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.

When I did not respond, Austin seemed to snap from humiliation and anger. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

"My wife is dead, so Candice belongs with me forever now! Don't think you can take her away from me!"

Just then, Candice arrived. The moment she saw him raise his hand at me, she instinctively rushed over.

…

Her eyes landed on the bright red handprint on my face, and anger flashed across her expression.

"Austin! He's still our brother-in-law. How could you…"

However, in the very next second, Austin clutched the child tightly and burst into tears.

"I didn't mean to! Jon hates that we had a child together. He tried to snatch the baby away and throw him to the ground. I only hit him out of a father's instinct…"

Candice immediately switched sides. Whatever respect or distance she used to maintain disappeared from her face, replaced entirely by fury.

"My sister's death wasn't our fault! Why would you hurt my child? How can you be so cruel?

"A vicious man like you doesn't deserve anyone's sympathy. Maybe my sister just didn't want to see you anymore, so she hid herself away!"

My arms hung limply at my sides.

So this was what she had truly been thinking all these years?

Candice's eyes were red as she glared at me, her chest rising and falling with anger.

When she saw that I still said nothing, her tone finally softened, carrying a strange sense of pity.

"Don't worry. My sister will come back someday. She hasn't officially been declared dead yet, has she? When she returns, you two can just have another child."

I shook my head numbly.

"I'm not looking for her anymore."

The moment the words left my mouth, Candice's expression darkened. She looked genuinely shocked.

"What do you mean you're not looking anymore? You kept saying you loved my sister, and now you're giving up just like that? You…"

Austin quickly pulled the agitated woman back and shamelessly tried to smooth things over.

"Let Jon get some rest. Come on, let's go back to our room and work on having a second baby, darling."

Candice's gaze lingered on me for several more seconds, unreadable and conflicted. In the end, she still let Austin pull her out of the room.

Early the next morning, I came downstairs with my luggage and heard a trace of panic in Candice's voice.

"Last night Jon suddenly said he's done looking for me. I just… forget it. Hurry and help me handle it. I need my identity back."

Candice, there's no need for any of that anymore.

Without looking back, I left the Jenkins family home and drove toward the Scott residence to discuss the wedding arrangements.

After ending the call, Candice hurriedly pushed open my bedroom door, only to find it completely empty.

"Jon…"

Her heart skipped in panic. She had barely called out my name when Mrs. Jenkins walked over happily toward her.

"Oh my, our family really has double the good news lately!"

Candice froze for a moment, confused.

"Double the good news? Other than me giving the Jenkins family a grandson, what else happened?"

Mrs. Jenkins crossed her arms smugly.

"Hmph. Of course I mean your brother-in-law remarrying. He brought bad luck to your sister and got her killed. Now he's finally willing to get the hell out of our family!"

The moment those words fell, Candice's pupils shrank violently. In her shock, she accidentally blurted out, "What? But we're not even divorced yet. How could he possibly…"

Before she could finish, a phone call from her friend came through.

"Candice, it looks like someone already erased your records. If you want your original identity back now… I'm afraid that won't be possible anymore."