She pushed the door open.

“You need to go check on her. She's carrying the family's future now, and I don't want to take any chances.”

Maverick immediately stood. For a brief moment, conflict flashed across his face then it disappeared.

“Mom, what happened? Did she call a doctor? Is she in pain?”

“She says her stomach hurts and she looks pale,” Mrs. Farrington replied anxiously. “I don't know if it's serious, but she's frightened. You should go see her immediately.”

Maverick glanced at me. “Sandra... I just want to make sure she's okay. She's pregnant and everyone is worried about her.” He walked closer.

“I won't be long. The moment I know she's fine, I'll come straight back. I promise.”

I didn't stop him. What was the point?

I was tired of begging for a place in my own marriage. Tired of competing with ghosts and lies.

So I simply nodded.

“Go. She's the one everyone wants you with anyway. It wouldn't make much difference whether I asked you to stay or not.”

For a moment, something flickered across his face but still he left.

That night, I lay awake again.

The mansion was quiet.

Then sometime after midnight, I heard movement upstairs. Faint sounds. Barely audible.

I closed my eyes. Even though I couldn't hear much, I knew exactly where Maverick was.

A sharp pain settled in my chest.

I thought I'd already cried enough, I thought there were no tears left.

Yet when morning came, my pillow was damp.

Maverick didn't return until dawn.

The bedroom door opened softly. He slipped into bed behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

His voice sounded tired. “I'm exhausted. She was uncomfortable all night and refused to sleep. Everyone was worried, so I stayed there to make sure nothing happened.”

I didn't answer.

He buried his face against my shoulder.

“Don't overthink things, Sandra. Maxine wasn't feeling well and she got scared. That's all this was.” His voice remained calm. “She had stomach pains all night. I stayed because she needed reassurance. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.”

I closed my eyes.

The expensive cologne on his clothes wasn't his usual scent... it belonged to another room.

Another life.

Another choice.

Suddenly, I felt sick.

I pulled away from him.

Maverick frowned. “Sandra?”

“If you're that worried about Maxine,” I said quietly, “then maybe you should just stay with her from now on. It would save everyone the trouble of pretending.”

The room instantly became silent.

“What?”

I finally turned toward him. “She's a widow. She's carrying a child. She's clearly the person who matters most to everyone in this house.” My voice remained calm.

“She needs someone. I don't.”

Maverick stared at me as if I'd slapped him.

Then his face darkened. “Sandra, what exactly are you trying to say? Stop speaking in riddles and tell me directly. What is it that you think is happening?”

“Nothing.”

“No.” He stood abruptly. “Say it. If you're accusing me of something, then say it to my face.” His eyes hardened. "Do you think there's something inappropriate going on? Do you honestly believe I'd do something like that?”

I laughed softly.

Not because anything was funny.

Because I couldn't believe we were still pretending.

Maverick clenched his jaw.

“Anthony died protecting me. Maxine lost her husband because of that tragedy. She's carrying a child and trying to survive the worst period of her life.”

His voice grew sharper.

“She has nobody. If she's struggling and I help her, what's wrong with that? Since when did basic decency become something suspicious?”

He looked genuinely disappointed.

Or maybe he was just a very good actor.

“Tell me honestly. After everything we've been through together, do you really think I'd betray you?”

His gaze locked onto mine.

I remained silent.

That seemed to anger him even more.

Finally, he stepped back.

“Fine. If that's how you see me, then maybe I should keep my distance. Maybe that's the only way to stop these ridiculous accusations.”

His expression turned distant.

“At least then nobody can accuse me of crossing boundaries.”

The irony almost made me laugh.

He was talking about boundaries after destroying every one of them.

Without another word, Maverick grabbed his coat.

Then he slammed the bedroom door behind him.

The sound echoed through the room long after he'd gone.

And once again, I was left alone.

…

For the next few days, Maverick really did keep his distance from Maxine.

At least in front of everyone.

Whenever Maxine needed something, he acted restrained and careful. Even when she complained about feeling unwell, he refused to be alone with her.

One morning, Maxine mentioned that she wasn't feeling well and needed to go to the hospital.

Before anyone could say anything, Maverick immediately stepped back.

“Dad, Mom, you should take her yourselves. I'm not going. No matter what I do lately, it gets misunderstood, and I'd rather avoid creating any more problems.”

Mrs. Farrington frowned.

“Maverick, what are you talking about? Maxine is pregnant and not feeling well. Why would you suddenly refuse to help her now?”

Maverick sighed heavily and glanced in my direction.

“What choice do I have? Sandra already thinks I'm crossing boundaries. If I take Maxine to the hospital, she'll overthink it even more, and then we'll be right back where we started.”

His voice sounded helpless.

“I don't want any more misunderstandings. No matter how worried I am, I have to keep my distance. Apparently, even trying to help is wrong now.”

The moment those words left his mouth, every pair of eyes turned toward me.

As if I were the problem.

As if I were the unreasonable one.

Mrs. Farrington's expression darkened instantly.

“Sandra, are you happy now? Is this what you wanted? You've turned this family upside down with your jealousy and made everyone walk on eggshells around you.”

She slammed her teacup onto the table.

“Maxine is carrying Anthony's only child. She's family. What's wrong with Maverick helping take care of her when she's vulnerable and needs support?”

Mr. Farrington nodded coldly.

“Since you're so uncomfortable with it, then you can take responsibility. If you think everyone else is handling things incorrectly, then you can do it yourself.”

He pointed directly at me.

“From now on, you'll handle Maxine's daily needs. If she's sick, you take her to the hospital. Maybe then you'll understand how ridiculous you've been acting all this time.”

I lowered my head.

What was there to explain?

Nobody would've listened anyway.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

That only seemed to make them angrier.

As if my silence was proof of guilt.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Farrington tossed the car keys toward me.

“Go get the car. Stop standing there looking pitiful and do something useful for once. Everyone is waiting on you.”

I caught the keys and walked outside without arguing.

The estate's garage was massive, filled with armored luxury vehicles used by the Iron Crown Cartel. I climbed into one of the SUVs and started the engine.

The gates slowly opened.

I had barely driven a few feet out of the garage when everything happened.

A figure suddenly stumbled in front of the vehicle.

I slammed on the brakes.

The tires screeched.

Then I heard a scream.

“Ah! My leg! My leg hurts!”

My heart nearly stopped.

Maxine was lying on the ground beside the SUV while tears streamed down her face.

She clutched one leg dramatically. “It hurts so much. I think my leg is broken! The pain is unbearable.”

The entire household rushed outside.

Maverick was the first one there.

The moment he saw Maxine on the ground, his face changed.

“Maxine!” He dropped to his knees beside her and immediately reached for her. “Where does it hurt? Tell me exactly where. Don't panic, just look at me and breathe.”

His hands carefully checked her leg.

“Don't be scared. I'm here. Nothing is going to happen to you, so stay calm and let me help you.”

Maxine grabbed his sleeve tightly.

“Maverick... what if something happened to the baby? What if I lose my child? What if I did something wrong?” Her voice trembled. “I can't lose this baby. It's all I have left on this world.”

Maverick's eyes instantly filled with panic.

“No. Stop thinking like that. Nothing's going to happen to you, and nothing is going to happen to the baby either.” His voice became unusually gentle. “Do you hear me? You're going to be fine. I won't let anything happen to either of you.”

For a moment, they seemed to forget everyone else existed.

Forget that I was standing there.

Forget that I was his wife.

Then suddenly Mrs. Farrington pointed directly at me.

Her voice became shrill. “Sandra did this! She was driving! She hit Maxine with the car!”

The accusation exploded through the courtyard.

“She never wanted this pregnancy. She has been resentful from the very beginning. Who knows what she was thinking when she got behind that wheel?”

Before I could even react, people surged toward me. The bodyguards. The servants. The family.

The SUV door was yanked open, and rough hands dragged me outside.

“Sandra!” Mr. Farrington's face twisted with rage. “How could you do something so vicious? Have you completely lost your mind?!” His voice shook with anger. “She is your sister. She is carrying Anthony's child. How could you even think of harming her?”

The slap came before I could answer and pain exploded across my face. I staggered backward and blood immediately filled my mouth.

“I didn't...” I whispered.

But nobody cared.

“You didn't what?” Mr. Farrington grabbed my hair. “You didn't try to hurt her? You expect us to believe that after what we just saw?” His hand struck me again. “You think we're blind? You think we're all fools?”

The force made my ears ring.

Nearby, Mrs. Farrington was crying hysterically.

“My son is already dead! Anthony is gone, and now you want to hurt the woman carrying his baby?!”

Her voice cracked with grief. “What kind of monster are you? You hated this pregnancy from the beginning. You wanted this child gone because you couldn't stand seeing Maxine happy.”

Another slap landed, then another and another.

The world became blurry. I didn't fight back. Somewhere deep down, I kept hoping someone would stop them, but nobody did. Not even Maverick.

I looked toward him. The man who once promised to protect me. The man who controlled entire cities through fear and influence. The man who could stop this with a single word.

He just stood there, while his arm wrapped protectively around Maxine. His attention never left her.

Then Mr. Farrington shoved me hard. I lost my balance. My foot slipped against the pavement. The side of my head slammed into the SUV door.

A sharp crack echoed through my skull and warm blood immediately ran down my face.

The crowd gasped.

Only then did Maverick finally speak.

“Enough. Stop this right now. Standing here arguing isn't going to solve anything, and we're wasting precious time.” His voice was cold. “Everyone calm down.”

Relief almost washed over me. For one foolish second, I thought he was defending me. Then Maverick stood and helped Maxine to her feet. His gaze never even landed on me. “The priority right now is Maxine. She needs a doctor immediately, and that's where our attention should be. Nothing else matters until we know she's okay.”

My heart went completely numb.

Maxine continued crying. “My leg hurts so much. Maverick, I can't walk. I don't think I can even stand.”

Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist.“It's okay. I've got you. Lean on me and don't force yourself.” He carefully guided her forward. “You'll be fine. We'll get you checked immediately.”

I stared at her leg. There wasn't a single drop of blood.

Not one scratch.

Meanwhile blood dripped from my face onto the pavement. Yet nobody seemed to notice. Or maybe they noticed and simply didn't care.

Maverick guided Maxine into the vehicle. He closed the door carefully, and got into the driver's seat.

The engine started. And without looking back once, he drove away.

…

In the end, I went to the hospital alone.

Nobody came with me. Nobody asked if I was hurt. Nobody even checked whether I was okay.

The doctor gave me five stitches in my head. One side of my face was swollen beyond recognition. Dark bruises covered my arms, shoulders, and back.

Every movement hurt.

My in laws— they'd grabbed, shoved, slapped, and hit me so many times that there was barely any uninjured skin left on my body.

As the nurse carefully applied medicine to my wounds, she kept glancing at me.

Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Miss Sandra...” the nurse said gently. “Can I ask you something?”

I smiled weakly. “Of course.”

The nurse hesitated, then lowered her voice. “Is your husband hurting you? If he is, we can help. I can contact the police and connect you with people who know how to handle situations like this.”

For a moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I slowly shook my head.

“Thank you,” I said hoarsely. “But it's not my husband.”

The nurse looked confused but I didn't explain further. How could I? The truth was even more ridiculous. I wasn't being hurt by one person. I was being hurt by an entire family.

Just then, voices drifted in from the hallway.

I looked up instinctively.

And there they were.

Maverick and Maxine.

They were walking out of another examination room together while the doctor followed behind them.

“There's no need to worry,” the doctor said with a smile. “your wife's injury is extremely minor. Just a small scrape. A few days of rest and she'll be completely fine.”

Maverick immediately nodded. “Thank you, doctor, I appreciate everything. I'll personally take care of her until she's fully recovered.”

The doctor smiled and walked away.

Not once did Maverick explain that Maxine wasn't his wife. Not once did he correct the misunderstanding.

...

After the doctor left, he carefully supported Maxine as they walked through the hallway.

The sight made my chest ache.

Then Maxine suddenly laughed. “Maverick, look at us,” Maxine said playfully, tilting her head. “Don't we look like a married couple right now?”

Maverick chuckled. “Maybe we do." His eyes softened as he looked at her. “Especially now that you're carrying my baby.”

Maxine's smile widened. “Well, if that's the case, then someone must've been very hardworking,” she teased, resting a hand on her stomach. “After all, I got pregnant pretty quickly.”

Maverick laughed.

The sound echoed through the corridor.

“Is that your way of complimenting me?” he asked.

Maxine pretended to think.

“Maybe,” she replied. “Or maybe I'm just impressed.”

Maverick leaned closer.

“Impressed?”

“Very,” Maxine said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “You should be proud of yourself.”

The flirtation was shameless… Like neither of them cared who saw. I immediately looked away. I couldn't bear to watch anymore.

A few seconds later, the nurse beside me suddenly gasped.

“Oh no.” She crouched beside me. “Miss Sandra, why are you crying?” the nurse asked. “I didn't even notice until now.”

I blinked. Only then did I realize tears had already slipped down my face.

When did that happen? I didn't even know.

The nurse looked worried.“Are your injuries hurting that badly?” she asked. “Should I ask the doctor for stronger pain medication?”

I touched my cheek, then I laughed softly— a broken laugh.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “They hurt a lot.”

The nurse thought I was talking about my physical injuries.

But I wasn't... Because cuts healed. Bruises faded.

Stitches could be removed. But what about a broken heart?

Who could prescribe medicine for that?

Who could stitch that back together?

...

When we returned home, Maxine was treated like royalty.

The entire mansion revolved around her.

Bodyguards followed her everywhere. Servants rushed to fulfill her every request. My parents-in-law practically worshipped the ground she walked on.

And Maverick...

Maverick spoiled her most of all.

If she wanted something, he got it, immediately.

...

One night, she mentioned craving a specific imported mango cake at two in the morning.

Within ten minutes, Maverick was already getting dressed.

I watched from the bedroom doorway.

“It's two in the morning,” I said.

He looked up.

“So?”

“Stores are closed.”

“I'll find one that's open,” Maverick replied without hesitation.

Then he left.

An hour later, he returned carrying several boxes.

Maxine smiled like a child receiving a gift.

My mother-in-law praised him endlessly.

“Look at that,” she said proudly. “That's how family should take care of each other.”

Family.

The word almost made me laugh.

...

Later that night, Maverick sat beside me.

“Sandra.”

I didn't answer.

He sighed. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Maverick asked.

“Like what?”

“Like I'm some kind of villain.”

I stayed silent. Maverick rubbed his temples.

“You still don't understand,” he said patiently.

The same tone people used when explaining something obvious to a child.

“Everything I'm doing is because of you.”

I stared at him.

He continued.

“Anthony died protecting me,” Maverick said heavily. “Maxine lost her husband because of that. She lost her future. She lost everything.” He looked directly at me. “We already owe her a life.”

Then his expression darkened.

“And after the accident, things got even worse. Sandra, whether you intended it or not, she got hurt. Do you know how guilty I feel about that?”

His voice cracked slightly. “So yes, I'm taking care of her. Yes, I'm giving her extra attention. Because somebody has to.”

He leaned forward.

“I wasn't protecting you that day because I didn't want the family to hate you even more,” Maverick said. “Can't you understand that? I've been trying my best to clean up the mess and keep this family together.”

His eyes searched mine.

“So please. Stop fighting with Maxine. Stop targeting her. Please think about somebody besides yourself.”

For a moment, I just looked at him.

Then I smiled— a calm smile.

The kind that comes after you've finally given up.

“Don't worry,” I said softly. “I won't cause trouble anymore.”

Maverick immediately brightened. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I promise.”

The relief on his face was obvious. Before I could react, he pulled me into a hug.

“Thank God,” Maverick said, tightening his arms around me. “You've finally stopped overthinking everything. You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

I stood there quietly.

“And Maxine,” he said softly. “There's nothing between us. Anthony was my brother. Maxine is family and your older sister. She lost her husband.”

His voice became earnest.

“I'm only helping take care of her because Anthony isn't here anymore. If anything inappropriate happened between us, do you really think Anthony would forgive me? Do you think he'd let me get away with it?”

I almost smiled... Because the saddest thing wasn't the lie. It was how easily he told it.

Maverick didn't understand something.

People don't stop arguing because they've forgiven you. They don't stop fighting because everything is okay.

Arguments happen when someone still cares enough to stay. When they still hope things can be fixed. When they still want to be chosen.

The day someone becomes calm...

The day they stop crying...

The day they stop fighting...

That's usually the day they've already decided to leave.

And I had.

…

After that, I stopped paying attention to what was happening in the mansion.

The family continued treating Maxine like she was royalty. Every meal revolved around her, every conversation revolved around her, and every decision revolved around her. I simply stayed out of the way.

My overseas transfer had already been approved. My passport, visa, and documents were all ready. Soon, I'd be gone. Just a few more days. That's all I needed to endure.

I didn't want any more fights. I didn't want any more tears. I just wanted peace.

Unfortunately, peace never seemed to last long around Maxine.

That afternoon, I was organizing paperwork in my room when she walked in without knocking. The moment I looked up, I knew she hadn't come with good intentions. She was smiling, the smug kind of smile worn by someone who believed they'd already won.

She slowly sat down across from me and crossed her legs, one hand resting possessively on her stomach.

“You already know, don't you?” Maxine asked.

I didn't answer.

Maxine laughed softly. “The baby.” Her smile widened. “You know whose child this really is.”

The room fell silent, but I simply continued sorting my papers. That seemed to irritate her.

She leaned forward. “Sandra, let's stop pretending.” Her voice dripped with satisfaction. “Maverick got me pregnant. He chose me. And honestly? You should do yourself a favor and step aside.”

I finally looked at her.

Maxine's eyes glittered triumphantly. “If you divorce Maverick and leave quietly, I'll convince him not to make things difficult for you. After everything that's happened, that's already me being generous.”

I almost laughed. Not because she was funny, but because the arrogance was unbelievable.

Slowly, I closed the folder in front of me.

“Maxine.”

“Yes?”

“You seem awfully confident.”

Her smile froze slightly.

I tilted my head. “What makes you so sure Maverick would marry you after I leave?”

The room suddenly became tense.

I continued calmly. “You're Anthony's widow. Maverick was Anthony's identical twin. If the two of you got married, the entire city would talk about it.” I met her eyes. “Are you really sure that's what Maverick wants?”

I almost laughed. Not because she was funny, but because the arrogance was unbelievable.

Slowly, I closed the folder in front of me.

“Maxine.”

“Yes?”

“You seem awfully confident.”

Her smile froze slightly.

I tilted my head. “What makes you so sure Maverick would marry you after I leave?”

The room suddenly became tense.

I continued calmly. “You're Anthony's widow. Maverick was Anthony's identical twin. If the two of you got married, the entire city would talk about it.” I met her eyes. “Are you really sure that's what Maverick wants?”

The smug expression instantly disappeared.

Maxine shot to her feet. “How dare you?” Her face twisted with rage. “How dare you look down on me?”

She grabbed my collar, her nails digging into my skin.

“You think you're better than me because your marriage certificate still exists? You think you've won because your husband hasn't publicly abandoned you yet? You've always been like this.”

I frowned. “Like what?”

“Acting innocent.” Her voice became venomous. “Ever since we were kids, everyone pitied you. But what did you ever have that I didn't?”

She laughed bitterly.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Then her expression changed. A cruel smile slowly spread across her face, and something about it made my stomach tighten.

“Since we're being honest, maybe I should tell you the truth.”

I didn't respond.

Maxine lowered her voice. “Maverick never loved you the way you think he did.”

The words hit harder than I expected.