I accidentally ate the pearl in the dumplings that my husband Stephen Chandler made for June Norris, and he directly cut me open to get the pearl.

I almost died on the operating table, and he called to ask, "How is it? Have you found it? June cried herself to sleep."

His younger brother Jack was holding the pearl just taken out of my stomach and replied, "Found it. I'll bring it to you later."

After saying that, he hastily stitched up the incision on my stomach without any disinfection measures, and disgustedly took the knife and wiped the blood clean from my face.

I silently shed tears in discomfort.

A substitute could never replace the real one, and I didn't want to stand in anymore. I voluntarily disappear, but Stephen went crazy looking for me all over the world.

——

I was weakly lying on the operating table, and Stephen's younger brother Jack, who had returned from studying abroad, was holding a purple pearl in his hand and talking to Stephen on the phone.

"Brother, I found it. I will bring her back to apologize to June immediately."

Stephen's cold voice came from the receiver.

"Okay, hurry back and take care of her wound so she won't die."

The pain in my heart at this moment was a hundred times worse than the wounds on my body.

I knew my husband Stephen Chandler didn't love me, and I knew that his heart had always belonged to June Norris.

But I didn't expect that after being married to him for many years, he would betray me for a pearl.

On the way back, Stephen arranged for me to lie in the back seat of the car. He drove and mocked me, saying.

"Linda, be sensible. Just divorce and get out. Now that June is back, my brother will marry her sooner or later. If you are smart, you should take the initiative to step aside."

I weakly forced out a sarcastic smile. He clearly liked June.

However, he always thought about his brother and June. Wasn't he just another me?

However, this time I really have to get out. Huh, I would make room for her, June Norris.

When we arrived at The Chandler Family villa, Stephen impatiently opened the back door of the car and asked me with disgust, "Can you walk by yourself?"

I stood up by myself, but almost fell when getting off the car.

Jack hurriedly grabbed my arm and made a phone call with a frown.

In a short while, Alfred, the butler, came out. I was in so much pain that I couldn't straighten my back, and cold sweat kept dripping from my forehead.

Alfred hurried over to help me, while Jack went into the villa first without waiting for us.

With the help of Alfred, I moved forward step by step with great difficulty. Stephen couldn't wait any longer.

Another call came in, "Alfred, hurry her up, June will fall asleep again soon."

After hanging up the phone, Alfred looked at me hesitantly, wanting to say something but holding back. I didn't say anything and could only endure the intense pain while quickening my pace.

If I made things difficult for Stephen, then he would make things difficult for Alfred. Alfred had always taken good care of me, and I couldn't let him be punished because of me.

Finally, we arrived at the bedroom where Stephen and I used to sleep, only to find June lying on the bed of Stephen and me.

She joyfully playing with the pearl Jack dug out from my stomach.

This pearl was nothing special, but Stephen bought it when he was still a child and gave it to June.

Afterwards, it was lost by June before going abroad, and Stephen found it and kept it.

He just wanted to give June a surprise, nobody expected that I accidentally ate it.

Stephen looked at her with a doting expression, occasionally pinching her face, which was 7/10 similar to mine.

The love in his eyes seemed to overflow.

No, it should be my face that was similar to hers.

The two of them immersed themselves in their own world, seemingly completely forgetting that there were other people around.

Alfred and I stood aside, quietly watching them. Alfred could only cough to remind them, trying to get their attention.

Only then did the two of them turn their heads towards me, as if waking up from a dream. When June saw me for the first time, there was a hint of imperceptible disgust in her eyes.

But that disgust quickly disappeared, replaced by a faint smile that was hard to fathom.

After seeing me, Stephen showed a familiar displeased expression on his face. He habitually frowned, then said sternly, "Apologize to June immediately."

His voice was cold and stern, with an unquestionable sense of oppression.

I tightly bit my lip, enduring the pain in my body, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I knew that if I didn't apologize, Stephen would never let me go. He was capable of cutting me open for a pearl. He was now a stranger to me.

June forced a smile and replied, but her eyes revealed a sense of triumph as a winner.

Seeing that I apologized obediently, Stephen didn't make things difficult for me anymore.

I followed Alfred to the guest room. He said he would find a doctor to take care of my health tomorrow. After saying that, he reminded me.

"You can't touch anything made by Master Stephen from now on, got it?"

I nodded with bitterness and sadness. If it weren't for Stephen treating me so well before she appeared.

How could I dare to eat the dumplings that he personally made for June?

I was basically a substitute bought by Stephen. Our first meeting was at the hospital.

He was stunned when he saw me for the first time, murmuring and calling me "June".

Later, I learned that the "June" in his mouth was his fiancée.

At that time, my grandmother, who was dependent on me, fell seriously ill and had to spend tens of thousands of dollars every day. But as a recent graduate, I had no ability to afford it.

I worried so much every day that I couldn't sleep. My grandmother raised me all the way through college by picking up scrap materials.

But before I could earn money to let her enjoy her life, she fell seriously ill.

The turning point came on the second day after I met Stephen. He asked me to be his fiancée and hold a wedding with him.

The condition was that he would fully cover all the medical expenses for my grandmother. Her illness was like a bottomless pit, requiring continuous treatment to prolong her life.

I was completely unable to bear it, but I didn't want to leave any regrets for myself. In the end, I agreed to him.

After marriage, he treated me very well. Because of my family background, his parents looked down on me, so he didn't invite them to the wedding.

The employees of his company whispered about me, so he opened a department to vent my anger.

He never treated me badly in life. He would satisfy me with whatever I want. I could say that he compensated for many regrets in my childhood with money.

Whenever my face got a little hurt, he would be extremely nervous.

His various behaviors made me mistakenly think that he loved me very much.

But there was a room in the house that he never let me enter. Until one time, a cat I raised was kicked to death by Jack. I had a fight with him and said I would complain to his brother.

Jack sneered and sarcastically told me, "Do you think he really loves you?"

I was confused, and he grabbed my collar and dragged me into the room that Stephen never allowed me to enter.

It was a dreamlike princess room, the most dazzling thing was the whole wall covered with photos.

The girl in the photos looked a lot like me, from a happy childhood to a delicate adulthood.

The dense photos made me dizzy. Stephen coldly snorted.

"Take a good look, this is the woman my brother loves. You are standing here because you look like June. You even consider yourself as my sister-in-law? Let me tell you, you are not worthy."

Since then, I have gradually distanced myself from Stephen. He also noticed something, but he didn't say anything because he didn't need to explain to someone he didn't love.

Just a year ago, my grandmother, who had been given three more years of life, passed away without any worries.

I also decided to leave Stephen, but he wouldn't let me go. He wanted me to wait until June came back before I could leave.

I knew very well that I owed him a lot, so I could only stay.

Now, June had come back, and I had repaid what I owed him.

At night, perhaps due to an infected wound, I had a high fever. In a daze, I instinctively called Stephen.

The phone connected, and Stephen's impatient voice sounded.

"Stop calling me all the time. You're an adult. Can't you solve your own problems?"

I struggled to breathe, as if I were in a steamer. "Stephen, I... I feel really uncomfortable. Can you..."

But what came through the receiver was a complaining and soft voice.

"Linda, don't bother him anymore. He has been taking care of me all day and he is already tired. As his current wife, you should understand him."

The beep interrupted my last hope, and I felt like a bucket of cold water was poured on me. At this moment, I became slightly sober and quickly called Alfred.

Alfred arrived quickly and saw me looking like I had just come out of the water.

He was startled and immediately wanted to call Stephen. I quickly stopped him and said that I had already called.

A touch of heartache and helplessness flashed in his eyes as he silently held me and walked out.

In the car, I weakly pleaded with Alfred to go to another hospital.

Alfred hesitated for a moment, "But that hospital is farther away. I'm afraid you won't be able to hold on. The hospital near your home is only fifteen minutes away."

"It's okay, just go to the one I mentioned."

"Okay, but you must hold on. I'll drive faster."

He didn't insist anymore and stepped on the gas to speed up.

The hospital where my grandma lived was owned by The Chandler Family. The Chandler Family was powerful and influential in this city, with the ability to do whatever they want. Even if they secretly perform surgery on me, I had no choice.

I was just an ordinary commoner with no power or influence. If I went to their hospital again, I didn't know what crazy actions Stephen would take for June.

When I arrived at the hospital, it was indeed because of the infected wound. If I had come a little later, it would have caused serious organ damage.

I hadn't seen Stephen for the next few days. He may have forgotten about me, but Alfred took the time to visit me every day.

Alfred also tried to talk to him about my situation, but he always interrupted with disgust, saying he didn't want to hear about me.

Stephen remembered me a week later and took the initiative to discuss divorce with me, only to find out that I was in the hospital.

When he came to the hospital, he brought June with him. I was also recovering well and was about to be discharged.

"Linda, I didn't know you were in the hospital."

A rare sense of guilt flashed in his eyes.

June quickly hugged his arm and smiled at me, "Sorry, Linda."

"He has been keeping me company these days, so he didn't have time to check on you."

"But you also know, we grew up together since we were young, so our bond is quite strong."

After speaking, she provocatively raised her hands, which were interlocked with Stephen's ten fingers.

I pretended to be okay with it, and I casually tugged at the corner of my mouth.

With a faint smile, I said, "It's okay. We're getting divorced anyway, so you two can be together openly in the future."

My voice was calm, but my heart was filled with pain and unwillingness.

Stephen's eyes flickered with a trace of complex emotions when he heard me say this sentence with an indifferent tone.

Then he said, "I will compensate you enough to ensure that you will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life."