My fiancé wanted a child with his "perfect match." During the IVF procedure, he swapped my egg samples with hers. Then he posted on Facebook, boasting, "Even if I can't marry you, I'll make sure there are no regrets."

When I confronted him, he acted as if he was perfectly justified: "Johanna's dad is a top medical expert. What's wrong with considering my future?" He added, "Don't worry, once I get his recommendation letter, I'll marry you!"

But he had no idea it was actually me who had supported him all along. Even the only daughter of the so-called "renowned medical expert" was, in fact, me.

...

Back at the lab, I watched my clueless classmates congratulating the pair. Kingsley Matthews, looking smitten, wrapped the scarf I had personally knitted around Johanna Hunter's neck. "It's getting chilly. You don't want to catch a cold," he said.

The classmates around us cheered, almost egging them on to flaunt their affection. Kingsley pulled Johanna into his arms, gently caressing her waist. "Johanna gets embarrassed easily, don't tease her," he said. "I'll bring cookies for everyone, and when the baby arrives, I'll throw a bigger bash!"

Watching the lively scene unfold, the herbal tea I was holding slipped from my grasp. I had consulted an expert to find something that would aid a smooth pregnancy, taking on the risks. All I wanted was to honor the legacy of our love. Never did I think Kingsley had already tampered with the samples. The baby he was eagerly awaiting was with Johanna, not me. And in his eyes, what was I?

Just then, Johanna saw me standing at the door. Ignoring my pale face, she approached and linked her arm with mine. "Kori, when did you get here?" she asked, pressing a handful of chocolates into my palm. "Kingsley had these flown in from Belgium; they’re divine! Take some for good luck."

I recognized the chocolate wrappers; they were from the stash I brought back from Switzerland last month. Kingsley, who never cared much for sweets, had said he loved them, so I had more sent over at extra cost. I clenched the chocolates tightly, my eyes filled with resentment as I glared at Kingsley. "Don’t you have anything to say to me?" After all, I was his fiancée.

Yet I waited in vain. Instead, he let out a cold laugh. "What do you think you are to me? Why should I explain everything to you? You're not my keeper." He added with a sneer, "Kori Dean, you're obsessed like some lovesick fanatic."

This sparked a flurry of whispers among our classmates. "I heard ages ago that Kori Dean was clingy. Who knew she'd still meddle even when Johanna is pregnant?" "Only someone as patient as Johanna could tolerate it. I'd have caused a scene at the school long ago!"

I stared at Kingsley in disbelief, my heart aching too much to even argue. Obsessed? Was it not him who had begged me to give up my opportunity to study abroad? He said long-distance would ruin us, and he couldn't bear to let that happen. So I turned down the chance to further my studies overseas, even arguing with my family over it, just to stay with Kingsley as an assistant in a regular university lab.

I had thought sacrificing my future would earn me undying love, yet it turned me into a laughingstock.

Kingsley moved closer and spoke in a low voice, "Don't blame me. Johanna's father is a top figure in cardiovascular research. Once I get his recommendation, all these years of study won't have been wasted." He added, "I'm doing this for a better future for us."

I laughed bitterly and pushed Kingsley away. "Congratulations on becoming every parent's dream son-in-law after all these years of hard study."

Johanna was visibly displeased. "We've been classmates for years. If you have issues, take them up with me, but we truly love each other, Kori. Don't force it." Kingsley held her hand, comforting her. "Don't let trivial things upset you. It hurts me to see you unhappy."

They made a perfect pair, while I was cast as the villain lurking in the background. Why? Anger seethed in me, and I yanked the necklace from my neck, tossing it at Kingsley. "Here's your necklace back," I said. "Go ahead, sell yourself for a better future. I can't wait to see which professor dares to write you a recommendation."

==============================

Kingsley's face darkened, clearly not expecting me to reveal everything so openly. The observant classmates gasped. "Isn't that the necklace Kingsley always wears? How did it end up with Kori? What's really going on here?" "Could it be that Johanna is the other woman in all this?"

As the crowd’s excitement grew, Kingsley glared at me coldly. "No wonder I couldn't find my necklace. You swiped it, didn't you? Kori Dean, you're unbelievable."

The onlookers exchanged knowing glances, their eyes filled with scorn as they looked at me. I couldn't care less—I turned to leave. But Kingsley called out after me. "Professor Ross will soon be inspecting our clinical group. You better stay up tonight and finalize the data on myocardial blood flow."

Since enrolling, all the professors praised Kingsley as an excellent candidate for medical studies. But no one knew he was all theory and couldn't steady his hands in the operating room. So the clinical trial data had always been gathered by me behind the scenes. Now that they wanted me gone, why should I bother for them?

I quit the medical group on the spot and flashed my phone at him. "I'm withdrawing from the research group. From today on, your problems are none of my concern."

Ignoring Kingsley's murderous glare behind me, I left the classroom, feeling liberated. On my way to the research lab, I received a message from my father. He had just landed and wanted to have dinner with me and Kingsley. A lump formed in my throat, and I hovered over the keyboard, unable to tell him about our breakup. Instead, I told him to pick me up at the school's lab.

As I walked back to the lab, a sense of emptiness engulfed me. Kingsley and I had been campus sweethearts, and he had vowed that we'd marry after graduation. But after finishing school, he wanted to pursue further studies, hoping I'd understand. I tried to be the supportive girlfriend, but instead of love, it only fueled his arrogance. How many nights did I spend doing experiments for his credits while he got cozy with Johanna?

I wiped my eyes and pushed open the lab door. On the desk sat the oatmeal I had made for Kingsley earlier. In the incubator, the results from last night's experiment were ready. Staring at the string of numbers, my vision blurred with tears. This is what I had sacrificed my future for.

Just then, Kingsley and Johanna walked in, discussing which movie to watch that night but fell silent upon seeing me.

"I told you Kori was just blowing off steam earlier. After all, we've won some national awards with our research group; leaving now would mean missing out on the recognition," Johanna smiled and approached, trying to hold me, but I stepped aside.

My father is a leading expert in the cardiovascular field, and I had inherited his skills. Why would I care about a few national awards from a research group?

Seeing my silence, Kingsley snorted disdainfully. "You're nothing special. If not for your hard work, I wouldn't have let you stay in the lab," he said. "You're just a teaching assistant. Step out of line, and I'll end your career here."

His words and the coldness in his eyes mocked our five-year relationship. Johanna gasped. "Oh, Kingsley, don't say that. Kori did complete the experiment data. She worked hard too," she said. "Kori, don't be stubborn. Apologize to Kingsley, and maybe he'll let this slide."

Kingsley glanced at the instruments, satisfied. He was about to copy the data to the spreadsheet but couldn’t resist a dig. "It's just data collection; what's so hard about it? As a group member, it's her duty!" He added, "Kori Dean, don’t think finishing this data concludes anything. If there's any error later, you’ll have to redo it!"

Listening to his commanding tone, I bent down and pulled the plug from the instrument's outlet.

Once the experimental data was generated, none of us had saved it right away. Now, with the sudden power outage, all our hard-earned data was lost. Kingsley Matthews' face darkened with anger as he rushed over and pushed me aside.

"Kori Dean, have you lost your mind?" he shouted, frantically reconnecting the power. But once the equipment rebooted, the data was irretrievably gone. He grabbed me by the collar, yelling, “Do you have a death wish?”

With a specialist set to visit the university soon, not being able to present the data would not only put Kingsley’s recommendation at risk but also tarnish the school’s reputation. But what good would panic do now?

I gripped his wrist, looking at him with icy resolve. "It's just data. You can regenerate it with more effort, can't you? Or do you find that too challenging?"

Kingsley’s eyes burned with fury, as if he was ready to tear me apart. Johanna Hunter approached, her voice full of blame.

"Kori, this isn’t the place to vent personal grudges. This is critical medical research. If this spirals out of control, we’ll have to report you to the administration!"

"Go ahead, report me," I replied, calm but assertive. "Maybe the administration will finally question why, out of three team members, I’m always the one executing the clinical trials."

I was ready to face them head-on. With that, I picked up my insulated lunch bag to leave, but Johanna wasn't about to let it go. She deliberately bumped into my shoulder. The next moment, the lunch bag hit the floor, spilling its contents of pasta salad onto the nearby measuring equipment.

Johanna gasped, pushing me out of the way before I could react. "Kori, if you're angry with us, take it out on us, not the equipment! This was imported from overseas, and it's the only one in the state!"

She sounded upset but didn’t offer any help. I frowned, hurriedly grabbing tissues to clean the pasta salad off the machine, but the screen had already gone dark.

"You did that on purpose!" I snapped at her. The lab was spacious; unless Johanna had intentionally collided with me, the salad wouldn’t have fallen.

"You're imagining things," she shot back. "Did you see me do it on purpose? You just didn’t hold it properly. The lab rules clearly state no food allowed, yet you’re blatantly violating them and trying to pin it on me?"

I was panicking. Now wasn’t the time for arguments; damaging such a valuable piece of equipment could significantly affect the school’s research progress. True, food wasn’t allowed in the lab. But this morning, it was Kingsley who suggested I leave the pasta salad in the lab for a while, assuring me he'd grab it soon.

Who could have anticipated...

Johanna kept up with her taunting. "The security cameras have been down for repairs since yesterday afternoon. With just the three of us here, as long as Kingsley and I testify that you deliberately damaged the equipment, Kori, you’ll be expelled!"

Kingsley nodded, crossing his arms with a smug look. "Kori Dean, you brought this on yourself. Not even a stroke of luck can save you now!"

I chuckled darkly. "Are you so sure about that?"

My gaze shifted to the blinking red light of the security camera above. On my way back to the lab, the security guard had informed me it had been urgently repaired. Everything they’d said and done was now recorded.

Seeing my confidence, Kingsley kicked the equipment dismissively. "What do you plan to do? Stop putting on airs."

"When Professor Lewis Ross arrives tomorrow, I’ll make sure he knows you for the disgrace you are to the medical field. I am to be his future son-in-law, his favorite protégé, and you? You can return to your modest little hometown!"

As he finished speaking, the lab door swung open.