Too Late for Forgiveness

At the height of my career, I became the youngest law professor in the field and married my childhood sweetheart, Daisy Reid. We were known as the "golden couple of the legal world," and in the eyes of many, we were the perfect loving couple. In the tenth year of our marriage, my mother took my son, Caleb Davis, out, and they were involved in a car accident. The driver had been speeding while intoxicated. My mother only had enough time to shield Caleb in her arms before she died on the spot. To my surprise, my wife, Daisy, appeared and sat next to the murderer, James Benton, as his defense attorney in the courtroom. "Our client was just driving normally when the deceased suddenly rushed out in an attempt to stage an accident, which ultimately led to the accident. The deceased party should bear the main responsibility for the accident." Upon hearing that, I stared at her in disbelief. Soon after, anger surged within me. My eyes bloodshot, I growled, "My mom would never stage an accident! I have a witness!" However, the ten-year-old Caleb, who was to testify as a witness, grabbed James' arm and said, "I testify that Grandma was trying to fake an accident by purposely crashing into Mr. Benton's car. Dad even tried to make me lie. I would never hurt Mr. Benton." The moment those words left his mouth, my heart sank completely. Chapter 1 Acquitted and Released The trial concluded. In the end, the judge acquitted the defendant, James Benton, and released him. As for me, as the family member of the party deemed at fault, I was ordered to bear primary responsibility for the accident and compensate James 15,000 for his vehicle repairs. Standing at the court entrance, I looked at Daisy and Caleb in disbelief. "Why? You clearly knew he was the one who killed my mom, so why did you help him?" I questioned. "I'm sorry. James' mother died in the mountains trying to save me back then. I'm in debt to him." As she spoke, she handed me a bank card. "There's 15,000 in here. Consider it a small compensation from James to you." "Compensation?" I snapped the card in half, threw it at Daisy's face, and roared hysterically, "Daisy, is my mom's life only worth 15,000 to you? She was a real, living human being! "She was my mother! Why should her life be used to repay the debt you owe James?" "That's enough!" Daisy snapped, fed up. "We're at the courthouse. Don't embarrass yourself here!" Standing beside Daisy, Caleb echoed with obvious displeasure in his voice, "Yeah. Grandma's already dead, so just let it go. But if Mr. Benton gets arrested, who's going to play with me? Dad, how can you be so selfish?" I froze as a chill ran through my entire body. I could not believe that the son I had raised for ten years had just called me selfish. Just then, James approached us with a smug smile. "Luke, Caleb is your own son. Plus, he is young and just says whatever's on his mind. Please don't argue with him," he said. "Mr. Benton!" When Caleb saw James, he immediately ran up to him, grabbed his arm, and acted all affectionate. "I'm a man now. Mr. Benton, I'll protect you from now on." "Such a good boy you are, Caleb." James picked Caleb up. At this moment, they looked as if they were the actual father and son compared to Caleb and me. I watched this scene unfold and found it utterly ridiculous. 'So, this is the son I cherish so dearly and the family I sacrificed my career to protect wholeheartedly?' I scoffed inwardly. Daisy calmly took an agreement out of her folder. "This is an agreement to waive the right to appeal. Once signed, this case will be considered closed." "You want me to sign this? No way in hell!" I tore the agreement to shreds and shouted, "Daisy, don't forget, I studied law too. I was once a lawyer. I will never let my mother die in vain!" When Daisy heard what I said, her gaze turned icy. "Then, go ahead and try." Chapter 2 The Autopsy Report After leaving the courthouse, I returned to the scene of the accident and requested access to the surveillance footage, only to be told that the cameras had already been removed. The surveillance footage was gone, and the vehicle involved in the accident had 'accidentally' fallen into the water. Daisy had destroyed almost all the evidence in order to protect James. So, I sold all my assets and used every connection I had. Finally, through a forensic doctor, I managed to obtain my mother's autopsy report. The report stated that my mother had suffered multiple fractures throughout her body, and that her chest and abdomen had been repeatedly crushed by a vehicle. After reading it, I was well aware that this wasn't an accident at all, but a premeditated murder by James. I left the morgue and intended to go to the court to submit the document. However, Daisy stopped me. "Daisy, what are you doing?" I asked anxiously. "As I said, this matter ends here. James only made a small mistake," she said. "He's so young. Do you really want to see him sentenced and his life ruined, and only then are you satisfied?" Daisy snatched the autopsy report from me and tore it up. Then, she ordered her bodyguards to take my mother's body away. I tried desperately to stop the bodyguards, but Daisy held me back tightly. "Daisy, let me go! James intentionally murdered my mother!" "That's enough! I told you, this matter ends here!" "Why? James is a murderer! He killed her! I will make him pay!" "Luke Davis!" Daisy shouted my full name in a fit of rage. "Don't push me." She forcibly dragged me to the crematorium and ordered the bodyguards to push my mother's body into the incinerator. "No!" I kept trying to break free as I cried, "Daisy, let me go, please… My mom was murdered. You can't do this… You're a lawyer too. You know the truth, so why are you helping James cover up his crime?" My voice became hoarse from crying. Despite being somewhat visibly moved, Daisy still held me tightly. "Luke, I'm sorry, but James is where I draw the line. I will never allow anyone to hurt him, and you're no exception," she said. "I'll make it up to you properly once this is over." Time ticked by. When the staff brought out an urn, I completely lost all my strength and collapsed helplessly to the ground. "Mom, I'm sorry…" "Alright. The body has been cremated, and all that so-called evidence is invalid now. Listen to me. Let's leave this matter at that." Daisy's voice softened slightly. The next second, her phone rang. James' voice came through over the phone. "Daisy, Caleb said he's going to the amusement park. Why aren't you here yet?" "Okay. I'll be right there." Daisy hung up the phone and left quickly. My body trembled uncontrollably as I held my mother's urn. 'I clearly found the evidence, yet I still can't avenge my mom,' I thought. 'Not only that, but the daughter-in-law she admired the most became the murderer's defense attorney, and her most beloved grandson gave false testimony to frame her to protect the murderer.' Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and a wave of nausea washed over my entire body. I spat out a mouthful of blood, and my vision went completely dark. Chapter 3 Let's Get a Divorce When I regained consciousness, I was lying in my bedroom. My phone was bombarded with anonymous, abusive text messages and threatening phone calls. On top of that, the news of a sixty-year-old woman who had supposedly staged an accident with her grandson to extort money, only to die in the crash, had climbed to second place on the trending search list. Online backlash poured in endlessly. 'An old fart like her deserves to die. Why did she have to go and stage an accident to extort money?' one of the netizens commented. 'Good riddance! She deserved it! Can't believe she even brought her grandson along to fake an accident. It's a good thing that her grandson has some common sense and knew to testify for the driver. Otherwise, she really would have gotten away with staging the accident!' another comment read. 'A scum like her should just disappear from the world!' someone else cursed in the comment section. As I watched the constant stream of insults on my phone, I felt as if my heart was being ripped out. At the top of the trending search list was none other than the news about Daisy. 'Ms. Reid celebrates at an amusement park with husband and son, complete with fireworks.' Looking at the photo of the three of them holding hands so intimately, memories from the past came flooding back. When Daisy and I first got married, we had been just as loving as she now seemed to be with James. Back then, because she told me she did not want to become a housewife, I voluntarily gave up my career. She had always comforted me gently. "Darling, I'll remember all the contributions you have made for our family. I swear I won't ever betray you." Later, Caleb was born prematurely. He was weak and on the verge of death. I was the one who got down on my knees and begged one doctor after another until we finally managed to save his life. After that, because Caleb's health was poor, I paid extra attention to every little detail and carefully raised him as he grew. He, too, always liked to snuggle in my arms and said, "Dad, I'll definitely repay you properly when I grow up." But three years ago, James entered our family's life as Daisy's junior and assistant. From then on, Daisy came home less and less often. Every time, she complained to me that James made frequent mistakes and was far less competent than I was when I worked at the law firm. Yet again and again, she still went out of her way to stay late and work overtime with him. Caleb also slowly started to like James. James would always let Caleb binge on the junk food I forbade him to eat. When I urged Caleb to finish his homework, James would always secretly take him out to play. It went on until the day I heard Caleb say he didn't like me and wanted James to be his father. Just then, the bedroom door was pushed open. Daisy walked to my bedside, the hickeys on her neck still clearly visible. "Don't take the online comments to heart. I'll contact someone to help resolve them." I simply looked at Daisy calmly. Only then did I notice that at some point, she had removed her wedding ring, and on her body was the scent of the men's cologne James often wore. Caleb burst into the room and urged impatiently, "Mom, I told you Dad was fine. Let's go. Mr. Benton is waiting for us to take a family photo." "It's just for fun," Daisy explained. "James doesn't have any family, so he's always wanted to take a family photo." As I listened to her, my heart remained completely still. I had long since given up hope after all these years of suffering. From the bottom drawer, I took out the divorce settlement agreement I had prepared long ago. I had put it back again and again because I could not bring myself to let go of Daisy and Caleb. But now, there was nothing left to hold on to. "Daisy, let's get a divorce." Chapter 4 The Unwanted Visitor at the Funeral "What?" Daisy was stunned for a moment. Then, a displeasure flashed across her face, and she complained, "I already told you. James has no family left after losing his mother, so Caleb and I are only taking him for a family photo to comfort him." Meanwhile, Caleb stood beside me and looked at me with the same cold expression. "Dad, you're going to divorce Mom just because you're jealous of Mr. Benton?" he asked. "Whatever. I won't go with you after the divorce anyway. You're useless and always nag. You can't earn any money and rely entirely on Mom. You're nowhere near as awesome as Mr. Benton." As I listened to Caleb's words, every one of them dripping with disgust, the last shred of lingering affection in me disappeared completely. "Fine. I don't want you anymore. Go find your new Dad," I retorted. Upon hearing that, Caleb froze on the spot. "That's enough. Must you make such a scene in front of Caleb?" Daisy picked up the pen on the table and signed her name on the divorce settlement agreement. "Hope you don't regret it!" "Don't worry," I said, emphasizing each word. "I never will." Staring at the divorce settlement agreement that Daisy had signed, I instantly felt a sense of relief wash over me. From dating to marriage, I had given up my hobbies and my career for Daisy, slowly going from an elite legal professional to a homemaker. Scenes from the past flashed through my mind. I carefully put away the divorce settlement agreement and took one last look at Caleb. "Caleb, you're ten years old now. Take good care of yourself from now on. I don't let you eat junk food because you're not in good health—" "I'm not listening!!" Caleb covered his ears and interrupted me. "You talk too much. You and Mom are already divorced, so what right do you have to tell me what to do? I'll have Mr. Benton as my dad from now on!" Looking at Caleb now, then remembering how he used to cling to my arm and call me "Dad" so affectionately, I felt a dull ache in my chest. "Okay," I said quietly. "I won't nag you anymore." … After leaving home, I once again leveraged my connections to find the last bit of evidence and secretly submitted it to the criminal investigation team. Once done, I carried my mother's ashes to the top of Windvern Cliffs alone. This was where my father was buried. Before she passed away, my mother said that her wish was to be buried with my father after she died. At the quiet funeral, James suddenly appeared, wearing custom-made leather shoes and a mocking smile. "Luke, I heard you and Daisy are divorced now. Good, looks like you know when to quit." I glared at James with hatred. "What are you doing here?" The murderer who had killed my mother was standing so brazenly in front of her grave, yet there was still nothing I could do to put him behind bars. "Come and see my work," he answered. "You have no idea how horribly your nom died. I even specially made sure I ran over her several times." "James Benton!" I could no longer contain my anger and roared. Just as I was about to lunge at him, James beat me to it and threw himself to the ground. The next second, Daisy hurried over with Caleb. Caleb carefully helped James up and then glared at me. "You're the bad guy! I won't let you bully Mr. Benton!" Daisy slapped me hard across the face. Her eyes were filled with obvious anger as she scolded, "Luke, what the hell are you doing? James came to the funeral out of kindness. Why did you have to hurt him? Apologize to him. Now!" Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. As I looked at Daisy and Caleb, who were protecting James, my devastated heart still ached. "Today is the day my mom is being buried. And you want me to apologize to the murderer who killed her?" "That has nothing to do with you hurting James," Daisy said coldly. "I already told you, the case regarding your mom's accident is closed. You injured James, so you must apologize to him." "What if I don't?" Chapter 5 Jumping Off the Cliff Daisy snatched my mother's urn. "I'm saying this for the last time. Apologize to James!" she urged. "Daisy, do you even know what you're doing?" I shouted as I desperately reached out to grab the urn back. However, Daisy merely stood on the edge of the cliff with an indifferent look on her face as she held it in mid-air. "Luke, James is where I draw the line, so don't push me." "No! Daisy, please…" I pleaded with tears in my eyes. "Okay… I'll apologize to him…" James pretended to be magnanimous and said that it was no big deal. "Daisy, why don't we just let it slide? Luke probably didn't mean to hurt me." "No. He's the one at fault, so he deserved to be punished," she insisted. I clenched my fists tightly upon hearing those words. At this moment, Daisy, whom I thought knew so well, felt utterly alien to me. 'So, she is well aware that those who made mistakes should be punished,' I thought grimly. I tried my best to ignore the burn of humiliation as I turned to James and expressed my apology. "I'm sorry." However, Caleb held James' hand and looked displeased. "Dad, you need to go down on your knees if you want to apologize. You're not showing any sincerity at all." "Caleb, don't say that. He's your father." "They're already divorced. Mr. Benton, you're my father now." The last of my hope shriveled up and died after hearing that. Finally, I went down on my knees helplessly. "I'm sorry. I was in the wrong. Please forgive me," I apologized as I looked at the urn in Daisy's hand, tears welling up in my eyes. "Daisy, Mom has suffered enough in her life. I just want her to be buried with my father. Please…" A hint of emotion flashed across Daisy's face. Just as she was about to return the urn, James twisted his ankle and cried out in pain. Daisy instinctively reached out to help. As a result, the urn slipped from her hand and fell uncontrollably down the cliff. "No!" I watched helplessly as my mother's urn fell off the cliff. Desperation consumed me as I rushed over to try to catch it. Daisy abruptly reached out to grab me. "It's just an urn. Do you have a death wish?" "Get lost!" I shook her off me. "Daisy, since you and Caleb love James so much, I'll let you guys be together." Then, I turned around and flung myself over, my figure disappearing into the sea of clouds.