“I will return, Father. And I will follow all your words. Including divorcing my husband and marrying the man of your choice.”

My words sounded firm in my father’s ears over the phone. He was the man who had opposed my marriage to him from the start, until I finally decided to elope.

And now... I realize my mistake.

My husband is not a good man. He has been cheating on me.

What’s even more painful is that he’s cheating with my maid.

I saw it with my own eyes… that woman, Livia, their body naked. Making love in my bed.

“Three years…” I muttered.

For three years, I left my family. I lived with my husband and his family, who always mistreated me. To prove that my husband could take responsibility for me, he wanted to start a business, and I secretly helped him by contacting my connections. That way, he built a company worth billions of dollars in less than three years.

And what did I get in return?

Betrayal.

No… this isn’t just an affair. This is a conspiracy.

They planned it from the start. They placed Livia in this house as a maid so they could keep meeting. Now I have proof. There’s no reason for me to stay.

The divorce papers are in my hands. I’ll give them to him directly.

I walked toward the study with a firm stride. But my steps halted when Livia blocked my path in the corridor.

“Madam… where are you going? Do you need help?“ she asked softly and politely, as if nothing had happened.

I didn’t answer. I just stared at her coldly.

“Madam… what’s wrong? Are you sick?” She tried to touch my arm.

I pushed her roughly. “Stop pretending, Livia! Do you think I’m stupid and don’t know anything?!”

Her eyes widened. ‘Ma’am… I don’t understand…’ she said in trembling, as if she wanted to cry.

“Save your fake tears! You’re beautiful, and you can find another man out there. Why are you bothering him?! As a woman, don’t you have a heart?! Or is your heart dead and filled with sin?!”

Livia lowered her head for a moment, then… smiled.

A sneering smile that made my blood boil.

“So you already know everything, do you?” she said mockingly. ‘Alright. So I don’t have to pretend anymore. Yes, Reyhan and I love each other. And he loves my body more than yours.”

My eyes widened. I bit my lip.

“You…’ I tried to step forward.

But she crossed her arms over her chest and said, “Do you think you’re worthy of being Reyhan’s wife? A poor, uneducated woman like you?! I’m the worthy one. Livia. The only daughter of the Hargata family.”

I furrowed my brows. ‘The Hargata family’s daughter?’ I laughed coldly. ”Since when does a conglomerate’s daughter want to disguise herself as a lowly servant? Disgraceful.”

Her face turned red. “How dare you! Stupid woman! You have no self-respect!”

She raised her hand, intending to slap me. But I caught her hand first and slapped her hard, causing her to fall. The glass on the table fell and shattered into pieces.

I almost approached her again, but she picked up a sharp shard of glass and pointed it at me. I was startled and instinctively stepped back. However, she suddenly grabbed my hand.

“What do you want? Do you want to kill me?” I asked, my voice trembling.

She smiled sarcastically—a smile filled with hatred.

“Kill you? That’s too easy for you to feel, Arlena. I want to give you something far more interesting.”

“What do you mean?“ I asked, confused and afraid.

Without hesitation, Livia stabbed the shard of glass into her own body.

“Livia! You’re crazy!” I screamed in panic.

Before I could react further, Reyhan’s screams echoed from the door.

“Arlena! What are you doing?!”

He ran toward Livia, roughly pulling me away until I fell to the ground. My head hit the corner of the table hard.

I felt dizzy. Warm. Bleeding. But the pain in my head couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart as I looked at the scene before me.

Reyhan hugged Livia tightly. His face was panicked. Terrified.

“Livia… hold on… please… don’t leave me…” Tears streamed down his face as he cried over Livia’s unconscious body.

I cried too, my tears breaking free. Not because of the wound on my head. But because… I realized… I was just a stranger in my own home.

“Arlena! You’ve gone too far! Do you want to kill her? You’re a worthless woman! If anything happens to Livia, I’ll ensure you’re held responsible for everything!” Reyhan screamed, his eyes red with anger.

I remained silent, unable to believe what I was hearing.

In his panic, Reyhan lifted Livia’s blood-soaked body and carried her away without once looking at me. He didn’t care that I was injured, lying on the floor.

I lay there alone… with blood still flowing from my head… and my heart shattered into pieces.

When I opened my eyes, the pain was still there. My vision was blurry, but I knew I wasn’t at home.

“Where am I…?” I murmured weakly.

My eyes scanned the surroundings. White walls. IV tubes. The smell of medicine. I was in a hospital.

I didn’t know who brought me here—maybe one of the servants from the house. It seemed like God was giving me another chance to see everything, without masks, without lies.

I tried to calm myself, closing my eyes, hoping everything would be okay. But reality… was far from what I had hoped for.

The door to my ward was roughly opened.

I was startled.

It was Reyhan.

"Reyhan, you—" I said weakly, trying to greet him.

But he immediately cut me off, his tone high and angry.

"So you're lying here comfortably! I looked everywhere for you! You have to take responsibility for what you did to Livia!"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Livia? Why am I—"

"What else do you want to say? Trying to deny it?! Do you think I'm stupid, huh?! I saw it with my own eyes! You were the one who stabbed Livia with that broken glass!"

I shook my head weakly, tears beginning to flow. "That's not true, Reyhan! It wasn't me! She did it herself—"

"Shut up!" he snapped. "Do you think I'll believe your lies?! Is this how you solve problems?! You're such a backward, poor, uneducated woman! No wonder you act like a criminal!"

"Reyhan…" I tried to get up from the bed, though my body was still weak. "I'm your wife. Why can't you trust me? Livia… she's an outsider who came into our family and destroyed it! Don't you realize that?!"

"Destroying our family?" Reyhan laughed sarcastically. "You're the one who destroyed it! Livia was here before you came into my life! The one who ruined this relationship is you, Arlena! Not her!"

I fell silent. My breath caught in my throat. His words cut like knives.

“So… Livia…’ I couldn't finish my sentence. My heart shattered once more.

Livia was Reyhan's old love. The woman who had rejected him, claiming she wanted to continue her studies abroad. And now, she's back—at a time when he has successfully built his company.

Everything is clear now.

"So… I'm the third person in my marriage?" I murmured.

Reyhan nodded slowly but sharply. "Exactly. You should be aware of that. So if you want to leave, go ahead. But don't think you can just run away like that!"

"What do you mean…" I wiped away my tears. "If you want me out of your life, I'll do it. Alright, we'll get a divorce as soon as possible."

"Divorce?" He laughed mockingly. "Yes, we'll get a divorce. But before that, you must take responsibility for what you've done to Livia."

Suddenly, Reyhan stepped forward and grabbed my hand. Roughly, he pulled me off the bed.

"Reyhan! This hurts! Where are you taking me?!"

He didn't answer.

The IV in my arm was forcefully pulled out. Blood flowed. My weak body staggered, but he kept dragging me out.

"Reyhan, please! Don't do this!"

"REYHAN!"

I pushed his hand away with all my strength. His grip loosened. Reyhan stared at me with anger.

Smack!

His slap hit my cheek hard. I staggered and fell to the floor. The corner of my lip stung, fresh blood flowing slowly.

Everyone in the hallway just stared at me. No one moved to help.

"Reyhan…" I tried to stand up, holding onto the wall to keep from falling again. "What do you want from me? I didn't do it! I didn't hurt Livia! She hurt herself!"

Reyhan approached me. His hands gripped my jaw tightly, causing pain. I tried to break free, but his grip grew tighter.

"Do you think I'll believe you?!" His voice was cold and venomous. "Stop pretending! Stop acting like a child! I can sue you! Send you to prison for attempted murder!"

I was speechless. "Murderer?! Reyhan… I didn't do anything!"

"Didn't do anything? You liar! You criminal, Arneta! You have to take responsibility for your actions!" Reyhan leaned closer until I could feel his breath on my face. "Livia is in critical condition. Because of you, she has severe kidney damage. And you… have to atone for your mistake."

"What do you mean…?"

"You have to donate your kidney to her," he said coldly.

I froze. "Kidney? You want to take my kidney for her?! Reyhan, you've lost your mind!"

Reyhan didn't care. He grabbed my hand again, pulling me forcefully. "Come on! We're going to do the surgery right now!"

I struggled. "No! Reyhan! Stop! Have you lost your mind?! I already gave you one of my kidneys! And now… You want another one?! You want to kill me?! For a woman who rejected you when you were poor?! For a woman who only came back after you succeeded?! Have you lost your mind?!"

My words left him speechless. But before he could react, a nurse rushed in.

"Mr. Reyhan, Miss Livia's condition is critical. She needs a kidney donor immediately. If not, her life…"

Reyhan turned to me. His dark eyes were filled with resolve.

"I've found a donor," he said firmly. "Perform the transplant now!"

"NO! REYHAN! DON'T DO THIS!" I screamed, struggling with all my strength.

Reyhan pulled out a syringe from his pocket. Without warning, he stabbed it into my arm.

"Reyhan… what… are…"

My vision began to blur. My body felt weak.

Reyhan's voice sounded like an echo fading away.

"You've made Livia suffer. Now it's time for you to atone for your sins, Arneta…"

And then everything went dark

I don't know how long I was unconscious. My body felt weak, and my stomach ached. It hurt when I tried to move, so I touched it, feeling the bandage on my side.

"He did it," I whispered, my mind struggling to grasp what had happened.

The door opened. A man entered with calm steps.

"Are you alright? Do you need me to call a doctor?"

I recognized the voice. My tired eyes struggled to focus on the figure beside my bed.

"You… Why are you here? Did you come to seek revenge for what my husband did?"

Standing before me was Nathaniel, Reyhan's arch-rival in the business world. They had often been involved in conflicts, not hesitating to use dirty tactics. Nathaniel was known as a dangerous man, willing to hurt or even kill to get what he wanted. According to rumors, he was the one who had Reyhan attacked by an unknown assailant, targeting his kidney.

Nathaniel smirked, his eyes fixed on me. He stepped closer, bending down until he was inches away from me. His hand reached out, gently caressing my cheek, yet it felt like a threat.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "But so foolish."

I shivered. My breath caught in my throat. My heart raced, fear crawling through my veins.

Nathaniel stood up and walked toward the large window beside my bed. His arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the city lights shimmering below.

"You know everything," I said, my voice trembling.

"Of course," he said smoothly. "I saw how your husband treated you like garbage. Taking your kidney, even though he knew you only had one."

I fell silent, trying to process his words. My heart felt shattered, like it was being pelted with shards of glass.

Did Reyhan… take my kidney… for Livia?

Nathaniel turned to face me. His sly smile grew wider.

"They've already taken your kidney."

The world spun.

"They… took my kidney?" I touched my stomach, which felt sore.

"But… how am I still alive? If they've taken my kidney…"

Nathaniel chuckled.

"I saved you."

My eyes widened. "You… saved me?"

He walked closer, leaning against the edge of the bed.

"After they took your kidney, they dumped your body like trash. But I arrived just in time. I found you before you bled out."

Tears began to flow. My body shook violently.

"Reyhan… he really did this…"

"Reyhan didn't throw you away himself," Nathaniel said, cutting me off. "But he ordered someone else to do it."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms until they hurt. A wave of heat filled my chest, mixed with pain, anger, and hatred.

Nathaniel watched my reaction, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Control your emotions, Arneta. What I’m about to tell you might make you hate your so-called beloved husband even more."

I glared at him, hatred burning in my eyes.

"Beloved husband? Don’t joke with me. Maybe he was once. But now? Not anymore. I hate him!"

Nathaniel smiled, his gaze dark.

"Good. Because it seems like you need to know one more thing."

"What else? Just say it!"

He leaned closer, his face only inches from mine. The scent of his cologne stung my nose.

"This incident… has made you lose something you’ve been waiting for all this time, Arneta."

"What do you mean?"

Nathaniel sighed deeply.

"Besides your kidney… you've also lost your unborn child."

My breath caught in my throat again. The world felt like it was shattering into pieces. Tears fell from my eyes, unable to hold them back. I stared at Nathaniel in disbelief.

"My baby… I…"

Nathaniel nodded.

"Yes. Your baby."

I shook my head, unable to believe it.

"No… It’s impossible. I didn’t even know I was pregnant…"

"And now, you don’t need to know anymore," Nathaniel said, smirking. "Because Reyhan took it from you. Just like he took your kidney."

Choking. My chest felt like it was being crushed, and I was unable to breathe. I wanted to scream, but the sound was trapped in my throat.

I lost my baby…

I lost my kidney…

Now, I've lost everything I had.

Nathaniel stared at me without mercy.

"Now you know who that man truly is. So, what are you going to do now, Arneta?"

I remained silent. My sobs grew louder, filling the hospital room.

"This can’t go unpunished," I said, my voice trembling. "He has to be held accountable. He killed my child!"

I tried to stand up, but Nathaniel held me back.

"Do you think Reyhan cares?" he said sarcastically. "He knew you were pregnant. The doctor told him. But he didn’t care."

My blood felt like it had frozen.

"What? So he knew? And he still did it?"

Nathaniel nodded slowly, his gaze cold.

"He chose Livia over your child."

My body went limp. All the pain now turned into boiling anger in my chest.

"Reyhan…"