When the Scapegoat Walks Away

I'm the scapegoat who was hired by the rich Shelton family to marry into that family under the guise of repaying them for their benevolence. But my wife, Jenny Shelton, hates me for ruining the wedding meant for her and her first love, Jackson Wembley. She has hordes of treasure under her name, and yet she only gives me five dollars every day to survive. I've starved to the point I'm all skin and bones. Jenny, on the other hand, goes through partners like mad. She even drives while under alcoholic influence in order to make her new boyfriend laugh, which results in her crashing into the generator powering in the hospital and causing my mother's death. Later on, Jenny merely throws me a black card. "Wow, you really have the heart to arrange for your mom to live in that small and rundown hospital, huh? Then again, a money-minded person like you is capable of doing everything in this world. "Take this card and get your mom transferred to a VIP ward. Don't think about stealing from this card; I'll always check the bills." But I just throw the black card away and start preparing for my mom's funeral. What Jenny doesn't know is that Jackson had chosen to flee from the altar and abandon her back then. I was just a tool hired by her family in order to comfort her. Now that my mom is dead and I'm done paying back the debt, it's time for me to leave. Chapter 1 "The funeral service has already started, Jenny. Where are you?" Rowena Smith took my phone and called my wife, Jenny Shelton, during my mother's funeral. But the person who answered the call was a man. "Jenny was up late last night, Mrs. Shelton. She's still asleep. I'll let her know when she wakes up." "How could she not attend her own mother-in-law's funeral?" Rowena snapped, her hands planted on her hips. She then ended the call in a fit of anger. "I'm sorry, Caleb. I spoiled her too much." Jenny hated my guts. I had never expected her to come, so there was nothing for me to feel upset about. I pulled out the agreement I had signed back then—the one that made me a scapegoat—and handed it to Rowena. I calmly said, "The seven-year term is up, Mrs. Shelton. My marriage certificate with Jenny is fake as well. I'm going to—" Anticipating my words, she wiped her tears and cut me off. "I thought your mother would finally recover when Jenny found a matching heart for her. I didn't expect that even then, she still couldn't make it… "Caleb, Jenny might have been at fault, but the forensic report confirmed the cause of your mother's death. It wasn't a medical accident caused by a power outage, but suicide." Rowena continued, "For the sake of how hard Jenny worked to find a donor match for your mother, could you give her another chance?" Suicide? How could Mom bear to commit suicide when she hadn't even seen me start a family yet? I knew this was just an excuse to defend her daughter, and I couldn't be bothered to argue. "Thank you for helping me back then," I said. "But Jenny doesn't need me anymore. You can let me go, right?" Rowena sighed and slipped a gold-embossed card into my hand. "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. But there are still seven days left before our agreement ends. Give her some time to process it." I'd already endured seven years. Seven more days wouldn't make any difference. I pushed the card back. "You've already given me more than enough. I can't take this money." Rowena stuffed the card into my pocket and patted my hand. In a sincere tone, she said, "Jenny and I would've fallen out a long time ago if you hadn't taken the fall for me back then. This one billion dollars is just a small token of my gratitude. "Caleb… I'm begging you. Please keep the secret for me." It turned out this was hush money. I knew Rowena wouldn't feel at ease if I refused it. I could only accept it with a bitter smile. Back then, Jenny had ignored her family's objections and threatened suicide just to marry her first love. But right before the wedding, he eloped overseas with a wealthy woman. Afraid Jenny wouldn't be able to handle the blow, Rowena paid me to put on an act. She tampered with Jenny's car and arranged for me to save her, using that as an excuse for me to marry into the family. Chapter 2 At first, Jenny didn't take her anger out on me. She even wrote a farewell letter to her first love and married me. She then learned I had injured my hand saving her, and I would never be able to pick up a scalpel again. Feeling guilty, she searched high and low for renowned doctors, trying every folk remedy she could find. When none of it worked, she cried in my arms, promising to give me a child and a home. We lived happily for a while. Then Jackson Wembley, the younger cousin of Jenny's first love, showed up. With evidence in hand, he accused me of orchestrating the car accident years ago. Jenny threw the abortion paperwork in my face. For the first time, she spat at me, "Someone who'll do anything to climb the ladder like you doesn't deserve to be the father of my child, Caleb Hudson! You don't deserve a family at all!" I clutched the paper, my heart twisting in pain as tears streamed down my face. That day, Jenny killed our child with her own hands, and whatever remained of our relationship died with it. The whole thing had been planned by Rowena, but I couldn't say anything when Mom's life was in her hands. "Cut the act! I'd like to see how long you can keep this up!" Unmoved by my tears, Jenny swept the expensive dishes off the table. "From now on, you'll live on five dollars a day. Since you're so obsessed with money and want to live a lavish life so much, I won't let you have your way, Caleb!" she said. Jenny then walked away without looking back, her hand in Jackson's, who looked so much like her first love. Most of the people around her were the type to suck up to the powerful and step on the weak. One word from Jenny, and they made sure every job I applied for fell apart. Even a beggar took pity on me and bought me a burger, but they crushed it under their feet. "That burger cost two-fifty. That's half a day's food allowance for you. You really know how to waste it." They kicked a dog bowl toward me. "Here. You can have whatever leftovers Goldie didn't finish." I used to think life would go on like that. I would muddle through each day until the agreement ended. But not long ago, Jenny told me a matching heart donor had finally been found for Mom. "I can assign the heart to your mother. But Jackson said his cousin has been cursed with terrible luck and needed someone to hike up to the mountaintop cathedral and sincerely pray for him." It was incredibly hard to find a matching heart. She must have gone to great lengths to secure one. I thought asking me to hike up to the mountaintop cathedral was just Jenny's way of punishing me for lying. I believed she still cared for me deep down. But when I finally finished the climb, she glared at me and said, "Your prayers weren't sincere enough, Caleb. Instead of bringing him good luck, he ended up developing heart problems. That donor heart is going to him. Start all over and pray properly this time!" Jenny only wanted to toy with me and get back at me. To think that I had foolishly believed she might still have even the slightest bit of love for me was ridiculous. I staggered to my feet, numb, ready to start the climb all over again. Even the bystanders couldn't bear to watch any longer. They stepped in to stop me. "You've already injured your legs. You're going to kill yourself if you keep going!" Only then did Jenny notice my bloodied feet. She looked away and scoffed. "Forget it. It'll only backfire if your prayers aren't sincere. Just go vegan for a month while you pray for him instead." Compared to the dog food I'd been living on, vegan meals were practically a luxury. I'd even gained some weight by the time the punishment ended. I rushed straight to the hospital the moment I came down the mountain. I wanted to ask about the heart transplant, but I was told Mom had been transferred to a smaller hospital. Before I could even ask Mom about it, I received the news that she had passed away. My eyes were hollow as I caressed Mom's photo repeatedly. My tears had long since run dry. In the end, Jenny had been right. I didn't deserve a family, and now, I no longer have one. Her call only came by the time everything was taken care of. "I can't believe she's only calling after everything's over. At least she still has the decency to apologize," Rowena muttered as she pressed the answer button for me, putting it on speaker. Jenny's cold voice came through. "Jackson's mom's birthday is coming up in a couple of days. Go make the arrangements." Chapter 3 Embarrassed at being proven wrong, Rowena exploded in anger at Jenny. "He's your husband, Jenny, not your servant! His mother's gone. How can you ask him to organize someone else's mother's birthday party?" Jenny sounded confused. "Wasn't Mrs. Hudson seriously ill? Where did she go?" I didn't want to stir up trouble when I only had a few days left to stick around. "She went back to her hometown for a while," I said vaguely, changing the subject as I accepted the task to handle the birthday party. Jenny didn't bother asking more questions. She seemed satisfied that I didn't argue. "Good that you know your place. Once Mrs. Hudson is feeling better, I'll throw her a birthday party and make sure she has her moment too." She still didn't know that Mom was dead. In seven days, I would be gone. There would never be a future for us anymore. … Just as I was about to head home, Jenny sent me an address and told me to come over. I thought she wanted to discuss the birthday party. But the moment I pushed open the door to the private room, the only thing waiting for me was a glass of wine thrown straight at my face. Jenny spat, "So that's why you agreed to organize the party so quickly. Turns out you took money from Mom. It's been seven years, Caleb. I thought you'd learned your lesson by now. Guess a leopard really can't change its spots." Jackson handed me a tissue, then started putting on a show by slapping himself. "I shouldn't have brought it up. Now you two are fighting because of me. It's my fault! Please don't blame Caleb, Jenny. If anyone should be punished, it should be me!" Jenny grabbed his hand, looking worried as she rubbed his cheek that wasn't even red. "Don't hit yourself. It hurts me to see that. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even know that Caleb had the nerve to ask Mom for money. "Tell me, what reward do you want, sweetheart?" Jackson rested his chin on his hand and contemplated long and hard. "You've already bought me a Lamborghini, and you gave me that lakeside villa. With the way you're always showering me with gifts, you've spoiled me so much I barely want anything anymore. "Right now, I just feel like having those apple pies we always get from that shop on the east side of town. Why don't we have Caleb pick some up for us? It's about 20 miles away, though. You don't have a car, right? I could lend you mine." Jackson held out a set of car keys toward me, but Jenny snatched them away. "You think you deserve to drive?" she spat. "Walk there and get them. It's only 20 miles. Don't tell me you can't even do that." I nodded quietly, saying nothing. The other young women in the private room stared wide-eyed before bursting into laughter. "You really know how to have fun, Jenny. Don't worry. We'll help you keep an eye on him!" Jenny clearly hadn't expected me to agree so readily. She could only swallow back the words she was about to fire back and studied me closely. Something about me these past two days felt different. In the past, whenever Jenny punished me, I would argue back fiercely and accuse her of being unreasonable. But today, I was unnaturally quiet, like someone who had lost his soul. She raised her eyebrows and snorted coldly. "Seven years and he still hasn't learned his lesson. You girls must've gone easy on him before this. I'm watching him myself this time." Jenny's car followed behind me as I limped forward step by step. We passed through the busy streets and turned into an alley. Suddenly, the car behind me stopped. Seeing the sweat pouring down my face, Jenny scoffed. "Stay right there and wait. Jackson suddenly wanted some street tacos. We'll keep going after we're done eating." The two of them walked side by side toward a street vendor, laughing and chatting happily. I remembered how, back when Jenny and I hadn't fallen out yet, I once suggested grabbing some street food. But she frowned in disgust. "It'll be humiliating if word gets out that the Shelton family's son-in-law eats street food, Caleb. Don't embarrass the Sheltons." Chapter 4 Because of Jenny's words, I had to take lessons on dining etiquette every day. But when it came to Jackson, who didn't know how to cut steak, not only did she ask the restaurant to cut them for him, she even complained to the manager and demanded that the steaks be served pre-cut from now on. Now, dressed in a custom outfit worth hundreds of thousands, Jenny was eating greasy street food fed by Jackson while flies buzzed everywhere around them. It turned out she did have a down-to-earth side after all. It just wasn't meant for me. The sun blazed overhead, and my knees had long since gone numb from the pain. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I lost consciousness almost immediately. … When I woke up again, I was already in a hospital bed. My pant leg had been rolled up. My feet had been treated and wrapped in bandages. Jenny sat beside the bed. She scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup, blew on it to cool it down, then held it up to my mouth. She complained, "The doctor said you fainted from malnutrition. You're so stubborn. I told you to go vegan, but couldn't you at least sneak something decent to eat? Look how weak you've gotten! "Mom told me about the money on the card. It was meant for your mom's medical bills. I've also checked your account. You barely spent any of it. Can't you speak for yourself? Why didn't you explain? "And these injuries on your feet… How did they get worse instead of better?" I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Jenny. Wasn't she the one who had Jackson pass along the message that I was to hike up to the mountaintop to pray daily as punishment? And now she was asking why the injuries had gotten worse? This woman really did change her tune whenever it suited her. As for explaining, I had done enough of that over the years. She just never believed me. Jenny sighed when she saw me staying silent. "Try not to worry too much about your mom's condition. I'm still looking for a heart donor. I'll make sure she gets better." But Mom was gone. She didn't need a heart anymore. I lowered my head and said nothing. Jenny glanced at me again and spoke carefully, "The police caught Jackson driving drunk. They're suspending his license. Since you have a license and no car, why don't you take the blame for him? Just name your price." Mom had died because of that accident, and now she wanted me to take the fall for the person responsible? I pushed away the bowl of soup Jenny had offered and said, "Let's end this, Jenny." She had been waiting for me to name a price, but froze at my words. "End this? What do you mean?" I replied calmly, "Didn't you say I only cared about your money? You've been tired of me for a long time anyway. We can go our separate ways, and I won't be in your way anymore." Thinking I was just throwing a tantrum, Jenny sneered. "You were the one begging to marry into my family back then. Now you're trying to end things to force me to give in? If you're so bold, why don't you just ask for a divorce instead?" She slammed the bowl onto the table and stormed out. I didn't ask for a divorce because our marriage had been fake from the start. But I didn't bother explaining much since I'd be leaving soon anyway. Soon after, I drifted into a hazy sleep. … By the time I woke up again, Jackson had come to visit with a gift bag in his hand. He said coldly, "I heard Jenny asked you to take the fall for me. Guess she really does love me." I closed my eyes, not bothering to respond. Jackson chuckled. "I never thought someone as greedy as you would actually turn it down. Your relationship with your mom is truly envious. She agreed to transfer hospitals because of you, you know." I turned to him sharply. "There's no way Mom would listen to you. What did you do?" Jackson looked completely unbothered as he smiled casually. "Nothing much. I just showed her the videos of you being forced to hike and of you eating out of a dog bowl. I told her you were living like that because of her, and she agreed to the transfer right away. "We even arranged it so the power outage would be the signal for her to kill herself. She suffocated herself with her own hands in return for your freedom, Caleb. And you're still planning to stay loyal to Jenny?" Chapter 5 Anger surged within me. Unable to hold it in any longer, I yanked the IV needle out of my arm, got out of bed, and slapped Jackson across the face. "You bastard!" I grabbed his collar and raised my fist to hit him again. Just then, Jenny came back with some takeout. Seeing what happened, she rushed between us and shoved me hard. With how weak I was, I slammed into the edge of the bed and collapsed onto the floor. Jackson clutched at Jenny's sleeve, covering his face as he choked out, "Don't blame him, Jenny. It's all my fault. Since he's jealous of your past relationship, and seeing my face looking so much like my cousin's disgusted him so much, I'll just stay out of his way from now on." I struggled to get up, trying to explain, "Jenny, my mom—" Jenny's heart broke the moment she saw the red handprint on Jackson's cheek. With reddening eyes, she slapped me before I could finish. She yelled, "Caleb! Not only did you drive Ian away, but you're so jealous that you can't even tolerate his cousin? And now you're even trying to use your sick mother as an excuse to get sympathy?" Jessy angrily grabbed my wrist and forced my hand toward my own face. "Since you like slapping people so much, then stay here and slap yourself. Don't stop until you've slapped yourself a thousand times." She then left with Jackson, loudly calling for doctors the whole way, as if he had suffered some life-threatening injury. This time, Jenny left two rows of burly bodyguards behind to watch me. If I didn't slap myself, or if it wasn't loud enough, they would do it for me. By the time both sides of my cheeks were swollen, Rowena finally rushed in. "Stop! That's enough!" But the lead bodyguard reached out to stop her. "This is Ms. Shelton's order, Mrs. Shelton. Please don't make things difficult for us." "Have you lost your mind, Jenny?" Panicked, Rowena tried calling Jenny, but the line stayed busy. Only after I had finished slapping myself a thousand times, leaving my cheeks bloody, did the bodyguards finally leave. My hand kept moving out of numb habit. Just as it was about to land on my face, Rowena grabbed my wrist. She choked out, "Forget the seven days. Just leave today, Caleb. The helicopter is waiting on the hospital roof. Take your mother's remains and go. Don't ever come back." Rowena carefully placed Mom's urn in my hands, along with a framed photo of her. Looking at Mom's gentle smile in the photo, I couldn't stop thinking about how the human body has such a strong survival instinct. And yet she had suffocated herself to death with her own hands. She had chosen death willingly, all to give me my freedom. Unable to hold back any longer, I hugged the urn and broke down sobbing. … Jenny spent the next three days drinking and partying wildly. Only then did she realize that I—her husband, who never missed his morning and night texts to her—hadn't contacted her in a long time. She went to the hospital, only to learn that I had been discharged three days earlier. She rushed back home, yet the house was empty. Growing irritated, Jenny recalled the 99 missed calls from Rowena. Assuming I must have run to her mother to complain, she rushed back to the Shelton residence, fuming. But just as Jenny reached the door, she heard Jackson's mocking voice from inside. "The one who jilted Jenny right before the wedding was Ian, Mrs. Shelton. There's no need to be so hostile toward me. Now that Caleb's mother is dead, he'll be gone for good. I'll be your future son-in-law, so we should really learn to get along. "After all, I've been kind enough to keep your little secret—the whole thing about how you staged that car accident to force Caleb to marry into the family—from Jenny all these years." Jenny froze just as she was about to knock, her phone slipping from her hand and falling to the floor.