrist to initiate a seventy-two-hour involuntary psychiatric hold.

After the observation period, he used his influence on the medical board to have it extended.

The family's wholly-owned Greenbrier Private Mental Health Center turned it into a one-month, closed-door "crisis intervention treatment."

When she got out, she had changed.

She became quiet, obedient, and virtuous, just as he'd wanted.

A perfect trophy wife for a wealthy family.

Nathan transferred most of the money from their joint trust account to Lily Ashford, and she didn't ask a single question.

Worried that Lily wasn't safe living alone, Nathan started spending his nights sitting in his car on her street, never coming home. She didn't make a scene.

Even when she decided to apply to a top-secret private aerospace research facility deep in the Nevada desert, she never told him. She didn't want to disturb him and Lily.

"Ms. Sullivan, your application has been approved. You'll enter the facility with the next group at the end of the month. ButD" the voice on the phone paused. "You need to be absolutely sure. Once you go in, you might never come out. You'll spend your life buried in research, never seeing the outside world. You have a husband, a family. Are you certain?"

Grace held the phone, her voice soft but clear. "I'm certain. There's just one thing I need your help with."

"What is it?"

"I need to dissolve my marriage with Nathan," Grace said quietly.

"I've already hired a lawyer and filed for an uncontested divorce in California. I'm waiving all claims to our shared assets and spousal support."

"But according to the law, even for an uncontested divorce, there's a six-month waiting period. I was hoping you could coordinate with the court to expedite the process from a security clearance perspective. After all, I'm about to join a top-secret project. A lingering marital status would be a security risk."

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"Grace, are you serious?" The person's tone was filled with shock. "We all know how much you used to care about Mr. Crawford. You..."

"That was before," Grace interrupted gently, her voice calm. "Now, I value my career more. I value myself more. Since I'm destined to leave, there's no point in dragging it out. Please, help me coordinate this."

"...Alright. Since you've made up your mind, we'll use our security clearance channels to push it through. Our legal department will handle the divorce papers to ensure everything is finalized before you start."

After hanging up, Grace let out a sigh of relief. She slowly looked up at the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

In the picture, she was in a white gown, smiling so wide her eyes crinkled, her arm linked with Nathan's.

Nathan wore a dark, custom-tailored suit, his platinum cufflinks gleaming. He stood tall, his expression neutral, but his eyes held a hint of warmth.

That had been the happiest day of her life.

Now, it just looked ironic.

She pulled over a chair, stood on it, took down the frame, and slid the photo out.

Then, piece by piece, she tore it into shreds.

And threw them in the trash.

Grace and Nathan met at a charity gala in the San Francisco Bay Area.

She was twenty-two, a recent MIT graduate with a double major in Physics and Applied Mathematics, working undercover as a teacher at a private school near the Crawford estate.

Her neighbor Susan, the wife of a veteran Silicon Valley venture capitalist, had invited her. That night, Susan pulled her aside and whispered.

"See that tall guy over there? Nathan Crawford. Thirty, single, the sole heir to the Crawford Group. Worth over ten billion. He's a man of few words, but at his level, who isn't?"

Grace followed Susan's gaze and understood what "worth over ten billion" looked like.

He was in a perfectly tailored dark blue suit, tall and imposing. His deep-set eyes and high-bridged nose made him stand out among the crowd of champagne-sipping business elites. You couldn't take your eyes off him.

There was no reason not to like him.

Their first date was at a Michelin-starred steakhouse on Nob Hill. He asked about her job and her family, then got straight to the point.

"I need to be upfront with you. My grandfather's will has a trust clause: I must be legally married by my thirtieth birthday, or the controlling shares of the Crawford Group will be handed over to a board of trustees. I need a wife to fulfill that contract."

Grace looked at him, not answering immediately.

"The terms are simple," Nathan continued, his tone like he was negotiating a merger.

"It's a three-year contract. You play the part of Mrs. Crawford, attend necessary social events, and maintain the family's image. In return, you'll receive a sum of money large enough that you'll never have to work again, plus access to the Crawford family's entire network. When the contract ends, we part amicably. No strings attached."

Grace looked down, swirling the ice in her glass.

She had her own reasons for saying yesDreasons she never told anyone.

"Also," Nathan added, "I'm not the romantic type. I'm not the guy who remembers every anniversary or buys surprise gifts."

"That's fine."

"Good." Nathan looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching into something that might have been a smile. "Honestly, I've interviewed a lot of candidates, but I feel comfortable with you. If the terms are agreeable, we can sign the papers next week."

Grace was taken aback.

So direct?

"I'm on a tight schedule. My thirtieth birthday is in two months," Nathan shrugged. "And with you, I feel relaxed."

Relaxed. Comfortable.

The words stung a little, but looking at his face, she still nodded.

"Okay."

They signed the contract, and three weeks later, they were married in a church.

After the wedding, Grace put far more effort into their home than the contract required.

She learned to prepare nutritious meals for Nathan, memorizing the perfect balance of ingredients.

She packed his suitcases for business trips and turned their cold, massive Bay Area mansion into a warm home. She draped a patchwork quilt she found at an antique market over the sofa and placed a pot of rosemary on the kitchen windowsill.

Nathan was good to her, too. He gave her the PIN to their joint account and would talk to her when he came home. It wasn't much, but at least he wasn't as cold as people said.

Grace thought life would just go on like this.

Until the day Nathan got a call.

He was in the middle of dinner when his knife and fork clattered to the floor.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice trembling. "She's alive?!"

Grace couldn't hear what was said on the other end. She only saw Nathan's face turn pale, then flush, before he grabbed his coat and bolted out the door.

"Nathan! Where are you going?"

He didn't look back.

He was gone for a whole week.

When he returned, someone was with him.

A woman in a floral dress, with a gentle, pretty face, honey-colored curls, and an air of fragile vulnerability.

"Grace, this is Lily," Nathan introduced her, his voice holding a tenderness Grace had never heard before.

Grace's heart skipped a beat.

She had heard that name.

Nathan's first love.

Years ago, Lily had gotten into Juilliard. She broke up with Nathan to pursue her dream of becoming a concert pianist in New York.

Later, news came that the short-haul flight she took from Boston to New York had crashed. Everyone thought she was dead.

Nathan had been devastated for a long time. His family, desperate for him to move on, pushed him to find a new relationshipDor at least, someone to fill the void.

And now, here she was. Alive.

That night, Nathan spoke to Grace, a rare occurrence.

"Grace, Lily has no other family. She needs a lot of help with things, so don't overthink it." He paused. "Don't worry. What we had is in the past. The contract is still valid; I won't end it early."

Grace looked at him and chose to believe him.

But she never imagined that Nathan's idea of "in the past" was completely different from hers.

After Lily's return, Nathan started "working late" frequently.

Grace brought him dinner at the corporate headquarters, but the receptionist would hesitantly say the CEO wasn't in. When she asked where he was, no one dared to say.

She later found out he was with Lily.

Lily craved a croissant from a French bakery on the west side of the city, so he drove across town to get it for her.

Lily said she wanted to have a picnic and fly a kite at a winery in Napa Valley, so he used up all his saved vacation days to spend the day with her.

Grace tolerated it once, twice, three times.

Until the day she was going through his suit pockets in the laundry room and found a movie ticket stub.

It was for a romance film.

The date was yesterdayDher birthday.

She had waited up all night for him. He said he had an urgent board meeting.

Grace finally snapped. She went to the townhouse Lily was renting.

Lily was playing the piano. Seeing Grace, she smiled. "Grace? What brings you here?"

"Lily," Grace said, getting straight to the point. "Can you please keep some distance from Nathan? He's a married man."

Lily's expression shifted, then she smiled again. "Grace, you're overthinking things. Nathan and I are just friends. He's helping me out of sympathy, that's all."

"Sympathy that makes him stay out all night?" Grace's voice trembled. "Sympathy that makes him forget my birthday?"

"That was his choice. What does it have to do with me?"

Lily stood up and walked towards her, lowering her voice.

"Grace, do you know why Nathan married you? Because his grandfather's will forced him to. Because he needed someone to sign a contract and live under the same roof. His heart has only ever belonged to me. You're just a three-year contract, set to expire."

Grace was shaking with anger. Just as she was about to speakD

*Slap!*

Lily suddenly grabbed Grace's hand, pulled it to her own face, and then fell to the floor with a scream.

"Grace! You hit me?!"

The door burst open, and Nathan rushed in.

He saw Lily on the floor, a red mark on her cheek, tears streaming down her face.

Then he saw Grace, standing there with her hand raised.

"Nathan..." Lily sobbed, throwing herself into his arms. "Grace said I was seducing you, that I should stay away... I tried to explain, and she hit me..."

Nathan looked at Grace, his eyes as cold as ice.

"It wasn't like that!" Grace tried to explain. "She did it herselfD"

"Enough," Nathan cut her off. "Grace, I can't believe you would do something like this."

"Nathan, you believe her and not me?"

"I believe what I saw with my own eyes."

Nathan helped Lily up and turned to leave. "You haven't been yourself lately. I'll arrange for a psychological evaluation."

The next day, Grace was admitted to the Crawford family's Greenbrier Private Mental Health Center. Citing "violent behavior in a public place and severe emotional instability," Nathan had the family's psychiatrist initiate an involuntary psychiatric assessment.

Under California law, this kind of mandatory observation could last a maximum of seventy-two hours. But Nathan used the Crawford family's influence on the medical board to have the center upgrade the assessment to a one-month, closed-door inpatient observation, claiming "persistent emotional disorder with risk of harm to others."

Throughout the entire process, no one asked for Grace's opinion.

Her request for an external hearing was denied.

Her request to contact an independent lawyer was met with, "During a psychological crisis intervention, all external communication must be approved by the attending physician."

And who hired the attending physician? The Crawford family.

She was in there for a month.

She was forced to take high doses of anti-anxiety medication that left her in a constant fog.

She was confined to a room with only a bed and a high window, with just one hour of outdoor activity per day.

She protested, she demanded a lawyer, she insisted she wasn't sickDbut no one listened.

Her husband was the head of the Crawford Group. This mental health center was his family's property. No one was willing to stand up to him.

A month later, Nathan came to pick her up.

He looked at her pale face, his expression complicated. "Have you learned your lesson?"

Grace looked up at him and suddenly smiled.

"I have."

She had learned her lesson.

She was wrong to pour her entire self into this marriage. Wrong to think sincerity would be met with sincerity. Wrong to believe that with time, everything would get better.

2.

That evening, Nathan came home.

And he brought Lily with him.

"Grace," Nathan began, his tone a little unnatural, "the heating in Lily's apartment is broken, and the landlord said it won't be fixed until next week. She'll be staying with us for a few days."

He finished and looked at Grace, seemingly waiting for her reaction, for her anger and questions. He had already prepared his excuses, like "it's just temporary," "it's not convenient for her to be alone," and "please don't make a big deal out of this."

However, Grace just paused her folding of the laundry, glanced at them, and then nodded calmly. "Alright. I just cleaned the guest room yesterday. The sheets and duvet cover are fresh. Lily can stay there."

The words Nathan had prepared were stuck in his throat.

Something was wrong.

This wasn't normal.

Before, even if she didn't yell or scream, she would at least look hurt and upset.

But now, she was too calm. As calm as... a robot without emotions.

"Grace," he couldn't help but say her name again, his tone softening. "I know this is a bit much, but it's a special situation, just for a few days..."

"It's not a bit much," Grace interrupted him. "It's nice to have a guest. Lily can stay as long as she wants. Make yourself at home."

Stay as long as she wants?

Her words made Nathan's chest tighten, and that unnamable frustration grew heavier.

He stared at Grace, trying to find any trace of a facade on her face, but there was none.

"Grace," he took two steps forward, his voice deepening. "Are you still angry about the Greenbrier incident? I admit, my handling of it might have been a bit extreme, but you have to understandDyou're my wife. Getting into a physical fight in public reflects badly on the Crawford family's reputation. I had toD"

"I'm not angry," Grace cut him off again, her tone almost puzzled, as if she couldn't understand why he was bringing it up. "Did I make a scene? Did I argue with you? No. I haven't said a word. Why would you think I'm angry?"

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, looking almost innocent.

All of Nathan's prepared speeches were blocked.

He looked at Grace and suddenly felt like he didn't recognize the person in front of him.

Was this the same Grace who would get secretly upset if he even glanced at another woman? The one who would leave the porch light on and wait for him until late at night? The one who would be happy for half a day over a single word of concern from him?

He was about to say more, but Grace didn't even look at him. She walked straight into the bedroom and closed the door.

Nathan stood in the living room, staring at the closed door, a frown on his face. He felt a sudden emptiness in his heart.

Thunder began to roll outside.

Booming thunder, accompanied by flashes of lightning.

The wail of a storm warning siren echoed from a distance, rising and falling.

Nathan's expression changed slightly, and he almost instinctively looked at Lily.

Lily, right on cue, flinched and put on a scared face.

"Nathan... I'm so scared..."

"It's okay," Nathan walked over. "I'm here."

"Can you... sit with me for a little while?" Lily's eyes filled with tears. "I've been terrified of thunder since I was a child. I can't sleep..."

Nathan hesitated, glancing at Grace's bedroom.

The door was shut.

"Grace," he knocked. "Lily's scared of the thunder. I'm going to sit with her in the guest room for a bit."

No answer.

"I won't do anything inappropriate. I'll just sit in a chair," Nathan added. "If you don't trust me, you can stay in the living room."

The door opened.

Grace was in her pajamas, her hair down, her expression calm. "Why would I go to the living room this late?"

Nathan was stunned.

"Go ahead," Grace said. "It's fine."

She closed the door again.

Nathan stood at the door, the heavy feeling in his chest growing with each second.

Before, Grace would have said with red-rimmed eyes, "Nathan, don't go."

She would have tugged on his sleeve and said, "I don't want to be alone."

But now, she said, "Go ahead."

And somehow, that felt worse than any crying or screaming.

"Nathan..." Lily's tearful voice called out.

Nathan sighed and went to the guest room.

Grace took a shower and went to bed.

The thunder was loud, but she slept soundly.

In her month at Greenbrier, she had learned to fall asleep in any environment.

In the middle of the night, she woke up thirsty and went to get a glass of water.

As she passed the guest room, the door was slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling out.

She saw Nathan still sitting by the bed. Lily was asleep, and he was looking down at her, his gaze so tender it could melt ice.

Lily turned in her sleep, and the blanket slipped off.

Nathan smiled helplessly and gently pulled it back over her.

The next moment, the half-asleep Lily suddenly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't go..." she murmured.

Nathan's body went rigid.

Lily lifted her head and kissed his lips.

Nathan's eyes widened in shock. He tried to push her away, but Lily only deepened the kiss.

3.

His body froze.

In that instant, the last remnants of reason and restraint in Nathan's eyes crumbled.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently. Then he ducked his head, pressing his lips against hers with a fierce, almost savage force, kissing her back with a desperate hunger.

The quiet room was filled with the sound of ragged, urgent breaths.

Grace stood just outside, in that narrow sliver of light, watching quietly. She still held the empty water glass, her fingertips feeling a little cold.

If this had been the old her, seeing this would have shattered her heart, the pain making it impossible to breathe. She might have rushed in, or run away, or hidden under the covers and cried all night.

When she loved him the most, she had been a fool, completely losing herself.

But now, her heart was calm. As calm as a pool of stagnant water. No matter how big a stone you threw in, it wouldn't create a single ripple.

When love was gone, all that was left was numbness.

She was even a little curious if they would take it further.

After watching for a moment, she felt a little bored.

So, she reached out and gently pushed the ajar door completely shut, sealing off the light and sound from within.

The next morning, when Grace woke up, Nathan was already gone.

Lily was sitting in front of the living room mirror, combing her hair. Seeing Grace, she smiled. "Good morning, Grace. Nathan went out to get me breakfast. What would you like? I can have him bring something back for you."

"No, thanks," Grace said. "I'll make my own."

"Don't be so formal," Lily said, standing up and walking over. "Grace, thank you for letting me stay last night. I really didn't want to bother you, but my apartment..."

"It's fine," Grace cut her off. "Like I said, stay as long as you want."

Lily paused, then smiled. "Grace, you're so nice. No wonder Nathan says you're... a homemaker."

She deliberately emphasized "homemaker," her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Grace didn't respond and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Lily followed her, leaning against the doorframe. "Grace, do you know where Nathan went for breakfast? That bagel shop, the line in the morning snakes out the door. And the blueberry muffins have to be from that bakery at the end of Main StreetDthe kind with a thick layer of streusel on top."

"When we were together, he used to wake up at six every morning to stand in line for me because he knew I liked it. He didn't care how far it was. I can't believe he still remembers my taste after all these years."

Grace didn't say anything, placing the coffee pot on the stove.

"Honestly, I feel like this is unfair to you," Lily sighed.

"Nathan has always had me in his heart. He only married you because of that family trust. If you don't mind, maybe we can... compromise in the future?"

Grace looked up at her. "What kind of compromise?"

"It's simple..." Lily blinked. "You continue to be Mrs. CrawfordDenjoy the health insurance and this mansion over your head. And I'll be the 'other woman.' Let's be honest, his heart was never really yours. You got everything this marriage could give youDexcept him. Didn't you?"

Grace laughed.

"Lily," she put down her cup, "do you know what you're like?"

"What?"

"Like a fly," Grace said calmly. "Always buzzing around other people's things. Annoying."

Lily's face changed. "Are you insulting me?"

"Just stating a fact," Grace said, turning to face her.

"YouD!" Lily trembled with rage. "Grace! Don't be ungrateful! If Nathan didn't pity you, he would have ended the contract long ago!"

"Then let him end it," Grace smiled. "I'm waiting."

Lily, completely enraged, shoved her.

Grace lost her balance and stumbled backward.

Behind her was the stove, with a kettle of boiling water on it.

"AhD!"

The boiling water poured onto her leg, instantly turning it red and blistered. The edge of the stove burned her arm, and the pain sent her crashing to the floor with a scream.

"What happened?!"

Nathan's voice came from the doorway.

He rushed in, holding a paper bag of breakfast, and saw Grace on the floor, then Lily standing beside her.

Grace gasped in pain, trying to speak but unable to form a complete sentence.

But Lily was faster. She clutched her stomach, her brow furrowed, and let out a faint, pained cry. "Oh my god..."

Nathan's attention immediately shifted. He hurried to Lily's side, his voice instantly tense. "Lily? Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

Lily leaned against him weakly. "I-I'm fine, my stomach just suddenly hurts... maybe low blood sugar from not eating... It's okay, Nathan, check on Grace first, she seems to have fallen and gotten burned..."

Hearing this, Nathan glanced at Grace again. Grace was biting her lip, enduring the intense pain, trying to use a nearby cabinet to pull herself up. But the burns on her arm and side made every movement excruciating. She tried several times without success, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

Nathan looked at her pathetic, pained state, his frown deepening. But he still turned to Lily. "Grace is fine. Don't talk, your face is so paleDcome on, I'm taking you to the emergency room."

With that, he bent down, carefully helped Lily up, and wrapped her in his arms. Without another glance at Grace struggling on the floor, he turned and left without a moment's hesitation.

Grace stared at the closed door, listening to the footsteps disappear down the hall, and suddenly found it all laughable.

It really hurt.

The burned skin felt like a thousand needles pricking it, like it was being roasted over a fire. But her heart was numb. She didn't even feel much sadness. Just tired, and a little ironic.

She gritted her teeth, pulled herself up, and limped to find the first-aid kit to treat her own wounds.

The burn cream stung as she applied it.

But her face remained expressionless.

Let it hurt.

Pain helps you remember.

Remember that this man was never yours.

4.

For the next few days, Grace stayed home to recover.

Nathan never came back.

Only his personal assistant, Danny Miller, came by once to pick up a few changes of clothes for him.

"Mrs. Crawford," Danny said, hesitating, "Mr. Crawford... Ms. Ashford's stomach pains are severe, and she needs someone to take care of her, so he won't be coming back for a few days. He asked me to let you know."

"Okay," Grace nodded. "I understand."

Danny saw her calm face and lowered his head awkwardly.

"Your injury..."

"It's fine," Grace said. "It's almost healed."

Danny sighed and left.

Grace continued to recover.

Once her injuries were mostly healed, she drove out to buy some groceries.

After shopping, she passed by a clothing store in the mall and saw Nathan and Lily.

Lily was holding a cashmere coat up to herself. "Nathan, does this look good?"

"It looks great," Nathan nodded. "Buy it."

"But..." Lily glanced at the price tag. "It's almost two thousand dollars. You've already given me a lot this month, and I've spent most of it... If I buy this, my card really can't handle it."

Nathan just smiled and affectionately ruffled her hair. "It's fine, use mine."

He took out his wallet, pulled out the black card from their joint account, and handed it to the cashier.

Then, perhaps afraid Grace would check the statements, or maybe just out of some sense of guilt, he glanced down at the wedding ring on his left ring finger. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly took it off and slipped it into his pocket.

Lily noticed his action, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Nathan, the smug satisfaction and joy almost overflowing.

Grace stood by a nearby shelf, watching this scene, her fingertips cold.

So, in his heart, the wedding ring he couldn't even be bothered to wear in front of her was nothing more than a prop that could be removed at any time.

She tugged at the corner of her mouth, trying to smile, but found she didn't even have the strength.

Whatever. She turned to leave.

But just then, Nathan seemed to sense something and turned around.

Their eyes met.

The expression on Nathan's face instantly froze.

A flash of guilt crossed his face. He subconsciously reached into his pocket, as if to put the ring back on, but his hand stopped mid-motion.

"Grace..." he began, his voice a little hoarse. He took a step towards her, as if to explain.

But Grace spoke first. "I know what you're going to say. You earned the money, you opened the account. You don't need to explain it to me. How much you want to spend on her is your business. It has nothing to do with me."

Nathan's heart jolted, as if struck by a blunt object.

"How could it have nothing to do with you?" he frowned, his tone unintentionally sharp. "We're married, that's a joint accountD"

"But you never asked for my opinion whenever you spent money on her," Grace looked at him. "Did you?"

Nathan opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

"It's fine, I'm not trying to cause trouble," Grace smiled. "Don't worry. Soon, it will have nothing to do with me."

Nathan's heart leaped. "What do you mean?"

Grace looked at him, about to say, "My divorce is already being processed."

Just then, a sudden commotion and screams erupted in the mall!

"RobberyD!"

"Call the police!"

People screamed and ran for the exits.

Nathan looked over and saw a man holding a woman hostage, backing away, a knife in his hand. He was yelling at the mall security guards. "Don't come any closer! One more step and I'll kill her!"

The woman being held hostage was wearing a floral dress. Her back looked a lot like Lily's.

Nathan's face paled. "Lily?!"

5.

He immediately rushed over, grabbing the robber from behind in a chokehold and executing a clean shoulder throw, pinning the man to the ground.

The woman broke free and ran forward, crying.

The robber, furious, pulled a gun from his waistbandD

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Several shots rang out.

Nathan instinctively dove to shield the woman.

The bullets hit him in the back.

"UghD" he grunted, collapsing to the floor.

The scene descended into chaos.

Police who had arrived swarmed the robber, and the crowd screamed.

Nathan, fighting through the pain, looked at the woman in his arms. "Lily, are you okay?"

The woman looked up.

It wasn't Lily.

She just looked a little like her.

Nathan froze.

"Nathan!" Lily burst out of the crowd. Seeing the blood on his back, her face went white. "What happened? Are you hurt?!"

Nathan stared at the real Lily, standing before him, completely unharmed.

Something inside him snapped. An overwhelming wave of relief washed over him.

He slowly exhaled, whispering, "...Thank god it wasn't you."

Before he could say another word, the dizziness from blood loss and pain hit him. His vision went black, and he passed out.

"Nathan!"

An ambulance arrived quickly, and Nathan was rushed to Stanford University Medical Center.

Lily got in the ambulance, crying. As his legal spouse and emergency contact, Grace was also notified by the hospital and followed them.

At the hospital, Grace filled out insurance forms at the emergency room registration, signed surgical consent forms, and called Nathan's personal assistant and the company's chief legal officer.

She did it all with practiced ease. In the past, when Nathan had emergencies on business trips, she was the one who handled these things.

But back then, her heart was filled with panic and pain.

Now, she was calm, as if completing a standard procedure.

When the surgery was over and the doctor came out, she went up to him. "Doctor, how is he?"

"We removed the bullets, no vital organs were hit. He'll be fine after some rest," the doctor said. "Are you family? Go to the nurse's station to handle the admission paperwork."

"Okay."

After Grace finished the paperwork and returned to the room, Nathan was already awake.

The anesthesia hadn't completely worn off yet. His face was pale. When he saw Grace, he opened his mouth, trying to say something.

Grace didn't wait for him to speak. She turned and walked away.

"Mrs. Crawford!" Danny stopped her. "Aren't you going to stay and take care of Mr. Crawford?"

"No," Grace said. "I have things to do."

"But Mr. Crawford..."

"The hospital has nurses, and the Crawford Group's premium medical insurance covers private nursing care," Grace said, pulling her hand away. "I'm leaving."

She left without looking back.

Danny stared at her retreating back, stunned.

The old Mrs. Crawford wasn't like this.

Before, if Mr. Crawford even had a cold, she would stay up all night with him.

Now he'd been shot, and she just... left?

The next evening, Grace received a call from Danny.

"Mrs. Crawford, Mr. Crawford is awake, but he's refusing to eat," Danny said, his voice anxious. "He says the hospital food is terrible. He hasn't touched a thing since he woke up, and his stomach is acting up. Could you... bring him something to eat?"

Grace was in the middle of packing a suitcase.

"No," she said.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end.

"Mrs. Crawford, what did you say?"

"I said no," Grace repeated. "I'm busy. I don't have time."

"But Mr. Crawford..."

"If his stomach is bothering him, he can press the call button for a nurse," Grace said. "I'm not a doctor. I can't help him."

She hung up.

Danny called a few more times after that, but she didn't answer.

6.

A few days later, Nathan was discharged from the hospital and came home.

Grace was in the living room, sorting through some old books and teaching materials. When she saw him come in, she just nodded in acknowledgment and went back to her task.

Nathan looked at her calm profile, and that inexplicable feeling of frustration and emptiness washed over him again.

He had waited for days in the hospital, but she never came, not even with a single meal. He had Danny call her, but she hung up, and then stopped answering altogether.

He thought she would at least visit, even for a moment. But she didn't.

"Grace," he called out to her, his voice heavy.

Grace paused her work and looked at him, her eyes questioning, as if to ask, "What is it?"

Her gaze made his chest tighten, and his tone became harsh. "I was in the hospital for days. Why didn't you come?"

"I was busy," Grace's answer was simple.

"Busy?" Nathan let out a short, sharp laugh. "Before, no matter what you had going on, if I was hurt and in the hospitalDyou would have been there!"

Grace tilted her head slightly, as if seriously thinking about it, then nodded. "Yes. Before, I would have."

Before, she loved him. So if he even frowned, she would worry for half a day.

If he was slightly injured, she was more anxious than anyone, wishing she could stay by his bedside day and night.

If he casually mentioned wanting to eat something, she would make it for him, no matter how much trouble it was.

But he always seemed to take her kindness for granted. An occasional response from him was enough to make her happy for a long time.

She used to think that was marriage, that was love.

Looking back now, it was just her giving everything one-sidedly, lost in her own self-deception.

Nathan watched her face, which had suddenly become calm, and felt an inexplicable unease.

He took a step forward, trying to find a trace of her old concern on her face, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"Grace," he softened his tone, "are you still angry about what happened at the mall? I can explain. I thought..."

"No need to explain," Grace cut him off, her voice still calm. "You saw someone in danger and rushed to help. Anyone would have done the same. I understand."

Anyone would have done the same.

Her words left Nathan speechless.

Yes, saving someone, there was nothing to say.

But why did it sound so calm, so... distant, coming from her?

It was as if he were just a stranger, a good Samaritan, and not her husband.

He wanted to say more, but Grace had already gathered the sorted books and was heading to the study. "You just got out of the hospital. You should rest. I'm going to clean up the study."

Nathan stood there, watching her back disappear behind the study door, the frustration and unease in his heart growing like wild weeds.

Over the next few days, Nathan's wound became slightly inflamed and needed daily dressing changes.

Before, Grace was always the one to help him.

She would carefully disinfect the wound with alcohol swabs, her movements gentle, afraid of hurting him. Sometimes he would pretend it hurt, and she would lean in close, concerned. He would steal a kiss, and she would blush and glare at him.

But now, he sat in the living room, the first-aid kit laid out beside him. Grace walked by, glanced at it, and continued on to the balcony to bring in the laundry without breaking her stride.

"Grace," Nathan couldn't help but call out to her. "Can you help me change my dressing? I can't reach my back."

Grace came over with the clothes, glanced at the bandage on his back, and nodded. "Okay."

Then, she put down the clothes, walked to the phone, and dialed Danny's number. "Hello, Danny? Can you come over? Mr. Crawford's wound needs a new dressing, and I'm a bit busy. Thanks for making the trip. Yes, as soon as you can."

Nathan fell silent.

He watched as Grace efficiently hung up the phone, picked up the clothes again, and started folding them, not giving him a second glance.

Nathan had a sinking feeling that something was slipping completely out of his control.

He started trying to make it up to her.

He cleared his schedule to take her to movies, dinners, and shopping.

Grace didn't refuse, but she was calm throughout.

At the movies, she watched the screen intently, not stealing glances at him like she used to.

At dinner, she ate quietly, not sharing her thoughts on the new dishes with him.

While shopping, she only looked at things for herself, not trying to pick out a tie or a pair of cufflinks for him.

7.

One day, they were having dinner at a barbecue restaurant in town.

Just as they were finishing up and about to leave, they heard an argument from behind them.

"Lily, haven't I been good to you? I take you to dinner, to the movies. How can you just say you're not interested anymore?"

"Walter, my parents forced me to go out with you," it was Lily's voice, choked with tears. "I don't have those kinds of feelings for you. Please, just leave me alone..."

"No feelings? Then why did you accept my gifts? Why did you go out to eat with me so many times?"

"I'll pay you back for everything..."

"I don't want your money! I want you!"

Grace turned around and saw a man forcefully grabbing Lily's arm and dragging her towards the door.

Nathan's expression changed, and he immediately stood up.

But after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at Grace.

Grace sat there, her expression calm. "Go ahead. I'll drive myself home later."

Nathan looked at her, that feeling of unease washing over him again.

But Lily's cries grew more desperate.

He gritted his teeth and rushed over.

"Let her go."

The man turned around, saw Nathan, and froze. "Who the hell are you?"

"I said, let her go," Nathan's voice turned cold.

"What's it to you?" the man wasn't intimidated. "I knew her first. First come, first served, right?"

Nathan pulled Lily behind him and stared at the man. "Because she's my girlfriend."

Lily's eyes lit up.

The man didn't believe him. "Girlfriend? I haven't heard anything about that."

Nathan suddenly leaned down and kissed Lily on the lips.

A few seconds later, he looked up at the man. "Believe me now?"

The man stood there, stunned.

Nathan took Lily's hand and was about to leave when he saw Grace standing a short distance away.

She was watching them, her face expressionless.

A panic seized Nathan's heart, and he immediately let go of Lily's hand. "Grace, let me explain..."

"No need to explain," Grace said. "I saw everything."

She turned and walked away.

"Grace!" Nathan tried to follow, but the other man started harassing him again.

That night, when Nathan got home, Grace was already asleep.

He knocked on her bedroom door. "Grace, we need to talk."

No answer.

"Grace, I know you're not asleep," Nathan said. "I can explain what happened today."

The door opened.

Grace was in her pajamas, her hair down, her eyes calm. "Nathan, I'm tired. Can we talk tomorrow?"

"No, we have to talk now," Nathan grabbed her wrist. "Are you angry? I know I shouldn't have done that, but in that situation, I..."

"I'm not angry," Grace pulled her hand away. "Really."

"Then why are you..."

Before he could finish, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.

"EarthquakeD!"

The house was shaking, dust raining down from the ceiling.

"Grace!" Nathan grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, shielding her.

The shaking grew stronger, furniture toppling over. Grace was pressed under Nathan, feeling heavy objects crash onto his back.

"UghD" Nathan grunted.

The shaking stopped.

It was dark all around, only dust dancing in the moonlight.

"Nathan?" Grace pushed him.

Nathan didn't move.

"Nathan!"

"...I'm okay," Nathan's voice was weak. "Grace, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Grace tried to get up, but her leg was pinned by something, and she couldn't move.

Cries and calls for help could be heard from outside, along with the distant wail of fire truck sirens.

"Grace," Nathan struggled to his feet. "Hang in there. I'm going to check on Lily first. She lives in that old apartment building, it's not earthquake-proof. I'm worried about her..."

Grace froze.

"Don't worry, I'll call someone to rescue you," Nathan said, already crawling away. "Wait for me."

He left.

Grace lay in the rubble, listening to his retreating footsteps, and suddenly laughed.

At a moment of life and death, he still chose Lily.

What was there left to explain?

8.

It was the next afternoon when Grace was finally rescued.

She was taken to Stanford University Medical Center, covered in blood. A steel rebar had pierced her leg, requiring emergency surgery.

"What's her condition?" a nurse asked the attending physician.

"It's serious. We need Dr. Harrison, the head of surgery, to operate," the doctor said with a frown. "But Dr. Harrison is currently in another surgeryDa priority case arranged by Mr. Crawford."

Just then, Nathan rushed in, carrying Lily.

The nurse hurried over. "Mr. Crawford, you're here. Mrs. Crawford has a severe leg injury and needs surgery urgently, but Dr. Harrison has been assigned toD"

Nathan glanced at Grace.

She was lying on a gurney, her face pale, the rebar still in her leg, blood soaking through the entire sheet.

In his arms, Lily whimpered softly, "Nathan... it hurts so much..."

Nathan was silent for a few seconds.

"Dr. Harrison is examining Lily," he said. "For Grace's surgery... have the on-call surgeon handle it for now."

The nurse was stunned. "But her injury is more severe. The on-call surgeon doesn't have experience with this kind of complex puncture wound..."

"I said, have the on-call surgeon handle it!" Nathan's voice turned cold. "Lily's situation is also urgent. Grace is my wife. Waiting a little longer won't hurt."

He helped Lily up and left without a second glance.

Grace lay on the gurney, watching his back, and suddenly smiled.

She laughed until tears streamed down her face, a look of desolate acceptance on her face.

She closed her eyes and passed out.

When she woke up, she was in a hospital room.

She was alone.

A nurse came in to change her dressing and saw that she was awake. "Thank goodness, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Grace's voice was hoarse. "Did I have the surgery?"

"Yes," the nurse said. "Dr. Harrison came over and did your surgery after he finished with Ms. Ashford. Luckily, he made it in time."

Grace nodded.

After changing the dressing, the nurse walked to the door, then looked back at her, hesitating, before finally leaving.

Not long after, she heard quiet voices from outside the door.

"Is Grace really Mr. Crawford's wife? She's so badly injured, but he hasn't even come to see her once."

"Who knows. I've seen Mr. Crawford in room 305 every day, doting on that patient named Lily. Now that's what I call caring. I heard Ms. Ashford was just a little shaken up, had some heart palpitations, but Mr. Crawford insisted on having the head of surgery give her a full workup first!"

"I changed Mrs. Crawford's dressing yesterday. The wound is terrifying to look at, a rebar puncture! I heard that because she didn't get the best surgical team right away, she missed the golden hour. Even if it heals, it's going to ache whenever the weather changes..."

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

The voices faded away.

Grace lay in her hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, her heart completely calm.

For the next few days, Grace took care of herself.

When the nurse brought food, she ate.

When the doctor came for rounds, she listened.

When she could get out of bed, she used crutches to get water and go to the bathroom.

She didn't cry, she didn't make a scene, and she didn't ask why Nathan never came.

It was as if he had completely disappeared from her world.

A week later, the landline in her room rang.

It was someone from the research facility.

Grace answered.

"Ms. Sullivan, it's time to go," the voice on the other end said. "The divorce papers have gone through all legal procedures. The judge has signed the final decree. The lawyer has confirmed everything is effective. A car is waiting for you downstairs."

"Okay," Grace said. "I'll be right down."

She hung up, changed out of her hospital gown, and put on her own clothes.

As she left her room, she passed by Lily's.

The door was open. Lily was propped up in bed, and Nathan was sitting beside her, peeling an apple.

"Nathan, Grace is in the hospital too. Aren't you going to go see her?" Lily asked.

Nathan's hands paused, but he didn't say anything.

"I know you're worried about me, but Grace is your wife, after all..." Lily said softly. "You should go see her. I'll be fine."

Nathan was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. She can take care of herself, even without me. You're different."

Grace stood outside the door, listening to his words, and the last bit of hope in her heart vanished.

That's right.

She could take care of herself without him.

So from now on, she wouldn't need him anymore.

She turned and walked down the stairs.

A car was waiting at the hospital entrance.

Seeing her, the driver got out and opened the door for her. "Ms. Sullivan, please get in."

Grace got in the car.

The car started and drove away from the hospital.

She looked back one last time at the white building.

Goodbye, Nathan.

From now on, Grace belonged only to herself, to the wider sky she had chosen.

The car drove into the distance, towards her new life.

Meanwhile, at the window of room 305.

Nathan was helping Lily to the window for some fresh air. His gaze swept over the scene below, catching a glimpse of a plain black car driving out of the main gate and disappearing around the corner.

He didn't pay it any mind, quickly looking away and continuing to smile and talk to Lily.

He had no idea that something important in his life had just been pushed away by his own hands, and was now lost forever.