After confessing 101 times to my childhood sweetheart, Morgan Lambert, he marries his first love, Cassandra White.

With my heart in ruins, I leave him behind and marry his younger brother, James Lambert, who has pursued me relentlessly from the start.

After marriage, James dotes on me to an extreme. His love is bold and intense. Everyone says I am unbelievably lucky to have married such a devoted man.

As Cassandra and I sink into the water together, I can only watch as James dives in recklessly. He struggles through the water toward her, giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

I thrash and struggle in desperation, begging him to look at me even once. He never does. His entire focus is on getting her to shore, leaving me behind to be swallowed by the sea.

While I am unconscious, I hear him and Morgan fighting violently in the hospital, arguing over who gets to stay by Cassandra's bedside.

He roars in anguish, "I sacrificed myself by marrying Elsa so she wouldn't stand in the way of you and Cassie's happiness. Can you at least let me see Cassie once?"

That is when I finally understand that none of them has ever loved me.

I immediately arrange to fake my death, preparing to vanish from their lives completely.

Yet after hearing the news of my so-called death, James—who's always calm—loses control. He pushes Cassandra aside, bends over, and coughs up blood. Overnight, he seems to age decades.

"Ms. Granger, your purchase of our staged death service is successful. When the time comes, we will erase your identity and arrange a death that meets your expectations so that you can leave without worries," the staff member on the other end of the phone said politely.

I responded with a flat hum. "Set it for three days from now. I need time to pack my things."

After hanging up, I dragged my aching body back toward the hospital room. I had barely reached the door when I ran into my husband, James Lambert. The moment he saw me, concern flooded his face as he hurried over.

"Darling, you just fell into the water. You haven't recovered yet. How could you get out of bed on your own? Come on, lie back down."

He helped me onto the bed, carefully tucking the blanket around me.

Once I was settled in, he pulled a small box from inside his thick down jacket and gently placed it in my hand. It was still warm.

"Here. Your favorite pastries," he said softly. "I caught a flight to Ashville to buy them for you and rushed straight back. Eat them while they're warm."

Ashville?

That was several districts away from Stonegate, practically on the other side of the city.

Before I could process it, the patient in the neighboring bed let out an envious sigh.

"Your husband is incredible. He braved the snow and traveled over a thousand miles just to buy you pastries, and he even kept them warm inside his coat!"

Another patient added, "Ever since you were admitted, he's been taking care of everything himself. He helps you wash up, feeds you, and never leaves your side. He even brings you jewelry just to make you smile. I'm honestly so jealous."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but look at James.

With snow clinging to his hair and the cold tinting his nose red, he looked at me with pure tenderness. In that moment, he was nothing like the cold, untouchable James the world admired.

And yet, it was precisely those loving eyes that fooled everyone, including me.

Over the years, everyone knew how deeply James doted on me. Even when I merely twisted my ankle, he would worry endlessly.

I thought he loved me too, right up until everything was laid bare.

When I fell into the water, he swam to Cassandra White without a second thought and kissed her beneath the surface. Later, he even fought his own brother, Morgan Lambert, just to stay by her side.

By the time I heard the truth slip from his lips, I finally understood who he had loved all along.

James had married me only to stop me from interfering with Morgan, so that Morgan and Cassandra could be together.

It was ridiculous. Years of what I had believed was a happy marriage had been nothing but an illusion.

Looking down at the pastries in my hands, I suddenly lost all appetite. "I'm not hungry."

Just as I was about to set them aside, James reached out to stop me. "What's wrong, darling? Are you upset because I saved Cassandra before you that day? I'm sorry. I truly made a mistake. I didn't realize it at the time. That's why I went for her first."

James's apology sounded sincere, but all I felt was a hollow ache.

A mistake? Really?

Even if he had saved the wrong person, what about that kiss underwater with Cassandra? Was that a mistake too?

I realized I had been deceiving myself for far too long.

I forced a bitter smile. "Yeah, I understand."

Thinking he had soothed me, James relaxed and said gently, "What do you want to eat? I'll have the chef make it for you."

He pulled out his phone to call the chef, but then his expression shifted slightly as if he had noticed something. "Darling, something urgent came up at work. I'll come back later. Tell my assistant what you want, and he'll bring it to you."

Before I could protest, he left in a rush.

The moment he was gone, Cassandra sent me a message. "Follow him. There's a surprise for you!"

My subconscious screamed that going would only lead to heartbreak, yet I couldn't resist and took a cab to follow him.

As expected, James went straight to Cassandra.

The door wasn't fully closed, and I could see everything through the crack.

On the couch, James held Cassandra's hand delicately. She had a tiny cut, but he looked like it hurt him more than her. "How could something as simple as cutting an apple end up hurting you?"

He fetched a first-aid kit, carefully cleaned and bandaged the cut, and even started peeling an apple for her. "What would you do without me?" he said helplessly.

Those were the same words he had always said to me, but now they were meant for Cassandra.

Even knowing that our marriage had been a lie, watching him treat someone else with such tenderness made my chest tighten painfully.

Cassandra pulled her hand back, pretending to resist. "James, Elsa is your wife. You shouldn't be taking care of me. She deserves your love more than I do…"

James held her hand firmly. "She'll never find out. I've kept it a secret all these years. I just want to protect you and spend more time with you… By the way, I got those Ashville pastries you wanted—your favorite, chocolate-filled."

He produced an elegant gift box, packed full of pastries.

My eyes stung.

He had bought two sets. Cassandra's was in the fancy gift box, while mine had come in a plain takeout container. Clearly, mine had been an afterthought.

In his heart, I wasn't even a replacement for Cassandra—maybe not even that.

Before I could fully process it, James cupped Cassandra's face and leaned in to kiss her. She initially pretended to resist, but gradually gave in, and they kissed with a passion that refused to break.

My heart felt like it had been pierced straight through by a blade, the pain so sharp it stole my breath. I clamped both hands over my mouth, forcing myself not to cry.

I couldn't bring myself to keep watching, so I turned and ran. Unfortunately, I slipped in the process and crashed to the ground, eating a mouthful of snow while my skin tore open and blood flowed freely from the wound.

The searing pain finally broke the dam. All the grievances I had bottled up over the past few days surged out at once, and my tears fell in heavy drops.

After I cried until I had nothing left, I dragged my exhausted body back to the hospital.

Not long after, James rushed in. "Darling, my assistant said he couldn't find you when he came to bring your meal. Where did you go? Don't scare me. I'll lose my mind if I can't find you."

Would he really?

I glanced at the scratch marks on his chest and felt nothing but irony.

Looking away, I replied calmly, "I felt suffocated, so I went out to watch the snowfall for a bit."

Only then did James notice my reddened eyes. "Why are you crying? This is my fault. I've been too busy with work and ended up hurting you. Our fifth wedding anniversary is in three days. I'll throw you a grand celebration then and make it up to you properly, alright?"

I smiled when I heard that.

James took it as forgiveness and smiled back. What he didn't know was that I was smiling because three days later happened to be the day I had scheduled my staged death.

When the time came, I would give him a surprise he would never forget.

…

The next day, I checked out of the hospital. James drove me home.

As I got into the passenger seat, I immediately felt something was off. The seat was lower than usual.

When I looked closer, it had indeed been adjusted downward. That was when I noticed strands of brown hair tangled around the seatback.

My hair was blonde, while Cassandra's was brown. She was also half a head shorter than I was.

Evidently, she had been sitting there.

James noticed my pause and looked where I was staring. When his eyes fell on the brown hair I held, they twitched for a moment before settling back into calm.

"Darling, don't get the wrong idea. Morgan is away on a business trip. Before leaving, he asked me to look after Cassandra, so I've been driving her to and from work. That's why there's some hair left behind."

Hearing that only made my heart grow colder.

He had once told me this seat belonged to me alone and that no one else was allowed to touch it.

There had even been a time when a scheming coworker tried to use the chance to get close to James and sat in the passenger seat before I did. James had kicked her out without hesitation and said, "This seat is for my wife only."

And yet, he let Cassandra sit there, abandoning the rule he had strictly followed for me.

If he genuinely wanted to avoid suspicion, he could have sent a cab for her. Instead, he drove her himself and allowed her to take the passenger seat that had always belonged to me.

On top of that, two cartoon figurines sat pressed together on the dashboard in front of James's seat, marked with the initials JL and CW.

Cassandra had quietly taken my place, making herself the woman of this car without me even realizing it. I swallowed the bitterness rising in my chest and quietly fastened my seat belt, pretending nothing had happened.

I would be leaving soon, and whatever affection James and Cassandra shared was no longer my concern.