After the car accident, one of the Laurent heiresses has died, while the other lives.

The moment my religious wife, Amelia Laurent, opens her eyes in the hospital, she addresses me as her brother-in-law. Then, she claims that her older sister, Penelope Laurent's soul has possessed her body.

I quickly get all the doctors and priests I can find, hoping to swap Penelope's soul out for Amelia's. That is, until I overhear Amelia's conversation with our daughter, Charlotte Robinson, at night.

"Mom, you've had a crush on Uncle Samuel for so many years, and you've even gone into abstinence by staying in the monastery for years. Now, you can finally be with him in the open."

Amelia pats Charlotte on the head. "If it wasn't for the need to prevent your father from ruining Samuel's relationship back then, I wouldn't have married your father in the first place."

As I struggle to register the truth from the shadows, I witness what happens next after Charlotte leaves the ward.

Amelia, who has always prided herself on her composure and restraint; who has practiced abstinence for seven long years for the sake of her religion, proceeds to be physically intimate with Samuel Bennett—a fresh widower—on the cramped hospital bed.

The next day, I apply for Amelia's death certificate immediately before burning our marriage certificate.

On the day Amelia throws a grand proposal banquet for Samuel, I board the helicopter that has flown over to pick me up.

But strangely enough, Amelia tears through the streets while chasing after the helicopter.

Lying in bed, Samuel Bennett spotted me through the gap in the curtains. In a low voice, he called out to Amelia Laurent beneath him, "Penny."

When Amelia heard that, she moved more aggressively. "Call me Amy."

Samuel grinned at me smugly and kept calling out Amelia's name. The Amelia thrashing on the bed looked nothing like the cold, aloof woman who had pushed me away every day for the past seven years.

I pressed my hands tightly over my ears, but the moans from the hospital bed still reached me, and my heart ached with every sound.

They continued throughout the entire night and finally drifted into a deep sleep as dawn broke. My body was cold and stiff as I shuffled out of the hospital room.

…

I returned to the Laurent residence.

My daughter, Charlotte Robinson, was having breakfast. Seeing how devastated I looked, she said flatly, "You're always moping around. Even looking at you irritates me. Where were you last night?"

Charlotte looked a lot like Amelia, almost like a smaller version of her.

She continued, "Mom just passed away. You should stay at the Laurent residence and stop running around all day. If someone catches you on camera, it'll ruin the Laurent family's image."

Ever since she could speak, she had spent every day by Amelia's side in the chapel. I never expected her to pick up Amelia's way of speaking so completely.

Normally, seeing her so serious only made me think that she was mature. But that day, when I studied her face carefully, I noticed the disgust in her eyes as she looked at me.

A sense of bitterness settled over me. I felt like I had completely failed as a father over the past seven years.

I said numbly, "I came back to get the documents to process the death certificate."

Charlotte's face brightened, and her tone turned cheerful. "Dad, you've finally come to your senses!"

I forced a slight smile. "Even if I hadn't, what difference would it make? You've all already made up your minds."

She lowered her head, looking a little guilty. "No matter what, you're still the Laurent family's son-in-law."

I let out a mocking laugh.

When I first followed Penelope Laurent to the Laurent residence seven years ago, I was overjoyed.

Back then, a rush swept over me after I drank the glass of wine Samuel had given me. When I woke up the next morning, I found myself in Amelia's bed. Even so, I was thrilled, thinking that fate was giving us another chance.

But I never expected Amelia to glare at me with contempt and say, "I never thought you'd have the nerve to pull something like this."

Even though she married me later on, she never once treated me with any warmth.

She told me coldly, "From now on, you're the Laurent family's son-in-law, but don't expect anything more than that."

Only now did I realize that she hated me for taking away her chance to be with the man she truly loved. Marrying me was the last thing she could do for Samuel.

To get back at me, she moved into the chapel the day after our wedding. For the past seven years, no matter how hard I tried to get close to her, nothing I did could ever move her.

After completing Amelia's death certificate, I stopped by to get her photo printed as a memorial portrait.

When I got back to the Laurent residence, I unexpectedly ran into Amelia, who was bringing Samuel home. Two rosy-cheeked children trailed behind them. The four of them looked every bit like a real family.

When Samuel noticed me, he put on a shy expression that irritated me. "Penny can't bear to be apart from me and didn't want to stay in the hospital, so she brought me home to recover."

The two of them gazed at each other tenderly. It wasn't until I was nearly sick to my stomach that Amelia finally asked, "Where did you go?"

I held up the photo and smiled brightly. "I went and had a memorial portrait printed for Amy."

They looked at the photo in my hand, and their expressions changed.

Amelia reacted the most, her expression turning dark. "Matthew Robinson! What are you doing? First, you brought in a doctor and a priest, and now you're printing a memorial portrait."

I said, "Penelope, Amelia is dead. You wouldn't refuse to give her a funeral, would you? By the way, when will the funeral be held? When are we picking up her ashes?"

My questions left Amelia speechless.

Just then, Charlotte, who had been standing behind Amelia, rushed forward. She pushed me to the ground with all her strength, snatched the photo, and tore it to pieces.

She cried as she said, "I don't want to see Mom's photo. I don't want to!"

Seeing this, Amelia pulled Charlotte into her arms. Amelia said coldly, "Matthew, this is the last time I'll tolerate your nonsense. If it happens again, pack your things and leave the Laurent residence."

Charlotte shot Amelia a smug look, and Amelia met it with an approving smile. Neither of them realized that I had a clear view of the whole exchange from where I was.

Amelia and Charlotte were every bit mother and daughter. Their act was flawless.

I didn't want to stay at the Laurent residence any longer.

I ignored the scrapes on my palms and stumbled to my room. After rummaging through my things, I found a long-forgotten SIM card tucked inside the lining of my suitcase.

I inserted it into my phone and turned it on. Thousands of messages flooded in at once.

I called the only contact saved on the card—Zoey Parker. "Zoey, I want to come home."

On the other end, Zoey's voice was hoarse and edged with disbelief. "Matthew? You've really become bold, running off without saying a single word. I've been worried about you all these years, searching everywhere for you. I was so afraid that—"

I cut her off. "Zoey, I'm in Silverford. Come pick me up and take me home."

"Okay. I'll be in Silverford in three days," Zoey replied.

After hanging up, I sat in a daze for a long time, staring at the head of the bed. The only thing hanging on the wall was my wedding photo. It was the only picture I had of Amelia and me.

Over the past seven years, I could never understand how the young woman I had once pulled from the river—the one who had sat on the riverbank with me, drinking and laughing—had turned into someone so cold.

I opened the frame of the wedding photo, and another photo slipped out. I picked it up and saw that it was the other half of a picture, showing Samuel in a suit, grinning brightly.

My hands trembled as I aligned his half with mine. They matched perfectly, which explained why Amelia had chosen this particular photo to print.

On the back of the photo, it read, "In this life, no one else deserves to stand beside me but you."

Tears streamed down my face. I gripped the photo tightly, wanting to find Amelia and demand an answer regardless of the consequences.

I barged into the chapel and froze at its emptiness. Only then did I remember that she didn't need to keep up the act of being distant and devout anymore.

I tore the chapel apart in a frenzy. When I lifted one of the cushions, I found a hidden compartment packed with photos of Samuel.

Samuel stood behind me and scoffed. "You finally found out."

I stared at him, stunned. "So you knew all along."

He laughed dismissively. "Are you talking about Amy pretending to be Penny, or about these photos?"

He went on, clearly pleased with himself. "These pictures she had worked so hard to find were all carefully taken by me for her. Every single image has her mark on it."

He looked at me smugly, as if I were a clown—the kind who had worn all sorts of revealing outfits to the chapel over the years, only to be ruthlessly kicked out by Amelia every time.

He continued, "Every time you left after trying to seduce her, she would look at these photos and…"

My stomach turned.

Samuel kept smiling the whole time. I lunged at him, but he shoved me down before I could land a hit.

He twirled a lighter between his fingers. "If the chapel caught fire, do you think Amy would save you or these photos?"

He flicked the lighter open, ignited the photo in his hand, and dropped it in front of me. Then he turned around and shut the door behind him.

The chapel was built separately from the villa and was entirely made of wood. The flames instantly spread through it.

I scrambled up and yanked at the door in panic, but someone had locked it from the outside. Thick smoke stung my eyes until I could barely open them. I kept backing away, retreating into a corner where the fire hadn't reached.

Just as I thought I was going to die in there, the door burst open. Samuel and Amelia rushed in together.

I looked at Amelia with pleading eyes. When she saw me lying on the ground, her gaze flickered. But as the flames were about to reach the cushion, she picked it up without hesitation and turned to leave.

Watching her walk away, I finally gave up on her.

Samuel shouted immediately, "Penny, save Matthew!"

He stomped his foot in frustration, then charged into the flames. Just as he got close to me, he shot me a mocking smile, then raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

A loud crack rang out as he fell to the ground. I stared at him in disbelief.

Hearing the sound, Amelia tossed the cushion out the door, then turned and lifted Samuel into her arms. She glared at me with pure hatred. "Since you don't want to leave the fire, just stay here!"

She ordered the panicked housekeepers, who were fetching water, "Don't put out the fire. Wait until he decides to come out and calls for you, then you can help."

I smiled bitterly and closed my eyes. I had stayed by her side for seven years, yet I still meant less than those photos.

…

I didn't die.

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp smell of disinfectant hit me. Meeting Charlotte's red, swollen eyes, I felt both relieved and regretful.

Amelia's eyes were bloodshot, and exhaustion was written all over her face. "Matthew, if you want to die, go find somewhere quiet and do it on your own. Don't drag others down with you. Sam was kind enough to go in after you, but you almost got him killed."

I gave a mocking smile.

Amelia snapped, "What are you laughing at? He's still unconscious next door from the shock. You have to apologize to him later!"

Charlotte's voice broke as she spoke. "Dad, you were playing with fire and put everyone at risk. Uncle Samuel tried to save you, but you knocked him down. You really do owe him an apology."

This time, I couldn't hold it back and laughed out loud. "Penelope, Charlotte, so you've been waiting at my bedside just to make me apologize?"

Amelia was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, a nurse came over and said that Samuel was awake. The two of them rushed out to the next room.

I slowly closed my eyes and let the tears slide down.

Three days feels like such a long time.

Before I could open my eyes, Amelia yanked me up. "Sam is blaming himself for your injuries and crying over it. Go and explain things to him!"

When a piece of wood had fallen in the fire, I had instinctively raised my arm to block it, injuring myself. Now, as she gripped my burned arm tightly, the pain made me flinch instinctively.

She frowned. "What are you doing?"

I looked up at her sadly. "Penelope, I'm not doing anything. I just wanted to follow Amelia into death. Is that not allowed?"

Her grip loosened slightly, and there seemed to be a trace of hesitation in her eyes.

Just then, Samuel's son, Jonathan Bennett, came running in, crying. "Something's wrong. Dad passed out from crying."

Hearing his words, Amelia dragged me along ruthlessly. The bandages on my arms and legs tore loose, scraping my wounds against the floor, but she ignored them.

She hauled me to Samuel's bedside and forced me onto my knees. "If Sam doesn't wake up, you'll have to stay on your knees until he sees that you're fine and forgives you."

The burns on my arms and legs seared with pain, but no matter how bad they were, they couldn't compare to the pain in my heart.

Samuel lay on the bed with his eyes shut, his eyelids twitching faintly.

I shouted in resignation, "Samuel, I'm sorry!"

My voice was loud enough to draw a crowd from the hallway, and only then did Samuel slowly stir awake.

I looked up. "Penelope, may I go back to my bed for treatment now?"

Amelia stared at the blood on the floor, frowning in silence. Charlotte was already looking at me with undisguised contempt.

Under Samuel's smug gaze, I braced myself and crawled out of the room.

Just as I reached the doorway, I heard him speak in a soft, coaxing tone. "Penny, Matthew's wounds look pretty bad. I'm a little scared."

Because of his words, they moved me to a general ward downstairs, saying that the private rooms were full.

In the end, I was placed in the hallway of the ward.

Throughout the night, I listened to the coughing of the patients in the hallway, my body burning with pain as I waited for dawn.