The night before our wedding, my fiancée was tragically killed in a car accident.

I became a widower who'd lost his wife before even marrying her, along with our two-month-old unborn child.

After this blow, I suffered from severe mental illness and wanted to die countless times. It was my family and friends who saved me again and again and accompanied me through those difficult nights.

At the funeral, my late fiancée's older sister and her husband flew back from Africa to offer their condolences.

Looking at those identical features she shared with my wife, I kept slipping into dazed moments of confusion.

Then I accidentally overheard them talking outside my mother-in-law's bedroom.

"You faked your own death to run away with that foreign man? You're pregnant! You staged this whole thing just to bring that foreign wild man home?"

After a long moment, my sister-in-law's voice finally came softly.

"Allen has a terminal illness. The doctors say he has at most six months left. Once that time passes, I'll be close to giving birth. Then everything will go back to how it was, we'll still be a happy family of three."

In that instant, I realized the truth: my wife wasn't dead at all. This so-called "sister-in-law" was none other than my wife, Jenna Wood!

Struggling to control the trembling in my body, I sent a message to my sister, who worked for an overseas intelligence agency.

[Margaret, help me stage an accident! What's so hard about faking a death? I'll give Jenna a taste of her own medicine.]

——

After sending the message, my hands were still shaking and the conversation in the room continued.

"Is this really fair to Sebastian? He would have followed you long ago if we hadn't constantly persuaded him. The way he's been, lost and without appetite, it breaks my heart just watching him."

Jenna sighed deeply.

"But Allen only has half a year left. This is his only wish. I can't let him down."

"As for Sebastian, I have a lifetime with him. I'll make it up to him in the future. Mom, please don't worry."

My heart felt like it was being clenched tightly by a large hand. The pain instantly spread through my limbs, making it almost impossible to breathe.

I staggered back to the bedroom, my knees buckling and I fell to the floor. My sister's call came in at that exact moment.

"What's wrong, Sebastian? What happened? Isn't Jenna dead?"

I wanted to say something, but as soon as I opened my mouth, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Yes, in the eyes of the world, Jenna was dead.

I understood Margaret's question. I hadn't expected that Jenna would fake her own death and the reason for it was actually for another man.

Although I didn't say anything, my sister on the other end of the phone seemed to sense my emotions. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

"The night after tomorrow, I'll send a jet to pick you up. I'll arrange everything else."

After the call ended, I remained in the same position, still holding the phone.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. Standing outside was my sister-in-law, holding a glass of milk.

Or rather, it was Jenna holding a glass of milk.

"What's wrong, Sebastian? Why are you sitting on the floor? And why are you crying? Are you missing Jenna again?"

In the past half-month since Jenna returned as my sister-in-law, she has been very kind to me, seemingly treating me as her deceased sister's husband.

Every time she showed me this warmth, I couldn't help but feel dazed. My mother-in-law always chalked it up to me missing Jenna too much.

I quickly locked my phone screen and forced a weak smile.

"It's nothing. I just felt a little unsteady and lost my balance."

Jenna finally breathed a sigh of relief, put the milk aside and carefully helped me up from the floor.

"Alright, don't think about it so much. Your own health is the most important thing."

"Come on, I warmed up some milk for you. Drink it and get some rest early. Don't overthink things. Jenna wouldn't be at peace if she saw you like this in heaven."

Hearing the name she mentioned, I couldn't take it anymore. I looked up, meeting her eyes and spoke slowly, each word deliberated.

"Are you really not Jenna?"

She froze for a second, then softly laughed and patted my hand.

"Don't let your imagination run wild. How could I be Jenna? Hurry up and drink your milk and go to sleep. I still have a prenatal check-up at the hospital tomorrow. The baby in my belly is Jenna's niece."

"This fawn carries his bloodline in this world, too. I will make sure it's born safely."

I lowered my eyes, not wanting to see the false concern in her eyes anymore.

"Please leave. I'm a little tired and want to rest."

Only after the door closed gently did the tears I had held back all night finally burst forth.

Jenna and I met at the university's freshman orientation. She fell in love with me at first sight and pursued me relentlessly.

We naturally fell in love and two years after graduation, I gave Jenna a grand proposal.

I still remember the fireworks filling the sky, reflected in her eyes. Her eyes were even more captivating than the fireworks.

During the wedding planning process, she discovered she was pregnant. At that time, Jenna's face was full of anticipation.

"The baby came at just the right time. She's here to celebrate Mom and Dad's wedding. Sebastian, I'm truly the happiest woman in the world."

Even now, I still don't understand why Jenna, the woman who cherished me for six whole years, would cheat on me and even fake her death to escape our wedding.

The next morning, Jenna knocked on my door very early.

"Sebastian, Allen and I are going to the hospital for a prenatal check-up today. Do you want to come with us?"

I wanted to refuse, but when I thought that she was carrying my child in her belly, I opened the door and nodded.

Just as we were about to leave, Allen frowned.

"Jenna, I'm not feeling well. Can we wait a bit before going?"

Jenna immediately rushed to him at his words, not sparing me a glance.

"Did you forget to take your medicine again? Lie down and rest. Don't push yourself or you'll faint."

Then she turned back to me.

"Sorry, Sebastian. Allen's not feeling well, so we'll head out a little later."

"Don't worry, the driver is waiting at the door and I've already arranged things with the doctor. We'll go directly over in a bit and won't take too long."

I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were about to well up.

When I opened my eyes again, I didn't miss the fleeting look of triumph on Allen's foreign face.

Quite a while later, after Allen said he was feeling a bit better, the three of us finally took the driver's car to the hospital.

After arriving at the hospital, Allen and I accompanied Jenna through all the examinations arranged by the doctor.

As soon as the check-up was done, Jenna stood before me, linking arms with Allen.

"Sebastian, Allen and I have something else to do today. You can go home by yourself later."

Only after their backs disappeared from my sight did I slowly sit down on a hospital bench, lowering my head to examine the ultrasound report carefully.

In the black and white image, there was a small, peanut-sized circle. The doctor said that it was my child.

I gently stroked the ultrasound image when my phone buzzed with an incoming video message.

The video lasted half an hour. Jenna in the video was extremely crazy. I had never seen that woman so out of control.

In our six years together, Jenna had always been gentle. Even in bed, she was shy and reserved.

So, she wasn't naturally self-restrained. It was just that the person who could ignite her passion was never me.

I watched the video as if punishing myself, wanting to see the Jenna I had never known.

I didn't know how long I had watched before a nurse came to my side.

"Sir, are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Only then did I realize that as the video played, I cried harder and harder.

It wasn't until the nurse spoke that I noticed I was trembling all over, even the hand holding my phone was shaking uncontrollably.

I shamefully discovered that even now, I still loved Jenna.

She wasn't some object to be thrown away when broken, nor was she just an ordinary friend to cut ties with when upset.

She was a living, breathing person, the woman I've loved for six whole years. Loving her had long since become my second nature, ingrained in my very bones.

Everyone said Jenna loved me for six years with all her heart, but hadn't I treated her the same way? After six whole years of knowing and being with each other, only at this moment did I realize I couldn't bear to lose her; I honestly couldn't.

I thought back to the sound of the baby's heartbeat I'd heard during the check-up earlier. I wiped my face hard and took a deep breath. I wanted to give her and this child one last chance.

I dialed her number.

"Can you come back? I want to talk to you."

Jenna's voice was indescribably hoarse, as if he was holding back something.

"Sebastian, I still have some things to take care of here. Let the driver take you home first, we can talk when you return."

"Mmmph ..."

A muffled groan cut through, then the call ended abruptly, leaving only the mechanical beeping.

We were both adults. I knew precisely what Jenna was doing on the other end of that call.

After a long daze, I looked up at the nurse waiting beside me.

"It's nothing, I'll leave now."

It was already dark when I got home from the hospital. As soon as I entered the house, Jenna came to greet me.

"Where did you go by yourself? Why didn't you let the driver go with you?"

Halfway through her sentence, Jenna noticed my red and swollen eyes.

"What's wrong, Sebastian? Why are your eyes so swollen? Have you been crying? Is it because accompanying me for the prenatal check-up today reminded you of Jenna again? It's okay, the baby in my belly is her niece, so it's a kind of remembrance."

"Oh, right. Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"

I carefully studied Jenna's features. She was so beautiful, as beautiful as before, her eyes filled with my reflection.

Precisely the same as in the video Allen had sent me this afternoon.

I lowered my eyes, avoiding her gaze.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask if there was anything you wanted me to bring back. I went shopping this afternoon."

Jenna's shoulders visibly relaxed, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then you should go and rest quickly. You must be tired after a long day."

I nodded and went straight back to my room without replying to Jenna.

I looked to be truly exhausted. My head had barely touched the pillow before I fell asleep. In a daze, I seemed to see eighteen-year-old Jenna again.

The young girl stood before me, her cheeks flushed with shyness as she confessed her feelings.

"Sebastian Clark, I like you very much. Would you be my boyfriend?"