Chapter 1

"Don't ask questions. Follow my plan. The surgery must be thorough—remove her uterus completely, and make sure she doesn't find out."

"Once she wakes up, I'll take her to the orphanage to bring the child home. Without the ability to bear children, she'll have no choice but to love Hope."

The doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead, hesitating.

"Mr. Owen, please reconsider. Miss Lawrance is already paralyzed—if you take away her uterus too, you'll be ruining her life! How will she ever face your family?"

"Besides, your child with Miss Lee is already three years old. The little girl looks so much like you… if Miss Lawrance finds out, everything will fall apart!"

Dylan reached out and carefully wiped my cracked lips with a damp tissue, his voice filled with an impossible sorrow.

"She won't find out. As long as she remains crippled, she'll be trapped in the Owen estate for life, unable to take a single step outside."

"I promised Tatum a grand wedding. I promised I'd watch our child grow up. Even if she's married to someone else now, I won't let her have any worries."

The doctor let out a long sigh and glanced at my pale face on the hospital bed.

"Audrey is a good girl. You two grew up together, and yet… Forget it. If you're sure about this, I won't say anything more."

"Prepare the surgery. And make sure it's done cleanly. No traces. Do it before Audrey wakes up—I don't want her to suffer too much."

The doctor quickly left the ward.

Dylan pulled out his phone and sent a voice message to his assistant.

"The driver didn't talk, did he? As we agreed, transfer two million to his family and help them move out of the city. Make sure Audrey never finds out."

Tears streamed down, soaking into my pillow.

Dylan carefully wiped my body with warm water, but the chill inside me wouldn't fade.

The wedding I had dreamed of for five years… was never mine to begin with.

That car accident wasn't an accident at all.

He had orchestrated it all—just to remove me as an obstacle for Tatum.

The happiness I thought I had was nothing but an illusion.

Lies and betrayal were our only reality.

I struggled to open my eyes.

But before I could, a needle slipped into my veins.

As I was wheeled into the operating room, Dylan pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.

"Be good, Audrey. It'll be over soon. I'll be waiting for you."

Cold instruments probed deep into my body.

And as my heart shattered, it too, turned to ice.

When I woke up, I was back in the hospital room.

From the waist down, I still felt nothing.

Dylan sat beside my bed. Seeing me wake, his face filled with concern.

He took my hand and pressed it to his cheek.

"Audrey? You're awake? Are you in pain? Tell me, and I'll have them adjust your medication."

His expression was as tender as always.

But behind his eyes, there was nothing but emptiness.

How far could one man go for another woman?

I reached up and brushed the stubble on his chin.

"You didn't sleep all night, did you? I'm fine. Get some rest."

Dylan relaxed and soon drifted into sleep.

I took his phone from the bedside table and unlocked it.

The wallpaper was still our pre-wedding photoshoot.

His social media app was open in the background.

The top contact was saved as "Tatum."

I clicked into the chat.

Aside from cute cat emojis—

It was filled with pictures of Tatum holding their child.

"Hope kept calling for Daddy today. She's already a little face-con, just like I predicted!"

"Hope had a great appetite today—she ate the whole cake you sent."

"Hope is begging to go to the amusement park with Daddy. She won't listen to me no matter what I say. Can you come?"

Dylan hadn't responded.

But under every photo, there were two-hour-long video call records.

I remembered how he once said he didn't like children.

Now I understood—

It wasn't that he didn't like children.

He just didn't like the ones that came from me.

He had an entire album dedicated to Tatum.

The password—Hope's birthday.

Five thousand photos.

Three years of memories, meticulously documented.

Every important holiday, he had spent with them.

The second chat in his inbox was with the wedding planner.

Since a month ago, he had been preparing the wedding—

Using Tatum's name.

The dress was tailored to her measurements.

The invitations were written in both their handwriting.

From the start, he had never intended for me to be the bride.

I chuckled self-deprecatingly and stopped scrolling.

Instead, I messaged my best friend, asking her to find me a hospital abroad for surgery.

Then, I applied to cancel all my documents in Austria.

She didn't question me—just thought I had finally seen Dylan's true colors.

Her messages were filled with happiness for me.

I put down the phone and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 2

I woke up to the sound of Dylan crying.

He was holding a medical report in his trembling hands.

"Audrey… The doctors found something during surgery… You were born without a uterus. You… you can't have children."

"Don't worry. I won't mind. No matter what, you're my wife."

"Once you're discharged, let's adopt a child, okay? With a child, you won't feel so lonely."

I was the one who had lost my ability to have children.

But somehow, he looked more devastated than me.

His acting was flawless.

I didn't bother exposing him.

After a long silence, I looked at the report and nodded.

Dylan burst into tears and hugged me tightly.

"I'll take care of you, I promise. No matter what anyone says, I'll stand by your side."

"After the wedding, I'll transfer all my assets to you—as your security."

Our chests pressed together.

But our hearts beat to different rhythms.

After a while, he hesitated.

"It's just… The wedding is all set. But with your condition… we may have to—"

"Find someone to take my place. We can't let the Owen family lose face."

I knew what he wanted to say.

Instead of letting myself be humiliated, I chose to walk away with dignity.

Dylan was stunned by my sudden change of heart.

But since it worked in his favor, he didn't press the issue.

His phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, then looked at me, shocked.

"Audrey, why did you cancel your documents?"

I quickly swiped away the notification and calmly replied.

"Nothing. They expired, so I renewed them online."

He didn't question me further. Instead, he held me tighter, his voice full of concern.

"You're not in good shape. If you need anything, just tell me. I'll take care of it for you."

"Dylan, I want to be discharged."

His face darkened.

"No. You haven't recovered yet. I won't allow it."

I clung to his arm and pouted playfully.

"Didn't you say you wanted to adopt a child with me? The house has maids—we'll be fine. I want to visit the orphanage, okay?"

In five years together, this was the first time I had acted cute with him.

Dylan softened and finally agreed.

At the orphanage, the moment I arrived in my wheelchair—

A little girl ran straight into Dylan's arms, hugging his leg.

"Daddy!"

His face paled.

"You… don't misunderstand. I've sponsored this orphanage. She's just a child I've visited before."

I smiled and gently touched the girl's face.

"She looks just like you. If you hadn't told me, I would've thought she was yours."

"What's her name?"

"Hope… She's the one I planned to adopt."

Just then, Hope started crying.

"Mommy… I want Mommy!"

Dylan froze.

Before he could explain, Hope burst into tears, crying for her mother.

Dylan's face turned pale in an instant.

He frowned deeply and looked at me.

"I'm fine. Go and comfort her. She's a beautiful child—I like her too."

My words made him sigh in relief.

Without thinking further, Dylan carried the child into his office.

I excused myself to the restroom to avoid the situation.

But outside the door, the murmurs of the employees kept filtering through.

"Why would President Owen pretend his own child is an orphan? Look at those luxury clothes—each piece is worth more than my life. Who would believe she's an orphan?"

"You don't get it. President Owen planned everything. This is the only way to bring the child into the Owen family legitimately. When we go back, be smart—don't let anything slip in front of Miss Lawrance."

"As expected, the one President Owen truly cherishes is still Miss Lee. Back in college, they loved holding events here. I saw it back then—I knew they'd end up together! Now they're alone in a room together… who knows what's happening?"

The ambiguous laughter pressed down on my chest like a weight, making it hard to breathe.

I wheeled myself toward the door and heard a familiar voice from inside.

"Is he treating you well?"

"He is, but he's been abroad for years, so he can't always be there. But that's actually a good thing—he won't find out about Hope. He's even been asking me to have a child with him."

Dylan smiled, but his eyes were filled with bitterness.

"Once Hope is accepted into the Owen family, you won't have to worry anymore. If you need anything, just message me."

"Oh, by the way, this is a bracelet I just bought—consider it a wedding gift for you."

Tatum took the gift box and playfully winked.

"Why do you keep giving me things? It's been a year since I got married, and you've already sent me so many wedding gifts. My closet can't even hold them all. If Audrey finds out, she'll definitely be upset."

Even as she spoke, her hands didn't hesitate to accept the gift.

Hope laughed happily beside her, calling out "Mommy" over and over again.

Just then, the orphanage director rushed in, eager to finalize the adoption paperwork. In his hurry, he pushed open the door right in front of me.

Chapter 3

A flicker of panic flashed through Dylan's eyes.

"Audrey, why are you here?"

"Don't overthink it. Tatum is just a volunteer at this orphanage. She happened to be here today to check on things and discuss Hope's adoption with me…"

Tatum stood up, holding Hope in her arms, and waved at me.

"Audrey, long time no see."

Sitting in my wheelchair, I smiled and nodded, suppressing the pain in my chest.

"It's fine, I was just wandering around. Since you're busy, I won't bother you. I'll wait in the car."

With that, I turned and left.

Dylan thought I was angry and hurried after me, explaining over and over again.

"Don't misunderstand. She often volunteers here. The kids in the orphanage all call her ‘Mommy.' Once the adoption process is complete, I'll explain everything to Hope."

Watching him panic, I suddenly wanted to laugh.

To bring this child into his home, he went so far as to stage an accident that left me crippled.

Now that he had what he wanted, who was he putting on this pitiful act for?

"Don't worry, I'm not someone who makes a fuss over nothing. Go ahead with the paperwork—I'll wait in the car."

He breathed a sigh of relief, watching me return to the car.

Every passing employee looked at me with eyes full of mockery.

I ignored them and pulled out my phone to begin canceling my official documents online.

To celebrate Dylan bringing the child home, the Owen family hosted a banquet.

I used my health as an excuse to stay upstairs and rest.

But through the gap in the door, I could still hear Dylan's parents sneering.

I moved my wheelchair to the staircase landing and looked down.

Below, the perfect image of a harmonious family unfolded.

Dylan carefully placed Hope's favorite dishes onto her personal plate.

Tatum teased him with a smile.

"If you spoil her like this, she'll be impossible to deal with later."

Dylan was unconcerned, patting the tiny crown on Hope's head.

"She's my daughter—even if she breaks the sky, she's still my little princess!"

The bitterness in my chest completely exploded.

I returned to my room and tore up every gift Dylan had given me over the past five years, tossing them into the trash.

Just as the trash can tipped over, Tatum suddenly appeared before me.

With a swift kick, she overturned my wheelchair.

Pain shot through my body, cold sweat breaking out all over. But she only smiled down at me.

"Audrey, being a cripple must be painful, huh?"

"So many years have passed, and you're still just as useless."

"You watched as your own wedding was given to me, as your husband brought my daughter home. And what did you do? Nothing. I almost feel sorry for you."

I struggled to get up.

But in the next second, Tatum suddenly fell backward, tumbling straight down the stairs.

Before I could react, Dylan had already caught her in his arms.

He looked at me, eyes burning with rage.

"Audrey, are you crazy?"

"Tatum came up to invite you to dinner out of kindness, and you attacked her?"

Dylan's parents glared at me in disgust.

Hope stood at the side, wailing loudly.

"Bad woman! She bullied Mommy! I don't want this bad woman in our house!"

"I want Mommy! I want Mommy!"

Tatum weakly clung to Dylan's shoulder.

"I'm sorry… I only told Audrey that I agreed to take her place at the wedding. I didn't expect her to misunderstand…"

"Don't blame her. She didn't mean it."

Lying helplessly on the floor, I let out a cold laugh.

"Dylan, the wedding, the accident, the child—don't you owe me an explanation?"

Dylan's brows furrowed, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.

"Explain what? You had a car accident on your own—what does that have to do with Tatum?"

"She was kind enough to take your place at the wedding, yet instead of being grateful, you attack her? Audrey, when did you become like this?"

"Apologize to Tatum!"

Before I could say a word, Dylan's parents had already spoken coldly.

"You're a cripple now, yet you still act like the Lawrance family's precious daughter?"

"Who else would want a useless woman like you except my son?"

"Enough. Leave her be. She's disabled—it's her own karma. Hurry and take Tatum to the hospital. Don't let her get hurt."

My nails dug into my palms as blood trickled from my body.

Dylan carried Tatum in one arm and held Hope's hand with the other.

Without hesitation, he walked out the door.

Five years of love turned to ashes in one moment.

I dragged myself back into my wheelchair.

That night, I booked a flight—for the day of their wedding.

When the time came, I would disappear completely.

She turned and left for the hotel.

That night, Dylan sent a message to explain.

"Tatum is still attending the wedding on your behalf. If you hurt her, it won't look good at the ceremony. Asking you to apologize was just a temporary measure, an act for her to see—don't overthink it. My parents were just saying things casually. After the wedding, I'll bring them to apologize to you."