I steadied my breath, pushed Jay away with resolve, and said, "I'm fine. It's just my period. Rest will do."

Jay gave a knowing smile. "Then I'll make you some warm milk. Drink it, and get a good night's sleep."

He bent down, carried me to the bed, and sighed with a helpless smile. "You never know how to take care of yourself. What will you do without me?"

I smiled. "Without you, I'll live just fine."

He froze, then pinched my cheek a little harder than usual. "Heartless girl. How could you live well without me? You should say, 'I'll stay by your side forever and never leave.' Understand?"

With that, he turned and headed downstairs, smiling as if my words had been a joke.

Only I knew every word I said was the truth.

I had chased Jay for five years and hidden our relationship for two. The first year, he treated me with indifference. Only in the last year had our feelings grown seemingly inseparable.

He began making me breakfast. He coaxed me awake in the mornings. He kissed me when I pouted.

We looked like a couple in the throes of young love, and I truly believed he had started to care for me.

Until the car crash. Until today, when I finally heard the truth with my own ears.

I realized then that all of his affection had been nothing but an act. Every gesture, every touch, had been a performance.

The one he truly loved was Julia, the fake heiress who had stolen my identity for more than a decade.

His pretense of loving me was only to stop me from being with Billy Sikes.

After all, Julia had feelings for Billy, while Billy had feelings for me.

Watching Jay busy himself in the kitchen, I let out a hollow laugh.

Since the miscarriage, I often felt a dull, dragging pain in my abdomen. At night, the ache grew so sharp it left me drenched in cold sweat.

Jay was always the first to notice. He would rub my stomach and ask, "Cramps again?"

Instinctively, I pushed his hand away.

Seeing my pallor, he touched my forehead. "You've got a fever. You can't just lie at home. I'll take you to the hospital."

In the hospital corridor, we unexpectedly ran into Julia.

She stood alone, struggling to hop forward, steadying herself against the wall.

Jay's expression changed instantly. Without thinking, he shook off my hand and strode quickly toward her.

Catching her arm, his voice was urgent. "Didn't the doctor tell you to rest at home? Why are you here again? Did something happen?"

Julia cast me a glance before looking back at him. She gave a weak smile. "This morning I wasn't careful and twisted my ankle again. But… why are you here with Emma?"

Jay faltered, as if only then remembering he had abandoned me moments ago. He turned back, eyes flickering.

"I heard Emma wasn't well, so I came to check on her."

Our relationship had never been public. Only a handful of his closest friends knew about us.

Julia looked at me again, her gaze tinged with disdain, though her voice remained gentle.

"Emma suffered a lot before she was found. Her health's never been good. She often falls ill. You should take better care of her. Go on, get her checked. I'll go collect my medicine."

Leaning heavily on the railing, she limped away, her steps slow and difficult.

Without a second thought, Jay swept her up into his arms. "I'll take you there first."

Jay glanced back at me.

"Julia's leg is injured. I'll take her first. Wait for me in the consultation room," he said, then strode away, carrying Julia in his arms.

Leaning against his shoulder, she looked at me and flashed a triumphant smile.

I wasn't surprised by his choice.

The so-called devotion he had faked for me collapsed the moment Julia appeared.

And yet he still thought he hid it well.

I couldn't stop the mocking curl of my lips.

Turning away, I forced myself toward the consultation room.

The doctor warned me to keep calm. My body was fragile after the miscarriage. Too much grief would only make things worse.

That was when a message popped up on my phone.

Julia: [The moment I beckon, he comes back to me. What do you have to compete with?]

The loved are always fearless.

But I wasn't going to compete. I admitted defeat.

Pocketing my phone, I went alone to collect my medicine. Jay never came. Not a single call, not a single text.

This time, I didn't wait.

Back home, my screen lit up with a message from my father: [Your visa is ready. Once your records are canceled, you can leave anytime.]

I replied with a single word: [Okay.]

While packing the last of my luggage, I happened to see Julia's latest post.

A candlelit dinner for two. Hands clasped across the table. On one long, slender finger gleamed a ring.

I recognized Jay's hand instantly.

Without hesitation, I tapped "like."

A moment later, his call came through. His voice overflowed with apology.

"Emma, I'm sorry. I meant to drop Julia home first, then go back to the hospital for you. But her stomach started hurting, so I took her out to eat instead."

Before he could finish, a woman's voice drifted clearly through the receiver.

"Jay, who are you talking to?"

"Work," he answered quickly, muffling the phone—yet I heard it all.

Then came his gentle coaxing. "Emma, just rest. If your stomach hurts, take your medicine. I'll explain everything once I'm back."

I had no interest in his lies anymore. I hung up.

After resting through the night, my strength returned. I went to the company the next morning to resign.

My colleagues were warm and insistent, clamoring for a farewell meal.

Unfamiliar with restaurants, I chose one Jay had often brought me to with good food and a decent atmosphere.

Halfway through, I excused myself for the restroom.

And there, I overheard a familiar voice—Julia's—speaking with her friend.

The friend sounded worried. "You've secretly gotten back with Billy. If Jay finds out…"

Julia replied, utterly unbothered, "He wouldn't believe it even if he did. He's my biggest simp. One wave of my hand, and he abandoned the woman who'd stayed by his side for seven years without hesitation. Of course, he'll forgive me.

"Besides, if you don't tell and I don't tell, who will know the baby in my belly belongs to Billy?"

I sat frozen in the stall, waiting until their voices faded, then finally switched off my phone's recording mode.

A simp who grovels in love never meets a good end.

I was one. And so was Jay.

Back in the private room, I saw everyone had nearly finished eating. I rose to my feet, ready to settle the bill.

I hadn't expected to run into Julia the moment I stepped out.

Her face wore a warm, friendly smile as she said to me, "What a surprise, you came to this restaurant too. I thought it was a bit of a hidden gem. Jay picked this place to celebrate my twentieth birthday. I love the food here. I heard he spent over a month deciding on it."

Though we both lived under the Bourne family's roof, I had nothing to say to her.

I was about to leave when she suddenly grabbed my hand, her tone edged with mockery.

"Emma, you do have good taste. But this restaurant isn't really for you. Coming here once in a while is fine, but don't embarrass yourself by clinging where you don't belong."

I knew what she meant—her veiled warning for me to stay away from Jay.

I was about to shake her off in irritation when, to my shock, she suddenly staggered backward and fell hard to the ground.

I froze. Before I could react, Jay came rushing over.

Without a word, his hand struck across my face.

A fiery sting spread across my cheek.

In all the years I'd known him, this was the first time he had ever raised his hand against me.

And yet, Jay's expression held no trace of regret, only unrestrained fury.

"Emma! Haven't you caused enough trouble? Julia's leg is injured, and you still pushed her? How can you be so vicious? I told you—I'd explain everything when we got home. Why did you have to follow us here and cause a scene?"

Tears shimmered in Julia's eyes as she feigned wounded innocence.

"Jay, don't be so harsh with Emma. It's nothing serious. I'm sure she didn't mean it."

Jay wrapped her in his arms, gaze burning with resolve.

"When you do wrong, you deserve punishment. She bullied you. Am I not allowed to stand up for you?"

The words I wanted to say caught in my throat. I stared at the guy shielding Julia, glaring at me as if I were the villain, and all I felt was bitter irony.

Without hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped him back.

Jay froze in shock.

He had never imagined that the woman who had loved him so long, so fiercely, would dare strike him.

I met his eyes, my voice steady. "What exactly did I do wrong? Show me the proof."

He narrowed his gaze. "Proof? This spot is a blind zone for surveillance. You ask me for evidence? I saw her fall with my own eyes. If you didn't push her, are you saying she framed you on purpose?"

Julia quickly added in a trembling voice, "How could I? I'm just a foster daughter living under the Bourne family's roof. How would I dare bully the real heiress of the family?"

Jay immediately turned to comfort her, his eyes brimming with tenderness and pity.

I laughed.

Five years of affection. Two years together. Even if he didn't love me, he should at least have trusted my character.

But before Julia, he lost all reason.

A simple trick from her, and he condemned me without hesitation, leaving me no room to defend myself.

There was no point in saying more. I turned and walked away.

On the day Jay proposed to Julia, my father finally sent me another message: [All your records have been erased. The ticket's booked. The flight departs in three hours. From now on, the world is your oyster. No one will ever find you again.]