My eyes drifted toward Jacob, who had been silent the whole time.

He was just sitting under the dim light and I couldn't make out his expression.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Selena and Sadie were both staring at me intently.

Suddenly, memories from the past came flooding back.

A year ago, I coaxed Jasmine to sleep at night and received a call from Jacob.

The caller was not Jacob himself but his assistant, who asked me to rush to a high-end restaurant immediately.

I thought Jacob was just drunk and asked me to take him home, but I didn't expect that I would be forced to join the drinking party at that time after opening the door of the room.

Jacob was already drunk then, but the guests at the party were unwilling to let him go.

I couldn't force Jacob away; otherwise, the Gilmores' industry would be affected and the consequences would be disastrous.

So, for his sake, even though I had a severe alcohol allergy, I readily agreed to their request.

I picked up the whiskey, tilted my head back and drained it in one gulp.

That night, I took Jacob home and ended up in the hospital because of it.

The next morning, I rarely saw Jacob looking so worried about me.

When he found that I had woken up, his face suddenly became gloomy, "Josephine, even if you hadn't come, I would have found a way to get out unscathed! You knew you were allergic to alcohol. Why did you risk your life?"

"Jacob, I married you and am part of the Gilmores. I'm willing to share these burdens with you."

From that day on, all the liquor bottles in the house disappeared.

Jacob stayed home for a month and his attitude towards Jasmine and me improved significantly.

I thought this would be the beginning of our improved relationship.

Thinking of this, I laughed at myself and tried to hold back my tears.

I lifted my head and finished the entire bottle of white liquor in one go.

"Just one bottle isn't enough to show my sincerity in apologizing. I'll punish myself with three more!"

I picked up another bottle of liquor and started pouring it into my mouth.

The fiery liquid burned down my throat, irritating my stomach.

When one bottle was empty, I reached for another, but Jacob grabbed my hand.

His face was dark as he shouted, "Enough!"

"Is that enough? Has your childhood sweetheart, Miss Jones, forgiven me? Is my apology over?"

His face grew even darker. "I only told you to apologize properly, not to throw your life away! Josephine, you know how much influence the Gilmores have in New York. As Mrs. Gilmore, if word gets out that you keep acting like this, how will you show your face again?"

"And what about your daughter? How can you take care of her if you don't even care about yourself? You're being completely irresponsible!"

At the mention of Jasmine, a sharp pain stabbed through my heart. "She doesn't need me to take care of her anymore."

I yanked my arm free and stormed out.

After walking a few steps, I felt dizzy and fell to the ground and fainted.

Jacob rushed forward and picked me up, but Selena stopped him after only a few steps.

Selena held an unconscious Sadie in her arms. "Jacob, Sadie suddenly fainted."

Jacob turned around and paused. His face was full of hesitation.

After a moment, he turned back toward the door, still holding me in his arms. His voice was cold. "I'm taking Josephine to the hospital. I'll have my assistant look after Sadie."

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

Jacob handed me a glass of water when he saw me awake.

"Thanks, Mr. Gilmore. I appreciate you taking care of me, but I can manage independently now. You can leave."

"Josephine, must you talk to me like that? I brought you here myself and stayed all night. What more do you want from me?"

What did I want? I didn't want anything anymore.

The past ten years were the best youth of my life, but I wasted them all on Jacob.

Now that Jasmine was gone, I just wanted to be myself again.

"If you are okay, leave the hospital immediately! Go home and take care of your daughter; don't let her stay alone for too long!"

"You deliberately drank yourself into the hospital just to cause trouble, leaving your daughter alone at home. You are truly disgraceful! If I'd known you were not only ruthless but also heartless enough to abandon your own child, I never would've married a vicious woman like you."

I took a deep breath. "Jacob, I'll say it one last time, Jasmine is already … "

Suddenly, Selena rushed in in a panic and interrupted me.

"Jacob, something happened! Sadie has acute leukemia and needs a blood transfusion!"

Jacob helped Selena sit on the chair and poured her a glass of water.

"Selena, tell me slowly. What happened?"

Selena cried, looking pitiful. "Last night, Sadie fainted at the birthday party and was sent to the hospital for examination. It was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Now she is in critical condition and needs a blood transfusion."

"Then I'll find a famous doctor in New York City immediately!"

Selena shook her head. "Sadie has Rh-negative blood. The hospital's blood bank is running out! It won't arrive in time if we transfer blood from elsewhere. The doctor said she only has two hours left."

Selena buried her face in her hands as she spoke and broke down completely.

Right before me, Jacob pulled her into his arms and gently comforted her. "Sadie will be fine, I promise. Don't worry too much."

"But where can we find someone to donate blood now? And it has to be Rh-negative."

Jacob turned his face towards me, his voice cold as ice. "Jasmine and Sadie have the same blood type. Bring Jasmine here immediately for a blood transfusion."

I let out a cold laugh. "Jacob, Jasmine is dead! Dead people can't donate blood!"

"This is a matter of life and death! Are you really cursing your own daughter just to cause trouble? Josephine, are you even human?"

Selena peeked out from Jacob's embrace, her voice weak but pleading. "Josephine, I won't compete with you for Jacob anymore! Please save Sadie."

Then she pushed away from Jacob and dropped to her knees with a loud thud. "Sadie is my life! I can't live without her! Josephine, I'm begging you, save her!"

"Jasmine is really gone."

I reached into my pocket, pulled out Jasmine's death certificate and threw it at Jacob's face. "If you still don't believe me, take a good look yourself!"

Jacob picked up the thin paper.

After just one look, his pupils shrank and his breath choked.

His hands trembled so violently that he couldn't hold the light paper. His face turned ashen, filled with shock and disbelief.

"This … when did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was hoarse.

I showed a bitter smile.

I have told you many times. It's you who don't believe it every time.

But what was the point of saying any of this now? Jasmine would never come back.

Selena's voice rang out again as I was about to speak.

Her voice was filled with sorrow yet tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Josephine, you're even using such tricks to deceive Jacob to avoid saving Sadie!"

Jacob's face changed instantly. He turned to Selena. "You mean … this certificate is fake?"

Selena pointed to the blank space on the death certificate. "Of course. Look here; such an important document wouldn't be without an official seal. Jacob, don't be fooled by her again."

Relief washed over Jacob and he glared at me with renewed fury.

"Josephine, you're unbelievable! This is your last chance. Bring Jasmine here to donate blood, or I won't hold back!"

I started laughing, tears streaming down my face.

Was this the damn price I paid for being a lovesick fool? Even after my daughter's death, she and I still couldn't rest in peace.

"Haha! Jacob, Jasmine is really dead! If you want to find her, then go die yourself! Maybe you'll catch her on the other side!"

Slap! Jacob slapped me furiously.

"Fine! Since you're so stubborn, don't blame me for what comes next!"

He raised his hand and two bodyguards immediately appeared. "Take her away for a blood transfusion! She's also Rh-negative!"

"No! I don't want to!"

I struggled with all my strength, but how could I fight off two towering bodyguards?

Without another word, they dragged me out of the ward and into the blood donation ward.

I was strapped to the chair in the blood donation room, powerless to stop the nurse from sticking the needle into my arm.

"Josephine, people have to pay for their mistakes."

"Even if it drains every last drop of your blood today, you'll have to accept it!"

Seeing that I was tied to the blood donation room and unable to struggle, Jacob seemed satisfied.

Without another glance, he turned and walked out.

I slumped in the chair, completely giving up the struggle, my face pale as I watched my blood slowly drain away.

After 400cc had been drawn, I thought it would finally be over.

Who knew that Jacob would return to the blood donation room, his face etched with anxiety.

"Sadie's condition isn't good. 400cc isn't enough, we need 1000cc!"

Upon hearing this, the nurse exclaimed in shock, "Mr. Gilmore, 1000cc is beyond a person's limit! Your wife will die!"

"I said, draw her blood and you'll do it! If you don't want to, I'll find someone else!"

The Gilmores were very famous in New York City.

The nurse was too frightened to argue and had no choice but to obey.

As my blood flowed out, my vision gradually blurred and I couldn't even hear the frantic beeping of the medical equipment beside me.

In a trance, I remembered that Jacob took Jasmine out and did not keep an eye on Jasmine.

Jasmine had rushed onto the road and been hit by a passing car. She had suffered severe bleeding on the spot. She was given a critical condition notice, needing a blood transfusion to survive.

The hospital only had 400cc of Rh-negative blood back then, which was far from enough for Jasmine.

I begged Jacob to find a way to save Jasmine, but he didn't even look at her. He just said he had something to do in the company and turned away coldly.

In the end, I had no choice but to use my own blood to save Jasmine.

After that, Jasmine stayed in the hospital for half a month and Jacob didn't even call to ask.

Now, his first love's daughter got sick and he was panicking.

Sadie had no blood relation to him at all. I really wanted to ask him who exactly his biological daughter was.

The amount of blood drawn was too much and coupled with my alcohol allergy, I ended up staying in the hospital for three days.

During this time, Jacob never came to see me again.

It was Selena who sent me several provocative text messages.

[You really are tough. Even after losing that much blood, you're still alive. But what's the point? Jacob is with my Sadie every day.]