After an accident and miscarriage, Hansel Saddler and I are so devastated that we're both diagnosed with depression.

For the next five years, I try my best to act like I'm normal as I care for him and try to cheer him up. This lasts until I overhear him speaking to the psychologist at the clinic's door.

"Work's been getting busy lately, and pretending to be depressed makes it inconvenient to deal with that. Can you change my diagnosis to manic disorder?"

The psychologist giggles. "You have been quite manic lately, darling. You've been making me feel really sore down there."

"I can make you feel even more sore now."

Then, I hear moans and groans.

It turns out everything I've done over the past five years is nothing but a joke.

I pull up my conversation with Colin Foster. "I agree to undergo secluded treatment deep in the mountains abroad."

I received a voice message from the hospital director, Colin Foster.

He said in relief, "Thank goodness! You finally said yes! Don't worry. We have the most professional medical team at your service. Your condition will improve for sure."

I stared at the horrifying, criss-cross scars on my wrist with a bitter smile.

Hansel Saddler had no idea that I had suffered from severe depression after that miscarriage five years back. I had been taking care of him all this while and seeing a professional behind his back.

However, as my depression worsened, I could not stop the urge to self-harm.

Meanwhile, Hansel faked his depression, letting me—the actual patient who acted like everything was fine—take care of him.

The movements in the therapy room grew louder and more aggressive.

"Don't forget the protection."

"Darling, I want a baby. What do you think?" asked Giselle Pellington.

Moments of silence later, Hansel agreed in a deep voice. "Sure."

Hansel had stopped me from calling him "darling" ever since he started faking his depression. He'd refuse any acts of intimacy. All I could do was call him by his first name.

In the past five years, he had not touched me once. Even when I gave him a soft hug, he'd heartlessly push me away.

It was only now that I realized he had been doing that with another woman.

My tears fell to the floor in silence. Taking two deep breaths, I turned around and left.

I drove myself to the embassy to get my visa done.

"Your visa will be approved in a week's time."

…

I got home, only to be greeted by the sight of Hansel lying in Giselle's arms. He wore a relaxed smile, looking as if he were asleep.

His eyes fluttered open when he heard my movements.

Giselle glared at me.

"Melissa, why didn't you pick Hansel up today? Do you really not care about him? You're a failure of a wife, and the reason he ended up in this state!"

Instead of apologizing like I always did, I merely offered an explanation.

Giselle nearly erupted in anger when her attempt to provoke was met with complete indifference. Hansel immediately pulled her back.

They exchanged a look.

Giselle then announced, "I have good news for you. Hansel has recovered from depression, but his condition is very unstable now. He has received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. You need to make sure his mood is stable at all times."

She arched a brow, puzzled at my lack of response. She wondered aloud, "Aren't you happy to hear that?"

Before I could speak, Hansel held me tightly. It felt as if he wanted to crush me.

"Mel, thank you for your effort over the past five years. Thanks for not giving up on me. I'm finally back to normal. I can finally love you back… and I'm so happy."

I met his loving gaze and saw my reflection in his dark pupils. He looked at me the same way when he had proposed to me ten years ago.

I would have fallen for his lie and his act if I hadn't overheard his conversation with Giselle in the therapy room.

But I kept my silence and allowed him to hold me.

Giselle was shooting daggers at me in the meantime. Soon, she put on an innocent smile and pulled us apart.

"Hansel has just recovered. Time to take better care of his health. Let's make some food for him."

She dragged me to the kitchen and hissed in my ear, "Melissa, Hansel has never been sick. It's just an excuse to stay away from you because you disgust him.

"I'm the one he loves. If I were you, I'd leave him now."

I pretended I didn't hear her. Devoid of emotions, I pulled out the knife and started cutting the vegetables.

Suddenly, she gripped my wrist so that the blade was directed at her. Then, she screamed, "Mel, what are you doing? There's really nothing going on between me and Hansel!"

She got Hansel's attention with her shrill screams.

He rushed over and slapped the knife away from my hand. After that, he wrapped Giselle in a tight hug while gently comforting her.

The knife clattered loudly on the floor. The pain that shot through my thigh made me double over.

I saw a deep, bloody slash on my skin. Blood trickled down my thigh and stained my white shoes.

Hansel looked down at me with a cold glint in his eyes.

"Thank goodness Giselle is safe. What am I gonna do if anything happens to her? She's my attending physician! I do not wish to see this happen again."

With that, Hansel scooped Giselle into his arms and left without a care for my blood-stained lower body.

I watched them disappear from view. This reminded me of that night from many years ago when I suffered from period cramps.

Hansel had carried me on his back and walked in the snow through the night. I remembered his back being wide and warm. It was a stark difference from his cold demeanor today as he walked away from me.

I got a napkin to wrap my thigh with. While bearing the pain, I drove myself to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor reminded me not to get my wound wet and avoid any strenuous activity.

My phone buzzed. Hansel had called.

I answered the call and was immediately greeted with anger. He ordered me, "I don't care where you are right now. Head to the therapy room and apologize to Giselle! She's in shock because of you!"

I followed his instructions and walked to the door of the therapy room, but the hospital director stopped me. He sounded concerned.

"Ms. Colby, looking at your current state, I recommend hospitalization. Once the visa is approved, we will fly abroad to get you treated. Your depression has started to manifest with physical symptoms."

I wanted to agree with him, but I somehow could not utter a word. I gaped.

The door to the therapy room was suddenly flung open. Hansel's irritated voice filled the room.

"Who's going to receive treatment abroad? I'm certainly not leaving! Melissa Colby, how dare you make decisions for me? And why are you still here? Come with me to apologize to Giselle!"

With that, he dragged me away violently. I lost my balance and fell to the floor. I landed right next to Giselle's foot.

My wound that had just been bandaged started oozing blood. Compared to the physical wound, my feelings hurt even more.

I couldn't help but recall how Hansel used to defend me against others in the past. He promised me that I'd never have to apologize to anyone with him around.

But now, he was forcing me to apologize to the perpetrator. With my head hung low, I pressed a hand on my chest as I gasped for air.

"What are you doing, Mel! I don't blame you at all. Get up, now."

Giselle pretended to help me up while exposing a huge part of her skin planted with love bites—her way of asserting her dominance.

I immediately backed off when I saw the gleam of a pair of scissors she had been hiding. Pressing myself into the corner, I wrapped my arms around my knees. I was trembling.

The world around me fell silent.

Giselle pouted, looking pitiable, but her words to Hansel were lost to me.

Then a shadow loomed over me. Hansel reached down to pull me up, but I resisted. I pushed hard against the wall.

His face twisted with rage as he shouted something I couldn't make out.

Only when he walked away, hand in hand with Giselle, did his words finally reach me.

"Melissa, I guess you're the one who's sick! You'd better reflect on your actions. Meet me again when you're finally willing to apologize!"

Oh, had he finally realized the truth? I had been the one with depression, not him.

I had been taking care of a patient who was faking his depression, just for him to end up cheating on me with his psychologist.

"Melissa! Melissa!" Colin rushed into the room. His concerned voice jolted me back to reality.

He kindly arranged for me to be hospitalized.

…

A familiar figure came into my view in the hospital corridor. It was the driver who crashed into me five years ago in a drunk-driving incident, causing me to lose my pregnancy that came after eight rounds of IVF.

I could recognize that guy even if he turned into ashes. My messy mind cleared up in an instant. I furtively followed him to the stairs.

A familiar female voice rang out.

"I've paid you five million dollars! Don't be greedy. Aren't you scared I might call the cops on you?"

"Great! Do that! Giselle Pellington, you were the one who paid me to run over that pregnant lady. I still keep the recording as evidence. You'll be implicated too if you call the cops on me!"

Blood rushed through my veins. I lost my balance, and my body rammed against the door. Fearing they might see me, I stumbled my way back to my patient room.

A sharp pain tore through my heart.

I had always thought that my unborn child was simply unlucky to have been caught in the car accident. But I never expected that the accident wasn't just a coincidence. It had been intentional.

My unborn child… was murdered by Giselle Pellington!

I wondered if Hansel knew the truth.

The door to my room flung open. Hansel rushed in and grabbed my hand nervously.

"Mel, why are you being hospitalized all of a sudden?"

I raised my eyes to meet his worried gaze.

Then, I asked him with much difficulty, "How did our baby die?"

His eyes dimmed. Feeling bad, he hugged me. He then comforted me in a hoarse but gentle voice, "Mel, it's all in the past. We'll have another child."

I pushed him away and repeated my question coldly. "How did our baby die?"

"Mel, it was a car accident. It wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Okay?"

He sounded like he was very concerned about me. Pain was written in his eyes. He did not shun my gaze.

Based on my understanding of Hansel over the years, he did not lie to me.

I cried my heart out, feeling rather relieved that he wasn't in on it.

But if he hadn't flirted with Giselle, she wouldn't have hurt my baby.

After wiping away my tears, I stared at him in all seriousness.

"That car crash wasn't an accident. Giselle—"

Halfway through my speech, we were distracted by the scream from outside the door.

"Ahh! Save me!"

Giselle held her arm and cried for help in a tearful tone. We spotted a masked man dressed in black. He was running out of the hospital in a panic.

That was the driver who had had a chat with Giselle at the staircase.

She threw herself into Hansel's arms.

He had always been calm and poised. For the first time, he looked panicked. He checked out the wound on her arm with trembling fingers and asked her what exactly had happened.

She cried and sobbed for a while before turning to me. She stammered, "T-That man in black told me… that Mel had hired him. I don't believe him! Mel would never do that!"

Hansel turned to me with a somber expression. He bellowed at me, "Melissa, that's enough! I've told you many times that Giselle is my psychologist and my savior! Without her, I would have died of depression!

"Why do you have to find trouble with her? Do you want me dead? Try hurting Giselle again, and you're going to get it!"

It was utterly ridiculous for Hansel to assume I was at fault based on Giselle's accusation.

But in truth, Giselle was the murderer of my child!

My five years of sacrifice for Hansel and 20 years of love for him could not hold up to Giselle's crocodile tears.

I was shaking in anger, and my breathing was shallow. I pointed a finger at Giselle. I spoke with great difficulty as though it required all of my energy. "Hansel Saddler, the woman who is standing next to you now is the murderer of our child! She was behind that car accident!"

Giselle instantly teared up. Her voice sounded pitiable.

"Mel, how could you pin the blame on me? I know you resent me for taking Hansel from you, but I'm his psychologist! It's my duty to treat him.

"If you really dislike me, I'll get the hospital to switch him to another psychologist…"

Hansel's expression fell. He pulled Giselle into a hug. "You're not at fault."

Then, he looked down at me.

"Melissa, I'm so disappointed in you. I can't believe you'd be so unhinged as to do this to Giselle! Did you think I'd believe you? Giselle is not as evil as you are!

"I think it's time to teach you a lesson."

I saw the smug smile Giselle flashed at me when she turned around.

Hansel seemed like a stranger to me at that moment. The version of Hansel who had unconditional trust in me was long gone.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was the cemetery worker who had called.

"Ms. Colby, I'm sorry to inform you that we have to move your child's gravesite for exceptional reasons. We will compensate you doubly for the move."