My husband, Gabriel Simon, developed an interest in Angelica Moore, a student he was sponsoring, and hired her as our housekeeper at a high salary.

From that moment, my monthly allowance plummeted from 150,000 dollars to just 15 dollars. Every expense for our dozen or so family members had to go through her approval—even if the maid wanted to buy an extra pack of salt, she needed Angelica's permission.

I was so annoyed I wanted to tell Gabriel, but he just chuckled. "What I love most is her nitpicking nature. Don't you think it's cute?"

One day, Gabriel's mother Lillian Kramer had a sudden fall and needed surgery that would cost 30,000 dollars.

I quickly called Gabriel. "Mom fell from the balcony and needs 30,000 dollars for surgery. Get the money to the hospital immediately."

Before he could respond, a mocking laugh came from the other end of the line. "A fall from the balcony would at most break a bone. There's no need for 30,000 dollars. Mrs. Simon, you're just used to spending lavishly. Since Mr. Simon earns money with difficulty and you won't save him any, I'll do it for him."

After hanging up, I received a transfer of only 300 dollars. Lillian died on the operating table because there was no money for proper treatment.

Later, the doctors asked the family members to sign the death certificate.

Holding the sobbing Angelica, who was blaming herself, Gabriel tried to console me. "Angie just wanted to save me money. Being frugal isn't wrong. Your Mom Clarissa wasn't in good health anyway. This is, in a way, a release for her. Come on. Don't hold it against her. Just sign it."

I sneered and pushed the certificate back. "You're her direct relative. You have to sign it, not me."

Gabriel frowned, clearly irritated, and his tone turned sharp. "Sounds like you're determined to make things hard for Angie. Am I right?

"I've already said she didn't do it on purpose. Why are you being so relentless? We're in a hospital with so many people around. She's young and shy. Don't overdo it!"

Hearing this, Angelica seemed to find an ally and burst into tears. She struggled out of Gabriel's arms, lifting her red-rimmed eyes.

"Mr. Simon, please don't be upset with Mrs. Simon for my sake. She just lost her mother, so her anger toward me is understandable. I really don't blame her. But please believe me that I never meant for this to happen. I once fell from a balcony and broke my arm.

"Back then, my family was poor, and I didn't even go to the hospital. My arm eventually healed on its own. I never imagined Mrs. Simon's mother was so fragile... I thought 300 dollars would be enough. I'm so sorry I didn't expect things to turn out like this..."

Seeing her like this, Gabriel softened and pulled her back into his arms. Then, he looked at me, and the silent reproach in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Amelia, things have already come this far. Are you really trying to push Angie to death? Honestly, Clarissa's death is partly your fault too. If you hadn't spent recklessly before, Angie wouldn't have frozen your bank account to save my money. The one who should reflect is you!

"She did it for your sake. Besides, Clarissa had health problems for years. Today's event gave her release. You should be grateful that she's spared from suffering. Isn't that something to appreciate?"

I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe he could say something so absurd. Because of Angelica, someone was left to die on the operating table, and now I was supposed to thank her? In all my twenty-some years, I had never heard anything more absurd.

Gabriel could say that now only because he thought the person who died was my mother. I hoped that when he learned the truth, he would feel the same calm indifference he was showing now.

I met his gaze, calm but mocking. "It's not that I refuse to sign. I just can't. How about you do it instead?"

I held out the pen to him.

Finally losing his patience, Gabriel slammed the pen to the floor. His voice was cold as he said, "The one who died is your mother, not mine. I'm not her son. Sign it if you want, and if you don't, I couldn't care less!"

Though I had long since stopped loving him the way I used to after he brought Angelica into our home, his coldness still cut me to the bone.

I suddenly remembered the day I married him. I had cried, unable to bear leaving my parents, and he held me repeatedly, comforting me.

"Amy, from now on, I'll treat your parents as my own. Just because you're marrying me doesn't mean you have to leave them behind. In fact, they have me to help take care of them too."

The memory was vivid, but now everything had changed. He had transferred all his affection to Angelica, leaving me insignificant.

Suppressing the ache in my chest, I picked up the pen from the floor. My hands were trembling as I looked at him with mockery. "Gabriel, Mom's body is in the operating room right behind you. Why don't you go see for yourself before deciding whether to sign?"

Hearing me say that, Gabriel instinctively turned toward the operating room behind him. He was about to step forward when Angelica grabbed his arm.

"Mr. Simon, you are, after all, Mrs. Simon's husband. Since she wants you to sign on her behalf, why not just do it? At the end of the day, she just wants a little more of your attention."

Gabriel paused at her words. Then he turned back to me, a half-smile playing on his lips. "You should've just said so earlier. If that's what you want, I'll sign it for you."

I followed his gaze, and in the next second, I saw him take the death certificate in front of him. If he had even glanced at it carefully, he would have noticed whose name was on it. But unfortunately, all his attention was fixed on the sobbing Angelica. Without even a glance at the paper, he signed it.

Seeing me frozen in shock, he let out a quiet sigh. "My condolences. Don't be too upset. At least I'm still here with you, aren't I?"

I almost laughed at the words. It sounded as if I should be grateful to him. I said nothing and turned to leave. Lillian had always treated me well, and after such a tragic death, I just wanted to lay her to rest quickly.

Just as I was about to handle her body, I unexpectedly ran into Gabriel and Angelica again. For some reason, his gaze seemed slightly guilty.

Clearing his throat, he finally explained why he had come. "Amy, Angie feels terribly guilty about Clarissa's death. She wants to do something for her as a last gesture."

I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Angel's medical school happens to need a body donation for anatomy research. She wants to contribute it for her seniors to study. She means well. She just wants Clarissa's death to have some meaning.

"They'll be picking up the body soon. Amy, you should say your goodbyes."

I almost thought I had misheard him. Seeing me still stunned, Angelica spoke, her eyes red. "Mrs. Simon, according to Mr. Simon, your Mom Mrs. Gallagher was always kind-hearted. Now, because of me, she has passed away. I just want to do as much good as I can in her name, so she can find peace.

"Donating her body for the benefit of society is something I'm sure she would have agreed to when alive. Instead of letting her body decay, at least it could serve a purpose. Mrs. Simon, would that be alright?"

I had been reeling from their words, but I finally snapped back and instinctively said, "No. I absolutely won't allow it!"

In my family's tradition, burial was sacred. Donating a body for experiments was the last thing she would have wanted.

Seeing my resolve, both of them froze.

Gabriel looked slightly helpless. He spoke softly. "Amy, don't be childish. Clarissa's death is weighing heavily on Angie. She's finally come up with a meaningful way to make amends. If you refuse, do you really want her to feel guilty for the rest of her life?"

Then, he pulled out a bank card and placed it in front of me.

"Freezing your bank account was my mistake. You're the matriarch of the Simon family after all. This card contains 1.5 million dollars. If you agree to donate Lillian's body, it's yours. Just be cooperative, okay?"

I took the card, smiled, and said, "Sure."

Back then, Gabriel's decision to freeze my credit card and give me only 15 dollars in allowance for a month because of Angelica made headlines, and I quickly became the laughingstock of our social circle.

Fuming, I went to confront Gabriel, only to find Angelica crying with tears streaming down her face. "The wealthy waste feasts while children go hungry on the streets. If the money slipping through Mrs. Simon's fingers could be donated to remote areas, maybe those children wouldn't have to endure the hardships I faced as a child.

"Mr. Simon, seeing her squander money pains me like a knife cutting through my heart. I just wanted to save her a little money, nothing more. If you think I've overstepped, Mr. Simon, I'll leave."

Hearing this, Gabriel immediately pulled her back and turned to scold me. "Amelia, Angie is right. You've been far too extravagant. I've spoiled you all these years. From now on, learn from Angie how to manage the household sensibly."

The way he looked at Angelica that day stunned me, and tears streamed down my face. That was the first time the scales in Gabriel's heart had tipped toward her, and the first step toward the inevitable end of our marriage.

I knew then that the man who once loved me to the core, who swore he would spend his life with me, was about to vanish—until today, when he finally disappeared completely.

Snapping back to the present, I fixed my gaze on Gabriel. He clearly hadn't expected me to be so cooperative and froze in place. I took the donation consent form from his hand, swallowing the bitterness in my chest. "Anyway, this part still has to be signed by you."

Since he didn't care about Lillian, why should I meddle? I had done what I could. Now, I only hoped that he wouldn't lose his mind in anger when he learned the truth.

He agreed without hesitation. Watching him carefully lead Angelica away, I finally let the tears spill. I knew clearly that if he could do this for her, the bond we had shared over the past five years had come to an end.

I called my lawyer. "Draft a divorce agreement for me. I'm divorcing Gabriel."

In the middle of the night, my phone jolted me awake. Angelica had sent a video over three hours long, followed by a voice message. "Mrs. Simon, your mother's value has now been realized. I hope this video brings you some comfort."

I opened it and immediately began retching uncontrollably. The video showed Lillian's body completely dissected. Several people in lab coats were handling each body part clumsily, clearly unfamiliar with the instruments. The scene was so grotesque I could barely watch.

I was not medically trained, but I was not naive. This wasn't an experiment. It was abuse. I nearly vomited my guts out. In the end, I forwarded the video straight to Gabriel, adding a message. "It wasn't easy for Lillian to raise you all those years. If you have any conscience at all, bury her properly as soon as possible."

Gabriel didn't respond.

It wasn't until early the next morning that his call came through. When I answered, his voice was tense, almost grinding with anger.

"Amelia, what did you mean by that message? My mother was perfectly fine at home last night. Why would you curse her? She's treated you so well all these years. How can you be so heartless?"

I instinctively shot back, "How do you know she was fine? Did you even go see her?"

There was a pause on the other end, then he snorted coldly. "Angie had a fever last night, and I was at the hospital with her. My mother is fine! If you keep talking nonsense, don't blame me if I lose patience!"

Before I could respond, the call was cut off.

I stood there, stunned, holding my phone. After a while, Gabriel sent another message.

"I've already sent Clarissa's remains to the crematorium. Go pick up her ashes when you have time."

When I left the crematorium holding Lillian's ashes, I ran into Gabriel and Angelica by the lake. Gabriel's face looked dark. He was probably still upset about my message from the night before.

"Why don't we skip the funeral? Ceremonies are for the living, not the dead. Angie says it's a disturbance to the deceased and a waste of resources. I think she has a point."

"Do you agree?" I scoffed. As expected, it was Angelica's idea.

"I don't care. Do whatever you want," I said. After all, it wasn't my mother who had died.

Gabriel's expression softened slightly. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, his tone unusually gentle.

"Amy, that's better. Be sensible. I won't mistreat you. I know you're upset about Clarissa, but the dead can't come back. You need to move forward. Stop being mad at me. Have you decided where to bury her?"

Before I could answer, Angelica jumped in. "I think this spot is perfect. It's peaceful and beautiful. Why not bury Mrs. Gallagher here?"

I frowned, a bad feeling rising. "There's no cemetery here! How could you bury her?"

Angelica replied, "Mrs. Simon, who says you have to bury someone in a cemetery? There's a river right behind you."

I realized immediately what she meant. Rage surged through me, and my voice trembled with anger. "Are you crazy? Don't think I don't know what you're up to!"

Angelica's eyes immediately welled up with tears; she looked utterly wronged as she clutched onto Gabriel's sleeve.

"Mr. Simon, I only meant well. How can Mrs. Simon say such things about me?

"I'm just worried about you. Mrs. Gallagher has been sick for years. You've done more than enough for her. Purchasing a burial plot is costly, but donating it to charity can benefit many people. A water burial isn't a bad thing, right, Mr. Simon?"

Gabriel looked conflicted. Angelica continued, "If you think it's inappropriate, just ignore me. I'm only a housekeeper in the Simon family. I'm sorry I didn't recognize my place."

Seeing her like that, his concern flared. "Nonsense. You're not just a housekeeper!"

Then he turned to me. "What are you standing there for? Listen to Angie."

I was completely dumbfounded. The pain in my chest was so sharp I couldn't even think, and I blurted out, "Gabriel, do you even have a heart? This is your mother! Are you really going to treat her like this?

"You're a billionaire CEO, and you can't even buy a burial plot for your own mother? Aren't you afraid people will think you're heartless?"

Gabriel froze for a moment, a flash of pain in his eyes. Angelica quickly added, "Mr. Simon, don't blame Mrs. Simon. She's only saying this for her mother, not to attack you."

The next second, the pain in Gabriel's eyes was replaced by fury. He had had enough. He stepped forward, snatched the urn from my hands, opened it, and without a word, poured the ashes directly into the river. They scattered, disappearing completely into the water.

"Amelia, I told you, if you keep talking nonsense, I won't be gentle with you! Do you see? This is what happens when you don't obey!"

I stood there in shock, my emotions tangled, unable to speak.

Before I could react, Gabriel's phone rang. It was his father, Patrick Simon. "How is it I'm only finding out now about your mother's accident? If the doctor hadn't called me, I would still be kept in the dark by you."

"You bastard! You actually let her die on the operating table over 30,000 dollars!"