Chapter 1

"Katherine Blake, can't you just sign the surgery consent form yourself? Do you really need to call me so many times for this?

"Just because Sophia got hurt, does that mean you had to go and break your own bones too? I'm exhausted enough as it is—stop adding to my troubles, will you?"

Hugo Laurent's voice came through the phone, carrying an unmistakable hint of irritation and impatience.

Since Sophia Mendes had caused a scene at our wedding, he had disappeared with her for half a day.

This was my 20th call to him. The first 19 had all been declined without exception.

His cold tone made me pause for a moment before I said softly, "Sophia pushed me.

"Dr. Beckett says a family member has to sign the consent form. You're already at the hospital—could you really not take just a few minutes to come and do it?"

But all I got in response was the sharp sound of the call being cut off.

I had expected as much, so I simply sighed. "Bring me the consent form. I'll sign it myself."

Adrian hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to try contacting Mr. Laurent again? Maybe he just didn't hear you properly?

"Just yesterday, he ordered all the doctors in the hospital to be on standby, in case Sophia refused to accept the breakup and tried to cause trouble at the wedding—he wanted to make sure you'd be treated immediately if anything happened.

"In the past, even if you only had a mild cold, Mr. Laurent would insist on a full medical consultation and personally stay by your bedside for three days and nights.

"If he knew you had a fracture—especially if Sophia was the one who caused it—he'd be furious. After all, you're the most important person in his heart."

I let out a bitter chuckle. I used to believe that, too.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

At my insistence, Adrian finally handed over the consent form, allowing me to sign it myself.

Even up to the final moments before my surgery, I still gave Hugo a chance—I waited, hoping he would come see me.

But the only thing I got was a social media post from Sophia.

In the video, Hugo was carefully blowing on a steaming bowl of chicken broth before bringing the spoon to Sophia's lips. He even tucked the blanket around her.

The caption read: "You said that spending three years by my side was your greatest blessing, so I'll spend the rest of my life proving my love in return."

Sophia was smiling. She radiated happiness.

It was hard to believe that just days ago, she had been drinking herself into oblivion after Hugo had broken up with her so suddenly.

Drunk and tear-streaked, she had barged in, pointing a trembling finger at me as she raged, "I was Hugo's secret girlfriend for three years! I gave him everything! But he never touched me, not even once. He always said that Katherine Blake was the only woman he would ever marry. What makes you so special? Why does he love you so much?

"I even tried copying you—I learned how to make soup just like you do, hoping he'd like it. But he slapped me across the face and told me I was nothing compared to you! That I wasn't as beautiful as you, that I wasn't as gentle as you, that I should stop humiliating myself by trying to imitate you!"

Her emotions spiraled out of control. "He said I was just a substitute to pass the time! That once you came back, he would throw me away like trash! Katherine Blake, why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you have just died abroad?"

At the time, Hugo had been so enraged by her words that he had slapped her without hesitation and thrown her out the door.

His icy stare was filled with nothing but disgust as he said, "We're already over. Stop pestering me. Did you just curse Katherine? You must be insane! If you want to die so badly, go do it yourself!

"Katherine is my one and only. I will never have eyes for anyone else."

But today, at the wedding, he ran straight to Sophia without hesitation.

He had looked terrified, as if he might lose something precious, frantically carrying her away to the hospital for emergency treatment.

My surgery was over quickly.

When the anesthesia wore off and I regained consciousness, Hugo suddenly barged into my hospital room, striding in with urgency.

For a moment, I thought he had finally come to see me out of guilt.

But to my shock, the first thing he did was yank my hand out from under the blanket, roughly turning it over and searching my fingers.

When he couldn't find what he was looking for, he demanded furiously, "Katherine, where's your wedding ring? Give it to me. Now!"