Chapter 2

Alex trembled with rage. He couldn't believe that as I lay there covered in blood and teetering on the edge of death, she dared to say it was no big deal.

The bitterness in my heart intensified. The blatant disparity in how she treated me and Owen left no doubt about who truly held her affection.

I wanted to stop Alex and tell him not to argue with her anymore. However, my throat was clogged with blood, and I couldn't make a sound.

Between Owen and me, Ella's choice had always been Owen.

I should've been used to it by now. For years, I'd convinced myself that Ella was simply very loyal and valued her long-standing friendship with Owen.

It seemed reasonable that she'd take extra care of him.

But now, even I couldn't lie to myself anymore.

Tears blurred my vision, though I wasn't sure if it was from physical pain or the ache in my heart.

If I died here, would she feel even the slightest regret? Would she wonder if, had she allowed the medic to treat me first, I might've survived?

"Owen, if you keep pretending to be unconscious, I swear I'll ruin you!" Alex snarled.

He had no choice but to turn his threats toward Owen. Ella's obsession with the latter had rendered reason useless.

Owen's eyes fluttered open. "What happened? I remember Ronald falling, and I just got so worried… Quick, get the medic to check on him. I'm not worthy of their excellent care anyway."

He glanced at Ella. His eyes glistened with tears, filled with a mix of guilt and sorrow.

Ella, who had just ordered the bodyguards to release the medic, immediately changed her mind. She tightened her hold on Owen and sneered.

"Forget him! He's not going to die!"

Her words sliced through me like a blade, shattering whatever hope I still clung to.

Alex stayed by my side, and I strained to move my lips, silently urging him to check the climbing chalk. His eyes filled with tears, but he nodded resolutely.

Relief washed over me, and I finally allowed myself to slip into unconsciousness. As the darkness consumed me, a single thought lingered in my mind.

If I survived this, I would divorce her.

Ella, I would no longer long for your love.

In my dream, I was transported back to the year we first met. I'd just fallen in love with climbing and had come to the city for a competition.

When Ella first saw me, she froze for a moment. I'd always thought it was a sign of love at first sight.

Her resilience and determination drew me in, and before long, we were together. That same year, an economic crisis struck, nearly bankrupting her family's company, Ferris Group.

I couldn't bear to see the woman I loved in such despair.

Back then, Ella only knew me as an ordinary office worker. She despised being overshadowed by anyone, so I secretly sold my thriving company and used the money to save Ferris Group under the guise of a foreign investor.

When Dad found out, he was furious and slapped me across the face.

"We raised you all these years, and you gave up your career for a woman?" he shouted. "I have no use for a son who lets love cloud his judgment! Break up with her now and abandon this climbing nonsense!"

He gave me an ultimatum—return to inherit the family business or leave and never come back.

"Dad, I'm sorry. Ella is the love of my life, and climbing is my true passion."

I didn't dare to look at the disappointment in his eyes. In the end, I chose the woman I loved.

With the investment secured, Ella agreed to marry me. I thought I had won her heart.

She smoothly took over her father's company, renaming it O&E Group.

O&E.

A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

I'd never realized that the "O" stood for Owen.

We'd had our moments of happiness, both while dating and in the early days of our marriage.

Ella supported my dreams and claimed that the greatest love a woman could show a man was to let him pursue his passions. Her words had moved me deeply, and for a while, I thought I was the luckiest man in the world.

Sometimes, she'd gaze into my eyes with a distant expression, but I believed she loved me. I assumed she was simply a career-driven woman, and if her emotions made up only 1% of her life, I was content to be 100% of that 1%.

But when Owen returned from studying abroad, everything changed.

For the first time, I saw Ella laugh so warmly, care so deeply, and protect someone so fiercely.

In my dream, her face alternated with Owen's. His gaze pierced through me, and then, in a sudden dreadful clarity, I understood.

His eyes… They looked just like mine.

It all made sense now. I was nothing more than a stand-in.