Levy’s POV
I remained still in my wheelchair. My hands clenched into fists on my lap, struggling to suppress the trembling. In front of me, Carlos’s mother stood with a piercing gaze, as if my very existence was a disgrace that needed to be erased from her life.
"You are not worthy of being my son's wife."
Her piercing voice stabbed through my ears. Every word that escaped her lips was a dagger aimed straight at my dignity.
"A crippled woman like you will only be a burden! I will never allow this marriage to happen!"
I lowered my head, not out of fear—but out of sheer disgust. I had anticipated this. I just hadn’t expected the humiliation to come this soon.
"Mother, stop."
Carlos stepped in between us, his voice firm and unwavering.
"I will only marry Levy. No one else. I love her, and I accept her just as she is."
I let out a silent, bitter laugh. I knew him. I knew every movement he made. I knew just how well he could fake it.
Carlos’s mother scoffed.
"She will only burden you for the rest of your life. Are you truly willing to bring this weight into our family?"
The door suddenly swung open, and Renata and Paul entered cheerfully. Carlos’s mother's expression changed in an instant.
"Renata! Paul!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with delight. "Oh, how lucky we are to have you in our family!"
Renata smiled and walked toward her.
"Paul will be the main heir of the Luwis family," Carlos’s mother continued proudly. "And Renata, you will be my daughter. You have saved this family by giving us your son."
I bit my lip, holding back something that threatened to burst from my chest.
"And you, what do you have to offer?" Her gaze bore into me. "You will only be a burden to my son. You are a curse to this family."
My heart clenched. In the past, I might have cried. But not this time. My tears had run dry.
"Enough, Mother!" Carlos snapped, pretending to be angry. "You’ve gone too far! Apologize to Levy!"
I knew this was just part of his act.
Carlos’s mother scoffed. "Come, Paul and Renata, let's go shopping. You can buy whatever you want."
Once they left, I let out a long breath. I wheeled myself forward, wanting to get away from there. But Carlos swiftly stopped me. He knelt before me, his eyes filled with what seemed like pain.
"Don't listen to my mother," he said softly. "I love you, Levy. Nothing has changed between us."
I stared at him for a long time. My eyes stripped away the lies on his face.
"Your mother is right, Carlos. I will only be a burden to you for the rest of your life."
Carlos looked shocked. But I wasn’t finished.
"Tell me, Carlos… is this really all because of love? Or is there another reason?"
Carlos fell silent. But there was something in his eyes—something he couldn’t hide from me.
"Renata is far more desirable than I am, isn’t she?" I asked again.
Carlos let out a deep breath. "Renata is just your best friend and Paul’s mother. Nothing more."
I gave him a small, knowing smile, pretending to accept his answer. Carlos seemed relieved. But that relief didn’t last long.
My phone vibrated. A message had come in.
Carlos accidentally caught a glimpse of it.
"Document cancellation? What did you cancel?"
I quickly locked my screen. "It’s nothing important. Just some work matters that needed to be postponed."
Carlos eyed me with suspicion but eventually nodded. "Alright."
The door suddenly opened. Renata was back, holding something in her hands.
"Levy, I remember you love this soup, so I brought it for you," she said with a warm smile.
I looked at her sharply. "Weren’t you leaving?"
"I was, but I remembered this dish. I’ll go after making sure you eat this soup."
What game was she playing now?
Carlos moved to grab a plate while Renata opened the lid of the soup and brought it closer to me.
The strong aroma of spices filled my nose.
I frowned. "Are you sure this is my favorite soup, Renata?" I asked coldly.
"Of course!" she answered quickly. "Come on, I’ll feed you."
I raised my hand, politely refusing. But Renata insisted.
And suddenly—the soup spilled. Right onto her lap.
"Aaaah!" Renata screamed in pain.
Carlos immediately rushed to her, without hesitation tearing the lower part of her dress where the hot soup had spilled, then carrying her to the bathroom.
I could only watch the scene unfold without expression.
I knew one thing. I hadn’t knocked over that soup. Renata had spilled it herself.
Yet Carlos didn’t care.
"Levy, I know you're unwell and need attention, but don't take it out on Renata by hurting her!" he snapped. "Look at her skin—it’s burned because of you!"
Renata quickly shook her head. "Carlos, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. Maybe Levy is just jealous of me…"
"Evil woman!" Paul’s voice suddenly echoed from the doorway. The child ran to Renata and glared at me with hatred.
"You truly are unfortunate!" Carlos’s mother spat. "Carlos, take Renata to the doctor immediately!"
Carlos nodded and left, carrying Renata in his arms.
I remained silent. There were no more tears. My heart had gone numb.
Without a word, I wheeled myself away and shut the door firmly behind me. Then, I picked up my phone and made a call.
"Are you sure about what you're planning? This is quite risky," the voice on the other end asked.
I smiled faintly. "I'm sure."
"Alright. As for the data you wanted, I’ve found it. There was indeed a large withdrawal from that account."
I narrowed my eyes and spoke in a colder tone. "Send me the data. And one last thing—"
"Make a death certificate."
