The salty sea breeze swept across the ferry’s deck, carrying with it the chatter of passengers and the rhythmic crash of waves. Li barely noticed. Standing at the bow, his hands resting on the cold metal railing, he stared into the horizon where the sea kissed the sky. The beauty of the moment was lost on him. His mind churned, a storm of doubt and determination brewing within.
Behind him, his wife’s voice broke through the noise. “Look at how beautiful the sea is!” she said, her voice tinged with excitement. “Let’s take a photo together. This moment is so special.”
Li clenched his jaw, suppressing a wave of irritation. She had always been like this—romantic to the point of naivety, talking about love and memories, as if their marriage were anything but a calculated transaction. He had married her not out of love, but convenience. She was a waitress in his restaurant, ordinary, older, and burdened with two children from a previous marriage. For him, she was a temporary solution, nothing more.
Her laughter rang out again, piercing through his thoughts. He turned to see her holding up her phone, her face lit with a smile that made him sick. Why does she look so happy? He thought bitterly. Doesn’t she see how ridiculous this is? How ridiculous she is?
He shoved her hand away, rejecting her attempt to take a selfie with him. Her smile faltered, but she said nothing. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the sea, her excitement dimmed but still present.
Li’s heart raced. The plan was simple—push her overboard, report her as missing, and let the insurance money change his life forever. The 12 million yuan would set him free from his mundane existence, free to start over, to live the life he deserved.
But now, standing beside her, he hesitated. His mind filled with doubt. What if something went wrong? What if the crew saw him? What if she managed to survive? The thought of her being pulled from the icy waters, alive and accusing, sent a chill down his spine.
His wife turned to him again, her face soft, almost vulnerable. “I’m so glad we’re here together,” she said quietly. “You mean so much to me.”
Her words struck him like a blow. For a moment, he felt a pang of guilt. Could he really go through with this? Could he really end the life of someone who looked at him with such trust, such love?
Then he thought of the money—the freedom it would bring. He thought of the years he had spent with her, pretending to care, enduring her chatter, her clumsy attempts at affection. He had done his part. Now it was her turn to pay.
The ferry began to slow as the destination came into view, the faint outline of the port growing clearer by the second. His pulse quickened. It’s now or never. If he didn’t act soon, the opportunity would slip away, and he would be trapped in this life forever.
With a deep breath, he stepped closer to her. She didn’t notice, lost in her admiration of the waves. For a moment, he wavered. Then, with a swift and deliberate motion, he shoved her over the railing.
She let out a sharp, startled cry as she fell, her body twisting in the air before hitting the water with a splash. Li leaned over the edge, watching as she disappeared beneath the surface. For a moment, there was silence, the world holding its breath.
Then came the shouts. Passengers and crew rushed to the railing, their voices filled with alarm. Someone threw a life ring into the water, and the ferry’s engines roared as it slowed to a halt.
Li stepped back, clutching his chest as if overcome with shock. “My wife!” he cried, his voice trembling. “She fell overboard!”
As the rescue efforts began, Li’s mind raced. He prayed silently that they wouldn’t find her, or if they did, that it would be too late. The thought of her being pulled from the water alive filled him with dread. He imagined her accusing him, her voice echoing in the courtroom as the evidence mounted against him.
But then he thought of the money. If she didn’t survive, if everything went according to plan, his life would change forever. She’s gone. It’s over, he told himself. Yet his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
When the crew announced they had found her, his heart froze. They brought her aboard, her lifeless body dripping with seawater. He collapsed to his knees, sobbing for show, but inside, a strange mix of relief and terror churned.
Li’s tears fell freely, but they weren’t for her. They were for himself—for the man he had become, for the man he had always been. And as the investigators began their work, his carefully constructed facade began to crumble, one lie at a time.
Note: In May 2021, a tragedy unfolded on a ferry traveling from Dalian to Yantai, China. A woman fell overboard, sparking frantic rescue efforts. Despite the crew’s diligence, she was pulled from the seawater, lifeless. Her husband, Li, seemed inconsolable, lamenting the loss of his beloved wife. But beneath his grief lay a chilling truth that would take months to unravel.
Police investigations uncovered disturbing details: a husband-wife relationship riddled with discontent, an inexplicable insurance policy worth 12 million yuan, and behavior that raised more questions than answers. Surveillance footage showed moments of tension between the couple, culminating in a mysterious incident in a blind spot of the ship’s cameras.
What initially appeared to be a tragic accident soon turned into a case of calculated betrayal, greed, and chilling indifference. This story delves into the moments leading up to that fatal act, exploring the dark complexities of human nature.