When I was 18, I injured my left leg and was left disabled for life—all to save Emily Parker.

To show her gratitude, she insisted on getting engaged to me despite everyone’s objections, vowing to take care of me for the rest of my life.

But ten years passed, and by the time I was 28, we were still just engaged.

When I finally gathered the courage to propose, I accidentally overheard her conversation with her best friend.

“Emily, I heard Ethan Carter is about to propose. He’s desperate to marry you.”

“He’s such a fool. I’ve been avoiding marriage for ten years. Everyone knows I don’t love him, but he’s completely clueless.”

Then I heard Emily’s voice, calm and cold:

“Why, do you pity him?”

“No. It’s just... He was injured saving his life. Ryan Carter is coming back to America tonight. Have you thought about what happens if he finds out?”

“Ryan and I got married abroad. And as his younger brother, it’s only natural for me to see him.”

“If I hadn’t used the fact that he saved me as an excuse, how else would I have ended up engaged to him? The one I love has always been Ryan. I’ve done enough by leaving my identity and status here to him.”

So all this time, what I thought was love was, in her eyes, nothing more than moral blackmail.

I looked down at my crippled leg, the permanent reminder of saving her, and couldn’t hold back my tears.

If my love were just a shackle to her, then I would be the one to set her free.

I turned and dialed a number.

“Are you still waiting for me?”

What Emily never knew was that, during those ten years I waited for her, someone else was waiting for me, too.

——

I hung up the phone. After calming my emotions, I wiped my tears and walked inside.

The moment I entered, a mocking voice greeted me.

“Ethan, dressed like this—are you trying to force Emily to marry you?”

“Master Carter, no offense, but Emily is already engaged to you. She’s not running off anywhere. You showing up to propose like this—it’ll make people talk, you know.”

Then she strutted toward me, full of disdain, and tossed the bouquet of roses from my hands onto the ground.

I ignored her and bent down to pick them up.

As I stood up, someone suddenly shoved me from behind. I lost my balance. My left foot buckled, and I crashed to the floor, my head spinning.

“You can’t even stay on your feet while picking something up? What good are you? You’ve embarrassed Emily!”

“Anna Young, that’s enough.”

Emily’s voice finally cut through Anna’s ridicule.

She gently helped me up, ignoring the wine stains on my clothes from the fall.

“Sorry, Ethan. Anna didn’t mean it. It’s just that after the last banquet, there were too many rumors. She couldn’t take it anymore and took it out on you.”

“But I was the one who asked for the engagement. So now, it’s only right that I propose.”

She bent down, picked up the roses, and knelt on one knee in front of me.

“Mr. Ethan, will you marry me?”

This wasn’t how I pictured the moment I’d been waiting ten years for. I had imagined it a thousand times—her acceptance, my joy.

But now, with our roles reversed, I felt nothing but cold emptiness.

She clearly didn’t love me, yet acted more devoted than anyone.

I swallowed the bitterness and forced out a faint smile.

“Emily, I was too impatient. You must have had your own plans.”

“And Anna was right. I’ve wronged you—made you endure criticism and gossip. Maybe we should just call off the wedding. That way, you won’t have to—”

Before I could finish, Emily cut me off.

“I won’t let you talk about yourself like that. You’re my husband, Ethan. I promised to take care of you for life—and I never break a promise!”

Her expression was more serious than I’d ever seen.

In the past, I might’ve been touched to tears, even felt more guilt toward her.

But now, I could only sigh—what a convincing actress she was.

I took a slow breath and said,

“I know. I’ll wait for you.”

Then, using the excuse of having something to do, I left.

As always, Emily didn’t try to stop me.

All her friends dislike me. To them, I’m just a burden—a cripple who somehow ended up engaged to their shining star. None of them ever mentions that I became like this because I saved her life.

But I hadn’t walked far when I heard laughter from inside the room.

“Emily, did you see him limping just now? He looked like a penguin. Hilarious.”

“Good thing you’re in love with Ryan. I’d never be able to call someone like that my brother-in-law.”

“I’m not asking you to call him that. Just don’t let him find out. After all, he’s still Ryan’s so-called brother. I don’t want them to fight because of me.”

“Sure, I feel sorry for him. I delayed him for ten years. But I don’t regret it. Love doesn’t come with a right or wrong.”

I clenched my palm, nails digging into flesh—but that sting wasn’t even a fraction of what I felt in my chest.

Just then, a message alert pulled me out of my daze.

“I’m back in America. See you at the Department of Health and Human Services.”

I stared at the freshly printed marriage certificate in my hand. There was no joy, only emptiness.

A day ago, I still believed in the love between Emily and me. I never imagined that in just 24 hours, everything would collapse.

While I stood there in a daze, someone snatched the certificate from my hand.

“I’ll hold onto this. The old man wants to see it. I’ll finish all your paperwork for going abroad within three days. Just wait.”

Before I could react, Sophia Bennett had already turned and was walking away.

She was my childhood friend before I was taken back to the Carter family. Around the same time they found me, the Bennett family also found her.

But she had better luck. While my family had already adopted another boy in my absence, her family had never stopped looking.

When she left, she was worried I’d be bullied, so she made a promise to wait for me—for ten years.

I thought that promise would fade with time, never be used.

But who would’ve guessed it would come to this?

After Sophia left, I went back to the house Emily and I had shared.

As the things she’d given me were consumed by flames, my eyes stung.

If I hadn’t heard it myself, I would never have believed that she’d staged a decade-long performance.

While she was away, I entered her studies and opened the laptop she always guarded so closely.

I used Ryan’s birthday to unlock it. Then, I searched through everything—frantic, desperate.

Eventually, I found an encrypted folder.

Inside were thousands of photos—every single one of Ryan.

Each photo was dated and tagged with a description of her mood, capturing her obsession in painful detail.

I forced myself to look at every one of them, even as each image chipped away at my feelings for her.

With every click, my love faded—until finally, there was nothing left.

So all those times Emily said she was going abroad to find me the best doctors. It was all a lie.

She was just following him—watching him play, cheering him on.

At the very end of the folder, there was one more item: an audio file.

I clicked the file with trembling hands, and the calm I’d just regained shattered in an instant.

“Mr. Parker, everything’s in place. As long as Ryan shows up and is seen as the savior, even if Ethan is the rightful heir of the Carter family, you can still request to replace him with Ryan as the groom.”

“What were you thinking? Why did Ethan end up saving me? Don’t you realize I’ll never get rid of this burden now?”

...

No wonder Emily looked so shocked when I came to her rescue, frantically begging me not to act impulsively.

Who would’ve thought it wasn’t an accident at all—but a plan?

She had deliberately risked her life just to be with Ryan.

Even though I knew she didn’t love me, hearing this still tore me apart.

In the decade since my left leg was injured, no matter how many stares or whispers I endured, I never once regretted saving her.

She was the first person who had ever truly cared about me after I returned to the Carter family.

I saw her as the light in my life. I never imagined she had orchestrated my downfall.

And thinking back, I realized—through all these ten years of engagement, she never once said she loved me.

But none of it matters anymore. She’s married. I’m married.

Once Sophia returns, all of this will finally end.

That night, Emily didn’t come home.

Her secretary told me she had found another promising doctor and left in a hurry.

As expected, her call came at midnight.

“Ethan, I’ve arrived. This doctor’s really good—I believe he might be able to cure your leg.”

“Oh, and if you feel lonely since I’m not around, just go back to the Carter house, okay? Don’t show off too—”

Suddenly, fireworks exploded outside the window, drowning out the rest of her voice.

But through the video call, I clearly saw the fireworks spell out abbreviations—her love for Ryan, displayed in bright light.

I stared at her back, my hands trembling.

Emily, you’re lying to me again.

I couldn’t sleep at all that night.

The next morning, I was awakened by loud banging sounds from downstairs.

When I went to check, I was stunned by what I saw in the kitchen.

I had no idea when Emily came back—or that she wasn’t alone.

Ryan stood behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, watching her cook soup with a tender smile.

They talked and laughed. At one point, he even slipped his hand beneath her shirt while joking, a gesture far too intimate.

In front of me, she was always cold and distant.

We’d lived together for five years, but never once shared a bed.

She finally noticed me standing outside the kitchen.

Her eyes widened in panic, and the ladle in her hand slipped to the floor.

She quickly pushed Ryan away, but he awkwardly rubbed his hands against his clothes—the nervous habit he always had when lying.

“Ethan, why didn’t you go back to the Carter house?” she asked, her voice was overly casual.

“Don’t misunderstand—Ryan came back this morning without his keys. I just happened to bump into him at the airport, so I brought him home.”

“He was helping me cook soup earlier—I almost added sugar instead of salt. Thankfully, he caught it.”

“Since you’re here too, let’s eat breakfast together.”

At that, I couldn’t help but sneer inside.

No wonder she tried to convince me to return to Carter's house last night.

She just didn’t want me to interrupt their little private world.

And seriously, who needs to stick their hands into someone’s clothes to teach them how to cook?

Still, I had no interest in exposing her poorly crafted lies.

I’d already made up my mind to leave.

So I responded calmly,

“As a sister-in-law, you’re supposed to look after your brother.”

“Yes, Emily,” Ryan chimed in with a grin.

“Good thing you brought me back. I might’ve starved outside the Carter house if you hadn’t.”