“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.

Suddenly, a woman’s sweet, breathy moans drifted from a room at the end of the hallway, making Sue’s scalp tingle.

Her body moved on its own, leading her toward the door. Through the small gap, she caught sight of two familiar figures tangled together, wild yet restrained.

“Irwin, I love it when you do this to me. Come on, I can take it.”

Ava twisted her waist seductively, desperate to hook Irwin in.

His breaths were ragged, heavy with restraint. With the last shred of his sanity, he forced himself to pull away.

“No… your heart won’t be able to handle it…”

“Oh? And Sue’s artificial heart can? Come on, Irwin, stop holding back. Whatever she can’t give you, I can.”

Irwin gritted his teeth, struggling against his own desire. “It’s different…”

“How is it different? Are you saying she knows your body better than I do?” Ava scoffed.

“No… I don’t love her. Whatever happens to her, I wouldn’t care. But you… I love you, Ava.”

Under Ava’s relentless teasing, Irwin finally caved, completely losing control.

Outside the door, Sue’s hand trembled as she recorded the scene with her phone.

‘I love you, Irwin.’

She had once said those words in the heat of the moment, believing he loved her just as fiercely.

But the deeper the love, the deeper the hate.

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to expose these two filthy traitors and destroy them.

But she didn’t.

She forced herself to keep watching.

‘Sue, this is the man you loved for five years. The same man who cheated on you… the same man who killed your mom!’

Numb and dazed, Sue turned and ran, but before she could get far, a sharp pain shot through her chest. Her legs gave out, and she tumbled down the stairs, landing right in front of the crowd.

“H-Help me… C-Call an ambulance…”

The searing pain blurred her vision, stealing her voice.

People gathered around, watching like it was some kind of show, yet not a single person moved to help.

Even Lucia scowled at her, snapping in disgust, “Oh, come on, Sue! Do you really have to ruin my birthday party? Who the hell wails about heart pain every damn day?!

“Stop acting. No one’s going to believe you!”

Hearing the commotion, Irwin rushed over, his neck still marked with obvious love bites.

Sue’s lips quivered. ‘Is he even worth crying over?’

“Help… me…”

Irwin’s expression remained calm as he performed some basic first aid and called for an ambulance.

When it finally arrived, he scooped Sue into his arms, about to carry her inside, but then…

“Ahhh!”

Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed behind them.

Ava clutched her chest, her face twisted in pain. “It hurts! My heart—it hurts so much!”

Irwin’s composure instantly cracked. Panic flooded his eyes as he turned to the doctor.

But… “Only one patient per ambulance,” the doctor stated.

Before everyone’s eyes, Irwin carried Sue out of the vehicle and placed her back on the ground.

Then he gently laid Ava inside.

“Sue, just hold on a little longer. Another ambulance is coming soon!”

With that, he jumped into the ambulance and left without looking back.

Sue stared at him, eyes bloodshot, watching the raw, genuine emotions in his gaze.

Soon, her world turned black.

When she woke up, she was in a hospital room. Alone.

A nurse came by to change her IV and sighed, speaking in a hushed voice.

“Ma’am, if you have time, you might want to check out the fifth floor.”

Sue’s hollow eyes stared ahead. A single tear slid down her cheek.

‘The fifth floor…’

That was where the VIP rooms were.