When Sylvie opened her eyes once more, she found herself lying on a hospital bed. She heard Connor's friends grumbling beside her.

"Everyone in Jewelton knows Connor is celibate. Even after he married Sylvie, he never touched her. Who knows how she got pregnant? What if Anna hadn't found out in time? Did Sylvie expect Connor to raise some other bastard's kid?"

"Sylvie's hopelessly in love with Connor, but Connor is keeping himself chaste. I bet she wanted to use a kid to hold over Connor's head. What a dumb, evil woman."

"Back in the olden days, a bitch like her would've been burned at the stake!"

Sylvie had just woken up. Her throat was too dry for her to speak. She looked at Connor. Only he knew the baby was his.

Connor sensed her gaze on him, but after hesitating briefly, he stayed silent.

Sylvie withdrew her gaze without a second thought. She'd forgotten that Connor didn't love her at all. Why would he sully his celibate, religious image for her sake?

Once his friends left, Connor finally approached Sylvie and said quietly, "I was too careless with using the proper protection. I'll be more cautious next time."

He didn't even apologize.

Although Sylvie didn't like him and didn't want kids either, she still felt a heavy feeling in her chest.

"And? Anna fed me an entire handful of abortion pills," she reminded weakly.

Still keeping his voice low, Connor said, "Annie's an innocent soul. She doesn't know the truth about us. She was just acting on impulse out of concern for me. In any case, we agreed from day one that we weren't going to have kids. Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Sylvie closed her eyes. "I'm tired. You should leave."

She raised her hand to shoo Connor off, only to notice that her arm was bandaged.

Looking rather sheepish, Connor explained, "Annie hurt her arm. She needed a skin graft. You have fair skin, so it was the most suitable."

Sylvie, who had been tolerant the whole time, was finally angered. "Did she even think about asking for my permission first?"

Upon hearing that Sylvie was holding Anna responsible for what happened, Connor frowned and said, "Don't blame Annie. I was the one who decided."

Sylvie had nothing to say.

Throughout these years, Connor had never once posted a photo of her on his social media. All of the gifts she received on their wedding anniversary were the freebies he got when buying presents for Anna. He even gave the necklace she got for her wedding to Anna to use as a necklace for her dog.

Sylvie didn't care about all of these things, but this time, she was genuinely tired of it all. Her only course of action now was to complete the mission at once and leave Connor for good. Only then could she be happy.

With this in mind, she turned to Connor and asked, "Are we doing it tonight?"

Connor thought Sylvie would be angry. After hearing what she just said, his concerns were assuaged. She was still the same doormat she always was. Regardless of how she was humiliated or denigrated, she would still prioritize him above all else.

Swallowing, Connor said, "You just had an abortion. You should focus on your recovery first. I'll come to you when I have an episode."

…

Sylvie spent a week in the hospital. When she got back to the Shaw residence, it was already midnight.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Connor lying on the rug with a pained expression. His suit jacket had been tossed onto the floor, and his shirt was ruffled, too.

"Connor?" Sylvie called out tentatively.

When he met her gaze with bloodshot eyes, she figured out that his compulsive sexual disorder had struck again.

"Do you need me to help—"

She didn't even get to finish her sentence before Connor grabbed her. Before she realized what was happening, he had already picked her up and was carrying her to the altar, panting as he did.

"Here again?"

"It's more arousing here," Connor replied hoarsely.

Sylvie dutifully put on the mask without being asked.

It seemed like Connor had been holding it back for a long time now. After the first round, he immediately went for a second. He didn't stop at all.

In the end, Sylvie couldn't take it anymore. Gasping, she whined that she was in pain. Finally, Connor slowed down his pace.

…

After seven hours, Connor finally released Sylvie.

Falling back into his usual aloof demeanor, he buttoned up his shirt and said, "Didn't I tell you before that you're not allowed to talk when we have sex? It affects my ability to immerse myself properly."

In the last seven years, whenever Sylvie helped Connor with his episodes, she would have to wear a mask and was forbidden to utter any sounds. That made it easier for him to pretend she was Anna.

Sylvie quietly put on her clothes and brought out her notebook to jot down the number 998.

Connor's voice abruptly rang out behind her, "What are you writing?"

Before she could react, the notebook was snatched out of her hands.

Connor saw the line on the last page.

"Just hang in there a little longer. Soon, it'll hit 999 times."

Startled, Connor asked in a slightly trembling voice, "What will hit 999 times?"

Lowering her eyes, Sylvie said, "Once you've slept with me 999 times, I'll give you a surprise."

She purposely emphasized the word "surprise". She knew in Connor's eyes, she was nothing more than a doormat he could summon and banish at will. A surprise from her would surely be yet another trick she pulled to earn his favor.

Sure enough, Connor snorted. "I didn't think you were such a slut. You even kept a record of how many times we did it. I'm not interested in your so-called surprise."

Looking into Connor's indifferent eyes, Sylvie said coolly, "What if the surprise is that once I leave, you'll be tormented by your disorder for the rest of your life?"

It was the first time Sylvie blurted out the truth, but unfortunately, the sound of Connor's phone ringing drowned out her voice.

Connor rushed to take the call.

Anna's voice came through the speaker, "Connor, I got an allergic reaction from my dog's fur. Can you come see me?"

Connor's expression stiffened. He quickly grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, forgetting all about Sylvie.

As she watched him leave, she sighed helplessly, remarking, "What a shame. You almost got to hear the truth."

Thanks to Connor's extended lovemaking session, Sylvie came down with a fever. During her groggy state, she dreamed about the day she rescued Connor.

At the time, he was only a seven-year-old boy. His eyes gleamed like marbles as he addressed her politely, asking, "Will I be able to see you again?"

His voice was sweet and gentle enough to make one's heart flutter.

Smiling, Sylvie had replied, "Will you be able to recognize me then?"

"Of course!" the young Connor declared, his eyes shining.

…

When Sylvie woke up, her pillow was wet, and it felt like her throat was on fire. She got out of bed to get herself some water.

As she approached the living room, she heard the sound of laughter.

Anna's voice rang out, "I never would've guessed that you're such a good cook, Connor. I'm going to come over for meals a lot more from now on."

"Just make yourself at home. I'll cook for you whenever you want."

Sylvie entered the living room just in time to see Connor feeding Anna himself. The dining room table was laden with steaming hot food.

Despite being married all these years, this was the day she learned that Connor could cook.

Connor was caught off guard when he saw Sylvie. "Didn't you message me saying you were going to the hospital?"

Sylvie didn't answer. She had indeed planned on heading to the hospital for a checkup, but thanks to him, she got a fever last night and ended up missing her appointment.

Anna took Sylvie's silence as a sign of jealousy. With a smug expression, she remarked, "Why do you look so exhausted, Sylvie? Did you spend the night with some random guy again, cheating on Connor behind his back?"

Connor's expression became a little unpleasant. "Don't say that. She's still my wife."

Sylvie couldn't be bothered to deal with them. She was about to head back to her bedroom when Anna stopped her.

"Connor has agreed to let me turn your bedroom into a room for my pet."

Turning back around, Sylvie tried her best to keep her tone calm as she asked, "Aren't you allergic to dog fur?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Anna said, "It's precisely because of my allergy to dog fur that I need to find a new place for my dog. Your bedroom gets a decent amount of sunlight, so it's the best one to turn into its new home."

Sylvie looked at Connor, who turned away. Seemingly feeling a little guilty, he dared not meet her gaze.

Anna thought Sylvie would refuse, but to her shock, Sylvie simply smiled and nodded. "Fine."

She looked at Connor and said, "In the future, you don't need to inform me of these things. Do whatever makes you two happy."

Connor abruptly felt a sense of… anxiety. From the way Sylvie reacted, it was as if she didn't care about him anymore. However, he soon rejected that possibility. Just yesterday, she was still throwing herself at him. There was no way she would've stopped caring about him.

While eating, Anna asked Connor to accompany her to an auction.

"This auction only happens once every five years, Connor. The last item up for auction is the Pearl of the Merpeople. I hear it costs a fortune! Come on. Take me there so that I can broaden my horizons."

"There's no such thing as merpeople, Annie," Connor said somewhat helplessly. "The auctioneers are just using that to trick people."

"I don't care. You're coming with me!" Anna immediately cajoled.

Unable to dissuade her, Connor had no choice but to stroke her hair and say, "Alright. Whatever you say."

After hearing the exchange, Sylvie lowered her gaze. It seemed like Connor had truly forgotten that she'd saved him when he was young.

Anna took Connor's arm and started heading for the door when, all of a sudden, she thought of something.

"Come with us, Sylvie."

Brows creasing, Connor lowered his voice and asked, "Why do you want to bring her along?"

With the sweetest smile on her face, Anna said the most cruel words, "We'll need someone to help us carry all the things we get from the auction. It's the perfect job for a doormat like her."

Uninterested in arguing with Anna, Sylvie agreed to join them.

As they got to the car, Anna hopped into the front passenger seat before giving Sylvie a taunting look. Alas, to her dismay, Sylvie simply got into the backseat without reacting in any way.

Anna turned red with anger when she failed to get the reaction she desired.

Meanwhile, after glancing at the expressionless Sylvie in the back, for some reason, Connor felt uneasy.

The sky was already dark when they got to the auction.

Connor truly doted on Anna. He didn't hesitate to buy every single item Anna took a liking to, even though each one cost millions of dollars.

Everyone around them began gossiping among themselves.

"Mr. Shaw is such a generous man! Look at all the money he's spending on Anna."

"Isn't his wife here, too? I don't think this is appropriate."

"You haven't heard yet, huh? Mr. Shaw has remained celibate the whole time. Anna is the only one he loves. He has never even laid a finger on Sylvie. Sylvie fooled around with another man a while back, and I heard she even got pregnant!

"Mr. Shaw is already showing her a great deal of grace by not divorcing her."

After overhearing these conversations, Connor glanced at Sylvie. Her expression remained neutral. He couldn't tell what she was feeling. For some reason, it gave him a strange feeling.

"Have you fully recovered yet?" he asked with some difficulty.

After being married for seven years, it was his first time expressing any kind of concern for her.

"I'm fine," Sylvie replied.

Connor was about to speak once more when Anna abruptly grabbed his arm and said, "Connor, it's time for the last item on auction!"

The staff on stage took off the red cloth, revealing a dazzling pearl within a glass case. It gleamed brightly in the light.

"This is the fabled Pearl of the Merpeople! It is said to be so rare that only one can be found every thousand years. The bidding will start at 100 million dollars."

Sylvie instantly recognized the pearl. It was the one she spat out when she took on a human form all those years ago.

She raised her auction paddle and called out, "I'm bidding 500 million dollars."

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd burst into commotion.

Connor looked at Sylvie in shock. "Have you lost your mind? Even if you're jealous, you shouldn't be hiking up the price like that."

Sylvie couldn't even be bothered to look at him as she replied, "It's none of your business. I'm not spending your money."

When she first came to the human world, she pawned off many of the treasures she brought from the underwater realm. All that money was stored in her private bank account, and she had more than enough to buy the pearl.

Anna was displeased to see Connor talking to Sylvie. "Connor, I want you to help me get the Pearl of the Merpeople!"

For the first time, Connor was a little hesitant when it came to fulfilling one of Anna's requests. Shaw Group was currently facing a bit of a financial crisis. He didn't quite have enough cash on hand to buy something that would cost him over 500 million dollars.

"Annie, I've already bought so many treasures for you today. Let's just forget about this one…"

"No! I must have it!" Anna insisted angrily. "Have you forgotten? You said when you were little, you dreamed that I became a mermaid and saved you from the ocean. Let's make the Pearl of the Merpeople the symbol of our love, okay?"

The auctioneer's voice rang out once more, "500 million going once. 500 million going twice…"

"Connor!" Anna urged frantically.

Connor gritted his teeth and raised his paddle, calling out, "550 million!"

That was the most he could fork out right now.

Smiling faintly, Sylvie didn't even hesitate to double her bid. The crowd was in an uproar, and Anna turned pale with fury.

After the auction, Connor approached Sylvie and held his hand out. "Give me the pearl."

"What are you talking about?" Sylvie asked in confusion.

Connor was taken aback. "Weren't you bidding on it for me?"

Sylvie found that notion laughable. She looked straight into his eyes and said, "This belongs to me. Why should I give it to you?"

Alas, Anna's voice drowned out her retort. "Connor, to make it up to me, you need to watch the fireworks with me tonight."

Connor had failed to catch what Sylvie said.

…

Once Sylvie got back to the house, she called up a moving company and had them collect her things to be trashed.

When the movers saw the exquisite clothes and shoes that filled the closet, they were rather hesitant. "Are you sure you want to throw everything out, Ms. Waverly?"

Sylvie nodded at once. She was severing all ties she had formed with the human world in the last seven years and returning to her own world, unburdened by anything.

She took out the notebook. Seeing the numbers that filled the pages, she silently reminded herself that she only needed one last time. Then, she could leave Connor for good, never to cross paths again.

However, she had prepared to give him a gift after the final round.

Sylvie had set up a camera in the worship room where the altar was.

What Connor wanted to protect the most was his persona as the religious, celibate man.

Well, Sylvie was going to use the camera to record her final bout of intimacy with him and upload it for all to see. That was the "surprise" she was giving him before her departure.