“Hi, I’d like to fake a plane crash. I need my identity to disappear for good.”

The staff stared at my ID, passing it back and forth like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Finally, one of them spoke up, cautiously.

“Miss Swindell, faking a plane crash is irreversible. If you regret it later, there’s no going back.”

Their reaction wasn’t so different from when Ritchie Camfermann announced he wanted to marry me.

Back then, the legendary Ritchie pulled me into his world like crazy. For five years, he was nothing but devoted, shutting down every rumor with his actions.

He donated billions in my name—charity after charity—just to make me happy, just to wish me peace. Everywhere I went, there were people ready to help me, all because of him.

He took care of everything, every detail, and somehow found his way into my heart.

He even begged for my parents’ approval, enduring humiliation in front of everyone under the family’s rules. A man like him, who always weighed every choice, threw everything away—cut ties with his family—just so he could marry me.

Thinking about all of this, I signed my name firmly to the paper. “I won’t regret this. And I won’t drag you into it, either.”

The wedding was in seven days.

It was also the birthday of Ritchie’s son with another woman.

——

When I got home, the overwhelming red decorations were everywhere, mocking me and this ridiculous relationship.

Because no one else knew the truth. No one but me knew that this perfect man—the one everyone envied—had secretly had a child with another woman and already started a new family.

My eyes landed on the family photo on the coffee table. The pain in my chest grew unbearable, and I couldn’t catch my breath. The taste of blood filled my mouth as everything blurred. I collapsed, heavy and hard, to the floor.

When I opened my eyes again, Ritchie was by my bedside. His face was tight with worry as he cradled my head, his hands warming the IV bag like he couldn’t trust anyone else to do it.

When he saw me awake, he looked so relieved he couldn’t even form words. Slowly, he leaned in, pressing his face to mine, his voice trembling as his tears welled up.

“You’re awake… You scared me to death.”

Outside the room, his assistant must’ve heard the movement because he rushed in with the doctor.

Shaking his head in awe, the assistant muttered, “Miss Swindell, you have no idea. Back when Sir Ritchie was in Milan, he wouldn’t even flinch if someone pointed a gun at him. But when he heard you were hurt? He nearly collapsed.”

“Miss Swindell, he pushed aside business deals worth billions and rushed back home. He hasn’t left your side for two days, not even to sleep.”

The man in front of me—so full of worry—made my chest ache. It was hard to breathe like my heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.

His actions, his instincts—they weren’t lies.

But the way he panicked like this… I’d seen it before. For someone else.

That woman was Esther Seacrest. She was the one who came from his world, his match in every way. When she found out Ritchie had chosen me over her, she tore me apart.

She humiliated me. Hit me so badly my bones broke. Tossed me into a freezing pool one winter, leaving me infertile for life.

When Ritchie returned and learned what she’d done, he crushed her family in days. He sent her to the ICU again and again, ignoring their history and their families’ ties.

And yet, no matter how much he loved me, I couldn’t deny the truth when it was staring me in the face.

Esther had his child. Their baby was almost two.

I pulled away from Ritchie’s touch without thinking, tears slipping down my face uncontrollably. My voice caught in my throat, and I couldn’t get a word out.

Ritchie froze, unsure of what to do. His hands hesitated in the air before he gently patted my back, trying to calm me.

“Portia,” he said, his tone low, “I have good news. The doctor said… you’re three months pregnant. We’re finally having a baby!”

Richie had never been the type to show excitement, but when he talked about the news, he couldn’t stop clapping, grinning as he walked around the bed to the other side.

“In just seven days, it’s our wedding. That’s when I’ll announce this amazing news to everyone. These two happy events… they’re the best things that have ever happened in my life!”

Hearing his words, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. The doctor’s words from when Esther nearly drowned me in the pool came back to haunt me, crystal clear.

Ritchie had dragged me across the world, searching for a cure, but no matter where we went, we got the same answer.

I would never be able to get pregnant.

Because of that, his family’s resentment toward me only grew. Time after time, they’d throw dirty looks my way, making it painfully clear I didn’t belong. They hoped I’d give up and leave on my own.

Ritchie wouldn’t let it slide—not once. He stood up for me every single time, even if it meant butting heads with his family.

“Our family isn’t some royal family. We’re not passing down a crown. Portia choosing to stay by my side is the greatest blessing this family has ever had. If anyone dares bring this up again, you can either take your name off the family registry—or take mine off instead!”

Thinking about it now, I stared at my flat belly, feeling like something was stuck in my throat. I couldn’t wrap my head around how life could be this cruel, and before I knew it, tears started streaming down my face.

Why did this baby have to come now?

Ritchie walked over, pulling me into his arms. The smell of milk clung to him—sharp enough to make me nauseous.

I pushed him away on instinct, and my stomach churned violently. The nausea was unstoppable.

He stepped back quickly, cupping his hands in front of me like he could catch whatever I couldn’t hold down.

“Portia, if you’re feeling sick, just let it out. Morning sickness is normal during the first few weeks. I’ll stay here with you the whole time.”

I looked at him—at the worry etched into his face, the shoes and supplies he’d prepared, all waiting neatly on the side—and I was a little dazed for a while.

To him, I’d always been special. For five years, I’d been his one and only exception.

He’d loved me completely since day one. And I’d loved him just as much.

It didn’t take long for me to calm down. When I stared at the man in front of me, my expression was blank.

If he’d just cut ties with his other woman and their child, maybe we could start over—me, him, and our baby.

We could go back to the way things were, back to the way they’d been for the past five years.

But before I could say a word, his phone rang. His face shifted immediately—panic flashing across it as he scrambled to his feet and left.

He said he’d been disappearing a lot the past two days because of company issues.

He wasn’t even gone for 20 minutes when Esther sent me a photo so casually. It was of Ritchie carefully holding a child.

In the picture, he had his head pressed against the kid’s, gently coaxing him to sleep.

I gripped my phone so tightly it hurt, forcing myself not to cry, clinging to the last shred of dignity I had left. But no matter how hard I tried, the bitterness and heartache surged.

This stupid, foolish dream of mine…

It was shattered. Completely.

I don’t know how long it took, but when I finally pulled myself together, I opened the confirmation letter for the plane crash incident. Without a second thought, I signed it again.

I knew Ritchie too well. He wouldn’t agree to a divorce. He wouldn’t let me go, not willingly.

If anything, he’d double down—trap me here, chain me to him, and never let me escape.

After signing the letter, I booked an appointment at a private hospital back in my hometown for an abortion.

While I was calling to confirm the appointment, Esther started flooding my phone with videos—one after the other.

The videos showed a side of Ritchie I’d never seen before. He was like an animal—completely wild, nothing like the gentle, restrained man I thought I knew.

They were in every corner of his company and even at a villa...

Every frame of the video felt like a dagger to my heart, yet I forced myself to endure the pain and watch it all.

“Hello? Do you still want to book this surgery?”

Snapping back to reality, I realized my hands were trembling so much I could barely hold my phone steady.

My voice came out hoarse when I spoke. “Yes, as soon as possible.”

After arranging everything, I collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained. Tears flowed uncontrollably as if they would never stop.

I curled up tightly, wrapping my arms around myself, letting the suffocating darkness swallow me whole.

Ritchie didn’t come home until almost dawn.

This was the first time in five years he hadn’t returned for the night.

A few flakes of snow clung to his hair as he burst in like an excited child, carrying a food box.

“Portia, I went out overnight to get your favorite pastries. A happy mood is the most important thing for a pregnant mommy! Try them and see if they taste just like before!”

He eagerly unpacked the box, muttering to himself as he worked.

“I closed a new deal yesterday, got a whole island! Since you love pink lychees, I’ll plant the entire island with them—your very own pink lychee paradise!”

He held the pastries like precious treasures and placed them in front of me, only to realize I hadn’t said a single word since he entered.

When he saw my tear-streaked face and my swollen, red eyes, his expression tightened, and his voice trembled.

“Portia, why… Why are you crying like this? Did someone upset you?”

I laughed, curling my lips into a faint smile as I avoided his touch. “You know that pregnant women need to stay in a good mood, right? Then you should also know that crying is normal, too.”

He let out a breath of relief. “It’s my fault for not being considerate enough. I’ll stay home with you for the next few days, okay? I won’t go to the office.”

“If you want anything,” he added, “I’ll have it delivered. If you’re craving something, I’ll make it myself.”

I shook my head calmly. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I just want to get some rest now.”

I also informed him, “Oh, by the way, a relative back home is sick, so I’ll be going back to visit tomorrow. You can go about your work; don’t worry about me.”

Turning away from him, I faced the other side. Once everything was settled and I left, I wouldn’t come back. Before that, I thought I should see them one last time, as a way of bidding farewell to the past.

Ritchie couldn’t bear to leave me alone and insisted on accompanying me, despite my repeated refusals.

Not far from my hometown, relatives were already waiting on the roadside to greet us.

When they saw me and Ritchie together, their smiles stretched wide.

“I told you! If Portia came back, Ritchie would definitely come with her! He treats her like a treasure—he’s afraid to drop her if he holds her too tight, and afraid she’ll melt if he spoils her too much. There’s no way he’d let her come back alone!”

Ritchie responded politely, handing out gifts he had prepared to everyone.

Some relatives who recognized the items couldn’t help but exclaim, “These are the best health supplements you can find! Every time they visit, they bring such expensive gifts—it’s almost embarrassing!”

“Oh, Portia, you’re so lucky! Born in this poor, remote village, but you found someone who adores you to the bone!”

“Exactly! Most of our income over the years has been thanks to this girl's luck!”

As they continued their flattery, a long luxury car pulled up in front of everyone.

Esther stepped out, exuding arrogance. With a wave of her hand, the bodyguards behind her began distributing gifts to everyone.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this reunion? A few years ago, when I was down and out, you all helped me. Doesn’t that make me like a family member too?”