Everyone said I was lucky to marry Ryder, who was gentle and kind.

But I knew he was cold and didn't like to talk to people.

Marrying him was my selfish decision.

However, I had my advantages.

Because in this world, there was no one else who looked exactly like Leticia, my older sister.

And just when I thought life would continue like this forever...

Leticia, who had been lying in bed for three years, woke up.

——

Today was the third anniversary of our marriage.

Ryder was a doctor and usually had many surgeries, so he didn't have much time to rest.

I begged him for several days, and he finally agreed to take this day off for me.

I changed into the new dress I bought and dressed up nicely.

Thinking that he didn't like eating at restaurants, I bought groceries and cooked at home.

After cooking, I went to the study to find him as usual.

Ryder leaned back in his chair, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.

He stood up and hugged me, kissing my forehead.

"Happy third anniversary."

I smiled and responded to him, ignoring the pile of research papers on the vegetative state that I just saw on the table with my peripheral vision.

Just as we sat down at the dining table, his phone suddenly rang.

Within five seconds of answering the call, Ryder stood up abruptly and even bumped into the dining table.

The hot fish soup splashed onto my arm, causing me to cry out in pain.

And Ryder stood there, looking stunned and unbelieving.

"Macie, Leticia is awake..."

This was the third year that I had spent with him as a substitute for Leticia.

It seemed to be the last year as well.

Four years ago, Leticia was hit by a car going in the wrong direction when she drove to find her husband, who went to drink in the middle of the night in a fit of pique.

She suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and was eventually diagnosed as a vegetable.

The whole family almost collapsed, and overnight, my father's hair turned gray and my mother cried her heart out.

I looked at Leticia, who was lying motionless on the sick bed, and shed tears as well.

To a vegetable, recovering consciousness was a rare event.

But everyone insisted and hoped that she would wake up one day.

Among them was her attending physician, Ryder.

He was also the person I had liked for eight years.

I had seen Ryder sitting quietly by Leticia's bedside looking at her many times.

There was tenderness and worry in his eyes.

Sometimes, when his eyes got dry, he went to the hospital's corridor to smoke.

It was not too bad if the time was short, but if it was long, everyone felt a bit discouraged.

What if she never woke up in her lifetime?

I had heard my parents arguing.

Mom blames Dad for taking away Leticia but not taking good care of her.

Dad blames Mom for insisting on giving birth to me.

And I stood still, confused about why I should be blamed for this.

Ryder's condition was getting worse, and his desk was piled with materials.

His frequency of smoking had increased, and sometimes, he would take a day off because of drinking.

So, when he sat in the corridor, smoking again...

I snatched his cigarette and asked him with a smile, "Can I pursue you?"

By that time, my hair had grown long.

The way I smiled was exactly the same as Leticia.

Time passed quickly.

With my company, his sadness became less frequent.

I went to the hospital frequently, brought him food, and told him some interesting stories to make him happy.

Our relationship became closer and closer, until one day...

It was a snowy day, and I thought he didn't bring an umbrella, so I hurriedly took an umbrella and a scarf to pick him up.

He stood in the corridor, and I tiptoed to put the scarf on him.

He asked why I didn't wear it myself, and then, I realized that my neck was empty.

Suddenly, he hugged me, buried his face in my neck, and gently brushed my neck with his lips.

He said, "Let's get married."

I was excited and at a loss, holding him and asking why.

He paused for a moment, rubbed the place he had just touched with his hand, and looked gentle.

"Because in this world, I can't find anyone else who looks so much like Leticia."

I suddenly remembered that I had a mole in the same place as Leticia on my neck.

We received blessings from many people for our wedding.

The nurses looked at me with envy.

But in Ryder's eyes, he was just looking at someone else through me.

The one who he wanted to give happiness had always been Leticia.

But I had been watching for too many years, so I was willing to be someone else's substitute.

And now, I didn't even have the qualification to be a substitute.

On the day Leticia woke up, we hurried to the hospital.

The frail person on the hospital bed slowly reached out to Ryder, and he trembled as he held her hand.

His eyes were full of pity and heartache.

Leticia's lively eyes became dull, and her body stiffened.

When my mother arrived, she was still crying and holding my father, shouting that God finally showed pity.

My father, who was usually serious, also shed tears.

During my time in the hospital, I had seen my parents most frequently since I could remember.

Ever since I separated from Leticia, my mother had been busy with her work.

Even when she was with me, she would talk about Leticia.

Dad would appear on New Year's Eve and symbolically give me some money.

They only come together when it was about Leticia.

Ryder checked Leticia's condition and said that it would take a long time for her to recover.

Leticia seemed to have a fuzzy memory and was unfamiliar with the people around her.

I didn't know if it was because the first person she saw after opening her eyes was Ryder.

She relied on Ryder a lot and always pulled on his sleeve to prevent him from leaving.

My parents knew that he was a doctor and they were relieved that Leticia was taken care of by him.

When I got home at night, I couldn't help but suggest, "Wouldn't it be better to let my parents take care of Leticia? You still have things to do..."

Ryder frowned and said, "She is currently in an unstable condition and the caregiver cannot be changed at will. It is more appropriate for me to take care of her."

"But..."

"Okay, stop talking. I am a doctor and taking care of patients is my responsibility."

He spent less and less time at home, and sometimes, he even stayed at the hospital.

I sat in the empty house, doubting the reality.

In the past three years, I had fantasized that he would develop feelings for me over time.

How ridiculous it was.

Because Leticia woke up, I made an extra portion of food.

Leticia preferred bland food, while Ryder preferred heavy flavors, so the lunchbox became heavier due to the increase in food.

It had been a long time since Leticia woke up.

She could speak now and her movements were more flexible.

I walked towards the ward, carrying the lunch box, and two nurses were standing next to the ward.

"I thought that Ryder liked Leticia more back then, they were such a good match!"

"Yes, Ryder used to stay by her side every day, looking very sad."

"Could it be that Macie was a mistress?"

Look, in the eyes of others, Leticia would always be perfect.

And I was just a thief who stole her happiness.

When I walked up to them, they awkwardly walked away.

And through the window of the ward, I saw someone who had never come before.

My brother-in-law and Ryder stood face to face, looking angry.

I opened the door, but they didn't notice me.

"If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have ended up like this!"

"Do I need you to worry about me and my wife?"

"When things happened back then, you disappeared. Now that she's awake, you show up."

"Mind your own business! I haven't been doing well these years, either! Look at me, Theo!"

Leticia stared t her husband with wide eyes, gripping the bedsheet tightly and breathing heavily.

Ryder quickly walked over and glanced coldly at Theo.

"Get out!"

I had never seen Ryder get out of control, impatient, and carefully protect someone like this before.

Theo cursed again, walked to the door, and bumped into me.

He raised his eyebrows and curled his mouth. "Oh, you'd better get divorced early. Your husband's heart has long been on Leticia!"

I looked at Ryder's stiff back after hearing his words and laughed in my heart.

There was no need to run. His heart had never belonged to me.

Leticia had recovered most of her health, and there was no problem in communication.

I stood in the corridor of the hospital, looking at the yellowed fallen leaves, and finally said it out.

"Ryder, why don't we separate?"

Ryder stood there quietly, and the cigarette in his hand had been burned for a while.

There was a hesitation in his eyes that I couldn't understand.

"We're doing well, why do we need to separate? Don't think too much."

He caressed my head, and when I didn't speak, he added, "When Leticia goes home, I'll spend some time with you, okay?"

His hand was warm as before, but I couldn't say anything as if I was numb.

He bent down and hugged me again, whispering in my ear, "I know I've been busy taking care of Leticia and forgot to be with you. Can you forgive me?"

I still couldn't bring myself to continue speaking, and the corners of my eyes gradually turned red.

He had privileges with me for a long time.

He allowed me to tolerate and accept his lack of love for me.

Leticia and I were in the same high school.

She had excellent grades and was glamorous, while I was the opposite.

No one knew we were sisters, and we never mentioned it.

In the second year of high school, someone spread this.

I started to attract attention, but often, these gazes were not friendly.

Being teased and bullied had made me introverted.

One time, on my way home, I was blocked by a group of people who demanded that I take off my glasses and shout that I was a bastard.

I struggled desperately and my glasses fell off in the process.

Suddenly, another group of people appeared and drove them away.

One person walked up to me. Seeing me standing still, he said with a smile, "Can't see without your glasses, huh?"

I blushed and quickly squatted down to pick up my glasses.

He suddenly bent down, leaned close to me, and laughed with his head tilted.

"Why do you lower your head when you look so good?"

From that day on, I began to pay attention to him.

I knew everything about him, from his good grades to his popularity and his favorite food.

Everyone thought he was focused on his studies and didn't have a crush on anyone.

But I knew that he would go to the art studio in the art building every Friday afternoon after school.

He would just stand quietly outside the classroom, watching a girl painting.

That girl was Leticia.

My birthday was in late autumn, and it happened to be the day before Leticia was discharged from the hospital.

I didn't receive any messages on my phone.

I guessed they forgot again.

When I was young, my mother would occasionally forget it, but a few days later, she would remember it and make a table full of dishes to make up for it.

But on Leticia's birthday, my mother would take me to choose a gift for her in advance.

I opened the chat box with Ryder and typed, "Today is my birthday, can you come back early?"

After thinking for a while, I deleted the words one by one.

Even if I sent it, all I would get was his excuse.

In the late autumn, there was a hint of coolness in the air.

I wore my coat tighter and looked at the navigation on my phone when I was heading to the bakery.

I mentioned this nearby shop to Ryder many times, but in the end, I came alone.

The cake I ordered was ordinary. It had a blue heart in the middle.

As I walked back with the cake, it started drizzling.

When I bumped into someone, I tightened my grip on the bag.

I quickly apologized, but unexpectedly, that person impatiently coughed.

That guy's ridicule and pressure made me realize that things couldn't just end like this.

I pretended to be calm and said, "I can give you money if you want."

The guy pushed my shoulder, and the people around him whistled.

Without hesitation, I turned around and ran with the cake in my arms.

I took out my phone and dialed Ryder's number, hoping that he would answer. This was the only call I hoped he would pick up.

But besides the busy tone, there was only my panting.

The pedestrians had already taken shelter from the rain, and I ran for dozens of meters before the man behind me grabbed my hair and pulled me back.

The cake flew out in an instant.