After three years of marriage, Darren couldn't bear to let his sister-in-law live as a young widow, so he decided to take both wives under one roof.

Behind the back of his wife, who loved him like her life depended on it, he took on his younger brother's identity and spent his days entangled with his lover, his sister-in-law.

By the second month of sharing a bed, the sister-in-law was already pregnant. Darren spoke coldly, "Zaylee has always been pampered. The three daily meals are now your responsibility to serve."

When Joanna found out the truth, she neither argued nor cried. She simply counted down the days until her departure.

Later, Darren realized he could no longer find his wife.

All she left him was a divorce agreement and a fully formed stillborn child.

——

Three months after Darren died in a car accident, his twin brother Drake Grive returned from the military.

Joanna had knelt at the graveyard in the rain all afternoon. As she entered the Grive Residence, supporting her swollen belly, she overheard joyful chatter from inside.

Her wicked mother-in-law, Garcia, was beaming with delight, holding the hands of her sister-in-law, Zaylee and a man.

“Wonderful! My son is finally back! Our plan went perfectly. That pitiful Joanna acted like she was dying every day. She even tried to kill herself ninety-nine times for your sake until she found out she was pregnant with your child and only then did she calm down.”

At first, Joanna thought the man was Darren's younger brother, Drake. But when she saw his face clearly, a blinding light flashed through her mind and she froze on the spot.

‘Plan? What plan?’

Under the lights, the man spoke calmly, as if he didn’t care at all.

“Joanna is my official wife, chosen by me as the Grive Family's primary madam after weighing all pros and cons. She’s the hardworking type, always the most sensible.”

Garcia’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful. “Before your brother died, he begged you to take care of Zaylee. If it weren’t for his dying wish, how could I have gone so far with this scheme? Fortunately, you two brothers look so much alike. It’s enough to pass for the real thing!”

“You first took on his identity to give your sister-in-law a child. Consider it borrowed seed. After all, with a child, a woman can secure her place in the household!”

Hearing this, Zaylee shyly lowered her head, then suddenly pouted and said teasingly, “But what if your wife finds out about this ‘borrowed seed’ plan and wants to divorce you?”

Darren curled his lips into a cold smile, his eyes indifferent, his tone full of absolute certainty.

“Joanna cut ties with her poor family for me long ago. Without me, where could she possibly go?”

The words pierced her heart like a knife. Joanna’s nails dug hard into her palms, but her mind was unusually clear.

Sleeping pills, drowning in the bathtub, slitting her wrists through the pain, jumping from a tall building, endless gossip…

After Darren faked his death, she had done countless foolish things for this man.

And in the end?

This was how he repaid her.

The moment she stepped into the hall, Darren seemed to tense up completely. But Joanna acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Zaylee sweetly clung to Darren’s arm as they walked over. “Joanna! This is Drake! You two haven’t met yet, right?”

Under Joanna’s numb gaze, Darren hesitated for a moment before calling out, “Joanna... We’re all heartbroken about my brother’s death. You should take care of yourself too for the sake of the baby.”

‘The baby?’

Joanna laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes. What a pathetic performance, yet she had no choice but to pretend she knew nothing.

At the dinner table, Garcia placed a greasy bowl of pig’s trotter soup in front of her.

“What you need to do now is focus on your health. This tonic soup is excellent. It’s the best for boosting milk production!”

“If, heaven forbid, my eldest grandson is born and there’s no milk for him to drink, would you be able to face my son in the afterlife?”

Milk. Milk. Always about milk!

Joanna could no longer hold it in. With reddened eyes, she pushed the bowl away.

“Mom, I’m not some dairy cow raised by your Grive Family. I’m a person, a living, breathing person! So can you please stop…”

The sudden slap stunned her. Her cheek immediately swelled, burning with a sharp, stinging pain.

It was Darren. The man stared at her coldly. “Joanna, as a young person, you have no right to speak to Mom like that. My brother is gone, so I’m now the head of the Grive Family. Sometimes a bit of discipline is necessary. You’ll just have to endure it.”

A flicker of excitement flashed in Zaylee’s eyes, barely concealed. When a servant brought over a steaming bowl of fish soup, she deliberately stuck out her leg to trip the servant.

At the critical moment, Darren reacted quickly and pulled Zaylee into his arms to shield her.

The scalding soup, slick with red chili oil, splashed directly onto Joanna’s face, raising large blisters on her skin. She was a complete mess, drenched, humiliated, in pain.

A servant screamed. Only then did Darren lift his head, his eyes full of nothing but disgust.

“Joanna, go clean yourself up. How indecent looking like that…”

‘How indecent?’ What a choice of words.

Joanna closed her eyes and covered her face, tears slipping through her fingers.

At that moment, she finally understood. The man who once cherished and loved her had long since died.

He died three months ago. He died the moment he chose to abandon her to become someone else’s husband.

That night, sounds of a woman’s ecstatic moans echoed from the neighboring room, lasting until dawn.

Finally, Joanna dialed the number she knew by heart.

“Dad… I’m willing to listen to you. I’ll go through with the arranged marriage.”

“What did you just say?”

Joanna’s father sounded shocked, unable to hide his suspicion. “Weren’t you the one with so much pride? Three years ago, for the so-called ‘true love,’ you cut ties with the Spencer Family, swearing never to contact us again. You were crying and begging just to marry that man!”

“I heard that after you married someone else, the man from the Lowell Family… even made a public vow never to marry in his lifetime. Well then, if you finally realize your mistake, come back and proceed with the arranged marriage. I’ll see you in Larkhaven on the eighth of January!”

Countdown: 99 days until her departure.

The Grive Family hosted a charity auction.

Joanna arrived in a black evening gown, her face bare of makeup, her expression calm and composed.

Zaylee smiled sweetly. “Joanna, you're still pregnant. You really didn’t need to come. The Grive Family has me!”

“Drake, even if I asked for the stars and the moon, you’d still bring them down for me, wouldn’t you?”

The man fondly pinched her nose. “Of course. You’re my precious, obedient wife. Loving my wife brings prosperity. Whatever you want tonight, just say the word.”

The two of them flaunted their affection publicly, glued to each other, instantly stirring envy among the guests.

“Has no one noticed how Drake looks exactly like the late Darren? Even the way he dotes on his wife is so similar!”

“Oh my gosh! Zaylee is so lucky! They’re the perfect match—a talented man and beautiful woman!”

“Compared to Joanna, she looks so haggard since her husband died… It’s true that women really do need love to flourish!”

As the auction began, no matter what Zaylee coquettishly asked for, Joanna didn’t even lift her head.

Until the final item appeared…

It was an extraordinarily rare and priceless treasure named ‘Remembrance of Joan’.

The entire crown had an intricate design, adorned with rare pink diamonds, sparkling brilliantly under the lights.

Joanna froze like she’d been struck by lightning, staring unblinking as tears welled up and streamed down her face.

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

“What exquisite craftsmanship!”

“But why is it such a strange name, Remembrance of Joan?”

“You don’t know? This is the only surviving piece left by designer Camille Quarles before she passed away! She spent over ten years pouring her heart and soul into creating this crown. It’s truly a masterpiece!”

“Remembrance of Joan, Remembrance of Joan… I heard it was made to commemorate the birth of her beloved daughter.”

Upon hearing this, Zaylee’s eyes sparkled. “Such a romantic story! Drake, I really love it…”

When Darren’s gaze landed on the exhibit, he froze. They’d been married three years and Joanna had whispered about this jewelry to him countless times. Now, it was right in front of him.

The starting price was a million dollars. Zaylee raised her paddle and Joanna bit her lip, fiercely bidding back several times.

Just when things got awkwardly intense, Darren stood up and loudly announced, “Unlimited bidding!”

The entire room instantly erupted in excitement. Joanna’s tears were about to fall as she lowered her voice and looked at Darren.

“This exhibit is a relic left by my late mother. Please, Drake, endure the pain and let it go. I'm begging you.”

Hearing this, Zaylee’s interest grew even more. “Oh dear! What should we do now? I really like it too! Drake, do you remember what you said just now? You won’t disappoint me, right?”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Darren spoke, “Since Zaylee likes it, I’m determined to win the bid, no matter how much the other party offers!”

That dazzling crown was placed by Darren himself atop Zaylee’s head and the woman couldn’t hide her triumphant expression.

In the blink of an eye, Joanna had composed herself and nodded calmly. "Then congratulations to you and your wife."

"Of course. From now on, I will love Zaylee just like the designer loved her daughter. This crown is proof of my love for her," Darren said.

As he spoke, Joanna suddenly recalled how, back when they were dating, the man treated her with such care and caution. He hid his identity, endured everything, handed out flyers under the blazing sun just to buy her the only gold ring in the world, endured pain to donate blood so she could wear her beloved dress and even fought with his family just to marry her.

But now, the love that once belonged to her had been transferred to another woman.

Joanna paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Seeing that your relationship is so good, I can finally be at ease. Drake, I wish you and your wife happiness. May you two have a noble child soon and grow old together.”

Darren frowned slightly, his eyes quietly studying the woman before him, whose gaze seemed nothing but coldness. A wave of unease swept over him as if something vital in his life was slipping gradually out of his control.

By the second month of their living together, Zaylee had successfully become pregnant.

The Grive Family was very traditional and feudal. Even pregnancy couldn’t exempt Joanna from constant orders and strict rules. Battling morning sickness, she endured endless nagging from Garcia and had already become visibly worn out after three months.

Meanwhile, Zaylee only needed a single word from Darren to avoid any effort or hardship.

“From now on, Zaylee will be the Grive Family’s lucky star! You all must take good care of her!”

Though Joanna had long prepared herself mentally, the joy shining in Darren’s eyes as a new father still stabbed painfully at her heart.

During the pregnancy, Zaylee was very delicate. Darren stayed up sleepless out of concern for her morning sickness, personally cooked nourishing meals for her and the baby’s health and even, despite his cleanliness obsession, didn’t hesitate to catch her vomit by hand.

Zaylee carried his precious treasure in her womb.

So what exactly was the child that Joanna, five months pregnant, was carrying?

Back in the bedroom, Joanna stared at the wedding photo on the bedside table, suddenly feeling a sharp sting in her heart.

Once, Darren had pursued her actively. After they married, they even had two months of warmth and closeness. She had eagerly looked forward to carrying the fruit of their love and had imagined how the man would be after she became pregnant.

But now, things had changed, people were gone and all was lost. Before she could speak, tears flowed first.

After tidying up the couple’s pajamas, photo booth stickers and love albums, Joanna personally packed them all up and threw them away.

Behind her, Darren appeared without her noticing. When he saw the wedding photo, his eyes sharply flickered with surprise.

Then Darren grabbed Joanna’s wrist tightly, pressing her with a harsh tone.

“Joanna, what are you doing?”

“Drake,” Joanna sneered coldly at him, “Whatever I do is none of your business!”

Darren gritted his teeth, his dark pupils filled with menace.

“If my late brother knew, I wonder what he’d think from above. Joanna, you’re truly heartless!”

Joanna found it amusing. She instinctively pried each of Darren’s fingers apart, then turned and walked away.

“No need for you to worry about this, Drake.”

In the stairway, Zaylee was being supported by a servant. When she saw Joanna, she waved her hand dismissively, sending the servant away.

The woman curled her lips into a smug smile, her true nature completely revealed beneath her surface charm.

“Joanna, what are you pretending for? You’ve known the truth all along, haven’t you? How does it feel to watch the man you loved abandon you and be with me? Or maybe you still don’t know. Darren and I are each other’s first loves. Our feelings reignited long after you two got married. Even Drake’s car accident was a scheme we planned together!”

Joanna’s eyes widened in disbelief as she took a step back. “What did you say? You two disgusting lovers are utterly heartless! That was a living, breathing person!”

Zaylee stepped forward, pressing closer, smiling cruelly. “So what? He stood in my way! Even if it were two lives, what does that matter? If that bastard child in your belly stands in my son’s way...”

Joanna’s instincts screamed that something was wrong. She saw Zaylee suddenly change her expression, grab Joanna’s hand, then raise it. And with Joanna’s shocked eyes fixed on her, Zaylee slapped her own face twice, without using any force.

“Ah!”

The next moment, Zaylee fell like a falling butterfly, straight down from the second floor to the first.

Joanna was still stunned in place when Darren rushed over, furious. He glanced at the woman lying on the floor, then pushed Joanna forcefully.

Joanna, clutching her belly, slammed hard into the shelf behind her. The sharp metal blades cut open her forehead.

“Who allowed you to lay hands on Zaylee? No matter how jealous you are, you cannot harm an innocent child!”

Zaylee watched, tears streaming down her face, her voice rising in panic, “It hurts so much! Drake, will our baby be okay?”

Darren immediately scooped her up horizontally, holding her close and soothing her gently, but his eyes shot daggers at Joanna, as if wanting to kill her on the spot.

“Wicked woman! Despicable bitch! If anything happens to Zaylee and the child in her womb, I’ll make you and that bastard pay with blood!”

Joanna lay in a pool of blood from her forehead and the fresh flow beneath her didn’t stop.

Zaylee leaned softly against the man’s chest, flashing Joanna a provocative smile.

What a pathetic act.

Unfortunately, Darren left, not even sparing her a single glance.