I felt a bone-deep chill spreading through my limbs. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke up again, the surgery was over. I was lying in a lavish VIP hospital room.

The empty space where my legs used to be and the excruciating pain reminded me that none of this was a dream.

It turned out that the six-year relationship I had with him was nothing but a lie from the start.

I was unable to hold back and broke down in tears.

Just then, Luke rushed in. He looked panicked as he grabbed my hand. His face was filled with concern, and there was clear distress in his eyes.

“The doctor said the injuries to your legs were too severe, so they had to amputate them. But don’t worry, I’ll be your crutch for the rest of your life. I’ll take care of you forever.”

The sorrow in Luke’s eyes seemed genuine, but all I could feel was disgust.

I turned my face away. Clinging to the last sliver of hope, I asked, “Where’s my mother? I want to see her.”

A flicker of guilt flashed across his face. He lowered his head and gently kissed my forehead, then said, “She’s in critical condition. She’s still in the ICU.”

I clutched his shirt tightly and pleaded, “Take me to see her, please?”

I wanted to at least see my mother one more time—just to say goodbye.

Luke frowned, then forcefully tucked my hand back under the blanket. His tone left no room for argument as he said, “Don’t worry and just rest, okay? You’re not in any condition to move. We’ll see her another time.”

I fell silent and let the ache spread in my heart.

For the next few days, Luke refused to hire a nurse. He took it upon himself to change the bandages on my stumps every day.

The foul smell of the infected wound filled the room, but Luke treated it like it was a precious gem. He handled my wounds carefully without a hint of disgust.

When he saw how depressed I was, Luke assumed it was the hospital environment I disliked. So, he arranged for my discharge and took me home.

As soon as we stepped through the door, the familiar scent of my mother filled the air.

For the first time in days, I allowed myself a smile.

Seeing that my mood had improved, Luke sighed in relief and quickly found an excuse to leave.

I wheeled myself over to the locked door of a room.

It was Luke’s study. He never allowed anyone in here, and he had never given me the password for the fingerprint lock.

I thought about it for a while, and an idea crossed my mind.

I entered the digits for Queenie’s birthday.

Sure enough, the door clicked open, revealing a room full of photos. They were everywhere—on the walls, the floor, even the ceiling.

And in every photo, without exception, was Queenie.

The computer on the desk emitted a faint glow, and I clicked it open.

What I saw next made my entire body tremble.

The screen was filled with text—plans for revenge against me and my mother.

Luke’s WhatsApp account was logged in, one I’d never seen before. It was likely a secondary account.

The pinned contact? “Darling”.

The chat log, aside from some crude flirtations, was filled with private videos of me—completely in my birthday suit!

[Luke, are you filming so many videos of Natalie because you think she’s better than me? You’re not falling in love with her, are you?]

[Don’t say such nonsense, Queenie. You’re like the bright moon in the sky, while Natalie is just filthy, rotten mud. She can’t even compare to you.]

[Everything I’ve done is for revenge. Every second I spend with her disgusts me. I’ll pretend to marry her, then, at her happiest moment, I’ll release these videos and ruin her.]

[Queenie, be good and wait for me. You’ll be my wife soon. I love you.]

On the desk, there were dozens of wedding photos of Luke and Queenie in various styles.

The date on the photos? The very day my mother and I had the accident.

I felt my heart shatter completely. With trembling hands, I dialed an international number.

“Dad, I’ve made up my mind—I’ll go to Meldora. Please erase my current identity for me!”

As I got out of bed the next morning, I noticed a beautifully wrapped box on the table.

Inside was an expensive pair of diamond high heels.

As I held the gift box, Luke came back from the balcony after finishing a phone call. The color drained from his face as he rushed over and snatched it from my hands.

When he realized his mistake, Luke gently took my hands with a guilty look. "Natalie, this was a surprise I prepared for you. Let's look at it another day, okay?"

Who would give high heels to a person who had lost their legs?

And they weren't in my size either.

I bit back the sarcastic remark on my tongue. I was about to make an excuse to leave when a high-pitched, tinkling laugh echoed from the door.

Queenie was wearing a red dress, and she walked in arm-in-arm with Luke's grandmother, Beatrice Hunt. They were chatting and laughing as they walked.

"Luke, I came together with Grandma," Queenie said with a pout, then threw herself playfully into his arms.

But as soon as she saw me, her face twisted in fear, and she screamed, "Natalie! Where are your legs? You're crippled now! How disgusting!"

I glanced at her smooth, flawless legs, then down at my own bandaged stumps.

A wave of humiliation hit me, and my chest tightened in pain.

Beatrice scowled, clearly disgusted. Then, she raised her cane and hit me.

"Ugh! What a curse! If your legs are gone, stay out of sight. Why come out and scare people? Looks like you got what you deserve, you vixen! You're just as bad as your mother! Now that you've lost your legs, you won't be seducing anymore men, will you?"

Beatrice snorted. "Worthless trash! You should get out of my house, and take your worthless mother with you too!"

Beatrice hadn't always been like this. Although she had never been fond of me or my mother, she always chose to ignore us instead. She was never openly hostile.

However, the day she walked in on Luke and me kissing, her attitude changed completely.

She called me a seductive vixen and accused me of trying to seduce her precious grandson.

When no one was around, she would beat me and insult me.

Luke would still stand up for me before this, but now, all he cared about was the woman in his arms.

It wasn't until I was red-eyed from the constant insults, trembling from the abuse, that he finally did something. He patted Queenie on her head and reluctantly separated from her, then half-heartedly pushed me to the side.

"Natalie, don't take her words to heart, okay? Grandma's just all talk. Her words are sharp, but she's just a softie on the inside," Luke said.

Queenie was standing behind him. She smirked at me, clearly gloating at my situation.

However, Beatrice hadn't finished. She slammed her cane against the floor and shouted, "Luke, when you were younger, I didn't blame you for being seduced by this vixen. But now, she's nothing but a useless cripple! If you still insist on being with her, you'll have to walk over my dead body!"

Queenie rushed to Beatrice's side and tried to calm her down. "Grandma, don't be angry. Actually, Luke and I have been together for a while. We're getting married soon."

As soon as she finished talking, Queenie pulled Luke's tie and drew him into a deep kiss.

Luke was awkward at first, but he eventually melted into it. He even pulled her closer by the back of her neck and deepened the kiss.

As Beatrice watched them kiss, she clapped her hands in delight.

"That's wonderful! I'll only accept you as my future granddaughter-in-law, Queenie!"

Five minutes later, they finally broke apart. Even so, I could see how reluctantly they were to do so.

I watched them coldly, then turned my wheelchair around and left.

Thinking I was upset, Luke turned pale and quickly moved to wheel me back into the room. There, he tried to explain his actions.

"Natalie, don't misunderstand. We were just putting on a show for Grandma. She's old, so she can't get too worked up."

I smiled faintly and patted his hand. "I know. Grandma's health is more important."

Seeing that I wasn't crying or throwing a tantrum like before, Luke sighed in relief.

After a brief silence, he averted his eyes and hesitantly said, "Natalie, with your condition and Grandma opposing our relationship, the wedding might not happen. But the venue and everything else are already booked. Why don't we…"

He trailed off, but I finished his thought.

"Let Queenie be the bride instead, then."

It seemed Luke didn't expect me to bring it up so directly. The speech he had prepared was stuck in his throat.

He frowned, clearly irritated. "Natalie, are you trying to push me onto someone else?"

"Queenie grew up together with you, and I trust her to take my place. Besides, look at my legs. Even if I wanted to go through with the wedding, I…"

I lowered my head, allowing a heartbroken expression to cross my face.

Luke immediately felt distressed and pulled me into an embrace. He comforted me for a long time before finally making an excuse to leave.

Once he was gone, I took a short nap.

Then, I recalled that there were still things to clean up in my mother's room. As I peeked through the crack in the door, I saw Luke and Queenie hugging each other.

Queenie was wearing the diamond heels.

"Do you like the gift I gave you, Queenie? Your legs are beautiful, so the heels suit you perfectly. I also prepared 999 pieces of expensive jewelry as wedding gifts for you."

Queenie eagerly kissed him. "These were designed by the top designer, July, right? I heard there's only one pair in the world! They're priceless! Luke, I love you so much."

Luke whispered seductively in her ear, "You say you love me, but those are just words. Why don't you show me a little action to prove it, hmm?"

"But this is Melanie's room. She's dead. Isn't it wrong to do this here?"

Queenie blinked her large eyes and pretended to resist, even placing her hand on his shoulders to do so.

The veins on Luke's forehead bulged, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed Queenie's waist and pulled her toward him.

"Doesn't that make it more exciting? Maybe that woman's soul is here, watching me make you feel like you're in paradise."

Disgust overwhelmed me, and I pushed my wheelchair out into the backyard where I gagged uncontrollably.

I didn't know how much time had passed, but when I lifted my head, I saw Queenie standing before me with a malicious grin.

She gripped my chin harshly, her eyes gleaming with triumphant, vengeful satisfaction.

"You still don't know, do you? Luke lied to you. Your mother isn't in the ICU. She's dead—has been for a while. Right before she died, she kept calling your name. Oh, what a beautiful bond between mother and daughter, don't you think so?

"Luke gave your mother to me so that I could carry out my medical research. I cut her open while she was still breathing, you know? I didn't bother with anesthesia. She was in so much pain, and she struggled like some rabid, dying dog."

Queenie snickered, then added, "Oh, by the way, I have your mother's ashes here. I brought them just for you."

She pointed in disgust at the jar on the floor. "That's Grandma's urine pot. It's as filthy and stinky as your mother."

I stared at the jar, hate bubbling inside me.

But before I could do anything, Queenie's expression shifted. She suddenly grabbed my wheelchair and shoved it into the nearby pool. Then, she jumped into the pool and let out a piercing scream that shattered the air.

Without legs, I couldn't do anything but struggle helplessly in the water.

When Luke heard the noise, he rushed to the pool. However, he didn't spare me a glance. Instead, he dove into the water and headed straight to help Queenie.

Just as I thought I was about to drown, Michael pulled me out of the water.

Before I could even cough up the water in my lungs, a slap, full of anger, struck me across my face.

"Are you out of your mind, Natalie?! How could you push Queenie into the pool? Don't you know she's terrified of water?!"

The slap was hard enough to knock me off balance. Blood filled my mouth, and my face swelled immediately.

Before I could speak, Queenie threw herself into Luke's arms, sobbing. "Luke, I was just trying to comfort Natalie. She was crying, and I tried to help her, but she called me a wretch and told me to leave this place!

"I didn't want to, so she pushed me into the water. I was so scared!"

Beatrice was enraged and slammed her cane against my head. "Good lord! What did we do to deserve a curse like you in this family? How dare you try to kill someone under our nose!"

Luke looked down at me from above, his voice as cold as ice. "So, you're the same as ever. You act all generous before others, but you're still selfish and vile to the core. You're disgusting! Hurry up and apologize to Queenie!"

As I looked at their hypocritical faces, I clenched my teeth and roared, "I'm disgusting? Luke, how did I lose my legs? Where's my mother? Don't you think you should explain all of that to me?"

Luke looked annoyed. "You and your mother were too blind to avoid the accident. What do you expect me to say?

"Where else can your mother be? She's in the hospital. Queenie even found someone to care for her. She's not like you, you heartless and vile woman. You deserve to lose your legs!"

The cruel words were like a knife that repeatedly pierced my heart.

Luke shot me a look of disgust, then picked up Queenie in his arms. Then, he coldly ordered, "You don't apologize, huh? Fine. Take her wheelchair. Let her crawl back into the house on her own. Don't give it back to her, ever!"

With that, he left with Queenie.

It wasn't until late at night that I managed to return to my room, holding my mother's ashes in my arms. The white bandages were soaked through with blood, and my severed limbs had long since gone numb.

I pulled out my phone and signed the final document to erase my identity.

From now on, Natalie Johnson would no longer exist in this world.

In the days that followed, Luke didn't return home. Instead, he was busy preparing for the wedding. It wasn't until the day before the wedding that I heard from him.

He had made headlines by buying Queenie an entire island, named after her, on the ocean.

That was when he called me.

"Tomorrow's our wedding day. Even though you won't be on stage, I've bought you a wedding dress. You can wear it and wait for me backstage. That way, it'll be like you're marrying me in person."

I stared at the cheap wedding dress that was on the table, and I cut it into pieces without a trace of emotion on my face.

"Alright. Goodbye, then, Luke."

This was goodbye for real.

We would never see each other again.

Luke chuckled warmly, then corrected me, "It's see you tomorrow, Natalie. We're seeing each other tomorrow."

After hanging up, I packed up all of my mother's belongings and finally left the place where I had lived for over a decade.