Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn.

Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that.

While she was drowning in despair, Arthur’s brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him.

Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead.

Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away.

On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there.

It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of her life.

Just when she was expecting the rest of her life to play out that way, she happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between her ex-fiancé and his friends.

“Brett, your brother was the one who died in that shipwreck, but here you are pretending to be him. Did you do it so you could be together with his wife? Aren’t you worried about someone finding out about this?”

“I can't be bothered to worry about all that now, I’ve loved Fione from the beginning. I had to endure so much humiliation and marry Claudia just so I could prevent her from ruining Fione’s happiness. Now that God has given me such a perfect chance, I will not sell myself short anymore!”

Claudia Hepburn had seduced his fiancé, Arthur Maxwell, ninety-nine times. However, he was still into her sister, Fione Hepburn.

Not only was he nowhere to be seen on the day of the wedding, but he even went ahead and registered his wedding with Fione instead. Claudia was turned into a laughingstock after that.

While she was drowning in despair, Arthur's brother, Brett Maxwell, showed up and took her into his arms. He confessed that he had been secretly in love with her for ages and beckoned her to turn to him.

Enchanted by his devotion, she decided to marry him instead.

Even after five years of marriage, Brett still doted on her endlessly. That was until a shipwreck took him away.

On the day of the funeral, she was so heartbroken that she felt the urge to smash her head against his coffin to end it all right there.

It was only when she found she was pregnant that she gave up on the idea of ending it all. She decided she would live on and grieve her late husband for the rest of her life.

Just when she was expecting the rest of her life to play out that way, she happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between her ex-fiancé and his friends.

“Brett, your brother was the one who died in that shipwreck, but here you are pretending to be him. Did you do it so you could be together with his wife? Aren’t you worried about someone finding out about this?”

“I can't be bothered to worry about all that now, I’ve loved Fione from the beginning. I had to endure so much humiliation and marry Claudia just so I could prevent her from ruining Fione’s happiness. Now that God has given me such a perfect chance, I will not sell myself short anymore!”

Claudia felt like her heart had broken into pieces.

This entire time, they were all in love with her sister Fione.

This entire time, Brett loved Fione more than his brother Arthur did.

He had to “endure so much humiliation” back then to marry Claudia.

And now, he would go as far as to pretend to be Arthur just so he could be with Fione!

It was devastating news that she could not bear to accept. She ran into the rain and cried her heart out.

The next morning, she hobbled into the hospital completely drenched in rain.

“Doctor, I want an abortion!”

“Miss Hepburn, your fetus is already four months old and it’s going to be a pair of twins! Your pregnancy is progressing very well, are you sure you want an abortion now of all times?”

Claudia felt more anguished than ever when she heard the doctor’s advice. No sane mother would have willingly aborted her own child, she would never have wanted to do this unless she was desperate.

Ever since “Brett’s” passing, the entire Maxwell household had been drowned in grief. This was why she had not told anyone of her pregnancy yet.

This meant that Brett was also unaware that she was already pregnant with his child even before he assumed Arthur’s identity to be with Fione.

Claudia decided there was no need to tell him about the pregnancy since he was so head over heels in love with Fione.

“I am sure, doctor. Let’s get on with the operation.”

After a three-hour operation, Claudia's face was horridly pale by the time she stepped off the operation table.

She slumped against the wall and allowed her weight to collapse onto the bench in the corridor. The entire time, she felt a mild throb of pain in her lower abdomen. Suddenly, she heard a round of commotion somewhere in front of her.

She saw a familiar figure show up carrying another person in his arms. Shortly after that, the same person hurried past again, fixing his eyes on Claudia.

This time, she recognized the man.

It was Brett.

“Quick, come with me!”

He proceeded to grab Claudia’s arm after that and dragged her in the direction he came from.

Claudia had just stepped out of an operation and was still recovering, and her face was pale as a sheet of paper now.

However, it was clear that Brett was not paying attention to the state she was in and could not tell she was feeling upset.

It was only when they reached the blood donation room that he finally stopped.

“She has the same blood type as Fione, use her blood!”

Claudia frowned on instinct and wanted to object but it was too late. Brett had pinned her into the chair and instructed the nurses to hurry up and draw her blood.

Throughout the entire process, Brett never even bothered to explain the situation to Claudia. As soon as he saw the syringe injected into her arms, he anxiously ran off again to check how Fione was holding up.

“What's going on? Why is Mr. Maxwell so riled up?”

“Why else did you think? His wife was bleeding a lot. They came here right from the bedroom, those two must have been going at it.”

“My, he must love his wife very much. They have been married for five years but it looks like their passion hasn’t died down yet.”

Claudia observed the way the nurses threw suggestive looks at each other and pieced together what had happened.

So that was it…

Brett was going at it with Fione and ended up getting so rough that she started bleeding!

When the hospital’s blood reserve ran out, Brett happened to notice Claudia who was trying to catch a break after the operation. He proceeded to grab her and forced her to draw blood for Fione.

Upon realizing what happened, Claudia felt as if someone had torn her heart out. The pain was so agonizing that her entire body screamed with pain.

Little did Brett know, Claudia had aborted their child while he was seducing the woman he had been longing for.

If Brett had cared about her even the slightest bit, he would have noticed something off with her.

And yet, he did not.

He only had eyes for Fione.

Claudia laughed until she cried.

'Very well, Brett. Since you love Fione so much, I will grant your wish.

'From here on, you will never see me again!'

After leaving the hospital, she put on some makeup so nobody could tell there was anything off with her before returning back to the Maxwell household.

This time, she did not retreat to her room to grieve for her late husband.

Instead, she walked straight into the study and knelt ceremoniously in front of Phillip Maxwell.

“Grandpa, I have decided to move on from Brett and leave the family!”

After Brett's “passing”, Claudia was the one who took to the news the hardest.

Even though Phillip also grieved Brett’s death, the first thing he did was offer advice to Claudia.

Seeing as Claudia was still young, he encouraged her to make a new life for herself now that Brett had passed.

He tirelessly advised her to leave the family and find a good man to marry. He wanted nothing more than for her to get over the devastating loss.

Claudia understood that Phillip was only looking out for her but she had turned down the suggestion without any hesitation at the time.

She could not possibly move on from Brett and would not leave his family where his only remnants could be found. She was fully prepared to become a widow for the rest of her life.

That was until she found out that Brett had been lying to her since the beginning.

The past five years were nothing but a mirage, there was no love to speak of!

She no longer saw any reason to stick around.

Phillip was not aware of all the underlying nuances. Regardless, he was glad to see Claudia having a breakthrough.

He helped her up to her feet and there were tears in his eyes.

“Claudia, you finally figured it out. You are a sweet child and I have watched you grow into a woman. I want you to live a good life, since the world is for the living and not for the dead.

“Listen, I will give you half of the family’s share, that should be enough for you to start a new, easy life. My child, don’t come back to us again and forget about Brett, make sure you take care of yourself.”

Tears swirled in Claudia’s eyes when she heard this.

Her parents never loved her but they adored Fione more than anything else.

Her ex-fiancé, Arthur never loved her either and was fixated on Fione.

Even Brett, who she thought loved her had betrayed her and was in love with Fione the entire time.

Ever since she was a child, Phillip was the only one who truly, sincerely cared for her.

She nodded, “I will. I’ll do it for you, Grandpa, I will make a new life for myself.”

Everyone adored Fione and nobody cared for Claudia.

In that case, the only thing left to do was to love herself and cut off all these horrible people who had nothing of value to offer to her!

The next day, she woke up at the break of dawn and approached an organization.

“Hello, I’d like to buy an island isolated from the rest of the world, do you have anything like that?”

After she briefly explained her intention, the agent presented her with a booklet and proceeded to elaborate on the list of options for her. She was starstruck by the mass of islands that came in different sizes and eventually, she picked one of them at random and settled the payment with a lump sum.

“Miss Hepburn, the arrangements will be sorted out within a month and after that, you can begin to assume your residency.”

With that, the agent walked her out with a beaming smile before briefing her on some particulars.

Claudia nodded, “Alright, got it.”

When she got home, she started to pack.

She never had much belongings to bring with her when she married into the Maxwells because her family never paid much attention to her needs. Although she shared a large bedroom with Brett, most of the items were gifted by him.

There were a lot of picture frames hung on the wall and some ornaments that came in pairs set on the cabinet. In the past, the sight of these memorabilia would fill her with joy but it was now replaced by the irony of how Brett’s love was nothing but lies.

She proceeded to stuff all of them into a cardboard box. It did not take long before the box was filled to the brim with the countless sentimental pieces she shared with Brett.

Then, she walked out with the box and dumped all of its contents into a trash can without a second glance.

Right after she threw them away, she looked up just in time to see Brett approaching her.

He hardly even bothered to greet her until he happened to notice what she was doing.

A deep look came upon his eyes, then he frowned gravely.

Claudia pretended not to notice his look and prepared to turn away.

Brett managed to call out after her just in time.

“Why did you throw them away, Claudia? Aren’t those important memories you shared with my brother?”

Claudia stopped short and felt a swell of spite rising inside her. She turned to him and stated in an eerily calm voice, “It’s been long enough. I figured it’s time to move on.”

“Move on?”

Brett’s expression changed the moment he heard the statement. He reached forward and grabbed her hand tightly, “What do you mean by that?”

“Let go! You’re hurting me!”

Claudia frowned and shrugged his hand off when she felt the strength of his grip. She massaged her hands which had become slightly sore and red.

Brett realized he may have overreacted. He remembered he had to play the persona of his brother, Arthur Maxwell.

He tried to suppress the raging emotions inside him but still could not hold back the urge to ask, “You’re leaving?”

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Claudia's sharp look penetrated the depths of his soul.

At that moment, he had a lurking suspicion that Claudia knew.

He brushed off the suspicion as soon as it hatched.

It was impossible, Claudia loved him too much, and there was no way she would react so calmly if she found out about the truth.

With that in mind, he calmed down.

“Don't listen to what Grandpa has been telling you. Our family can take care of you. I promised Brett that I would take care of you too, I won’t let you leave.”

Claudia broke out into a sardonic laugh at his words.

She could not figure out what Brett wanted.

It did not make sense considering he would have gotten everything he wanted if she was out of the picture. He got to spend the rest of his life with Fione and did not have to worry about being constantly on guard to hide his secret from Claudia.

Why did he seem so unwilling to see her leave?

Brett felt something stir inside him when he noted the way Claudia reacted. Just as he was about to speak, the phone in his pocket started to ring.

The phone rang very suddenly and when Brett looked down to inspect the display, his expression softened instantly. When he answered the call, Fione's voice came through the speakers.

“Honey, is the soup ready? I’m hungry.”

Brett spoke to her gently, “I’ll bring it to you as soon as it’s done. Wait just a little longer, okay?”

They were standing close enough for Claudia to overhear Fione's sweet and tender voice.

“Oh you, you’re the reason I ended up here! We’ve been married for so long, so what got into you last night? You were doing it like a possessed man as if it was our first time.”

Claudia stiffened at Fione’s words and felt a mix of pain and sadness in her heart.

Come to think of it, it must be his first time with Fione…

She stood still without a word but her thoughts were already drifting to some time in the past.

Even though Brett had doted on her during the five years they had been together, he had always been very stoic when they were in bed. It seemed like he was doing it out of a sense of obligation.

At the time, she assumed that was just his personality. After all, he was never one to show his emotions outwardly.

It was only now that he started posturing as “Arthur” that she finally realized what his true nature was like. He was someone who would lose himself in passion when it was with his loved one.

When she snapped back to her senses, Brett hung up the call and went to the kitchen to make a pot of soup.

When she observed the way he dismissed the housemaids and insisted on making it by himself, she chuckled and walked away.

She never left the house over the next few days. She spent her days patiently waiting for her purchase of the island to be finalized so she could get out of this place.

At one point, Fione was discharged from the hospital and came knocking at her door.

“Arthur has a circuit race today, come and join us, Claudia! I know you are still grieving over Brett but staying at home is only going to make you more depressed.”

The two siblings of the Maxwells were the pride of the family.

Brett was known for being poised and capable, he had inherited the company and sat at its helm.

Arthur was the more adventurous of the two. He was an F1 racer.

The siblings had completely different personalities and trajectories in life. Although Claudia was hesitant to go at first, she became curious to see how Brett, who had never driven a sports car in his life, could possibly hold up on the circuit.

With that in mind, she went with Fione.

When they reached the circuit, Fione went off to look for Brett and left Claudia to wander around by herself. That was when she suddenly heard someone exclaiming nearby.

“Do you have a death wish? You’re going to mess with the brakes just to stay by Fione’s side?”

Claudia had a feeling she had heard that voice at some point. It was one of Brett’s close friends.

He was the same person who accidentally spilled Brett’s shocking secret the last time.

In a strange coincidence, she overheard their conversation again.

“I don’t even know how to drive a sports car! If I don’t tamper with the brakes, I’m going to give myself away.”

“This may work this one time, but it won’t work forever. Brett, I know you love Fione but you can’t forget that she is your brother’s wife and you have a wife as well. Claudia has been crying herself sick grieving for you to the point where I can barely recognize her anymore.

“Think about this, she’s a good woman and you two have been together for five years by this, I’m sure you at least have some feelings for her. Why don’t you cherish what you have and move on from Fione?”

His pleas were met with deafening silence.

After a while, Brett finally spoke, “Just let me have this for three more years. Just three years for me to fulfill my wish, then I will return to Claudia.”

Claudia chuckled to herself.

'Don’t bother coming back, Brett. I’ll excuse myself.'

From now on, you can be “Arthur” for as long as you want.

She smiled to herself and walked back to the seating area to join the audience.

Shortly after they assumed their seats, there was a round of applause and cheers welcoming Brett and his team into the circuit.

When Brett finally showed up, the crowd’s enthusiasm reached its peak.

Fione sat down next to Claudia and smiled with pride. She fixed her eyes in front of her but addressed Claudia as she spoke.

“You can’t stay depressed forever just because Brett is gone, you should try coming out sometime, Claudia.

“Life works out in strange ways. Both of our husbands were on the same cruise ship but somehow it was Brett who died and Arthur who survived the disaster.

“I know you must be grieving a lot these days but you have to accept that it’s just how life works sometimes. You’ve always been less fortunate than I am so all that’s left to do is to press on.”

Claudia could feel her breath quickening, even her face had turned white.

Just as she was about to say something, she heard a thunderous crash followed by a sharp shriek.

“Arthur!”