"You've undergone IVF six times to conceive this child, Ms. Caldwell. Are you sure you want to give up? Is Mr. Spencer okay with this?"

"I'm sure he'll agree." Callista Caldwell's voice is hoarse after a sleepless night. She's never felt more awake, though.

"I'll schedule the surgery for a week from now, then."

It's Callista and Luther Spencer's wedding anniversary in a week. This is good—she can end things where they started.

After booking her flight out of the country, she places her hand on her abdomen. There's a blossoming life in there.

She's looked forward to this for the past five years. She never would've expected to give up on it before it could happen.

The phone pinged again, showing the same trending topic that had been circulating for half a month.

Luther Spencer had spent a fortune on a luxurious estate. He had planted an entire garden of roses by hand to celebrate his fifth wedding anniversary.

Once again, he announced to the world that his heart belonged solely to Callista Caldwell.

Countless comments followed, and each of them was expressing envy for their love.

"Who says relationships with an age gap don't work out? Mr. Spencer's ultimate wedding gift is his hopeless devotion. It's said Mrs. Spencer is six years older, and it took him three years of relentless pursuit to win her over."

"Everyone knows Mr. Spencer adores his wife. Two years ago, when Mrs. Spencer was trapped during the earthquake, Mr. Spencer risked his life to rescue her.

"He was covered in injuries when he was finally pulled out, and yet he was more set on comforting his terrified wife. The news even showed him holding her, and both of them were in tears."

"And last year, when a media outlet mocked Mrs. Spencer for her age and claimed she couldn't have children, Mr. Spencer sued them into bankruptcy.

"He even made a public statement saying he didn't care whether they had children or not, but he would never allow anyone to hurt his wife over it."

Callista couldn't help but force a bitter smile as she read these comments.

Luther truly did ensure no one could hurt her. Yet every pain she ever felt was dealt by him.

When Callista first confirmed her pregnancy, she had been eager to share the good news with Luther. But then she received a message from an unknown sender.

It was a photograph of a pregnant woman.

The young woman's smile was radiant as she posed for the pregnancy photograph. Meanwhile, Luther knelt beside her. He was reverently kissing her rounded belly. His face was filled with joy and contentment.

Tears streamed down Callista's face.

The ultrasound image she had suffered through six rounds of IVF to obtain now felt like a cruel joke.

On their wedding day, Luther had sworn he would love only her for the rest of his life. But it turned out the so-called "rest of his life" lasted only five years.

If that was the case, Callista decided she no longer wanted Luther in her life. And her child would not be born into a web of lies.

The door creaked open. Callista's tear-streaked, blood-shot eyes met Luther's, and he immediately panicked.

"What's wrong, honey? What happened? Don't cry—I'll fix it."

He glanced at the ultrasound image on the table. Without looking too closely, he pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay if the IVF didn't work. Even if we never have kids, it doesn't matter. Having you is enough for me.

"Shh, don't cry anymore. It hurts me to see you like this."

Callista gave a smile that looked worse than crying.

This man was such a hypocrite.

His child with someone else was about to be born, and yet he was saying this to her face.

Luther didn't notice the change in her demeanor and continued comforting her. "Cally, our anniversary is in a week. I've planted an entire sea of roses for you and prepared blue fireworks. I'll set them off for you to see, okay?

"Isn't blue your favorite color?"

Callista stared at him blankly. She was still smiling even as tears rolled down her cheeks.

It seemed he didn't remember. She had never liked the color blue.

"Then, in a week, I'll give you an anniversary gift too," she said.

Luther's eyes lit up with excitement as he carefully wiped away her "tears of joy."

"Honey, I can't wait. I'm looking forward to your surprise."

Callista silently stared at the ultrasound image.

She hoped that when the time came, Luther would truly be surprised.

At noon the next day, Luther took Callista to the Spencer residence for lunch.

Luther's mother, Jane Dawson, never liked Callista. She didn't even bother to show up on their wedding day.

After the marriage, Luther moved out with Callista, only visiting his family at the end of each month.

"Honey, whatever it is that my mom says later, don't take it to heart. I'm always on your side. We'll leave right after lunch," Luther reassured Callista while holding her hand.

The moment they stepped through the door, Callista heard Jane's laughter.

"Oh, such a sweet baby! Those tiny hands and feet just melt my heart."

Callista turned pale, and her feet were rooted to the ground. She recognized the woman sitting next to Jane—it was the same woman from the pregnancy photo.

"This is my friend's daughter, Wren Kirk," Jane introduced.

"She's pregnant, and her family's overseas, so they asked me to take care of her. I just took her to her prenatal checkup this morning."

Jane linked arms with Wren and approached them. She handed Luther an ultrasound photo with a meaningful glance.

"Take a good look. Doesn't the baby resemble the parents?"

A flicker of panic crossed Luther's face as he responded with a faint warning in his tone, "Mom, stop joking around. How would I know? This is my first time meeting Wren."

Jane cast a glance at Callista and then pushed Wren forward. "Well then, let me properly introduce you. Wren, this Luther."

Wren's cheeks turned pink as she said, "Hey, Luther."

Luther gave a slight nod, then pulled Callista closer with one arm. "And this is my wife. Callista."

"Nice to meet you, Callista," Wren said softly.

Callista felt utterly numb. Her hands that were hanging by her sides began to tremble uncontrollably.

So, the entire Spencer family knew about Wren. She was the only one kept in the dark.

"What's wrong?" Luther immediately grew concerned.

"Are you feeling faint from low blood sugar?"

He quickly retrieved some candy he always carried with him, unwrapped one, and brought it to her lips.

Callista opened her mouth mechanically. Though it was candy, all she could taste was bitterness.

Luther instructed the housekeeper to start serving the meal. He was still holding her hand as they sat down.

"You barely ate breakfast. Have more for lunch," he said gently.

Callista silently picked up her glass of water, but Luther swapped it out for a warm one.

"Your period's coming soon. You shouldn't drink anything cold, or your stomach will hurt again.

"The prawns today look good. Let me peel some for you."

Luther barely ate throughout the meal as he was constantly tending to Callista and ensuring her plate was never empty.

"Luther is so good to his wife. I'm honestly jealous of Callista," Wren suddenly remarked. "I love prawns too. Luther, could you peel some for me as well?"

Wren slid her plate toward him, but Luther acted as if he didn't see it.

"If you want prawns, peel them yourself. I only peel them for my wife," he replied.

Callista took a sip of the warm water while suppressing the urge to retch. "Give them to her. I don't want any."

Luther froze for a moment, then playfully pouted like a child.

"Fine, I'll eat them myself. Cally, how could you give away the prawns I peeled for you?"

Callista's eyes glinted with sarcasm. They'd already slept together, yet they still pretended otherwise.

Jane set her utensils down with a dark expression. "Callista, wasn't this your sixth IVF failure? Since Wren is here, why don't you get some tips from her?"

"Mrs. Spencer, I don't really have much experience myself," Wren replied. She blushed as she shook her head.

"My boyfriend and I conceived on the first try. It just happened to be my birthday, so maybe being in a good mood helped."

"Well, my daughter-in-law here is ten years older than you. She's not really comparable to you," Jane said with a mocking tone.

"I'm planning to let Wren move into the house so I can take better care of her. Plus, maybe her luck will rub off, and I'll have a house full of grandchildren soon."

The moment she finished speaking, Luther cut her off firmly. "I don't agree."

Jane's gaze turned even colder as she looked at Callista. "Why not? Just because someone here can't conceive, they just can't bear to see others succeed either?"

"Are you done?" Luther's voice was icy.

"Mom, if you're determined to make me stop coming here altogether, then by all means, keep going."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble." Wren stood up with teary eyes and hurried away.

Luther instinctively took a step forward as if to chase her but stopped himself, realizing how inappropriate it would be.

"I'm done," Callista said coldly as she watched the drama unfold. She stood and left without hesitation.

The moment she walked out of the Spencer residence's gates, a notification appeared on her phone—a verification message from Wren.

"March 5th is my birthday. That was our first time. He didn't let me leave the bed all day."

That day, Callista had suffered her fifth IVF failure. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything and had locked herself in her room for an entire day and night.

When she finally gathered the strength to open the door, she'd found Luther disheveled while sitting outside her room. She had even pitied him and comforted him.

As it turned out, Luther had just rushed home from Wren's bed.

How ridiculous. How tragic.

She endured endless injections without complaint for five years. Yet now, the pain in her chest was unbearable, making it hard to breathe.

"Why are you crying, honey?"

Luther had followed her out. Seeing that her face was streaked with tears, he panicked and instinctively glanced at her phone.

The phone screen dimmed automatically. Luther didn't pay much attention to it and pulled Callista into his arms. He gently patted her back.

"Shh, don't cry. It hurts me to see you like this.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought you here just to upset you. She's my mother—you don't have to put up with her for my sake.

"You can yell at me or hit me if it makes you feel better."

On the way home, Luther spent the entire ride trying to comfort her. Callista simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Occasionally, the sound of message notifications echoed in the car. Luther was busy replying to them for the second half of the drive.

When they arrived home, Luther stroked her head.

"Honey, there's an urgent matter at work that I need to handle. Wait for me here, and I'll come back early tonight, okay?"

Callista quietly got out of the car.

After Luther left, she accepted Wren's friend request and opened her social media feed. Pinned at the top of her profile were two photos.

The first was of Luther's back as he planted roses. The second was a sea of blue roses.

The caption read, "Considering someone took the time to plant my favorite blue roses, I'll forgive you this once. Come and make it up to me."

Callista's chest tightened at the sight. So Wren was the one who loved blue. Even the roses he planted for their anniversary weren't for her.

She hailed a cab and went straight to the estate. As soon as she arrived, she saw Luther's black Bentley parked nearby.

In the distance, Luther stood with his back to her in front of the sea of roses. He was unaware of her presence.

"If Callista could have children, I wouldn't have needed you. She's where I draw my line. How dare you show up in front of her and throw a tantrum?"

Wren's eyes brimmed with tears. "Then why come to me at all? Just leave me alone!"

"Don't cry," Luther said. His tone softened. "As long as you behave, I'll take care of you for life."

Wren wiped her tears and smiled before throwing herself into his arms. "I can be even better if that's what you want."

"I cleared an entire afternoon for this. Do you really not know what I want?" Luther's voice was hoarse as he scooped Wren into his arms and carried her toward the estate.

Just then, Wren glanced back and smirked at Callista. She had seen Callista standing there the whole time.

Through the windows, shadows of their entangled figures swayed and flickered. Callista stood frozen on the roadside. Her chest was heaving with every labored breath.

It felt like a barbed hook had torn into her heart, and each pull left behind a fresh, bleeding wound.

"Are you here to take pictures too? Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Spencer still have such a loving relationship after all these years. It's really enviable," a woman nearby remarked with a smile as she snapped some photos.

"Mrs. Spencer must have saved the galaxy in her past life. Every woman dreams of having a husband like Mr. Spencer."

Callista laughed bitterly as tears streamed down her face. "But she doesn't want him anymore."

This so-called estate Luther gave her, symbolizing his devotion, was nothing more than a place where he slept with another woman.

The woman then stared at Callista and became somewhat stunned. It wasn't surprising she'd mistaken Wren for Callista.

After all, Wren bore an uncanny resemblance to Callista at 24, the year she first met Luther.

"I guess men are all the same," the woman murmured. Her tone turned despondent.

"At least Mr. Spencer is somewhat decent. He probably just wants a child too badly, even going so far as to find someone who looks just like you.

"Why not let it go? Pretend you don't know. Life will go on as usual."

"It wouldn't be the same," Callista said quietly.

The fact that Luther sought out a woman who resembled her didn't make her feel grateful; it only made her feel disgusted.

After leaving the rose garden, Callista went to the hospital and collected pre-procedure medication for an abortion.

She placed the medicine on the coffee table and stared at it for a long time. She was still overwhelmed by a suffocating ache.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Luther rushed in with his shirt buttoned unevenly. He tripped and nearly knocked over a chair in his haste.

He scanned her from head to toe with a pale face. "Honey, why did you go to the hospital?"