After my mother and stepfather died in the fire, my stepfather's brother, Timothy Wallace, took me in.

To look after me, he turned down all romantic advances from women.

One night at a party, we both got drunk and ended up sleeping together, which led to my pregnancy.

Thinking about the surprise he had bought at the auction, I could hardly wait to get home and reveal it to him.

However, when I entered the room, I found the floor in a mess, a clear sign that he and a woman had just had sex.

As I looked at the woman's face, which bore a striking resemblance to mine, I stumbled back in disbelief.

Timothy halted me while cleaning up, saying, "Ophelia, go grab some groceries to entertain our guest."

Enduring the pain, I got up and left to buy groceries. Timothy then requested that I prepare a meal tailored to the woman's taste.

Kaylee Gibson surveyed the table overflowing with food, her expression rife with hostility.

"Timothy, where did you find my substitute? She’s so domestic! But I’m allergic to seafood!" she pouted.

Timothy shot me a glare. "I just asked you to cook once. Are you doing this on purpose? Move to the Wallace Manor after dinner!"

I left and never came back.

——

Timothy wrapped his arms around Kaylee, slammed the door, and left, leaving behind a table laden with dishes—most of which weren’t seafood.

He’d never mentioned that Kaylee was allergic.

It was all just an excuse to get rid of me.

After dinner, I packed my things. A small suitcase was all I had left.

On my way to the Wallace Manor, I unexpectedly had a car accident.

My car was struck by a speeding vehicle and flipped into a ditch.

As I lay in a pool of blood, I couldn’t believe the speeding car belonged to Timothy.

Pain surged through my stomach as blood poured from my lower body, quickly soaking my dress.

Out of habit, I dialed Timothy’s number, but after numerous attempts, there was no answer.

When I finally reached him, his voice thundered, "Ophelia Marshall! How dare you call me? If anything happens to Kaylee, I won’t let you off the hook!"

After the call was cut, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up in the hospital, the doctor sighed and informed me that due to severe abdominal trauma, my baby was gone, and my uterus had to be removed because of heavy bleeding.

"I couldn’t reach your emergency contact. had to operate immediately," he explained.

I smiled weakly at the doctor and thanked him, then stared blankly at the ceiling.

My child had come and gone in a flash—less than four hours from the moment I knew of his existence to his departure.

When the police approached me with details about the accident, Timothy called again. "Ophelia, are you free now? I need help with a traffic accident case."

In a hoarse voice, I replied, "I’m in the hospital and can’t come."

It was the first time I had rejected him. He was stunned, then snapped, "If you help me with this trivial matter, I won’t pursue the matter of Kaylee’s allergy!"

What he called a trivial matter was asking me to apologize to the victim and cover the damages as the perpetrator.

It turned out Kaylee was behind the wheel of the car that hit me.

Before I could respond, he transferred 200 thousand dollars as compensation.

So, our child was worth 200 thousand dollars.

"Fine," I replied.

Satisfied with my answer, Timothy generously forgave my "mistake."

He never asked why I was in the hospital or noticed anything odd about my voice.

I never imagined I’d end up as the victim.

After hanging up, I chose not to pursue the matter as he wished.

The child was unwanted, destined never to exist.

The consequences of my greed meant I could never be a mother again.

The police suggested I could sue for damages, but I declined, managing a bitter smile.

When I was discharged and returned to the Wallace Manor, I discovered that Timothy had arranged for all my belongings to be moved.

He was considerate, even instructing the butler to set everything up for me.

"The Wallace Manor is closer to your school, so you won’t have to commute back and forth. Just don’t cause me any trouble before I get married, got it?"

When Kaylee donned that jewelry set and called me her substitute, everything fell into place.

It was absurd that I had deceived myself into believing Timothy had bought that item at the auction for my birthday.

Even more ridiculous was my belief that he would remember that night, at least to some degree.

It turned out that I was just a substitute.

All the beauty of the past shattered with that surgery report.

I steadied myself, made a call, and said, "Josie, I want to go teach in the village with you."

Josie was excited and asked tentatively, "Ophelia, will your uncle let you go to such a remote place?"

Her concern was understandable.

After that one-night stand, Timothy didn’t bring it up, and neither did I.

Still feeling upset, I turned to alcohol.

But after drinking, I found myself in an isolated alley.

Just as a man was about to assault me, Timothy arrived and saved me.

He held me tightly, his body trembling as if I mattered to him.

It turned out that was just my illusion.

Now that the woman he loved was back, he sent me to the Wallace Manor, which felt even lonelier than that alley.

He distanced himself from me, and I couldn’t bear to see him so close to his girlfriend.

"Josie, he's okay with it," I told her.

"Okay, I’ll add you to the list," she replied.

Looking at the information Josie sent me, I booked a train ticket for a week later.

I could leave right after I wrapped up my graduation affairs.

After buying the ticket, I drifted into a deep sleep.

In my dreams, it felt like there was another fire.

The familiar scent of smoke urged me to flee, but I was trapped.

Suddenly, there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Ophelia? Open the door!" a voice called out.

Timothy's anxious voice jolted me awake from a nightmare.

Without even changing out of my sweaty clothes, I opened the door.

He looked relieved to see I was okay, but then his expression twisted into anger.

"You didn't answer my calls or reply to my messages, and you didn't even try to escape when there was a fire! What were you thinking?"

I glanced at my phone and saw a slew of missed calls from him.

While I had been asleep, the old wiring in the town had sparked a fire.

Thankfully, it wasn't my house, and the firefighters arrived promptly to control the blaze.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I was just so deep in sleep that I didn't even smell it."

"You must be joking!" Timothy shot back. "With all that noise and the burning smell, how could you possibly sleep through it?"

Given that I had witnessed my mother and stepfather die in a fire, I was particularly sensitive to smoke and the smell of burning.

Timothy usually kept me out of the kitchen, worried I might still be traumatized by my past.

But he seemed to have forgotten all about that since Kaylee returned.

As I glanced down at the mismatched shoes on his feet, I felt a strange warmth.

He still cared about my safety.

But the lipstick mark on his shirt reminded me not to read too much into it.

He was only taking care of me because my mother and his brother had left me with him.

"Maybe I was just too sleepy," I said.

Timothy clearly wasn't buying it. He scrutinized my face for a moment before coldly reprimanding me, "So you're not scared of fire or smoke anymore? It was all just an act before?"

I met his gaze and saw the displeasure in his eyes.

In the past, if something burned in the kitchen, I would panic and reach for the fire extinguisher immediately.

He would hold me in his arms with a smile, reassuring me that I'd be fine as long as he was there.

Now, after being discharged, I slept more soundly than usual, yet he was questioning whether my fears had ever been real.

Trying to suppress my sadness, I forced a smile.

"Just consider it an act. It's getting late. Uncle Timothy, you should get back to your girlfriend," I said.

I hadn't called him "uncle" in a long time.

His lips tightened into a thin line, and emotions flickered in his eyes that I couldn't quite decipher.

"Come with me," he insisted. "I'll get someone to re-inspect and renovate the Wallace Manor. You can move back in then, so you won't have to pretend anymore."

I stood my ground, refusing to leave.

Timothy frowned in irritation. "What's with you? Why have you suddenly changed and become so rebellious?"

I no longer blamed him for the loss of my child or my sense of motherhood. I was ready to leave quietly. Was that being rebellious?

He was the one who had changed, not me.

Just then, Timothy's phone rang.

A soft female voice, laced with both happiness and fear, asked, "Timothy, are you back? Did you knock on the door just now?"

Upon hearing that, Timothy hurriedly left, comforting her gently, "Kaylee, don't open the door! Lock the doors and windows. I'll be home soon!"

When he went downstairs, he realized I hadn't followed.

He came back and grabbed my arm. However, I stepped back, avoiding his touch.

I appreciated that he thought of me when the fire broke out.

Concerned about Kaylee's safety, he immediately got angry and shouted, "Ophelia! You just heard her. Kaylee is home alone! You've been through, so you should know how scared she would be!"

Without letting me refuse, he pulled me into his car.

When he sat me in the passenger seat, he caught sight of Kaylee's stockings and shuffled me to the back seat instead.

To cover his embarrassment, he asked, "Have you lost weight?"

I stroked my belly, remaining silent.

Not pressing further, he slammed the accelerator and sped home.

He overtook cars seven times and cut off others eight times, nearly running a red light.

So, at that time, he was as rushed as he was now, allowing Kaylee, whose skin was red from allergies, to drive quickly to the hospital, which ultimately resulted in an accident and the loss of my child.

His urgency was palpable, much more intense than when I had my acute appendicitis.

Seeing that I was quiet, Timothy ignored me and called Kaylee.

Listening to him croon a love song to her in that deep, soothing voice—once reserved for singing me lullabies—made me get goosebumps all over.

Finally, Kaylee asked him to buy some condoms.

I could hear the change in his voice, now hoarse with desire.

We happened to pass a drugstore. Timothy awkwardly covered his groin with his coat and instructed me to go buy them.

I got out of the car and went to the drugstore.

But when the clerk asked about flavors and sizes, I went silent.

The memory of the seafood incident flooded back, and I called Timothy, embarrassed.

He emerged from the car, his face gloomy with irritation, and strolled toward the shelves.

"Why not just buy them all?" he grumbled.

The clerk defended me, saying, "Sir, have you ever seen a man ask his girlfriend to buy condoms?"

Timothy froze mid-payment, his face turning crimson.

"She's not my girlfriend," he quickly denied.

Once we left the store, he scolded me, "You couldn't even handle something so simple. Aren't you ashamed? I've spoiled you too much!"

Then, pointing to a hotel next door, he ordered, "Go check into a hotel!"

He was the one who had insisted I come home with him and asked me to buy condoms

If that was considered shameful, what did that make him for getting me pregnant in the first place?

As the rain poured down, I felt the cold seep in, and before I knew it, I collapsed onto the wet pavement.

The clerk, witnessing it, shouted after the retreating car, "Hey! Your girlfriend just fainted!"

My mind was foggy, and all I could see was Timothy's car disappearing around the corner.

When I finally opened my eyes again, a nurse was responding to Timothy's frantic calls for me.

"Ophelia, if you cause me any more trouble, don't even think about going home!" Timothy yelled and then hung up.

The nurse looked at the phone, appearing angry.

Turning to me as she noticed I was awake, she quickly handed me the phone and said, "You're awake. I just dealt with a harassing call for you."

I didn't expose her white lie.

I spent a few days in the hospital before returning to Wallace Manor to gather my things.

The house was in a complete mess.

It was no wonder Timothy was furious; he must have thought I had ransacked the place.

Fortunately, all the important documents were still intact, and I didn't have the energy to call the police or clean up the mess.

I took a taxi to the train station with my suitcase and received an unexpected invitation from Kaylee.

It turned out she was getting engaged to Timothy the next day.

As soon as I arrived at the train station, a middle-aged couple rushed toward me, enveloping me in their arms and crying uncontrollably.

"My daughter! We finally found you!" the woman wailed. "You ran away without telling us, forcing your father and me to search for you endlessly!"

I struggled against their embrace, repeatedly insisting that I didn't know them.

But the man grew angry and slapped me across the face, shouting, "You bastard! Do you really want to drive your mother and me to our graves?"

A crowd began to gather, but no one stepped in to help.

Given the striking resemblance I bore to the man, it was easy for onlookers to assume we were family.

The crowd urged me to go home with them.

The couple held on to my arms so tightly that I saw no chance of escape.

Once they dragged me into their car, I started to regain my senses after the shock of the slap.

While the woman was distracted, I secretly called Timothy.

But before he could answer, she caught me in the act.

Wiping the tears from her face, she hissed, "You think you can ask for help? Your uncle is too busy to pay attention to you right now!"

She snatched my phone and called Timothy.

She was right; Timothy didn't answer and even screened my call.

Finally, when he picked up, I tried to plead for help, but Kaylee's mocking voice interrupted me. "What's the matter? Do you want to talk to Timothy? He's in the shower. Don't cause trouble when he's in a good mood!"

Then she called out loudly for Timothy to answer the phone.

When he found out it was me, Timothy's voice dripped with irritation. "Ignore her and block her!"

Hearing his voice, mixed with Kaylee's ridicule, shattered my heart.

The middle-aged couple dragged me into an empty room, and it seemed they were waiting for someone.

Just as I was starting to doze off, something hit me in the face.

A voice snapped, "Ophelia, you're quite the schemer! You left a fake pregnancy test report and thought you could ruin my engagement party?

"If I hadn't gone to Wallace Manor and found it, you would have succeeded!"

Recognizing the familiar voice, I realized that the chaos at the manor and my current situation were all thanks to Kaylee.

Swallowing my bitterness, I forced a smile. "You misunderstood. I didn't intend to come back after I left."

"Misunderstanding? You're just playing hard to get. I heard you helped Timothy get rid of women while I was away. But now that I'm back, stop being delusional!"

With that, she clapped her hands, summoning a group of hooligans into the room.

They whistled, their eyes roving over me.

One of them said, "You escaped last time, but it won't be that easy this time!"

Desperation gripped me; I would rather die than surrender.

Just as I was about to leap out of the window, they grabbed me and pulled me back.

For some reason, Kaylee glanced at her phone and stopped the hooligans.

She said, "Ophelia, you're lucky. But don't think you're off the hook!"

I had a bad feeling.

The next second, Kaylee cut her clothes with scissors and pinched her skin, leaving bruises.

When the door was kicked open, she curled up and cried, "Ophelia, did you bring me here just to get someone to assault me?"

The hooligans, responding to her signal, jumped out of the window and fled.

As soon as she finished speaking, Timothy kicked me and shouted,

As soon as she finished speaking, Timothy burst in, kicking me and shouting, "Ophelia! I tracked you down because I was worried you'd get into trouble! If I hadn't arrived, how could you have bullied Kaylee? When did you become so vicious?"

He kicked me hard.

The pain made tears stream down my face as I tried to explain, "I didn't do anything. It was her..."

But Timothy ignored me completely.

He took off his coat and draped it over Kaylee, gazing at her lovingly while comforting her softly, "Kaylee, nobody can hurt you while I'm here!"

Those words felt all too familiar, but they were no longer meant for me.

He cupped Kaylee's swollen face in his hands, his eyes filled with anguish.

However, the look he shot me was one of disgust and hatred.

He roared without asking for confirmation, "Ophelia! Are you going to apologize, or should I take you to the police?"

Kaylee sobbed, pleading with him, "Timothy, don't blame her. She just can't accept that we're getting married.

"Thank goodness you arrived in time; those people didn't succeed..."

I interrupted, "You're lying! You hired those people to bully me!"

Timothy looked at her tattered clothes, then slapped me across the face.

He shouted, "I listened to you to drive away those women before because I didn't like them, but Kaylee is the love of my life! I'll never let you hurt her!"

Kaylee smirked, but then, with tears in her eyes, she begged, "Ophelia, as long as you cut ties with those hooligans and stop causing trouble, I'll let go of today's events."

Her red, swollen eyes sparkled with provocation.

Hearing her, Timothy assumed that the last time I had been attacked by a hooligan was another one of my tricks.

"Ophelia, apologize to Kaylee!" he commanded.

If I were to make a mistake, it was that I shouldn't have slept with him.

My face burned with pain, but I lost all desire to defend myself.

"It's fine if you don't want to apologize; then go back to Wallace Manor and be grounded! Reflect on whether your actions are worthy of the Wallace family's upbringing!"

His tone was cold and commanding.

He dragged me back to the manor, grounding me while he embraced a smug-looking Kaylee and walked away.

I was so exhausted that I almost fainted.

The bodyguard assigned to keep an eye on me wanted to take me to the hospital, but I slipped him some cash and begged him to take me to the airport.

I just wanted to escape Timothy as quickly as possible when his call came unexpectedly.

He shouted, "Ophelia! You've grown bold. You're pregnant with a bastard, and now you're trying to run away with someone?"