During our honeymoon abroad, riots broke out.

In a desperate attempt to save Lydia Jenkins, my newlywed husband, Eddie Trulock, shoved me out of the car.

I was left behind, forced to survive a week alone in the middle of a war zone. It was like living in hell. Just when I had lost all hope, my childhood friend found me. He pulled me out of the darkness, proposed to me and was overjoyed when he learned I was pregnant.

At what I thought was the happiest moment of my life, I overheard a conversation that shattered everything.

I saw him talking with Brice Loski.

“Juliana is already pregnant,” he said. “Once the baby is born, we can use the umbilical cord blood to save Lydia.”

Brice asked, “Is it really worth it to marry someone you don’t love and have a child just for Lydia?”

My childhood friend also my current husband gave a bitter smile. “If you can risk your life for her, I can sacrifice my whole life for her.”

“As long as Lydia can be healthy and happy, I’m willing to do anything.”

It was only then that I realized—this seemingly happy marriage had been a setup from the very beginning.

Both of my husbands had only one person in their hearts: Lydia.

Since that was the case, there was no reason for me to cling to a marriage built on lies and indifference.

But why, after I left, did the man who claimed he didn’t love me lose his mind longing for me?

——

When I received the results of my prenatal checkup, I was excited to share the good news with Eddie. But at the VIP ward, I stumbled upon a scene I never could have imagined.

My ex-husband and my current husband were both gathered around Lydia’s hospital bed, attending to her every need.

Eddie—who had always been cold and distant—was looking at Lydia with such gentleness, it seemed his eyes might overflow with tears.

“Lydia, don’t worry. I’ve already arranged the best medical team for you. As soon as the baby is born, we’ll proceed with the surgery.”

“Will Juliana agree?” Lydia asked. “She was already hurt so badly the last time. If anything else happens, I’m afraid she won’t be able to bear it…”

“Lydia, you’re too kind.”

Eddie gently stroked her hair and comforted her softly.

“You don’t need to worry about her feelings. If it weren’t for you, she never would have experienced my love. She should be grateful to you.”

Inside the room, it was all peace and tenderness.

Outside, I stood frozen, my tears falling silently.

I suddenly remembered the day Brice had abandoned me.

In a foreign land ravaged by war, at my most desperate and helpless moment, Eddie had walked toward me through the chaos, against the flow of panicked crowds. He pulled me into his arms in the midst of the gunfire and explosions.

Looking into my eyes with deep emotion, he said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

“No matter where we are, no matter what happens, as long as I’m alive, I’ll protect you with everything I have.”

At that moment, I had foolishly believed I had found true love—that Eddie was my salvation.

Little did I know, he was the one who truly pushed me into the abyss.

Rescuing me, marrying me and having a child with me… It was all for Lydia.

As my tears fell, they washed away the last trace of love I had for Eddie.

I turned to the doctor and said quietly, “Please schedule an abortion for me. I want to terminate this pregnancy.”

The doctor looked at me, stunned.

“Are you sure? Your husband was so thrilled when he heard you were pregnant—his eyes were filled with tears. If he finds out…”

I cut her off. “He’s not my husband.”

He was a liar who destroyed my life.

The doctor let out a long sigh and said nothing more.

After the procedure, I sat in the hallway, pale and weak.

Eddie came rushing over, carrying a box of fruit.

“Juliana, you must’ve been anxious. I went to buy your favorite cherries. How did the prenatal checkup go? Is the baby okay?”

Eddie looked at me with eyes full of sincerity.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

I had seen this same box of cherries in Lydia’s hospital room.

The so-called “special gift” he brought me was nothing more than leftovers she didn’t want.

As for the baby… he’s doing just fine.

He’ll be reborn into a family that truly loves him—not into a world built on lies and betrayal.

Lost in thought, Eddie gently took my hand and rested his head on my stomach.

“Juliana, you have no idea how happy I am,” he murmured.

“I swear, once the baby is born, I will treat you and the child well for the rest of my life.”

Was this kindness born out of love…or simply guilt and the need to atone for what he’d done?

I didn’t know how to respond.

Using fatigue as an excuse, I gently pushed him away.

As soon as we got home, Eddie received a text message and rushed out the door without hesitation.

I quietly walked into his study.

The shelves and desk were cluttered with books and files, all related to leukemia treatments.

This proud man—who once looked down on everyone—was now humbling himself, begging for help from every direction… for Lydia.

Inside the locked safe were not confidential company files—but a notebook filled with details about Lydia’s life.

“Lydia has a weak stomach. Meals should be low in oil and salt and free of spices.”

“Lydia loves roses. The rose estate in the suburbs will be completed by year’s end. I hope she’ll be happy when she sees it.”

“Sweet things can lift the mood. Lydia studied in France, so French pastries should suit her better.”

He spent a fortune—over a hundred million—on jewelry for Lydia.

He poured his heart into building a dreamlike estate just for her.

Every single line in that notebook overflowed with love for Lydia.

Not one word was about me—his wife, his childhood friend, the woman carrying his child.

The love I had once taken pride in…wasn’t even a fraction of what Lydia meant to him.

Tears welled in my eyes as I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, I’d like to arrange a fake death service,” I said.

“Three days from now. A car accident. Two fatalities.”

After finalizing the details, I sent them a video I had recorded at the hospital.

I instructed them to release it after my death.

Then, I went out, printed a divorce agreement and waited for Eddie to return home.

I waited until noon the next day.

He still hadn’t come back.

Just as I was about to call him, I saw his figure appear on the TV screen.

[Eddie, president of the Trulock Group, climbs 2560 mdpl mountain in a desperate plea for a rare medicinal plant to save his beloved.]

In the footage, his legs are soaked in blood.

Yet despite everyone’s pleas for him to stop, he continued—climbed one step at a time on the steep rocky terrain with unwavering resolve.

When interviewed by the press, he spoke with heartfelt emotion.

“As long as the woman I love stays safe and sound, I’m willing to give up everything I have.”

After the news aired, messages flooded in.

[Oh my god, he’s doing all that just because you’re pregnant! Once the baby’s born, he’ll spoil you like a queen!]

[I heard Mr. Trulock invested tens of millions in the hospital to guarantee a safe delivery for you. That’s real love!]

[Juliana, I’m so jealous! You have the most loving husband. You must be the happiest woman in the world!]

Reading those messages, I felt nothing but bitter irony.

***

Once upon a time, I too believed I was the happiest woman in the world.

But now, I finally understood.

This so-called love… was never mine.

It belonged to Lydia.

I was nothing more than a pathetic decoration, used to embellish the grand, tragic romance between them.

I cleared all the messages from my phone and headed to the hospital with the divorce agreement in hand.

Eddie’s eyes lit up when he saw me.

Ignoring the injury on his leg, he rushed over.

“Juliana, why did you come? I’m so sorry I made you worry…”

“Where’s the most rare medicinal plant?” I asked sarcastically.

His eyes flickered with guilt. “I… I accidentally lost it. I’ve already sent someone to look for it. If it can’t be found, I’ll find for you something even better. For your health”

Lost?

That was hard to believe. I had just seen that plant on Lydia’s table as I passed by the VIP ward.

But I said nothing.

Instead, I handed him the final page of the divorce agreement.

“There’s no need to wait. I’ve found a house I like. Buy it for me.”

“Alright!” he replied without hesitation, quickly signing his name.

I frowned. “Aren’t you going to read it first? What if… what if it’s too expensive?”

His eyes gleamed with sincerity. “As long as you like it, I don’t care how expensive it is.”

There was no trace of doubt or calculation in his expression.

I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

So this is what it looks like—to love someone so deeply you’d do anything for them.

Unfortunately, I was never the one being loved.

I tucked the divorce agreement into my bag and prepared to head home.

But Eddie was insistent. Worried about my safety during pregnancy, he offered to escort me.

As we approached the hospital doors, his assistant whispered something into his ear.

His expression shifted instantly. He pulled me in the opposite direction without saying a word.

The next thing I knew, I was shoved into a room.

“She has O-negative blood. Draw her blood!”

Before I could react, a sharp needle pierced my skin.

They took 600 milliliters. I felt lightheaded and dizzy, too weak to even stand.

But then I heard the doctor speak with reassurance, “Don’t worry, Miss Lydia will be fine.”

Only then did Eddie finally relax, the tension leaving his shoulders.

He turned to me and tried to explain.

“Juliana, I only did this to accumulate blessings for our child. Even if the one in danger wasn’t Lydia, we couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

I couldn’t hear another word.

My heart was already breaking.

I nodded numbly. “I understand. It’s okay. Stay here and take care of her. I want to go home and rest.”

“What nonsense are you saying?” he said, offended. “You’re my wife. Of course I’ll stay with you.”

He gently blew on the puncture mark on my arm and insisted on taking me home himself.

But just as we reached the hospital entrance, we ran into Lydia.

“Juliana,” she said sweetly, “thank you so much for donating blood for me. Let me treat you all to a nice meal to express my gratitude.”

Before I could respond, Eddie had already agreed enthusiastically.

At the restaurant, he ordered the dishes with practiced ease. Then he slid a glass of mango juice in front of me.

“Lydia doesn’t like this,” he said casually. “You drink it. It’s good for the baby.”

I gave a faint, helpless smile.

He remembered everything about Lydia.

But he forgot that I was allergic to mangoes.

Love and neglect—both are hidden in the smallest of details.

When Eddie went to the restroom, Lydia leaned closer and gave me a smirk.

“Juliana,” she said slowly, “what do you call a woman who gets fooled once? Stupid. And if it happens twice?”

“It has nothing to do with you.” I reply.

I didn’t want to stoop to her level.

But suddenly without warning, she slapped herself—twice.

“Eddie!” she cried out as he re-entered. “Juliana still won’t forgive me… she even said I deliberately seduced you… she said she’d scar my face!”