My mother-in-law was hanging upside down from the rooftop of a hundred-story skyscraper by a kidnapper. My husband, a senior negotiator, was completely confident he could talk the man down.

But when his pretty but naive apprentice, Jennifer Evans, made a coquettish plea:

"Mentor, this is my first time at a real scene, my palms are sweating. Let me talk to the kidnapper just once, maybe I won't be scared anymore after this…"

He actually handed her the negotiation headset.

But the moment she heard the kidnapper's voice, she panicked, her negotiation script coming out as a jumbled mess.

Thinking he was being mocked, the kidnapper detonated the bomb on the spot. My mother-in-law was instantly blown to pieces.

Jennifer burst into tears, and my husband immediately rushed over to hold and comfort her:

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

I charged forward like a madwoman to confront him, but he just glared at me and roared:

"Ava Collins, your mom died because the kidnapper was extreme! It has nothing to do with Jennifer!"

Hearing that, I froze.

So, he thought the person who had been blown up was my mom.

The sound of the explosion still echoed in my ears. I stared at the sky, filled with fire and thick smoke, unable to recover for a long moment.

It wasn't until I heard my husband Ethan Wright comforting the real culprit that I snapped back to reality.

Shaking with rage, I rushed over and pointed at Jennifer Evans, demanding:

"Ethan!

Are you insane?

Mom was killed because of her, and you have the nerve to comfort her?!"

My shouting startled Ethan. He frowned deeply, his voice laced with impatience:

"Ava, your mom died because the kidnapper was extreme! It has nothing to do with Jennifer!

She's gone, so can you just stop making a scene?"

He then turned back to Jennifer, his voice softening: "Don't be afraid. I'm here. No one will dare to blame you."

I pointed toward the factory, where the flames still raged, my finger trembling uncontrollably:

"Ethan, the one who died was your mom! She was the closest person to you in the world!"

Ethan's face grew terrifyingly dark.

"Ava, haven't you caused enough trouble?!

What does your mom's death have to do with Jennifer?

The kidnapper was deranged! It wasn't Jennifer's fault!"

Watching him shield Jennifer, my heart felt as if it had been pierced by an icicle.

He hadn't once glanced toward the factory. His eyes were only on his "poor" little apprentice, not even bothering to care if his own mother was dead or alive.

Jennifer peeked out from his embrace, her eyes red as she played the victim:

"Mrs. Wright, I didn't mean to… I was just so nervous…"

Ethan immediately cut her off.

"Stop. I was the one who let you do it. It has nothing to do with you."

Then he turned to me, his gaze menacing.

"I'm upset your mom died too, but don't you dare take your anger out on an innocent person, or I swear our marriage won't survive"

His words finally made everything click into place.

No wonder he was so indifferent to his own mother's horrific death. In his mind, the one who'd been blown to pieces was my mom!

A chill crept through my limbs, consuming my entire body. The husband I had loved so deeply for years now seemed like a complete stranger, and the sight of him made me tremble.

My voice shook as I pressed him: "She's innocent?

Ethan, are you even human?"

"So what if it was my mother? Does that justify you siding with the killer?

This was the woman who raised you! Is this how you repay her?"

"Enough!"

Ethan snapped, his eyes filled with disgust.

"What nonsense are you talking?

The one who raised me was my mom! What does that have to do with your mom?

To go after Jennifer, you'd even curse my mother? You're being completely irrational!"

My lips trembled, and I couldn't utter another word.

Seeing my silence, Ethan paused, his tone dripping with condescension:

"Alright, stop making a scene here. Jennifer is emotionally unstable, I'm taking her to rest."

"As for your mother, you can handle the funeral arrangements."

With that, he scooped up Jennifer and strode away.

Jennifer looked up at me from his arms, not a hint of guilt in her eyes, only unconcealable triumph.

An old police officer approached, his voice heavy with a sorrow he couldn't hide:

"We've collected your mother's remains, but..."

He paused, struggling to finish the sentence:

"We'll arrange for a DNA comparison as soon as possible and contact the funeral home for proper arrangements."

I followed his gaze. On a white sheet not far away lay a few charred, curled fragments, so severely burned they had lost all human form.

That was the mother-in-law who had smiled and told me to "be careful on the road" just yesterday. The woman who would cook me different delicious meals every day. How had she become a pile of fragments with not even a complete bone to be found?

Tears fell like broken strings of pearls, and a suppressed sob escaped my chest, a dull ache tightening around my heart.

"Should we contact Negotiator Wright?"

the old officer asked.

"No need."

My voice was hoarse, yet laced with a hint of finality.

After my emotions settled slightly, I took my mother-in-law's body to the funeral home.

The assigned staff handed me a form to fill out regarding the remains preservation. When the pen reached the "Next of Kin" field, it hovered. In the end, I wrote only my own name and number.

"We'll notify you as soon as the comparison results are in,"

the staff member said gently.

I nodded and dragged my exhausted body into a taxi home.

I pushed open the door. Ethan's leather dress shoes were scattered in the entryway, along with a pair of white canvas sneakers that weren't mine. My blood ran cold.

A warm yellow light seeped from under the master bedroom door, and Jennifer's cloying, whiny voice drifted out:

"Mentor, the way your wife looked at me today was so fierce..."

"Don't be scared. I'm here. She won't dare to do anything."

It was Ethan's voice, a little deeper and huskier than usual. "You've had a scare today. Get some rest. I'll handle everything else."

I stood outside the bedroom door, my heart seized by an icy hand, each breath a stab of pain.

"Mentor, do you think your wife will blame me?"

Jennifer's voice was laced with feigned concern, but her arms only tightened around Ethan's neck.

"Don't mention her."

Ethan cut her off, his tone devoid of any grief, only impatience.

"Her mother was just fated to die young. It has nothing to do with you."

I couldn't take it anymore. I threw the door open:

"What are you two doing!"

The two people in the room were startle. Jennifer scrambled out of Ethan's arms, her eyes instantly turning red as she said in a tearful voice:

"Mrs. Wright, don't misunderstand! I was just... just talking to Mentor. I was scared..."

But Ethan wasn't flustered at all. He stood in front of Jennifer, his gaze cold and unfamiliar as he looked at me.

"Ava, what the hell is wrong with you?

Don't you know how to knock?"

"What's wrong with me?"

Watching him defend Jennifer, my tears finally broke free.

"Ethan, your mother is at the funeral home waiting to be laid to rest, and you're here messing around with your apprentice!

How can you do this to her?"

Ethan's voice suddenly rose sharply, "She's the mother you're crying over, what does she have to do with me!"

Jennifer reached out, feigning concern to grab me, but I violently shook her off. She used the momentum to collapse to the floor and her sobs growing louder:

"Mrs. Wright, don't blame my mentor, it's all my fault... If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have..."

Ethan instantly flew into a rage, slapping me across the face. A metallic, sweet taste immediately filled my mouth.

"Ava!

That's enough!"

"Jennifer is blaming herself enough already, are you trying to push her over the edge?"

Jennifer nestled into Ethan's arms, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, but a faint, triumphant smirk was hidden at the corner of her mouth.

"I'm fine, Mentor. As long as Mrs. Wright can calm down, I'm willing to do anything..."

Ethan pulled her even tighter, his voice full of heartache.

"It's okay, Jennifer. She's just taking her anger out on you!"

Jennifer shrank further into Ethan's embrace, putting on a sensible act:

"Mrs. Wright, I really didn't mean it... How about I go hold a wake for her?"

"I don't need your fake concern!"

I raised my voice sharply, staring daggers into Jennifer's eyes.

"Let me tell you, the police are still investigating, the negotiation recording still exists. The debt you owe, you will pay it back sooner or later!"

Ethan's face grew even darker. "Ava!

How long are you going to keep this up?"

"Jennifer is just a rookie, new to the field. It's normal for her to be nervous and make a mistake in a situation like that for the first time. Are you going to keep holding it over her head until you've ruined her career?"

Watching him righteously defend the killer, I felt nothing but disgust and a sense of the absurd.

Not only was he defending the person who caused my mother-in-law's death, but he was also sleeping with her in our marital bed.

I had completely given up on Ethan. I didn't even have the energy to argue anymore, and just said coldly:

"Ethan, let's get a divorce."

Hearing the word "divorce," Ethan's eyes turned red with fury.

"Ava, you're going to demand a divorce over something so trivial?"

Jennifer chose that moment to look up from his arms, crying so hard she could barely breathe:

"Mentor, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so useless, the kidnapper would have... Maybe I should just quit, so Mrs. Wright won't use divorce to force you to condemn me..."

"This has nothing to do with you."

Ethan cut her off, turning to glare at me fiercely.

"Ava, I'm warning you. If you dare threaten me with divorce again, don't blame me for what happens next!"

I couldn't communicate with him. I just slammed the door and left.

Two days later, Ethan called. He said he wanted to talk about my mother-in-law's affairs and told me to come home.

When I pushed the door open, he was wearing an apron, cooking for Jennifer. Seeing me come in, he casually tossed a hundred thousand in cash onto the table.

"The kidnapper's family called me yesterday. They want an out-of-court settlement."

"I agreed."

"An out-of-court settlement?"

I felt like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over me. It took me a long moment to find my voice.

"Your mother was blown to pieces, she can't even have a proper burial, and you're making an out-of-court settlement with her killer?

Ethan, do you even have a heart?"

Ethan turned to look at me, his eyes as cold as ice:

"What else?

Taking it to court won't do anyone any good.

The kidnapper is willing to pay a hundred thousand. That's enough for your mom's funeral arrangements, and there will be money left over. It's better than a mutually destructive fight."

Jennifer leaned in, her voice soft and persuasive:

"Ava, Mentor is just trying to do what's best for everyone. An out-of-court settlement really is the best option."

"I believe your mother's spirit is watching over you from above, and she wouldn't want to see you and Mentor at odds like this..."

"Shut up!"

I cut her off sharply, "If you hadn't provoked the kidnapper, how could she have died so horribly?"

Ethan slammed his hand on the table with a sharp crack, making the dishes and utensils clatter and jump.

"Your mom was just a country shrew who never earned much money in her life. Now that she's dead, she's worth a hundred thousand—it's her blessing!

You're just refusing a gesture of goodwill!"

He took a step forward, his hand reaching for my wrist,

"I'm warning you, stop dwelling on this, or you won't get a single cent of that hundred thousand!"

I was so furious I could have coughed up blood. I slapped him hard across the face,

"You don't even deserve to be human!

Making an out-of-court settlement with your mother's killer for a hundred thousand, how can you face your mom?"

Ethan clutched his face, stunned for two seconds, then a crazed fury surged in his eyes,

"Ava!

You dare hit me?"

Seeing this, Jennifer immediately started crying and tried to break up the fight:

"Mentor, don't be angry, it's all my fault..."

Her outburst only made Ethan more protective of her. He backhanded me, sending me crashing into the corner of the dining table. A piercing pain shot through my lower back.

"Ethan, I'm telling you, get the police to catch the kidnapper before he flees the country!"

I yelled, enduring the pain,

"Otherwise, your own mother won't rest in peace!"

My words completely shattered Ethan's composure. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the dining table:

"Ava!

You dare curse my mom one more time!"

Warm blood trickled into my eyes, my vision blurring.

Ethan finally regained some sense, throwing me to the floor like a piece of trash. He started to leave with Jennifer, then turned back to glare at me viciously: "This is your final warning!

If you dare target Jennifer or curse my mom again, I'll show you just how miserable the consequences of angering me can be!"

The next day, I saw a live interview online about the explosion.

On camera, Ethan looked utterly defeated, choking back sobs as he played the victim:

"It's all my fault. I failed to negotiate with the kidnapper, and that's why my mother-in-law..." He paused, deliberately taking the blame.

"This has nothing to do with my apprentice, Jennifer. She tried her best to protect my mother-in-law, but the kidnapper was too extreme and detonated the bomb directly. It's all my fault..."

Jennifer stood beside him, dressed in a simple black dress, her body trembling as she cried:

"I was so useless. I just wanted to help Mentor share the burden, but I failed to protect her and only made things worse... It's all my fault, I was too nervous..."

Ethan turned sideways, gently patting her back to comfort her, and sighed at the camera:

"She already tried very hard. If anyone's to blame, it's me for not teaching her well enough."

This whole act of "deep mentor-apprentice bond" and "sincere remorse" completely fooled the audience in the livestream. The screen was flooded with comforting live comments:

"It's the kidnapper's fault for being so deranged! It has nothing to do with you two, don't blame yourselves!"

"You already did your best, don't take it to heart!"

Some people also asked in confusion:

"Why is it only Negotiator Wright?

Where's his wife?"

When Ethan saw that live comment, his expression immediately shifted to one of patient suffering and hurt. He sighed softly at the camera:

"Ever since her mother passed away, Ava has been demanding a divorce, and now she's trying to run away from home..."

He paused, a touch of helplessness coloring his tone,

"But as her husband, I can understand what she's going through."

The moment he said that, the tide in the live comments instantly turned, and the screen filled with accusations against me:

"What does this have to do with Ethan?

It's the kidnapper who's insane!"

"Ethan has it so rough. He's suffering on his own and still has to put up with his wife's attitude."

Jennifer sniffled at the perfect moment and chimed in:

"Ava is just very attached to her mother. Please, everyone, be a little more understanding..."

This "sensible" act of hers only further cemented my image as the "unreasonable" one.

I stared at the screen, at the two of them putting on their little show, and my nails dug deep into my palms.

To protect Jennifer, Ethan really would stop at nothing.

He never badmouthed me directly. Instead, he used phrases like "demanding a divorce" and "running away from home" to quietly label me as "unreasonable." It was a move that protected Jennifer, won him sympathy, and turned the public completely against me.

I turned off the screen, silently packed my bags, and prepared to leave.

Just as I reached the entrance of the complex, I heard a clamor of voices. Ethan and Jennifer were actually blocking the gate with a crowd of people. There were influencers livestreaming on their phones and neighbors who had joined the commotion, blocking the path completely.

The moment Ethan saw me, he put on that hurt expression again, his voice laced with a deliberate urgency:

"Ava!

Where are you going?

I know you're still angry, but we can talk this out. Don't just try to leave!

Your mom is waiting for us to handle the funeral arrangements. How can you leave me at a time like this?"

He deliberately raised his voice, and the influencer holding a phone immediately shoved the camera in my face. The live comments exploded:

"So she really is throwing a tantrum and running away from home!

And Ethan is still indulging her, even after all this!"

"She's ignoring her own mother's funeral arrangements just to throw a fit. How unfilial!"

Ethan grabbed my wrist, his eyes red-rimmed. He was a world away from the madman who had laid hands on me last night. He demanded:

"Your mother is barely cold in her grave, and all you can think about is leaving? Is this how you repay her for everything she did to raise you?"

He had barely finished speaking when my mom suddenly pushed through the crowd, looking at him with a confused expression:

"Ethan, who are you saying is dead?"