He Got Blissfully Married While I Sank Beneath the Waves

Gemma's parents passed away when she was very young.An old, tattered newspaper still bore the tragic headline: "Socialite Suffers Mental Breakdown, Stabs Husband Over a Hundred Times While He Sleeps, Then Hangs Herself—Leaves Behind a Five-Year-Old Orphan."She was that five-year-old orphan.On a freezing winter night, she hid in a wardrobe wearing only her pajamas. The cold seeped into her small body until she was nearly numb, but she did not dare come out.It was Murphy who eventually found her and carried her out."Be good, Gemma. Don't be scared. I'm here. As long as I'm around, no one will ever hurt you," he said gently.She nestled in Murphy's arms, feeling safe for the first time in what felt like forever.Murphy took her home. Perhaps he pitied her tragic circumstances, but he spoiled her endlessly. Whatever she wanted—no matter how impossible—he would give it to her, even if it meant reaching for the stars.In fact, he truly did reach for the stars for her. The horrif

Evangeline stumbled weakly, collapsing into Murphy's arms as though she could not stand on her own. With tears brimming in her eyes and a trembling voice, she said, "Murphy, don't blame Gemma. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have come out dressed like this to get some water."I just thought that it was so late and Gemma would already be asleep, so I didn't bother putting on a robe and just stepped out in my slip dress. But as soon as I opened the door, I ran into Gemma. She saw these marks on me and called me shameless, saying that a woman as indecent as me has no right to be with you."With just a few words, she painted Gemma as a mentally twisted troublemaker who stayed up in the middle of the night. Evangeline said Gemma had eavesdropped outside Murphy's door and, after getting consumed by jealousy, resorted to attacking his fiancée."She's lying. I didn't insult her," Gemma said with slightly reddened eyes. "She deliberately provoked me by bringing up my parents… And… And she

"Why'd you go through my things?" Gemma panicked as she avoided Murphy's question entirely. "I'm 18 now. You can't just barge into my room and rummage through my stuff!"Murphy's expression darkened as he slammed the ashtray on the table. "Is that the main point here?!"The ashtray hit the floor with a dull thud, and Gemma flinched in fear."Gemma, you've misunderstood your uncle." At the height of the tension, Evangeline stepped in with a false air of concern. "He didn't go into your room. It's my fault. I didn't have any clean clothes, and the ones I wore yesterday… Well, they got ruined by your Uncle Murphy…"She blushed, feigning shyness as she paused for effect before continuing, "I had nothing to wear, so I went into your room to borrow an old outfit of yours. But while looking, I accidentally came across this cancer diagnosis on your desk."She was lying. Gemma had locked the cancer diagnosis away on the very first day she received it.Yet in Evangeline's story, it sounded

The wedding was lively, filled with notable elites and socialites who came to celebrate. Dressed in a voluminous, grand wedding gown, Evangeline leaned happily into Murphy's embrace.Murphy wore a sleek black suit that day."Uncle Murphy looks so handsome," Gemma thought. He was mature, composed, and exuded an air of elegance, seemingly untouched by time. Thirteen years had passed, yet he looked just as he did when he carried her out of the wardrobe—still so handsome and dashing.Her gaze lingered on him, and she was unable to look away. She watched him with a quiet longing for several moments before finally stepping forward to present the wedding gift she had prepared."Uncle Murphy, congratulations on your marriage," she said sincerely. She truly wished him happiness and peace in the future.Murphy accepted the gift and took a deep look at Gemma. He did not say a word, but something unspoken stirred within his eyes. It was an emotion he could not allow to surface, and he left

With Evangeline's deliberate manipulation, Murphy quickly assumed that Gemma had left home out of spite.Anger flared within him. "She ran away over something so trivial? She's out of control!"Seeing how furious Murphy was, Evangeline felt a surge of joy, though she maintained a facade of concern. Furrowing her brows together, she said worriedly, "Why would Gemma be so impulsive? Murphy, she can't have gone far. You should send someone to look for her immediately!"The world is so dangerous these days. A young girl like her could be in serious trouble out there!"Murphy's expression darkened. "A young girl? She's already 18!"In Haroland, 18 was considered the age of adulthood.As an adult, Gemma should be responsible for her actions. But she was still as impulsive and reckless as ever, showing no signs of growth.Thinking of this, Murphy's barely contained anger reignited, burning hotter than before. His expression hardened as he said coldly, "If she doesn't want to come back,