Looking at this face again, I just felt sick and turned my head away without answering.

Seeing this, the dean quickly tried to smooth things over, “Adopting a child is not a trivial matter. Many families would consider it again and again. Mrs. Herschel just wants to think about it again.”

Herschel frowned, walked up to me and held my shoulders, somewhat dissatisfied as he asked, “Sallie, didn't we agree on this? Why are you going back on your word?”

I smelled the perfume he used to cover up the smell and pushed him away expressionlessly.

“Where does that perfume come from?” I asked in a cold tone.

Herschel's face froze and he explained in a panic.

“I just ran into Liza, she's volunteering here and I had a conversation with her. I guess I got her perfume smell accidentally.”

Liza smiled and hooked her hair, revealing the kiss mark on her neck, then stretched out her hand towards me, pretending to be envious.

“Long time no see, old classmate. You are married to Herschel now. I guess you are living a happy life. But why do you look old?” she asked with a grin on her face.

I looked at her white and tender fingers doing manicures and then looked at my own hands covered with calluses from overwork and felt dazed.

When I was in school, I loved beauty the most and I would change my manicure every month. But after being with Herschel, I never dressed up properly again.

He had a bad stomach, so I learned how to cook and make soup. He was busy starting his own business, so I took care of all the housework.

How ridiculous! 

In just five short years, I had been worn down by the daily necessities of life, but this had become an excuse for him to not love me.

Seeing that my expression was not right, Herschel gave Liza a warning look. 

But in the end, he did not say anything and just changed the subject, “Sallie, why do you suddenly not want to adopt Carlos? I have already promised Mom that I would bring him home today. 

“You know, Mom has always wanted to have a grandson. I cannot bear to disappoint her and it can also ease the family atmosphere.

“And Carlos is so young, how pitiful he is in the orphanage. Aren't you the kindest person? How could you bear to see another child suffer?”

“Enough!” I could not stand it anymore, so I slapped his hand away. The emotions I had been suppressing finally burst out and I yelled at him. “Who will feel sorry for my child? He is not even a month old, he did not even have a chance to be born!”

Without waiting for him to respond, I spoke firmly, “You can take Carlos home, but the formalities must be completed at the end of the month! I cannot bear to see another child appear under my name the day after I lost one.”

I would be divorced and leave at the end of the month, so they could make as much noise as they want.

When he heard the deadline of half a month, a trace of panic flashed across Herschel's face. He even suspected that I knew it all, but he quickly convinced himself that I was just too sad.

Thinking of the lost child, Herschel felt a little bit reluctant and agreed quickly, “Okay, we’ll come back at the end of the month to complete the formalities. Sallie, don't be sad anymore and don't worry about your health.”

After saying that, he smiled apologetically at Liza and said, “Sallie is not very emotionally stable, I need to take care of her. Thank you for taking Carlos with you. My mother also wanted to thank you for introducing Carlos to her.”

Liza glanced at me and gave a smug smile before answering, “It doesn't matter. I have not seen my aunt for a long time after all.”

When Herschel drove out, I subconsciously opened the passenger door, but touched Liza's hand.

Liza looked at me in surprise, then said embarrassedly while holding the child, “I feel carsick, could you please sit in the back?”

After saying that, he looked at Herschel with a look of grievance.

I did not move, but just smiled and asked, “Herschel, what do you choose?”

The man was silent for a few seconds and looked apologetic to me as he said, “Sallie, she is not feeling well, please let her go.”

I curled my lower lip in self-mockery, but also felt disappointed that it was just as I expected.

I suddenly remembered that when we bought the car, he enthusiastically labeled the passenger seat of all the cars as a wife-only seat and hugged me as he made the promise, “Sallie, my passenger seat is only open for you.”

At that time, those promises were no longer valid.

I watched Liza proudly sit in the passenger seat. The stickers in the front row were ironic and glaring. I just went to the back seat in silence.

I would not ask for any special seat anymore, since I would not ask for him anymore.

“Sallie, don't you think Carlos and Herschel are destined to be together? They look so alike, your mother in-law will be very happy to see them, as if they were your biological children.”

When I heard her words, I looked up subconsciously, only to see Herschel frowning slightly with guilt. In the end, he just barked, “What nonsense! All children look alike.”

Liza pouted in dissatisfaction and continued her confrontation, “I’m just talking, Sallie, you won't be angry, right?”

“No,” I answered expressionlessly.

Herschel breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this and changed the subject. “By the way, I just saw you holding a document in your hand. What did you do this afternoon?”

Before I could answer, Liza interrupted, “Ah! The child seems hungry.”

Herschel really diverted his attention and did not ask any more questions until he got out of the car.

Along the way, the two of them talked and laughed from time to time, teased the children and their actions were intimate and familiar, completely different from the perfunctory attitude they showed when they were with me.

I closed my eyes and felt mocking. His love was so cheap.

Before entering the villa, Liza suddenly found an excuse to take a few steps behind and whispered in my ear provocatively, “Sallie, I will take away everything that belongs to you bit by bit!”

I stood outside the door and watched a group of people come up to greet her with smiles, as if they were a family.

My mother in-law, who used to speak ill of me and looked down on me in every way, was that moment teasing Carlos in Liza's arms, with a kind look on her face.

My father in-law, who had not given me a good face for a long time, smiled and took out an envelope, stuffed it into Liza's arms.

I suddenly remembered that a long time ago, when they learned that I had agreed to Herschel’s proposal, they did the same thing.

At that time, Herschel’s mother held my hand and was so excited that she did not know what to say.

“Sallie, you are a good girl. You have been wronged by following us, Herschel. From now on, we will be your parents and will always treat you as our own daughter.”

However, after my parents went abroad in anger and Herschel successfully started his own business, they changed their attitude.

Over the years, I had endured all the quarrels and covert ridicules.

I loved Herschel and did not want him to be caught in the middle, so I tolerated and tried to please them everywhere.

I thought that even if their hearts were like ice, I could warm them up.

But it turned out that this family had hidden iron under the ice.

Herschel surrounded his family with a look of happiness on his face, but he quickly realized something and looked towards the door anxiously.

Seeing me staring at them blankly, with no light in my eyes, my heart ached suddenly.

Herschel walked up to me and pulled me over, asking cautiously, “What's wrong? Are you unhappy? Mom is just too happy and thinking that she is a classmate, she invited Liza to have dinner with her.”

Without waiting for me to say anything, Herschel’s mother interrupted me with disdain, “What's there to be unhappy about? She cannot give birth to a child and won't let me hold a grandchild? 

“Herschel, you really spoil her too much. She eats and lives in our house and yet she dares to throw a tantrum. 

“Go out and see which daughter-in-law is not doing anything like her. Liza is here today, so let Sallie cook!”

I subconsciously looked at Herschel, but saw that he was as silent as ever and I could not help but laugh at myself.

If he really loved me, why would he have seen me humble myself so many times? But I never doubted it before.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, I did not argue and turned to go to the kitchen.

When the meal was served on the table, the family was already seated.

Liza smiled and asked me to sit down, acting like a hostess as she said, “Sallie, sit down and eat too. I remember you loved this the most.”

The next second, a few more shrimps appeared in the bowl.

I was silent for a moment and put the shrimp on the plate.

“I don't eat this.”

Liza's eyes instantly turned red and she looked helpless and aggrieved as she asked, “Do you hate me so much? You don't even want to eat the shrimp I peeled.”

Herschel’s mother could not help but slam her spoon and stood up, her face full of disgust.

“What do you want? Liza means well. Do you really want to ruin our happiness? Get out if you don't want to eat!” she yelled.

Herschel also frowned and looked at me with disapproval, as if I was being unreasonable.

“Sallie, why are you so hostile to Liza? She introduced Carlos to us and has done a great service to our family, but you keep throwing tantrums against her. She is innocent!” he snapped.

I guessed they loved Liza just because she was giving birth to Carlos. So, when I looked at this big family, I just found it ridiculous.

I actually laughed out loud and questioned him despite everyone's surprised looks, “Herschel, do you remember that I am severely allergic to shrimp?”

When he ordered pasta, he would specifically ask the store not to put shrimps in it and he would even avoid eating seafood.

He said that everything about me was a big deal, but then he had forgotten it.

Herschel felt flustered at first, then thought I was making a big deal out of nothing and his face turned ugly as he responded, “It's just a minor allergy, it won't kill anyone, why bother to embarrass Liza on the spot.”

I took a deep breath, put down my spoon and walked away.

But he stopped me with a disappointed tone, “Sallie, how did you become so selfish and cold-blooded now?! I know you feel bad about losing your child, but what does it have to do with them? Eat that shrimp as an apology!”

“Even though I might die?”

Hearing my tearful question, Herschel became even angrier. He pinched my mouth and stuffed shrimp meat into it.

“Sallie, stop being so petty. How can you die from a simple allergy?”

I struggled desperately and choked to tears, but I still accidentally swallowed a few and my throat felt sore and swollen.

In the last moment before I fell into a coma, I saw Liza’s smug smile and Herschel’s slightly indifferent expression.

When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a hospital bed and my stomach had been washed.

Seeing Liza standing in front of me, I looked out the window with a pale face.

“You’ve already won their hearts, is not that enough?” I asked.

“Of course it's not enough!” Liza no longer concealed her true colors and slapped me hard with her answer.

Seeing me turn my head away in sadness, she felt very happy.

“Sallie, do you know how jealous I am of you? I love Herschel as much as you do, so why cannot he see me before? But now it's different, I'm the only one in his heart.

“Oh yeah, do you know why you can't get pregnant?”

I looked at her in disbelief. Wasn't it because I was exhausted?

Liza suddenly laughed out loud, as if she felt sorry for me and looked down at me condescendingly.

“How silly! Of course he did something behind your back. The injections your family doctor gave you every day were not nutritional injections at all, but were to prevent pregnancy! I did not expect you to get pregnant in the end, but so what? Your baby is still dead.”

“No, he won't do that!” I covered my ears and shook my head frantically and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

“Why wouldn't he?” Liza pried my wrists apart with resentment in her tone. “You obviously can't have children, but why is he still unwilling to divorce you and make me his wife? Is it just because of that ridiculous responsibility? Sallie, why don't you just die!

“In that case, don't blame me for coming to get it myself!”

She suddenly screamed and rushed towards the window without hesitation.

Accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, Herschel hurried in and saw Liza lying in a pool of blood, unconscious.

He looked at me sitting on the bed and coughing awkwardly and for the first time his eyes turned red with anxiety.

“Liza came here because she wanted to apologize to you. Why did you hurt her? Is there something you can't explain clearly?

“Sallie, why are you so vicious now!”

After saying that, he picked up Liza and left without looking back.

I looked at my swollen cheeks reflected in the glass and could not help laughing. 

I could not stop laughing at my former blind self.

At this moment, there was no greater sorrow than a dead heart.

In just a moment, the ward next door became lively. I heard the family asking Liza about her health and sending the hospital address to the lawyer, asking her to send the divorce agreement.

In the evening, when Herschel came over with a sullen face, I handed him the signed page with an expressionless face as I stated, “I can apologize to Liza, please sign this.”

Herschel was stunned for a moment. We had been together for so many years, but I had never asked him for anything. 

Just as he was about to see what this document was, I heard Herschel’s mother's exclamation from outside, “Liza is awake!”

He did not bother to read it anymore, he signed hastily, pulled me up and said coldly, “Now, go and apologize to Liza!”

I did not care about his attitude. I just put the contract away, smiled with relief and followed him to the next room.

As soon as I arrived at Liza's ward, I saw a nurse running out to ask questions, “Who has type B blood? The patient has injured her aorta and needs blood urgently.”

Herschel was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked at me. Seeing my pale face, he hesitated for a moment.

But when he thought of Liza, whose life or death was unknown, he said cruelly, “Sallie has it. Please do it, Liza must not get into any trouble!”

Before I even had time to react, he pushed me over to sit down and then someone hurriedly gave me a needle in my wrist.

I was already weak after having my gastric lavage and then someone forcibly drew my blood and my face turned pale instantly.

Seeing this, the nurse could not help but remind him, “Is this person feeling unwell? If we continue to draw her blood, her life may be in danger. Are you sure you want to continue?”