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!”

Lydia threw herself into Eddie’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

When he saw the red slap marks on her face, Eddie turned to me without a second thought—and shoved me to the ground.

“Juliana, how could you be so heartless? She’s sick and you still hit her?”

The sharp ringing in my ears mixed with the pain shooting through my body.

And just like that, I was dragged back to that nightmare of a week.

On foreign streets, surrounded by gunfire.

I had wandered like a rootless water lily, teetering between life and death.

Back then, it was this very man, Eddie, who had pulled me from the flames and promised to love me forever.

Yet now, for Lydia’s sake, he used that same hand to push me into a bottomless abyss.

The pain of the past collided violently with the present and my whole body began to tremble.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

Eddie, suddenly realizing what he had done, looked shaken. He rushed toward me.

“Juliana, don’t cry, I didn’t mean it. I just acted on impulse... I wasn’t thinking…”

Lydia stood quietly beside him, eyes shimmering with tears.

“This is all my fault,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have come here and caused more trouble.”

“Juliana, I’m already married. I know I did terrible things to you before, but now I just want to live a quiet, happy life with my husband.”

“If you really hate me that much… then I’ll disappear from your life forever!”

With that, she bolted into the street, straight into traffic.

Eddie looked at me, conflicted.

He hesitated for just a second—then ran after her.

I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat and wiped away my tears.

Under the curious, judging eyes of passersby, I slowly picked myself up and left.

On my way home, a message from Eddie lit up my phone.

[Juliana, don’t be angry. Lydia is an important client of our company. I only gave her the medical plant for the sake of business cooperation.]

[I didn’t mean to hurt you—I mistook her for someone else. She’s not well, so please be understanding. Don’t hold a grudge against a sick person. I’ll make it up to you when I get home.]

A weak excuse. A half-hearted explanation.

He truly didn’t care about the damage he’d done.

He believed I loved him so deeply that I’d keep forgiving him, over and over again.

But how could a woman whose heart has long turned cold still believe in love?

Brice’s betrayal had already left my body and mind shattered.

And Eddie’s lies… had finally broken me.

I didn’t even have the strength to cry anymore.

I turned to the passing scenery outside the car window and let out a silent sigh.

Eddie, when you see my “body” tomorrow,

I hope you’ll be just as indifferent as you are now.

When I got home, I began sorting through all the gifts Eddie had given me over the years.

Gifts that had once moved me to tears.

But now, with clear eyes, I saw them for what they were—tokens meant to earn points in Lydia’s game of affection.

Then there were the photos.

Eddie held my hand, smiled at the camera…

But his eyes had never really looked at me.

It was as if he were gazing through the lens at someone else—someone he was still dreaming about.

Biting down the pain, I gathered everything and threw it all into the trash.

Along with Eddie’s “love,” I deleted him from my world.

By the time I finished, the sun had already risen.

Eddie still hadn’t come home.

Instead, he sent his assistant, who arrived with armfuls of expensive gifts.

The assistant gave me an awkward smile. “Mr. Trulock really does love you, Madam. He’s just so busy with work right now… but even so, he made sure to send you these gifts.”

I didn’t respond.

After he left, I opened the string of messages Lydia had sent me.

There was a video of Eddie carrying her into the hospital.

Photos of him kneeling to massage her feet.