The doctor put Evelyn through a full psychological evaluation.

Once the consultation room door closed, every question cut straight into the ugliest parts of her past.

Half an hour later, Evelyn walked out trembling, her eyes brimming with tears.

Years of suppressed emotions finally broke free. She instinctively threw herself into Nathan's arms, burying her face against his chest, clinging to the warmth.

Nathan stiffened for a moment, then raised his hand and gently patted her back.

His voice softened, coaxing her over and over, "It's okay. It's all over now. Don't be scared."

Annelise stood to the side, her fingers freezing midair at the sight.

A flicker of loneliness passed through her eyes, though she forced a smile. "Nathan, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go deal with it. Evelyn is in your hands."

With that, she left in a hurry.

Nathan kept his eyes on the direction she had left, only lowering his gaze after she was completely gone. Then he handed the coffee in his hand to Evelyn.

The session had dragged Evelyn back into that dark, cramped room from her past.

Fear and helplessness swallowed her whole. Only that embrace gave her a fleeting sense of warmth.

She took the warm coffee, her nose stinging. "I feel better. Thank you."

A cold voice cut in. "If you're fine, let go."

Evelyn looked up and met a pair of unfathomable eyes.

Before she could react, Nathan had already pulled away from her.

He stared straight at her. "You're jealous of Annelise, aren't you?"

Evelyn froze, the tears still lingering in her eyes, confusion filling her face. "She's always been good to me…"

Nathan let out a cold laugh. "So you take advantage of her kindness, cling to me in front of her, calling me your husband again and again, just to hurt her on purpose? And you call that being considerate?"

"No, that's not what I meant." Panic flooded her. She grabbed his sleeve. "I was just scared. I couldn't control myself. I won't do it again, please don't be mad…"

Before she could finish, Nathan shook her hand off violently.

"Take a cab home yourself."

He turned and walked away without a second thought.

The June sun blazed overhead, yet Evelyn stood frozen in place, a chill seeping from her chest to the tips of her limbs.

The therapist called, concern evident in their voice. "Ms. Whitmore, are you feeling any better? You can come back this afternoon for another session. It would really help your recovery."

Evelyn forced a bitter smile. "No, I won't be coming back."

She hung up, then threw the still-warm coffee into the trash. That sweetness had never belonged to her.

As soon as she stepped through the door, a servant approached quietly. "Miss Whitmore, Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore have gone to Westmere on vacation. They said they needed a break."

Evelyn nodded silently. "Okay."

She knew they were just avoiding her.

Night fell. Evelyn sat alone on the swing in the yard, staring blankly at the stars.

A noise came from the gate, and she looked up.

Nathan walked in with Annelise in his arms, the two of them close and intimate. When he lowered his head to speak to her, his expression softened in a way Evelyn had never seen in three years of marriage.

Their eyes met, and both froze. Nathan's hand, resting on Annelise's waist, dropped abruptly.

Evelyn looked away first, her voice calm, as if she had seen nothing. "When did you get back? I was lost in thought just now, didn't notice."

Nathan and Annelise exchanged a glance, their expressions quickly returning to normal.

Annelise stepped forward and handed her a paper bag. "Evelyn, we passed by that bakery you said you liked. I picked up a few for you."

The bag was still warm. Evelyn took it and ate three in quick succession.

She swallowed hurriedly, forcing a smile. "Thank you. They're really good. I'm happy."

Annelise looked at her in confusion, at the tear-streaked face still wearing a bright smile.

Just as she was about to speak, Nathan cut in. "You sound congested. Go take a hot shower."

Back in the bedroom.

Evelyn quietly took out a blanket and laid it on the other side of the bed, putting distance between herself and Nathan.

She had just lain down when she heard Nathan sigh behind her. "You know, don't you?"

Evelyn pulled the blanket over her head, wrapping herself tightly. "I'm going to sleep."

She didn't want to hear it. Didn't want to face it. She just wanted to run from everything.

But the next second, Nathan reached out, dragging her out from under the blanket and forcing her to look at him.

His voice was blunt and merciless, each word cutting deep into her. "Evelyn, I can play the role of a good husband in public and keep this marriage looking respectable. But remember this, I may stay here, but my heart will always belong to your sister. Do you understand?"

Evelyn lay awake all night, tears streaming down her face.

At dawn, the bedroom door was kicked open. Nathan stormed in, grabbed Evelyn by the arm, and dragged her toward the living room.

His grip felt like it would crush her bones. Evelyn looked up, confused and helpless. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Nathan's teeth clenched, rage spilling into every word. "I thought you were innocent, kind. Turns out it was all an act."

He shoved his phone right in front of her. "Look at what you've done."

The screen was filled with glaring trending headlines.

"Annelise Whitmore—the fake heiress who took everything."

"Nathan Langford cheated in marriage with Annelise Whitmore."

"'The Other Woman' Annelise destroys her sister's marriage."

Each headline was marked with a glaring red "Hot."

The attached photos showed Nathan holding Annelise, kissing her, the two of them wrapped closely together.

Evelyn's face drained of color as she rushed toward Annelise, whose eyes were already red.

"It wasn't me." Evelyn grabbed her hand. "Annelise, I didn't take those photos, and I didn't leak them. You believe me, don't you?"

Before she could finish, Nathan yanked her away and shoved her hard to the floor.

Evelyn hit the cold tile floor.

She looked up as Nathan stepped in front of Annelise, disgust written all over his face. "I don't care what tricks you used. Stop this immediately. This afternoon, I'm holding a press conference. Everything will be pinned on you. You were jealous of your sister, so you planned all of this to ruin her."

Hurried footsteps sounded at the door as Richard and Margaret rushed back from overseas.

The moment Margaret stepped inside, she slapped Evelyn hard across the face. "You ungrateful child, do you have to tear this family apart?"

Evelyn stood there, stunned, clutching her cheek. The words "It wasn't me" stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

"I've lived my life doing good, and this is the daughter I get? So vicious, so cruel! I should've never let you be born. Then you wouldn't be here hurting Annelise like this!"

Richard stopped Margaret, his tone firm. "Enough. The priority now is the press conference. We need to clear Annelise's name."

Nathan spoke coldly. "I've already handled the magazine that published the photos. Now we just need Evelyn to admit she's behind it. That's the only way to fix this."

"Exactly. She's Nathan's legal wife. If she takes the blame, people will believe it."

All eyes in the room turned to Evelyn.

Margaret grabbed her hand, her voice pleading. It was the first time in Evelyn's life her mother had looked at her with such urgency, the first time she had ever pulled her into an embrace.

"Evelyn, I'm begging you. Your sister has always treated you well. She protected you, gave you everything. Can you really stand by and watch her reputation be destroyed?"

Richard added coldly from the side, "Annelise is the sole heir of the company. Nothing can happen to her. If this isn't resolved, your name will be removed from the Whitmore family."

Nathan held out a contract. "As long as you step forward, fifty million dollars will be transferred to you immediately."

Evelyn slowly lifted her head, looking at the four people surrounding her, the ones she had once believed were closest to her.

Ignoring the urgency, the pleading, and the carefully hidden disgust in their eyes, the scene looked almost exactly like the one she had dreamed of as a child.

She had once dreamed of being the one at the center of their attention.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. In front of all of them, she tore the contract into pieces. "I won't let anyone hurt Annelise."

At the press conference.

Flashes went off in a frenzy, blinding, almost swallowing her whole.

Reporters packed the place, shoulder to shoulder. Strangers had even come just to support Evelyn, holding up their phones and shouting.

"Ms. Whitmore, don't be afraid! We're all on your side!"

Evelyn sat at the microphone in a simple white dress, Nathan's carefully scripted lines repeating in her mind, lines he had revised countless times overnight.

The more tragic the childhood sounded, the more sympathy it would earn, making everything that followed seem justified.

That was what Nathan had taught her.

Evelyn faced the cameras and spoke about the cold leftover food she had eaten, the endless piles of laundry in the winter, and the old dog that used to curl around her at night and keep her company through the darkness.

Last night, when Nathan forced her to relive those memories, every word had felt like it was tearing her apart.

But now, she finished recounting it all calmly, without a trace of emotion on her face.

After a brief pause, she followed Nathan's instructions. Her tone turned cold, almost obsessive, as she spoke into the microphone, word by word.

"So I hated her. I hated that Annelise took the life that should have been mine, took my parents, took everything from me. I ruined every dress she owned. Her fiancé, Nathan, I got him drunk and dragged him into my bed. Her identity, her life, her man… all of it should have been mine! But even after marriage, Nathan only loved Annelise. I was jealous. I hated her for taking my love, so I faked those photos to smear her, to scare her. It wasn't until a lawyer warned me that I realized how wrong I was. Today, I'm here to say this… to Annelise, and to everyone… I'm sorry."

The entire room erupted.

Flashes exploded again, blinding and relentless.

"So she's the real homewrecker!"

"She staged the whole thing herself. Disgusting!"

The livestream audience exploded. Some broke past security and rushed into the venue, hurling vegetables and eggs at Evelyn. Filth splattered across her white dress.

Bodyguards rushed in, shielding her as they hurried her out.

Inside the car, Nathan closed the livestream and smiled in satisfaction. "Evelyn, you did great. Perfect. The narrative's flipped. Annelise is safe now."

Richard and Margaret stepped forward as well, patting her shoulder, smiling warmly. "Good girl. This is all thanks to you. Once the company stabilizes, Annelise will take over, and we'll transfer twenty percent of the shares to you. You'll be taken care of for life."

Relief flickered in Annelise's eyes. "Evelyn, thank you."

Everyone was smiling. Everyone looked relieved. Evelyn forced a smile along with them.

For the next two days, she left early and returned late, avoiding everyone on purpose.

She went to the mall and picked out farewell gifts for them.

Late that night, when she returned home, she found Nathan sitting on the couch, his shirt disheveled, his eyes bloodshot. "Evelyn, I underestimated you."