Even though the voice was faint, I heard it clearly.

The call then abruptly ended.

My fingers turned white as I gripped my phone tightly, but it couldn't stop the desolation I was feeling.

Rudolf and that woman were in each other's arms right now!

I didn't have to see it to picture it in my mind. I didn't even have the bravery to imagine it any further!

Just then, the private investigator I hired sent me the photos. My hands trembled as I scrolled through them. There were countless shots of Rudolf with that woman and their child, as if they were a loving family.

I had been holding myself together until now, but my mind finally crumbled. I screamed in agony as I sobbed. The pain was so immense that I felt like my heart was crushed; I was barely breathing. It consumed my entire being, sending me collapsing to the floor.

I curled and trembled.

Soon, I couldn't make any sound anymore. Only ragged gasps scraped through my throat, as if I were on the verge of dying.

For a moment, I thought maybe Rudolf had done this just to give the Gray family an heir.

But that didn't seem like it.

It was clear that there was love between him and that woman—and he was the one who had pursued it.

I lifted my head to stare at the wedding photo on the wall. My gaze shifted from pain to hollowness, from disappointment to despair.

In the end, ten years of marriage were over. We had no children to keep us together, and the Gray family was a powerful household. As the president of Gray Group, how could Rudolf avoid having an heir?

Even if he refused, the elders in his family would pressure him.

Maybe this was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.

But the wound in my heart was deep. We grew up together, after all. Everyone said the two of us were meant to be together forever.

When he was six, he got into a fight. I helped treat his wounds and took the blame. I was scolded, but I didn't defend myself.

When he was sixteen, he fell down the stairs and was badly injured. I rushed into the ward, sobbing and threatening to die with him.

When he was eighteen and his enemies were after him, I stepped in and took the slash that was meant for him, leaving a scar across my chest.

When he was twenty, he secretly delivered food to earn money for my engagement ring, keeping his family in the dark.

He said to me, "Lia, marry me. I'll love you for the rest of my life."

Years of feelings had moved me, and my heart beat only for him. So, I agreed to marry.

But after my injury left me unable to have children, the elders in the Gray family began to look at me with disdain. Rudolf stood his ground and stood outside the family gates in protest for three days and three nights, begging them to let him marry me.

"I love her. I'm marrying her. If you don't agree, I'll give up my right to inherit the Gray family's fortune."

It was only after seeing his determination that they finally gave in.

The entirety of South City had witnessed our love.

On our wedding day, he swore on God, "Lia, I'll never betray you, and I'll never hurt you."

And yet, in the end, he did both.

Suddenly, I felt so, so tired…

I lay on the floor the whole night, my mind never stopped resting.

When morning came, I made my decision.

I called my father, Midas Medina.

"Dad, Medina Group is expanding its business in Lumiere City lately, right? I want to go there for a while, to learn and see how things work."

My father sounded puzzled, his tone turning stern. "Lia, did you and Rudolf fight? Why else would you want to go so far away to Lumiere City?"

He was sharp, already sensing something was wrong.

But I couldn't tell him the truth yet.

"I'll explain after I get there."

The Medinas and the Grays had been close for generations, with business ties strengthened by our marriage. I didn't want the Medinas to suffer because of me.

"…Alright." He didn't press further and agreed.

After hanging up, I deleted every photo of Rudolf and me from my phone. I had already seen the purest form of love. I could no longer accept anything tainted.

I could give up everything for love…

But I would never stand for my lover's unfaithfulness.

I had already drafted the divorce papers, but I didn't know how to bring them up with Rudolf. After all, you couldn't just cut off so many years of feelings like they were nothing.

When I stepped out of the house, I saw a familiar figure by my car—someone so familiar that I couldn't possibly mistake him for someone else.

Rudolf looked tired, leaning against the wall while talking on the phone.

I froze for a moment. According to the investigator's report, today was his son's birthday. He should've been celebrating with his son, so why was he back here?

Perhaps the way I stared at him inquisitively was too obvious, he glanced up with a faint frown. But when his eyes landed on me, the dreariness in them cleared instantly.

"I've missed you so much."

He quickly walked over to me and pulled me into his arms. His body was strong and warm, but right now it felt foreign, and I wanted to push away.

"Yesterday, you sounded off on the phone, so I flew back overnight to come see you. Are you feeling unwell?"

His tone was sincere. It didn't sound like he was lying.

Even now, I still couldn't understand it. How could a man who once loved me so deeply feel no qualms about having a child with another woman? My emotions were surging inside of me, and I almost confronted him for quite a few times, but I forced them down each time.

In the end, I answered calmly, "I'm fine, actually. I'm doing great. I missed you too, to be honest. I'm glad you came back."

He smiled in satisfaction and handed me a box. "This is for you."

I glanced at it and pretended to be happy as I took it.

Over the years, he had given me countless gifts, but none of them had ever truly moved me.

I would cherish them either way because I loved him. Now that I had decided not to love him anymore, the gifts meant nothing.

I opened the box and saw it was a bracelet. I forced a smile and was about to say something when I caught sight of a red dress in the distance from the corner of my eye.

It was Vivian Vargas.

She was half-hidden behind a tree, though I still spotted her. Or perhaps, she wanted me to. She lifted her phone and made a call.

A second later, Rudolf's phone rang.

He looked down, a flicker of panic in his eyes before he masked it. "Honey, there's something urgent at the company. I have to go take care of it."

I wasn't blind. As he answered, I saw Vivian's name as I quickly glanced at the screen.

I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth, took a deep breath, and said, "Go ahead. Work is more important."

There was guilt on his face. "I'll make it up to you when I'm done."

He kissed my cheek before leaving.

Once he was gone, Vivian walked toward me with quick, confident steps. There was provocation in her gaze.

I studied her. She was beautiful and seductive; the tight red dress she was wearing showed off every curve. She was the type of woman men liked.

"Ms. Amelia. I'm Vivian Vargas, a friend of Mr. Rudolf," she said with a smile.

"Just a friend?" I asked in return.

Her smile widened, but she didn't answer directly. Instead, she asked, "Then what do you think our relationship is?"

I didn't bother replying; my expression remained cold as I walked past her. I might be angry, but it wasn't worth it to fight with another woman over a man who didn't have the value.

"You already know, don't you?" Vivian hurried forward to block my path.

I frowned in silence.

"Since you know about me and Sean, you shouldn't be this calm." She looked at me in disbelief, as if she were unhappy with how I reacted.

Perhaps she wanted me to scream and throw a fit like a madwoman.

I kept my temper in check and asked coolly, "What do you want?"

She smirked as she folded her arms. "How about seeing a performance?"

At the hospital.

I stood numbly at the doorway of the ward, watching the scene unfolding inside as pain spread through me. I bit my lip and suppressed the grief with everything I had, refusing to make a sound.

Rudolf's son was having his blood drawn, his face pale with tears rolling down as he cried pitifully.

Rudolf paced back and forth, his face dark with fury, yelling at the row of doctors in front of him.

"You can't even figure out what's wrong with my son? What kind of doctors are you? If anything happens to him, you can forget about continuing to operate your hospital!"

One of the doctors stuttered a reply. "We have a preliminary diagnosis, but we can't confirm it. We need to run blood tests first."

Rudolf wasn't listening, and he exploded again. "Obviously! But by the time you get your results, it'll be too late! He's in pain right now! Find a way to stop it!"

The doctor nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, we'll prescribe something right away."

The doctors started to diagnose the boy for a while before heading off to prepare the medicine.

"Rudolf, you're making such a big scene… What if Ms. Amelia finds out?" Vivian asked, her eyes red, a worried look on her face.

"I can't help it. I get anxious when my son is sick," Rudolf said, looking somewhat exhausted and helpless.

"Why don't you send us away once he gets better?" Vivian suddenly suggested.

"No. I can't bear to leave Sean," Rudolf refused immediately.

"But… What about Ms. Amelia?" Vivian frowned at him, puzzled.

Rudolf became even more frustrated as he rubbed his temples, eyes full of conflict.

"I love her too, and I'll only ever love her. But I can't be without an heir. You must help me keep this from her. I don't want her to get hurt."

He paused, then looked at Vivian seriously. "You're Sean's mother. I won't mistreat you."

"I understand," Vivian said gently.

Then she let out a long sigh. "When Sean gets sick, he just wants to see you. I had no choice but to bother you when you're with Ms. Amelia."

She went to Sean's side and took his hand. Instantly, he stopped crying.

Rudolf let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't blame you. Sean is our son. I haven't taken good enough care of him. I failed both of you." He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder. "I know you wanted to leave so I could be with her, but I can't bear to see you and our boy suffer. I want to see you both whenever I can."

Vivian smiled gently. "I know. I want to see you too."

She raised her hand to smooth the furrow from his brow, then leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The sight of them together was like knives, stabbing into my chest again and again.

My lips trembled as I tried to hold back the crushing grief. My nails dug deep into my palms. No matter how hard I tried to suppress it, the pain was digging into my bones. My eyes felt empty, carrying nothing but despair.

Once again, I ran away like a fool.

Outside, rain poured. I didn't bother to shield myself. I walked straight into it, letting the water soak me through, as if it could wash the pain away.

When I got home, drenched from head to toe, the maid gasped. She quickly grabbed a towel and put it over my shoulders. "Madam, what happened? Should I call Mr. Rudolf? He'd be heartbroken if he saw you like this."

I let out a cold laugh.

Even the maid believed Rudolf loved me deeply. No one knew that his love carried lies.

Or maybe… He did love me.

He simply shared that love with another woman.