To save Zander Lewis, I lost the ability to walk. As a result, my dream of dancing was shattered forever. Yet, Zander went on to marry Jenna Walsh—the same woman who stole my spot in the dance program. The betrayal cut so deep that I suffered from severe depression.

That was when Jenna's uncle in name, Sean Walsh, appeared and pulled me out of the darkness. He stayed by my side for a long time, helping me heal and even working tirelessly to treat my legs.  

Just when I thought I could stand on my own again, I discovered the awful truth—it had all been part of his and Zander's plan. They never wanted me to reclaim my place; they wanted to ensure Jenna's glory remained untouched. They were even planning to use the same ruthless methods to make sure I could never walk again.

My heart shattered as I watched them, two despicable men plotting everything for Jenna's sake. At that moment, I gave up on love completely.

I did not scream or cry. I simply played along, letting them believe I was still trapped in their game. When I finally broke free from that deceitful marriage, he came after me, begging in tears for another chance.

I gripped the pregnancy test report, and my body slumped in the wheelchair as an uncontrollable shiver ran through me. The joy and excitement I had felt just moments ago plummeted into an abyss.

I wanted to convince myself that I had misheard. However, the scene before me was like a thousand razor-sharp arrows piercing my heart.

Zander Lewis mockingly said, "Sean, don't you think you've gone too far with this act for Natalia Chastain? Are you sure you haven't caught feelings for her? You keep saying she doesn't matter, but you're obviously nervous. Otherwise, why would you ditch a multi-million-dollar project to bring her to the hospital?"

Sean Walsh remained unfazed by Zander's teasing. His expression was indifferent as he replied, "If I didn't bring her here, how else would I confirm she got pregnant just as I planned? If I didn't keep up with the medication for her useless legs, she might stand up one day. What happens then?"

He continued, saying, "There are only two types of women who lose all ambition—those who are naturally weak and lack drive, and those who get pregnant and become consumed with playing the devoted wife and mother.

"This is what true manipulation looks like. Your silly method of hiring a hitman to stage an accident was reckless. One wrong move, and you could've gotten yourself killed, too."

Zander's face darkened as he lashed out, kicking a trash can with full force. He cursed, "OMG! Sean, you're a real rat. If it weren't for Jenna, I would've beaten the crap out of you by now!

"When you were scheming with me and setting this whole thing up, you didn't have that holier-than-thou attitude! If we're talking about being ruthless, no one beats you. You were the one who planned to have Natalia killed! I was the one who went soft and only took her legs instead!"

He threatened, saying, "Don't think just because six years have passed, you can wash your hands of this. If this ever blows up, I'll make sure you go down with me!"

Sean's eyes turned cold as a storm brewed beneath them. He grabbed Zander by the collar and yanked him close, his voice sharp as a blade. "Shut your mouth, Zander. Whatever happened stays buried."

He growled and said, "Natalia is none of your business anymore, so stop asking about her. Yeah, I set her up, but she didn't come out of it empty-handed. After all, I gave up my whole life for this. The least I can do now is make sure she never has to worry about money and treat her well however I can.

"As for you, your only job is caring for Jenna and her child. If you ever hurt her, I'll end you. If Jenna and I weren't niece and uncle in name, you wouldn't even have the right to stand beside her, you pathetic piece of trash."

Zander shoved Sean away, his glare filled with rage as he turned toward the exit—toward me. As his footsteps neared, panic surged through me. I had no time to push the wheelchair, so I staggered to my feet and stumbled away.

The pain was suffocating, crushing me from the inside out. It felt like my heart was being torn apart, piece by piece, leaving nothing but unbearable agony.

When I was crippled, my entire world collapsed. I had been on the brink of winning the national dance championship, but I threw myself in front of a car to save Zander, and in return, I was left crippled.

That accident did not just take my ability to dance—it stole my pride.

While I was still recovering, Zander went behind my back and gave my hard-earned competition spot to Jenna Walsh. Then, as if that betrayal was not enough, he married her and announced it to the world.

Overnight, I lost everything and became a joke in everyone's eyes. Trapped in both physical and emotional distress, I sank into severe depression.

That was when Sean Walsh appeared in my life. He stayed by my side, quietly caring for me, and did everything he could to help me heal. He poured his patience and devotion into me year after year, making me believe in myself again.

Sean became the light that pulled me out of the darkness. For five years, I built my world around him. I dreamed of our future, believing with all my heart that we would be happy together for the rest of our lives.

Nonetheless, it now felt like a cruel joke, mocking me for being foolish enough to believe in love. I cried until I had no more tears left. Despair, sorrow, pain, frustration, and unwillingness swallowed me whole.

Even the pregnancy test in my hand felt like a ridiculous, bitter joke.

I stood in the pouring rain for what felt like forever, completely losing myself in my emotions. By the time I dragged myself back to the hospital, still dazed and drenched, Sean came running toward me, gripping his phone tightly, his face full of panic.

He pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly that I could barely breathe. His voice was laced with anxiety and distress as he said, "Talia, where did you go? You scared me. I called you so many times, but you didn't pick up."

He took his jacket off and draped it over me, then gently wiped the raindrops from my face.

I stared at him in silence, not saying a single word. He did not even notice the sadness and tears in my eyes.

As Sean pushed my wheelchair forward, his phone started ringing again. I had heard the unique, familiar ringtone so many times before. He always claimed it was an important work call, and I believed him.

I never doubted him and believed everything he said. Yet, it seemed that whether it was his promises or casual conversation, nearly everything he told me was a lie—90 percent deception, 10 percent half-hearted effort.

Just like now, when he stopped in his tracks, his phone completely captured his attention. I glanced at the screen and saw the caller ID—Jenna.

Like always, he did not even look at me before casually tossing an excuse, saying, "Talia, I'll have Carlile take you home, okay? I've scheduled a meeting with an orthopedic specialist who has just returned from abroad. I want to talk with him and see if he can help with your legs." Carlile Holt was his assistant.

Then, he said, "Talia, sweetheart, wait for me at home. I'll make you breakfast first thing tomorrow morning."

I nodded silently, my gaze fixed on Sean, still saying nothing. If this had been before, when there was no mysterious call pulling him away, he might have noticed my mood. He would have asked questions, tried to figure out what was wrong, and done everything he could to make me smile.

However, all his attention was on his phone. His lies were getting sloppier, full of loopholes he did not even bother to cover up.

Sean rushed off in a hurry, but instead of leaving the hospital, he went straight into the VIP maternity ward. That was when I saw Jenna, the woman who had once competed with me for everything.

Sean, who had always been cold and distant, looked completely different. His expression was soft, and his every move was cautious and gentle.

Jenna pouted, her voice dripping with playful grievance. "Oh? Sean, you've finally decided to visit me? I was starting to think that now that Natalia is pregnant, you only have eyes for her and the baby. You almost forgot about me, didn't you?"

Then, she stretched out her arms like a spoiled child, waiting for a hug.

The Sean I knew had always disliked intimate gestures like that. Yet, the man in front of me was so unfamiliar that I could hardly trust my own eyes.

His expression was full of tenderness, and even when Jenna tentatively brought her red lips closer, he did not push her away. Instead, he placed a hand on the back of her head and deepened the kiss himself.

I stood in complete despair, tears streaming down my face as I watched Sean's hands wander over her body while his eyes gradually filled with desire.

His voice was thick with lust as he murmured, "Jenna, you're such a bad girl. Seducing me in broad daylight? You're asking for it!"

Jenna's face turned bright red as she clung to him, her petite hands teasing and provoking anywhere they touched.

She whined, saying, "Sean, you're the worst. You kept Zander so busy these past few days that he couldn't spend time with me and our baby. Don't you think you should make it up to me?"

Sean let out a low chuckle, his breathing growing heavier. "Fine. I'll make it up to you tonight."

However, just before he lost himself completely, he hesitated. He restrained his burning desire and pulled a dazzling necklace from his pocket. Then, he gently fastened it around Jenna's neck.

...

I did not remember how I made it back home. What had once been a warm, safe place now felt like a prison, filled with nothing but coldness and unspeakable pain.

I could only think about Sean's passionate embrace of Jenna, whispering her name with such tenderness, the same way he had once whispered mine.

Talia and Jenna—the two names overlapped in my head, twisting all those sweet memories into knives that cut me open over and over again.

I finally realized that every time Sean had held me the tightest or touched me with the most urgency, he had never been thinking of me. The truth had always been there, but I had been too blind to see it.

I used to think he was looking through me, searching for someone else in my eyes. I had doubted and overthought, but he held me close every time and whispered sweet promises in my ear.

"Natalia, you're the only woman I will ever marry. You're the most important person in my life, and no one can ever take your place."

Nonetheless, those vows only mocked my foolishness.

Later, I printed the divorce papers, signed them, and then made a call to the hospital to schedule an abortion.

The nurse asked, "Mrs. Walsh, are you sure? You've been trying for so long to have this baby. Do you really want to go through with this? Have you discussed it with Mr. Walsh?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be at the hospital on time tomorrow morning."

Before I could even hang up, the bedroom door swung open. Sean walked in, exhaustion etched across his face. Then, he pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek, just like he always did.

He asked with a hint of concern, "Talia, what's wrong? Didn't you go to the hospital today? Why are you going back tomorrow?"

My entire body stiffened as I swallowed back the nausea rising in my throat. I quickly ended the call and flipped the divorce papers over, hiding them beneath the blanket.

"It's nothing, just another routine fetal heart monitoring."

He smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll have Carlile go with you tomorrow, okay? You know how crazy things are right now with the company going public. But don't worry, Talia. Once things settle down, I'll clear my schedule and spend all my time with you and the baby."

I nodded lightly and hummed in response. Seeing that I had no intention of continuing the conversation, Sean casually reached for the papers in my hands.

I quickly pulled them away, gripping them tightly.

He chuckled, his eyes filled with warmth and affection. "What's this? Darling, are you planning a surprise for me? Is that why you don't want me to see it yet? The day after tomorrow is my birthday. Darling, you got me a birthday present, didn't you?"

Bitterness filled my heart, but I forced a smile. "Yeah, it's your gift. I'll leave it in the study, and you can open it on your birthday."

He wrapped his arms around me, his laughter muffled as he buried his face in my shoulder. "Alright, whatever you say. Darling, I'm exhausted tonight. I'll wash up and then sleep in the study so I don't disturb you and the baby."

I nodded silently, watching as he walked into the bathroom. The moment he disappeared, his phone vibrated on the bed, and the screen lit up with message after message from Jenna.

[Jenna: Sean, you've gotten better. As a reward, make sure that the cripple sleeps alone for the next few nights. Like you said, she's boring. You can only get turned on if you take something, right?]

[Jenna: Sean, I love the necklace you gave me today. It's the royal jewelry you bought at auction in South Freinca for 200 million dollars, right? I recognized it immediately. Thank you for showering me with love, Sean. I'll cherish it forever.]

[Jenna: Let's have a video call tonight. I need to make sure you're not sharing a bed with that useless cripple.]

I could not bring myself to read the messages any further. Without a word, I turned my wheelchair and left that house.

I realized I could not wait until tomorrow. I did not want to stay in the same space with Sean anymore, acting out our fake roles, which had become incredibly tiresome.

Every second I stayed, it made me feel sick to my stomach.