In the third year of her marriage to Anthony Lancaster, Simone Nolan is still the envy of every woman in Avenport.

"Mr. Lancaster treats Mrs. Lancaster so well! Last time, she just coughed once, and he immediately gave her a full physical."

"She married the nation's most authoritative doctor, after all. May I be this blissful in my next life!"

Simone smiles, long used to the nurses' chatter. She's about to push the door open when she hears an argument inside. She falters.

"Mr. Lancaster, are we still going to terminate Mrs. Lancaster's pregnancy later? This is already the third time!"

"I've already told you that whenever Simone gets pregnant, an abortion has to be performed, no matter how many times."

Anthony's cool voice pierces Simone's ears. Her face instantly becomes ashen.

"But why? She has always wanted to have your children."

Anthony's tone is icily sharp. "It's because of that surgery three years ago. I removed one of Simone's kidneys and gave it to Winona."

It was the third year of Simone Nolan's marriage to Anthony Lancaster. Even after three years, she was still the envy of every woman in Avenport.

"Mr. Lancaster is so good to Mrs. Lancaster! He immediately ran a full-body checkup on her when she just coughed once."

"She did marry the country's best doctor, after all. I wish I'll be as lucky as she is in my next life!"

Simone smiled. She'd grown used to hearing the nurses say these things. She was about to go see Anthony for her routine prenatal exam when a heated argument from the room made her falter.

"Mr. Lancaster, are you sure you want to terminate Mrs. Lancaster's pregnancy later? This will be the third time!"

"I've told you this—no matter how many times it happens, Simone's pregnancies must be terminated."

Anthony's indifferent voice seemed to pierce Simone's eardrums. The color drained from her face; she could hardly believe what she'd heard.

"Why? She's always wanted to have your children." His assistant, Calvin Moss, sounded agitated.

Anthony fell silent for a while. When he spoke again, his voice was icy. "It's because I removed one of her kidneys and gave it to Winona in that surgery three years ago. She can't ever have children in this lifetime, or she and the baby will die together."

Simone's mind went blank at his words. All that remained in her ears was a piercing ring. She staggered backward and accidentally bumped into a vase by the door. It made a clear sound.

Anthony's sharp gaze cut toward the doorway. "Who's out there?"

Calvin stepped out to check, but he saw no one. "There's nobody outside, sir. Probably a stray cat."

…

Simone had no idea how she had left Lancaster Hospital. She stumbled along the street, and her world spun as she heaved with dry retches.

"Anthony Lancaster, so you really do love Winona Stone…" She slid to her knees and thought of the first time she'd met Anthony.

Four years ago, Simone's parents died in a car accident. She'd gone from being one of Avenport's pampered heiresses to an unwanted orphan. She and her sister, Thalia Nolan, had no choice but to rely on each other.

She started drinking day and night, landing herself in the hospital every few days. By the third time, the frosty attending physician took off his mask and frowned at her. He said, "There are plenty of ways to blow off steam when you're unhappy, Simone. There's no need to torture your body like this."

That was the first time she saw Anthony's face. He was so handsome that he'd stolen her breath.

He took her bungee jumping, skiing, drag racing, and rock climbing. They did every extreme sport she'd never dared to imagine.

At last, with every scream and release, she felt her withered heart come alive again.

At the same time, Simone fell madly and irrevocably in love with Anthony. She began to pursue him boldly and fervently.

She'd always had men eating out of her hand and was known as the woman of every Avenport man's dreams, yet that didn't seem to apply to Anthony.

When she leaned against a supercar in a red dress and tossed her hair with sultry flair, he walked right past without so much as a glance.

When she faked a stomachache and blocked him at his door, he simply called a driver to take her to the hospital.

When she brought painstakingly prepared home-cooked meals to the hospital, he only gave her burned hand a cool glance. "There's an ointment for burns in the drawer. I'm busy, so don't come again."

The repeated rejections had thoroughly deflated Simone's confidence… until she ran into Anthony at a banquet once. He'd been under the influence of a powerful aphrodisiac.

He was usually aloof and cold, but his face had been flushed with desire then. He'd kissed her without rhyme or reason.

That night, Simone shed all her armor and willingly became Anthony's antidote. After that, she started believing that Anthony loved her.

But the following day, when Winona rushed into their room in a panic and saw the disarray, she immediately ran off again. Her eyes were red. She ended up being abducted by a gang, violated, and left with a kidney disease.

After the incident, Anthony spent an entire day and night smoking. He drank countless bottles of liquor, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Simone was frantic. She couldn't read the emotions in his eyes, nor could she understand why Winona had reacted so fiercely.

In the end, Anthony hadn't said anything. He'd simply taken Simone to city hall to register their marriage.

At the wedding, she donned a wedding gown and made her way down the aisle to the man she loved. However, she was knocked down by a loosely hanging chandelier and rushed to the hospital.

Before surgery, Anthony had solemnly made a promise to her. "Trust me, Simone. You'll be fine."

He performed the operation himself, and it was a huge success. From then on, he treated her better and better. His care was meticulous and hands-on.

But Simone's health had declined sharply. She'd gotten colds, coughs, and hives one after another.

The once proud and vibrant heiress ended up bedridden year-round, even miscarrying one baby after another.

"I'm sorry, Anthony. I'm so sorry." She repented over and over in Anthony's arms, and he comforted her again and again. His own eyes were red-rimmed.

Simone had always thought her frailty was a lingering effect of the accident at the wedding. She would never have imagined that it was because Anthony had personally removed one of her kidneys and transplanted it to Winona.

How much of the redness in his eyes was due to guilt, and how much of it was out of love?

Simone no longer wanted to know. All she knew was that if she wasn't the person Anthony cared about most, then she would rather die than stay with him!

She contacted a lawyer and had a divorce agreement drafted. Her gaze landed on the final line, which read, "The marriage is dissolved due to irreconcilable differences."

Then, she signed her name, each stroke pressing deep into the page.

She said softly, "Anthony Lancaster, this agreement is our final goodbye."

Simone went home to get Anthony to sign the divorce papers, only to find an ambulance parked outside.

A visibly anxious maid cried, "Bad news, Mrs. Lancaster! Ms. Stone's kidney disease has suddenly worsened."

Winona's face was bloodless, and she'd passed out on the stretcher.

A second later, Anthony called. Simone hesitated for a beat before picking up. Over the phone, she heard him shouting commands in the distance. "Everyone, prep for a possible kidney transplant just in case we need it!"

Then, he spoke directly into the phone. "Simone, there's a patient with the same rare blood type as you. She's in critical condition, so get to the hospital now!"

The patient he meant was Winona.

Simone felt like her heart had been wrung so tight that it had shattered. She was about to refuse when she heard a shout on the other end of the line. "Mr. Lancaster, we've found a new donor! It's a child who also has the same rare blood type!"

Anthony fell silent. Then, as he strode out, he asked, "Is it a boy or a girl? How old?"

"It's a nine-year-old girl named Thalia Nolan."

Anthony stabbed at his phone, cutting the line abruptly.

Simone felt like a bomb had detonated in her head. Thalia was her sister—her only family left in this world!

She screamed into the dead line, "Anthony, stop! My sister can't donate—she has a blood coagulation disorder! Anthony Lancaster, stop!"

But all that remained was the busy tone.

Then, her phone rang again. This time, it was from the hospital. "Ms. Nolan, your sister was taken away by force! Her coagulation issue is so close to being fixed. What on earth is going on?"

The doctor's urgent voice pierced Simone's ears until all that was left was roaring. Her hands shook as she called Anthony again and again. He declined each call.

His text arrived a second later. "Quiet. I'm in surgery."

Then, he blocked her.

Those few words pushed Simone to the brink. She raced to the Lancaster family's private hospital in a frenzy, but she was still too late. By the time she arrived, the transplant was over.

Thalia lay quietly on the operating table. Her blood was dripping and pooling into a slick red puddle beneath her.

Simone staggered out to look for a doctor, only to be told that every doctor had already transferred with Winona. The nearest ambulance wouldn't arrive for 20 minutes.

"Simone…" Thalia whispered. Her face was as white as snow.

"Thalia! I'm here. I'm right here." Simone felt despair claw into her as she looked at the nonstop bleeding.

Thalia flashed a strained smile. "Simone, are we going home… after I get my shots today?"

Simone held her tightly, swallowing her sobs. "Yes, we are. Hang on for a bit longer, okay? Just hang on, and we can go home."

Thalia's smile became a bit more relaxed, but her eyelids drooped.

Simone almost gagged on her grief. "Hold on, Thalia! Don't sleep! Please!"

The warmth in her arms kept ebbing away, shredding her heart inch by inch.

By the time the ambulance finally arrived, Thalia's body was already cold.

"Ms. Nolan, I'm sorry for your loss." A doctor sighed.

Simone sat numbly in the pool of blood as a tidal wave of grief crashed over her, crushing her throat. Her only family in this world was gone.

She gathered Thalia's body and stumbled toward the exit like a walking corpse. As she turned the corner, she saw Anthony's car. She heard a heated argument inside.

"Mr. Lancaster, you knew we couldn't operate without fully evaluating Thalia Nolan! She's Mrs. Lancaster's sister!"

"I know!" Anthony's voice was clipped and anxious. "But Winona couldn't wait. She would've died if we'd dragged things out any longer! You know it wasn't easy to find another match for her blood type. Simone turned out fine, and Thalia will be, too!"

Calvin sighed and asked, "Did you approach Mrs. Lancaster back then partly because of her blood type?"

Silence enveloped the car.

Simone pursed her lips, waiting for Anthony's answer.

"Maybe," he said coolly. It tore Simone's heart to pieces.

She smiled bleakly, feeling like a piece of her soul had been carved out. The salvation she'd once believed in had only ever been a transaction with a price tag.

A strange discomfort pricked at Anthony after he spoke. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Simone has always said that the wedding we never finished was her biggest regret. I'll give her a grand one in three days to make up for it; I'll treat her well from now on.

"As for Thalia's kidney… Don't tell Simone yet. That way, she can focus on the wedding. The new supplements from overseas that just arrived are best for strengthening the body. Send them to her. I'll come up with new prescriptions."

"Yes, sir."

The car sped off. Its exhaust made Simone's eyes sting and turn bloodshot. She retched again.

Calvin called her. She picked up.

"Mrs. Lancaster, Mr. Lancaster said there are some supplements that you need to sign for. Is it convenient for you to head home now? He also said he'll take you to try on wedding dresses and diamond rings tomorrow. He's already booked your favorite designer."

Simone parted her lips as her tears fell without her permission.

She wanted to tell Calvin that she didn't need any of these things anymore. She wanted to tell Anthony that her precious Thalia was dead, as was the Simone who'd loved him.

He'd killed them himself.

Simone didn't go home. Instead, she rushed to Elvane overnight with Thalia's body to get an official assessment of the cause of death.

Anthony was untouchable in Avenport. She couldn't do anything to him there, but she would still fight to get justice for Thalia.

"Ms. Nolan, doing business with our boss comes with a price."

"Name your price. I'll pay up." Simone was still stunningly beautiful, but a pair of sunglasses hid her swollen eyes.

"We don't want money. Our boss wants you, Ms. Nolan." The person across from her slid a marriage contract across the table.

Simone's back went rigid, and her nails dug into her palms. She'd heard that Elvane's most elite scion was a vicious, cruel, and impotent man who was terminally ill. He was hunting for a bride to turn things around.

After a long moment, she said faintly, "Alright. I'll do it."

She'd lost everything, and she now only had one wish—to lay Thalia to rest in peace. Marrying this elite scion wouldn't make her lose anything, would it? She wasn't scared of that.

"We'll need three days to prepare. The boss will personally go to Avenport to deal with this, then bring you back to Elvane."

Simone nodded. Her throat was raw as she said, "I understand. I'll get Anthony to sign the divorce papers as soon as possible."

Three days. Anthony had set their wedding for three days from now, too.

Simone quickly signed the marriage contract. Her hair fell forward, shadowing the flash of sorrow at the corner of her mouth.

…

Anthony didn't come home that night. When he finally returned the next day, he held Winona in his arms. She'd just had surgery, and she was leaning heavily against his shoulder. Her face was pale. Her eyes were full of longing as she looked at him.

She didn't look like his sister-in-law at all. She looked much more like his bride.

Simone stood barefoot on the cold floor as she cradled her cat, Button. She listened to Anthony meticulously give the butler, Greg Smith, various instructions.

"Redo the house to match Winona's tastes. I'm going to care for her myself."

"Yes, sir."

"Winona likes white rugs, so replace this warm-toned one. She's allergic to roses; make sure there's not a single petal in this house! She's just had surgery, so she needs to stay in the warmest room with the best sunlight."

Silence descended upon the villa as soon as the words were out of Anthony's mouth.

Everyone turned to look at Simone. They all knew that she loved roses, that sunlit room, and playing with Button on that warm-toned carpet.

She lowered her gaze as she stroked Button's ear. She didn't even look up.

Anthony seemed to realize something and frowned at her. "Simone, Winona's just had surgery. You should be considerate of her."

Simone finally looked up, and her lips curved up mockingly. "If I object, would it stop you? How many of my things have you taken to give to her by now?"

Her tone was cool, but the hand hidden in her sleeve wouldn't stop shaking. Anthony had already taken her and Thalia's kidneys to give to Winona, hadn't he? Had her refusal ever mattered?

Winona's face became even paler. She bit her lip and tugged Anthony's sleeve. "Anthony, since Simone doesn't want me here, I should leave."

"Simone Nolan!" Anthony's expression went cold at once. He shot her a warning look. "Don't push it."

His words made Simone's shoulders tremble. So, a person really could be so partial to someone else. He'd given Simone's health, her right to have kids, and his love to Winona.

Even so, it wasn't enough for him.

"Fine. Give her everything." Simone turned and walked away before her tears fell.

If this love wasn't meant to be hers, then she didn't want it anymore.

…

Simone stayed in the pet room with Button. It was the only place where she could stay in that sprawling villa.

She vaguely heard Winona's voice. "Anthony, is Simone upset? Maybe you should go comfort her."

Anthony said coolly, "Leave her be. She's spoiled, so a little hardship will help wear her temper down."

Simone clutched a small box in her hands and bit her lip hard. Inside was Thalia's ashes.

"Don't cry, Simone. I'll protect you when I grow up!"

Simone remembered Thalia waving a magic wand around while clad in a hospital gown.

"Alright, I'll wait. The doctor said you'll be all cured soon. When that day comes, I'll take you to a theme park, okay?"

"Okay!"

Thalia's laughter still echoed in Simone's ears, yet in the blink of an eye, she lay in that tiny box, saying nothing at all.

Simone hugged her knees and curled up in a corner. She sobbed so hard that she couldn't breathe.

Outside the room, Anthony kept getting things for Winona to celebrate her discharge from the hospital. Their laughter rang out in waves, so lively that they seemed to be in a different world.

…

When night fell, Anthony finally returned to the master bedroom.

Simone sat by the bed. There was a pot of cold tea at her elbow. It gave off a slightly bitter scent that filled the room.

He looked at her, abruptly struck by how much weight she'd lost. Her already slender wrists looked so thin now that they were mere skin and bones. It was almost as if she would vanish at any second.

"Simone, why aren't you asleep yet?" He softened his tone and pulled her into his arms. "Don't be upset about what happened today. My brother, Andrew, died young, leaving Winona on her own. She's so frail, too.

"I'm thinking about throwing her a birthday party tomorrow. Why don't you help me plan it? You know what young women like yourself like best."

Anthony looked at Simone. His voice was brimming with excitement and joy.

Simone felt like something was lodged in her throat. She asked softly, "Do you remember what day tomorrow is?"

He frowned. "No. What?"

The color drained from her face, but she forced a smile. "It's nothing."

Tomorrow was her parents' death anniversary.

Ever since they got married, Anthony had accompanied her on visits to the cemetery each year to pay her respects. To spare her feelings, he never did anything celebratory on that day. He would just quietly stay by her side.

But now, he'd forgotten. The man who'd once loved and protected her now only had eyes for Winona.

Simone drew a long breath, suppressed her raging emotions, and took out the divorce agreement. She covered the top half, leaving only the signature line visible as she slid it to Anthony.

He frowned. "What's this?"

Before she could answer, there came a commotion outside the door. "Mr. Lancaster, something's wrong! Ms. Stone has collapsed from poisoning!"

Anthony's face instantly turned ashen. He strode out of the bedroom, crying, "Winona, what happened?"

Simone was stunned. As she rose to follow, Anthony suddenly turned back, making her jump. He shoved the door open and snapped, "What did you put in that cake you made, Simone? Winona passed out after eating it!"

He spotted the box by Simone's pillow and sneered. "How dare you poison the cake!"

She was dumbstruck. "I didn't! You don't believe me?"

His eyes were bloodshot as he jabbed a finger at Winona's bluish face and the white foam at her lips. He roared, "How am I supposed to believe you? Wasn't hurting her once enough for you?"

He didn't wait for Simone to explain. He snatched the box from the bed and hurled it out the window. "Filth."

"No!" Simone screamed and lunged for it, but all she saw was the box opening in midair. The ashes burst forth and scattered like snowflakes. They got swept away by a gust of wind until nothing remained.

She could almost hear the cracking of her heart as it smashed into thousands of pieces. Nothing could put it back together again.