The scene was over when Gavin finally noticed the bloodied mess of Margaret's feet.

He frowned, his expression shifting. "What happened to your feet? Weren't you at the hospital yesterday?"

Margaret gave a quiet, indifferent response, her tone flat. "I stepped out for a while."

Gavin lowered his gaze, then tore off a few sheets of tissue and placed them over his legs.

He had a thing about cleanliness, but still, he placed Margaret's feet on his legs.

If she hadn't witnessed Marjorie's bare feet placed so casually on Gavin's lap just yesterday, Margaret might have felt something.

Instead, a bitter smirk flickered in her eyes as she asked, "Why the sudden interest in getting married?"

"You've been... acting a little strange lately," Gavin remarked while watching her closely, his brow furrowed. While gently disinfecting her wounds, he added, "What's going on?"

Margaret simply replied, her voice distant. "Nothing."

Gavin still looked concerned, his eyes searching her face, as though trying to figure out what was really bothering her, especially after what happened later.

He received a phone call from his assistant, and after he hung up, his face darkened.

"You're planning to auction off the Blue Diamond?"

The Blue Diamond was the sapphire ring Gavin had given her last year. A one-of-a-kind, limited edition—only one in the world.

Once the news hit that the ring was up for auction, it created a stir, and the event hall was flooded with people.

Gavin stood up abruptly, the sound of Margaret's foot hitting the edge of the chair barely registering.

She sucked in a breath of pain, cold sweat dripping down her back.

Gavin asked again, his voice heavy, "Why are you selling the Blue Diamond?"

Margaret kept her head down as she calmly reached for the iodine and applied it to her feet.

"There's no reason. I just don't want it anymore."

Gavin stood frozen, half of his face shrouded in shadow, his breath quickening.

After a long moment, he squatted down and looked at her with an expression of cautious concern.

"Margaret, something's not right." His tone was almost gentle, as though he were treading carefully around her. "What's really going on?"

For a brief moment, a surge of emotion rose in Margaret's chest.

She wondered—should she just tell him everything?

Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. Maybe Gavin and Marjorie weren't what she thought.

Maybe... maybe Gavin really did love her.

Margaret clenched her jaw, taking a slow, deliberate breath before she spoke, "Actually, I—"

But just as she was about to continue, Gavin's phone rang again.

The familiar pearl emoji popped up on the screen.

Without a second thought, Gavin abandoned all thoughts of Margaret. He quickly stood and walked toward the door.

The sound of his voice was muffled by the glass doors. Soon he came back as he uttered, "I have an urgent meeting. I'll have to go. Take care of your wound."

Margaret called out to him, her voice shaking. "Gavin, don't you want to hear my answer?"

Gavin's brows knit together, and irritation flickered in his eyes.

"What do you plan to do with the Blue Diamond?" Margaret asked, her voice colder now.

Gavin pressed his fingers to his forehead. "If you want to sell it, then sell it," he said, his tone weary.

With a sigh, he added quietly, "We'll talk about it when I get back."

He hurried out, his footsteps fading as he disappeared around the corner.

Margaret's feet curled slightly, and she let out a short, bitter laugh.

She wanted to tell Gavin that all of her courage had run out.

She didn't want to talk about it anymore.

The auction hall was packed, the air thick with excitement.

As soon as Margaret sat down, someone approached her with a smile. "Ms. Chapman, I heard you're selling the Blue Diamond."

Margaret gave a faint smile, but before she could respond, the conversation had already shifted. "I'm set on getting the Blue Diamond today! It symbolizes Mr. Hartley's perfect love for Ms. Chapman. If I win it, maybe I'll find a man as amazing as him."

"You'd better not try to outbid me! The Blue Diamond has to be mine today!"

Margaret sat quietly in the corner, her gaze down while she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone.

On the screen, the latest surveillance footage appeared—Margaret had installed the cameras during her first visit to Marjorie's villa. From then on, she had kept a close eye on Marjorie, watching every move she made.

One by one, the auction items were presented, and when the Blue Diamond appeared, the room erupted in chaos.

"One million!"

"Three million!"

"Five million!"

The bids kept climbing, but Margaret remained calm while holding her earbud, the sounds from the video feed streaming directly into her ears.

"Just bid ten million." Gavin's voice came through clearly.

On the screen, she saw Gavin talking to his assistant.

"The Blue Diamond has to come back to me," he said, lighting a cigarette. The blue flame flickered in the dim light.

At that exact moment, the auctioneer called out from the event, "Ten million!"

The room went silent, stunned by the sudden jump in price.

"Who's bidding that high?"

"You don't know? I asked around. They said someone is bidding this Blue Diamond on behalf of his boss. Apparently, he's planning to give it to his wife."

"I heard they've been together for almost ten years now, but they're still acting like they're in the honeymoon phase."

"Wow, there's another great guy in the world... Why can't he be mine?"

"Ten million, sold!"

The hammer came down, and the Blue Diamond was once again in Gavin's hands.

In her earpiece, Margaret heard his low voice, calm and firm. "Bring it back."

Two hours later, Margaret, curled up in the corner of the auction hall, watched the footage on her phone. She saw a man from the auction driving the Blue Diamond back to Gavin.

Gavin took it carefully and placed it gently in Marjorie's hand.

The moment Marjorie saw the Blue Diamond, she screamed; "It's hers! This is Maggie's! Don't give it to me. I don't want it! This belongs to Maggie. Only she can wear it!

"You're Maggie's too! Why won't you marry her? You don't love her anymore, do you?"

With a swift gesture, Marjorie tossed the Blue Diamond. It slammed against the wall with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces.

To Gavin, ten million meant nothing.

He held Marjorie, his eyes red with unshed tears. "But you're my Maggie," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "You're the one I want…"

He sighed, his breath heavy with frustration.

With a sharp motion, Margaret hurled her phone across the room.

The staff nearby jumped, startled, and quickly approached. "Ms. Chapman, is everything alright?"

Margaret shook her head lightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No problem at all." The staff member smiled, trying to ease the tension. "Congratulations, Ms. Chapman. You're getting married to Mr. Hartley in just three days."

Margaret froze, her heart sinking. "What do you mean?"

The staff member paused for a moment before raising her phone, grinning.

"It was just announced by Hartley Group. Your wedding with Mr. Hartley is set for three days from now. No need to keep it a secret anymore."

Margaret's face went pale, her expression stiff as if she had been struck by ice.

How absurd—she didn't even know she was getting married in three days.

All because Marjorie had asked, "Why won't you marry her?"

When Gavin called to tell Margaret about the wedding, she was at the hospital.

Her mother's condition had worsened. She desperately needed a kidney transplant, but the organ Margaret had arranged for her was still in Chesterio—still far from reaching her.

Margaret had originally planned to use her own identity to secure that kidney for her mother.

But on the other end of the line, Margaret's younger sister, Eloise Chapman, spoke in a calm, collected tone, "I told you, I'm climbing Mount Casendron right now. I can't make it in time. Even if I flew over now, it'd be tomorrow night before I could get there."

Margaret's hands shook as she whispered, "But Mom really can't hold on much longer. You wanted my identity, didn't you? If Mom dies, I won't have any use for your kidney anymore. Why should I give my identity to you then?"

"I can't do anything about it!" Eloise's voice grew cold as she abruptly hung up.

Margaret felt her hands grow colder too. Her mother's warmth was slowly fading away.

The doctor entered again. "Ms. Chapman, any news about the kidney?"

"Please, please save her..." Margaret's words were barely coherent as she stumbled forward, dropping to her knees. She grabbed the doctor's sleeve, begging relentlessly. "You must have other options, right? Please, save her..."

The doctor gently pushed her hand away, his voice full of regret. "Ms. Chapman, I'm sorry."

His silhouette disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

Her mother suddenly opened her clouded eyes. She grasped Margaret's hand with a strength she didn't have left.

"Margaret... you must... be happy..." Her voice was weak, each word a struggle.

Then, as she let out a soft sigh, her hand slipped from Margaret's grip, and the machines emitted a sharp, continuous beep. Margaret held her mother's hand, unable to stop the tears that flowed freely, her sobs echoing in the sterile room.

It was then that the phone rang.

The moment Margaret saw the caller ID, she instinctively answered it, almost as if it were a lifeline.

She choked out the words to Gavin.

"Gavin, what should I do?" she whispered between sobs. "My mom... she's gone..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

Faintly, Margaret thought she heard Marjorie's voice in the background.

"Gavin! Who are you talking to?" Marjorie's voice was sweet, almost childlike.

Then there was a sharp beep—Gavin had hung up.

Margaret clutched her phone, which now felt hot to the touch, her heart sinking with each passing second.

Two minutes later, a message popped up on WhatsApp.

[Are you okay?

[I'll come as soon as I finish my meeting.]

Margaret's hands trembled as she opened the surveillance footage. There, she saw Gavin holding Marjorie in his arms, soothing her like a child. He held another woman so tenderly while telling Margaret he would hurry over once his meeting was done.

It was almost laughable.

Her mother's hand still had warmth, but it was quickly fading.

Margaret stared at her mother, and at that moment, she finally understood the meaning of her mother's last words.

To be happy, she could only be happy as Margaret. She couldn't be anyone else's substitute.