After four years of marriage, my husband's old flame, who was thought to be deceased, returned.

He abandoned me, the one who had built everything with him, and declared to everyone that she was the love of his life.

Seeing them deeply in love, I felt disheartened. I silently left him, never looking back.

Later, someone said he was in a sorry state, tirelessly traveling from one state to another just to find me.

But I was no longer in this world.

"Louisa, stop! Can't you understand if I say I can't make it back today?" Lucas Dent's irritated voice came through the phone. Without waiting for my response, he hung up.

Stunned, I held the phone, staring at the words on the coffee table report. A sense of desolation surged from within me.

He knew I wasn't feeling well yesterday and promised to come back to accompany me to the hospital.

I waited for him all night and called him numerous times, but no one answered.

After a check-up at the hospital, the doctor informed me that I was pregnant.

I longed for this child's arrival because, in this world, this child was the only one related to me by blood.

In the previous world, I had no family or friends. After a fatal accident, the System found me.

It said that if I could win over Lucas, it would give me a chance at life.

I didn't want to accept this task initially, but as I spent time with Lucas, my feelings changed.

After successfully winning him over, I begged the System to let me stay in this world.

After all, this was the only place where my love was.

That day, the System remained silent for a long time before reluctantly agreeing to my request.

Now, I could finally live well in this world with my own beautiful family and children.

But before I could rejoice for long, the doctor told me I had a terminal illness with no cure.

No wonder I had lost so much weight, my hair was falling out severely, and I occasionally had nosebleeds. I thought it was just stress lately.

Subconsciously seeking my husband's help, he said those words that shattered my heart.

Picking up my phone and browsing, I discovered my husband's latest Instagram post.

There was a picture of hands intertwined, captioned: [You're finally back.]

The comments were flooded with well wishes for their eternal happiness.

In the next picture, two familiar faces appeared.

I thought, "How could it be her? Wasn't she... already dead?"

I tried to recall the events of these days, only to realize that everything had signs.

Lucas was acting strange.

The person who used to help with household chores now incessantly typed on his phone as soon as he got home, even holding it while eating, his smile never leaving his face.

Curious, I leaned over to see what he was doing, but he suddenly slammed the phone shut. He said with a harsh tone and a face of guilt, "Louisa, can I have some privacy? You're so annoying!"

But I was his wife.

Not one for arguments, I left dejectedly to clean up, and when I emerged, he was still smiling, texting on his phone.

...

I sat on the sofa all afternoon until it grew dark and Lucas returned.

He seemed tired but exuded a relaxed and cheerful aura.

Seeing me, he wore a long face. "What are you doing here?"

Without answering, I asked, "Where were you?"

He dropped his bag with a thud, questioning, "Can't I have things to do? Am I your pet? Do I have to report my whereabouts to you?"

My heart felt like it was being twisted by a hand.

I struggled to calm my sadness, closing my eyes and saying with disappointment, "Let's get a divorce, Lucas."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Louisa, are you starting this again? Just because I didn't come home for one night? Is it necessary to make such a fuss?"

"So, you think it's right to abandon your wife and spend the whole night with Emilia Clarke?"

I saw him clench his fist abruptly, then release it. He laughed. "Did you see that Instagram post? Ha, she posted that using my phone as a joke. I deleted it immediately after I found out."

Lucas didn't deny being with Emilia the entire night, instead diverting the topic.

I couldn't hold back my anger anymore, raising my voice. "Lucas! I am your wife!"

"So what? Louisa, didn't you say you were here to conquer me? Let me tell you, if it wasn't for the fact that only conquering you could bring Emilia back to life, I wouldn't have married you!"

My face instantly turned pale. I was unable to believe such words could come from his mouth.

I thought, "Could it be that all my years of dedication to him were just a joke? Were all his kindness towards me over the years just an act?"

After uttering those words, Lucas slammed the door and left, leaving me alone on the sofa.

Emilia, his former lover, was the exception to all his rules.

When I was sixteen, I had already fallen for him, but at that time, his eyes were only for Emilia.

Young, spirited youths always had an allure. With a heart full of teenage emotions, I wrote him a love letter.

When Lucas read it, he chuckled, "Why do you like me?"

Under his gaze, I was extremely nervous, blurting out, "Because I want to conquer you."

He burst into laughter, asking if I had the System. I nodded earnestly, but he couldn't stop laughing.

I thought he wouldn't believe it.

Little did I know, he would tell Emilia about this, and it became the reason for Emilia to leave him.

That was when we were eighteen. Suddenly, one day, Emilia disappeared.

Later, we found out she had died.

Lucas was devastated at the time. His family went bankrupt, and he was targeted by his enemies.

I saved him. For that, I ended up with a long scar on my head.

When I woke up in the hospital, he was holding me, crying bitterly. I thought my sincerity had finally moved him.

But now, in retrospect, he probably had no choice but to be with me, feeling sad because he had to be with me to revive his old lover.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I placed the divorce agreement on the table, packed my things, and left the home we had shared for six years.

It was hours later when I received his call.

"Louisa, where are you? Hurry back and prepare a room, Emilia will be staying with us for a while."

I could hear the door opening on the other end of the line. Suddenly, there was silence. After a while, Lucas gritted his teeth and said, "Louisa, are you serious?"

It seemed he had seen that only his things were left in the closet.

After being hurt countless times, I could only feel numbness. I weakly said, "Once you sign it, we'll proceed with the divorce immediately."

"Louisa, you..."

Emilia's voice, filled with a hint of guilt and grievance, came clearly through the phone.

"Lucas, are you guys going to divorce just because of me? I'm sorry, I've caused trouble for you. It's my fault. I was too excited upon seeing you."

"Don't say so much to her. She can't leave me. After all, I am her conquest," Lucas sneered.

I listened calmly, gripping my sleeve tightly.

"Alright. Lucas, can I sleep in this room? I prefer the blue tones," Emilia said

That was our room.

Feeling nervous, I bit my lip tightly, hoping he would refuse. It was our master bedroom, after all.

Without a second thought, Lucas agreed, "Sure, if you like it, you can stay."

I bit so hard that I tasted a faint metallic tang in my mouth. I rushed to the bathroom, unable to stop retching.

I thought, "Lucas, what happen to your cleanliness?"

Though we had lived together for six years, we only started sharing a room after we got married.

On our wedding night, I entered the room without removing my makeup or showering, and he yelled, "Louisa! How could you just come into the room like this?! It's filthy!"

I nervously explained, clutching my skirt, "It's not dirty, I didn't touch the bed..."

But he slammed the door and left, leaving me alone in the empty house.

I tried apologizing via my phone, but I never received a response from him.

It wasn't until 1 a.m. that Lucas returned, completely drunk.

I felt helpless and frightened that night.

So, after that day, I always made sure to shower and change before entering the room.

But now, this rule seemed to have lost its significance since Emilia returned.

Late at night, the familiar symptoms hit me again. I started feeling dizzy. Everything I had eaten that evening came back up.

It wasn't until dawn that I managed to drift off to sleep, only to be abruptly awakened by the ringing of the phone.

It was Lucas' mother, Miranda Dent, calling.

As soon as I picked up, Miranda's booming voice echoed through the receiver, "Louisa, remember to come over early tonight to help me with cooking. Lucas' uncles are coming over today. We can't afford to be lazy!

"Oh, and don't forget to buy groceries, get some fish and meat, don't be stingy."

I pinched my throbbing forehead and replied, "Mom, Lucas and I are planning to get a divorce."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a sharper tone. "Divorce? What divorce? Louisa, as women, what can't we endure? Don't stay mad at Lucas."

I thought, "Ah, so now it's my fault?"

I was about to refuse, but then I thought of something, prompting me to reluctantly agree.

When I arrived at Miranda's house, there were already several people outside, leisurely eating snacks.

Seeing me empty-handed, Miranda glared at me and said, "Where are the groceries you were supposed to buy?"

"Mom, I haven't been feeling well lately, so I won't be cooking today," I explained.

She was about to scold me but was held back by the other relatives.

"Hey, hey, Miranda! It's okay, I'll have my husband go buy them. It won't take long. No need to feel upset."

Twenty minutes later, watching the chaotic scene in the kitchen, I felt a sense of relief.

Not long after we got married, Miranda insisted that I cook, claiming that all women should know how to cook, or they wouldn't be considered virtuous.

Lucas immediately rejected the idea.

"Mom! Louisa isn't here to cook!"

Seeing the mother and son about to argue, I quickly intervened, "It's okay, it's okay. I actually wanted to show off my skills today. Mom, take a break."

From that day on, whenever I visited, it was always expected for me to cook.

One day, feeling uncomfortable due to my menstrual cycle, I expressed my reluctance to cook.

But this time, it wasn't Miranda who opposed me. It was Lucas.

He said, "We're used to your cooking, a little stomach ache won't hurt. It might even help distract you and alleviate the pain."

I pushed through and cooked the meal while they enjoyed it, commenting on the flavors, "This is a bit salty... That's a bit bland... This one's not bad."

Yet, not a single person noticed that I barely ate a few bites, my lips growing paler by the minute.

As we got into the car, I suddenly felt a wave of pain and passed out.

When I woke up, Lucas was anxiously holding my hand. Seeing that I regained consciousness, he sighed in relief and tenderly said, "Louisa, it's my fault. But my mom raised me all by herself, let's cut her some slack. I promise to treat you better in the future." With that, he kissed my forehead.

I was young at the time and didn't notice the problem in his words, so I could only agree to it in a daze.

Now, as the dishes were being served, Lucas finally arrived, accompanied by a familiar woman.

Seeing so many people at home, he seemed momentarily stunned.

I thought, "Does he not know that a bunch of relatives are coming over today? How dare he bring Emilia along?"

At the dinner table, Lucas sat between Emilia and me, a silent tension filling the air.

A nosy relative, with a hint of malice, asked, "Oh, Lucas, this... don't you want to introduce her?"

"Hello, I'm..."

"A friend who did me a favor, so I invited her over for dinner," Lucas casually replied, interrupting Emilia before she could speak.

I witnessed Emilia's face alternating between pale and red, a picture of extreme embarrassment.

The relative shrugged disinterestedly and went back to her meal.

The dinner table fell into a heavy silence, devoid of the cheerful chatter from before.

"Lucas, I fancy those chicken wings."

Lucas pushed the chicken wings in front of her without a word, urging her to eat. After that, he suddenly realized what he had done and hastily pushed a plate of pork belly towards me.

I recoiled in disgust and pushed the plate away.

"Louisa! How could you do this? Lucas kindly offered you some meat!" Emilia exclaimed indignantly.

"I don't like things that have been touched by others." My words carried a double meaning, causing everyone at the table to look up in unison.

I stood up smoothly, gazing at Lucas. "I'm done eating. Do we have a moment now? Let's have the elders here as witnesses. Lucas and I are planning to get a divorce."