When my child was just a year old, we had a car accident, and the scene was horrific. Sterling was beside himself, calling in the most acclaimed specialists and staying by our sides day and night, yet our son couldn't be saved. I was heartbroken, awash in tears every day, only able to find rest with sleeping pills.

Three months later, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Sterling and a doctor.

"Mr. Morgan, that child was yours too. Why didn't you let us treat him immediately when there was still hope?"

"He was doomed from the start, simply because he was Liliana's son."

"And besides, Cora and I have a child who's almost a year old. I promised her that our child would carry the Morgan name proudly. Only by removing him can I convince Liliana to adopt our child."

What I thought was a happy life was just an illusion of my own making. Since that was the case, it was time for me to leave.

Upon hearing these words, a flicker of compassion appeared in the doctor's eyes.

"Mr. Morgan, how will you deal with it if she ever finds out what you've done?"

"As long as you play your part, she'll never know in her lifetime."

"Keep this under wraps and never let Liliana discover the truth. Also, the planned surgery—perform a hysterectomy."

The doctor was taken aback and quickly objected, "Mr. Morgan, since you intend to adopt the child into the family, why remove Miss Reyes' uterus? That's unduly harsh!"

Hearing this, a spark of hope ignited within me, only to be snuffed out by Sterling's next words.

"I promised Cora I wouldn't have children with anyone else, not even my wife."

"Even though we can't be together openly now, I want to give her all the assurance she needs."

As Sterling spoke, his eyes were filled with a tenderness I had never seen before.

The doctor was silent for a long time before reluctantly speaking up.

"Mr. Morgan, I must remind you. Removing the uterus means Miss Reyes will never have children of her own again."

"For Cora, it's worth it all. As for Liliana, I'll make amends somehow."

A familiar voice called as a phone buzzed.

"Mr. Morgan, the money's been transferred, and the verdict is due tomorrow. Rest easy, she'll never know we engineered the accident."

Listening to Sterling's words made my blood run cold. I covered my mouth to stop myself from crying out.

It hadn't been an accident after all. It was my trusted husband who had drawn a dividing line between my child and me, in life and in death.

Thinking back to the small body lying in the morgue three months ago, my resolve shattered completely.

Footsteps approached, and I quickly lay back, pretending to have just woken up.

Sterling looked at me with concern, his demeanor as unchanged as ever.

"Honey, the doctor said your fainting was due to the aftermath of the accident. I've already scheduled surgery."

"Sterling, I don't want surgery. I'm scared of the pain. Can we just go home, please?"

Clinging to my final hope, I begged him.

The moment I spoke, Sterling's expression shifted.

"It's okay. We've got the top specialists this time, and I'll be with you. I don't want you fainting again, I'm worried."

Seeing the redness around my eyes, Sterling couldn't bring himself to reprimand me. Instead, he tenderly held me close, kissing my cheek to comfort me.

The person before me remained as gentle and caring as ever, but I knew it was all an act, crafted for another woman.

For her, my husband had killed our child and was about to rob me of my chance to be a mother forever.

I swallowed my bitterness and nodded at him.

If he could do all this for Cora, then there was no reason for me to stay.

During the surgical preparations, I canceled my documents and booked a plane ticket for three days later.

Three days was enough to say goodbye to a love and marriage that had failed.

I prepared everything, pretending nothing had happened. But as I lay in the operating room, I couldn't stop shaking. Axton sensed something was amiss, but his eyes showed no remorse. Under the anesthesia, I quickly slipped into unconsciousness.

As I drifted in and out of awareness, I overheard Sterling and the doctor talking.

"The surgery was very successful. We've successfully removed Miss Reyes's uterus, so she won't be able to have children anymore."

Sterling let out a sigh of relief, but I couldn't hold back my tears. After the doctor left, I pretended to wake up.

Sterling looked at me with eyes red from emotion, speaking with a touch of reluctance:

"Honey, the doctor said there were severe complications during the surgery, causing internal bleeding. They had no choice but to remove your uterus..."

Sterling covered his face with his hands, as if saying those words had sapped all his strength.

A day ago, seeing him like this would have brought me to tears, and I'd have embraced him with gratitude. But now, a coldness spread through me, realizing someone could pretend to love so deeply without truly caring.

"But it's okay. As long as we're together, life goes on. If we can't have kids, we can adopt. Don't worry, I promise I'll never leave you."

Sterling pulled me into his arms, and my tears kept falling. I couldn't tell if they were for the betrayal I'd experienced or for the child I had lost.

Sterling kept watching me after suggesting adoption, anxious that I might refuse.

"Fine, let's go adopt tomorrow. I'll go with you."

He looked thrilled when I agreed, but his expression changed when I mentioned tagging along.

I knew he worried I'd recognize the child as his own. Sterling tried to convince me to rest, citing my recent surgery, but I wouldn't hear it.

I explained that having just lost a child, visiting the adoption center might cheer me up. Hearing this, he couldn't argue further.

He settled me in before receiving a call from his assistant about work. I knew he was likely going to meet Cora, so I smiled and saw him out.

Once he was gone, I discreetly followed him. Sterling navigated the corridors until he reached a room upstairs. As soon as he entered, a woman embraced him—I recognized her as Cora Hicks.

Cora, blushing, threw herself into Sterling's arms. Sterling hugged her, playfully tapping her nose.

"I thought you said you were under the weather. Why are you up and about?"

"I just missed you, so I said I wasn't feeling well."

Sterling didn't mind Cora's little lie and lifted her onto the hospital bed.

"The room belongs to Mrs. Morgan from Morgan Enterprises. Mr. Morgan really spoils her."

"Yeah, she only sprained her ankle, but Mr. Morgan called in the whole hospital's team of experts to treat her."

"Wow, that's some serious pampering! Must be amazing to be Mrs. Morgan."

Hearing the nurses chat in the corridor left a bitter taste in my mouth. Silently, I answered them in my mind—being his wife is anything but amazing.

In the hospital room, the two of them embraced, exchanging words that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Did you get everything sorted? Is she on board?"

"She's going to the adoption agency tomorrow herself. I'm worried..."

"What are you worried about? Just bring the baby to her tomorrow, and I'll handle the rest."

"With you by my side, I feel at ease."

Sterling was peeling a pear for Cora, his skillful hands revealing his familiarity with such a task. I recalled when I was hospitalized before giving birth, my appetite was terrible, and all I craved was something sweet. I had asked him to peel a peach for me, but he turned me down without a second thought.

"The nurse is here to look after you. She can peel a peach for you."

Back then, I thought he simply wasn't interested in doing mundane tasks. But now I understood; it was just that I wasn't someone he'd willingly do them for.

"Oh Sterling, you have no idea how much I've missed you." Cora leaned against his chest, her fingers instinctively tracing the outline of his Adam's apple.

The air between them grew increasingly intense, and unable to hold back, Sterling kissed her deeply. They were in a slightly ajar hospital room, completely lost in each other's embrace.

I took out my phone and recorded a video of them together. I thought witnessing this would break me, but tears came first.

As their clothes became more disheveled, I couldn't stand it any longer and fled, overwhelmed by despair.

Sterling returned to my hospital room late at night. As usual, he kissed my forehead. He brought me some oatmeal, urging me to rest well; the concern in his eyes temporarily clouded my sense of reality. But remembering what he'd been doing earlier filled me with disgust.

His phone buzzed with a message, and his expression shifted.

"Did you cancel something?"

"The bank card and ID details expired, so I just canceled them instead of updating."

Hearing this, Sterling didn't press further. After tidying up, he lay down on the bed next to mine and fell asleep.

I took his phone, which was charging nearby. During our courtship, he had registered my fingerprint for my peace of mind. But now, it served as a reminder that it was no longer valid. He had deleted it long ago.

Finally, I used Cora's birthday to unlock the phone. How confident he must have been that I wouldn't check, setting such an obvious password.

I found no concrete evidence, assuming they had been cautious enough, perhaps meeting face-to-face. But I accidentally opened Twitter. Sterling’s main page was an alias I had never seen.

The account had been active for three years, filled with posts lamenting over his lost love—coinciding with when we met. On Cora's wedding day, he posted a video of himself drinking heavily, with empathetic comments below.

Two years ago, the updates transitioned to his daily life with Cora, just as I was joyfully planning our wedding.

Sterling had never missed Cora's birthday parties, yet sent me the same uninspired gifts via his assistant. He traveled with her, always dismissing my requests due to "work." He eagerly anticipated their child, yet continuously missed my prenatal appointments.

Reading post after post, I felt as if my heart was being torn apart—overwhelming sadness stifled my voice, preventing me from waking Sterling. I could only smother my sobs with my hands.

Putting the phone down, tears silently soaked into my pillow.