Three years ago, I rescued the CEO of the Patton Group.

That very night, he appeared at my door with his grandson and proposed marriage.

I'd secretly loved the young man for seven long years, so I accepted it without hesitation.

For three blissful years, Damian Patton showered me with affection so profound it sparked envy in everyone around us.

But the illusion shattered when the Patton family's adopted daughter returned from abroad.

I stumbled upon him cradling her tenderly and whispering words of devotion.

"Grandpa won't hand over the company until Serena gives birth to an heir. But I don't care about inheritance anymore. I want to marry you now."

Harriet Patton's lips curved into a sultry smile. "No rush, darling. I want you to marry me as the rightful heir to the Patton empire. Just promise me you won't fall for her."

His eyes softened. "Seven years ago, you pulled me out of that fire. I swore then to love you forever."

Those words crashed over me like an avalanche, burying my heart under a crushing weight of betrayal.

His love for me had been all a lie.

I was the one who had braved those flames to save him. It was not her.

...

I staggered out of the house, my mind clouded with shock and grief.

After an internal struggle, I called my best friend and terminated my pregnancy in the hospital.

Valerie Clark fumed, gritting her teeth. "That blind, heartless fool! Seven years ago, you threw yourself into that inferno to save his sorry life, burning your arm so badly you gave up your dream of being a pianist. You sacrificed your future, and for what? So, he could fawn over Harriet, treating her like his savior?"

Her voice grew sharper, slicing through my haze. "And he tricked you into getting pregnant, making you believe it was love, when all he wanted was a child to claim his inheritance and marry her. Ugh, it infuriates me! He'd better never learn the truth, or regret will consume him!"

She paused, her tone softening with pity. "I've taken care of your discharge and booked your flight out of this nightmare. The Pattons are powerful, and Damian is no slouch. Are you sure you don't want me by your side for the divorce?"

I forced a pale, bitter smile. "It's fine. You've been my anchor through this storm. I need to handle the divorce alone. The child is gone, and nothing can hold me back now. I can do this."

She pulled me into a tight hug. "Call me anytime. I'll always be your rock."

After she left the room, I pressed a shaking hand to my now-flat abdomen.

Gathering my belongings, I headed out but ran into Damian Patton in the lobby.

In the black coat I had bought him, he looked as sharp as ever.

His hand rested lightly on Harriet Patton's shoulder as he looked at her with such tenderness.

My heart sank. I slowed my pace, struggling to breathe.

Harriet spotted me, her eyes flickering. "Serena? Didn't expect to see you here."

Damian's brow creased. "What are you doing at the hospital?"

"A friend is sick. I paid her a visit," I replied quietly.

"Oh, I thought you were unwell," Harriet crooned, "I had an allergic reaction to mangoes. It's not a big deal, but Damian insisted on bringing me here."

She reached out to pinch his cheek, but he caught her hand. "Stop fooling around."

"Boring." Harriet pouted, stretching her neck like a spoiled child.

That was when I noticed her necklace.

Catching my stare, she smirked. "Admiring my necklace? Damian designed it. Seven years ago, he promised me a gift after I saved him from the fire. Beautiful? I like it so much."

Beautiful was an understatement. Each diamond was meticulously crafted, a testament to true care.

Last year, I'd seen it and assumed it was for me.

Filled with joy, I'd reached for the necklace, but Damian, usually so composed, had snapped, scolding me before tucking it away.

Now, I understood who it truly belonged to.

I couldn't help but imagine Damian's reaction when he found out the truth. I was the one who saved his life. His love and necklace had been given to the wrong person.

His deep voice brought me back to reality. "Serena, you look pale. Is the baby troubling you? Or are you unwell? Let me take you to a doctor."

His concerned gaze left me momentarily dazed.

When he first learned of my pregnancy, his joy had been palpable.

He'd teared up, hugging me tightly. "I'm going to be a dad!"

I'd shared his delight, thinking it was parental bliss. Now, I knew that the child was just his ticket to inheritance.

For a moment, I couldn't tell if his concern was genuine or if he was just worried about the baby, who would affect his inheritance rights and his plan to marry Harriet.

The latter seemed more likely. Too bad, I couldn't give him what he wanted.

My child could grow up without a father, but not exist as a pawn.

Pain clawed at my chest, like thorns twisting deeper with every breath. "I'm fine. Probably just a cold."

Damian stepped closer. "Harriet's check-up is finished. You don't look well. Let's see a doctor here, or I'll have the family doctor come to the house."

Before I could respond, Harriet wobbled dramatically, collapsing into his arms with a theatrical gasp. "Ah, my leg just cramped up. It's probably that old injury acting up again. I don't want to delay you from taking Serena home, but could you help me get another appointment? I'll go alone."

She batted her lashes, feigning vulnerability.

I interjected, "That fire seven years ago was brutal, wasn't it? Saving him must've been strenuous. Any scars?"

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a faint mark on her arm. "Yeah, it left this. Not exactly pretty, but Damian means everything to me. I'd run through fire for him again in a heartbeat."

I was stunned by her audacity. She'd go so far as to flaunt a fake scar to uphold her lie.

"That blaze killed many people," I pressed. "You were just a middle-school kid, small and frail. How did you manage to drag him out of those flames?"

Her eyes darted away, a brief crack in her façade, before tears welled up again.

She turned to Damian, whining, "What is Serena implying? Is she doubting me? Is she jealous because you're kind to me? Always trying to stir trouble between us."

Damian's gaze turned icy. "That's enough, Serena. She risked her life to save mine. I won't let you make things difficult for her."

Harriet's sobs grew louder, theatrical and grating. "It hurts so much. Please, take me to the doctor."

"Of course." He scooped her up, turning to me. "You seem fine, stirring up trouble as usual. Go home and rest."

His words cut like a blade. The truth about that fire lodged in my throat once more.

He cherished her blindly, and the facts were irrelevant now.

"We need to end this," I muttered. "The child is gone already. You love someone else, so let's get a divorce and move on."

Damian barely registered my words, hurrying Harriet toward the emergency wing.

"We'll talk later," he said over his shoulder. "My secretary will drive you home."

A wave of despair crashed over me. I let out a bitter laugh, my hand drifting to my abdomen, where my child had once been.

"Your dad's heart belongs to another," I murmured to the void. "Good thing you never knew. I'll bear this pain alone."

He didn't acknowledge the loss of our child or my request for divorce. Harriet had consumed his every thought.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the hospital.

The secretary's car waited curbside. He opened the door with a polite nod. "Madam, Mr. Patton sent me to take you home. Please, get in."

I slid into the backseat, my eyes catching on a delicate box of pastries.

"You've craved these since the pregnancy started, so Mr. Patton made a special trip this afternoon to buy them for you," he said enthusiastically. "Miss Patton's sudden illness delayed him."

I looked away and closed my eyes, not responding.

Weeks ago, such gestures would've melted me. Now it was just a cruel reminder of Damian's deceit.

Sensing my bad mood, the secretary added, "Mr. Patton cares deeply for you, Madam. Last night, when you didn't come home, he sent teams searching the city for you."

"Alright," I interrupted, my voice flat. "Just give me a moment of peace."

The secretary shut his mouth, squirming in the driver's seat.

At the villa, I printed the divorce agreement, packed for tomorrow's flight, and sat in the living room, waiting for Damian to return.

But as dawn broke, he still hadn't come back.

The front door creaked open, but it wasn't him.

...

Harriet sauntered in, a smug smirk twisting her lips. "Up all night waiting? Too bad, he spent it with me. I faked a little flare-up, and he was glued to me. Proves I'm the one he truly values."

I arched an eyebrow. "And your point?"

Gone was the fragile act she played for Damian. Her eyes glinted with malice as she stepped closer. "You're nothing to him. Get the hint and leave! I know you saved him, ruining your hand and piano dreams. Your parents killed themselves over the debts from your treatments. So what? Damian believes me."

My vision swam with anger, my right hand trembling uncontrollably. It turned out she knew everything.

My music teacher once called me a prodigy, destined for Carnegie Hall. Saving Damian burned my hand, damaging the tendons irreversibly.

I couldn't play the piano without shaking. My parents sold everything for my treatments, to no avail.

I had to abandon my dream.

With mounting debts weighing on him, my dad succumbed to illness. Unable to handle the grief, my mom took her life to join him.

In the dead of night, when my hand throbbed, those memories haunted me.

That was my deepest scar. I hadn't shared it with anyone, yet Harriet knew the whole truth.

"You know I saved him," I said, my face pale, "and you're still trying to steal him?"

Her smirk was venomous. "So what? He's mine now, and you've got no proof. Honestly, your parents were idiots, believing your hand could heal. Wasted everything on you. They deserved it."