I ignored them and rushed to the mortuary. After showing my identification, I finally saw Mom's body being wheeled out from the cold storage, completely stiff. I fell to my knees in front of her, my hands trembling as I pulled back the white sheet. When I saw her familiar face, my body froze, and only dry, choked sounds came from my throat. I could not even cry to release the pain tearing through my heart. I gripped her hand tightly, finding it cold and rigid, a cruel contrast from the warmth I remembered. Just before the wedding, Mom hugged me and said softly, "Caitlyn, you finally have someone who loves you. Even when I'm gone, you'll have someone to take care of you." Neither of us had imagined that Levi would choose Gina. I was naive to think that staying by his side and dedicating years of my life would win his heart. I had overestimated myself and underestimated Gina's place in his life. The mortuary staff eventually interrupted my thoughts. "Ms. Vaughn, it's time. We
"Caitlyn, I'm just trying to make it up to you," Levi said gravely. "I was wrong to abandon you at the wedding, and Gina's right. No matter what, I publicly announced you as Mrs. Robbins, so I need to take responsibility. Otherwise, your life will be harder from here on out." "So, this was Gina's idea too?" I stared at him. Levi nodded. "Gina's just looking out for you. You should know—" "Enough!" I cut him off. "How interesting that the mighty CEO of Robbins Corporation takes orders from a young girl. If you really feel guilty, Levi, just stay away from me, okay?" Levi frowned. "Why are you holding a grudge against her? That day at the wedding—" I snapped, "Don't mention the wedding! My mom died that day, and it's a painful memory I'll carry forever. I'll never forgive you! All I'm asking is for some distance between us. Can't we just part ways peacefully? And thankfully, we never filed our marriage license, or we'd be dealing with a divorce now!" I was actually grateful
As I lost consciousness, I saw Levi running toward me. When I woke up again, the smell of disinfectants filled the air, and Levi sat beside me. As soon as he noticed I was awake, he grabbed my hand tightly. He asked, "Caitlyn, are you feeling better?" I yanked my hand away and remained silent, knowing that words would not matter. Levi grew anxious when he saw my empty stare. "Caitlyn, please say something. Don't shut me out like this, okay?" I stared blankly at the ceiling, remembering the first time I met Levi. I was a new intern at the company when, during lunch break, I accidentally witnessed Gina confessing her feelings to Levi in the stairwell. She stood on her tiptoes beside him with flushed cheeks. Surprisingly, Levi rejected her. I never understood why, given how close they were. Unfortunately, I had overheard everything, and Gina developed a strong hatred toward me after that. During my internship, she constantly created problems for me and declared she would make
My expression finally softened as I turned to look at Levi. "Just let me leave. That's all I want." Levi froze, clenching his fists. "You just don't trust me, do you?" "Levi, I'm tired. Whatever's between you and Gina has nothing to do with me anymore. Let's both move on. You should really ask yourself who you truly care about," I said, turning away. After a long silence, Levi finally spoke. "Get some rest. I'll be back later." Once he left, I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out a phone hidden under my pillow. After some thought, I texted Gina. [Do you seriously think you've won? You're nothing but a joke. As long as I'm unwilling, Levi will never choose you.] I silently prayed that Gina would put on the show of her life. Half an hour later, Gina stormed into my ward. Seeing me in bed, she mocked, "Caitlyn, do you think being Mrs. Robbins makes you special? You'll never have his love, but I'm different. One word from me, and he'll drop everything—including you!" I
My words angered Gina, and she slapped me hard. She grabbed my throat and snarled, "Caitlyn, no one would care what I did to a loser like you! I pretended to faint on purpose just to show you your place in Levi's heart. You'll never beat me!" She added, "So what if you're the official Mrs. Robbins? Just wait. I'll make Levi betray you again!" She tightened her grip and continued with her insults, "This funeral will happen as planned, and as for your mother's ashes? I'll throw them into the sea like the latest trend, and no one will even know!" I was furious, but Gina just patted my face and walked away with a smirk. As she left, I stopped the livestream on my phone. Let's see if she could keep smiling after this. Gina had built her public image as a brave cancer warrior, documenting her supposed battle with terminal illness on social media. She had even gained millions of followers from it. However, my livestream had exposed her true colors, and the internet was in shock.
"I'll give you the ashes, but please don't leave me," Levi pleaded. I replied coldly, "What right do you have to ask me to stay? After you hurt me and caused my mom's death, I'll never forgive you. Levi, I don't love you anymore!" I pushed past him and got out of bed. Levi panicked and exclaimed, "You're too weak. Please don't get up! If you don't want to see me, I'll leave!" He backed away anxiously, so different from his usual cold, decisive demeanor. I gave him a small smile and said, "Goodbye, Levi. I don't want to see you again." The police arrived quickly and ordered Levi to return Mom's ashes. After giving her a proper burial, I could finally let out a deep sigh. Kneeling before her grave, I struggled to find the words. "Mom, don't worry. I'll be fine from now on. No one can hurt me anymore. I don't love Levi, and he won't control me ever again." A gentle breeze caressed my face, as if Mom was there, comforting me. She always hated seeing me hurt, and I knew she w
I raised an eyebrow. "It's too late, Levi. If you keep pursuing me, I'll leave this city and make sure you never find me." A look of guilt flashed in his eyes as he silently backed away, knowing I meant every word. Since falling out of love with him, I became incredibly cold and detached. My threat to leave was not an empty one—I truly planned to go far away. Though Levi was too afraid to show up himself, he still sent people to check on me. We did not see each other for a long time after that. Just as I was finally getting through the worst of it, breaking news hit social media on Levi's arrest. An investigation team had stepped in, exposing all his past actions—especially how he had forced the entire company to undergo bone marrow testing for Gina. Old videos surfaced, including Levi's company-wide notices. Back then, Levi had demanded that everyone participate in the matching. Despite the employees' complaints, no one dared to resist because of his immense power. With ever
Five years ago, I saved Gina Fields through a bone marrow transplant. After the successful procedure, Levi Robbins asked me to stay, promising to repay my kindness. After five years by his side, we were finally getting married. Yet, on what was supposed to be our wedding day, Gina dramatically passed out right in the middle of the ceremony. When I begged Levi not to leave, he pried my fingers away and snapped, "Caitlyn, this is a matter of life and death. How can you be so heartless?" He called me heartless without even noticing that Gina's eyelashes fluttered—she was clearly faking it. Distressed by the sudden turn of events, Mom suffered a heart attack and collapsed. I screamed for help through my tears, but not a single guest stepped forward to assist. Everyone knew who Levi truly cared about. Now that he had rushed to Gina's side, they all saw how little I meant to him, which explained why no one bothered to help me. In the end, it was a waiter who called 911, but it w