I looked at him seriously and said, "I'm not playing around. Everything I said is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can check."Irvin met my serious gaze, and at first, it seemed like he couldn't believe I was actually lying so confidently. Then, a surge of intense anger flashed in his eyes."Emilia, you made me sign the divorce papers when Lianne was in danger. I already signed it, and now you're still doing this? Do you want her to die that badly?"He thought I was lying. He believed that after I got him to sign the divorce papers, I was suddenly backing out and refusing to donate blood.He had always thought that the three months I spent in the hospital were just a tantrum, that I hadn't really been hurt.If someone didn't love you, how little must they care about you? We had known each other for eight years, been married for four, and even worked side by side on our careers with such great harmony.Yet, he firmly believed that I, someone who hated going to the hospita
When Irvin saw my face becoming pale instantly, a bloodthirsty and cold smile formed on his lips. He said, "Emilia, don't think I'm still that fool from back then. I won't let you toy with me like that again!"His words obviously carried another meaning, but at that moment, I had no energy to figure out what he was insinuating. When had I ever treated him like a fool and toyed with him?All I could think about was what to do next.I had anticipated that they wouldn't allow Julianne to use my blood because it was "impure", but I hadn't expected Irvin—ever the shrewd businessman—to go to such lengths.Even though my blood was useless, he insisted on drawing it.As I considered whether to take the gamble to sever this marriage at my mortal peril, Mom spoke up for me unexpectedly. "Irvin, I know you're angry. Trust me, I feel the same way too. But no matter what, I once carried Millicent for ten months in my womb. Since her blood is practically useless, don't force her to draw i
"Emilia, I wish I had never met you in this lifetime!" Irvin exclaimed.He looked at me like I'd done something that deeply wounded him. It seemed like I'd hurt him so much that he was ready to completely give up on me.For a moment, that pain in his eyes tugged at my heartstrings despite myself. But I showed nothing on the outside. Instead, I smiled at him and said, "Right back at you."I wished I'd never met him in this lifetime too. If I hadn't married him, I might still be in the lab, chasing my dreams, with a healthy body to boot. Unlike now… I was scarred all over, inside and out.Upon hearing my reply, Irvin suddenly laughed. His laughter was hearty and almost hysterical. "Fine! You're really something, Emilia!"He thought back to the time when I loved him. I went to great lengths and was willing to do anything. But when I no longer loved him, I seemed to despise even the person I used to be.Irvin was aggrieved by the fact that I was so heartless.He had once firmly beli
Claudeville was a city located toward the north, so its winters tended to be chilling. Today, it was even snowing. I wore wool thermal clothing, stuck on several heat packs and even added a down vest in the middle. Then, I topped it all off with a long down coat that almost reached my ankles. Yet, I was still shivering.I had always been sensitive to the cold. After getting severely injured, the cold affected me even more. But even as I trembled from the cold, I was in such a good mood that I felt like humming a joyful tune. When I arrived at the courthouse and saw there was still plenty of time, I happily went into a nearby coffee shop. After I picked a seat by the floor-to-ceiling window, I ordered a cup of coffee and a sandwich for breakfast. As I ate, I enjoyed the snowy view outside.I feared the cold but had an inexplicable fondness for snowy days. Ending this horrible marriage and starting a new chapter in life on a snowy day, which I loved most, was a pretty good sign to
As the man spoke, he even stepped forward, trying to pull me toward him.I frowned and instinctively wanted to step back. I felt deeply uncomfortable about getting dragged into their game.But before I could do so, Irvin pulled me into his arms with one swift motion. His expression was frigid as he growled, "Get lost!"The man opened his mouth as if to retort. But when he met Irvin's terrifying gaze, he didn't dare say another word. He even instinctively retreated.In the next moment, he regained his composure. In an attempt to deflect his embarrassment, he muttered under his breath, "If you still care about her so much, why bother getting divorced?"Although everyone around agreed that it was inappropriate for the man to involve another woman in his argument with his soon-to-be ex-wife, they couldn't help but feel that he'd made a valid point. If Irvin cared so much, why were we getting divorced?Under their scrutinizing gazes, I pushed against Irvin. I didn't want to be so clos
I instinctively frowned in irritation but forced myself to hold it in. Irvin stared at me for a long moment as if he wanted to say something, but his pride ultimately wouldn't allow it. In the end, he spoke in his usual haughty tone. "Emilia, I'll admit that I was at fault first. If you regret this, we can halt the divorce proceedings anytime. But you'll still need to apologize to Lianne. No matter what, you shouldn't have refused to provide blood when she was in such a critical condition."He thought that I'd been too cruel the previous day. In the face of a life-or-death situation, I not only refused to donate blood but also held everyone up for so long. It was sheer luck that Julianne survived. Otherwise, I might have caused her death.At that time, Irvin had been so furious that he regretted ever knowing me and said he never wished to see me again.But when he saw me today, he couldn't stay mad. He understood that he'd been the one at fault in the first place. If I regretted m
"You know how difficult it has been for Irvin to get to where he is today. Millie, please..." Julianne reached out to grab my arm in an attempt to appeal to me.But as soon as her hand extended toward me, I gave her a cold glare and said, "Julianne, don't forget what I have in my hands. If you say another word or come any closer, I'll ruin you right here and now!"Julianne's face turned even paler in an instant. She wanted to say something but stopped herself when she remembered the video I had. In the end, she didn't dare speak.Since I hadn't yet received the divorce certificate, I didn't want any unnecessary complications. I spoke just loud enough for only Julianne to hear.My parents didn't hear what I said, but when they saw Julianne suddenly blanching and looking like she might collapse from a light breeze, their anger flared even more."Millicent!" they chastised me.Before they could continue, I interrupted, "Mom, Dad, I know you want Irvin to marry Julianne and leave all
Gideon thought Irvin's behavior was excessively contradictory. It wasn't just him—everyone else in the private room felt the same.If one said Irvin loved me, he constantly belittled me and asked everyone else to look down on me too. But if one said he didn't love me, anyone who dared say something bad about me would face his wrath.Now, as I was divorcing him, he appeared so tormented. It seemed as if he wouldn't stop until he drank himself into a severe gastric hemorrhage.Irvin remained silent. He didn't know what to say and didn't want to talk about the deepest feelings—the ones even he didn't dare confront—buried in his heart.He refused to speak and continued drinking despite their attempts to stop him. Someone was worried he might drink himself to death, so they secretly called Julianne.Of course, she arrived at the scene quickly.Seeing that Irvin was on the verge of collapsing from drinking, she rushed forward and held his arm with a look of concern on her face. "Irvin,
"How could you take advantage of your position to seduce my husband! How could you knowingly become the other woman!" Grace accused.The photo she showed me on her phone was from when Irvin hugged me tightly after standing up from his wheelchair.When I first saw it, I was stunned. But then, it hit me—we had been watched this whole time!Based on the direction the photo was taken from, it could have only been taken from outside my work studio's window. And given that my studio was on the 10th floor, there was no way a random passerby snapped the photo by chance.Plus, the camera angle of the photo indicated it wasn't a coincidental shot. Someone had clearly been watching us from a floor above in the adjacent building.I also realized I had never closed the curtains in my studio. So, if someone had been watching us the entire time, they definitely knew Irvin had long since regained full use of his legs—which meant the Hardwells no longer needed my services.Thus, here came the poi
The young man's ability to stand again had filled his family with overwhelming joy. Coincidentally, it was also his 17th birthday, so they threw a grand birthday party and invited me to attend.I couldn't refuse. I was genuinely happy for him, so I went.Since his family was acquainted with William, they were undoubtedly influential figures in Lestoria. Therefore, the Hardwells were also invited.When I saw Grace pushing Irvin's wheelchair into the venue, attending the party as a married couple, I felt a sharp pain in my heart.I must really be a hopeless romantic.I had planned to use the time spent treating Irvin's legs to treat my withdrawal symptoms from him. I wanted my final decision to be cutting him out of my life completely.But instead of letting go—as I had hoped—the time we spent together only reminded me how good he once was to me.Even though I knew he had no choice, my heart still ached to see him with another woman.I truly…I really hated how I was. It made me
Because of Agatha's favoritism and stubbornness, Magnus had been growing increasingly impatient with her. "I think I've made myself very clear," he said, leaving no room for further discussion."Magnus, you can't do this! You can't just forget about Tim so soon! How could you treat him this way? Let me tell you—"Before she could finish, Magnus cut her off with a stern shout. "Enough! This is not up for discussion. I don't want to hear another word about it. Just leave!"Magnus' authority was absolute in the Hardwell family. Once he made a decision, Agatha had no power to change it no matter what.Though unwilling and displeased, she had no choice but to leave.As soon as Grace returned home, she was informed about the argument between Magnus and Agatha. She immediately rushed to find Agatha.The moment Agatha saw Grace, tears streamed down her face.Upon hearing that the argument had been about Irvin's hypnosis, Grace finally told her the truth, that Irvin had been faking it.
Grace had always wanted to stand at the pinnacle of power.The man beside her raised an eyebrow and suggested, "Then don't let her die. Force her into a dead-end and offer a hand, so she can be used by us."Grace chuckled but said nothing.Now that she had the picture she wanted, there was no need to continue watching. She withdrew her gaze and returned to the couch in the room.After taking a bottle of collagen, she finally looked at the man sitting across from her. "At the rate Irvin is recovering, he'll be fully healed in at most two to three weeks. Have you made all the preparations I asked for?" she asked."Of course! When have I ever failed to complete a task you gave me?" he replied confidently.Grace's lips curled into a smile. "Great."Seeing how she smiled so casually, completely without any hesitation or pain, the man couldn't help but comment. "Ms. Keller, you're ruthless indeed."Grace lowered her gaze and gently stroked her belly. She didn't respond.That night
Since Irvin had lost his memories, his behavior had regressed to that of his younger self.Although he had difficulty moving and had to avoid the Hardwells, he still prepared small surprises for me every time he came for treatment. Just like how he did when he was pursuing me.Just like when we were newlyweds.No matter how busy or exhausted he was, he always put in the effort to prepare something for me, whether it was a bouquet of flowers, a ticket to a movie I wanted to watch, or a dessert I loved.We were poor back then, and the things he gave me weren't worth much, but I was moved to tears every single time. After all, he was always thoughtful and affectionate. The eyes that were once cold and indifferent now burned with compassion and sincerity. Those naturally affectionate eyes gazed at me with so much love, as if I were his entire world.His one and only.That kind of love was irresistible, drawing me in.And I couldn't help but wonder, if none of it had happened, if
"I'm sorry, babe. Do you not like sunflowers? I… I saw online that…" Irvin stammered.He had searched for information about me online and discovered that I loved sunflowers, so he secretly hid one to give me. But I ended up crying instead of taking it with joy. Snapping out of it, I forced a smile and accepted the flower. "I do love it. Thank you."He stared at me, unsure if I was truly happy or just pretending."But don't call me 'babe' anymore. We're divorced." I couldn't bear to hear him say it in the same affectionate tone as before. That genuine, affectionate tone would only make me feel bad for him.And I didn't want to feel that way.Irvin, who was already anxious, panicked at my words. He grabbed my hands and said, "Babe, I couldn't find anything about what happened between us, but I know that it must have been my fault if we got divorced. "I'll make sure to be good from now on and listen to everything you say. Please, just give me another chance."Irvin had always
Adolescence was already a time when emotions are most unstable, making it easy to act impulsively and engage in risky behaviors. Being treated that way by my own family, I walked into the ocean, one step at a time.I wanted to die.I wanted them to regret, to suffer, to have everyone condemn them for killing their own daughter over an adopted one.I was so foolish back then, thinking I could punish them with my death. I completely forgot that they needed to actually care about me to feel remorse and pain for losing me. If they didn't care, it wouldn't matter if I died a thousand times.Using my own death to punish others is the most foolish thing in the world. I came to that realization when I was on the brink of death. I struggled, trying to make my way back to shore, desperate to survive. But then, a huge wave dragged me under, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stand up. I didn't know how to swim back then.Just when I thought I was going to die, a tall young man do
I comforted Mr. Holland for a long time before he finally felt better and ate some oatmeal.When I got home that night, I pulled out Irvin's medical records and the reports of his treatment with various devices. I analyzed his responses to the treatment to plan the next steps. I wasn't sure how I felt about Irvin, so I chose to ignore it completely and focus solely on treating his legs.If his legs could recover and function properly again, we would be even. No matter what happened in the future, I would take it one step at a time.Things would work out eventually.By the time I finished comparing all the data and finalized the device frequency settings for Irvin's treatment the next day, it was already past 1:00 am.I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep immediately.Ever since my injuries from falling off the cliff, I needed sleeping pills to fall asleep every night. When I lost my memory, I thought my insomnia was due to the pain. But after my memories returned, I realized
William recalled that at the time of his accident, Cordelia and I had also been vacationing on the island.Although he didn't think it was possible, he instinctively asked anyway.I had assumed that William's intimidating presence on the way here was because he was angry at me for not answering his question.I never expected him to suddenly ask such a thing.Although I didn't know why, my first instinct was to admit that I had saved someone while I was on the island.But before I could say anything, his phone rang. It seemed like an urgent call. After answering it, he hurriedly told me he would send someone else to pick me up before leaving in his car.Feeling bad for troubling him when he was so busy, I sent him a message. I told him that he didn't need to send anyone and that I would call my own driver instead.William didn't reply to my text.Instead, Noah called. "Emi, there's an emergency at home. I have to leave for a while. Wait for me, I'll be right back." he said.W