Ever since we were kids, I'd always known how to make use of my gentle childhood friend for things like sending him on errands, and borrowing his allowance.

He never complained. Just silently indulged me.

Things continued the same way until the day we got engaged. That's when everything snapped into place. That was the day we both woke up.

I was just a throwaway character in a novel. He was the male lead—fated to fall in love and end up with the novel's heroine.

I was stunned. Ready to walk away.

But he was furious. Jaw clenched, eyes wild. He grabbed my hand and dragged me straight to City Hall.

"Screw the novel. Screw the plot. The only thing I know is that I love you, and I want forever with you."

After we got married, he treated me like I was made of glass. Gentle. Meticulous. We worked side by side, building a reputation as a power couple in the business world.

The events of the novel faded into the background. I fell deeper in love with him.

Three years later, the youngest daughter of a real estate tycoon started her internship at our company.

That day, there was a fire in the office.

In the chaos, the girl stumbled into a shelving unit. It came crashing down, headed straight for my husband.

I didn't hesitate. I threw myself in front of him.

Pain exploded in my skull. Blood poured down my face.

The girl, in her panic, had fallen to the ground, crying out, "Aaron, help me!"

My husband's face went pale. His expression—pure terror—as he ran toward her without a second thought.

"Grace!" he cried.

Lightning split through me.

My face drained of color.

The heroine in the novel—her name was Grace.

Aaron Tanner's panicked shouting echoed in my ears, circling like a relentless wind, and my heart felt like it was being torn apart, piece by piece.

Blood streamed from the wound on my head, but the pain didn't register—I couldn't think about it. My eyes, dazed and heavy, searched for him.

There he was, holding Grace Whitman tightly in his arms, panic written all over his face.

"Is it your leg? Did you hurt it in the fall?" he asked her, voice trembling. "Don't be scared, Grace, just hang on. I'll get you to the hospital right away!"

My breath was growing ragged. The pain was a dull roar inside me, but I forced myself to speak.

"Honey… help me… save me…"

But the man I could almost reach, the one who was supposed to see me, didn't even glance my way.

Instead, he cradled Grace and ran—rushed down the stairs like nothing else mattered.

"Grace is hurt! Call an ambulance!" he shouted.

I watched until his figure disappeared from sight, and in that moment, it felt as if I'd plunged into ice. A sharp, merciless pain stabbed through me.

In the face of danger, my husband had left me behind—the wife who had thrown herself in front of him to take the blow. He had carried the woman he truly cared for and run without hesitation.

The people around me were panicking, fleeing in all directions. No one noticed me in the corner, abandoned, left with no help.

The pain grew worse. My eyelids were too heavy to keep open. I bit my lip until I drew blood, telling myself over and over, 'Audrey, don't fall asleep. Stay awake. You have to hold on…'

I swallowed the metallic taste rising in my throat and used the last of my strength to cry out.

"Help… someone… help…"

It felt like I was screaming, but the sound barely made it past my lips. My vision blurred, my head spun.

And just before I lost consciousness, I remembered our wedding day.

Before family and friends, Aaron had dropped to one knee, looking up at me with reverence and love. He held me so tightly, promising, "I don't believe in fate. I only know that you are the love of my life."

I had believed him. Every memory of our love felt vivid, still so close—yet now, he had abandoned me for another woman without a second thought.

I didn't understand. Was fate truly something we couldn't fight? Had it really pulled him, irresistibly, into Grace's arms?

My whole body ached, each breath felt like fire. I couldn't tell whether the pain came from the wound or from my heart.

Darkness fell like a curtain.

When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed.

A familiar voice called out beside me—my best friend, Kathy Rodney.

"Doctor! She's awake! The patient's awake!"

Tears rimmed her eyes as she leaned over me. "You idiot… do you know how badly you were hurt? There's a hole in your head!"

I couldn't muster enough energy to respond.

Just then, my assistant, Quentin Solomon rushed in, dragging a young doctor behind him.

The doctor's eyes were clear in that naive, vaguely clueless way unique to college students. A large "Intern" badge hung conspicuously around his neck.

Kathy stared in disbelief. "An intern? Where's Dr. Langley?"

Quentin looked embarrassed. "Mr. Tanner had the hospital director gather all the senior physicians for Grace's consultation. I tried contacting the others, but they all said they weren't available."

"What?"

Kathy was stunned. "Did you tell him Audrey was seriously injured? That she needs immediate treatment?"

"I did," Quentin said awkwardly. "Mr. Tanner said… Grace took a hard fall. Her health's always been delicate, and he's worried about lasting complications. He wanted the specialists to give her a full workup."

His gaze shifted to me, filled with pity, but I couldn't hide. I felt exposed, cold down to the bone.

Aaron and I had been known as one of the power couples in our circle—respected not only for our love but for our seamless partnership in business.

Everyone believed he treasured me like life itself.

There was even a time I'd been kidnapped, and he'd come alone to trade himself for me. He'd taken the beatings without hesitation, shielding me with his body, bloodied and broken.

No one could understand how that same man, the one who once risked everything for me, could now act as if I didn't even exist.

Worse still, knowing how badly I was hurt, he had rerouted every capable doctor… to Grace.

But I knew why.

Because Aaron had fallen for Grace—just like the novel's plot had written it. In that world, the male lead revolved entirely around the heroine. To him, her needs always came first.

The pain in my chest was sharp, splintering. My breathing turned erratic. My heart rate spiked.

"This is bad," the young doctor said urgently. "She's crashing—we can't wait. We need to operate now!"

They wheeled me into surgery. The sharp scent of antiseptic hit me first, then the searing sting of disinfectant washing over my wound. I couldn't stop myself from groaning—it hurt so badly. Too badly.

The intern stitched as he spoke softly, trying to soothe me. "Hang in there. Almost done. You'll be alright."

The operation lasted ten hours. Critical condition notices were issued again and again.

I, however, was long gone to the world.

When I finally opened my eyes again, I was back in a hospital bed.

Kathy's worried face swam into view. "You're awake. Finally. How do you feel?"

Every inch of me ached. My mouth was dry. Instinctively, I wanted to ask if Aaron had come to see me. But the thought of it made me bite my tongue.

Still, Kathy saw the hesitation in my expression. Her face darkened.

"That bastard stayed by Grace's bedside for a whole day and night. He didn't visit you once. What kind of husband does that?"

She realized she'd gone too far, and her voice faltered. Then she added, "The private rooms here are soundproof. Maybe… maybe he didn't hear Quentin? Maybe he didn't know how bad your condition is? I'll ask him. I'll get the truth."

I shook my head weakly. "There's no need. Whether he comes or not doesn't matter anymore."

Kathy looked at me with tears in her eyes. "But your injury was serious. You hit your head hard. It was bleeding so badly… The doctor said if they'd waited even a little longer, you might've ended up in a coma…"

I lowered my gaze. "I know. I'm lucky."

But I already understood—what happened that day had made everything painfully clear.

Aaron and I were over.

That falling shelf hadn't just cracked my skull. It had jolted me awake.

I'd bled for a love that had long slipped away. Left in ruins, a mess of blood and dust.

Later that afternoon, I leaned quietly against the pillows, eyes closed, pretending to rest.

Two young assistants were whispering just outside.

"I'm so jealous of Ms. Whitman," one of them said. "Mr. Tanner is so handsome and so in love with her.

"Yeah, Ms. Whitman just got a tiny scrape, and the whole hospital's top doctors swarmed to check on her. Isn't that a bit much?"

"Definitely! This morning, she said she wanted pastries from that famous pastry shop, and Mr. Tanner drove there himself—just like that. You know how hard it is to get anything from that place."

"Ugh… poor Mrs. Tanner. If she hadn't been lucky, she would've died in that fire. Mr. Tanner used to be crazy about her, but the moment something happened, it's like she didn't even exist anymore. What a shame."

Their voices faded down the hallway.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

I had been waiting—waiting for Aaron to come see me. To tell me in person that he'd fallen in love with someone else. To tell me he wanted a divorce. Or maybe just to give me a reason.

A reason for why the man who once made vows to love me forever had drifted away… and how he ended up entangled with Grace.

But I never imagined that instead of explanations, he would simply forget about me entirely—out shopping for pastries for his beloved Grace.

So be it.

If someone had to let go, it might as well be me.

I called for Quentin. "Draw up a detailed divorce agreement," I said. "Tell Aaron I want a divorce."

His eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded. "Understood."

Not long after, I got a call from one of Aaron's assistants.

He greeted me politely, then relayed the message.

"Mrs. Tanner, Mr. Tanner asked me to explain—Grace is the daughter of a major client. He's fulfilling an obligation. Naturally, company interests must come first. He hopes you won't overreact about him helping her, and… he'd prefer you didn't mention divorce.

"Yesterday, he had intended to talk to you directly, but you weren't in the office, so he had to prioritize other matters.

"Today, he's tied up with other important negotiations, so he's asked you to continue overseeing operations. Once everything settles, he'll come to apologize in person."

I hung up the phone and laughed, half in disbelief.

He didn't even know I'd been injured.

He had no idea that I was in the hospital, that I'd barely made it through emergency surgery.

Worse, he thought I was just being petty. That I was playing some jealous wife card just to get his attention.

It was so absurd, I couldn't even speak.

And yet, even in the absurdity, my heart couldn't stop aching. The tears came without warning.

This time, I was done.

The doctor had warned me that if I didn't rest and recover properly, I might face long-term damage—or worse.

And I wanted to live. I still wanted a life.

Thankfully, I had an old family remedy—a rare herb passed down through generations, known for its restorative power.

Just as I began to feel a flicker of hope, Aaron's assistant showed up again. This time, his eyes fell on the bundle of herbs in my hand.

"Mrs. Tanner… I'm really in a difficult position. Mr. Tanner said… whatever Grace wants, she gets. She's not in good health and wants the herb to strengthen her body."

Grace had become so important to him.

I had nearly lost my life. I was still hanging by a thread. But none of that mattered to him. He wanted to take what I needed—to hand it over to Grace, like it was nothing.

With all his resources, he could have anything. Anything but this. And yet he still wanted to take it from me.

I looked at the assistant, my voice cold. "I need it to recover. If he wants it, let him come get it himself."

The assistant gave a nod and left quietly.

Moments later, Grace pushed open the door to my hospital room.

She wore a loose hospital gown that made her look delicate and fragile. Pitiful, even.

But her words were anything but gentle. "Audrey, Mr. Tanner told me to come. Hand it over. I need it to recover."

I stared at her.

"This is mine. Why should I give it to you?"