The Wife Who Jumped on New Year's Eve

Chapter 3

The relentless blows eventually took their toll on Joanna Taylor.

She was hospitalized, slipping into unconsciousness for days.

When she finally came to, the room was silent—no visitors, no familiar faces. Just the soft hum of machines and the low murmur of nurses outside her door.

"…Can you believe it?" one of them whispered. "His wife collapses and ends up in the hospital, and all he does is call to say she's faking it."

Joanna's vision was still hazy, but their words rang out clear as day.

Her heart didn't ache anymore. It had already gone numb.

No matter how hard she tried, Ryan Bennett would never believe her.

The second nurse chimed in softly, "Honestly, Crystal Lynn had a stomachache and Mr. Bennett rushed her in, stayed the entire night."

"Rich, handsome, loyal… She's really got it all, huh?"

Joanna closed her eyes.

Even after giving up, it still stung.

Back when Crystal had gone abroad, it was Ryan who had chased her down, promising to love and cherish her forever.

She'd given him a daughter, poured herself into their marriage—and for what? A single word from Crystal could undo it all.

The door creaked open.

"Joanna? What are you doing here?" Crystal's voice rang out, delicate and sweetly sharp.

Behind her stood a familiar figure—Ryan.

He looked at Joanna, ready to snap at her for stirring up trouble again. That was the only explanation he ever had when it came to her pain.

But when he saw her face—pale, sunken, lifeless—he faltered.

Crystal leaned into him, tears welling up.

"You know how frail I am. It's only natural that Ryan worries about me." Her gaze shifted to Joanna. "I heard you sent Lily to boarding school?"

"I get that you're upset, but you can't let resentment cloud your judgment. A child shouldn't suffer just because her mother can't move on."

Joanna pushed herself upright, every movement laced with bitterness.

"Still pretending, huh?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Tell me, Crystal—did you really send someone to pick Lily up that day? Can you swear on anything you love?"

"When you saw her lifeless body—did you feel even the slightest bit of guilt?"

Crystal burst into tears, her voice trembling.

"Joanna, I would never—how could you even say that?"

Ryan's expression darkened instantly.

"That's enough, Joanna. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"How could you say something so cruel about your own daughter?"

His voice turned cold, sharp as a blade.

"No wonder your parents are dead. Someone like you doesn't deserve a family."

The words slammed into her chest like a freight train.

Her knees buckled. She clutched the sheets, trying to breathe through the crushing weight of his words.

Fine. Maybe she really did deserve it all.

Her parents had died in a car accident when she was seven, leaving her to be raised by Grandma Wilson. She grew up knowing loneliness, used to swallowing back pain in silence.

She'd thought marrying Ryan meant a new beginning.

But all she'd done was step into a deeper hell.

Ryan gave her one last cold glance, then turned.

"Think about what you've done," he said, then looked at Crystal. "Come on. Let's go."

The door clicked shut behind them.

Joanna collapsed back onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then her eyes drifted to the photo frame beside her—Grandma and Lily, smiling back at her with warmth that no longer existed.

Tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

She missed them—so much.

The funeral had been quiet, held at Serenity Peak, Lily's favorite place. With Grandma laid to rest beside her, Joanna found a flicker of peace.

Chrysanthemums blanketed the ground. Beautiful, delicate—yet destined to wither.

She sat alone between the two graves, laughing softly through her tears.

Her thoughts drifted to a memory from last spring, when they went on a picnic. Lily had picked a wildflower and declared, "One day, Mommy, I'm gonna find the most beautiful flower ever—for you and Grandma!"

She'd paused, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Oh, and for Daddy too… but he's always so busy."

Grandma had smiled, gently patting Lily's head.

"Daddy works hard, sweetheart. When you find that flower, we'll all bring it to him together, okay?"

Lily had giggled, twirling in the grass, her laughter ringing through the air like bells.

Now, Joanna looked at the photos on the headstones—the same bright smiles, frozen in time.

She tried to smile too, but the tears wouldn't stop.

Grandma would never rest her hand on her head again.

Lily's laughter could only echo in dreams.

And she… she was left behind in a world that had no place for her anymore.