Chapter 1

After discovering that Jude Pearson was still in love with my stepsister Thalia Yates, I had already made up my mind to disappear from their lives. I reached out to my friend, Naomi Clarke, and started putting together a flawless fake-death plan.

Just as we were finalizing the details, I caught the familiar scent of disinfectant—and there he was, Jude, walking in with a bouquet of roses.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind and nuzzled affectionately, asking, "What are you working on?"

"A few things for my research paper," I replied casually.

"Don't worry about your paper, honey. I've got you," Jude said as he gently massaged my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.

For seven years, I had been the woman everyone envied. After all, he was the kind of man who seemed disinterested in everything. He gave up his right to inherit his family business, pursued medicine with unwavering focus, and eventually became the chief clinical advisor for the surgical society.

He poured himself into medical research and work for years, never seen with another woman. And yet somehow, he claimed to have fallen for me at first sight.

Someone who had never been in a relationship awkwardly pursued me for six months, and I thought this was my redemption after being betrayed. Now I realized that this was just another abyss built on lies.

"There's some data in the paper that still needs refining," I said with a smile, my eyes drifting toward the collar of his shirt, where the top button was left undone.

Due to his hospital habits, he always handled everything meticulously. He would button everything up to the very last button before being satisfied. He noticed my gaze, and his expression flickered with unease before he straightened his clothes.

"There was an emergency surgery at the hospital. I was in such a rush, I must've missed it."

I held the roses without saying anything. I knew this flower shop very well because every time he needed to "work overtime", he would buy me flowers from it. After checking, I discovered this shop was incredibly far from the hospital. However, it was very close to Thalia's house.

Jude pulled me close again and said, "You shouldn't attend tomorrow's academic research conference. You've been too busy lately. You should get some rest."

"But my paper presentation—"

He interrupted me. "There will be plenty of conference opportunities. Let me help you refine the details before you present them, okay?"

I pressed my lips together without responding.

Thalia, he, and I had all graduated from the same medical school. After graduation, he was busy with work and research every day, so I voluntarily gave up my research institute position to help him. Thalia took my place and entered the research institute instead.

This conference brought together medical professors and healthcare company CEOs. I suspected that my research might threaten Thalia's path.

Jude studied my expression and kissed my forehead. "The day after tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. I'll spend the entire day with you then."

"Okay," I agreed with a smile, and only then did he relax.

That evening, I turned on the computer, planning to finish my research before leaving. That was when I accidentally noticed one of Jude's folders. I had never pried into his things before, but now things were different—everything about him made me suspicious.

The folder was password-protected. I typed in Thalia's birthday, and it unlocked instantly.

Inside were rows of files and detailed memos, including photos of Thalia from high school, college and her wedding. There were even pregnancy reports, recorded with pregnancy precautions and care instructions. A small line read, "I'll treat this as if it were my own child."

My hands trembled slightly as I kept scrolling down. At the bottom of the documents was an invitation from Herlioth Business School. Next to it, he had written, "For Thalia's heart condition, I must go into medicine."

I closed my eyes, and the tears came silently. So, Jude wasn't uninterested in everything after all. He had simply given his whole heart to someone else.

In that moment, I completely gave up on our seven-year marriage.