"I only found out today that Bethany is pregnant too!"

I let out a cold laugh and met his eyes without flinching. "IVF doesn't require months of preparation in advance?"

"You—!"

He glared at me, his expression darkening before a sneer curled across his lips.

"Fine! You just won't let the baby go, huh? What's next—are you going to force me to make her get an abortion?"

"Dream on. If we're getting a divorce, so be it. You think I, Jaxxon Hamilton, can't live without you, Megan?"

Just as the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang.

He gave me a frosty glance before turning to answer it.

A drenched Bethany threw herself into his arms, sobbing softly. "Jax... I dreamt of my sister again. She said she's coming back as our baby. The three of us can finally be together..."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes—but the smile tugging at her lips was anything but sorrowful.

That enchanting dimple was identical to her twin sister Rhea's.

Jaxxon was visibly dazed for a moment, then his eyes reddened with pity. "Bethany, don't ever get caught in the rain again, okay?"

Out of habit, I turned to get the hairdryer.

But as I approached the bedroom door, I saw Bethany changing clothes. Jaxxon stood behind her, smoothly zipping up her dress like he'd done it a hundred times.

The moment he noticed me standing there, his face darkened.

He snatched the hairdryer from my hand, his voice like a blade of ice. "Get out."

He then gently blow-dried her hair, his touch as soft as if he were handling fine silk.

Suddenly, Bethany wrapped her arms around his waist, turning her head to shoot me a provocative look.

"Jax always takes care of me best."

"I promised your sister I'd look after you for the rest of your life," he replied in a syrupy tone that grated against my nerves. His fingers brushed affectionately through her hair.

"If I don't take care of you, who else should I take care of?"

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I stumbled backward, nearly losing my balance.

I knew what I was expected to do now—quietly retreat to the study.

—

Rainy night. Late hour.

This was when Rhea had died in childbirth. The night her baby died too.

It was also the night Jaxxon and Bethany were at their most vulnerable.

She would come to him, crying for comfort. And he always welcomed her with open arms.

As for me? I was the wicked woman who had taken Rhea's place. I wasn't even allowed to be seen.

Wiping my tears away, I dragged my suitcase toward the front door without looking back.

Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the air.

I turned and saw Bethany staggering out of the room, clutching a shattered photo frame. She tripped and collapsed to the floor, sobbing hysterically.

"Megan! My sister is already gone! Why can't you even leave her photo alone?!"

The glass had shattered, and the photo inside—Rhea's maternity portrait—was torn to pieces.

I instinctively took a step back. "I didn't do it."

Bethany glared at me, her entire body trembling as her sobs turned to dry heaves.

Jaxxon's face was like thunder as he helped her up.

Then, without warning, he grabbed my shoulders and slammed me hard against the wall.

He laughed—but the sound was so low, so cold that it sent a chill crawling up my spine.

"Megan, you can't even tolerate the dead?"

Pain shot through my shoulder blades. I struggled, but he only pinned me harder.

Trembling, I pleaded, "Jaxxon... it really wasn't me..."

Smack!

A searing slap landed across my face. The sting spread instantly.

His voice turned to frost. "Who else could've done it? You think Bethany and I would destroy that photo?!"

I held my cheek and shook my head, voice cracking. "I swear, I didn't—"

"Megan!" he roared, cutting me off. "You don't even have the guts to admit what you did. And you call yourself a teacher?!"

I couldn't take it anymore—not the baseless accusations, and definitely not the way he used my profession to humiliate me.

I was trembling all over, but I stubbornly lifted my head.

"It wasn't me. Why should I admit to something I didn't do? Just because Bethany said it was me, that's enough for you to convict me?"

He let out a cold laugh. "Bethany is Rhea's biological sister. If I can't trust her, should I trust you, an outsider?"

It felt like my heart was being pierced by a thousand tiny needles. I could barely breathe through the pain.

Tears slipped uncontrollably from my eyes, falling directly onto the back of his hand.

He immediately flinched and shook me off like I was something filthy.

"All you know how to do is cry once you're caught! Just fix the photo, and this ends here."

But just as he finished speaking, Bethany raised her tear-stained face, her voice trembling. "Brother-in-law... are you siding with her again?"

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Of course. She's the one who's the mistress of this house now. My sister and I... we were always just extras."

Then she staggered back into the room and began packing away Rhea's belongings.

"From the time I was little, my sister was the only one who truly loved me..." she sobbed. "But now she's gone, and even you don't want me anymore..."

Suddenly, she placed a trembling hand on her belly and gave a heart-wrenching smile.

"Maybe I should just go be with my sister... the baby and I... so we won't be in your way anymore."

"Bethany!" Jaxxon rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms, his voice shaking. "Don't say things like that! I've already divorced Megan. She's nothing now!"

He gently cupped Bethany's face in both hands. "Once the cooling-off period is over, we'll get our marriage certificate. I won't let our child suffer, I promise."

Bethany, teary-eyed, shook her head. "Brother-in-law... I never wanted to marry you. I just... I just wanted to fulfill my sister's wishes."

"Bethany!" Jaxxon suddenly lost control and kissed her hard, voice hoarse with emotion. "This time, you're not getting away. I will marry you!"

I turned stiffly and stumbled out of the room, blindly charging toward the stairwell.

The elevator didn't come fast enough, so I grabbed my suitcase and ran down the stairs.

Forty-five floors.

But I didn't stop once.

By the time I reached the lobby, my legs gave out and I collapsed to my knees.

Tears poured down in thick, hot streams—no matter how I wiped, I couldn't stop them.

At that moment, my phone buzzed.

A message popped up from Bethany.[Megan, are you still trying to compete with me?]

I let out a dry, broken laugh and started coughing.

Compete?

What did I have to compete with?

I wasn't even worthy of being compared to a photo of Rhea—much less to the living, breathing Bethany, who looked exactly like her.

I remembered the day before our wedding.

I had been trying on my gown when Bethany watched me, with red-rimmed eyes.

"Brother-in-law... my sister never got to wear a wedding dress. I'm sure she would've loved to."

Right in front of me, Jaxxon grabbed a pair of scissors and shredded my wedding gown to pieces.

The next day, he canceled the ceremony and notified all the guests.

When I tearfully asked him why, he said coldly, "It's a second marriage. What's the point? It's embarrassing."

He had forgotten—it was my first marriage.

He'd also forgotten—I was his first love.

Four years of dating. Three years of waiting. And in the end, even giving me a proper wedding was something he saw as disgraceful.

Dazed and exhausted, I pulled myself up and started heading home to the Rhodes family.

But just then, the elevator doors slid open.

Jaxxon stepped out, carrying a bag in his hand. When he saw I hadn't left, a visible wave of relief washed over him.

Without saying a word, he dragged me to a sofa in the lobby and gently pressed an ice pack to my swollen cheek.

He spoke in a low voice, "Does it hurt?"

My nose stung. "Jaxxon... do you love me?"

His hands froze, then he frowned.

"Why are you asking that again? After all these years, aren't you tired of repeating the same question? Can't you feel how much I love you?"

I forced a smile.

Of course. It was always the same with him.

He would never give me a clear answer.

"Between Rhea and Bethany... who do you love more?"

Maybe it was the divorce that finally stripped away my fear, and I asked the one question he hated the most.

"Megan!" Jaxxon yanked his tie loose, his face darkening.

"Do you have to be like this? That kiss with Bethany just now—it was a moment of impulse, and you still won't let it go?"

He shoved an umbrella into my hands with zero patience. "Go back to the villa by yourself. Bethany gets scared when she's alone. I don't have time to deal with your drama."

Just before walking off, he threw one last line over his shoulder. "When the divorce cooling-off period ends, be at the civil affairs office on time. Don't waste my time."

I stood frozen, watching his back disappear into the night, my entire body going cold.

A moment of impulse?

Only people who truly matter could make someone lose control.

And what did I get?

A single umbrella, tossed at me like a handout.

See?

Whether a man loves you or not—you never need to ask. His actions screamed the answer.

It took me a while to collect myself before I finally called a cab home to the Rhodes family.

I didn't dare mention the divorce to my parents.

They were both humble, rule-abiding teachers—how could they possibly accept that their daughter had just gotten married and was already splitting up?

Still in my clothes from the day before, I collapsed onto the bed.

But the moment I closed my eyes, all I could see was Jaxxon kissing Bethany.

My chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton—I couldn't breathe.

I tossed and turned all night without sleep.

The next morning, I put on my running gear and went out for a jog, hoping to clear my head.

I'd barely made it out of the neighborhood when I ran straight into a warm, solid chest.

As I looked up, I recognized the man. It was Alec.

He was dressed in a plain white workout shirt, clearly just finished his run.

The thin fabric clung to his skin, soaked with sweat, outlining a set of lean muscles and defined abs.

Bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun, his handsome face lit up with a light smile.

He looked like he walked right out of a dream.

"Megan, don’t tell me you’re starstruck again?"

He leaned in with a teasing grin, his long fingers gently tapping the corner of my mouth.

"And you said you weren't drooling over my body. I swear your mouth is about to start watering."

My cheeks flushed bright red, but I tried to act calm. "Alec, don't talk nonsense."

He winked mischievously and, without warning, grabbed my hand and pressed it against his abs.

“Let’s take care of that craving first,” he said with a teasing grin.

I froze, my fingers trembling as I tried to yank my hand away, stammering like an idiot.

"W-Wait until after the marriage registration... then I'll... I'll touch as much as I want..."

Alec let out a hearty laugh.

Then, without missing a beat, he knelt on one knee and pulled out a small box from his pocket, revealing a sparkling diamond ring.

"Megan, marry me."

The sudden proposal left me completely stunned.

Seeing my silence, he must've thought I was hesitating, so he upped the offer, "If you say yes, you won't have to wait for the certificate. I'll let you touch all you want—right now."

I rolled my eyes and snatched the ring from his hand, slipping it onto my finger.

His eyes lit up instantly, and in the next moment, he pulled me into a tight hug, guiding my arms around his firm waist.

"Let the fiancée have a little taste of what she's getting," he said with a wink.

Then he sprinted off like an excited little kid, leaving me standing there—unsure whether to laugh or cry.

That warm, silly sunshine boy... was he really still the Alec I knew?

Or had time turned him into something else entirely?

We'd been classmates in high school. He lived in an upscale villa district but used to walk five kilometers after school just to escort me home.

His excuse? He wanted tutoring from my parents.

Who was he fooling?

He spent half his days practicing fencing and still ranked first in the entire grade. What tutoring did he need?

Even my dad could see through him and warned him repeatedly, "No dating in high school!"

Alec nodded solemnly every time, swearing, "My heart is focused on my studies!"

But the moment we entered college, I got swept away by Jaxxon.