Chapter 6 — My Husband and My Best Friend

Is that really all you are eating? Do your parents not give you any living allowance?

I froze, glancing down at the food on his tray. It was the most expensive meal available, costing twenty-five yuan—equivalent to my living expenses for five days. Not only did my parents refuse to give me money, but they also did not want me to attend university. The money I had for living expenses came from going door-to-door to my relatives, kneeling and kowtowing to borrow whatever I could. When my parents found out, they beat me ruthlessly and drove me out of the house.

Have this. I cannot finish it, so help me eat some.

Before I could even speak, all the food on the tray belonging to Forest had been transferred onto mine. From that day onward, Forest ate beside me every single day. I accepted the food he offered without hesitation. Until that fateful day when he casually remarked,

Stay by my side from now on, and I will take care of you.

He was not joking. That very afternoon, he pulled me along to check the balance of his bank account. To someone like me at that time, it was an astronomical sum. I agreed. From then on, I always walked closely behind him. No matter what he did, I never felt angry. I believed I owed him everything. I was willing to give him my youth, my absolute trust, and all that I possessed. Even in the acknowledgment section of my graduation thesis, I made sure to write his name. Upon discovering this, Forest had gently patted my head with a smile and said,

What would you ever do without me? I will never leave you for as long as I live.

The memory suddenly dissolved into nothingness. I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the empty room. Gently, I wiped away a stray tear at the corner of my eye, pretending it had never existed. The affair between Forest and Pearl was something he never truly bothered to hide from me. I had sensed that something was amiss long ago, but lacked the courage to confirm my suspicions. It continued until they brazenly laid their cruel truth bare before me, refusing to even bother with the pretense of acting anymore. My stubborn devotion to Forest had simply become the blade he used to inflict pain upon me at his whim.

If only you had listened to me just once. If only you had stayed by my side, I would have pretended none of this ever happened.

I gazed at the wedding photograph hanging on the wall, murmuring softly under my breath. The following morning, I woke up and thoroughly tidied the apartment. Every single belonging of Forest was thrown into the trash. Just as I finished, Pearl called me once again.

How am I supposed to come up with three million five hundred and twenty thousand yuan? River, have you completely lost your mind over money?

All of those things were given to me by Forest! He gave them to me of his own free will!

Her voice was piercingly shrill, her emotions completely unraveling. I pulled the phone slightly away from my ear. Only after her tirade finally subsided did I bring the device back.

I have every legal right to reclaim the shared assets of our marriage.

He is dead! Can you still not bring yourself to let us go?

Forest even told me that you loved him to the point of obsession. But in truth, you were only ever after his money, weren't you?

River, he provided for you for all those years, and now you have inherited his entire estate—is that still not enough for you?

Money, money, money! Why is money the only thing that matters to you?

Surveying the vacant, hollow room, I answered with absolute calm:

Weren't you also with Forest purely for the sake of money?

He is dead, but your husband is the one who killed him. Since the two of you are married, I will ensure your name is added to the list of co-defendants.

You are insane! You are completely out of your mind!

Pearl offered no further response. Not long after she hung up, one of Forest friends called me as well. A wave of regret washed over me; I should have blocked all of their numbers from the very beginning.

We are asking you a direct question! When is Forest memorial service going to be held?

River, could it be that you actually orchestrated for Sean to go down there?

Even if Forest wronged you in the past, he never once entertained the thought of divorcing you.

I pulled open the drawer of the study desk. Nestled inside was a draft of a divorce agreement. It explicitly stated that all assets acquired during the marriage belonged entirely to Forest. Outsiders always assumed Forest earned a fortune and that everything in the household belonged solely to him. Yet, ever since our graduate school days, I had been the one managing his business operations. Most of the crucial and core strategies were authored by me. Even the initial structural planning for the company had come from my hands. But Forest preferred to keep my contributions in the shadows, so I accommodated his wishes. He never divorced me simply because I was obedient, submissive, and never caused a scene. The moment he discovered I would no longer blindly obey, given his nature, he would have left me with nothing.

Should I forward the recordings of what you all said in the private dining room that night to your wife so she can be on her guard?

After all, Forest could never have achieved what he did without the constant instigation of worthless friends like you.

I am under no obligation to answer any of your questions regarding Forest. Do not call me ever again.

With that, I hung up abruptly and blocked the number. Finally, absolute silence descended. After much deliberation, I listed the house for sale online. I purchased a modest two-bedroom apartment elsewhere, spending the following weeks entirely absorbed in the process of remodeling and settling into my new space. The funds Forest left behind were more than sufficient. I felt no rush to return to work, and eventually even took over a portion of his former business ventures.