On the day of my wedding, I had just discovered I was pregnant when news of Gavin Holt's death reached me. I wept until my eyes were swollen, yet still clung to his portrait and insisted on completing the ceremony.

The very next day, his twin brother Sebastian Holt, came with Charlotte Evans, to break off the marriage on behalf of his brother.

"My brother said before he died that Charlotte was his one true love. If she cannot enter the Holt family, he'll never rest in peace!"

Taking advantage of the fact I had no family to back me up, Sebastian shamelessly brought Charlotte into my bridal chamber and slept with her. Their moans and gasps filled the room.

On the very first day of my marriage, I was humiliated by my own brother-in-law and turned into a laughingstock for the entire city.

Then, by chance, I overheard their conversation.

"Gavin, you lied to Emily, told her you were dead. What if she finds out?"

"She's so foolish. Even now, she mourns my 'death' with blind devotion. Once she gives birth to the child, we'll drive her out of the Holt family."

Only then did I learn the truth that the one who had died in that car accident wasn't Gavin at all, but his twin brother!

Later, I chose to end the pregnancy and leave. Yet he went mad, begging me to return.

"Gavin, you've already faked your death. Why are you still keeping Emily around? Don't tell me you've actually fallen for her?"

"Don't be ridiculous. The accident left me sterile. If she weren't carrying my child, I would've kicked her to the curb a long time ago.

"Charlotte, don't worry. She's just a walking incubator. Once she gives birth, the baby will be yours on paper. In my heart, there's only ever been you."

Charlotte Evans blushed, playfully thumping Gavin Holt's chest before hesitantly asking, "But… what about your brother? Do you really think you can keep this from your parents?"

He was silent for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh.

"We have to try. Dad and Mom always loved Sebastian best. They were going to leave the entire family fortune to him. If I hadn't made a move first, then…"

The bouquet of flowers I was carrying froze in my hands. The vase slipped from my grasp and shattered on the floor.

So… the one who died in that car crash wasn't Gavin at all. It was his brother, Sebastian Holt!

"Emily? What are you doing up?" Gavin—no, "Sebastian"—rushed out, his face sharp with panic.

"The flowers by Gavin's memorial had wilted. I was just coming to replace them." I forced down my shock, bent to pick up the shards, and tried to keep my voice steady.

"You're sure you didn't hear anything?"

"Positive. I'd just reached the doorway when I dropped the tray."

Relief flickered across his face, though his tone was still impatient.

"Before Gavin passed, he said that even though his heart belonged to Charlotte, you were pregnant, so we owe you some consideration. Next time, let the servants handle this. Go back to bed.

"And one more thing… stop coming to the room Charlotte and I share."

I muttered a quiet "okay," but pain was clawing at my chest.

The night before our wedding, he had held me like he never wanted to let me go.

And by the very next day, he had moved Charlotte into the Holt mansion.

Now I finally understood: he had come back using Sebastian's name just so he could be with her openly.

A dull ache throbbed low in my abdomen, and I dug my nails hard into my palm.

When I first heard the news of Gavin's death, I had defied my family and vowed to keep this baby. Now, this child felt like a cruel joke.

I was just a vessel he was using.

Five years of love, devotion, and time—all of it wasted.

"Sebastian, what are you doing chatting with a widow? Don't you find that bad luck?"

Charlotte appeared in a thin silk slip, leaning lazily against the doorframe, her gaze sharp with provocation.

"Can't wait anymore? Tonight, I'll give you everything you want."

Sebastian pulled her into his arms, his hand squeezing her waist with practiced intimacy.

My heart seized.

That was his habit—every time Gavin touched me, he would do the exact same thing.

The man tangled in sheets with Charlotte—if he wasn't Gavin, then who else could he be?

"Since Emily loves eavesdropping so much, let her listen to us."

The door swung wide, and soon the air filled with obscene gasps and the slick, shameful sounds of flesh against flesh.

Beneath him, Charlotte moved with wanton abandon, yet her eyes sought me out, taunting with every glance.

The flood of humiliation and anguish dragged me from my shock. I wanted to flee that disgraceful scene, but my legs refused to move.

Five years ago, Charlotte had gone abroad. Heartbroken, Gavin accepted my confession. From then on, he cherished me, swore to make me his wife.

But the day Charlotte returned, he abandoned me at the altar and rushed to the airport to meet her.

Not long after, came word of his death.

So these five years of love had been nothing more than a meticulously spun lie.

When their frenzied entanglement finally ended, the two lay entwined, bare and breathless.

"Haven't seen enough yet? Sebastian and I need to rest."

By then, my face was streaked with tears.

Back in my room, I picked up my phone and typed a single message: [Alex, I'm ready to leave with you.]

"Emily, are you serious?" Alex Walker called the moment he received my message.

When I gave him a firm answer, his voice trembled with barely contained joy.

"That's wonderful! But I'm still abroad for a few more days. Emily, can you wait for me? I'll come get you next week!"

I agreed without hesitation. Since Gavin would rather fake his death than give up Charlotte, there was no reason for me to hold on any longer.

The next day, the Holt family held a memorial for him. Dressed in mourning black, I prepared to attend… only to be stopped at the door by security.

"Miss Steele, you're not allowed inside."

My body stiffened, my voice dropping into an icy register. "I'm his wife. Why can't I attend?"

"Emily, I'm so sorry," a soft voice cut in. "But Gavin made it clear before he left—there can only be one woman at his memorial, and that woman is me."

Charlotte stood before me, a lily crown resting delicately on her hair, her words dripping with malice.

"You've already been cast aside by the Holts. You have no name, no place. Better to leave on your own, before you embarrass yourself further."

My chest heaved with fury. "This is the Holt family estate. What right do you have to drive me out?"

"What if Sebastian himself said so?" Her lips curled in a mocking smile, her eyes brimming with contempt.

A familiar figure passed the doorway. Then, with startling speed, Charlotte grabbed my hand, shoved it against herself, and tumbled hard onto the ground.

"Charlotte! Are you all right?"

Sebastian—no, Gavin—rushed over, lifting her with frantic care before turning to snarl at me.

"Emily, what nonsense is this? Charlotte tried to talk nicely to you, and you dare lay a hand on her?"

"Sebastian, it's my fault," Charlotte whispered tearfully, her eyes glistening with wounded innocence. "I only told her because I thought she knew about today's arrangements. I didn't expect her to take it so badly. If she doesn't want me at the memorial, then I'll just go."

She turned as if to leave, only for him to catch her wrist and hold her tightly.

"No, Charlotte. You've done nothing wrong. The one who should leave is her."

He pulled her into his arms with tenderness, but when his gaze cut back to me, it brimmed with disgust.

"Emily, my brother made it clear. Only Charlotte may attend. You have no right to be here. Save yourself the humiliation and leave on your own, before I have the guards throw you out."

I stared at the face I had loved for five years, now twisted by cruelty. My chest ached so sharply I could barely breathe.

Every year on my birthday, he would hold me close and whisper his vow, "May we share the same bed in life, and the same grave in death. Emily, we'll be together forever."

Yet the man who once swore eternal devotion wouldn't even let me attend his sham funeral.

"Sebastian, are you certain Gavin truly said that?" I looked at him one last time, clinging to a shred of hope.

But I knew the truth—he was Gavin. Coward that he was, he could only hide behind his brother's name to break me down.

His expression faltered for an instant, then hardened. "Absolutely. Emily, you've already been cast out of the Holt family. Don't ever appear at occasions like this again."

Without another glance, he left with Charlotte in tow.

Tears blurred my vision. My heart plunged into a darkness so deep it suffocated me. Five years of love, and I wasn't even granted the dignity of a proper farewell.

'If in your heart Charlotte is more deserving than me, then so be it. I'll cut every last tie and give you both my blessing,' I swore silently.

When I returned home, drained in both body and soul, I picked up the phone and dialed the hospital.

"Hi, yes, I'd like to schedule an abortion for tomorrow."

After the memorial service ended, Charlotte posted an update online: [Gavin, thank you for giving me a love that belonged to me alone. In the next life, we'll be together again.]

The attached photo showed her standing on stage, mourning as if she were Gavin's widow. Behind her, "Sebastian" stood silently, a figure of steadfast protection.

The post went viral, instantly topping the hot search. Comments flooded in.

"What a perfect match. A pity the Holt family's heir passed away so young."

"How can a widow possibly stand firm in a wealthy household? Wouldn't it be better if the younger brother married her, fulfilling the elder brother's last wish?"

"You know, they really do look well-matched. If they got together, it would be a legendary love story in the elite circle."

Charlotte reposted the trending topic, then quickly "accidentally" deleted it, fanning the flames of speculation even further.

Perhaps noticing my pale expression after the memorial, "Sebastian" rushed home to explain.

"Emily, what happened today wasn't meant to exclude you. There were too many people at the service, and you're pregnant. I worried you'd be overlooked in the chaos. Please don't misunderstand."

He placed some expensive tonics in my room, then carefully instructed the housekeeper to take good care of me.

He had treated me this way before, with meticulous tenderness. But now, every gesture reeked of irony.

They refused to acknowledge me publicly, yet disguised it as concern for my well-being. Even these so-called gifts of apology weren't for me—they were to ensure the safe delivery of the child.

'Gavin, your performance is flawless,' I thought bitterly.

I forced a bitter smile. "It's fine. There were too many guests today. It makes sense for the Holt family to be cautious. Only… the comments online, don't you—"

A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. "Gavin asked me to protect Charlotte. As long as she agrees, I'm willing to marry his widow."

A laugh slipped from me—sharp and hollow.

So this was their game. They were already deeply entwined, yet they were pretending their union was a noble sacrifice for the family.

'Gavin, how long do you intend to keep acting?'

But I no longer had the energy to expose them. Without the child, I had nothing left to tether me here.

Just before I entered the operating room, my phone rang. It was him.

I thought he had something urgent to tell me, but when I answered, the line filled with breathless gasps and the sounds of a body writhing under another's weight.

"Gavin, what if Emily refuses to leave after the baby is born?"

"Don't worry. By then, I'll have her thrown out. If not for the sake of giving the Holt family an heir, I wouldn't spare her a glance."

"That's perfect. I know you love me most."

The line dissolved into sultry moans. I hung up.

"Miss Steele," the doctor asked gently, "the baby is developing perfectly. Are you certain you want to terminate the pregnancy?"

"Yes," I said. "Begin the surgery."

If this child was destined to grow up in such poisonous schemes, then better it vanish before it could ever feel pain.

When it was over, I steadied myself against the wall as I left the hospital. Outside, Sebastian's car was waiting.

"Cordelia told me you were here. Are you unwell?" His anxious gaze darted to my stomach, terrified that something had happened to the baby.

"It's nothing. Just morning sickness. I asked the doctor for some medicine."

Relief washed over him, though a trace of guilt flitted across his face.

"Just now… my phone must have dialed you by mistake. You didn't hear anything, did you?"

"No," I lied smoothly. "The doctor took my phone as soon as I answered."

"Good. That's good." His shoulders finally relaxed. "Come home. I asked Cordelia to make your favorite dishes."

"Mm."

We rode in silence.

The moment we returned, Charlotte skipped over, looping her arms around his neck in delight.

"Sebastian, I picked a date for our wedding! Next weekend! Our fans online voted for that date. What do you think?"

He tapped her nose affectionately. "Sounds perfect. Whatever you want."

"But… isn't next weekend Emily's prenatal checkup?" Cordelia emerged from the kitchen, muttering under her breath. She had been with me since the beginning of my relationship with Gavin, and she naturally sided with me more than Charlotte.

Charlotte's face darkened instantly. "Sebastian, even your servant dares to speak over me. Clearly, this house has no place for me."

Pained, he drew her close and turned on Cordelia with a scolding glare. "This is none of your business. Leave us."

After Cordelia slipped away, he hesitated, then softened his tone toward me.

"Emily, I know your checkups were always accompanied by Gavin. But a wedding happens only once. I can't let Charlotte regret hers. Let Cordelia go with you this time, all right?"

I nodded obediently, pretending not to notice the triumph glittering in Charlotte's eyes.

'But Gavin, you don't yet know. I no longer need a checkup.'

He pulled her upstairs. The two of them murmured over wedding details, their laughter spilling down the staircase like a knife against my skin.

I picked up my phone and dialed Gavin's parents.

"Dad, Mom, Sebastian is getting married next weekend. And there's something I need to tell you."