Five years ago, a devastating epidemic broke out in Toronto, claiming countless lives and leaving many injured in its wake.

My parents, both doctors, entered the quarantine zone without hesitation—risking everything to save lives. In the end, they contracted the disease and died unexpectedly. The antidote they poured their lives into developing was later condemned as a fraudulent drug.

I begged for help—from old friends, relatives, anyone who would listen—but was met only with cold rejection and silence.

In my darkest moment, the only one who stood by me was my fiancée. Despite being condemned by those around her, she took care of my parents’ funeral and insisted that we marry.

But years later, after my 99th failed attempt to patent a new drug, I scraped together the last of my money to buy her a bouquet of roses—just so we could go on a date. That was when I accidentally overheard her speaking to her best friend.

“Vivian, this is like the hundredth time Ethan Cole’s patent was denied. I’ve lost count.”

“He’s such a fool,” her best friend replied. “Every time he fails, it’s because you sabotaged it. You gave Gabriel Marcus Ford the core formula behind his back, and he never even realized.”

Then came Vivian Chambers’s voice—calm, detached.

“It’s only the 99th time. What, are you suddenly feeling sorry for him?”

“No… It’s just… You’ve been married for five years. Gabriel’s returning from abroad tomorrow. What if he finds out what you’ve done?”

“Gabriel isn’t some nameless apprentice anymore. He’s a pharmaceutical mogul. Business collaborations like this are perfectly normal.”

“I married Ethan because I couldn’t be with Gabriel. If I can help Gabriel succeed—even from the shadows—it’s all worth it.”

My grip on the flowers tightened. My vision blurred.

So all along, what I believed was redemption… was just a calculated sacrifice.

Vivian married someone she didn’t love, just to pave the way for another man.

If that’s what you wanted, Vivian—then I’ll grant your wish.

——

“But still—” her best friend protested, only to be cut off.

“Even if I hadn’t married Ethan, the Chambers family would never have allowed me to be with Gabriel,” Vivian said flatly. “This was the only way to lift him from the role of a lowly apprentice.

As for Ethan… marrying him was the greatest reward I could offer.”

Her best friend’s voice rose, indignant.

“You gave Gabriel so many ancient recipes before, and he rejected them all. Then he specifically asked for the formula Ethan was working on. He did it on purpose. He’s using you to sabotage him!”

“If this ever comes to light, you and Ethan will be finished. He’ll hate you. You’re all he has left.”

Vivian suddenly stood and downed a glass of wine.

“I know all of that. But Gabriel only has me, too. I can’t watch him suffer overseas with nothing. This will be the last time. Once I get the formula, everything ends. Don’t say another word.”

“But not talking about it won’t make it disappear! Ethan’s been locked in that lab for five years! You let him watch the thief who stole his life’s work walk free, even as the world mocks him. He’s human, Vivian—he doesn’t deserve this—”

With a crash, Vivian hurled her glass to the floor.

“Enough! It’s just five years—not a lifetime!”

“At worst, I’ll buy back the Cole Family Clinic after this is over. Let him reclaim his place as the Cole family’s heir!”

“You’re going too far! Why drag Ethan into this? The Chambers family has more than enough resources—you didn’t have to involve him! Fine, fine… I won’t say another word. Do what you want.”

Their voices faded, and I slid to the floor, leaning weakly against the cold wall.

Five years ago, I lost my parents overnight. The Cole Family Clinic teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. I was just a researcher—clueless, overwhelmed, and drowning.

It was Vivian who pulled me back from the rooftop that day. We rushed to register our marriage, and with the Chambers family name behind her, she helped me tackle every obstacle.

But when her family eventually discovered our marriage, they forced her to file for divorce.

She knelt before Richard Chambers Sr. and pleaded—begged him to give me more time. She said she believed in me, believed that I could bring the Cole family back to life. Later, she even sold her own assets to build a private laboratory just for me.

So even when the formula patent was rejected ninety-nine times, I never once thought of giving up. I held on—for Vivian's unwavering belief in me.

But now I know—it was all just a beautiful wedding dress she stitched for Gabriel.

That realization hit like a cold wave. I wiped away my tears, forced myself up, handed the flowers to a passing staff member, and turned to leave.

With every step I took away from that place, a part of my love for Vivian faded.

Until my feet were blistered from walking, I reached the room she held most dear—and opened it in silence.

In that moment, every last trace of love vanished.

The door creaked open, revealing a hand-drawn portrait.

Its lines had blurred, its luster dulled—clearly worn from being touched too often.

The walls were covered with photos of Gabriel, each one arranged in chronological order.

The very first photo? The day of our wedding.

So for five whole years, whenever she said she needed to be alone in this room to deal with “important matters,” she was simply hiding in her memories of Gabriel.

There was a small safe in the corner. I typed in Gabriel’s birthday—and it clicked open without resistance.

Inside, there were no valuables—just stacks of love letters Gabriel had written to her.

Each time he got his hands on one of my formulas, he’d write her a letter, thanking her, professing his love, and reminiscing about our time as friends.

Even though I had already discovered the truth—that everything between us had been a carefully spun web of deceit by Vivian—my heart still cracked open.

She had always acted like she supported me unconditionally. Every time I failed, she would bring in experts, consult professionals, and offer solutions.

I had once believed—completely—in her love, completely. I had let myself fall, unafraid, because I thought she would catch me.

But everything she did was only to better funnel my work to Gabriel.

At the very bottom of the pile was a letter—one that she hadn’t sent yet.

My hands trembled as I opened it.

Tears streamed down my face as I read.

In it, Vivian detailed her plan: after obtaining my final set of data, she would propose to Gabriel. Even if the Chambers family never allowed her to marry him publicly, she wanted to give him a private wedding—something just for them.

As for me, she’d once told me, since I had recently lost my parents, it wasn’t appropriate to celebrate.

And so, I had nothing but a marriage certificate—no ceremony, no rings, no vows.

I wiped my face with a bitter smile, took out my phone, and snapped photos of every single letter.

They weren’t just evidence of Vivian’s betrayal—they were proof that Gabriel had stolen my work.

After documenting everything, I quietly restored the room to how it was.

I shut the door and pulled out my phone.

“Mr. Cole,” the voice on the other end said, “have you made your decision?”

“Yes,” I answered. “I agree to sell all my formulas. But I get to decide when they’re made public.”

The moment I hung up, I heard a voice behind me—a voice I once cherished.

“Ethan, who were you on the phone with just now? What are you going to announce?”

I tucked away my phone quickly and replied with forced calm:

“Oh, nothing important. Just some updates from the lab, I need to arrange for an announcement.”

She smiled, clearly satisfied with the answer.

“Do you like the flowers?” she asked. “Let me put them in water.”

She didn’t press further, just gently placed the roses in my hands, her fingertips grazing my palm.

“Hubby…” she said softly, “let’s have a baby.”

My hand, still clutching a rose, froze mid-air.

She gently took the rose from me and looked straight into my eyes.

“You went to visit the kids at the welfare center the other day, didn’t you?”

“I used to be afraid of having children. But when I saw you there… I wasn’t scared anymore.”

“Let’s have two—one who looks like you, and one who looks like me. Okay?”

I stared at her dreamy expression, unconsciously biting my lip.

She was lying to me again.

For the past five years, she had strung me along—dangling one hope after another, always just out of reach.

Now, was she planning to use a child as another bargaining chip?

But she had long forgotten—on the very next day after we got our marriage certificate. I had already made the irreversible decision to never have children.

Why? Because Vivian told me she feared pregnancy—her own mother had died giving birth.

She said she loved me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. So, I took the initiative and underwent a vasectomy.

She had forgotten that sacrifice.

“Hubby, is that okay?” she asked again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Fearing she might see through my expression, I reached out and gently embraced her—but my eyes were already turning cold.

She mistook my silence for excitement, and quickly instructed the house staff to prepare a candlelight dinner. As she walked away, she looked back at me playfully, eyes full of promise.

I watched her retreating figure and whispered under my breath,

“Vivian… you once saved my life. But you’ve lied to me for five years. That debt is already repaid.”

After that, I sent another message to that number.

When my parents passed, no one was willing to lend a hand to the Cole family.

Back then, if I had dared to expose Gabriel, I would’ve stood no chance.

But in three days, he would hold a press conference for his new product.

That moment—that stage—would be my one and only shot.

Once it arrives, everything ends.

---

The next morning, when I woke up, Vivian was gone.

I hastily drafted a divorce agreement and went to the Chambers Group headquarters. But the front desk stopped me from cold.

Calls to Vivian went unanswered. Left with no choice, I rang her secretary.

“Mr. Cole, I’m so sorry. The front desk is new—she didn’t recognize you. I’ll be sure to correct her. Please go ahead and enter.”

I didn’t bother arguing with a low-level employee. But as I passed, I overheard a conversation behind me.

“Was that really Richard’s husband? Just now, I saw Richard come down personally to greet someone else—they were walking arm-in-arm. I thought he was her husband.”

“Secretary Angela, you can’t blame me. He looked so plain—who would’ve guessed?”

“Well, he is plain. Five years ago, his family couldn’t even survive in Toronto. Now he lives off Richard’s support. Just a kept man. I don’t understand what Richard sees in him.”

“But the man from earlier—he’s a different story. You’ve heard of Ford’s Medical, right? He founded it. If it weren’t for him during the Toronto epidemic, we probably wouldn’t be standing here now. That’s the kind of man who deserves someone like Richard.”

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

But I ignored their voices and walked straight to Vivian’s office.

Just as I was about to knock, I froze. I heard voices inside.

“Gabriel, have you been well these past few years?”

“I wrote you so many letters. Didn’t you know? I’ve had plenty of women around me these years, but I’ve only loved one person. It’s just… she married someone else. I wonder if I still stand a chance.”

Vivian looked up, teary-eyed, her voice trembling.

“Yes. You still have a chance.”

“Vivian, thank you. If you hadn’t helped me all along, I’d never have come this far.”

“I still haven’t seen Ethan before the press conference,” she said, voice faltering. “He misunderstood me last time. Back then, I was just a Cole family apprentice, and now I outrank him. I’m afraid… it’ll be even harder for him to accept.”

At that, I couldn’t help the sneer that curled on my lips.

A misunderstanding?

Is that what she thought this was?

When my first patent was rejected, I secretly launched an investigation.

I discovered that the composition of Ford’s Medical’s new drug was nearly identical to my formula.

I filed a formal complaint—under my real name—demanding they reveal their data sources.

And what was my reward?

I was arrested.

Charged with slander and rumor-mongering. Thrown into jail.