Eddie looked at me with eyes full of sincerity.
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
I had seen this same box of cherries in Lydia’s hospital room.
The so-called “special gift” he brought me was nothing more than leftovers she didn’t want.
As for the baby… he’s doing just fine.
He’ll be reborn into a family that truly loves him—not into a world built on lies and betrayal.
Lost in thought, Eddie gently took my hand and rested his head on my stomach.
“Juliana, you have no idea how happy I am,” he murmured.
“I swear, once the baby is born, I will treat you and the child well for the rest of my life.”
Was this kindness born out of love…or simply guilt and the need to atone for what he’d done?
I didn’t know how to respond.
Using fatigue as an excuse, I gently pushed him away.
As soon as we got home, Eddie received a text message and rushed out the door without hesitation.
I quietly walked into his study.
The shelves and desk were cluttered with books and files, all related to leukemia treatments.
This proud man—who once looked down on everyone—was now humbling himself, begging for help from every direction… for Lydia.
Inside the locked safe were not confidential company files—but a notebook filled with details about Lydia’s life.
“Lydia has a weak stomach. Meals should be low in oil and salt and free of spices.”
“Lydia loves roses. The rose estate in the suburbs will be completed by year’s end. I hope she’ll be happy when she sees it.”
“Sweet things can lift the mood. Lydia studied in France, so French pastries should suit her better.”
He spent a fortune—over a hundred million—on jewelry for Lydia.
He poured his heart into building a dreamlike estate just for her.
Every single line in that notebook overflowed with love for Lydia.
Not one word was about me—his wife, his childhood friend, the woman carrying his child.
The love I had once taken pride in…wasn’t even a fraction of what Lydia meant to him.
Tears welled in my eyes as I picked up my phone and dialed a number.
“Hello, I’d like to arrange a fake death service,” I said.
“Three days from now. A car accident. Two fatalities.”
After finalizing the details, I sent them a video I had recorded at the hospital.
I instructed them to release it after my death.
Then, I went out, printed a divorce agreement and waited for Eddie to return home.
I waited until noon the next day.
He still hadn’t come back.
Just as I was about to call him, I saw his figure appear on the TV screen.
[Eddie, president of the Trulock Group, climbs 2560 mdpl mountain in a desperate plea for a rare medicinal plant to save his beloved.]
In the footage, his legs are soaked in blood.
Yet despite everyone’s pleas for him to stop, he continued—climbed one step at a time on the steep rocky terrain with unwavering resolve.
When interviewed by the press, he spoke with heartfelt emotion.
“As long as the woman I love stays safe and sound, I’m willing to give up everything I have.”
After the news aired, messages flooded in.
[Oh my god, he’s doing all that just because you’re pregnant! Once the baby’s born, he’ll spoil you like a queen!]
[I heard Mr. Trulock invested tens of millions in the hospital to guarantee a safe delivery for you. That’s real love!]
[Juliana, I’m so jealous! You have the most loving husband. You must be the happiest woman in the world!]
Reading those messages, I felt nothing but bitter irony.
***
Once upon a time, I too believed I was the happiest woman in the world.
But now, I finally understood.
This so-called love… was never mine.
It belonged to Lydia.
I was nothing more than a pathetic decoration, used to embellish the grand, tragic romance between them.
