When I get married to Zachary Lennor, I know that he has a younger, depressed sister who's a huge pain in the ass.

On our wedding night, she suddenly barges into our room with the excuse that she's terrified of the dark. That's why she wants Zachary to sleep with her.

When I get hospitalized due to my illness and need Zachary to take care of me, his sister insists that he go home to eat all three meals with her every day. Otherwise, she'll go on a hunger strike.

Even when Zachary and I are on a date, his sister will call him immediately, claiming that her depression is acting up. If he doesn't go home right away, she will jump off a building without hesitation.

Unable to take it anymore, I unleash my anger on Zachary's sister.

But Zachary is quick to shield her from my ire. With an icy expression, he tells me, "I only have one sister, whereas I can always get myself another wife. If you can't stomach her presence at all, we'll get a divorce right now."

I keep tossing and turning in bed at night, unable to sleep at all. That's when I decide to get out of bed just so I can apologize to Zachary and his sister.

As soon as I walk to the doorway, I hear a familiar voice whining from the master suite, where Zachary stays.

"Zach, since Samantha got so mad at me today, does this mean she's found out that I'm not your actual sister at all, but your ex-wife?"

Zachary pauses momentarily before saying reassuringly, "Even if she does, it's fine. Although I do love her, I've already vowed to stay with you forever the day I married you.

"So, even though we're already divorced, I will still keep my word. I won't let you go."

At that moment, I finally realize that Zachary's so-called younger sister is just a fake identity. Her depression is also a big fat lie.

I'm the only one who's been kept in the dark about everything in this performance.

In that case, I'm not going to humor these jerks anymore.

Zachary Lennor, my husband, was walking toward me with some freshly washed cherries when I brought up my intention to divorce.

His expression swiftly changed, and his hand holding the bowl of cherries jerked slightly.

"Divorce? Why do you suddenly want to divorce? Sammy, what happened yesterday was just something I said in the heat of the moment. You shouldn't have been so harsh toward Vivi."

I stared at the man before me, at the person I had been married to for the past three years.

Truthfully, I couldn't deny that he was a thoughtful and considerate husband—as long as Vivian Sinclair wasn't involved.

He remembered my preferences and would take responsibility for all household chores. Even when cherries were at their most expensive, he would still buy a huge box without any hesitation, wash them clean, and bring them to me.

It was precisely because of how good he was to me that I married him despite knowing that he was a divorcee and had a so-called adopted younger sister with depression whom he needed to take care of.

Only now did I realize that his gentleness toward me would always come second to the way he treated Vivian, the younger sister who turned out to be a fake all along.

Like a fool, I had been completely oblivious that my husband and his ex-wife were staying under the same roof and had been putting on an act for me all this time.

At that thought, I felt as if a heavy weight were crushing my chest.

When I spoke again, there was newfound resolve in my voice.

"Zachary Lennor, I want a divorce. You can spend the rest of your life with your dear sister."

In contrast to the arrogance she showed yesterday, today, Vivian put on a woefully aggrieved look as she timidly hid away in Zachary's arms.

Zachary immediately pulled her behind him and took a protective stance in front of her. Gone was his earlier apologetic tone. Instead, his voice was laced with accusation as he demanded, "Samantha Linden, when did you learn to use divorce as a threat? Can't you show a little more consideration for a sick person like Vivian?"

For the past three years, it had always been the same. Even though I clearly hadn't gone overboard, Zachary would always jump to conclusions and assume that I was deliberately making things difficult for Vivian.

I let out a chilly laugh.

"A sick person? Zachary, take a good, hard look at her. Does she look anything like a sick person? Someone with real depression hides themselves away so that they can be sad in secret. They don't make a huge show about it or constantly get between a married couple like she does to us!"

Furrowing his brow, Zachary snapped back impatiently, "What do you know? Vivian's depression has always been different from the norm. She's timid by nature and can only rely on me. Can't you be a little more understanding of her?"

When I heard that, my tone noticeably cooled further.

"I've been understanding of her for the past three years! She barges into our room in the middle of the night and pretends to be sick so that she can hog you to herself.

"When have I ever held it against her? You're the one who's always blindly siding with her without getting to know the truth! You always defend her and act as if I'm the one being unreasonable!"

Zachary opened his mouth to retort, but he couldn't find the words. In the end, he simply frowned harder and kept silent.

At that moment, Vivian, who was still curled up in his arms, piped up in an aggrieved tone, "Sammy, don't be angry. This is all my fault… I shouldn't have insisted on staying here. It's no wonder that you hate me so much. I'll leave right away and won't burden you two any longer."

With that, she pretended to pack up her things, as though she were ready to move out right that second.

I scoffed at her acting. "You don't need to leave. I will. That way, you two 'siblings' will get the house to yourselves. That would be perfect for you, right? I won't be around to be an eyesore anymore."

The fury that Zachary had only just pushed down flared to life again. His expression darkened as he snapped, "Samantha Linden, are you just about done with your tantrum? You don't even have any parents. Where will you go if you leave me?"

The moment he finished speaking, even he seemed taken aback for a moment. Clearly, he had realized just how hurtful his words were. A hint of panic flickered in his eyes, and he opened his mouth to apologize.

However, before he could, Vivian went limp in his arms as she fainted.

With that, Zachary couldn't be bothered with me anymore. His face fell before he hurriedly swept her up into his arms and rushed outside.

I stood rooted to the spot, staring at their retreating backs and noting the intimate way they leaned against each other. The last bit of hope and love I had for Zachary went out like a candle that had been snuffed out.

Instead of crying, I contacted my lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.

…

Zachary hadn't come home in three days.

Every day, he would message me at the same time, like clockwork. He kept apologizing, saying how he knew that he was wrong and that he had hurt me, that he would come back to apologize to me in person later.

I simply stared at the messages, feeling nothing but numbness. I honestly didn't care whether he returned home or not. All I wanted was for him to quickly sign the divorce agreement.

However, while I was waiting to divorce him, I discovered that I was pregnant.

I was an orphan, so my greatest wish since I was a child was to have a family of my own. That was why I took great care in preparing my body for conception after I married Zachary.

Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as I had hoped.

In the past three years, I had gone to the hospital countless times for medical checkups, taken all kinds of bitter herbs that claimed to increase fertility, and even went through all sorts of suffering in my bid to get pregnant. Still, I failed to conceive.

Now, this child had come at the worst possible time.

I gazed down at the positive pregnancy test report in my hands, a complex mix of emotions swirling in me.

Just then, a familiar voice drifted over from around the corner.

It was Zachary.

When I looked over, I saw him carefully supporting Vivian as they slowly made their way past me. I found myself following them subconsciously, but I had only just reached the doorway when the conversation from inside pinned me to the spot.

Vivian asked him softly, "Will you divorce her if she's truly determined to leave you?"

Zachary was silent for a long while before he answered, "No, I won't divorce her. She's my wife. At most, I'll just put a little more effort into making it up to her."

From my position outside the door, I couldn't help but smile mockingly.

Wife? So, it turned out that he did still remember that I was his wife.

Immediately after, Zachary spoke up again. "I've already stopped her medication."

Medication? What medication?

My heart jumped into my throat at the words.

In the next second, Vivian's voice rang out, her tone filled with clear displeasure.

"What, are you blaming me for drugging her with birth control pills ever since you two got married?"

My mind went blank as I froze on the spot, completely thunderstruck.

I could hardly believe my ears!

As it turned out, I had failed to conceive all these years, not because there was something wrong with my body, but because Vivian had been secretly drugging me all along!

And Zachary had been aware of it from the start.

Before I could recover from my shock, I heard Zachary hastily reassure Vivian.

"Of course, I'm not blaming you. Why would I? I can absolutely understand that you can't stand seeing her pregnant when you can't bear children yourself.

"It's just that… we've been married for so many years, so it's only right to have a child by now. It's technically a form of compensation from me to her. Besides, with a niece or nephew, at least there'll be someone to take care of you when you're old."

Zachary's words stabbed deep into my heart like a sharp dagger.

The baby that I had been hoping for for three years turned out to be nothing more than Zachary's way of ensuring that Vivian would be cared for in the future and a form of compensation to me.

He claimed that he loved me, but just what position did I actually hold in his heart? Was I nothing more than a tool for him to give his ex-wife a child?

Nausea roiled in me, causing me to rush to the washroom, where I threw up until my vision turned spotty. Then, ignoring the tears on my face, I made an appointment for an abortion.

…

The moment I opened the door to our house, a delicious aroma wafted to me.

Zachary, clad in an apron, was setting down a dish on the table, which was laden with all my favorites.

He always did this.

Every time he hurt me because of Vivian, he would use this method to get back in my good graces, creating the perfect illusion that he had reflected on his actions and had changed. In return, my heart would soften, and I would forgive him for his mistakes.

This time, however, I refused to fall for his trick again.

After sitting down at the table, I didn't touch the cutlery. Instead, I took out the divorce agreement that I had already signed and pushed it toward him.

He was briefly surprised, but then he frowned.

"Sammy, didn't I already tell you that I won't divorce you? Vivi is my sister, so I can't just abandon her. Why can't you accept her?"

My lips twitched as he attempted to pin the blame on me once again. Without any hesitation, I exposed the lie he had been keeping for three whole years.

"She's your sister? Isn't she your ex-wife?"

Zachary's expression immediately changed, and he blurted it out before he realized, "You know about that?"

A beat later, he seemed to relax.

"So that's why you're throwing a tantrum? Well, I can explain the situation."

Before I could answer, he was already rambling on, "Back then, Vivi and I divorced due to our incompatible personalities, and it was only after that that I met you.

"Unexpectedly, she discovered that she was pregnant after we separated, but she became so emotionally overwhelmed that she lost the baby. From then on, she lost the ability to conceive."

I leveled a cold stare on him, quietly waiting for his next words.

"That's why I owe it to her to take care of her for the rest of her life."

At this point, memories of our past together surged through my mind, unbidden.

Back when we first got together, he had been infinitely gentle and sweet to me. When I fell sick, he would take care of me, even forgoing sleep. When it rained, he would come pick me up with an umbrella that would always be tipped over to my side to protect me more.

Since I was an orphan, he said that he would be my family from then on. He promised to give me a stable home and spend the rest of his life protecting me and caring for me, never allowing me to suffer the slightest bit ever again.

All his promises, made with the utmost sincerity, had once made me feel as though I had finally found a light of my own.

Yet, however genuine and touching those words had felt back then was how ironic they felt now.

He saved all his patience and favor for Vivian, while the only things I got were lies, manipulation, and hurt.

Bitter disappointment chilled me to my bones as I said, "That's your business and has nothing to do with me. Taking care of her was a choice you willingly made, so don't drag me into it.

"Now, sign that divorce agreement, and we can split the house and savings between us evenly. What you do with her after that is none of my business."

At the mention of the house, something flashed in Zachary's eyes, and he appeared hesitant to speak.

After a moment, though, he still said quitely, "After we got married, Vivi told me that she didn't feel secure, so I… I transferred the house to her name."

My hand jerked, and with a loud crash, some of the glassware fell to the floor and shattered.

Back when we first married, Zachary had guiltily told me that he had come out of his divorce with nothing to his name, so he couldn't afford a house just yet.

Out of consideration for him, I comforted him and told him that it was fine. I had saved up enough over the years to afford the deposit, and since we were family, it didn't matter who paid for the house.

After moving into this house, the monthly housing loan came from our shared living expenses, so I had always thought that we were both working hard for our future together. Bit by bit, we would slowly build a home for just the two of us.

Now, however, he was telling me that all my sacrifices ultimately ended up benefitting Vivian instead.

From the moment we got married, they not only took advantage of my love for Zachary, but they also didn't even have the decency to spare what little assets I had.