"Come with me immediately! Veronica says that her face is itchy!"

It was a little past midnight right now, and Callum was dressed in his pajamas. Was he spending the night here?

If I remembered correctly, he was supposed to head to Mallorn for a work trip tonight.

Callum had always been strongly career-oriented. Even when I was having a difficult labor three years ago, he still abandoned me for a business deal.

Yet, here he was, spending the night with Veronica?

I stepped out of the on-call room and checked on Veronica.

It turned out that she was only having a mild allergic reaction, nothing that some topical solution applied to her face wouldn't fix.

Callum brushed his fingers across the smooth, supple skin of her face. He looked completely infatuated.

"What reward do you want?"

Those words were clearly meant for me.

Raising a brow, I replied, "I can ask for anything?"

"Yeah."

With that, I dug out the divorce agreement I had prepared beforehand and handed it to him.

Callum didn't even read it before signing the paper.

However, the instant his fingers brushed against the back of Veronica's hand, his expression grew solemn. "Why are you so cold?"

He began barking orders. "Hurry, turn up the temperature of the room and bring a thicker blanket over! Also, bring some hot water!"

His subordinates scurried in and out of the room. The breeze from their opening and closing the door caused me to sneeze.

The air conditioner in the on-call room had broken down, so I had been having a cold for the past two days.

Still, Callum didn't seem to think that anything was wrong with me.

Once Veronica's hands were warm again, Callum had to hurry away to attend an international conference. Before he left, he instructed me to stay behind.

"Lia, Veronica is afraid of the dark, so I'll feel much more at ease if you stay with her."

Out of professional duty to properly care for my last patient, I agreed.

After Callum was gone, Veronica shot me a smile that radiated smugness.

"Mrs. Holden, I want to bring Callum to meet my friends sometime soon. What do you think I should introduce him as?"

I didn't bother taking her words to heart. With how profit-driven Callum was, there was no way he would meet with people who weren't of significant status.

However, Veronica's next words utterly floored me.

"I think I should introduce him as my husband. After all, Callum and I are throwing a wedding soon."

Impossible!

That was the first thought that leaped into my mind.

A wedding was something Callum was saving for that dead woman.

Veronica showed me Callum's social media account. There was a photo post on it depicting various wedding themes.

The caption was simple and succinct. "I'm throwing a wedding. See which suits me."

In the comment section, everyone was expressing their congratulations. I also noticed that I had been the only one who was restricted. I was blocked from seeing that post.

I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling a dull, throbbing pain in my heart.

Back then, no matter how much pressure Callum's mother put him under, he adamantly refused to give me a wedding ceremony.

Yet, Veronica, a woman he had only met a few days ago, had gotten it without any effort at all.

After the 50th time I created a substitute for Callum, I had this crazy idea to get the same smile lip done in hopes that he would also treat me like her substitute and love me.

Then, with his mother's help, Callum and I finally slept together. It was the first and also last time that happened.

However, after waking up, Callum rubbed my lips with a complicated look in his eyes.

"Lia, these lips are absolutely hideous on your face. You will never become a substitute for her, because if it weren't for you, she wouldn't be dead."

Back in the present, I took a deep breath before smiling lightly.

"Then, congratulations to you. All those options look gorgeous."

Not a hint of the jealousy she had expected graced my face. At that, Veronica grew displeased.

"How about this, Talia? Previously, I said I wanted to thank you for giving me this face, but I haven't done anything to express my gratitude yet. Since that's the case, let me give you a chance to indulge in the company of a man tonight."

There was a dull pain at the back of my neck before my vision went dark. I lost consciousness.

When I came to, I realized that I had been stuffed into a dark closet. Through the narrow gap of the door, I could see that the room outside was a bridal suite.

Veronica's pliant body was wrapped around a man's muscular waist as she cooed breathily, "Tonight is our wedding night. Be gentle, okay? It's my first time."

The muscles in Callum's neck bulged while he reached out to touch her face greedily. His demeanor was completely different from the perfunctory attitude he had shown me the night we slept together. The love shining in his eyes was practically overflowing.

"Be good, babe. I can finally have you."

Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and slammed my head backward with a loud thump.

Callum wrenched the closet door open, and when he saw that it was me, the rage on his face froze before briefly turning into guilt.

"Lia, what are you doing here?"

…

Callum took me to the hospital so that I could get a full-body checkup.

After confirming that I was fine, the first thing he said was, "Veronica didn't mean to do that. She's young and just thought it would be fun. I'll apologize on her behalf, so don't hold it against her, alright?"

"She thought it would be fun?" I could hardly hold my rage back. "This is called kidnapping, Callum! That's illegal!"

Callum frowned and extinguished his cigarette.

"Lia, Veronica was just worried that something would happen to her because of her face, and that's why she kidnapped you. Don't be so unreasonable."

I narrowed my eyes. My chest was heaving violently with agitation. Ever since he got together with Veronica, it was like he had become a completely different person, one without any principles whatsoever.

"Wake up, will you? Veronica isn't her! They just look alike!"

With a crash, Callum smashed a cup against the floor, shattering it. Losing his patience, he snapped, "It's your responsibility to look after Veronica! Just tell my secretary what you want as compensation. This conversation is over."

Following that, he stalked out of the room.

Veronica sauntered over from where she had been hiding in the shadows. An air of smugness was radiating off her.

"Talia, do you like the gift I prepared for you? Without me, you wouldn't have been able to see Callum's naked body."

I simply rolled my eyes at her, not even bothering to grace her with a response.

Veronica leisurely poured a glass of hot water before an indignant expression suddenly took over her face.

"You know, Talia, I actually really envy you. Although Callum refuses to sleep with you, you come from a good family and are worthy enough to marry him. With you around, I'll most likely only ever be his mistress."

My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the glass of hot water in her hand. I hastily raised my hands to protect myself, but in the next second, a shrill scream rang out.

Veronica cradled her bright red cheek, where she had splashed the water on herself. Pointing an accusing finger at me, she yelled, "Talia, I came to apologize to you. You can choose not to forgive me, but how could you throw scalding hot water at me?"

The commotion instantly drew Callum's attention, and he immediately started lashing out at me without even bothering to learn the whole truth.

I gathered my courage and pointed at the surveillance camera in the corner of the room, saying, "Just check the surveillance footage! That way, you'll know that I wasn't the one who did it."

Veronica forced a few tears. "Ah, it hurts! Callum, there's no need to check the footage. She did this to me!"

The hesitation on Callum's face faded as he turned to shoot me an icy stare.

"Talia, apologize!"

"Callum?"

"Apologize!"

I turned my head to the side, and my nose tingled. "I won't apologize for something I didn't do."

Callum wiped away Veronica's tears before sighing.

"Talia, I have spoiled and indulged you too much. You need to pay the price for what you've done."

When I spotted the two large glasses of hot water his subordinate was holding, I started to panic.

"Callum Holden, I have aquagenic urticaria and can't have any water touching my skin! I'll die!"

For a brief moment, Callum hesitated. Then, he said in an almost cruel tone, "Don't worry. I have the best medical team on standby here. You'll be fine. You have to pay for what you've done."

As the water flew through the air to land on me, a suffocating feeling seized me. My throat felt like it had closed up.

Through the noise, I could hear a doctor exclaiming, "Mr. Holden, Mrs. Holden is… She's pregnant!"

As my consciousness returned to me, I realized that I was still sprawled on the icy hospital floor. The hives and itchiness all over my body had subsided.

Callum's reddened eyes were focused on me, but I couldn't detect even the slightest bit of warmth in them.

"Tell me, just who does that bastard in your belly belong to?"

I subconsciously shook my head. "I don't know. No, that's not right. There's no way I'm pregnant. You and I didn't even—"

A scoff cut me off as Callum's lips twisted into a cruel sneer.

"That's right. I didn't even touch you, so where did that baby come from?"

I opened my mouth to argue further, but at that moment, Veronica suddenly started shrieking.

Blood poured from the blisters on her face, and the doctor shook his head helplessly when he saw that.

"It must be that solution Dr. Suther gave her. There's no way that Ms. Dane's face can recover here in this country."

Veronica nestled into Callum's arms before pointing a hateful finger at me.

"Callum, that woman is just too wicked! Not only did she cheat on you and have a baby with another man, but she even ruined my face out of jealousy!"

"I didn't!" Glaring intently at that doctor, I demanded coldly, "That solution is only meant to treat allergic reactions! How could there possibly be such side effects?"

The doctor scoffed disdainfully. "Dr. Suther, I know you're involved in some new research, so who knows whether you used a new drug you created?"

I wanted to defend my innocence, but Callum didn't even give me that chance.

"Enough!" He stroked Veronica's bandaged face. His expression became increasingly unhinged. "Lia, I made you my wife on account of us having grown up together, but you've really gone too far.

"People who have done something wrong need to be punished. As such, you'll also have to experience all the suffering Veronica is going through!"

With that, I was pinned to the floor and could only watch in disbelief as his subordinate brought a knife closer and closer to my face.

"Ahhh!"

The knife slashed relentlessly into my skin, instantly drenching my face in blood. At the same time, it cut away the last bit of emotional attachment I had toward Callum.

While I lay in a pool of my own blood, my whole body trembling in agony, Callum covered Veronica's eyes protectively.

"Don't look, Veronica. It'll only sully your eyes. Don't be scared, alright? I'll take you out of the country to seek treatment right away. Your face will be fine."

Before leaving, Callum instructed his subordinates, "She's a doctor with no morals, and her hands will only cause more harm if left intact. Chop them off."

My breathing stuttered to a halt.

Without my hands, I wouldn't be able to continue my research.

Callum knew just how much I valued my hands. A few years back, he nearly took a housekeeper's life because she accidentally broke a vase and cut my hand.

Now, however, at his orders, a knife was pressed right against my wrist.

Gathering every last bit of energy I had, I screamed for mercy, "Callum, don't do this! I know I was wrong! Please! Please don't do this to me! I'm begging you!"

Veronica turned back to look at me. A hint of smug glee flashed across her pitiful expression briefly.

"Callum, she's quite pitiful. After all… she's pregnant."

Callum, who had paused momentarily, continued walking forward, but not before adding one last instruction.

"Get rid of that bastard in her womb."

The chilling sound of bones cracking rang out as my hands were chopped off, stripping me of all the energy to fight back. I could do nothing but allow his subordinates to torture me.

"Callum Holden, I hate you! I want your entire family dead!"

His subordinates had been whaling away at me with a bat for a while. The effort had caused them to break out in sweat. Still, they failed to see any blood coming from between my legs.

"Boss, with how hard we've been beating her, she would have had a miscarriage by now. Could it be that Mrs. Holden isn't actually pregnant?"

…

Callum's POV:

One month later, at an overseas hospital, Veronica had finally recovered. Her face looked good as new.

Delighted, Callum caressed the familiar features before turning to glance at the nametag on the doctor's coat—Felix Linnell.

He was Talia's favorite surgeon.

"Go. Bring Talia here so she can learn some techniques from Dr. Linnell."

His subordinate hemmed and hawed, not at all daring to look Callum in the eye.

"I don't think Mrs. Holden will be able to learn anything. Since she has no hands… Besides… she's been missing for a month now."

Hearing that, Callum seized the man's throat in a death grip. The veins in his temples bulged as he bellowed, "What did you say? I only meant for you to scare her a little! Did you actually cut off her hands?"

At that moment, a divorce certificate was delivered to Callum.

He opened it with shaking hands, only to see his and Talia's names on it.