In the third year of their marriage, Dorothea found out that Jimmy Hemenway had been lying about Kim Burganger being their surrogate.

Over the past three years, Kim’s pregnancies had nothing to do with IVF. Jimmy himself had been the one getting her pregnant every time.

Outside the hospital’s fire exit, Dorothea overheard him talking with his close friend.

Jimmy let out a chuckle. “That stuff you got me works really well. Get me more. I want Kim’s third baby to be another girl.”

Burt paused, clearly taken aback, before voicing his confusion. “I honestly don’t get you. You love Dorothea so much, so why do you keep building a family with Kim? And if IVF would’ve done the job, why insist on sleeping with her? You’ve even kept pushing for daughters, dragging things out instead of finishing the agreement.”

“Don’t tell me you actually fell for that nanny.”

Silence hung in the air for a brief moment.

Then, Jimmy let out a scoff. “So what if I did?”

“I used to think of her as nothing really more than a surrogate.”

“But now, every time I think about her leaving, I dream about her at night.”

“I can’t lose Dorothea. But I also don’t want Kim gone.”

Outside the door, Dorothea felt like she had been plunged into an icy abyss. Even her heart seemed to freeze solid.

Back then, after she’d injured her uterus and learned she could no longer conceive, she had brought up divorce once.

Jimmy had dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes full of devotion, and made a solemn promise. “Dorothea, you’re the only one I want in this life. If you leave me, I’d rather die.”

And yet, in just three years, every promise he had made had dissolved into nothing.

In that moment, something inside her died completely.

Since Jimmy had betrayed her love, she would leave him for good. She would disappear from his life and give him exactly what he seemed to want: freedom.

Later, after she truly disappeared from his world, she heard from friends that Jimmy had gone nearly insane scouring the world for any trace of her, trying to win her back.

Unfortunately for him, it was far too late.

…

Everyone knew that Dorothea was the woman Jimmy cherished most.

He had pursued her so passionately that the entire city knew about it. Every confession he made caused a sensation.

But no one knew that just three years into their marriage, the words she heard most often were about another woman.

“Wait here. I’m going over to Kim’s place.”

Kim was once the Hemenways’s nanny.

Back when Dorothea saved Jimmy, she injured her uterus and lost her ability to bear a child.

The Hemenways were desperate for an heir. And that pressure landed squarely on Jimmy. His parents wanted him to sleep with another woman and continue the bloodline.

Jimmy endured seven days and seven nights of relentless punishment from his family. He would rather lose his inheritance and the family name than give in.

“Dorothea, it’s okay. They can punish me all they want. I can endure it.”

He knelt there with his back straight despite the blood staining the floor beneath him.

She couldn’t watch him like that. The guilt ate her alive. In the end, she gave in.

That was how his parents chose the then-young nanny to become the surrogate.

According to the agreement, once Kim gave birth to a boy for the Hemenways, she would be given five million and sent away permanently.

Legally, the child would belong to Dorothea.

“I promise you, Dorothea, nothing will happen between me and Kim. The baby will be conceived through IVF.”

“Once the baby’s born, you’ll be the only mother.”

Unfortunately, the first baby was a girl.

Jimmy told Dorothea to wait again until Kim gave birth to a boy.

Not long after Kim’s postpartum recovery, she got pregnant again.

This time, Dorothea personally waited outside the delivery room while Kim gave birth to the second child.

Inside, Kim’s cries of pain echoed. Soon after, the sound of a newborn’s crying followed.

Cheers and congratulations then filled the room.

The door opened, and a nurse stepped out, her face full of excitement.

Dorothea quickly stood up to approach the nurse, only to hear, “Congratulations, Ma’am. It’s a baby girl!”

The words hit her like a thunderclap.

Her world spun, as if the sky itself had collapsed.

The nurse hurried to steady her. “Ma'am? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Dorothea took a deep breath and leaned against the wall until she steadied herself. “I’m fine. Go ahead and get back to work. I’ll let Jimmy know.”

With that, she stepped forward and slowly made her way out.

As she passed by the fire exit in the hallway, she heard Jimmy and his close friend Burt talking.

“Congrats, bro! Another baby girl! Just what you wanted!”

Jimmy chuckled. “That stuff you got me really works. Get me more. I want Kim’s third baby to be another girl.”

Burt paused, clearly taken aback, before voicing his confusion. “I honestly don’t get you. You love Dorothea so much, so why do you keep building a family with Kim? And if IVF would’ve done the job, why insist on sleeping with her? You’ve even kept pushing for daughters, dragging things out instead of finishing the agreement.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that nanny?”

Silence hung in the air for a brief moment.

Then, Jimmy let out a scoff. “So what if I did?”

“I used to think of her as nothing really more than a surrogate.”

“But now, every time I think about her leaving, I dream about her at night.”

“I can’t lose Dorothea. But I also don’t want Kim gone.”

Burt sighed. “Aren’t you afraid Dorothea will find out? You know her. If she does, she’ll never come back.”

Jimmy scoffed. “She won’t. After marrying into my family, she’s lost her family and her job. How would she survive without me? Besides, she loves me too much to actually leave.”

Outside the door, Dorothea felt like she had been plunged into an icy abyss. Even her heart seemed to freeze solid.

Suddenly, she remembered that back then, when she learned she couldn’t get pregnant because of her injured uterus, she had once brought up divorce.

Jimmy had dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes full of devotion, and made a solemn promise. “Dorothea, you’re the only one I want in this life. If you leave me, I’d rather die.”

And yet, in just three years, every promise he had made had dissolved into nothing.

His so-called “surrogacy” had been nothing but an excuse. He had slept with Kim himself, gotten her pregnant, and built a second family with her.

The love story everyone once admired was nothing more than a meticulously staged deception.

With a click, the door swung open.

Jimmy froze at the sight of her pale face. Panic instantly broke across his expression. “D-Dorothea… what are you doing here?”

Dorothea raised her hand and struck him without hesitation. “I heard everything. Jimmy, I want a divorce.”

He frowned slightly. “Hey, if you’re upset, you can hit me or yell at me all you want. But don’t talk about divorce.”

“I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry. You’ll always be my only wife.”

“Kim? She’s just someone I keep on the side for fun. The one I love most is still you, Dorothea. Nothing will ever change that.”

Dorothea’s heart felt like it was being torn apart. Her cold eyes stared at him in disbelief. “I won’t accept that! You fucking promised, Jimmy! I’m the only woman you’d love forever!”

He met her gaze coldly. “Dorothea. Stop being unreasonable.”

But she insisted, “Jimmy, let’s get a divorce.”

The next second, he pulled out his phone, his voice calm and cruel. “Smash that old piano in my wife’s room and throw it out.”

Before they got married, Dorothea had been a pianist. Her dream had been to become a world-class performer.

But after their wedding, Jimmy had made her give that dream up, saying he didn’t like her being in the public eye.

That piano in her room was a keepsake from her mentor and one of the last ties she had to her music.

She grabbed Jimmy’s arm tightly, her face drained of color. “Jimmy, you can’t do this!”

“Dorothea,” he said, his voice carrying a trace of gentleness, “tell me. Do you still want a divorce?”

Her whole body turned cold. She stared at him stubbornly, unable to utter a single word.

Holding the phone, Jimmy spoke to the servant in a low voice. “Do it.”

The next second, Dorothea heard a loud bang through the phone, followed by the heavy, muffled sound of the piano breaking apart.

That was when her composure shattered. “No!” she cried. “I won’t divorce you! I won’t! Jimmy, don’t touch my piano!”

Finally, he smiled in satisfaction. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

“If you stay obedient like this, honey,” he murmured, “you’ll always be my wife.”

Jimmy still wasn’t fully reassured even after Dorothea gave him her word.

He had someone escort her home, and guards were stationed outside the villa gates, as if he really feared she might leave him.

The moment she stepped inside, she bolted straight for the room where the old piano was kept.

What she saw made her stop cold.

The piano had been smashed to pieces, violently destroyed with what looked like a hammer. The keys were shattered across the floor like broken teeth.

Suddenly, it felt like the entire world had been muted.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the scene in front of her. A metallic sweetness gradually rose in her throat.

The next second, a mouthful of blood burst from her lips, staining the carpet beneath her.

Her vision went dark, and she collapsed to the floor.

When she regained consciousness, she was still lying in the same position. Not far from her was the ruined piano.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed Jimmy’s mother.

“Mom, back when I risked my life to save Jimmy, you said you’d grant me one request, no matter what, as compensation.”

There was a brief pause on the other end. “Right. What do you want, dear?”

“I want a divorce from Jimmy,” she said, her voice rough. “And I need you to prepare a new identity for me. I have to make sure that after the divorce, he will never be able to find me again.”

She knew Jimmy’s obsessive nature all too well. There was no way he would let her go so easily.

It wasn’t enough to just leave him. She had to make sure he could never track her down and drag her back into this gilded cage.

The only person capable of making that happen was his powerful mother.

“Alright,” Olga replied. “I’ll do it. But it will take a month to prepare everything.”

If enduring one more month meant Dorothea could escape this hell and finally break free from the web of lies Jimmy had so carefully spun, then it was worth it.

Three days later, early in the morning, Jimmy returned to the villa. One arm was wrapped around Kim while the other carried a baby cradle.

“Dorothea,” he said, “Kim’s been discharged from the hospital. She just gave birth, and she’s still in a bad condition. I’m going to have her stay here so it’ll be easier to take care of her.”

Holding her eldest daughter Chrisette by the hand, Kim gave Dorothea a soft, apologetic smile.

“Sorry to trouble you, Dorothea.”

The moment Chrisette stepped inside, her eyes lit up. She let go of her mother’s hand and immediately began exploring the villa.

Jimmy glanced at Dorothea. “Once Kim finishes her postpartum recovery, and when the second child is officially registered under the family name, she’ll formally acknowledge you in public with a toast.”

At that point, Kim would be publicly acknowledged as part of the family.

“From now on, the two of you should get along. Stay by my side together.”

‘Stay by his side together with his mistress?’

A cold, mocking smile flickered in Dorothea’s heart, but she simply nodded. “Alright. No problem.”

After all, she would be gone in a month.

A trace of surprise crossed Jimmy’s eyes. “You’re agreeing just like that? You’re not going to make a scene?”

Dorothea frowned slightly, as if confused. “Make a scene? Why would I? Didn’t you say I should behave?”

Jimmy released Kim and stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Dorothea’s waist as he led her aside.

“I know having Kim move in will make you uncomfortable.”

As he spoke, he placed a key in her palm.

“This is for a newly released villa at Bel Air. I’ve already bought it and registered it under your name. Think of it as compensation.”

Just then, Chrisette came running down the stairs.

“Daddy! While you were talking, I already picked a room for Mommy! The biggest one at the end of the hallway. The one with a view of the garden downstairs. Mommy will surely love it!”

Jimmy nodded. “Kim just gave birth. She needs proper rest. The master bedroom gets the most sunlight. It’s the most suitable.”

He turned to Dorothea, saying, “Dorothea, go move your stuff out the master bedroom for Kim.”

That was the master bedroom. The bedroom he and Dorothea once shared.

The day they first moved into the villa, Jimmy had eagerly taken her upstairs the moment they walked in.

“Dorothea, I designed this room myself. It’s all based on what you like.”

A starlit ceiling. A European-style double bed. Soft pink walls.

And now, he was asking her to give it up.

Now, it didn’t matter anymore. She was leaving soon anyway.

“Okay,” Dorothea said quietly before turning and heading upstairs.

She packed everything: her clothes, her jewelry, all of her personal belongings.

She even took down their wedding photos from the wall.

Every trace of her existence in the master bedroom was erased, as if she had never lived there at all.

She moved into a guest room on the first floor.

Sitting by the window, she placed her hands flat on the table, imagining piano keys beneath her fingers. She closed her eyes and began practicing the piece in her mind.

A quiet resolve began to take shape in her.

Once Jimmy’s mother finished arranging everything, she would return to the world of piano performance and pursue her dream of becoming a pianist.

She was completely immersed in the music in her head when the door suddenly burst open.

Jimmy stormed in, his face red with rage.

“Dorothea! I knew it! You’re not as simple as you pretend to be!”

“If you’re unhappy, take it out on me! Hit me, yell at me, whatever you want! But why would you go after my child?!”

Dorothea didn’t understand what Jimmy was talking about, but she still turned to face him.

“Jimmy, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His expression darkened, his voice cold as ice.

“Dorothea, I know you’re upset. But I’ve already made it up to you. If the Bel Air villa isn’t enough, just tell me what you want.”

“But you crossed a line going after my child! You knew Chrisette has a severe pollen allergy, and you still hid pollen under the sheets?”

“She’s three years old, Dorothea. Three! How could you do something so cruel to her?”

Before his words had even fully settled, a slender figure rushed into the room.

Kim lunged straight at her like she’d lost her mind. Her nails scraped across Dorothea’s cheek, drawing blood as she screamed hysterically.

“I know you don’t like me moving in. I get that. But why would you take it out on my child?!”

“My kids are everything to me! Were you trying to kill her?!”

Her emotions spiraled out of control, and her vision went black as she nearly collapsed.

Jimmy caught her from behind.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly like she was something priceless and fragile.

Meanwhile, Dorothea stood there with blood running down her cheek, and he didn’t even spare her a glance.

She pressed a hand to her face and said again, steadily, “Jimmy, I’ll say this one last time. I didn’t do it.”

“You used to sleep in that room. Who else would’ve done something like that on purpose, knowing it would trigger Chrisette’s allergy?”

Jimmy stepped closer, pressing her harder.

“Dorothea, the evidence is right there. I’ll give you one last chance—”

She lifted her gaze, her eyes cold as she cut him off. “Or what?”

Kim, pale and trembling in his arms, combined with Dorothea’s defiant attitude, finally snapped whatever patience Jimmy had left.

“Dorothea, you’ve really disappointed me. You’re being difficult right now.”

He lifted a hand and gestured behind him.

“Do it. Let her experience what an allergic reaction actually feels like.”

Two bodyguards stepped forward, carrying a large bowl of peanuts.

Dorothea was severely allergic to peanuts. Even a handful was enough to cover her body in hives and leave her struggling to breathe.

They forced her down without hesitation. Before she could resist, they shoved the peanuts into her mouth.

To keep her from spitting them out, they immediately poured water down her throat.

She didn’t know how many peanuts they forced into her. All she knew was that the world began to spin, her vision blurring as her consciousness began to slip.

Through the haze, a memory surfaced: her first date with Jimmy. She had accidentally eaten peanuts back then and gone into a full allergic reaction.

To get her to the emergency room, he had run three red lights.

After that day, there had never been a single peanut in the villa.

But now, he stood not far away, holding Kim in his arms, watching everything unfold with cold eyes.

Only when Dorothea’s body broke out in hives, her breathing turning shallow and strained, on the verge of suffocation, did the bodyguards finally let go.

Dorothea collapsed onto the floor, too weak to even sit up.

Through her blurred vision, she saw Jimmy supporting Kim as they walked out.

His voice softened as he spoke to her, “Let’s go. Chrisette just woke up at the hospital. She’s asking for you.”

Dorothea watched as his figure disappeared completely from sight.

No. She couldn’t die here from an allergic reaction.

She had to live! She had to get out of the Hemenways alive!

Biting down hard on her lip, she forced herself to stay conscious. With trembling hands, she dialed emergency services.

When she woke up again, she was in a hospital room, an IV drip feeding anti-allergy medication into her veins.

Jimmy sat beside the bed, carefully applying ointment to the exposed areas of her skin.

When he saw her eyes open, he said flatly, “You’re awake? Don’t move. I’m not done applying the ointment yet.”

He continued what he was doing as he spoke.

“I know you feel like this is unfair, but Chrisette’s allergic reaction was really bad. And Kim just had a baby. She’s not in a stable place right now. If I didn’t handle this the way I did, people would talk.”

“I’ve already called in the best specialists in New York. You’ll be fine soon.”

“Once you’re discharged and feel better, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

From beginning to end, all he ever wanted was to keep her confined, controlled, possessed, and toyed with.

It didn’t matter anymore. Soon, she would be gone for good.

She just nodded obediently.

“Okay. I understand.”

After a week in the hospital, her condition finally improved, and she was cleared for discharge.

She returned to the villa alone. But the moment she pushed open the guest room door, she found Kim standing right in front of her.