Chapter 1

In the five years of our long-distance relationship, I've wanted to return home countless times to marry my boyfriend, Blake Grayson.

Blake always said, "Just wait a little longer. Once I've saved enough money, I'll marry you."

The first year, his company went bankrupt, and he lost everything he invested.

The second year, his father was in a car accident. The medical bills wiped out his savings.

The third year, his investment failed. He needed more time to recover financially.

I told him, "It's okay. As long as we're together, I don't need anything else."

But he'd always insist, "I may come from a poor family, but as my wife, you deserve everything other people have."

By the fifth year, I've had enough of the distance. I decide to drop everything and finally be with the man I love.

I call Blake more than a dozen times, but every call goes unanswered. I just assume that he's working late.

When I go to pick up my mother's preion, I spot a familiar figure outside the obstetrics department. He wears a bespoke suit, and more than a dozen bodyguards clear the way for him.

"Mr. Grayson, Mrs. Grayson, congratulations. The baby is perfectly healthy."

I freeze at the sight of that familiar silhouette.

My boyfriend's last name is Grayson too, but he was supposed to be a poor guy.

Chapter 1

Claire's POV

My fingers tightened around the preion slip.

I told myself I had to be mistaken.

Blake Grayson was just an ordinary employee. How could he possibly have such a large entourage?

Besides, I was his girlfriend. Why would he be at the hospital with another woman?

I took a deep breath and handed the preion to the pharmacist at the counter. Then, the conversation between two nurses nearby pierced my ears like needles.

"Our hospital's nutritionist really cut her honeymoon short just to take care of Mrs. Grayson?"

My heart lurched. The preion slip trembled in my hand.

"Exactly! She's the best nutritionist in the hospital. The one and only Blake Grayson, the heir of Grayson Group, offered her an absurd amount of money just to look after his wife.

"She'll be making more from this one job than she would in several years here. Who would turn down a client that generous? An idiot, that's who."

I stood frozen.

Just moments ago, I'd been telling myself I must have seen and heard things wrongly.

Then, I caught a glimpse of a photo on the nurse's phone that she'd secretly snapped. It was the exact same name, and the exact same face.

Every last shred of hope I had sank to the bottom of the sea.

And the funniest part? The woman on his arm was none other than Ivy Smith, my best friend since childhood.

The nurse slid the medication toward me, her voice filled with envy.

"I heard Mr. Grayson booked every VIP room in the hospital through next year as soon as he found out his wife was pregnant. He personally accompanies her to every prenatal appointment and even took six months off work just to be with her."

The other nurse leaned in.

"Did you see the way Mr. Grayson looked at her? He's completely smitten! At her last checkup, Mrs. Grayson mentioned craving cherries, and he had a hundred pounds flown in that very day. When am I going to meet someone as devoted and generous to me?"

My heart felt like it was being carved up by a dull blade, inch by inch.

Five years of long distance.

To earn more commission, I'd entertain clients until 3:00 am, mixing beer, wine, and spirits until I could barely stand. I'd vomit in bathroom stalls from feeling sick, sometimes retching until I saw streaks of blood.

But I never complained. I believed that once Blake saved enough money, he'd come and marry me.

He'd never given me any reason to doubt him. No matter how late he worked, he would call me on video every single day without fail.

He'd hold up his phone and show me the tiny rented room he lived in, barely a hundred square feet. Sometimes, he'd shove his takeout container to the camera and grin.

"Look, babe! I got this meal for just five dollars after the discount. With this money saved, I'm one step closer to marrying you."

Watching him work so hard, I lost count of how many nights I'd cried, my heart aching for him.

Countless times, I wanted to fly home and surprise him, but he always stopped me.

"Babe, a round-trip ticket costs thousands. I can't bear to let you waste that much money just to come see me."

I told him I didn't care about the money.

He said, "But I do. I want to marry you properly, with a grand wedding. When you come back, I want you to be able to buy whatever you want without having to check the price tag first. So baby, just be good and wait a little longer for me, okay?"

And I'd waited.

I waited for five whole years.

But what I came back to wasn't the poor guy in the cheap suit who squeezed into the subway every morning.

I found the heir to Grayson Group instead.

Blake Grayson, the man whose every move would send shockwaves through Junex's business world.

The man who had just walked into a prenatal examination room with my best friend on his arm.

Clutching the medication I'd just picked up for my mother, I stumbled toward her hospital room in a daze.

Chapter 2

Tears swam in my eyes, but I desperately held them back.

When I opened the door, Mom was propped up in bed. She immediately reached for my hand.

"Claire, you're staying home for good this time, aren't you?"

She paused, her cloudy eyes filled with concern.

"I used to worry when you told me that young man came from a poor family, but after getting sick this time, I've had a change of heart. You two love each other so much. As long as you're together, that's what matters most."

She unclasped the necklace around her neck.

"Take this. Your grandmother gave it to me years ago. It should be worth a fair bit. If he doesn't have enough money to marry you, or if he needs capital to start his own business, you can sell it. I don't need anything. I just want to see you happy. Okay, Claire?"

I bit down hard on my lip, but the tears spilled over anyway.

"Mom, I'll go get you some water."

I left the room as if fleeing.

It was the middle of summer, yet the air conditioning in the hallway chilled me to the bone.

I had no idea how I made it to the hospital entrance. The sunlight was blinding. Through my daze, I spotted a black Rolls-Royce parked at the foot of the steps.

The door opened. Blake carefully helped Ivy into the car. He was smiling at her with a tenderness he'd never once shown me.

As if I were possessed, I flagged down a cab and followed them. It stopped in front of the most luxurious estate in the city.

I'd once looked up property prices there online. Even the cheapest homes started at more than 30,000 dollars per square meter.

And it wasn't the type of place you could buy just because you had money. Only the ultrawealthy or people with powerful connections could even get through those gates.

Meanwhile, I'd been foolishly believing that Blake and I were saving every penny together. We'd hoped to buy a tiny home of our own someday, even if it was only a few hundred square feet.

Thinking back to it now made me want to laugh.

One car after another pulled into the estate. Whenever a trunk was opened, workers unloaded luxury women's products and baby supplies.

The logos belonged to brands I'd only ever admired from outside department store windows. I never dared to even walk into those stores.

Just then, a soccer ball came flying toward my head without warning.

I stumbled back and looked up. A little boy around three or four years old stood a distance away. He stared at me arrogantly with his hands on his hips.

"Who are you? Why are you standing outside my house?"

I froze.

His face, eyes, and even the shape of his face were almost the spitting image of Blake.

I opened my mouth, but it felt like something was lodged in my throat.

"Are you—"

Before I could finish, the boy lifted his chin proudly. "My name is Matt Grayson! My dad is Blake Grayson, and my mom is Ivy Smith! But…"

He paused, a hint of sadness crossing his little face. "Mom is having another baby, so no one has time to play with me anymore. Will you play with me?"

It felt as though something had exploded inside my head.

Another baby.

She wasn't just pregnant. It was already their second child.

What about me then?

What about all the love I'd given Blake over the past five years?

Across the lawn, Blake seemed to notice the commotion and was just about to turn and look in our direction.

As if burned, I spun around and ran. I wasn't ready to face them.

Maybe Ivy had been deceived by Blake too. I didn't want to cause a scene until I knew the truth.

I ran frantically to the roadside and held a streetlight, gasping for breath.

My phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Blake.

"Claire, where are you? Are you back home?"

I stared at the words on the screen, my fingers trembling.

"What? Are you afraid I'll discover something you've been hiding if I come back?"

His reply came almost immediately.

"You're going to be my Mrs. Grayson. How could I possibly hide anything from you?

"I just miss you. I'm sorry. I've been so busy with work lately and haven't had time for you. Just wait a little longer. Once I've saved enough money, we'll get married, okay?"

We'll get married.

How desperately I'd once longed to hear those words.

Every time he said them, I'd be so moved that I could barely contain myself.

Yet every time I made up my mind to return home and marry him, he'd find another excuse to put it off.

He was too busy with work. He hadn't saved enough money. He wanted to give me a better life.

I told him countless times that I didn't need anything. All I wanted was him.

But time and time again, he'd soothe me. "No. I want my wife to have everything everyone else has."

What touching words.

Now, they became a knife, stabbing into my heart again and again.

Chapter 3

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

The next morning, I decided to confront Blake face-to-face.

I went to Grayson Group, posing as a job applicant. The receptionist was very friendly and escorted me upstairs.

The moment the office doors opened, I froze. Floor-to-ceiling windows, sofas made of genuine leather, artwork hanging on the walls.

Was this really the same place as the shabby room he'd shown me on our video calls?

A picture frame sat on the desk. Blake had his arms wrapped around Ivy as they kissed beneath a sky filled with fireworks.

"That's Mr. and Mrs. Grayson. They're the perfect couple," the receptionist said with a smile. "That spectacular fireworks display that lit up the whole city? Mr. Grayson arranged it for his wife."

My mind went blank.

The fireworks lasted three days and three nights. The entire city had been talking about it.

It happened on our third anniversary.

I'd secretly flown home to surprise Blake, only to get into a car accident on the way. I hadn't told him because I didn't want him to worry. Instead, I just spent two weeks lying in a hospital bed.

While I was suffering in pain, he was holding another woman in his arms, watching fireworks light up the sky.

The office door opened.

Blake walked in wearing a bespoke suit, covered in designer labels. He saw me, then noticed the photograph in my hand, and frowned.

He walked over to the sofa, sat down, and lit a cigarette. "We had a fight that day. I was in a bad mood, and Ivy came to comfort me. We drank too much and ended up sleeping together. Then, she got pregnant. I couldn't just abandon her."

He looked up at me, his tone remarkably calm. "Honestly, my family chose you from the beginning. You weren't after my money or status, and you genuinely cared about me. You were the right choice. But Ivy got pregnant, so I had to take responsibility."

The right choice.

The pain from my nails digging into my palms kept my mind clear.

I stepped in front of him, my voice trembling. "So all these years were just some kind of test for me? What was everything I sacrificed for you for? What am I to you? Am I the other woman in this relationship?"

Blake frowned, stubbed out his cigarette, and stood up to grip my shoulders. "Calm down, Claire. I may not be able to give you the title of Mrs. Grayson, but you're still the one I love."

He took out a black card from his pocket and held it to me. "There's no limit on it. Consider it compensation. I'll buy you a sports car or even a mansion. Just be good and stay by my side, okay?"

As he spoke, his eyes held a mix of condescension and tenderness.

I stared at the card. I remembered how he'd once dragged me from one end of the street to the other just to save two dollars on the bus fare.

I remembered the dingy motels we'd stayed in, where the rooms cost barely thirty dollars a night and rats scurried across the floor.

I remembered him holding me close and promising, "One day, I'll give you the nicest home in the world."

Now, he stood in front of me, holding out a card as if he could buy my very self.

I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"You're despicable."

Tears streamed down my face.

"Was it fun playing with my feelings? Was it fun watching me work overtime until dawn, or wear my clothes until they faded because I couldn't throw them away, just to help you save money? Do you feel some kind of sick satisfaction? Did it make you feel good?

"Blake Grayson, we're done!"

Chapter 4

I turned and walked away.

Blake's furious shout followed me.

"Why wouldn't you want to be with me? Do you have any idea how many women would kill to be in your place?"

He rushed over in a few strides and grabbed my shoulders.

"Claire, if you stay with me, you can have everything! You'll never have to haggle over the price of vegetables or agonize over whether you can afford something you want. You'll never have to check a price tag again! Everything you once wanted but couldn't afford, I'll give it all to you!"

I slapped his hands away, utterly disgusted.

The words came straight from my chest. "Go fuck yourself."

I never wanted all these lies.

The air between us turned ice-cold.

My phone buzzed. A message from Mom appeared on the screen. She said she was worried about the hospital bills and had checked herself out. Now, she wasn't feeling well and wanted me to bring her some medication.

My heart clenched.

Mom had never been in good health. How could she just discharge herself in her condition?

Panicking, I rushed toward the door.

Just as I pulled it open, Ivy dropped to her knees right in front of me.

"Claire, blame me! Hate me! Call me whatever you want! Just please don't blame Blake. He had no choice…"

She lifted her head, tears streaming down her face. "We used to be best friends, didn't we? Please don't make me leave him. We already have two children together. I'll do anything you want!"

She began banging her head against the floor again and again.

I didn't have the time to watch her put on a show and removed her hands from where she'd grabbed me.

Suddenly, she clutched her stomach and collapsed, her face twisting in pain.

Blake charged forward and shoved me aside. I'd never seen such vicious fury in his eyes before.

"That's enough, Claire!" He gritted his teeth. "How long are you going to keep this up? She's pregnant! How could you lay a hand on a pregnant woman?"

With a wave, several bodyguards dressed in black rushed over, pinning my shoulders down.

"Take Ms. Neil to the mountain villa and lock her up for a few days. Don't let her out until she's come to her senses."

My arms were wrenched behind my back. I couldn't move an inch.

"Blake Grayson! Let me go! Do you even understand what you're doing? This is false imprisonment! It's a crime!

"Let me go now! My mom is sick. I need to bring her medication! Something might happen to her if I'm too late!"

But he didn't even acknowledge me. He bent down, scooped Ivy into his arms, and hurried out.

I was shoved into the back seat of a car. My hands were bound tightly behind my back with rope, and someone stuffed a rag into my mouth.

I couldn't speak. Tears of terror streamed down my face.

The car started and headed toward the outskirts of the city. After an unknown amount of time had passed, it finally stopped at an isolated mountain road.

The two men in the front exchanged a glance. Then, they suddenly jumped out of the car. The doors slammed shut, and the autonomous driving system activated.

My eyes widened in horror as I watched the numbers on the dashboard climb rapidly.

80… 120… 160… 180!

The car hurtled toward the edge of the cliff at a terrifying speed.

Pure terror seized my heart. I kicked desperately at the door.

Finally, the car slammed through the divider with a loud bang and shot off the cliff.

The sickening sensation of free-falling swallowed me whole. The world spun violently around me.

Then, following a deafening explosion, towering flames erupted from the foot of the cliff.

…

Third-Person POV

At the hospital, Blake had just finished settling Ivy in. Yet, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

After all, Claire was a good woman. He was the one who let her down.

Feeling vexed, he rubbed his temples and called his assistant. "Make sure Ms. Neil gets three proper meals a day. Don't let her suffer even the slightest inconvenience."

Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, and go to the hospital to check on her mother. If she needs surgery or medication, charge everything to my personal account."

Not long after, his assistant called back, sounding terrified.

"Mr. Grayson, the car taking Ms. Neil to the mountain villa crashed and went over a cliff! That's not all. Ms. Neil's mother passed away half an hour ago."