7 Chapter 7 A few months later , my lawyer contacted me to say that Ryan had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole . 1 I turned to leave . Behind me , Ryan screamed , " Don't leave me ! Lidia , please ! I'm begging you ! Don't divorce me , I don't want to be alone ! " That monster didn't deserve to be buried with his parents . Afterward , she tried to squeeze money out of him . Ryan , lost in despair and rage , got drunk and ran her over with his car . The lawyer hesitated . " According to regulations , he's allowed one final visitor . He named you ." I had loving parents and a career of my own . My life before him had been happy and full . Why had I ever thrown that all away for one man ? " She deserved it ! " Ryan roared . " She killed my parents ! It's her fault I'm in here , her fault I've become this ! " In the end , after much persuasion , I reluctantly went to the prison. I laughed . " I'm not going . He has nothing to do with me anymore ." I had my money , my time , and a world to see . I was finally , gloriously free . I took a deep breath and deleted every last trace of Ryan from my phone . Their love was a warm balm on my soul. I regretted the foolish decision I'd made to marry Ryan in the first place . My parents didn't blame me for the divorce . " Well , that's convenient . Saves us the trouble of a court battle for the divorce , " I said cheerfully , watching the sunset over the Aegean Sea . I was named the executor of his will . I turned and gave her a brilliant smile . " Anywhere we want ." That day , she had deliberately delayed telling Ryan about the hospital's urgent call , 15:33 1/3 7 Chapter 7 causing him to miss the critical treatment window . Behind me , my secretary asked , " Boss , where to next ? " She had only wanted to embarrass me . She never thought things would spiral so far out of control . " Miss Carter , the suspect is asking for you by name . He's threatening suicide if you refuse to see him ." " I'm sorry , " I said lazily to the officer on the line , " but what does that have to do with me ? " Six months later , I received news of Ryan's suicide in prison . In his will , he requested to be buried with his parents in the cemetery just outside the city . I glanced back once as the guards dragged him away . Watching his retreating figure , I felt nothing . I nodded , my face impassive , as I looked at the lunatic before me . It was hard to believe he had been a glamorous , wealthy heir just a few days ago . " So ? You're telling me all this because you want my pity ? " They only cared about whether Ryan had mistreated me all those years . Ryan had only married me out of a sense of obligation . When Madison came back , she was consumed by jealousy . " My life is just beginning ," I told my parents . " I'm never living for anyone but myself again . " Men , marriage , love - to hell with them all . I raised an eyebrow . " And that's my problem ... how , exactly ? " The world was vast and brilliant , and I had once foolishly tried to shrink it down to the size of a single man . I tore the document into shreds and burned them . Standing on a peak in the Alps , racing across the plains of Africa , I finally realized how foolish I had been . Ryan stared at me through the glass , his eyes bloodshot . He had been crying since the 15.33 < 7 Chapter 7 +5 moment he saw me . He was like a madman , repeating over and over , " I'm sorry , please don't leave me . " I let out a cold laugh . " You did this to yourself . You deserve every bit of it ." I handed the operations of my company over to my assistant and secretary and set off to travel the world . That's when I learned the whole truth . I looked him over coldly . " Was it Madison you killed ? " After settling everything , I went home to rest for a few days . A few days later , I got a call . Ryan had killed someone while driving drunk and was being held in the state penitentiary . Comment ° O Leave the first comment for this chapter . 15:33