Molly glanced down at the orange I had abruptly stuffed into her hands, and her face immediately turned pale as a sheet.

Not even half a second later, she clutched her stomach and began to retch uncontrollably. Covering her mouth and nose, she fled in a panic.

My stepmother, realizing something was amiss, froze in place for a moment before rushing after her.

I smiled knowingly at my father. "Congratulations, Dad."

He looked utterly baffled, like a monk hearing riddles. Without explaining further, I picked up my packed belongings and walked out without looking back.

—

When Jared heard I’d gone to my family home, he immediately drove over to find me.

"Are you okay, sweetheart? Did that woman give you trouble?" He held my hand, genuine concern etched into his expression.

He was referring to my stepmother.

Three years ago, when she first moved into the Lewis household, she deliberately scalded me with hot coffee to assert her dominance.

When Jared found out, his eyes turned red with anger. He not only had her threatened in private but also showed up at my house the next day to deliver a stern warning in person.

From then on, my stepmother and Jared became mortal enemies. She’d often mutter under her breath that we wouldn’t last, cursing him to grow old alone, doomed to a life of solitude.

Thinking about it now, I found it all rather amusing.

If my stepmother ever discovered that her beloved daughter was tangled up with Jared—and pregnant with his child—what kind of expression would she wear?

"What’s on your mind, sweetheart? Did she bully you again?"

I shook my head, assuring him it was nothing. Only then did he relax, his tense face softening with relief.

On the way back, Jared’s phone buzzed incessantly with calls and messages.

I already knew it was Molly. She’d sent me a message earlier as well.

[I’ll give you three days to leave Jared. Otherwise, I’ll release my videos with him online and ruin his reputation!]

I laughed coldly and replied. [What you’re saying doesn’t affect me. If you want to marry him, talk to Jared yourself, dear sister.]

After sending that, I saw her typing a reply, but no message came through. She remained silent, undoubtedly panicked.

She must have realized that I had recognized her. Previously, she’d intentionally blurred her face in those videos she sent me. But what she hadn’t anticipated was that I’d catch them red-handed in public.

Jared kept stealing glances at his phone, but with me sitting next to him, he didn’t dare pick it up.

I graciously reminded him, "You should answer it. It could be something important."

Awkwardly, he chuckled before finally pressing the button on his headset.

"Hello? What is it?"

His tone was curt, tinged with annoyance.

From the other end, Molly’s pitiful and helpless voice came through, audible in my headset as well.

"Jared, my mom found out I’m pregnant. She’s forcing me to get married, or she’ll make me get rid of the baby! What should I do?"

Hearing this, Jared’s focus wavered, and he nearly rear-ended the car in front of us.

He slammed on the brakes, his arm instinctively reaching out to shield me. Clearly shaken, he quickly apologized.

"I’m so sorry, sweetheart. There’s an urgent issue at work that I need to take care of immediately."

He dropped me off halfway home, hailing a taxi and watching as I drove off before reluctantly turning back.

But I didn’t return home. Instead, I went to the cemetery to visit my grandmother.

I sat by her grave and spoke with her for a long time, pouring out everything that had been weighing on my heart.

As the sky darkened, I finally composed myself, tidied up the area, and quietly left.

On my way home, Annie video-called me, her expression unusually serious.

“Are we still best friends? How long were you planning to keep this from me?”

Seeing her stern look, I was caught off guard. Had she somehow found out about my agreement to participate in Professor Davis’s time capsule experiment?

“I...” I stuttered.

Before I could figure out how to explain, Annie bombarded me with a flurry of words.

“I know your marriage was inevitable, but how could you not tell me about something as important as being pregnant? Lia, I’m your best friend!”

Pregnant? Me?

Annie’s face was full of grievances, while I was completely confused.

It turned out that one of her friends had seen Jared accompanying Molly to the hospital for a check-up that night and mistook her for me.

Ever since I started dating Jared, Molly had been copying my style of dressing and grooming. Given it was late at night and dimly lit, it wasn’t surprising they’d gotten it wrong.

I chuckled softly but didn’t bother to clarify.

—

Countdown: Day Four

At eight in the evening, a video of Jared accompanying his "girlfriend" to a prenatal check-up was suddenly released online by the paparazzi.

The news spread like wildfire, with headlines claiming that Jared and I were about to get married.

Looking visibly anxious, Jared rushed to explain himself to me.

“Sweetheart, it’s not what you think. She’s just an employee. She wasn’t feeling well that day, so I gave her a ride. That’s all.”

I ignored him, focusing instead on packing my things. Tomorrow was the first pre-test for entering the capsule.

To prevent any external interference, Professor Davis had gone to great lengths to create a humanoid replica of me. On the day I officially entered the time capsule, the replica would be used in a staged "traffic accident" to fake my death.

Seeing me neither crying nor angry, Jared grew visibly flustered.

He shuffled closer to me but hesitated to get too near.

I couldn’t help but find it ironic. The ever-composed Jared, always so confident in matters of love, now looked uneasy and unsure.

“Sweetheart, please don’t stay silent. If you’re upset, hit me. Do whatever you want to punish me, as long as it makes you feel better.”

Expressionless, I walked onto the balcony and answered Annie’s call.

She said she needed to talk to me urgently and asked me to come downstairs.

I went down and looked around but couldn’t find her.

As I pulled out my phone to call her back, the night sky suddenly lit up with bursts of fireworks.

I turned to see Jared holding a bouquet of flowers, kneeling on one knee to propose.

At that moment, Annie and a group of friends appeared out of nowhere, surrounding us with cheerful laughter.

Everyone started chanting excitedly, “Say yes! Say yes!”

All around us were the paintings Jared had created for me over the years, arranged beautifully under twinkling lights, creating a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

I had to admit, this was the proposal I’d dreamed of—romantic and heartfelt.

He held out a dazzling diamond ring, his hands trembling slightly as he offered it to me. His eyes, filled with deep affection and nervous anticipation, locked onto mine.

“Lia, I’ve made up my mind. Tonight, I’m officially proposing to you. Will you marry me?”

I froze, my throat tightening, and my nose stinging with emotion.

“...I will.”

As soon as I said those words, relief and pure joy spread across Jared’s face.

He carefully slipped the ring onto my finger, his eyes misting over as he kissed the back of my hand.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he stood and pulled me into a tight embrace.

At that moment, all our friends surrounded us, celebrating with cheers and laughter.

Reflecting on our three years together, it felt like a dream to finally reach this milestone. Marrying Jared and building a home of our own had always been my ultimate goal.

But there was something he still didn’t know.

That wedding... I wouldn’t be able to attend it after all.

Jared’s sudden proposal had completely derailed Molly’s carefully laid plans. That night, she dropped all pretense, screaming at me through voice messages, trying to provoke me with video clips of her and Jared.

I paid her no mind, replying with just one sentence. [Be careful not to stress the baby.]

Countdown: Day Three

Early in the morning, Jared was brimming with excitement as he dragged me to try on wedding dresses. While we were busy planning, Molly unexpectedly showed up, throwing herself into my arms and calling me “sister.”

Jared’s face darkened instantly. He yanked her away from me and pulled her aside, his voice low but furious, as if facing an imminent threat.

“I’ve warned you to stay away from Lia. What do you think you’re doing now?”

Molly wrenched her wrist free from his grip, feigning the look of a wounded deer. She quickly darted behind me, clutching my wrist with her delicate hands. Her voice was soft and pitiful.

“Sis, tell him. Tell him what we really are to each other.”

She looked at me, then at Jared, whose expression had grown even colder. A triumphant smirk flickered across her face.

I remained composed, brushing her hand off lightly. Turning to Jared, I said, “Oh, I forgot to mention—she’s my half-sister.”

My words stunned him. He had no idea about my connection to her.

I’d always kept my distance from my biological family. As for Jared, he’d only met my stepmother once, during their infamous altercation years ago. He had no reason to know about Molly until now.

Shock registered on his face, but it was quickly overshadowed by the rising storm of hatred in his gaze toward her—sharp and icy as a blade. Even so, he forced himself to suppress his rage in front of me, managing a strained, awkward smile.

“...You’ve never mentioned having a sister before.”

I replied nonchalantly, “According to the household registry, I’m an only child.”

Years ago, when I discovered the truth about my father’s relationship with Molly’s mother, I distanced myself from that cold, loveless house. If not for my grandmother, I would have changed my surname too.

As for Molly, despite her many attempts to feign closeness and curry favor with me, I’d never considered her family. I saw no reason to bring her up in front of Jared.

Just then, a shop assistant approached with a wedding dress for me to try on.

“Go on, try it,” Jared said, eager to dissolve the tension. He picked out his favorite dress and handed it to me.

Before I could take it, Molly snatched it from his hands.

“Sis, this dress is so beautiful! Can I try it on?” she asked.

Jared’s gaze turned icy, but I merely smiled indifferently.

“Suit yourself.”

Molly beamed triumphantly, clutching the dress as she skipped off to the fitting room.

As she disappeared, Jared clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white. But when he turned back to me, he forced a guilty smile.

“That dress wasn’t all that nice anyway, sweetheart. How about you try this one instead?”

At that moment, my phone rang. Seeing it was Professor Davis, I seized the opportunity. Handing the wedding dress back to Jared, I smiled apologetically.

“Sorry, I need to take this.”

Jared froze, the dress still in his hands, as I stepped out without a backward glance.