“The patient must be under intensive care, and should be in a stress free environment. She had just miscarried, and lost a lot of blood because of her injuries. Please take good care of her.”

My heart dropped as I heard the doctor say to my brother as I woke up slowly. “I— I miscarried?”

I huffed for breath when my brother rushed to comfort me. “You—you are awake.”

Breaking down into tears, I hugged him.

The doctor gave a sympathetic look. “Please keep your emotions stable. Your health would be affected otherwise.”

“Don't cry, don't cry, princess.”

“Brother…” I whimpered, tugging him tighter.

I didn't even know that I was pregnant, but I lost the baby. It wasn't here anymore in this world.

My hands instinctively went down my stomach as I tried to hold back my tears.

“Calm yourself down, princess. Don't injure your body… Do you know that I almost died?”

I laughed hearing his words. Yes, I almost died. But my husband, Ash, didn't care about that even a bit. Instead, he thought that I was lying.

“I wish I had come there earlier…”

I shook my head. “This isn't your fault, brother. This isn't your fault. You came as early as you could.”

My heart throbbed. What if I didn't press the emergency button, and alerted him while I called Ash? It should've alerted Ash too, but why didn't he show up? Did he think I was joking, that I was threatening him?

“Then, die. Don't worry, I won't come to your funeral.” This sentence still haunted me. Maybe he truly wanted me dead.

I took a deep breath, and then turned toward my brother. “Brother…”

He titled his head, waiting for me to finish the sentence but I shook my head.

“It's nothing. I want to take a walk alone.”

He looked at me with concern for a few moments but eventually agreed.

As I walked listlessly in the corridor, I heard a playful laughter.

“Look at the couple, the husband is so good. I really want such a husband. He didn't leave his wife's side for a moment after she gave birth!”

My eyes instinctively went in the direction of the ‘couple.’

But as I saw the scene, my lips trembled and my heart sank immediately. Inside there was Ash, and Kate.

Ash was feeding Kate sweetly while she played with her son. It was really a sweet scene, if others didn't know that, the man inside was my husband.

I gritted my teeth and I pushed the door open slightly. I was about to enter when I heard Kate say.

“Ash, can you help me with one matter? I don't know whom to ask for help.”

“I'll always be here for you, Kate. Just tell me what you need help with.”

“I want to divorce, Ash. I… I chose the wrong man. Our relationship hasn't been great, and I don't want my son to suffer because of our relationship.”

“You're going to divorce?!” Ash asked, almost behaving excited to hear this.

I gasped for air, and I immediately closed the door. I didn't have the courage to confront them. Not now, at least.

He could finally chase Kate again. His unrequited love will finally bloom. But what about me? Our marriage?

I rubbed the tears off my face. It didn't matter anymore. To him, his family was always Kate, and not me. There was no place for me, and our unborn baby.

If it wasn't because his parents urged him to marry, and that Kade had chosen someone else, he would never have asked me to marry him.

Now, Kate is divorcing. It was time for this substitute to leave.

Before I went back to my room, I splashed some water on my face. I didn't want to worry my brother.

He had tried to stop me from marrying Ash. He was Ash’s best friend, but he disagreed with my marriage because he knew that Kate was in his heart. At that time, I was foolish to think that I could have a place in his heart, and that he was going to love me.

It was time to let go of him. Now that Kate was divorcing, I'd bless them together. In this life, I don't wish to meet them again.

After calming myself down, I entered my room, gathering courage. I had to say it to him.

“Brother…”

He looked at me expectedly when I rushed to hug him. “I'm sorry… I'm sorry…”

He didn't ask me anything, and just caressed my back.

“I want to divorce Ash. I should've listened to you… He… He'd never like me. He only liked Kate.”

He let out a sigh, and hugged me tighter. “Come back home, okay?”

I nodded, and then pleaded with him again, “I don't want to stay in the hospital. I want to be back home, please.”

Seeing Ash and Kate here only suffocated me. I didn't want to face them for a single moment.

“You've to go with the treatment, Astrid…”

“Please…” I pleaded when my brother finally agreed to let me leave the hospital tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I can finally leave this place. As night came, I wondered if Ash would feel something was wrong when he didn't see me back home.

But that night, I received no message from him. He must've been glad instead that I didn't come to bother him.

The next day, my brother handed me the divorce agreement I asked him to draft. It was finally time to say goodbye.

I went back to the apartment, and noticed the place was untidy. Ash mustn't have been back home for at least two days.

I laughed and went inside my room. Our wedding photo was hanging there. But even in that photo, Kate was there.

Ash had forced me to take Kate as my bridesmaid because Kate wanted to be one so bad. And, so, at our wedding, Kate became the bridesmaid.

Ash had never declined any of Kate’s request. He hated to be disturbed during his work the most. So, I did my best not to bother him while he was working, and even did every chores by my hands because he was picky. From the suit he would wear to what he ate, I was the one who would take care of it. But all of these went unnoticed.

In his eyes, there was only one Kate. I lived as her substitute for many years, but I've to break things now.

I took a deep breath, and packed all my belongings. It was funny. We had been together for three years, but all of my belongings could fit into one bag.

In the years of our marriage, he had never showered me with any gifts, flowers, and even his love. Just, on the day of marriage, he gave me his bank card, and asked me to use it whenever I wanted to.

But I didn't. I sighed, and took out the card he gave me.

“Miss… you're back? Where were you these two days? Are you fine? What happened to you?” the nanny asked in surprise as he came to see me.

I shook my head. “Granny, can you please hand these to Ash when he comes back home?” I said as I handed her the divorce papers and the bank card.

“M—Miss, are you leaving?”

I nodded. “You're going to have a new mistress soon.”

“Please don't leave, miss. He'd finally realise his feelings for you. Believe me.”

“No, granny. I won't be holding into any false hope anymore. I had enough.” I said calmly.

Except for his parents, his nanny was the closest person to him. His family had always liked me, including granny. She was also the one who taught me to cook his favourite dishes.

I remember the first time I cooked for him, he hated it, and didn't even eat it. Then I found out that he always liked to eat food made by granny. She was the one who taught me to make his favourite food, and told me more about him.

At that time I believed that I could make his heart move by doing all of these. But in his heart, he only saw Kate.

I knew better now.

“Granny, please don't give me any more hope now. I can't hold on anymore.” I said as tears threatened to fall. “Please ask him to send me the signed papers soon. I wish him and Kate a happy marriage.”

I didn't wait for her answer and instead stormed out of the house. It was time to leave. Goodbye, Ash.