Verity’s POV

At that moment, it felt like the air was being slowly pulled out of my lungs.

What Tucker did hurt more than if he’d questioned me directly, far more than if he’d accused me like my brothers did.

He’d built everything from nothing. I knew how hard it was for him, so I’d never once asked him for “allowance.”

I had my own income, my own savings.

He rarely gave me anything. Gifts were few and far between.

And I never complained about it.

But now, he handed over the money he earned himself to Kelsey—so casually.

Shares under Kelsey’s name. That meant that when Tucker started his company three years ago, he’d already counted her share in from the very beginning.

At some point, my phone screen had gone dark.

All those bank statements. All that proof. Suddenly, none of it mattered anymore.

No one would believe me. No one even wanted to.

Tucker coaxed Kelsey into cooking with him. My brothers stood around her, laughing and chatting. Not one of them spared me a glance.

Then my phone vibrated. I looked down and saw a message from my lawyer.

[The divorce process will be completed in one week.]

I stared at that line for a few seconds, and strangely, my heart settled.

Right. Why was I still stressing over what was true or not? I was about to be divorced anyway. And I was leaving for Canada soon.

Who my brothers cared about. Who Tucker chose to be kind to. None of it had anything to do with me anymore.

As for the Severins' money, whether they wanted to give it to me or not, part of it was mine by right in the first place!

I didn’t stay for that tasteless, miserable dinner. I just took a cab back to the apartment Tucker and I shared and started packing.

In the master bedroom closet hung all the matching pajamas and lounge sets I’d picked out for us.

I stood there for a while, then packed every single piece into a box.

I was the only one who ever cared about those things anyway.

When Tucker wore them, he never cared whether they matched. He never even looked at me.

The plants in the corner of the living room—I’d picked and raised each one based on his preferences.

The racing models on the bookshelf—I’d hunted them down one by one for him.

Tucker never once asked where any of it came from.

It was like those things just naturally belonged there.

This apartment was filled with traces of me.

And yet, the things that actually belonged to me were pitifully few.

Honestly, before Kelsey showed up, I could endure a lot.

Tucker being cold—I endured it. His being bad at expressing himself—I made excuses for him.

I’d even thought that if he fell for someone else one day, I might still have a chance to pull his heart back.

But it just had to be Kelsey.

The foster sister who’d lived through those dependent, difficult years with him.

A past he could never cut away from his life.

They shared more than ten years of memories.

That kind of bond and reliance never left any room for me—not from the start.

In the month since Kelsey arrived, I saw for the first time how Tucker truly loved someone.

I knew then—he fully intended to go on loving her quietly for the rest of his life, in the name of being her brother-in-law.

But why did I have to be the one sacrificed?

I’m not some idiot who exists just to be used!

Crying and cursing under my breath, I dug through the very bottom of the drawer and found my first love letter to him.

The paper had yellowed with age.

What I’d written on it was still clear.

[Tucker, I’ll keep waiting until you like me.]

I stared at it for a long time, then gently placed it at the very bottom of the box.

‘Verity from ten years ago,’ I thought, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t want to wait for him anymore.’

Tucker came home very late that night.

The cardboard boxes on the floor were impossible to miss. He glanced at them, his brow tightening slightly, like he wanted to say something.

But the hesitation passed quickly.

To him, it was probably just me being moody again—nothing worth paying attention to.

He changed his shoes, his tone casual as ever.

“Why are you packing things up?”

When I didn’t respond, he paused, then added, “Stuff’s old? Thinking of replacing it?”

I answered quietly, “Mm.”

He looked at me for a couple of seconds, as if confirming I wasn’t about to start a fight, then didn’t ask anything else.

He was never good at dealing with my emotions.

And he’d never felt the need to try very hard.

It never once crossed his mind that I might be packing because I was leaving.

I bet in his heart, he was completely certain of one thing: I would never leave him.

After showering, Tucker got into bed like he always did and pulled me into his arms from behind.

His chin rested lightly on my shoulder. His breath was close, his voice low and rough with desire.

“Dad called me today. He said it’s time we have a kid.”

Verity’s POV

At that moment, it felt like something caved in inside my chest.

From the time we got home until now, Tucker never once mentioned the bank card.

Instead, he talked about my dad pushing us to have a baby.

But he obviously doesn’t love me!

So to him, was a child never about love—just something to appease my dad?

I felt short of breath and pushed Tucker away without thinking.

He paused, clearly startled, then his brows knitted together.

“What’s wrong?”

I’d never turned him down before—not even when I wasn’t feeling well. This was the first time.

I took a breath. My throat felt tight. “I’m on my period. I’m uncomfortable.”

He contradicted me almost immediately.

“That can’t be right. I’ve counted—your period shouldn’t be today.”

I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a quiet laugh.

It was shallow but laced with a sarcasm even I couldn’t suppress.

“It hasn’t been regular for two months already.”

I looked at him, my voice soft. “You remember it that clearly?”

He went quiet for a second, clearly in the wrong.

But it never occurred to him that my cycle was irregular because I’d been pregnant back then. Seeing I wasn’t interested, he didn’t push it. He simply reached out and pulled me back into his arms.

The gesture was casual—firm enough that refusal wasn’t really an option.

“Then get some sleep.”

His breathing slowly evened out.

I stayed awake, staring at the dark ceiling as tears silently soaked into the pillow.

I was painfully aware that for Kelsey’s sake, he didn’t even seem to be considering a divorce—and was still thinking about having a child with me.

But Tucker… we’re not having kids.

The next morning, he was already gone when I woke up. I still had a lot to take care of.

Documents were spread all over the table: housing for the Canada study program, visas, partner schools, health insurance. Every detail needed my personal confirmation.

Just six more days.

Then I could start over.

That was when my phone started vibrating.

The moment I answered, a panicked voice came rushing through.

“Verity! You need to get here now! Tucker’s back on the track!”

My head rang.

“What?”

“He entered an underground rally race. Someone set him up! Water was dumped on the track—the car lost control and flipped! Everything’s chaos right now!”

I barely registered the rest.

The ringing in my ears surged. My vision washed out white. The steering wheel shook in my hands.

I don’t even remember hanging up. I just remember slamming the gas, the car shooting forward.

I’d always known how dangerous racing was.

In the early years, when Tucker had no money and no name, rally racing was his only shot.

Prize money. Sponsorships. A way up. He was betting his life on the wheel.

But later, after he started his company, things stabilized.

He’d promised me back then.

“Honey, if you’re worried, I’ll quit.”

He’d said it so confidently, smiling, ruffling my hair.

And now, today, he’d gone back without telling me.

The car sped down the road, but my hands felt ice-cold.

A fear so intense it felt suffocating rose up inside me.

When I arrived, I could see the chaos from far away.

Crooked caution tape. Shouting crowds.

I didn’t even stop to ask what had happened; my eyes locked onto the overturned race car by the track.

The frame was mangled. The door was jammed.

In that instant, only one thought remained in me.

‘Is he going to die?’

Even if we were on the verge of divorce, the moment I saw that familiar car, I knew I couldn’t stay detached.

That was someone I had once loved deeply.

I forced my way through the crowd, stumbled to the car, and dropped to my knees.

“Tucker!”

My voice shook as I grabbed the warped door, trying desperately to pull it open.

Someone tried to stop me. “Verity, calm down! Rescue is already on the way—”

But I couldn’t hear them.

All I saw was the blood smeared across the driver’s seat, terrified it wouldn’t stop.

My knee slammed into the gravel. Pain shot through me.

But I didn’t care.

I worked with several staff members, prying at the door with everything we had.

The metal sliced my fingers. Blood mixed with sweat.

Finally, we heard a click.

The door gave way.

I held my breath and leaned in to take a look.

But my entire body froze in place.

Tucker was slumped in the driver’s seat, barely conscious, his forehead covered in blood.

But his body was twisted protectively to one side.

In his arms, he was shielding someone…

It was Kelsey.

He’d pulled her into the safer position. Her head rested against his shoulder. She looked pale, but there were no obvious injuries.

Tucker’s back, meanwhile, had taken the full force of the impact.

At that moment, it felt like someone had ripped my chest open.

The sound of the ambulance came closer and closer, piercing and irritating.

The medics moved quickly, efficiently, loading them onto stretchers.

I stood there, as if nailed to the spot.

I was unsure whether to follow—or turn around and leave.

In the end, I took a shaky breath, turned around clumsily, got into my car, and followed the ambulance to the hospital.

The doctor gave the update soon after.

“The accident wasn’t severe. Mr. Afton has a mild concussion and some external injuries. It was close, but he was lucky.”

“As for the woman, she also has a mild concussion. Observation will be enough.”

I nodded, my fingers trembling slightly.

As long as he’s okay…

I forced myself not to think further.

At least for now, I didn’t want to question why Tucker and Kelsey were together at the racetrack.

I headed for Tucker’s hospital room.

The nurse had just finished checking him and reminded him not to get out of bed.

Before she finished speaking, he was already pushing himself upright.

“Where is she?”

The nurse blinked. “Who?”

“The one who came in with me.”

His voice was tight and urgent, his brows tightly furrowed.

“She’s timid. She’s never been through anything like this. That crash must have terrified her. I need to go check on her.”

Verity’s POV

The nurse tried to stop him. “Sir, you have multiple bruises—”

But he had already pushed past her. The movement was too abrupt and pulled at his injuries, his face turning pale instantly.

Only then did he notice me standing in the doorway.

The second our eyes met, he paused.

It was guilt he didn’t have time to hide.

“Honey… you’re here.”

He explained almost instinctively. “I’m just going to check on Kelsey. I’m worried she’s scared.”

He looked at me as if he’d already expected me to object, prepared with what he’d say next.

But I just nodded.

He froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily.

Still, without saying anything else, he hurried toward the room next door.

I stood in the hallway, lowering my gaze to the ring on my left hand.

I’d worn our wedding ring for many years.

At first, it felt unfamiliar. Later, I didn’t even want to take it off to shower or sleep.

Now, it felt light—like an unnecessary piece of metal.

I took it off without hesitation and dropped it into the trash can at the end of the hall.

A clink sounded.

It was soft, but it felt like a period being placed inside my heart.

Inside Kelsey’s room, she was sitting on the hospital bed.

She looked clean and neat, except for a faint smear of dried blood near her cheek.

Her two brothers stood on either side of her.

“Are you still dizzy?”

“What did the doctor say? Do you need another check?”

Tucker walked over, his voice tense.

“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

I went in, set the fruit basket on the cabinet, and was about to leave.

“Verity.”

Kelsey suddenly called out to me.

Her voice trembled, her eyes red, looking both wronged and helpless.

“I’m sorry… I really am.”

She struggled to get out of bed, her voice shaking.

“If it weren’t for me, Tucker wouldn’t have been hurt this badly.”

“I didn’t mean it. It’s just that earlier today… someone spread rumors about me—really ugly ones. My brother heard them and got so angry he wanted to hit someone.”

“He said he couldn’t let people hurt me like that, but I stopped him. I was afraid he’d get hurt.”

“Then that man provoked him, asked if he dared to race.”

“So my brother agreed.”

“He said that if I sat in the passenger seat and helped guide him, he would definitely win.”

My fingers tightened suddenly.

A navigator is someone a racer entrusts their life to on the track.

I had wanted, countless times, to be Tucker’s navigator.

For his one sentence—I trust you—I learned routes, wind speed, track rules. I stayed up late memorizing maps, running simulations again and again.

But every time I brought it up, he only refused.

“It’s too dangerous. Don’t get involved,” he’d say.

Now, Kelsey—who knew nothing—had easily taken that seat beside him.

She even rode with him into a rollover, nearly costing him his life.

And no one blamed her.

“Verity, I really didn’t mean to hurt my brother,” Kelsey cried, her voice breaking. “You love him so much; you must be angry, disappointed. Please don’t blame him. It’s all my fault…”

She sobbed softly. “How about… I’ll kneel and apologize to you?”

As she spoke, she actually lifted the blanket, starting to kneel.

I froze for a moment and didn’t react in time.

The next second, a strong force yanked me aside.

“What are you doing?!”

Tucker almost instinctively pulled Kelsey behind him.

Our brothers immediately stepped forward, one on each side, holding her up.

“Kelsey, don’t.”

“This isn’t your fault.”

They didn’t even wait for me to speak.

Their expressions hardened as they looked at me.

“Verity! What right do you have to blame Kelsey? You don’t even care about Tucker, and you still let him take our sister to do something that dangerous. We haven’t even blamed you for not keeping an eye on your own man!”

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s the one who spread those rumors. We’ll handle it. Kelsey, you don’t owe her an apology.”

Tucker stood between me and Kelsey, clearly protecting her.

“Yes. This is on me,” he said. “I chose to race. I know what I’m doing. I just didn’t expect someone to set me up. This isn’t Kelsey’s fault.”

I steadied myself, feeling how absurd it all was.

Why did they think I would go after Kelsey?

I was the one more seriously injured.

None of this was my fault.

Yet standing here, I felt like the guilty one—like a vicious woman who needed to be stopped before she did something unforgivable.

I raised my hand, cutting off Tucker before he could keep explaining.

“I’m not mad.”

I looked at him and spoke slowly.

“Tucker, if you want to die, then go die. It has nothing to do with me.”

With that, I turned and walked away.

Behind me, he called out once.

“Honey—”

But the next second, Kelsey let out a soft cry.

“Ah… it hurts.”

Tucker hesitated, then stopped and turned back.

In a room full of “family,” not one person noticed the blood soaking through the fabric over my knee.

At the end of the hallway, I took out my phone and dialed a number.

“Hunter.”

My voice was quiet.

“Can you come pick me up?”

There was a brief pause, then a low, amused voice.

“What, the young heiress finally remembered me?”

“Stay there,” he said. “I’ll be right there.”