Chapter 3

Alina went pale at Denise’s words, her tears stopping altogether.

Sven's father, Magnus Guerrero, looked at Alina with a troubled expression.

My parents were sharp businesspeople, and they had quickly understood the implications behind Denise's comment.

When the Guerrero family was about to leave, Dad had suggested a marriage engagement between Sven and me. Denise had nodded approvingly.

Although filled with visible disgust and disdain toward me, Sven uncharacteristically hadn't refused.

I had told Mom and Dad I didn't want the engagement, but they had insisted it was the only value I brought to the family.

Over time, I had learned to love Sven.

I had always tiptoed around him, hoping that my kindness would one day warm his heart.

However, seeing the way he now cherished and cared for Alina, holding her like she was the most delicate treasure, tore at my soul.

Sven was by Alina's bedside at this moment, carefully crafting a meal plan for her, one that would help her heal and prevent scars.

He then had his assistant bring in a scar-removal cream.

As I stared at its packaging, a wave of bitterness welled up in my throat, suffocating me.

Years ago, when I had burned my arm, the scar never fully faded despite all the treatments. I had bought countless brands of scar removal creams, none of which worked.

The Guerreros owned a hospital that had developed a special cream to ensure Alina's skin would remain flawless, but it was never made available to the public.

After the burn, I had begged Sven for just one tube of that cream.

Yet, he had glanced at the scar on my arm and coldly replied, "You're not a model or a celebrity. A little scar on your arm doesn't matter.

"Besides, isn't that scar a reminder of the lie you told to frame Alina? Just keep it. Let it remind you of the despicable lengths you went to in order to take her place and marry me.

"That scar will be the mark of your viciousness. Let it stay with you for the rest of your life."

Sven seemed to finally remember that I, too, was a patient at this hospital.

After tending to Alina's needs, he was now on his way to find me, ready to lash out and shove the divorce papers in my face so that he could be with Alina.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to sign those papers.

As Sven walked down the hallway, two nurses passed by him, deep in conversation.

One clutched her chest, her face pale with shock. "You wouldn't believe how badly that woman was injured—her limbs were broken, and she had a ruptured uterus which was bleeding out.

"She was over two months pregnant, but by the time they got her here, she had lost almost all her blood. She was hanging on by a thread."

"God, that's horrible. Can you imagine what her family must feel? Losing their daughter, their wife... They must be devastated."

"I know. If they had gotten her here earlier, maybe they could have saved her. Even being paralyzed would be better than this."

Sven frowned when he overheard them.

I leaned in close, my voice low and taunting. "Sven, did you know that the woman they're talking about is me? Why don't you go take a look? See for yourself if I really look as miserable as they say."

A dark satisfaction welled up inside me. I wanted him to witness the wreckage of my body.

Would he crumble under the guilt if he realized that because of the hospital resources used on Alina's minor injuries, the baby and I had missed our chance at survival?

Or would he simply accept it, thinking it was all justified?

Sven went to the nurses' station to find out which ward I was staying in.

One of the nurses passing by earlier happened to be on duty.

When Sven asked for information about the woman who had been brought in around the same time as Alina, the nurse's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Dr. Guerrero, are you related to her?"

Sven paused, then snapped in irritation. "No, I don't know her. I'm just asking on behalf of a friend."

I stared blankly at the deep furrow in Sven's brow. His irritated expression was telling. He must have thought I was stalling to avoid signing the divorce papers.

We'd been married for two years, yet even though the hospital belonged to the Guerrero family, Sven had never once let me come here.

Whenever I felt unwell, even after discovering I was pregnant, I had to go to a different hospital.

The nurse nodded sympathetically. "She didn't make it due to the severity of her injuries. We had hoped you could help, but…