5

Venice’s POV

When I woke up again, I hadn’t even opened my eyes before I heard movement coming from the morgue.

Two nurses were pushing a stretcher inside. On it lay a body covered with a white sheet.

“This poor lady,” one of them sighed. “She was already in a coma, and they still threw her off the seventh floor. If there hadn’t been something below to break the fall, she would’ve died on the spot.”

At his words, my chest tightened painfully.

A moment later, another voice spoke.

“Honestly, it might’ve been better if she had died right then. Sure, she survived and got sent to surgery, but halfway through, the doctor got called away. I heard this patient actually regained consciousness near the end—only for a few minutes—then died in agony.”

“Right, and don’t tell anyone I said this,” he added, lowering his voice. “I heard, during the surgery, Dr. MacGill told the anesthesiologist to use only half the normal dose. This poor lady woke up mid-surgery. Dr. MacGill did it on purpose—to make this patient suffer before putting her into a coma…”

The two of them shuddered.

“Let’s go. Guess she had no one powerful behind her. That’s why she ended up with such a tragic death like this.”

Soon, the morgue door slammed shut. The sound pierced straight through my chest, sharp as a thousand arrows.

My body trembled as I forced myself to stand. Slowly, I lifted the white sheet.

Underneath it was the face I knew best in the world.

For a moment, everything inside me shattered. I thought I had already endured the worst—that what my mom and I had gone through was cruel enough.

But I never imagined there was so much more hidden behind it all.

My mom… She lost her attending doctor and died in unbearable pain—fully conscious to the very end!

Tears streamed down my face, falling onto hers, as if trying to bring her some warmth.

I couldn’t stop shaking. Every part of my body hurt.

Through my blurred vision, I thought I saw her gentle hand reaching out to me.

She touched my head softly, tears of love and sorrow glistening in her eyes.

She had always been like this—patient, forgiving, loving.

Every “first” in my life, she was the first to know.

When I first got together with Jericho, she had warned me.

“I just don’t think he loves you that much, Venice. I’m your mom, sweetheart. I want your husband to love you more than you love him, not the other way around.”

That worried look on her face—it’s still burned into my memory.

Back then, I was stubborn. I argued with her without hesitation, blindly diving into my so-called love with Jericho.

Now, I’ve finally paid the price.

No, she paid the price I was supposed to pay.

When the bell outside tolled, I collapsed over my mom’s body, sobbing bitterly.

Three days later, Jericho’s bodyguards finally released me.

I was burning with fever, and after several IV drips, I struggled to lift myself.

But I couldn’t afford to collapse. Not yet. I still had to take care of my mom’s funeral.

Once everything was settled, I returned to the villa.

During the time I was locked in the morgue, Verona’s wounds had already healed.

Jericho had taken her on yacht trips, bought her a private island, and even named it after her.

He’d also gifted her a villa of her own.

I saw it all on Instagram.

Once, that might have crushed me and left me gasping for air.

But now, my heart was numb.

My mom’s death had taken with it every bit of love I ever had for Jericho.

All I wanted now was to divorce him, sell every Fowler Corporation share in my hands, and leave him with absolutely nothing!

After gathering my documents, I headed straight to the county clerk’s office with the prenuptial agreement Jericho had signed before.

According to the paper, I didn’t need his permission for the divorce—as long as the contract was valid.

I handed all the paperwork to the clerk.

A moment later, they looked up at me in surprise.

“Ma’am, according to our system, you’re already listed as divorced. And the man tied to your submitted ID… He’s… currently married.”

My eyes widened at that news.

“What? Who’s his spouse?”

The clerk hesitated, a trace of pity crossing her face.

“Ma’am, about a month ago, this gentleman ended his marriage with you and remarried—his new wife, one with the last name MacGill.”

6

Venice’s POV

I froze where I stood, unable to believe what I’d just heard.

Had my seven-year marriage to Jericho officially ended a month ago?

And on that very same day, he’d married Verona?

I felt like a complete fool, deceived by the two of them right in front of me.

The more I thought about it, the more my body trembled with fury.

When I returned to the villa, the first thing I saw was the two of them embracing in the living room.

With a blank expression, I walked past them without a word and headed straight upstairs.

“Venice, shouldn’t you apologize to Verona?”

Jericho’s voice came from behind, filled with reproach.

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it.

“Why should I apologize to her?”

I turned to glare at them both.

“Because you pushed her,” he answered coldly. “She hasn’t been able to perform surgery for an entire month because of you. Do you know how many patients have been delayed because of that? Even your own mom’s operation was postponed.”

That was the last straw. I spun around, glaring at him.

“I will never apologize to her, Jericho. And my mom’s surgery wasn’t delayed because she’s already—”

Before I could finish, Verona tugged gently at his sleeve and interrupted, her tone soft and pitiful.

“Forget it, Jericho. I don’t need her apology. I can handle a little suffering. Think of it as letting Venice vent her anger. After all, it’s because I failed during her mom’s surgery that Odessa fell into a coma, but I truly didn’t mean any harm. The aftereffects from when I saved you that time suddenly flared up, and I—”

Halfway through, she acted like she realized she’d said too much and covered her mouth in feigned panic.

Jericho immediately pulled her into his arms, his face full of tenderness.

“It wasn’t your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s her mom’s weak body.”

I was too exhausted to even fake a smile anymore. The sight of them together just made my stomach turn.

Just then, Jericho’s phone rang. The shareholders’ meeting was approaching, and he was busier than ever.

The moment he stepped out to take the call, Verona suddenly transformed into a different woman.

The gentle, pitiful look on her face twisted into smug and sarcastic.

She slowly took a ring out of her purse and slid it onto her finger.

“This diamond looks familiar, doesn’t it?” she said with a mocking smile. “I heard it’s your family heirloom. But honestly, I think it’s mediocre. It’s my one-month wedding anniversary gift from Jericho.”

She spoke each word deliberately, her eyes gleaming with pride.

My breath caught. That pink diamond…

It was my mom’s gift to me when I got married!

Now, it had become her last keepsake.

Rage quickly surged through me. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand, trying to rip the ring off.

But she shoved me away, her voice dripping with scorn.

“I’m Jericho’s wife now, bitch. The woman he loves is me. Can’t you take a hint and leave on your own? Or do you need me to throw you out myself? Hasn’t your mom’s ‘lesson’ been enough? This pink diamond, and everything else you own—I’ll take it all. You can join your doomed mom in hell.”

Her nails dug deep into my arm. I winced in pain but still reached stubbornly for the ring.

“That was my mom’s. Give it back to me!”

Just then, a sound came from the doorway.

Suddenly, a glint of malice flickered in Verona’s eyes. The next thing I knew, she flung herself backward—straight toward the glass coffee table.

“Ahhh!” she screamed as blood instantly streamed down her hands.

She did the same act as last time—only this time, she played it even cruelly.

When Jericho rushed back in, this was the scene that greeted him.

And just like last time, his face darkened with rage again.

“Venice!” he barked, eyes full of disappointment. “Can’t you learn your lesson? I step out for one moment, and damn it, Venice, you attack Verona again!”

I stared coldly at the pathetic spectacle before me.

“You actually gave my mom’s pink diamond to this woman!”

His brow furrowed. “Verona got injured because of you. The pink diamond was compensation. If you have a problem, take it up with me. Why must you always go after her?”

At that, Verona’s eyes shimmered with fake tears. She clutched his arm and choked out, “Jericho, it’s not Venice’s fault. I know—I’m in the wrong. I shouldn’t have kept the pink diamond. After making such a big mistake, I don’t deserve to stay by your side. I-I’ll leave right now.”

Just like that, that manipulative woman turned and ran out the door.

7

Venice’s POV

“Verona!”

Jericho immediately ran after Verona, his voice thick with worry.

Only after the two of them were out of my sight did I finally exhale, though my entire body still trembled uncontrollably.

I didn’t want to stay in the same room with Jericho for even another second. After hastily packing a few belongings, I decided to leave.

But just as I reached the front door and was about to head to the parking lot, he suddenly appeared and grabbed my arm.

His face was tense and terrifying, his eyes cold as they fixed on me.

“Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me!”

Instead of releasing me, his grip tightened painfully. His voice was filled with fury.

“Goddamn it, Venice! Do you feel no remorse at all? You pushed Verona down and even framed her! It was just a freaking pink diamond. Why would you go that far over a ring? Because of you, she got into a car accident!”

No matter how I struggled, he refused to loosen his grip. He dragged me straight to the hospital.

Outside the operating room, he bound me tightly, his voice cutting through the cold air.

“You made this mistake. You’ve got to pay for it yourself.”

Then, he ordered someone to bring a needle as thick as a child’s arm. Without hesitation, he plunged it into mine!

“Jericho!” I shouted. “I told you! You can check the surveillance! It wasn’t me!”

My head spun, and I used the last of my strength to talk some sense into him, but he only stared at me with that same unyielding calm.

Slowly, blood drawn from my arm filled bag after bag, each one marked about 14 ounces.

Even the doctor’s hands began to tremble.

“Sir,” the doctor said cautiously, “we’ve already taken over a quart of blood from Ma’am Venice. If we keep going, she might not make it. Ms. MacGill has already gotten enough for the transfusion. Perhaps we should—”

“Draw another fourteen ounces,” Jericho interrupted. “Consider it her punishment.”

When the final bag was filled, my lips were blue, my face deathly pale. As soon as the needle was removed, my body gave out, and I collapsed to the floor.

In the last fleeting second before I lost consciousness, I clearly heard his voice again.

“Remove everything in the villa that has anything to do with her mom. Don’t leave a single trace. As for Venice’s belongings, clear them all out to the storage room. From now on, this villa belongs to Verona.”

No… My mom’s keepsakes!

I tried desperately to open my eyes, but the pain was too much. Darkness swallowed me whole.

When I woke up again, I was so weak that I couldn’t even open my eyes.

Just then, Verona’s delicate and sweet voice drifted to my ear.

“Jericho, what if Venice finds out she lost her baby?”

A moment later, Jericho’s indifferent answer followed.

“It doesn’t matter if she does. That child was never really hers anyway. I know you’re afraid of pain and didn’t want to give birth. The embryo in Venice’s womb carried our genes—yours and mine.”

Verona gasped softly, feigning guilt. “Jericho, isn’t that too cruel to Venice? And now, our baby is gone… I can’t help but feel sad. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten into that car accident…”

Jericho pulled her into his arms, his tone gentle and soothing.

“It’s not your fault. It was Venice’s mistake to bear. She’s only paying for what she did. If you really like babies, once she’s recovered, we can have another embryo implanted.”

I dug my nails deep into my palm, so hard that the skin split and blood welled up.