The Names on Her Grave

After the Sullivan Group went bankrupt, I abandoned everything and followed Jessica to Tylen City. It took her five years, but she eventually inherited her father's legacy and climbed back into the top three on the Forbes rankings. Yet, she never once brought up any word about marriage. That lasted until the night before the Day of the Dead. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw her lighting candles while facing the direction of Cinea. "Dad, Mom, forgive me. I couldn't visit you this year because of work, but please continue to protect Chris and bless us with happiness for the rest of our lives." When I heard this, warmth filled my heart. My health was on the frail end of the scale. In the past, she always returned on her own since she didn't want me to be exhausted over this. This year, I decided to make the trip on her behalf after seeing the longing hidden in her eyes. However, what I never expected was to see the name of her former fiancé beside her name on the gravestone. Moreover, his title was engraved as her husband. As I looked further down, I saw another name beneath theirs. It was a name that belonged to their three-year-old son. At that moment, I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning. Only then did I realize that it wasn't Christopher she was referring to when she said, "Chris." Instead, it was Christian. Chapter 1 A Shocking Truth As I stared blankly at the gravestone, the elderly cemetery caretaker approached and struck up a conversation with me. "Sir, do you know Old Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan? I don't think I've ever seen you here before." It was such a simple question, yet it made my heart throb in pain all the same. After all, who am I when the place that should have belonged to Jessica's husband had already been engraved with Christian's name? Although I was standing under the sunlight, I felt like some lowly rat that ought to hide in the shadows. How could I stand before these gravestones when I didn't have a respectable identity that I could claim aloud? Still, I swallowed the bitterness clinging to my tongue as I replied lowly, "Just a distant relative." The old man nodded in understanding and replied, "That makes sense. If you were a close family member, you should've been here three years ago when Ms. Sullivan dropped by with her family. You have no idea how grand it was. "Ms. Sullivan personally reopened the family chapel, invited hundreds of people to conduct rituals, and even had her husband carry their son while paying their respects. Afterward, they hosted a banquet for three whole days, and she introduced her husband and child to everyone. "Her husband was incredibly handsome. He looked like some movie star. I even have a photo of it with me. Here." As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and showed me the picture. I saw Christian wearing a white suit while holding an infant in his arms and smiling. Jessica was standing right beside him. She was leaning against him and looking at him with a bright smile on her face. Even though it was only a photograph, the undisguised love in her eyes was so vivid and intense that it pierced straight through me. I had never once seen her look at me that way. Then, my gaze drifted to the date in the lower-right corner of the photo, and my breathing froze. It was November 6th, which was three years ago. Jessica's medical examination results had come back the day before that same date, stating that she was pregnant. I was overjoyed when I learned the news before she did. At the time, I wholeheartedly believed that Jessica would cry tears of happiness just like I had, eager to finish our wedding and give the child a complete family. However, the smile on her face disappeared the moment I told her the news. "Chris, I've told you countless times already. Neither marriage nor children are part of my plans for these next few years. This child came at the wrong time, so let's not keep it for now. We can wait until the right time, okay?" At that moment, I couldn't help but feel that she was a completely different woman from the one I'd first met—a frightening woman who was wearing the face of the woman I loved. In the past, I would always cave to her demands, no matter how unreasonable they were. I just couldn't bear to see her angry. Chapter 2 Everything Is a Lie That was the first time I had blown up on her. "No. I will never give up on this child, our child, no matter what you say. I don't care if you're going to leave me to raise the baby alone after you've given birth to him. I will never abandon him!" Alas, Jessica insisted on going to the hospital for an abortion. I cried and begged her not to, but I tumbled down the stairs during our argument. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed with one leg broken. The doctor told me that Jessica had already undergone the abortion procedure. She hadn't even stayed through the required observation period before leaving. It seemed that she'd gotten an urgent phone call and prioritized that over her health. As expected, the only thing she left me was a message saying she had an important overseas business meeting and needed to travel abroad for a few days. Back then, I genuinely believed that she had some urgent matter so important that she had no choice but to leave despite her condition. I even gave her an out for abandoning me when I was at my lowest. Only now did I finally understand that she had gone back to her hometown with Christian and the child to pay respects to her ancestors, to tell everyone that he was her rightful husband. The child in the photograph probably wasn't even hers. Yet, she had easily chosen to give up our baby while placing that child into the family tree. The moment I pieced everything together, my heart felt as though it were being carved apart, and tears slid silently down my face. I dazedly made my way back to Tylen City. Instead of going home, I went straight to the immigration office, intending to transfer my identity registration back to Cinea and withdraw the savings I had accumulated through years of work. However, the clerk looked up at me suspiciously when I entered my information. "Mr. Thomson, this Tylen ID card you have is fake. Your registered identity has always been tied to a Cinea ID. Also, you've only been staying here on a tourist visa all these years. As for this bank card, the account holder isn't you, but a man named Christian. "In other words, you'll need his authorization if you want to withdraw any money." In that split second, my mind went completely blank. On my very first day in Tylen, Jessica had personally handed me this ID card. She told me she had arranged long-term residency for me so I wouldn't have to worry about visas anymore. I had never once doubted her. As for the bank card, the finance department had given it to me as my payroll card during my second month at the music studio. I had always lived frugally, wanting to save up some sense of security for myself. I thought I wouldn't be left with nothing and nowhere to go if Jessica decided to leave me one day. Jessica knew better than anyone how much stability this job meant to me, so I didn't know why she would do this to me. I nearly stumbled as I rushed out of the immigration office, flagging down a taxi straight to the music studio where I had worked for the past five years. The studio owner was a local middle-aged man called Jason. He had always treated me politely enough. When I burst into his office, he was organizing a file containing the studio's award-winning works over the years. He had never allowed me to look through them in the past, always saying that artists shouldn't be influenced by outside opinions. This time, I threw my manners aside and snatched the file straight from his hands. The moment I saw the name listed under the awards, my breathing stopped. It was Christian's name. Every single award-winning piece that I had created over the past five years had been credited to Christian. At that moment, my legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed. "Jason, why are my payroll card and competition entries registered under Christian's name? The copyrights to those songs, the honors from those awards… How did they all become Christian's? What exactly were all my years of hard work worth?" When Jason heard me, he gave an awkward chuckle and deliberately avoided my gaze. "Mr. Thomson, this matter was handled according to Ms. Sullivan's instructions. She said it was for the convenience of management. Mr. Christian is her family, so registering everything under his identity would avoid a lot of trouble and save him the effort of personally creating anything himself." Chapter 3 Confrontation "We're just a small music studio. There are many things we don't have the power to decide for ourselves. Please don't make things difficult for us." As I listened to Jason's words, the very last trace of hope in my heart shattered completely. Jessica had been using me from the very beginning. She had turned everything that belonged to me into stepping stones for Christian, while I had been moved by her supposed devotion and making excuses for why she kept postponing marriage like a fool. Now that I had connected all the dots, I practically rocketed out of the studio. There was only one thought in my mind. I wanted answers from the woman herself. … By the time I arrived at the company, I ignored the secretary's alarmed attempts to stop me and charged straight toward the CEO's office. "Mommy, I want ice cream!" A child's voice made my footsteps come to an abrupt halt. Inside the office, Jessica sat in the chair with a little boy cradled in her arms. Christian, who was dressed in a tailored designer suit, stood beside her with one arm affectionately around her shoulders. Judging by the tilt of his head and the smile on his lips, he was speaking to her in a low, intimate voice. Even though I had already learned of the child's existence, seeing him in person still struck me so hard that my chest tightened with unbearable pain. Christian noticed me first. His expression stiffened instantly. He hurriedly rose from the sofa, causing the child in his arms to wobble unsteadily. Jessica sensed something was amiss, so she turned. When she saw me, surprise flashed through her eyes before she instinctively stepped in front of Christian and the child protectively. "Why are you here?" I tugged at the corner of my lips into a stiff smile, but there was no hiding the despondent look in my eyes. "You're right. I shouldn't have come and interrupted a wonderful family time. It really was unnecessary of me." When Jessica heard my words, she frowned and snapped in irritation, "Christopher, what are you up to now? Do you have to ruin a perfectly good day?" Christian quickly stepped forward and grabbed Jessica's arm. "Jessica, don't be angry at Mr. Thomson. He's just misunderstood things. I'll explain it to him." "I wasn't talking to you." I shot Christian a cold glance. The gentle look on Christian's face slipped. He even had the audacity to look at me as though I'd pointed a blade at his neck. The little boy wriggled out of his arms and toddled toward me. Then, he raised his hands and shoved me hard. "Bad guy! Stop bullying my daddy!" The child was too young to possess much strength. The moment he pushed me, he lost his own balance and fell onto the floor with a thud. His nose immediately scrunched up as if he were about to cry. Christian cried out in alarm and rushed over, scooping the child into his arms. When he looked up at me again, he was already on the verge of tears. "Mr. Thomson, if you're angry, take it out on me. My child is still young. How could you bear to hurt him?" Jessica strode forward and tightly shielded Christian and the child in her embrace. The look she gave me turned stone cold. "Christopher, that's enough! How can you argue with a child?" I stood there motionless, watching the fiercely protective way she guarded them. All I felt was absurdity and heartbreak. Everyone had ditched Jessica at the curb when the Sullivan Group went bankrupt. Still, Christian, who was her fiancé at the time, had been the first to tear up the engagement, seize their assets, marry someone else, and flee overseas. He had even joined forces with outsiders to crush the Sullivan Group completely, driving Jessica into despair. It was I who stayed by her side. I gave up my future, left my home, and followed her across the ocean to Tylen when she had nothing. I lived with her in a basement apartment, surviving on instant noodles soaked in cold water. I handed over all my savings to her and stayed by her side as she slowly rebuilt everything from the ground up. However, I now understood that all those years of companionship could never compare to her childhood sweetheart. At that moment, every question I had wanted to ask suddenly felt ridiculous. I slapped the payroll card down in front of Jessica. "Fine. Since you are so kind-hearted, I won't stop you from taking care of them." Chapter 4 Being Taken Away "Give me back all the income from the works I created at the music studio over these years. From now on, we owe each other nothing." Jessica froze for a moment before her expression darkened even further. "It's only a bit of money. As long as you stay with me, you'll never have to worry about such things for the rest of your life. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? Christian has a child to raise. It hasn't been easy for him. "Just treat it as taking pity on him and stop obsessing over this matter." As she spoke, she pulled a checkbook from the drawer and tore out a blank check. "Write whatever amount you want yourself. Just stop causing trouble for me." "I don't want your charity." I refused to take the check. "I only want what belongs to me. My copyrights and the honors I earned from those awards, I want all of it back." Jessica looked at me with a sinister gaze. "How dare you! Don't forget that I was the one who gave you food and shelter. Right now, half the business industry in Tylen City answers to me. If you insist on tearing things apart, don't blame me for forgetting our past." At that moment, my entire body stiffened, and my heart finally turned cold. I had witnessed her ruthless methods countless times in the business industry before, but I had never imagined that one day she would use that same cruelty against me. … Just as the tension in the room reached its breaking point, Christian suddenly let out a startled cry, "Jessica, something's wrong! Our baby's asthma is acting up!" In that split second, Jessica's face changed instantly. I was no longer at the forefront of her mind. Instead, she hastily scooped the child into her arms and rushed outside. When she passed by me, she even hollered for security. "Throw this lunatic out. Don't let him set foot inside the company ever again." I stood frozen in place as I watched them disappear into the distance, feeling as though every ounce of strength had been drained from my body. Now that I was thrown out onto the roadside, I couldn't help but look at the city I had lived in for five years with hollow eyes. Suddenly, the familiar streets looked like yawning monsters instead. Only one thought remained in my mind, and that was to leave this place as soon as I could. … Then, I returned to the house I had shared with Jessica for five years and quickly packed my belongings, carefully placing my parents' keepsakes at the very bottom of my suitcase before pulling it toward the door. The moment I opened it, two police officers were standing outside. "Don't move! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" I froze. "My name is Christopher Thomson, and I've lived in this house for five years. I'm just packing my things and leaving." The officers pulled out a copy of the property ownership documents and placed it in front of me. "The registered owner of this house is Christian Wyven. He personally reported that you entered his property without permission and attempted to remove valuable items. Please cooperate with our investigation and come with us." My mind went blank. I had never imagined that even the house I'd lived in for five years belonged to Christian. I wondered how many things Jessica had hidden from me. It didn't matter how hard I tried to plead my case; the officers insisted on treating me like a thief and taking me away. During the struggle, my suitcase fell to the ground. It had burst open after being dragged roughly across the floor, scattering everything inside. My parents' photograph crashed onto the ground, and the glass shattered everywhere, scratching the photo beyond recognition. Even the bracelet my mother had never once taken off fell and snapped cleanly into two pieces. "That's mine!" I tried to bend down to pick it up, but the officers restrained me. "Don't move. All of these items are considered stolen property until the matter is clarified. You're coming with us!" I had no way to defend myself. Once we got to the precinct, the officers followed standard procedure and took my statement. Afterward, they called Jessica to verify my identity. "Ms. Jessica? This is the local police department. We currently have a man named Christopher Thomson here who is suspected of stealing items from property belonging to Christian Wyven. We'd like to verify his identity with you, as well as clarify the relevant circumstances." Chapter 5 Someone Bailed Him Out Silence fell over the other end of the call. During those few empty seconds, I stood beside the officers with my heart lodged in my throat. I was still holding onto one final sliver of hope. I thought that no matter how angry Jessica was, she would at least tell the police that I wasn't a thief. However, my blood ran cold when she finally spoke. "I understand. Just follow the normal procedures. Thieves these days really are getting bolder and bolder. He needs to learn a lesson so he won't act recklessly again." At that moment, I knew that Jessica had known about Christian calling the police from the very beginning. She had decided to go along with it just because I had defied her and offended Christian in the process. She was going to abandon me here and use this method to pressure me into admitting defeat. And so, the police completed the procedures and locked me inside the detention center. Life behind the cells was dark and miserable. The other detainees constantly found ways to bully me when they saw how withdrawn I was. I was never a fighter, so I could only curl up on the hard bunk in the corner and stare blankly at the peeling walls. It wasn't until the afternoon of the fourth day that Jessica's assistant finally came to visit me. "Mr. Thomson, Ms. Sullivan said that she'll bail you out immediately as long as you admit your mistake." I slowly lifted my eyes toward him, tugged at the corner of my lips, and spat out a single word. "Leave." The assistant's expression stiffened instantly. In the end, he said nothing and quietly left. … After the assistant relayed my response, Jessica became furious. "Fine, so he's got a spine of steel. Since he refuses to lower his head, he can stay there longer. I'd like to see how long he can keep acting tough." That was what she said, yet she became inexplicably restless over the following days. The documents on her desk remained unread. Her thoughts drifted constantly to me during important meetings. My face would flash through her mind even when Christian brought the child to visit her at the company. As if that wasn't torment enough, her brain would conjure up the image of the days we spent in our dingy basement apartment. She couldn't help but recall how I had pushed the only bowl of hot soup toward her with a smile and claimed I wasn't hungry. The longer Jessica dwelled on it, the more irritated she became. Eventually, she found an excuse to send Christian away before summoning her assistant into the office. "When is Christopher getting out?" The assistant froze briefly before quickly checking the records. "Ms. Sullivan, the detention period is seven days. He'll be released in two days." Jessica nodded and dismissed him. As she leaned back in her chair, the tension in her chest loosened slightly for reasons she herself couldn't explain. She figured she would personally pick me up once I was released. She'd debase herself and bring me home even though I was being a complete donkey. After all, she wasn't that heartless to let me suffer without a roof over my head. Therefore, she canceled all her appointments and waited outside the detention center half an hour early on the day of my release. As she leaned against her car, she repeatedly rehearsed in her mind what she should say when she saw me. However, she did not have the chance to speak those words. As the detention center doors opened and closed, one batch of released inmates after another left before returning to wherever they were supposed to go. Until finally, the entrance stood completely empty. I never appeared. Jessica's brows knitted tightly together. She strode into the reception hall and questioned the staff. "Christopher is scheduled for release today. Where is he?" The staff member checked the system records before looking up at her and replied, "Christopher Thomson? Someone bailed him out yesterday." Jessica stood frozen in place, the blood in her body turning cold. I had spent five years in Tylen City with an unbelievably small social circle. My entire world had revolved around her alone. Hence, she couldn't help but wonder just who had bailed me out.