My husband, Hudson Lynwood, falls in love with my best friend, Quincey Stryker, after a heart transplant. It's all because her boyfriend, Maverick Goldstein, was the one who donated his heart. Hudson insists he's Maverick.

I do everything I can to win him back; I want my Hudson to come back.

It’s not until the real Maverick shows up and tells me a cruel truth: "Quincey and Hudson have been lying to you all along."

It turns out this is all just an elaborately laid out plan.

"Get out. You really think you can make a move on your best friend's boyfriend?"

My husband, Hudson Lynwood, threw a glass at me in disgust. It shattered against my forehead, and blood oozed out of the wound.

"Jovi, I think you should step out for now. Don't provoke him. I'm worried his heart won't be able to take it."

Quincey Stryker cowered softly in my husband's arms, looking at me pleadingly. I looked at them, wrapped in their unshakable love. They seemed inseparable.

My heart was torn apart as pain hit me in broken pieces. One was my husband of two years, and the other was my best friend since college years.

Hudson had been born with a heart condition. He now had the heart of Quincey's boyfriend, Maverick Goldstein, who had died in a car crash. After the surgery, Hudson insisted he was Maverick.

I forced a smile and set a container of healthy food on the table next to the hospital bed.

"Quincey, I spent three hours making this food. Make sure Hudson eats it."

I went to the restroom to treat my wound. After that, I passed by the room and saw Quincey tossing the container straight into the trash. I paused and let out a sigh before walking away.

When Hudson was diagnosed with his heart condition, I was shocked and worried. We'd been married for two years. He kept a very regular schedule and, as a university professor, had even once played in a faculty basketball game.

Two months ago, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. While I was losing sleep trying to find a donor, Quincey's boyfriend had an accident.

Maverick's brakes failed on his way to work. Coincidentally, his heart was a match for Hudson.

After the transplant, Hudson woke up and insisted he was Maverick. He didn't recognize me anymore.

When I went to bring Hudson home, he refused coldly, "Jovienne, I'll say it again—I'm Maverick, not your husband. I've seen shallow and greedy women like you. You make me sick."

"Jovi, maybe it's better if Maverick.. I mean, Hudson stays at my place for now. It might help his recovery."

Hence, I packed my cookware and moved into Quincey's place.

That first night back, I made a huge dinner. Every single dish was something Hudson used to love. I hoped it would help bring him back.

"Ugh, Jovienne, was this on purpose? Don't you know I'm allergic to eggs?"

Hudson spat out the pie as soon as he tasted it, scowling at me. I didn't know if Maverick was allergic to eggs. I only knew Hudson used to have eggs for breakfast.

"Maverick, it really is you. Maverick was allergic to eggs."

I watched Quincey burst into tears, overwhelmed. Hudson rushed to her, holding her as if to comfort her.

"Hudson, are you still my Hudson?" I pondered.

Feeling lost, I headed downstairs to throw out the trash. Then, I spotted someone standing under the building down on the street.

It was Gideon Zelmor, Hudson's close friend. I walked up to him. "Gideon? How did you know Hudson moved into Quincey's place? Though, honestly, he probably won't want to see you."

Gideon looked me up and down without saying a word. His eyes shifted toward Quincey's place again before he turned and left.

"Weird," I thought.

When I got back, Hudson was already asleep. He had just been discharged from the hospital and still needed time to recover.

Quincey came out of Hudson's room and reassured me, "Jovi, don't worry. As long as Maverick's heart doesn't reject Hudson's body, I'll return him to you."

But the next day, Quincey collapsed and was hospitalized. When I hurried to the hospital, the first thing I was greeted with was Hudson's heavy slap. "Jovienne, you poisoned Quincey? You vicious woman!"

"Don't blame Jovi, Hudson. It's my own fault for eating something bad," Quincey said as she got out of bed, stopping Hudson from attacking me.

When Hudson saw Quincey, who was on the verge of collapsing, he disregarded me and rushed forward to catch her in his arms.

"Quincey, you're too kind. You don't need to protect her."

I covered my cheek, feeling heartbroken, as I looked at Hudson.

"Hudson, do you still remember when you proposed to me, you promised you wouldn't let anyone bully me? Now, you're the one who's bullying me," I thought.

Quincey stayed in the hospital for three days. The doctor had suggested she could be discharged the same day. But Hudson was worried, so he insisted on her getting three days' worth of nutrition drips.

I watched as Hudson took care of Quincey at the bedside. Did he know that when he was unconscious, I took care of him the same way?

"If there's any decency left in you, you would do something to make up for it."

"Yes, as Quincey's close friend, I knew her dietary habits very well. I was jealous of your love for Quincey, so I poisoned her food—Hudson, is that what you really think? But you are still my husband," I mused.

I began taking care of two sick patients and handling all the household chores and meals at Quincey's house.

"Jovi, I know you didn't do it on purpose. It might be because I ate something bad outside. Don't take Hudson's words to heart," Quincey remarked, seemingly guilty.

"Quincey, you know Hudson is my husband, at least for now."

I watched as Quincey's face turned pale in an instant.

"Jovienne, stop with your vile thoughts. Don't even think about it. If you say anything like that to Quincey again, I won't let you off!" Hudson warned, pulling Quincey behind him in disgust.

I took off my apron and placed it on the table.

"Even if your heart used to belong to Maverick, you can't escape the fact that your body is still my husband."

I left Quincey's house. All of this was suffocating me. I needed to bring Pixie back.

Pixie was a parrot I raised. Since Hudson was hospitalized, I had entrusted it to Gideon. When I arrived outside Gideon's place, I heard Pixie say, "Liars. Liars."

"What if I say I'm actually Maverick? Would you believe me?"

I smiled wryly at Gideon, who was standing there with an annoyed expression.

"Gideon, are you joking? Or have you fallen for Quincey, too?"

With frustration building up, I ignored him and picked up the birdcage before leaving wordlessly. Why was everyone around me acting as though they were possessed?

I took Pixie to the park, walking the bird with an elderly man I didn't know. For the first time in a long while, I felt relaxed.

My phone kept ringing. Fearing that something had happened to Hudson, I quickly answered.

"Jovienne, where the hell are you? It's already so late, and you still haven't come back to cook! Do you want Quincey to starve?" Hudson's angry voice echoed through the phone.

I forced a bitter smile. What? Were they going to starve to death without me there?

Since I promised Mirelle Lynwood I'd take good care of Hudson, I still went to the market. Mirelle was Hudson's elder sister. She grew up with us in the orphanage, but her life ended at 23.

It happened when she was working part-time at a bar. The owner drugged her and assaulted her.

When Mirelle called, Hudson and I ran out of class without a second thought.

On the hotel bed, Mirelle lay there in her birthday suit, broken. Blood poured from between her legs and wrists, staining everything in crimson darkness.

I quickly grabbed the blanket, hands shaking as I covered her up. I could feel my heart racing as I held her, and I could feel her slipping away.

"Jovi, I won't be able to protect you anymore. I can't bear the thought of leaving Hudson. Please… take care of him for me. Hudson, I know how you feel about Jovi. Be nice to her, or I won't be able to rest even after I'm gone."

I saw Hudson's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with rage, and his fists were clenched so tightly his veins bulged.

Mirelle died in the prime of her life, and the one who did it was untouched, as he was backed by power.

Hudson and I leaned on each other and worked part-time jobs to pay our tuition. We worked even harder than before.

I never forgot what Mirelle told me before she closed her eyes—she asked me to take good care of Hudson. I came back from the market with Pixie and started cooking right away.

"Hudson! Hudson!" Pixie chirped the moment it saw Hudson. I didn't miss the flicker of warmth in his eyes.

"Hudson, do you remember Pixie?" I thought.

When he was preparing to apply for university, he spent a whole month's living expenses on a parrot at the bird market. He was afraid he wouldn't have time to be with me.

"Hudson, do you remember that month? We lived off discounted buns and couldn't even afford other food," I mused.

"Liar. Hudson is a liar," Pixie said again, and I was too focused on cooking to notice Hudson's gaze turning ice-cold.

That afternoon, I went back home to get Pixie's food and things.

"Pixie?" I called as soon as I opened the door. Strangely, there was no reply. I rushed in without even taking my shoes off and found Pixie's cold little body lying in the cage.

Panicking, I reached in to touch it. It was stiff. My mind went completely blank.

"Jovi, it wouldn't stop chirping. I thought it was hungry, so I gave it a bit of chocolate and—"

Before Quincey could finish, I slapped her across the face. I had told her how important Pixie was to me. It was like family to me. Hudson rushed out and slapped me right back before turning to look at Quincey.

"Are you out of your mind? Touch Quincey again, and I won't go easy on you," he warned, his voice sharp.

Stunned, I held my cheek and stared at him.

"Hudson, that was Pixie—our Pixie." I searched his face, desperate to find even a shred of sorrow or hesitation, but there was none. He only looked cruel and cold.

When I arrived at Mirelle's grave, I saw gardenias laid in front of the stone. They were her favorite flower, symbolizing eternal waiting.

Was it Hudson? I looked around, hopeful. But there was no one. I was alone and lonely there.

Maybe I was wrong. Hudson was probably off comforting Quincey. I let out a bitter laugh and buried Pixie next to Mirelle.

"Mirelle, look. You're not alone anymore. Pixie's here to keep you company. Don't worry. I'll take good care of Hudson."

I left when the sun went down, and the figure behind the tree slowly stepped out.