After lying in the hospital for just half a day, Gavin came.

He was dressed in a casual, British-style equestrian outfit, looking handsome and upright, completely out of place in the pale, sterile hospital room.

"Ivy, get ready. Come with us to the private hunting grounds on the North Shore of Long Island."

I leaned against the headboard, my body still weak, and shook my head feebly. "I don't want to go... I want to rest..."

"Stop throwing a tantrum."

Gavin interrupted me, his brow furrowed as if he were looking at an unreasonable child who only knew how to act out.

"Elena specifically suggested going horse riding to relax and ease the tension. She said she doesn't mind your previous 'misunderstanding' and wants to use this opportunity to reconcile with you."

"Ivy, you've changed."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a complicated mix of regret and accusation.

"You were never like this before."

"This is your best chance to apologize to Elena and repair your relationship. As the future mistress of the Johnson family, you must learn to be magnanimous and sociable. Don't disappoint me again."

Apologize?

Apologize to the murderer who flushed my grandmother's ashes down the toilet?

I looked at Gavin's hypocritically righteous face and found it utterly absurd.

But I had no strength to resist, nor did I want to argue anymore.

Because I knew that in this man's heart, right and wrong had long been twisted by his bias.

Like a soulless doll, I was forcibly taken from the hospital and stuffed into the car.

In the hunting grounds, the deep autumn red leaves covered the mountains, creating a picturesque scene.

Elena, dressed in a red riding outfit, sat atop a snow-white warmblood horse, looking valiant and heroic. Where was the frail appearance of someone who had "just returned from death's door"?

Kalen rode a black horse, guarding her left side, the two of them chatting and laughing.

Seeing me being led over by Gavin, Elena immediately flashed a sweet smile.

"Ivy, are you feeling better? I specifically asked the stable to save the gentlest mare for you, so don't be afraid."

I watched her performance coldly, saying nothing.

Gavin helped me onto the horse, whispering a warning in my ear, "Behave yourself later. Don't wear that funeral face; it's bad luck."

The group headed deeper into the forest.

Gavin and Kalen flanked Elena, the three of them chatting happily, reminiscing about childhood events.

I followed behind, like a superfluous ghost.

As we reached a steep slope, Elena suddenly reined in her horse and looked back at me, a strange glint flashing in her eyes.

"Ivy, your horse seems a bit agitated. Don't get too close to me..."

Before she finished speaking.

Using her body as cover, she secretly flicked a coin with her fingers, hitting her own horse right in the eye.

"Neigh—!"

The originally quiet white horse, in pain, reared up in fright and neighed frantically.

"Ah—! Help!"

Elena screamed, letting go of the reins and tumbling off the horse's back, landing heavily on the grass.

"Elena!"

Gavin and Kalen jumped off their horses almost simultaneously and rushed over like madmen.

"My leg... it hurts so much..." Elena clutched her ankle, pointing at me with teary eyes. "Ivy... I know you hate me... but how could you throw a stone at my horse..."

If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext.

I was at least five meters away from her, my hands tightly gripping the reins the entire time. I hadn't moved a muscle.

"I didn't," I said calmly, my voice flat.

"You still dare to deny it!"

Kalen roared, rushing over to drag me off the horse and shoving me hard onto the ground.

"I saw you raise your hand with my own eyes! You're just jealous of Elena and want to kill her!"

Gavin checked Elena's ankle and only sighed in relief after confirming it was just a sprain.

Then, he stood up and walked toward me step by step.

In those deep eyes, there was no longer helplessness, only cold judgment and disgust.

"Ivy, I gave you countless chances along the way."

"I thought you would reflect and apologize. I didn't expect your heart to be this vicious."

He looked around the desolate, dense forest and made a decision.

"Since you like such barbaric behavior, then stay here and experience the cruelty of nature properly."

"Tonight, you stay in this deep mountain camp. No tent, no sleeping bag. Reflect on your actions."

Kalen immediately understood, grinning maliciously as he threw all the spare camping gear from the car back into the trunk, leaving me only a bottle of water.

"Gavin! This is deep in the mountains! There will be wolves at night! And I'm afraid of the dark!"

Although my heart was dead, physiological fear still made me tremble.

"It's dangerous here..." My voice trembled as I made one last desperate attempt.

"Gavin, after all, Ivy is a girl. Leaving her alone out here in the middle of nowhere... isn't that too cruel? What if something happens to her?"

Elena leaned against Kalen's chest, looking up weakly, her eyes brimming with kindness and compassion.

"How about... I stay with her? Maybe I can talk to her, help her work through her issues."

Hearing this, Gavin's gaze toward Elena softened even more, filled with tenderness and pity.

But when he turned to look at me, that tenderness instantly morphed into utter disappointment.

"Look at Elena. Even after you hurt her like this, she's still looking out for you."

"And you? You're still making excuses for yourself."

He scoffed, his heart hardening completely.

"No. She needs to be alone to truly reflect on what she's done."

"She brought this on herself."

Gavin's voice was as cold and hard as iron, leaving no room for negotiation.

But as he turned to get in the car, his gaze swept over my pale, deathly still face, devoid of even a single word of defense.

In that instant, his steps paused.

A sudden, unexplained sting pricked his heart.

The old me would cry, make a scene, and argue vehemently that I was wrongly accused when aggrieved.

But the current me just stood quietly in the wind, like a husk drained of its soul, looking at him with hollow eyes as if looking at a stranger.

This dead silence panicked him more than any hysteria ever could.

"Gavin, hurry up and drive, my foot hurts..." Elena moaned at the right moment, interrupting his thoughts.

The hesitation in Gavin's eyes vanished instantly.

"Let's go."

The engine roared.

The off-road vehicle kicked up dust and mercilessly disappeared at the end of the forest path.

I was abandoned.

In the primeval forest as night fell.

I didn't cry, nor did I shout.

I just hugged my knees, leaned against a dead tree, and watched the sky turn completely black bit by bit.

That night, the cold wind bit to the bone, and the howls of unknown beasts came from the distance.

But I felt no fear.

Because my heart had already died with Grandma the moment I saw that video of her ashes being flushed away.

Until the next morning.

It wasn't Gavin who came to pick me up, but a ranger from the hunting grounds.

"The young master said if you've reflected enough, you can leave on your own. The convoy has already returned to the city."

"The Master Kalen said that if you've finished reflecting, you can leave on your own. The convoy has already returned to the city."

The ranger didn't even offer me a ride; he just drove away after delivering the order.

Dragging my frozen legs, I moved down the mountain step by step.

I walked for four whole hours, blisters forming on my feet, my shoes soaked with mud, before I finally returned to the city.

I stood on the bustling street, looking at this prosperous, indifferent world.

I didn't go back to the estate, nor did I go to the hospital.

There were no longer any family or loved ones for me there.

I walked into a roadside internet cafe and opened that familiar email inbox.

Lying quietly inside was a final confirmation letter from the International Red Cross:

[Dr. Ivy, your transfer order has been approved. The medical charter plane to Damascus will take off in three days. Please confirm if you will report on time.]

Three days later.

It happened to be the day of my wedding with Gavin.

I looked at that date, and my originally numb heart finally beat once.

I tapped the keyboard and replied with one word:

[Confirmed.]

It was the final day before the wedding.

I had to return to the Johnson estate to retrieve my passport and ID.

As I reached the top of the spiral staircase, Elena blocked my path like a phantom.

At that moment, Gavin and Kalen were downstairs in the study discussing the wedding flow, leaving the hallway deserted.

Elena dropped her facade of fragility. She crossed her arms, looking down at me with a smirk full of malice.

"Ivy, how do you even have the face to come back?"

I clenched my fists and stared at her coldly. "None of your business. Move."

"Tsk, still so tough?"

Elena leaned in a step closer, lowering her voice to a whisper filled with provocation.

"I'll let you in on a secret. That day in the forest? Gavin knew I was faking my injury the whole time. But he still chose to take me away and leave you there like a dog."

"Oh, and about those ashes... I didn't actually flush them down the toilet. I mixed them into the dog food for the estate's mastiff. I watched that dog lick the bowl clean."

*Boom—*

The last string of my sanity snapped.

"You vicious bitch!"

My eyes turned red, and I lunged at her, losing all control.

However, Elena was prepared.

She side-stepped and shoved me hard.

"Go to hell!"

My body was already weak. My foot slipped, and I lost my balance instantly.

"Ah—!"

With a short scream, I tumbled down the high spiral staircase.

The world spun.

The steps acted like blunt weapons, battering my spine and limbs over and over.

Finally, I landed heavily on the marble floor of the first floor.

A tearing pain ripped through my abdomen, as if something was being forcibly stripped from my body.

A stream of warm liquid flowed down my legs, staining the expensive carpet red.

Blood.

So much blood.

"What happened?!"

The study door burst open, and Gavin and Kalen rushed out.

Seeing me lying in a pool of blood, Gavin's pupils constricted violently.

"Ivy!"

He rushed over, intending to pick me up.

"Ah! Gavin... I'm so scared..."

At the top of the stairs, Elena covered her mouth, her body trembling as she let out a terrified cry.

"It was Ivy... she suddenly went crazy and tried to push me... but she lost her footing and fell... so much blood... I'm so scared..."

Gavin paused mid-motion.

He looked up at the "traumatized" Elena, a flash of heartache in his eyes.

Kalen frowned, his tone actually carrying blame:

"Sister-in-law, can't you just behave? The wedding is tomorrow, and you have to cause a bloodbath? Are you trying to curse us?"

I couldn't speak from the pain. I could only grip his collar tightly, tears mixing with cold sweat streaming down my face.

" The baby... save the baby..."

Gavin froze, his gaze finally landing on my blood-soaked dress.

Realization dawned on him. His face changed color, and he scooped me up, rushing toward the door.

Kalen stayed behind to comfort Elena. "Don't be afraid, I'm here. That crazy woman brought this on herself; it has nothing to do with you."

---

When I woke up from the anesthesia and was wheeled back to the ward, my belly felt empty, and there was a gaping hole in my heart.

The doctor held the medical chart, shaking his head regretfully. "You arrived too late. Plus, your body had suffered from extreme cold and emotional stress recently. We couldn't save the baby. It was a formed boy."

I lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, dry-eyed.

The door opened.

Gavin walked in.

"Awake?"

He placed a food container on the bedside table, a look of pity on his face.

"I've settled the medical bills. This is a nutritious meal from the hospital cafeteria. Eat it while it's hot; you need to recover."

"The doctor said you miscarried. Since the child is gone, just focus on getting your health back."

"We... are still young. We can have children later."

"Where is Elena?" I asked, my voice raspy.

Gavin adjusted his cuffs, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"She was terrified. She's on an IV in the ward next door. Kalen is with her."

"She kept crying earlier, saying it was her fault and that she shouldn't have argued with you. Look, Ivy, how kind she is."

"You can't fully blame her for this. It... it was just an accident."

I looked at the man in front of me.

He was still so handsome, so gentlemanly.

He even thoughtfully opened the food container for me and placed the spoon by my hand.

"Eat. The wedding will proceed as planned tomorrow. I'll make it up to you after we're married."

I didn't take the spoon.

I turned my head and looked through the half-open door to the hallway opposite.

Elena was sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed out by Kalen for some fresh air.

Seeing I wasn't eating, Gavin assumed I was throwing a tantrum again. He sighed, turned around, and walked out.

He walked toward Elena.

He crouched down, gently holding Elena's hand and wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

He looked so careful, so tender, as if Elena was the one who had just miscarried and lost a child.

"Don't cry, it's not your fault."

Gavin's voice was gentle enough to drip water. Even across the hallway, I could hear every word clearly.

"Ivy has a strong constitution; she'll be fine in a couple of days. But you, your health is fragile. Don't hurt yourself over such a small matter."

"Gavin... the baby..."

"It doesn't matter." Gavin stroked her head. "As long as *you* are okay."

*As long as you are okay.*

I watched that scene.

I watched the harmonious picture of the three of them. I watched Gavin completely disregard my child just to comfort that murderer.

Suddenly, I felt the last trace of pain vanish from my body.

What remained was an endless numbness.

The greatest grief is a silent, dead heart.

So this is what that feels like.

I slowly turned my head back, refusing to look at them for even another second.

I picked up the spoon and ate the lukewarm meal, mouthful by mouthful.

Mechanical chewing. Mechanical swallowing.

I needed strength.

I needed to survive.

Gavin didn't know.

Along with the departure of that child, the Ivy who loved him died completely in this cold afternoon.

The next morning.

There were only twenty-four hours left until that grand and absurd wedding.

Dragging my body, which was still throbbing with dull pain from the D&C surgery, I returned to the master suite in the Johnson estate for the last time.

The place was filled with the luxury and bustle of pre-wedding preparations.

On the lawn below, workers were setting up white floral arches. The bedroom was packed with couple's items, and stacks of high-end gift boxes tied with white ribbons sat on the table.

In the huge wedding photo on the wall, Gavin wore a tuxedo and looked at me with deep affection, while I smiled like a fool who thought she owned the world.

I walked to the fireplace and lit the wood inside.

The dancing flames illuminated my pale face.

I began to clear out everything related to him from the past seven years, like taking out the trash.

The first thing thrown into the fireplace was the thick kraft paper diary.

It recorded every detail of our love.

[2019, Gavin turned down a multi-million transnational contract to fly back from London overnight for my birthday, personally baking me an imperfect cake.]

The flames licked the paper.

He did make it, and the candlelight and embrace that night were real.

But I later learned that he rushed back because Elena casually mentioned she wanted red velvet cake from a century-old shop in London.

He bought the shop's recipe and gave it to Elena as a souvenir.

And I only deserved the failed product he made for practice, with burnt edges.

Back then, I was moved to tears, not knowing he gave the most expensive "thought" to Elena and left the "practice" scraps for me.

[2021, I was hospitalized, and Gavin stayed by my bed for three days and three nights without closing his eyes, growing stubble.]

This was also true.

But while he guarded me, his hand clutched his phone tightly, his earphones constantly connected to a voice call with Elena.

Just because Elena said she was afraid of the dark alone in Switzerland, he video-called her for three whole nights.

While holding my hand with the IV drip in one hand, he used the other to order a priceless pink diamond for Elena on his phone, just because she said the hospital white was too monotonous and she wanted something sparkly.

So, his love wasn't fake.

It was just too cheap, too crowded, and too clearly distinguished between "primary" and "secondary."

He gave his complete, expensive, unreserved love to Elena.

Then he packaged the remaining, insignificant scraps as "deep affection" and doled them out to me.

And while I was weeping with gratitude, he was probably marveling at his own "generosity" and "balance."

I watched the items carrying beautiful memories turn to ashes in the fire without shedding a tear.

A dead heart sheds no tears.

After disposing of all the letters, photos, and dolls, I took out the black velvet gift box I had prepared long ago.

It was the wedding gift I originally intended for Gavin—a pair of custom cufflinks.

Now, I replaced it with another "grand gift."

I took out the plain diamond ring stained with my blood from my pocket.

When I fell down the stairs yesterday, it cut my palm and witnessed the departure of the flesh and blood in my womb.

The blood had dried, dark red stains clinging to the cheap diamond, looking shocking.

I threw it into the box.

Then, I put in a legal document that had already been notarized—[Declaration of Severance of Relationship] and [Commitment to Waive All Property Gifted by the Johnson Family].

At the end of this document, I signed my name and pressed a red fingerprint.

After doing all this, I closed the lid and tied it with a black ribbon.

I called the estate butler.

"Please deliver this to the President's Office of the Johnson Group. It must be opened by Mr. Gavin Johnson personally. Just say it's... a pre-wedding surprise."

The butler took the box without asking questions, just bowing respectfully.

He didn't see the card hidden in the interlayer of the gift box.

It didn't have my name on it, just a line of neat but resolute English:

[To Gavin: From the person you never truly knew.]

Watching the butler walk away, I took one last look around this luxurious but cold prison.

Goodbye, Gavin.

Goodbye, my absurd, laughable, and self-sentimental seven years of youth.

3:00 PM.

I changed out of my designer clothes and into a simple windbreaker, carrying a marching pack, and appeared at the private tarmac of JFK International Airport.

A transport plane painted with the Red Cross logo was waiting for takeoff.

The huge engines roared, surrounded by rushing medical personnel and mountains of relief supplies.

"Dr. Ivy! Over here!"

The team leader waved at me, looking anxious, his voice somewhat broken in the wind.

"The war situation in Damascus has escalated; we need to take off immediately. Are you sure you want to go with us? That's a real battlefield; people die at any moment."

I walked up the ramp facing the whistling wind, without looking back at the prosperity behind me.

"I'm sure."

"Compared to there, New York is the hell that suffocates me."

As soon as I sat down, I took out my phone.

Dozens of missed calls flashed on the screen.

All from Gavin.

And countless iMessages popped up:

[Ivy, where are you? The wedding rehearsal is about to start; the priest is waiting.]

[Stop throwing a tantrum and come back. Elena is here too; she says she wants to see you in that dress. Don't disappoint her.]

[Kalen said he didn't find you in the bedroom, only a pile of ashes. What on earth is wrong with you?]

Looking at these words, I only found them incredibly ironic.

Even now, he still thought I would choose him, still thought I loved him.

He had no idea that I was no longer in his script.

I didn't reply.

I calmly took the SIM card out of the phone.

I snapped it with my fingers.

*Snap—*

The small card carrying all my past connections and concerns broke into two pieces.

I raised my hand and threw them into the trash bag.

Even if there were bullets and plagues ahead.

As long as there was no Gavin, no Johnson family.

For me, it was heaven.

"Let's take off."

I said to the captain.

The plane taxied, accelerated, and soared into the clouds.

Through the porthole, I watched the bustling, indifferent city below grow smaller and smaller until it was completely hidden by the clouds.

Gavin.

This time, I really don't want you anymore.