I slowly opened my eyes. Before I could even sit, Jasper noticed and rushed over to help me up gently. "Hazel, are you okay?"

His eyes were filled with worry and it didn't seem fake. But if I hadn't heard his conversation with Dr. Harris with my own ears, I might not have known until now that he was the one who planned all this.

He knew I'd always wanted to marry him and have children, yet he cruelly made sure I could never get pregnant.

My heart throbbed with pain. Jasper suddenly got onto the bed and hugged me, his shoulders broad, his large hands pressing me into his embrace.

This was the same way he used to comfort me whenever I got hurt because of him.

When I was in his arms, my wounds didn't hurt anymore. It was like magic washed away all the pain.

Yet now, that magic was broken. His body heat radiated onto me, but my hands and feet remained cold, unable to feel any warmth at all.

Jasper seemed oblivious. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice gentle as he coaxed me, "Hazel, are you in a lot of pain? Are you uncomfortable?"

He used to feel worse than I did whenever I got hurt. Whenever he asked, I always bit back the pain and told him I was fine. That a hug from him would make everything better.

Sadly, Jasper believed this. So, every time I was injured, he would hug me as if he were healing my wounds.

It moved me, but he believed I would not feel any pain. Tears fell and I cried for the first time.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the thousandth of the ache in my heart. "Jasper, I hurt so much. It really, really hurts."

Jasper looked shocked as if he didn't expect me to be like this. He reached out and patted my back, looking at me with pity.

Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang.

Jasper seemed hesitant to answer, but then he saw the name on the screen. He immediately grabbed his phone, pushing me away. "Be good, the company is calling. Wait for me here."

Jasper left quickly, but I knew the caller was his secretary, Yvonne Lake.

I watched his retreating back and followed him. In the corridor, Yvonne said softly, "Jasper, is Hazel okay?"

Jasper, who had just been so concerned for me, suddenly scoffed. All traces of his earlier pity vanished, replaced by a sarcastic tone.

"Of course she's fine. She's always been able to endure pain. She just cried to make me feel guilty; I've seen that little trick countless times."

My breath caught. It felt like all the blood in my body had turned to ice. I didn't hear what Yvonne said next, but Jasper chuckled softly, his voice laced with affection.

"Alright. I'll come over tonight. Get cleaned up and wait for me in bed."

With that, he hung up the phone. My vision was already blurred, tears splashing onto the ground. I frantically wiped the tears from my face and rushed back to bed before he returned.

When Jasper returned, he glanced at his watch and looked at me with a troubled expression. "Hazel, something's come up at the company. I need to rush over there. I'll spend time with you tonight."

Was he going to the company, or would he be with Yvonne?

In the past, I would not want to affect his work and would let him go on with his work, but now I held back my tears and looked at him with a hint of pleading in my eyes.

"Please don't go. This is the first time I've ever begged you. Just stay with me, just this once."

As long as he didn't leave and was willing to stay, I would forgive him. As long as he didn't go find another woman.

Still, Jasper froze briefly before gently pushing me down by the shoulders. "What's wrong with you today? Be good, don't make a fuss!"

I gritted my teeth, my lips trembling slightly as I struggled to find the right words. But before I could speak, his phone buzzed. Jasper glanced at it and his expression softened instantly.

He grabbed his coat in a hurry and strode out without even glancing my way, just tossing back a single sentence as he left.

"Work's really busy. You're always so understanding. I'll bring you a surprise when I get back."

His decisive back, his hurried departure without so much as a backward glance, felt like a stab to my heart. I was left trembling from the pain.

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. After a while, I composed myself and booked a flight out of the country for three days later.

In those three days, I would sort through all our twenty-year memories together and then throw them away.

Jasper, you don't need to use many tactics to eliminate me. I'll grant your wish and disappear from your life.

Just then, my assistant sent me photos. As expected, Jasper went to Halveris Villa, which was originally under my name.

Jasper personally gave it to me when I was on the brink of death after taking a bullet for him. But three months ago, he said he lent it to a friend.

Now I knew that "friend" was a woman and it was Yvonne, the very woman I had once helped.

Seeing the photos of Yvonne and Jasper embracing eagerly the moment they met, my heart felt bone-chillingly cold.

I suppressed the stabbing pain in my chest and forced a smile. "How long has this been going on?"

My assistant replied, "Hazel, I investigated. Miss Lake moved in three months ago. Didn't Mr. Sage tell you about this?"

"Mr. Sage told us not to say anything at the time. I thought you knew, so I didn't mention it to you."

My fingers clenched and I bit my lip until it almost bled, speaking each word distinctly. "From today on, no matter what happens, you must tell me."

After hanging up the phone, I collapsed weakly onto the hospital bed. Yvonne had appeared in my life just three months ago.

I was the one who had personally brought her into our company. I still remember finding her in desperate circumstances. She was kneeling by the roadside, selling herself to bury her father.

My heart went out to her. Not only did I take her in, but I also arranged for her parents' funeral. I even gave her a job at Sage Enterprise.

Little did I know I'd brought a viper into my home. I thought I was saving her from a life of prostitution, but now she's hooked up with Jasper behind my back.

I even regarded her as a sister in the past three months, pitied her situation and asked Jasper to care for her more.

She's just a little girl, but I didn't expect he would care for her even in bed.

A surge of betrayed anger choked me, making me feel like throwing up and unable to breathe.

I sat by the bed that night, waiting in vain for Jasper until dawn. It wasn't until the first light of morning touched the sky that he finally rushed into the hospital.

His shirt buttons were done up wrong and his tie was a complete mess. Jasper had always cared deeply about his appearance. He even had severe OCD, so there was no way he'd make mistakes like this.

Unless Yvonne Lake tied this … or perhaps I've just gone numb. I looked at him, feeling an unprecedented calm within.

I would be gone forever soon. I pressed my chest and told myself almost numbly that I would never feel pain again after I left.

Jasper remained completely unaware. He set the imperial-style pastries on the table, his manner relaxed and natural.

"Remember these? They're your favorite pastries from that shop, the one you loved when we were dating. I bought them for you."

I looked at him. We used to have such a good relationship. He was so good that if I wanted these pastries, he'd go buy them for me, no matter how far away the shop was.

But ever since he started his own company, he has become swamped. He dedicated all his time to work and I was his subordinate during office hours.

We could only talk for a few minutes after work. And these pastries? He only ever bought them to apologize when he'd done something wrong to me.

The memory of the boy who once had eyes only for me faded further and further away. I looked at the exquisite pastries on the table, feeling incredibly ironic.

He suddenly hugged me from behind. The strong scent of lilies hit me and I felt a bit nauseous.

Yvonne loved lilies and used this exact perfume. Was he not even trying to hide it anymore?

My heart ached and I felt disgusted. I pushed him away. "Go take a shower first!"

He didn't think much of it. He sniffed himself. "Yeah, I do smell a bit. I'll go wash up."

Jasper pulled off his clothes and headed to the bathroom. That's when I noticed he wasn't wearing his ring and had a clear hickey on his neck.

We'd been together for years and I'd always wanted to marry him. Jasper had refused, saying he had many enemies and didn't want to involve me. He claimed he couldn't marry me to protect me.

Later, seeing that I was really uneasy, he took me to buy a DR ring that I could only buy once in my life.

I still remember how bright the sky was that day. He gave me the ring, then slipped his own onto his left ring finger and smiled. "Happy now?"

Afraid I still wouldn't trust him, he promised me with a firm expression. "This ring is proof of my love for you. I'll never take it off."

He also said he wasn't marrying me because of the dangers surrounding him. He once knelt before me and told me sincerely, "I will marry you when I eliminate the danger around me."

Now, he took off the ring, had another woman by his side and chose to be with Yvonne.

I took off the ring in my hand, suppressed the pain in my heart and put the ring in the box.

Since he had broken his vow and no longer loved me, I wouldn't continue to love him either.

Not long after Jasper came out of the bathroom, he seemed tired and lay down on the sofa.

He looked up at me, his eyes clearly hinting at something. In the past, whenever he came home from work exhausted, I would always dry his hair for him without waiting to be asked.

But this time, I averted my eyes and made no move to help, even turning to leave. Yet Jasper pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist in a playful, almost coquettish manner. His chin rested on my shoulder, our bodies pressed together in an intimate embrace, yet I felt no warmth from it.

To avoid raising his suspicions, I forced myself not to move. Then his fingers touched my belly and he murmured in a deep and intimate tone. "Hazel, do you want to have my child?"