I'd always thought that I had found the perfect husband—that is, until I discovered that he had a girlfriend who looks almost identical to me.

It turns out she can't have children. That's why he married me—he wanted me to have a child that looked like them.

The day the child is born is the day our marriage ends.

So, I decide to leave.

However, he comes knocking on my door when I've already started over. "I've finally understood that you're the one I love. Come home with me."

It's too bad I don't love him anymore.

On the eve of our wedding, my fiancé suddenly broke off our engagement and vanished completely from the world.

Sometimes, I even wondered if this perfect fiancé of mine was merely a figment of my imagination.

While I was drowning in despair, Samuel Glendale, the infamous scion of Croydon, began to passionately pursue me. Not long after, he proposed to me, and I thought it was heaven's way of compensating me for my pain.

Not long after that, I married Samuel and settled into the role of a full-time housewife, devoting myself entirely to caring for my husband.

Just as I thought my life was finally improving, I overheard Samuel speaking in his study. "Don't worry. Once she gives birth, we'll get a divorce."

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. My entire body froze like a rusted machine, unable to move.

"The child will definitely look like you, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and those little freckles… I swear you're the only one I love."

In just a few sentences, my perfect life shattered. It turned out I was nothing more than his surrogate.

It turned out that all the tenderness and affection had been a lie.

When Samuel came back, it was already 2:00 am. He moved quietly, not wanting to wake me up. When he saw my wide-open eyes, he nearly yelped in surprise.

"Lily, why are you awake?"

I forced myself to swallow the fury and resentment burning inside me. I replied indifferently, "I had some coffee tonight, and now I can't sleep."

He gently brushed a strand of hair from my face, his warm breath falling on my skin as he spoke, "Silly girl, why are you drinking coffee at night? Go to sleep now. Staying up late is bad for your health."

Samuel tucked the blanket around me, holding me tightly in his arms as he fell asleep.

Once I was certain he was sound asleep, I picked up his phone.

This was the first time I had ever checked his phone since our marriage.

Samuel wasn't very skilled at hiding things, or perhaps he had never imagined I would check his phone. After all, he had always treated me so well.

The person he had been on the phone with earlier was saved in his contacts as "Harp".

In his hidden photo album, I found intimate pictures of him and Harper.

I had met Harper before at a family gathering. Samuel had introduced her as his cousin. Her eyes had been full of thinly veiled malice, leaving a deep impression on me. I finally understood why she hated me so much.

Digging further into the chat history, I uncovered the truth. Harper was infertile, but she wanted a child. That was why I had been chosen.

They had paid my ex-fiancé a large sum of money to break up with me. He hadn't disappointed them and had abandoned me without hesitation.

Harper didn't want to miss out on the Glendale family gatherings, so she joined as "the cousin". Behind closed doors, however, she was recognized by the family as the true Mrs. Glendale. I had been the only one kept in the dark.

My dream marriage was nothing more than a clown's performance in a circus.

The next morning, as Samuel was eating breakfast, I couldn't help but speak up. "Samuel, can I not have children?"

He put down his knife and fork, staring straight at me. "We've been trying for over a year. Why are you suddenly giving up now?"

I pulled up a TikTok video I had saved and frowned, pretending to be worried. "A lot of women say that childbirth has a huge impact on their bodies. I'm scared that I…"

"I'll find the best medical team for you," he interrupted coldly.

For a moment, the dining room fell into silence, leaving me feeling lost.

Gathering my courage again, I asked, "What if I can't get pregnant?"

Samuel's gaze darkened, and a trace of surprise flashed across his face, but it quickly returned to his usual calm. "We've done all the tests before. Your body is perfectly fine."

"Being healthy is one thing, but pregnancy could still cause damage to my body."

"Lily, stop overthinking things. You're being too sensitive."

"If I can't get pregnant, will our marriage end?"

Samuel gripped his fork, tapping it repeatedly against the plate, his eyes darting around. "What's wrong with you today? Why are you asking all these strange questions?"

"I… I'm just scared."

Seeing me sink into sadness, he reluctantly put away his impatience and tried to comfort me. "Stop thinking about it. There's a family gathering in a couple of days. It'll be a good chance for you to relax."

Forcing a smile, I asked, "Will Harper be there?"

"Yeah. Why are you bringing her up?"

"The way she looks at me is kind of unsettling."

"She's a very simple, kind-hearted woman. You should try to get along with her."

The words were on the tip of my tongue. Would a simple, kind-hearted woman team up with her boyfriend to deceive an innocent woman?

However, I didn't say it. Exposing the truth now would be pointless.

Before my tears could fall, I left the dining room.

Once I was alone, I made a phone call. "Jamie, let's meet up."

Because I had once loved him, I wanted to see Samuel one last time before I left. So, I attended the banquet.

In the crowd, Samuel stood out with his striking handsomeness. His facial features were clean and sharp, his tall frame wrapped in an elegant dark gray suit, exuding an extraordinary presence.

Harper was there too, dressed in a wine-red wrap dress and rhinestone-studded high heels, radiating confidence and style.

"Lily, you've been married for almost two years now. Why haven't you gotten pregnant yet?"

"Well, when you hit the average life expectancy, does that mean you should go ahead and die?"

"You!" Harper was about to erupt, but her expression shifted. Her beautiful eyes softened as she spoke more gently. "Don't get so worked up. I was just concerned for you. If you can't get pregnant, Samuel won't wait for you forever. And I certainly don't have the patience for it."

I studied her every move carefully, shocked by how similar we were. Our hair color, eye color, skin tone, and even our body types were similar. Of course, my child would look like her.

My throat tightened, and with a voice nearly hoarse, I mocked her. "What gives you the right to interfere in our marriage? I'm the one who's his legal wife."

These two despicable people had played me like a fool. Before leaving, I was determined to disgust them just as much.

Sure enough, Harper's smile instantly vanished. Her fingers, clutching her wine glass, turned white from the strain. After a long pause, her hand gradually relaxed, and she set the glass down. She raised her hand.

"Take a look at my ring. What do you think?"

On her finger was a ring with a massive pear-shaped blue diamond, clearly worth a fortune.

I didn't respond, and she continued to explain smugly, "This is a gift from Samuel."

"A proposal gift?"

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and her words became halting. "What proposal? It's… It's a birthday gift."

It wasn't a birthday gift.

I had seen this ring in the Glendale family photo album before. Samuel's grandmother and mother had both worn it. It was a family heirloom passed down to the daughter-in-law of the family.

"It's beautiful." My eyes stung, and tears nearly spilled over.

"What are you two talking about?" Samuel, noticing us in conversation, walked over. He glanced at me, then at Harper, visibly relieved to see the two of us appearing cordial on the surface.

Harper smiled and wrapped her arms around Samuel's arm, her gaze brimming with love. "Samuel, I was just showing Lily the birthday gift you gave me."

As she spoke, she waved at me as if showing off.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied.

"Samuel, wasn't Lily a fashion designer before? She could design my wedding dress. I think I'll be getting married in a year or two."

Samuel glanced at me guiltily, hesitating. "Lily is busy trying to conceive and doesn't have much time. Besides, she's not exactly a top-tier designer. A wedding dress she designs wouldn't be that great. We'd be better off hiring a top-tier designer from Fluenka."

My husband and his girlfriend openly discussed me as if I weren't there, completely brazen.

Finally, I spoke up. "You two sure are close, even picking out wedding dresses together. Anyone who didn't know better might think you were having an affair!"

Harper's face turned pale in an instant. Big tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful.

"Lily, how can you say that? Apologize now!" For the first time, Samuel's usual gentleness was gone, replaced by sheer anger.