"I beg you, let me divorce her. I won't stand in the way of her first love's son inheriting anything—I just want my children to live."
Tears streamed down my mother-in-law's face as she whispered,
"Back then, it was only to repay your father's sacrifice that I agreed to take you in as my godson. But it was Helena who confessed to you, who proposed—she loved you so much. How did it come to this? That bastard Lucian ruined everything! If he hadn't returned..."
I laughed bitterly. Yes... how had my childhood sweetheart, the girl who blushed at our coming-of-age ceremony and swore to love me forever—who vowed she'd "die a thousand cuts" if she ever betrayed me—become this?
Now, for another man, she was the one carving me apart.
"Please... Mrs. Taylor," I gasped, each word a struggle.
Hearing my fading voice, she finally nodded.
"Fine! When you married, I made her sign divorce papers in secret—just in case this day came. I'll retrieve them now and expedite everything!"
"By tomorrow, I'll declare your children as my sole heirs. That ungrateful wretch and her bastard can rot!"
She left in a hurry.
Alone in the hospital bed, pain—physical and emotional—engulfed me. I screamed until my voice shattered.
The assistant my mother-in-law had left behind kept frantically checking the door for Helena's promised doctor.
At last, someone arrived.
But it wasn't a doctor—just a delivery man.
Stunned by the bloodied emergency room, he awkwardly handed over a package. A single band-aid fell out.
"Helena says... it's just a flesh wound. 'Not life-threatening.' Stick this on and stop bothering her on her wedding night."
The assistant hurled the package against the wall, eyes red.
"Sir, we're transferring you to another city—now. Hold on!"
But darkness swallowed me before I could respond.
I woke to a bucket of ice-cold water.
Helena loomed over me, disgust twisting her face.
"Enough pretending. You knew I was announcing Lucian's heir status tomorrow—yet you fled to another city? Trying to paint him as a villain?"
Behind her, Lucian cradled their child, the picture of wounded innocence.
"Mr. Jack... hate me all you want, but why involve my son? Your assistant kept screaming that my boy would be given to you—that I'm 'unfit' to be heir..."
I tried to speak, but only a choked whimper escaped. Desperate, I shook my head.
"No... I didn't... Helena, the children—they're dying—"
"Lies!" She kicked my bed. "My mother left with lawyers in the middle of the night—your doing! You think stealing Lucian's child will make you heir?"
"Those babies were born healthy! What more do you want? Using children as pawns—you're vile!"
