Helena staggered, clutching her chest as sharp pain pierced through her. She gripped her clothes tightly, gasping for breath.

However, Rafael acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. He took the signed divorce papers without a second glance and walked away.

“Don’t put on an act in front of me. I don’t love you, and I never will. Whether you live or die means nothing to me.”

The moment the two of them left, Helena couldn’t hold back anymore—she coughed up a mouthful of blood, her entire body trembling.

On the day of the wedding photoshoot, she stood by with a weary frame, watching the couple pose for intimate shots.

“President Suarez and Miss Perkins are truly in love,” a staff member gushed. “I heard this wedding dress was custom-made overseas, took months to complete, and was entirely hand-stitched.”

“They’re perfect together,” another chimed in. “And Miss Perkins even saved President Suarez’s life before—it’s fate, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely! When she went abroad, he waited for her to come back before getting married. If only I could find a man like that.”

Hearing their chatter, Helena’s eyelashes quivered, and her already pale face turned even whiter.

When they were together, he once told her that if you love someone, you should declare it to the world. He indeed kept his promise—but not for her.

During a break, Kaylee beckoned Helena over and handed her her wedding dress.

“Bring this to the dressing room.”

Helena quietly complied.

“I’m thirsty. Get me some water,” Kaylee added.

Wordlessly, Helena handed her a glass, but the moment Kaylee took it, she deliberately let it slip from her fingers, sending it shattering onto the floor.

The sudden commotion caught everyone’s attention. Kaylee’s eyes turned red, her expression pitiful.

“Sis... do you really hate me that much?”

Then, as if embarrassed, she lowered her gaze and murmured softly, “I’m sorry... Could you all give us a moment?”

The staff, sensing tension, nodded in understanding and quickly found excuses to leave.

Once the room was empty, Kaylee straightened, raising her left hand to flaunt the engagement ring on her finger. A sweet smile played on her lips.

“Do you know what kind of ring this is?” she mused. “It’s from Darry Ring—a brand where a man can only ever gift one ring in his lifetime. And guess what? He never gave you one, did he?”

Helena’s breath hitched. For a fleeting moment, a memory overlapped with Kaylee’s words.

"I heard Darry rings can only be gifted once in a lifetime. Helena, wouldn’t it be perfect for our engagement."

Back then, she had asked curiously, "Why for the engagement?"

Rafael had playfully tapped her nose. "Silly girl, because for our wedding, I’ll give you the very best—gold, diamonds, everything. Whatever others have, my Helena will have too."

But now, that promise belonged to someone else. His love belonged to someone else.

Seeing the pain flicker across Helena’s face, Kaylee’s smirk deepened.

“You rushed into marriage with him, didn’t even have a wedding, not even a ring. How shameless of you, clinging to his family like that.”

“But I’m different,” she continued, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “I have everything. And even the things others don’t, he gives me. He loves me now.”

As she spoke, she suddenly stepped closer, pressing a drugged cloth against Helena’s nose and mouth.

“You’re divorced, yet you still linger in that house, getting in my way. How could I not hate you?” she hissed. “Helena, just die already!”

Helena struggled desperately, falling to the ground in a haze of dizziness.

“What... what did you do to me?” she gasped.

Kaylee looked down at her as if she were nothing more than trash.

“I’m just giving you a little test—to see if your life is worth as much as mine in his eyes.”

The last thing Helena saw before darkness consumed her was Kaylee’s triumphant smile.

“Just die. Quietly. Alone. Never appear before us again.”

When Helena woke up, she found herself tied to a pillar, her body weak and drained of strength.

A man dressed in black stood with his back to her, sharpening a knife while speaking on the phone.

The moment the call connected, he lifted the blade with a satisfied grin and turned toward her, as if her awakening was of no surprise.

“Rafael Suarez,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement, “your wife is in my hands. If you want her alive, wire five hundred thousand immediately.”

On the other end, Rafael had just finished a set of wedding photos with Kaylee when he heard the demand.

He scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. “I don’t know who you think you have, but my wife is right here with me. You’ve kidnapped the wrong person.”

Just as Rafael was about to hang up, the next sentence froze him in place.

“Oh? So you’re saying your wife isn’t Helena Walsh?”

His movements stiffened, as if someone had doused him in ice water.

Very few people knew he was married, and even fewer knew about Helena.

His expression darkened slightly, but he still sneered.

“The entire New York knows my wife is the eldest daughter of the Perkins family. I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

With that, he ended the call. Just as he was about to dial Helena’s number, Kaylee walked up to him, urging impatiently,

“The next set of photos is about to start. Why haven’t you changed?”

Rafael frowned but still asked, “Where is Helena? Wasn’t she supposed to be here to help you today?”

At the mention of that name, Kaylee’s grip on her wedding dress tightened, her nails digging into her palm.

Even now, he was still thinking about that wretched woman!

A cold smirk flashed through her heart as she recalled what Helena must be going through at this moment. Lowering her head, she put on a look of disappointment.

“She probably still hates me... We had a little disagreement in the dressing room earlier, so I told her to rest there for a while.”

Rafael’s frown deepened, further convinced that the kidnapper was playing games with him. Or perhaps Helena was in on it too, desperately scheming for his attention.

He pulled Kaylee into his arms, his tone indifferent. “Forget her. Today is our special day. After the shoot, I’ll take you out for a candlelit dinner.”

Kaylee smiled sweetly and planted a shy kiss on his lips.

—

On the other end of the call, after hearing the click of the line disconnecting, the man in black’s expression darkened instantly.

Gripping his knife, he traced its edge along Helena’s neck, his voice laced with madness.

“You better pray you still have some value left. Otherwise...”

As the blade pressed against Helena's skin, a sharp pain shot through her. She turned her head away, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down her neck, her face growing paler by the second.

The kidnapper, however, seemed fascinated by the sight. He lightly patted her cheek with the knife before redialing the number, his tone now a direct threat.

“If the money isn’t transferred within thirty minutes, I’ll kill her.”

The response was indifferent.

“Go ahead.”

“...What?”

“Didn’t you say you’d kill her? Do it now. I won’t be giving you a single cent.”

The kidnapper’s face twisted into a menacing scowl. “Aren’t you afraid this will leak and ruin you?”

A soft scoff came through the receiver. “You don’t even know who I truly care about. How could you possibly threaten me? That nameless, insignificant woman was just a fling. In fact, I should thank you for taking care of her for me.”

“I don’t care who you are or when you kill her. Just let me know when the body needs collecting.”

After a beep, the line went dead once more.

The kidnapper’s fury exploded—he slammed his fist against the pillar, his face contorted in rage.

“You’re supposed to be Mrs. Suarez! How could he not care at all?!”

He hadn’t risked this much just to kill someone—he wanted money!

Helena had remained silent ever since she regained consciousness. But at this moment, the weight of it all finally became unbearable. Tears streamed down from her eyes, one after another.

Her head throbbed. Her vision blurred, and her neck burned with pain. But it was nothing compared to the agony in her heart—every breath felt like a thousand knives stabbing into her chest.

She forced out a bitter smile, mocking herself. “We’re already divorced. He doesn’t care whether I live or die.”

“...What?” The kidnapper’s temper snapped, and in a blind fury, he plunged the knife into her shoulder.

“You wretched woman! If I don’t get my money, then we’ll go to hell together!”

Blood poured from the wound. The excruciating pain made Helena slip into unconsciousness, only for the agony to jolt her awake again and again.

She didn’t know how long she was tortured. She didn’t even remember when she was finally rescued.

She only knew that when she opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital.

—

A television in the hospital room was broadcasting news about the high-profile marriage alliance. A reporter, holding a microphone, eagerly interviewed the couple.

“We heard you’ve completed your wedding photoshoot. Can you share where the ceremony will be held?”

Rafael, holding Kaylee in his arms, smiled indulgently.

“Kaylee loves church weddings, so we’ll be having ours in a chapel. We’ll also select ten lucky fans to witness our love.”

Beside the hospital bed, her phone vibrated repeatedly. It was a message from Rafael.

[Was it fun playing games with me? I told you—I don’t care if you live or die. Now that your little stunt is over, get back here. You know churches well, so you’ll be in charge of decorating the wedding.]

Of course, Helena was familiar with churches—she and Rafael had discussed countless times how they would decorate their wedding venue.

She stared blankly at the ceiling. She felt like she was drowning in pain, yet not a single tear would fall.

“They look so happy... I wonder how they’ll choose the lucky guests. If only I could be there in person.”

The nurse, oblivious to her thoughts, sighed wistfully before realizing she was awake. Her tone instantly turned cheerful.

“Oh! You’re finally awake? Thank goodness the wounds weren’t fatal. You’ve been out for two days.”

Noticing someone entering, the nurse added with a smile, “Your friend is here. Call us if you feel unwell.”

Maeve rushed in, gripping Helena’s hand tightly, her eyes brimming with emotion.

“You’re finally awake! You have no idea how scared I was when I got that call.”

Seeing her still staring dazedly at the television, Maeve huffed in frustration.

“Why are you still paying attention to that scumbag? You almost died! I used to think you shouldn’t let Kaylee off so easily, but now I see that trash like them truly belong together!”

“Maeve.” Helena suddenly spoke, her voice was calm. “Can I stay at your place for a while?”

Despite her composed expression, something about her request made Maeve’s heart ache.

Inhaling sharply, she lowered her voice. “Do you want me to help you pack?”

Helena shook her head. She only asked her to inform the housekeeper before leaving the hospital against the nurses’ advice.

—

Back at the villa, Rafael froze at the sight of Helena before his expression darkened.

“Where have you been these past few days? You ignored my calls, didn’t reply to my messages—what the hell are you trying to pull?”

Just as he was about to press further, Kaylee quickly interjected.

“Sis, we were really worried about you! And our wedding is coming up—I’d love for you to be my bridesmaid.”

At the mention of the wedding, Rafael pulled out an invitation and tossed it at her, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

“Our wedding is next week. Kaylee is kind enough to invite you, so don’t try anything stupid.”

Helena didn’t respond. Instead, she bent down and picked up the invitation.

[Groom: Rafael Suarez. Bride: Kaylee Perkins.]

She stared at the words for a long time, as if only now comprehending their meaning. Her face turned pale as she nodded.

The next second, a hand gripped her bandaged wrist tightly.

Rafael’s expression was grim, his voice carrying an edge of panic.

“What happened to you? Where have you been?”

The pain made Helena break into a cold sweat. She yanked her wrist free and replied, “You’re getting married. It’s time for me to move out. I wish you both happiness.”

She paused, then added, “And if you really feel bad for me, just give me some money.”

Her words seemed to strike a nerve in Rafael. Without warning, his palm struck her face with brutal force, his eyes burning with rage.

“Money, money, money—is that all you care about? You disgust me, Helena! Get out of my sight!”

Without hesitation, Helena silently packed her belongings.

'Rafael—since there’s no turning back, then let’s just keep hating each other.'

—

Three days before the wedding, the lucky guests were selected while Helena received the final copy of her funeral portrait.

Two days before the wedding, Rafael hosted a bachelor party for Kaylee while Helena finalized the arrangements for her burial plot and coffin.

One day before the wedding, the internet was flooded with pre-wedding coverage. On the other hand, Helena finished handling her affairs and took a quiet walk down the street in front of her old university.

She and Rafael used to love coming here for noodles when they were dating. Years had passed, yet the place remained lively, filled with students.

A young couple entered, chatting and laughing. Their voices were familiar.

“Boss, two bowls of beef noodles—one without cilantro.”

“Got it! Have a seat while I prepare it.”

For a moment, she saw her past self.

Back then, she used to drag Rafael here all the time. If the owner was busy and forgot her preference, adding cilantro to her bowl, she would grumble about it but never asked him to redo it.

Rafael would always chuckle, ruffle her hair, and say, "Our Helena is so kind." Then, with endless patience, he would pick out the cilantro one by one.

No matter how small the detail, he had never once found her troublesome.