The next morning, the sweet, toasty smell of butter filled my nose and I groggily opened my eyes.

Going downstairs, I saw Garren preparing breakfast. It was a rare scene.

He gestured for me to sit at the table and brought over a plate of golden-baked almond croissants. I took a small bite—fluffy and delicious, with honey bursting on my tongue, leaving a lingering sweetness.

I casually praised, “Your cooking is pretty good.”

Garren’s expression stiffened, looking a little embarrassed. “The new housemaid made these. She just left. If you like, I can have her make more for you later.”

“No need.” I returned to my cold expression and refused decisively. I should have known—his cooking was only for Fenella.

After breakfast, I wiped my mouth and was about to stand when Garren suddenly called out. “Linnea, there’s something at the company you need to handle. Today… come with me.”

He lowered his eyes, looking almost guilty. “You’ve suffered a lot recently. Once this busy period is over, I’ll make it up to you properly.”

I stayed silent for a moment, then finally nodded. I did need to go to the company—but not to handle work. I was going to submit my resignation.

Garren got out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger door for me. But I didn’t want to sit so close to him. I walked past him and took a seat in the back.

About twenty minutes later, sleepiness began to take over.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the car jolted violently. Caught off guard, I hit the seat in front of me. I lifted my hand to my head and felt the sticky warmth of blood.

Garren slammed on the brakes, anxiously looking back. “The car must have broken down. Don’t worry, Linnea, I’ll go find someone nearby to help and see if there’s a first-aid kit. Stay here and don’t move.”

I nodded and waited in the car for a long time. The air around grew colder and fine raindrops kept seeping in, chilling me to the bone. The wound on my forehead throbbed painfully; the first blood had dried and a new stream began to flow.

I couldn’t bear it anymore and got out of the car. I turned on my phone and found the nearest auto repair shop. After asking around, I realized that no one had come to help at all.

Where had Garren gone?

Holding my wound, I started walking back toward the car.

As I neared it, I heard noises from another car, sounds so intimate that they made my face burn.

“Fenella, how can you cling to me at a time like this?”

Hearing her name, I froze. I looked over in disbelief.

Garren’s eyes were dark and intense, fixed on the delicate figure in his arms, his voice husky with emotion. “Linnea is still waiting for me. She’s hurt… we can’t do this.”

But Fenella smiled and wrapped her soft arms around his arm, leaning close to his ear and whispering. “Don’t worry, she won’t find out. And… it seems too late to say anything now.”

Then, she immediately pressed her delicate lips to his. Garren held her head tightly and they kissed passionately, completely entwined.

I stood outside for a full five minutes. But they were so absorbed in each other and they didn’t notice me at all.

There they were, on the backseat of the car with no privacy at all, acting as if no one else existed.

Seeing this, my whole body began to shake uncontrollably. I bent down and hastily grabbed the nearby wall for support, my stomach churning, nearly making me vomit.

I tore my gaze away, unwilling to look any longer and took a few hurried steps forward.

Suddenly, a sharp metallic clang rang out behind me— and the next second, intense pain shot through my body.

I felt myself flying through the air, then crashing heavily onto the ground.

Darkness enveloped me as I lay in a pool of blood, gradually losing consciousness.

When I woke up again, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air and I opened my eyes to the hospital’s white walls.

Garren was holding my hand tightly, worry almost spilling from his eyes. “I’m sorry, Linnea. My phone was damaged in the accident and I had to follow the road for a long time to find a place to fix the car. When I came back… I saw you had already fallen on the road. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone in the car.”

He lowered his head, his face full of remorse and regret. On the surface, he looked just like the caring, sincere man from before. But not a single word was true.

A sharp pain spread from my heart throughout my body, as if a blunt knife had been plunged into my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

I suddenly remembered the scene of him and Fenella in the car and nausea surged up. I quickly pulled my hand away.

Garren glanced at my empty hand, stunned and looked at me in confusion.

“I’m hungry.” I didn’t look at him, speaking with a calm, detached tone.

Garren thought I was just being moody and didn’t ask further. He immediately left the room to buy some food.

To me, his current appearance seemed utterly fake. I didn’t even want to glance at him.

Not long after he left, footsteps echoed outside the hospital room. The person walked in slowly, a smile on her face.

“Miss Wirm, you’re really lucky. Being hit by a jeep and yet only suffering minor injuries,” Fenella said, blinking and showing a strange smile.

A chill ran through me and I understood immediately.

I propped myself up, forcing myself to sit despite the pain and gritted my teeth. “How do you know… it was a jeep that hit me?”

Fenella suddenly smiled, her cruel eyes stabbing me like icy needles, her voice deliberately low. “What do you think, Miss Wirm? Of course… it’s because I arranged that car. Too bad, they didn’t complete the job,”

She deliberately leaned close to me and yanked open her collar, revealing a cluster of suggestive marks across her collarbone. “Not only that… why don’t you guess why your husband didn’t come to save you in time?”

Seeing Fenella’s triumphant smile, an uncontrollable fury ignited in my chest, burning so fiercely. I could hardly bear it.

I clenched my teeth, about to speak. Suddenly, Fenella let out a sharp scream, stumbling back and falling to the floor.

Garren appeared almost instantly, pushing me roughly aside and shielding Fenella tightly behind him.

My still-healing wound hit the wall again, splitting open and bleeding afresh.

“Linnea, what are you doing?” Garren shouted angrily, completely unaware that my back was already soaked in blood.

Fenella curled in on herself, casting a fearful, trembling glance at me. Biting her lip lightly, her voice quivered, revealing fragility and helplessness, tears welling in her eyes.

“I… I just heard Miss Wirm got into an accident and wanted to check on her, but she suddenly slapped me,” she said.

I stared at her in disbelief, letting a cold smile curl on my lips. “You hired someone to hit me yourself and now you have the nerve to twist it around and accuse me!”

“Shut up!”

Garren carefully helped Fenella to her feet, his expression turning completely cold. “Who arranged the person who hit you? You know that yourself!”

Then he slammed a stack of photos onto me, sending another wave of indescribable pain through me.

“I investigated. It was you who hired the person to hit yourself! All this painstaking scheming, this self-inflicted act… just because you’re jealous of Fenella and want to get my attention, right?”

I widened my eyes and scanned through the photos, my face pale as I tried to defend myself. “I didn’t! It was Fenella, she…”

“Enough. Look at yourself now—you’re acting like a lunatic.” Garren cut me off coldly, his voice like ice.

After that, he left the hospital room with Fenella, without so much as glancing back at me.

I stood there stunned for a long time. It felt like something was blocking my heart and yet not a single tear could fall from my eyes.

On the day I was discharged, Garren didn’t come to pick me up. Maybe he forgot. Or maybe he had completely grown tired of me.

I packed my things and politely said goodbye to the doctor. He looked at me, as if wanting to say something, but finally just told me to rest well.

Back at home, I glimpsed through the window and saw the inside brightly lit, filled with the clinking of glasses and a noisy crowd. The entire villa had been transformed into a grand party hall.

Curious, I walked inside. My simple clothes felt completely out of place.

Gentle, flowing music played in the background. Men and women held glasses of wine, chatting in small groups, their laughter filling the air as they moved freely through the crowd.

The moment they saw me, whispers began spreading among them.

“This is a birthday party that Mr. Thayer specially threw for Miss Burken. Looks like he didn’t even invite her.”

“Her child was attacked… I don’t think Mrs. Thayer will hold her position for much longer.”

“Look at her exhausted state. She does look somewhat pitiful.”

Each word felt like a sharp hook, slowly digging into my heart, drawing blood with every syllable.

Suddenly, a sound from the second floor drew everyone’s attention.

Garren stood at the highest point, carefully draping a wool blanket over Fenella and gently holding her hand. “I hereby announce that the child in Fenella’s womb will be the future heir of the Thayer Group!”

The moment he spoke, waves of astonished gasps echoed from below.

I stared blankly at Garren. My fingers clenched tightly on the hem of my clothes, nails digging into my skin, yet I felt no pain at all.

He had once told me that everything he owned belonged to me, including himself. Now, in front of everyone, he acted as if none of it ever did.

He had given all his wealth to a woman who had been with him for less than a year.

The guests exchanged glances and began whispering.

“On the surface, this is a birthday party, but actually… Mr. Thayer is using this opportunity to announce the child’s status.”

“He really loves Fenella. She easily got the things Linnea never got after being with him for so long.”

Hearing this, Fenella grew even more smug.

She deliberately blocked my way, exaggeratingly rubbing her pregnant belly as if to show off.

“Wait a minute. On such a special day, aren’t you going to toast me, Miss Wirm?”

“No need,” I said coldly and turned to leave.

But Fenella remained blocking my way, as if she wouldn't let me leave until I drank.

I took a deep breath and nodded firmly. “Fine.”

She finally curled her lips in a smug smile. “That’s more like it. Please hand me the glass of red wine behind you.”

After drinking the wine, I was about to leave. Suddenly, a sharp scream came from behind me.

I turned around and saw Fenella bending over, clutching her belly and crying out, “Ah… it hurts so much!”

Garren immediately dropped his wine glass, his face full of worry as he supported her.

“Everyone just saw that this glass of wine was given to me by Miss Wirm!”

She looked at me with a pitiful expression, as if I had done something utterly cruel.

Garren’s eyes darkened and his clear voice trembled with suppressed anger. “Linnea, if anything happens to the child, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life!”

“I didn’t…” I tried to explain, but was cut off.

“It hurts…” Fenella clutched her belly, her face contorted in pain. “Garren… my stomach hurts so much…”

Garren glanced at me, his voice filled with both disappointment and anger. “You’ve become cruel and deceitful, lying without end. How did you turn into someone like this?”

I opened my mouth, but instantly lost all desire to explain.

So, in his eyes, that’s what I had become. If that’s the case, what meaning did my explanation even have?

The guests around us continued whispering, casting malicious glances my way.

I clenched my fists tightly, feeling the fury in my chest rise uncontrollably.

Suddenly….