At the lowest point in Sue’s life, it was Irwin, her childhood friend, who rushed back from Ohio overnight to personally perform surgery on her mom.

Even after her mom passed, during the darkest year of her life, he never once left her side.

So, when he proposed, she said yes.

She never imagined the truth would be this disgusting.

Her ex-fiancé and her now-husband—their hearts had never belonged to her. It was always Ava’s!

There was never any redemption. She was never the one they loved!

“Sue… why are you crying? Does it hurt?”

Irwin clumsily kissed away her tears, his voice soft as he comforted her.

“Sue, you need to rest well. In a couple of days, we’ll be replacing your artificial heart. You have to take care of yourself, or I’ll be heartbroken.”

Sue wiped her tears, pulled away from his embrace, and said flatly, “Okay, I’m going to take a shower.”

In the bathroom, in front of the mirror, she traced the ugly scar on her chest.

It shouldn’t have been this deep.

But Irwin had kept telling her he couldn’t find a suitable donor heart, so Sue had no choice but to keep relying on artificial ones to survive.

Artificial hearts were only temporary. Every so often, they had to be replaced.

For five years, she had endured the agony of having her chest cut open again and again.

And only now did she learn—Irwin had several donor hearts.

He just refused to use one on her. He was saving them for Ava.

‘Ha. What a joke.’

While he was in the shower, she unlocked his phone.

Of course. The passcode was Ava’s birthday.

Even his chat background was a picture of the two of them.

Expressionless, Sue opened their chat.

The screen was filled with explicit, flirty messages and photos.

Her eyes stung.

Her heart felt like it was being torn apart.

[See you at our usual place tonight, babe!]

Attached was a picture of Ava sprawled on a bed, wearing black lace stockings.

Sue’s hands trembled as she scrolled.

When she heard movement outside, she calmly put the phone back in place.

Irwin glanced at his phone out of habit, and a flicker of lust appeared in his eyes.

“Sue, an emergency surgery just came up. I need to go to the hospital. You’ll have to sleep alone again tonight.”

For once, Sue didn’t just nod and let him go.

She looked at him, long and hard.

“Can’t you stay?” Her big, beautiful eyes shimmered with sadness. “You haven’t spent time with me in so long.”

Irwin’s heart clenched. He was about to come up with an excuse when he saw the light in her eyes dim.

“Forget it,” she murmured. “Saving lives is more important. Go ahead.”

Guilt flashed across his face. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her gently.

“Sue, you’re really such an understanding wife. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back, okay?”

Sue said nothing.

As soon as her husband left, she hailed a cab and followed him.

The hotel’s walls weren’t soundproofed.

Irwin and Ava were at it all night, and Sue stood outside, listening.

Like a pathetic coward spying on someone else’s happiness.

Pathetic.

And ridiculous.

Later, she wandered aimlessly through the streets. Passersby recognized her—Irwin’s wife, the B. Global’s CEO’s beloved woman.

They looked at her with envy.

“That’s Sue Bondi, right? The woman who got Irwin Bondi? Dang, she’s not even that pretty!”

“Hey, don’t be so harsh. I heard she had to get an artificial heart five years ago to save her mom. She’s been sick ever since. Of course, she looks a little worn out.”

“Yeah, she got dumped by his ex-fiancé, stabbed in the back by her best friend, lost her mom, ended up looking like this, and somehow, she still managed to marry a man like Mr. Bondi—a total wife-worshipper. I guess you could say her suffering finally paid off.”

‘Paid off?’

Sue’s phone rang again. It was a familiar number.

She picked it up, saying, “Professor, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll come see you in a week.”

Margie Hyndman, who had been bracing for another rejection, was overjoyed. “Really? You’re finally willing to leave that man of yours and join me as a lawyer for Doctors Without Borders? If you say yes, there’s no backing out!”

“Yeah, I won’t change my mind.”

Afraid she might, Margie immediately booked her a flight for a week later.

[Ticket’s booked. Everything’s ready for you. Don’t you dare chicken out this time!]

[I won’t.]

At that moment, a sleek Maybach pulled up beside her.

“Sue, the housekeeper said you left last night. Where did you go?”

Irwin’s concern seemed genuine. He even draped a coat over her shoulders.

Sue curled her lips slightly and answered calmly, “I missed my mom, so I went to see her.”

When he felt how cold her hands were, Irwin’s heart ached. “It’s my fault. I didn’t give you enough security. Next time, I’ll go with you.”

“There’s no need.”

‘You don’t deserve to.’

Her expression turned icy as she pulled her hand away, got into the car, and finally let her exhausted eyelids close.

By the time she woke up, she was already at his parents’ place.

Then, she remembered—it was Lucia’s birthday party today. The entire city’s elite had been invited.

Naturally, Ava, Lucia’s god-granddaughter, was on the guest list.

Sue watched as Lucia placed a pearl bracelet on Ava’s wrist, looking at her with a tenderness Sue had never seen before.

“Ava, this bracelet is a family heirloom. I’m giving it to you now. May it keep you safe and protected.”

Ava accepted it with a dazzling smile. “Oh, thank you, Grandma! I wish you health and happiness for many years to come!”

The old lady chuckled. “You sweet talker, always knowing the right thing to say! Not like Sue, who does nothing but make me mad all day!”

At the mention of Sue, Lucia’s mood soured instantly. Even Irwin wasn’t spared from her irritation.

“Look at you, idiot! You insisted on marrying that useless girl who can’t even eat, drink, or relieve herself without an artificial heart! Five years! She’s still not as useful as a damn hen that can lay eggs!

“If you hadn’t threatened to die, that lowly woman would never have stepped foot into my family!

“But Ava is different. She comes over every few days just to make me happy. I just wish it had been her that you married!”

The old lady kept going, spewing every cruel word she could think of, hurling them all at Sue.

Finally, Ava played peacemaker. “Grandma, don’t mention her on such a happy occasion. She’s bad luck.”

Lucia reluctantly let it go but still turned to Irwin, unwilling to drop the topic.

“Tell me the truth, Irwin. Who do you like more—Ava or Sue?”

In that moment, it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing Sue’s heart, suffocating her.

Holding her breath, she waited.

Irwin smiled.

“I only feel guilty toward Sue.”

That fragile hope inside her instantly shattered.

For some reason, she found it funny.

After a long pause, she gathered herself and slowly walked downstairs.

The party hall was filled with relatives and guests draped in jewels and luxury. These were high-society elites.

And then there was Ava, standing out in her globally limited-edition dress.

Sue had seen the dress before on Irwin’s computer.

Back then, she naïvely thought it was a gift for her—but clearly, she had mistaken it.

Dressed simply and casually, she moved through the crowd, drawing sneers and sarcastic remarks.

It wasn’t until Irwin stood beside her that people finally recognized her identity.

“So she’s his wife… I thought she was a maid or something.”

“I also thought the dress President Bondi bid on at last month’s auction was for his wife. Who knew it would end up on Ava instead? Tsk, tsk.”

Irwin looked uneasy. He quickly took Sue’s hand and explained, “Sue, that dress was meant for you, but… you’re too thin. You wouldn’t have been able to pull it off, so I gave it to Ava instead.”

Sue’s heart sank. Forcing a stiff smile, she muttered, “It’s fine. I understand.”

But before she could even process her disappointment, Ava spoke up, ruining the moment.

“Oh, Irwin, I love the dress you gave me! Thank you for getting it just for me!”

She turned to Sue, smiling sweetly. Next to her, Sue looked dull and worn-out like a dusty shadow of a person.

“Sue, did you know? This was Irwin’s birthday gift to me.”

Ava tilted her head, eyes full of feigned curiosity. “What about you? What are you getting me for my birthday?”

Sue remained silent, and Ava pouted, her voice turning aggrieved.

“Sue, are you still mad about me marrying Jerwin? But he tricked me! I was a victim too…”

She even started crying pitifully, looking so fragile and innocent that Lucia’s heart ached.

“That’s enough, Sue!” the old lady snapped. “I already allowed you to marry into my family, so why are you still targeting Ava?

“If anything, it’s your fault for trusting the wrong guy and letting Ava fall into Jerwin’s trap. But they’re divorced now—what more do you want?!”

She was firm, righteous even. This time, even Irwin didn’t speak up for Sue.

He just looked at her in disappointment. “Sue, stop making trouble, okay? Ava didn’t do it on purpose. We grew up together—just let it go.”

Sue’s eyes burned red, but she had nothing left to say.

Between the two of them, Ava felt more like the real mistress.

“Crying like this—what a disgrace! Go to your room and reflect on yourself instead of embarrassing us all!”

Under countless mocking gazes, Sue dragged her heavy steps upstairs.

Standing on the third-floor balcony, she could see the courtyard bursting with flowers, alive with spring’s vibrance.

But her heart ached.

She had grown up with Irwin and Ava, the three of them as close as siblings.

Sue had always been blunt, often offending people. Ava, with her sweet words, would smooth things over. And when things got really bad, Irwin would step in to clean up their messes.

She didn’t know when things changed.

At some point, Ava started competing with her over everything.

And Sue had tolerated it all—maybe because Ava was just that dazzling, that talented.

If their roles were reversed, maybe she would have been jealous too.

But then Ava had brazenly gone after Sue’s then-fiancé.

Then Ava had conspired with Irwin, leading to Sue’s mom’s tragic death.

It took Sue until then to realize—whatever bond they once had was long gone.

She thought of her mom’s helpless, worried face on the operating table.

Silent tears slid down her cheeks.

The love she once had for Irwin was now buried beneath an ocean of hatred.