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!”

Claudia looked up and witnessed what had happened. Brett had gotten into an accident.

His car crashed into the guardrail at the very first turn in the first lap!

The medical staff hurried to the rescue. It took them a while to extract Brett who was covered in blood. He was rushed to the hospital after that.

The race had to be suspended following the devastating accident.

A group of people who were concerned about his safety followed the ambulance to the hospital, including Fione who was crying hysterically and no longer had the strength to brag.

Claudia was the only one who remained eerily stoic the entire time.

She could still hear the conversation she overheard echoing in her ears. She was aware Brett was the one who staged the accident.

This was exactly what he wanted.

He would put himself in danger just to stay with Fione.

For a brief moment, she could not decide whether to be exasperated by his utter devotion toward Fione or to feel sorry for herself.

A few days later, she suddenly received a call from the hospital.

“Miss Hepburn, your rental period for the hospital storage unit is about to end, please come to the hospital to collect your item.”

Her item…

Claudia's eyes turned red upon hearing this.

They were referring to her aborted fetus.

She suddenly felt like she was reliving the sharp pain on the day of the abortion. After struggling to contain her emotions, she answered, “Alright, I'll be there right away.”

After hanging up, she rushed to the hospital as fast as she could.

She was headed to the counter when she bumped into Brett near the in-patient department.

The doctor stood by his bedside and expressed with a deep sigh and a lamentable look in his eyes.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Maxwell, but the accident had caused serious damage to your left wrist. I'm afraid you will not be able to race anymore in the future.”

Fione was lying next to him in bed and was completely beside herself when she heard the terrible news.

Brett gently consoled her, “Don't cry, my dear. It hurts me to see you cry.

“Racing has always had its risks, I know you have always been nervous when I’m on the track and I have been thinking about quitting for a while now.

“If you think about it, this accident is a blessing in disguise since I can retire now. You have always said that I neglected you for my career but now that I’m retiring, I’ll be able to focus on taking care of you, isn’t that right?

“Besides, it’s going to be our wedding anniversary very soon. Let's throw a nice party and celebrate it properly, okay?”

He was not very subtle about his attempts at comforting Fione. At last, she broke into a smile and wiped her tears before hooking her pinky finger around his as if she were a child.

“Alright, that’s a promise.”

Claudia felt another throb in her heart and could not bear to watch their interaction anymore.

Just as she looked away and continued heading to the storage section, she heard Fione calling out from behind.

She turned around and saw Fione chasing after her and catching her breath.

“Claudia! I didn’t know you were here too, why didn’t you come to say hi?”

Without waiting for Claudia to respond, she went on.

“Arthur is going to need some time to rest and cannot receive visitors for now. You don’t have to worry, I’ll take care of him so you can head back.

“Also, he mentioned it’s going to be the fifth anniversary of our marriage in two weeks so he’s going to throw a party on that night. You have to come join us, there’s going to be lots of presents!”

Claudia noted the provocative look in her eyes and did not respond.

It just so happened that the party was going to take place on the same day she would be leaving the family.

After a brief pause, she smiled and nodded, “Sure, I’ll bring a nice, big present for the two of you.”

After extracting the answer she was looking for, Fione walked away contentedly.

Claudia stared at her departing figure, then reached for her phone to make a call before finally heading to the hospital storage section.

After waiting briefly, the hospital staff who contacted her previously came up to her to attend to her.

Then, she carefully wrapped the remnants of the fetus that had just been taken out of the cold storage and handed it over to someone she had contacted.

“I need you to deliver this to Arthur in person during the party two weeks later,” she instructed with a gleam in his eyes.

“This is the grand present I have prepared for him.”

After everything was sorted out, Claudia went home alone.

Shortly after she got home, she got a notification on her phone.

It was her father who sent her a text.

[You traitorous daughter, you haven’t been home for years! Have you forgotten about me now that you’re married? My birthday is tomorrow and you will attend!]

The tone of the text was very critical. Claudia lowered her eyes and replied curtly.

[OK.]

It had certainly been a long time since she last went home. After all, it seemed like the only one that was ever welcome home was Fione.

She was used to being seen as an afterthought.

Ever since they were children, Fione was the treasured child. No matter how hard Claudia tried to please her parents, she would never compare to her sister who knew how to stir their hearts.

When she grew up, she was told she was to wed Arthur Maxwell. Hoping that she would finally have a place to call home, she dedicated herself to Arthur only for him to brush her aside. He only had eyes for her sister Fione.

After that, it was Brett who became her sole protector, the only ray of light in her life. She was touched by his affection and saw him as her safe harbor only to be betrayed later.

Everyone loved Fione.

She chuckled mockingly at herself and turned off her phone. She decided there was no need to read the texts since this was the last time she would ever have to see her parents.

The next morning, the trio of Claudia, Fione, and Brett arrived at the birthday party together. When they boarded the cruise ship which was decorated regally to fit the occasion, Mr. and Mrs. Hepburn came up to receive them.

They immediately fawned over Fione and Brett.

“My dear daughter, you haven't called us for so long! Come here, did you lose weight?”

Although it seemed like they were reprimanding her, their tone did not sound anything like that at all.

Fione threw herself into the arms of her parents while Brett watched her with a look filled with adoration. The group of them bunched together looked like the picture-perfect family.

Claudia was the only one excluded from the group.

“Happy birthday, Dad.”

She stepped forward and handed over the gift she had prepared for him. It was a painting by a painter that her father was very fond of that she bought at a very steep price.

It was only when she tried to get their attention that her parents regarded her with a faint look. They acknowledged her with a grunt and proceeded to gesture to an attendant to take the present from Claudia.

In the end, the painting was briskly tossed into a pile of presents.

Upon seeing this, Fione immediately presented a tea set that she brought with her and expressed with a jubilant smile, “Happy birthday, Dad! This is the gift I got for you, sorry I had to get it last minute so it was a spontaneous purchase. Do you like it?”

Dad proceeded to unwrap the present on the spot and then inspected it from every angle. Mom and Dad smiled cheerfully while they nodded with fervent approval.

“I love it! As long as you’re the one giving it to me, I will always love it! Come on, hurry up and put this somewhere safe!”

Everyone present at the scene could tell that the tea set Fione bought was very common and could be easily purchased anywhere. Claudia’s present was far more personalized in comparison and yet, the reaction it garnered was completely different.

After they finished catching up, Mr. and Mrs. Hepburn took Fione into the hall and hardly bothered to cast another look at Claudia.

Fortunately, she was accustomed to being given the cold shoulder. She also expected her present to be brushed aside so she was not very dejected.

Halfway through the event, Mr. Hepburn went to the stage and softly cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.

He held the microphone and regarded Fione who was standing beside him. There was a loving look in his eyes. Then, his voice echoed across the banquet hall.

“Apart from celebrating my sixty-year-old birthday, there is another reason we are gathered here today.

“I’d like to announce that from today on, I will be transferring all the assets under my name to my daughter Fione Hepburn!”