“You’ve always wanted to take over the Dinklage Group, haven’t you? I currently hold fifty-two percent of its shares. Give me a reasonable price, and I’ll sell everything I have to you.”

The man on the other end paused for a moment, then let out a teasing laugh. “If you hand me all of Dinklage Group’s shares, I’m never letting Hervey off the hook.”

Hervey and Hamish had been at odds for years—neck-and-neck rivals who could never stand the sight of each other.

If she handed those shares to Hamish, Hervey would never recover.

Thinking about all the times he’d lied to her and hurt her, Christina’s voice sharpened with resolve. “I don’t care. Even if you buy the company just to tear it down and turn it into a pig farm, it’s fine with me.”

Hamish chuckled. “Christina, now I’m curious. What did Hervey do to you to make you this ruthless?”

“Hey, you’re asking too many questions. Just tell me—do you want the shares or not?”

“I want them. An opportunity like this? I’d be crazy to pass it up.”

“Send me an account number. I’ll sell the shares to you at market price.”

“Alright.”

Once the deal was settled, Christina sent him her card details.

Over the next few days, Hervey used “letting her rest” as an excuse not to come home. He didn’t return for an entire week.

But Keala’s Instagram never stopped updating.

Day one: Hervey spent a fortune at an auction to buy her a pink diamond.

Day two: He spent ten million on a city-wide fireworks display just for her.

Day three…

Day four…

In just one week, he did more for Keala than he ever did for Christina in three years.

Whenever she asked him to do anything with her, he only ever said one thing—busy.

Now, she finally understood. It wasn’t that he was too busy. He simply didn’t want to. He simply didn’t like her.

Christina opened a box and pulled out the childhood love letters Hervey had written to her. Their families had arranged their engagement when they were kids, so he had written her one letter every month, telling her she could read them when they grew up.

For the past three years, whenever heartbreak overwhelmed her, she opened one… and burned one.

Only one letter remained.

She unfolded it. It was his childish handwriting.

[Christina, twenty years from now, we should already be married, right? We should have a child by then too. You must have become the happiest wife and mother in the world. I’ll do everything I can to make money and give you and our child the best life.

[Christina, you are the woman I will love the most in this lifetime.]

His childhood love had been real.

And now, his betrayal was just as real.

Her parents and her husband had both fallen in love with someone else long before they ever reached her side.

Christina didn’t cry. She was just too tired to feel the pain anymore.

Promises were fake. His new love was real. So was every wound he left on her.

She burned the last remaining letter until it turned to ash.

There were four days left. When the fourth day arrived, she would take the money and her baby, and leave this suffocating place for good.

But that night, Hervey came home, reeking of alcohol.

The moment he stepped into the room, he wrapped her tightly in his arms, muttering complaints.

“Why weren’t you angry that I didn’t come home for so many days?”

“Christina… do you not love me anymore?”

Looking at his childish, drunken expression, Christina suddenly laughed.

If she got angry, he called her unreasonable.

If she didn’t get angry, he accused her of not caring.

‘Hervey… What exactly do you want from me?’

She stayed silent and tried to guide him toward the guest room.

But he refused to move. Instead, he pinned her wrists against the wall.

“Babe… you haven’t given yourself to me in a long time…”

Babe. For years, she thought it was his endearment for her.

But now…

Even though she’d already heard the truth, she still couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Who are you calling?”

He answered instantly—without hesitation.

“Keala.”

Her smile broke, and tears slipped out. Without caring about his reaction, she shoved him out of the room and slammed the door in his face.

She told herself she would never soften again.

She would never live as anyone’s substitute.

The next morning, Hervey woke up freezing on the floor outside the door. The sight of him sleeping there overnight should’ve stirred guilt, but instead, her bitterness evaporated, replaced by anger.

He barged into the room to demand an explanation, but stopped short when he saw her marking dates on the calendar.

The date three days later was circled in bright red.

Suddenly, a heavy, uneasy feeling pressed down on his chest.

“What does that red circle three days from now mean?”

Christina showed no hint of guilt for leaving the man outside the door all night. Her expression stayed calm as she said, “This day is our wedding anniversary. I prepared a big gift for you.”

A divorce certificate—her way of setting him free.

When he heard that, all his irritation instantly disappeared. The corners of his lips lifted into a smile.

He knew it. Christina could never really leave him.

“Since you’re being so thoughtful, I’ll prepare a gift for you, too. As for what you pulled last night, I’ll let it go.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the house.

Watching him rush away, Christina let out a quiet, mocking laugh.

He wasn’t “letting it go.” He simply didn’t have time to argue; after all, he had to go see the woman he actually cared about.

Still, Hervey kept his word. At noon, he had his secretary deliver a bouquet of roses.

Ma’am, Sir Hervey picked these out himself. He hopes you’ll like them.”

The roses were beautiful—bright and full. But he had forgotten one thing: she preferred heirloom roses.

When they were young, she loved them so much that Hervey once climbed over the neighbor’s fence just to pick one for her.

His mother made him kneel in the hallway for hours because of it.

Roses were Keala’s favorite.

If this had been years ago, Christina would’ve argued with him, furious that he couldn’t even remember what she liked.

But after these three years—after so many moments like this—she no longer had the strength to be angry.

After she finished signing for the flowers, the secretary left. But later, she saw the real story on Keala’s Instagram.

An hour earlier, Keala had posted a photo with a caption.

[I casually mentioned I liked sapphires once, and Hervey flew me to Miami in a private jet. But the auction roses? He just handed them off to whoever.]

The roses in the photo were exactly like the bouquet Christina received.

Apparently, the flowers she ended up with were the ones Keala didn’t care to keep.

With that realization, Christina picked up the bouquet and tossed it straight into the trash.

Things that served no purpose should be thrown away.

There were still two days left before the divorce proceedings. She had already booked her plane ticket.

She planned to travel for a while, to finally slow down and see the landscapes she’d never had the chance to enjoy.

But that night, she received a call from her parents, telling her she had to attend—today was Keala’s birthday.

They seemed to forget that they hadn’t celebrated her birthday in nearly twenty years.

It was not because they refused but because they always forgot.

Their hearts were small—so small that they only had room for Keala, leaving no space for Christina at all.

She hadn’t wanted to go. But thinking about the fact that they had at least given her life, she decided she would treat tonight as a farewell.

But once she arrived at the party, she realized she was not needed there.

Her childhood best friend was now Keala’s best friend.

Her parents stood on Keala’s side.

Even her husband sided with Keala.

Keala’s circle of friends sneered openly.

“Keala, where’s that small-town sister of yours? Is she gonna be here tonight? Don’t let her run her mouth like she did years ago and embarrass you again.”

Christina’s fist tightened.

Back then, when she had just been rescued and brought home, even her accent had changed. She didn’t know how to dress, looked plain and awkward, completely out of place among these people.

The moment she spoke, they laughed and called her a hillbilly.

Even Hervey couldn’t hold back his laughter.

She had been so crushed by it that she spent two months correcting her accent.

But now, she finally understood something.

Even if Hervey couldn’t understand her words back then, couldn’t he at least understand her tears?

The memories made her feel ridiculous.

The dazzling, crowded party hall felt suffocating. Christina turned and stepped outside for a breath of air.

She had barely been out for a moment when Keala followed her like a piece of stubborn cling film.

Standing there with the arrogance of a “victor,” she looked down on her and said, “Christina, your parents and your husband—now, they all love me.”

Christina’s tone stayed light. “Once, they loved me, too.

“Love is the most unstable thing in the world. Today, they can love you, and tomorrow, they can love me again.

“Falling in love isn’t impressive. Staying in love—that’s the real skill.

“And love always changes.”

Just like how Hervey used to love her but now loved Keala instead.

Keala’s expression twisted. Nothing infuriated her more than Christina’s calm, indifferent manner.

“You act so high and mighty. Want to hear a secret?

“You ever wonder why Hervey suddenly stopped loving you? I told him that while you were kidnapped, you were passed around. That when you came back pretending to be ‘pure,’ it was all fake.

“Men love to say they don’t care about stuff like that, but inside? They’re disgusted.

“Whenever Hervey slept with me, he’d say you were already ‘used up’ but still played innocent. It made him sick.

“This gift—do you like it?”

Christina trembled all over with rage.

No wonder Hervey had been distant and unpredictable with her throughout their three-year marriage.

No wonder he’d spend ages in the shower after they slept together.

Apparently… he had always thought she was tainted.

And the one who planted all of this… was Keala.

Christina finally snapped. She raised her hand and slapped Keala hard.

Keala fell to the ground on cue—just as the guests from the party conveniently walked out and witnessed the scene.

She immediately grabbed Christina’s pant leg and started crying.

“I’m sorry, Christina! I didn’t mean to take Mom, Dad, or Hervey from you. I know I’m just an adopted child, and you’ve always looked down on me. I’ll leave the Olivers. You’ll never see me again...”

The moment she spoke, their parents, Elijah and Liza, rushed over and protectively wrapped their arms around Keala.

“No! You’re our precious daughter. If anyone leaves, it won’t be you.”

“Christina, after all these years, you still can’t let Keala go? If you can’t accept her, then you get out of the family. As far as we’re concerned, we never had a daughter like you!”

Hervey glared at her with righteous fury.

“Christina, if you have a problem, come at me. Why are you bullying Keala?

“I’ve already done what you wanted and married you. What else do you want?”

Christina’s eyes burned red.

Her parents, her husband—every single one of them was ready to cut ties with her for this vicious woman.

Christina was the one who had been hurt, and somehow, all of it had become her fault.

She looked at him coldly.

“So marriage isn’t something you can decide for yourself, but an affair is?”

Hervey’s expression changed. Elijah and Liza looked confused.

Before they could react, Keala suddenly threw herself off the second floor.

Below was soft grass; she wouldn’t die. But it was enough to make everyone believe Christina had driven her to an attempted suicide.

Once again, she became the villain in everyone’s eyes.

Watching the people who once loved her turn their backs one by one, Christina’s expression grew more and more bitter. She turned and went home to pack her things.

That night, as soon as Hervey walked in, he attacked her verbally.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Did she die?” Christina replied calmly. “If she didn’t, then no—I’m not satisfied.”

Given everything Keala had done to her, even dying a hundred times wouldn’t be enough.

Hervey’s fists clenched, his knuckles cracking.

“You know about Keala and me, so I won’t hide it anymore. I’ll give you one chance. If you go to the hospital right now and donate blood to her, I won’t divorce you.”

Christina let out a cold laugh.

“Impossible. If she dies, I’ll set off fireworks.”

Hervey’s face darkened. Whether she agreed or not, he dragged her to the hospital and forced the doctors to draw her blood for Keala.

Inside the blood-drawing room, Christina backed away step by step.

“You can’t take my blood. I’m pregnant. I need to see Hervey. Tell him to come here!”

The doctor, afraid something serious might happen, went to inform Hervey.

But before the doctor said a word, Hervey snapped, “She refuses? Then tell her this—no matter what, the blood must be drawn today. Even if she dies, she’ll die after giving the blood!”

The doctor didn’t even get to explain before Hervey pushed him out.

When the doctor returned to the room, Christina grabbed onto a sliver of hope.

“Did he agree to let me go? I’m carrying his child; he can’t treat me like this.”

The doctor looked at her, sighed deeply, and said, “Ma’am… He said… even if you die, he wants every last drop of your blood first.”

Christina’s eyes shook violently. She tried to escape.

But before she reached the door, the doctor had people drag her back and forcefully restrain her.

They first drew 13 and a half ounces.

Hervey said it wasn’t enough.

Then they drew another 13 and a half ounces.

Christina’s face turned ghostly pale. A sharp pain stabbed through her lower abdomen as blood continued to flow.

She cried until her throat nearly tore.

She knew—her baby… could not be saved.