My childhood sweetheart, Samuel Burton, once promises that he will marry me the moment we graduate from college.

But on our wedding day, he shows up late. When we finally find him, he's tangled in bed with my stepsister, Vivian Holcomb, in a hotel room.

In front of everyone, Ethan Fuller, the heir to the wealthiest family, steps forward and boldly declares that I am the one he has secretly loved for years.

Five years into our marriage, he remembers every little thing I say, and I truly believe I am the person he cares about most.

Until one day, when I'm doing housework and accidentally find a confidential folder hidden deep in his desk drawer.

The very first page is Vivian's resume.

On it is his own handwriting. He has written, "Priority. Above everything else."

Behind it is a hospital operations report I have never seen before.

The date matches the night of my car accident.

I was rushed to a hospital owned by Fuller Group, yet no surgeon ever came. By the time I woke up, the baby I'm carrying was gone because I had lost too much blood.

I cried in Ethan's arms until my voice broke, but I never told him the full truth. I didn't want him to worry even more.

But now I finally know. Vivian was also injured that night, and the order Ethan sent to the hospital was— "Pull every specialist available. Treat Vivian first."

My tears soak into the page, blurring the ink. "If I'm not your top priority, I'll disappear from your life then."

After arranging everything for my departure, I hung up the phone and slipped the confidential file back where it belonged.

Outside the door, a familiar hint of tobacco drifted in.

I looked up and realized it was Ethan Fuller, my husband.

He walked in, the cold from the night still clinging to his suit.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, and his warm breath brushed against my neck. His voice was low and gentle, just like always.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about my new jewelry auction." I smiled, forcing my tone to sound light and normal.

He rested his head on my shoulder, his fingers gliding through my hair. "Honey, you've stayed up too many nights for this auction. I hired a world-class nutrition consultant for you. She'll be here tomorrow."

In the five years we had been married, Ethan had spoiled me in every way imaginable.

I hated the cold, so he kept warmers in his pockets at all times. I was afraid of the dark, so he never turned off the lights until after I fell asleep.

Everyone envied me. They said the cold, untouchable heir of the Fuller family never lowered his pride for anyone, except me. They said it so many times that even I believed it.

It was only tonight that I finally understood that his so-called love was nothing more than a cover for the person he truly wanted to protect.

"By the way," he murmured casually, placing a trail of soft kisses along the back of my neck. "Your parents invited me to a dinner party to celebrate Vivian's pregnancy."

He paused, then added lightly, "I put her in charge of your auction. You don't need to go. I'll bring a gift on your behalf and come home early to keep you company."

It hit me with a cold shock, as if the world had suddenly gone numb.

That charity jewelry auction was something I had built from the ground up over three years as a designer. I handled every design, every plan, and every guest invitation myself.

On the surface, it was a glamorous charity event. In reality, it was an irreplaceable network I had painstakingly built for Fuller Group.

I had poured my heart and soul into it. And now… he was giving it away.

I steadied my voice, trying to keep it from shaking. "Why? This is my showcase event. Everything is ready. The board already approved it—"

He cut me off gently, "I talked to the board. Vivian will handle the rest. She's been struggling with morning sickness and is in a bad mood. Letting her run the auction will be a nice distraction. You can use the time to rest and take care of yourself."

I lowered my gaze, hiding how shattered I felt inside. He had turned my years of work into her pastime.

But he didn't even notice my pain. He continued, "Your birthday is the day after tomorrow. I've already planned a surprise for you. And since you've been spending so many days alone at home, I brought you a new companion. It's downstairs in the living room."

His tone brightened like he expected praise. "It's a very sweet cat. I know how much you love animals."

A cat? I loved animals, all except cats.

I was severely allergic to cat fur. There was no way Ethan didn't know that.

Once, during a business meeting after we married, a client brought her pet cat. The cat brushed against my hand, and within minutes, red welts spread across my skin, and my chest tightened.

Ethan, who was always composed and controlled, completely panicked.

He called my name in a shaking voice and scooped me up without a second thought. He even forgot about the client entirely.

In the waiting room, he kept pressing the doctor. "Is she in danger? Can you treat her right now? If she needs blood, take mine!"

The doctor was so startled that he kept reassuring Ethan that I would be fine.

Even after my allergic reaction had settled, Ethan stayed by my side the entire night without sleeping.

But now, he was giving me a cat?

I thought of the confidential report I had found earlier. Vivian's favorite thing in the world was cats. This gift wasn't meant for me at all.

I forced a small smile. "Thank you, but it's okay. I'm not sure I can take good care of it. Can you clear your schedule on my birthday? I planned something, and I'd really like you to spend the day with me."

He nodded and whispered against my ear, warm and gentle, "Of course. Whatever you want, honey."

That night, I couldn't sleep.

Ethan held me tightly, and I carefully slipped out of his arms to get some air on the balcony.

At that moment, something slid out of the pocket of his pajama top.

I bent down and picked it up. It was a small perfume bottle.

I opened the cap, and a familiar scent drifted out. I had smelled it on Vivian before.

People constantly asked her what perfume she used. She would only smile mysteriously and say it was a "sweet little secret".

So this was it. Ethan had a custom fragrance made just for her.

Right then, I felt my heart go completely cold.

On my birthday, I would give Ethan the only gift he truly wanted. I would disappear from his life forever.

Early the next morning, Ethan was in the walk-in closet adjusting his tie.

I finished putting on my lipstick and said casually, "I'm going with you to the celebration dinner tonight."

His hand paused on the tie, and our eyes met in the mirror.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly slipped back into his usual gentle tone. "Of course. Just remember there'll be a crowd. I don't want you getting tired. We'll drop off the gift and leave early."

I nodded lightly, fully aware of what this meant. This was the last social event I would ever attend as his wife.

…

The Schmidt family's ballroom glowed with bright lights, and celebrities from across the city gathered to celebrate Vivian.

I slipped into a corner with a glass of champagne to avoid the crowd, but I couldn't avoid the endless praise showered on her.

"Ms. Holcomb, the new jewelry designs for the auction are absolutely brilliant. Any one of them could fetch a sky-high price!"

"It's an honor to attend the auction you're hosting. It's going to be a massive success."

Vivian basked in the attention, grinning so wide she could barely contain herself.

"Oh, please. I'm just doing it for fun…"

When her eyes landed on me, a flash of guilt flickered there, but it vanished almost instantly. She said loudly, "Laurel, you look awful. Are you still bothered about the auction? Relax. Just leave it to me. You stay home and try not to mess things up."

I ignored her and looked at the big screen, which displayed sketches of the jewelry designs.

The moment I saw them, my heart clenched. They were mine.

Every sketch in that collection was something I had refined over countless nights. I had never shown them to anyone and planned to debut them at the auction and steal the spotlight.

Yet now, every one of them had Vivian's name printed on it.

Vivian walked close and leaned toward my ear. "Laurel, do you like my designs? When the Fuller Group board gives me my cut of the profits, try not to get too jealous."

My hands curled into fists, shaking with fury.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she suddenly staggered backward and fell.

She clutched her stomach as she let out a piercing scream. "Ah! Laurel, why did you push me?"

She sat on the floor sobbing, instantly pulling everyone's attention toward us.

"What happened?"

"Vivian's pregnant! How could you push her?"

"Call a doctor!"

Chaos erupted. Just then, a tall figure rushed through the crowd and carefully lifted Vivian into his arms.

It was Ethan. He didn't spare me a single glance, as if I no longer existed in his world.

Instead, he soothed Vivian gently. "Are you okay?"

She leaned against him, voice soft and trembling. "It hurts… Ethan…"

He finally looked at me. The warmth I once knew was gone, replaced entirely by disappointment.

His tone was soft, but it cut deeper than any accusation. "Laurel, if you're upset about something, we can talk at home. You didn't need to do something this cruel."

I could barely hear him.

I just stared at him and asked softly, "Ethan, tell me. Why does she have my jewelry design sketches?"

He froze for a moment before looking away, pretending not to understand. "Maybe it's just a coincidence. She likes jewelry too. You're sisters. It's normal for you two to have similar ideas."

Coincidence? All my design files were encrypted. Ethan and I were the only two people who knew the password.

The truth hit me like a slap—he betrayed me.

That entire collection was meant to be a gift for our fifth anniversary. I wanted to show him that I wasn't just an accessory in his life, but a woman capable of standing beside the heir to the richest family in the country.

Now it had been stolen and used as a weapon against me.

I suddenly laughed, my eyes burning and my nose stinging. That was when he panicked.

Ethan handed Vivian to the medical staff and rushed toward me, gripping my hand tightly. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? It's too chaotic here. Let me take you home."

I inhaled deeply, forcing back my tears. "Okay."

His expression eased with relief.

I kept the same calm smile and added, "But I don't want to go home. Tomorrow is my birthday. I want you to go with me to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise."

The drive up the mountain was silent.

Ethan's warm hand rested over mine as he said gently, "I hired your favorite five-star chef. Whatever you want for your birthday dinner, he can make it."

He paused, his gaze softening. "Once things settle down, we should think about having a baby. You've always said you love kids."

I didn't respond. I just watched the scenery blur past the window.

He didn't know that we could have had a child long ago. But that little angel died because of the order he personally gave to the hospital staff.

We hadn't driven far from the banquet when his personal phone rang.

He answered the call, spoke softly, then turned back to me with an apologetic expression. "There's an urgent issue at the company. I need to go back and handle it myself."

I nodded calmly. "Go ahead. Work comes first."

He looked taken aback, as if wanting to explain. "Laurel, I…"

"It's fine. Go," I said with a small smile, nudging his arm. "I'll wait for you at the top. You promised to watch the sunrise with me, remember?"

I climbed the mountain alone.

The wind was icy. My phone's bright screen felt harsh in the darkness.

Vivian had posted a new update.

In the photo, she was wearing a hospital gown, sitting on a bench with a pitiful look as she held her stomach.

The caption read, "Tonight was terrifying. Poor me, getting pushed while pregnant. Thank goodness the baby is fine! But someone dropped everything to rush here and stay with me. I don't even know how to thank him."

I recognized the blurred silhouette beside her instantly.

It was Ethan.

I called him. The phone rang for a long time before Vivian picked up. "Hello? Laurel? Ethan's busy. He's talking to the doctor about my condition."

Her voice was dripping with pride. "You have no idea how much he cares about me. Once, I tripped but told him I was hit by a car. In less than ten minutes, Ethan called every specialist in the hospital to me!

"Even the surgeon who was supposed to perform an emergency operation had to come check my foot first. Do you think you could ever compare to me?"

Her sharp, triumphant laugh echoed through the speaker.

But all I felt was my blood turning cold.

How could I not know about the night she mentioned?

That was the night I lost my child. The "delayed emergency operation" they never performed was mine. And all of it happened because of a lie she made up on a whim.

My hand trembled as I ended the call.

I waited the entire night. It was long enough for darkness to swallow the mountains and the hours to drag by without end.

As sunrise approached, Ethan still hadn't shown up.

I told the driver beside me, "You can go back first."

He hesitated. "Mrs. Fuller, aren't you coming with me?"

I shook my head softly. "I just want to stay here a little while and get some fresh air."

He seemed unsure, but remembering who I was, he finally left.

I walked forward slowly, staring at the dull gray sky.

I recalled his sweet words, his embraces, and his promises…

Memory after memory drifted through my mind, but none stirred anything in me. Compared to his "Priority above everything" for Vivian, they felt like a joke.

When the first trace of sunlight broke through the clouds, I dialed his number one last time.

This time, his phone was turned off.

I stared at the screen and scheduled a timed email to be sent to him.

Inside, I attached three things.

First, a photo of the hospital order stating, "Prioritize treatment for Vivian."

Second, a medical report confirming my miscarriage due to delayed treatment.

And third, an audio recording of Vivian admitting she lied about being hit by a car.

Once it was done, I looked at the sunrise spreading across the horizon. Without hesitation, I stepped forward and jumped.

…

At the hospital, Ethan was preparing to leave.

Vivian reached out to stop him, her voice weak. "Ethan, stay with me a little longer, please?"

He shook his head firmly. "No. Today is Laurel's birthday. I promised to watch the sunrise with her. I have to go find her."

Just then, his assistant, Thomas Walters, rushed in. He was pale and frantic as he exclaimed, "Mr. Fuller, something terrible happened! Mrs. Fuller jumped off the cliff!"