My wife, an airline captain, was eight months pregnant when her plane crashed.

In the middle of the disaster, she carried out an emergency landing.

I searched through the wreckage for any sign of my wife, Candice Jenkins, only to be told that not even her remains could be found.

Other than me, the only survivors were my wife’s younger sister and her brother-in-law, Austin Ryles.

I searched frantically for my wife’s whereabouts, but five months later, I accidentally overheard my sister-in-law arguing with a friend while drunk.

"Austin suddenly lost his wife, and his arm was injured in the crash. How could I just leave him alone?

"Back then, Jon Cole’s mother drugged me and forced me to marry him. After all these years, it’s impossible for me not to feel some resentment. I might as well use this chance to make up for my regrets. Once Austin’s arm recovers, everything can go back to normal."

Only then did I realize that the 'sister-in-law' standing before me was actually my missing wife, Candice Jenkins.

My heart turned cold. I threw her memorial portrait into the trash and called my parents.

"Stop looking for Candice. Just erase her records.

"I’m remarrying."

"Even if Candice Jenkins is really dead, there should at least be a body. There's nothing at all. Are you really going to stop looking for her?"

I clenched my phone so tightly my fingers hurt, but for a long time, I said nothing.

At the same time, angry voices drifted out from the private room behind the door.

"Faking your own death is one thing, but you could've at least left your sister's body behind. At least then Jon Cole would've given up."

"He's practically gone insane searching for her everywhere. It's honestly pitiful to watch."

Candice lounged lazily against the sofa, her expression unreadable.

"I was afraid Austin Ryles would be too upset, so I had my sister's body cremated right away. If Jon wants to keep searching, let him."

"After what his family did to force me into submission back then, this is the least they deserve. Think of it as payback."

Bitterness flashed through her eyes.

She had never forgiven my mother for drugging her in a moment of desperation, unable to bear watching me suffer through my hopeless one-sided love. That single impulsive act had trapped Candice beside me for five whole years.

Who would have thought that the wife who had always seemed so gentle and caring toward me had secretly hated me this deeply all along?

After a bitter laugh at myself, tears finally spilled from my eyes, cold against my skin.

On the day of the plane crash, all of Candice's coworkers from the airline came to comfort me. They told me to accept reality and move on.

But everything had happened too suddenly. I could not accept it.

I knelt outside the airline company for three days and three nights, begging for an explanation.

Why was there no trace of my wife's body?

Why did this plane crash end without answers?

I kept believing she was still alive. But after hearing nothing from her again and again, there were countless nights when I wanted to die with her and end everything.

And now I find out it was all fake.

A ridiculous, cruel performance that Candice staged herself from beginning to end.

All this time, right under my nose, she had been showing off her love with Austin day after day. Did she really not feel even the slightest guilt?

She brought me into her home under the identity of her 'sister,' occasionally throwing me scraps of kindness as if that could somehow make up for the damage she had done.

I leaned weakly against the wall and slowly slid to the floor. After a long silence, I finally spoke.

"Mom, from now on, I'll put the Cole family business first.

"If I'm going to remarry anyway, then arrange for me to marry the Scott family's eldest daughter.

"The one in the wheelchair."

The Scott family was a perfect match for ours in both status and power.

My mother clearly could not bear the thought of me marrying a disabled woman, but after hearing the ugly truth, she quietly agreed.

"Then… are you really not going to tell Candice about your kidney injury?"

"What if she softens after hearing about it? After all… you loved her so much back then."

I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.

"I'll just have it removed quietly myself."

Since she was willing to stay by Austin's side under a new identity, then I would grant her that wish completely.

Let Candice disappear from this world for good.

…

I had just gotten into the car and was about to leave when I saw Candice hurrying toward the hospital in a panic.

A moment later, my phone buzzed with a message from her:

"Jon, you're my brother-in-law, our family's finally getting some wonderful news. I'm about to give birth!"

My wife of five years, who had once loved me so deeply, was now calling me 'brother-in-law' over and over again, treating my child as someone else's.

At that moment, everything suddenly felt meaningless.

I did not bother replying. Instead, I headed straight to the hospital and went to the registration counter to apply for kidney surgery.

The young nurse looked at me sympathetically.

"Where's your spouse? You should at least discuss something this serious with your family. Don't carry everything alone."

I glanced toward the delivery room area.

Candice stood there holding a baby in her arms, her face overflowing with tenderness and affection.

Without realizing it, I let out a self-mocking smile.

"My spouse is dead. So I'll be handling the surgery myself."

The nurse awkwardly let out a quiet "oh" and quickly processed my registration.

I had planned to hide in a corner and quietly wait for the operation, but Candice still spotted me. She immediately walked over happily.

"Brother-in-law, I had a baby boy. The Jenkins family finally has an heir."

However, when she saw the numb expression on my face, the smile on hers slowly stiffened. A trace of guilt seemed to flash through her eyes.

"I know you always wanted a child. Actually, I... no, my sister also really wanted one. If she were still here..."

I stared at her flattened stomach, and my chest tightened so painfully it felt like someone was twisting my heart.

All these years, I really had wanted a child.

And now my child was standing right in front of me.

However, I no longer had the right to acknowledge him.

Just then, two doctors called out at almost the same time from nearby.

"Ms. Jenkins, your husband's looking for you!"

"Mr. Cole, it's your turn for surgery!"

Maybe she was too overwhelmed with happiness, because she never noticed someone calling my name.

We brushed past each other.

She cradled the newborn in her arms, smiling as she played with him.

And I was on my way to have one of my kidneys removed.

Thankfully, the surgery didn't take long.

Not long after I came out of the operating room, Candice insisted on dragging me into the ward to see the baby.

Even after the accident, Austin was still unbelievably handsome. One glance was enough to tell he had been very well cared for all these years.

Meanwhile, the reflection staring back at me in the mirror looked exhausted and worn down, older than my real age by several years.

Candice subconsciously reached into her pocket for a cigarette. But the moment Austin shot her a look, she immediately smiled obediently and tossed the cigarette pack into the trash.

Back then, I had tried countless times to convince her to quit smoking for the sake of her health.

She had never listened once.

Austin looked at me with a grin.

"My wife listens to everything I say. For the baby, she quit smoking just like that. Guess I really married the right woman."

Every word carried an unmistakable sense of possession.

Did he also know that the woman in front of him was Candice, not his actual wife?

Before I could think further, my parents-in-law came rushing over. They brushed past me entirely, eager to see their grandson.

The three of them, together with my in-laws, looked exactly like one big happy family.

And what was I?

I could not even call myself the widower of my own wife.

When I returned home, the Scott family had already sent over several photos, along with the wedding suit and diamond ring prepared for the ceremony.

I never expected Candice to suddenly appear behind me.

The moment she saw the eldest daughter of the Scott family on my phone screen, her entire expression tightened with panic.

"Who is that?

"Jon... what are you trying to do?"

I ignored the fact that she was in such a panic. Keeping my tone casual, I said, "Your sister's gone. My family arranged a blind date for me. A widower remarrying is perfectly normal, isn't it?"

…

Candice's expression darkened immediately.

"No!"

Maybe she realized her reaction had been too intense, because a second later she forced herself to lower her voice.

"I mean… my sister's only been missing for less than a year. You can't remarry this quickly.

"I'm her biological sister, and you're my brother-in-law. You and my sister were so in love when she was alive. How can you change your heart so fast? I can't just watch you leave the Jenkins family.

"And what if... I mean, what if one day my sister comes back? They still haven't found her body. She might not even be dead…"

Watching how nervous she looked honestly confused me a little.

She clearly hated me. Could barely stand me. So why was she trying so hard to stop me from remarrying?

When she saw me continue flipping through the matchmaking photos without responding, Candice started getting anxious. She snatched my phone away and impulsively deleted all the pictures.

"You should just stay with the Jenkins family already. Stop thinking about marrying someone else!"

She was so flustered she even forgot to call me 'brother-in-law.'

The woman opened her mouth to continue, but before she could say anything else, her phone rang.

"The doctor said I got an infection after surgery. You need to come over right now. I'll probably need another operation, and they need you to sign the paperwork."

Before Austin could even finish speaking on the other end, Candice had already rushed out the door, not even stopping to grab her coat.

Only then did I realize something.

The reason she told me not to remarry was probably just polite talk from the perspective of a younger sister. Nothing more.

I let out a bitter laugh, asked the Scott family to resend the photos, then picked out a suit and a diamond ring.

After that, I threw away every photo and belonging connected to Candice, treating it as if this person had never existed in my life at all.

That evening, when I was halfway through packing, Candice came home carrying the child, with Austin beside her.

"Luckily it was just a false alarm. One anti-inflammatory injection fixed it." She smiled at me naturally. "Brother-in-law, I'll have to trouble you to keep taking care of Austin from now on. Just think of it as helping my sister take care of her brother-in-law."

I tightened my grip around the trash bag in my hand, not even wanting to respond.

Candice noticed the bedroom looked strangely empty through the half-open door and was just about to ask about it when she suddenly stepped aside to answer a phone call.

As I went downstairs to throw out the trash, I heard her confident voice drifting from around the corner.

"His family only introduced him to a blind date, that's all. You know Jon. He's still completely hung up on me.

"Even if he can't find me, he'd probably die for me. There's no way he'll agree to the matchmaking."

I let out a mocking laugh and went back upstairs to continue packing.

After all, I was leaving tomorrow.

What I did not expect was for Austin to follow me into the room.

He smugly stroked the child in his arms, revealing a sinister expression I had never seen before.

"Jon, do you really think your wife died in that accident?

"Let me do you a favor and tell you the truth. The woman you think is your sister-in-law is the real Candice.

"She willingly stays by my side while turning you into a pathetic widower.

"Back then, you cried like the sky was falling and practically wanted to die alongside Candice. It was honestly laughable."

Yeah.

I really was stupid.

I never doubted Candice's love for me for even a second.

I believed there was no way she would abandon me after the plane crash.

Believed she could never fall for another man.

But those days were gone forever.