I wiped away Rhian's tears and said softly, "There's no need to keep looking. I already know who it is. And as for the uterus transplant, they would never agree."
Samuel's words earlier had been persuasive, almost enough to influence someone who wasn't paying attention. But he missed one crucial detail.
I am no longer the woman who catered to his every preference.
He told me I smelled good today, that I made him react.
Yet the perfume I wore was Empty Valley Orchid, the scent he despised most.
In my first life, I only bought it by accident, some time after we got married. When I leaned in to hug him back then, he pushed me away immediately.
Pinching his nose with a look of pure disgust, he snapped, "It reeks. And with that pregnant smell of yours, it makes me want to vomit. Do not ever wear it again."
So the person who aroused him today was not me. It never could have been.
"Why wouldn't they agree?" Rhian demanded. "They get to marry the person they love and have their own kid. Why wouldn't they want that? Are they stupid?"
I smiled quietly and placed the two photos side by side on the table.
Rhian looked at the picture of Samuel and me and rolled her eyes in annoyance. But as she examined the photos, her expression changed. Confusion disappeared, replaced by surprise, which then turned into shock, and by the end, she looked utterly horrified.
"Holy crap. Don't tell me it's what I'm thinking," Rhian blurted.
I replied, "It's exactly what you're thinking."
If Samuel hadn't tried to use that first photo to evoke my emotions, I might not have looked at the photo wall so carefully. And if my mind hadn't been clearer in this life, I might not have noticed the second photograph hidden away in a neglected corner.
The scene was the same. The angle was different. And the meaning completely changed.
Back then, the tenderness in Samuel's eyes had not been directed at me. He'd been looking past me, at the person standing behind me.
Later, when I paid someone to retrieve the surveillance footage from that day, it became even clearer. The moment Samuel reacted earlier, that same person was only a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall.
No wonder he insisted that either Rhian or I must carry his child.
With that revelation, everything finally made sense.
A sudden knock on the door pulled us both from our thoughts.
A striking man stood outside, dressed in a tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses. His refined features hinted at a quiet danger in his presence.
Rhian grabbed my arm and pinched it repeatedly, her eyes sparkling. "Oh my god. He's so handsome! Who is he? And why does he look like you?"
The man stepped toward me with a warm gaze and extended his hand. "You must be Leslie. I am Elliot. Your older brother."
It was only then that I realized I was not alone in this world after all.
My brother wanted to take me home immediately, but I explained my plan thoroughly. I needed to stay until everything was settled. Only then would I leave with him.
After Elliot left, Rhian stared at me in disbelief. "Girl, your brother is extremely powerful. Even if you break off the wedding, nothing is going to happen to you. Why not just leave with him?"
I continued looking through wedding dresses and gave a small smile. "Because Samuel needs to pay for what he did to us."
Rhian was quiet for a long moment.
Then, she suddenly threw her arms around me, hugging me tight. "That is righteous. I have decided. I am taking a blood oath with you. Sworn sisters, ride-or-die."
I pushed her away with a grimace, though I couldn't stop myself from laughing.
"No blood oath. I am scared of pain. But sworn sisters work."
She clapped her hands excitedly. "Then I am staying a few more days. I want to watch that bastard crash and burn with my own eyes."
When the wedding day finally arrived, the ceremony had not even begun.
Samuel kept tugging at his tie, irritation visible on every line of his face. His eyes kept drifting toward the entrance, and each time he looked, his disappointment grew deeper.
Acting as if I hadn't noticed, I handed him a glass of red wine. "Nervous? Have a drink and calm down."
He downed it immediately and muttered a strained thank you.
It didn't take long before he began to sway, clearly dizzy.
As he stumbled, I reached out and steadied him.
"Let's get you to the suite upstairs to rest for a bit," I said gently. "We still have plenty of time."
By the time we reached the corner of the hallway, Samuel was already too disoriented to think clearly. He didn't notice at all that the bride next to him, wearing the same wedding gown, had been switched out.
I paused long enough to watch the two of them wrapped around each other as they entered the suite. A slow smile curved my lips.
'Samuel, enjoy this moment with your sweetheart. Because very soon, you will become the biggest joke in all of Harbor City.'
