Chapter 6

Had she not married Samuel and chosen to step away from the spotlight, she would probably be a leading expert in rare diseases by now.

Even if she had remained at Kingston University, she would have been the youngest head of the research institute.

Everyone knew that she preferred to keep a low profile, so they acted as if they did not know her, feeling a bit of sadness when they saw her.

Lucy, on the other hand, was like a showy rose, wearing a sapphire blue gown that hugged her figure and sparkling diamond jewelry that made her stand out in every crowd.

Tania's heart skipped a beat when she saw that dress.

Just last month, Samuel had her try it on, promising a surprise. She had been secretly thrilled, not realizing she was only a stand-in for Lucy.

At the party, Lucy was the life of the party, and Samuel could not take his eyes off her.

Tania had convinced herself she would not be hurt by it, but seeing Samuel's gaze stick to Lucy like that made her heart feel sour.

The press conference was live. Lucy sat in the spotlight wearing Samuel's jacket, while Samuel sat with Tania, looking up at Lucy with such affection.

"Tania, our fourth anniversary is next month. I'm planning a special dinner, and the invites are being printed."

He suddenly said, "I'd like Lulu to be the bridesmaid. You're okay with that, right?"

"I'm okay with it."

Tania replied casually, standing up to head to the restroom. However, a sharp pain hit her suddenly, and she fell to the floor in darkness.

At that moment, the doors to the banquet hall burst open, and the police headed straight for Lucy.

"Lucy, you're accused of stealing research results. You need to come with us."

Lucy's face went white as she grabbed Samuel's arm, crying out, "Samuel, save me! I'm innocent!"

Tania was lying on the floor, her back drenched in cold sweat, feeling her consciousness slip away.

She saw Samuel rush to Lucy's side, not even glancing her way. Using the last of her strength, she reached out, "Samuel... call an ambulance..."

Samuel stood in front of Lucy, defending her, when he tripped on the carpet. His shiny, custom-made shoes came down hard on Tania's hand.

A sharp "snap" rang out, and a wave of pain from her broken fingers surged through her body. Tania's fingers curled, too weak to lift again.

She watched Samuel's back as he shielded Lucy, and the last flicker of hope in her eyes went dark.

Days later, Tania, with her hand in a cast, was in a hospital bed leading an online meeting. Her assistant looked serious as he said, "Ms. Russell, we found your phone. Ms. Canfield messed with the core data. It'll take three years to check everything again, and Mr. Ferguson can't wait."

Before she could respond, the door to her room burst open.

Samuel grabbed her tablet and threw a settlement agreement at her. "Sign this! Make a video saying you set Lucy up! Or else I'll..."

"Divorce me?" Tania cut in, her voice steady.

"In your dreams!" Samuel scoffed. "Do you think you can take the Ferguson family's money? You married into the Ferguson family, and you'll stay with us till the end!"

Tania picked up the settlement agreement and tossed it in the trash. "I won't sign it.”

"Lucy had it coming. You really should ask her what data she changed. If not, she won't be able to run away, and neither will you."

She was just laying out the facts, but Samuel heard the threatening tone, and the last bit of warmth in his eyes vanished, leaving only revulsion.

"Lulu is off-limits, you had no right to mess with her, and you certainly shouldn't threaten me."

He turned to walk away, but Tania stopped him. "Remember when Lucy hit me? You were worried about her hand because she needed it for her experiments. When you crushed my hand, didn't you think I might need it to work with delicate equipment?"

Samuel paused, a flicker of pain crossing his heart.

However, the pain was brief, and he turned back, his voice dripping with scorn, "You think you're on Lulu's level? Tania, even saying that is an insult to her."

He did not look back as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

In the dead of night, the sound of breaking glass jolted Tania awake. Outside the hospital room, angry voices yelled, "Russell's mistress, come out and apologize!”

"Scheming Tania, just die!"

Shaking, she lit up her phone screen, and the top trending news was #SamuelClarifiesLucy'sInnocence#.

In the video, Samuel, in a suit, looked earnest. "I swear on the honor of the Ferguson family, Lucy is innocent. Tania's the one who secretly recorded Lucy's private moments, then cruelly edited the footage to blackmail her."

He paused, his face filled with remorse, "Marrying Tania was a mistake. She tricked me with drugs and a fake pregnancy test. The Ferguson family would never have let someone so manipulative through their doors otherwise."

As the man in the video kept twisting the truth, Tania's heart hurt so much she struggled to catch her breath.

For Lucy, he would do anything, even if it meant getting his hands dirty.

The hospital room door flew open with a loud crash. A crazed fan girl stormed in, yanked Tania's hair, and pulled her right off the bed.

The doctors and nurses could not hold back the wild fan. They could only watch as Tania was dragged out of the room and dumped at the end of the hallway.

Looking up, Tania saw Lucy smirking down at her with a winner's grin.

"Samuel only married you because of that mole by your eye, the one that looks like mine, didn't he? I won't stand for anyone looking like me."

With that, she nodded at her bodyguard. "Get rid of that mole."

The bodyguard pinned Tania down and cut off the mole with a small knife.

Tania stayed silent, not a cry or a fuss, as the blood slid down her cheek like a tear.

Once Lucy was gone, Tania called Samuel. "I'm leading the talk at the research institute next week. Will you be there?"

It was her final test for Samuel.

On the phone, Samuel's voice was distant and uninterested. "You're my wife, so yeah, I'll be there."