When I was two months pregnant, I stumbled upon a secret Liam had buried deep in his journal. “Rain, I can’t love you anymore, but you’ll always be in my heart, my brother’s heart.” “Rain, I met a girl who looks a little like you, and I decided to pursue her…” An entire journal filled with hidden, passionate love – it stabbed my heart. I vaguely recalled that rainy night when Liam held his umbrella over my head. “Hey, mind if we share?” It turned out that what I thought was love at first sight was nothing more than a cruel joke. But Liam, those who deceive a sincere heart will get their karma. I terminated the pregnancy, set our wedding home ablaze, and vanished from his world. Three years later, he traveled across the ocean and showed up at my doorstep. His eyes burned red when he saw the man beside me. “Who is he? Did you fall for someone else?” “Harper, I’m scared.” Rain cried, her voice trembling as she looked at me. Scared of what? Was a simple procedure more terrifying than sleeping with your own brother? I tapped Rain’s pale, delicate leg with the surgical forceps. “Relax. Spread your legs wider.” The moment the cold metal touched Rain, she shrieked. “Ah…!” “Rain! Rain!” The operating room door rattled violently as Liam’s anxious voice boomed from outside. I frowned, the forceps still in my hand. I walked over and stood by the door. “Stop yelling. If anyone hears, I won’t be able to help you two.” The Lennox family was one of the most prominent names in Veridia City. In public, Liam and I were still the picture of a loving couple. Rain, though adopted into the Lennox family, was still publicly known as Liam’s sister. A sister pregnant with her brother’s child – that kind of scandal could never be exposed. I never wanted to cover up their dirty secret, but they threatened me with the Lennox Group’s collaboration project with the hospital. I had no choice but to agree. “Harper, be gentle. Rain is so sensitive to pain.” Liam’s desperate pleas came through the door. Right. Rain was sensitive to pain. But me, his official wife? I wasn’t. I was made of steel and iron. No matter how he sliced and diced my heart, I wouldn’t feel a thing. Leaning against the door, my hand, clutching the forceps, instinctively grazed my still-flat belly. Two months pregnant. I’d been about to share this monumental news with Liam when my sister-in-law announced hers first. My nose stung. I bit hard on my lip to stop the uncooperative tears from falling. Without a word, I returned to the operating table. The procedure took only about fifteen minutes and involved painless general anesthesia. It wasn’t supposed to hurt. But Rain cried the entire time, loud and theatrical. Liam was heartbroken. The moment the surgery ended, he burst in and swept her into his arms. I tossed the forceps into the sterile tray, not looking at them. “You two should head home. I have a night shift.” “Alright. I’ll take Rain home now.” Liam walked off with Rain in his arms, but paused at the door, looking back at me. “Harper, come home early after your shift. I’ll be waiting.” Waiting for what? I took a deep breath. Before I could speak, I heard Rain’s fragile voice. “Brother, I’m in so much pain.” “Just hold on a little longer. We’ll be home soon.” Liam turned and hurried away. He didn’t seem to care much for my answer, either. I stared at the empty doorway, then pulled two small pills from my lab coat pocket. Today was the third day. After these last two pills, the two-month-old life inside me would be no more. Swallowing the pills, I went to the restroom, waiting for them to take effect. The agonizing, twisting pain arrived precisely on schedule. I shoved a towel into my mouth, biting down hard as large beads of cold sweat rolled down my forehead. My body trembled uncontrollably. I bit into my lip, and my clothes were quickly soaked through with sweat. The pain blurred my consciousness. I saw myself again, the woman who had planned to share her joy with her husband. That day, I’d left work early, booked a restaurant, and ordered all of Liam’s favorite dishes. I’d even secretly tucked the ultrasound scan into the hand of a cute, custom-made plushie. I planned to give the plushie to Liam as a small gift, imagining his overjoyed reaction when he found the scan. But who knew, the moment I handed him the plushie, he got a call from home. Rain was pregnant. It was in that moment that I first learned their secret. He left in a panic, and the plushie was casually tossed into a nearby trash can in his haste. My teeth tasted blood. A fierce, heavy ache seized my lower abdomen, and the tiny life within me finally departed. I didn’t want to go home. I lay on the examination bed in my office for half the night, only returning in the morning. The moment I walked in, I heard my mother-in-law, Eleanor, scolding the housekeeper in the kitchen for forgetting to add the special herbs to the chicken broth. Chicken broth for qi, red dates for blood. Eleanor certainly doted on Rain. I ignored them and went straight upstairs. Just as I reached the bedroom door, Eleanor came up. “Coming home without a sound? Do you even see me as your mother?” Did she even see me as her daughter-in-law? I found it laughable. My lower abdomen throbbed intensely. I couldn’t stand straight and instinctively leaned against the doorframe. “I just got off my shift, I’m tired. If there’s nothing, Mom, I’m going to catch up on sleep.” “How tired can a night shift make you? Here, Mrs. Jenkins is busy, so you wash these. By hand.” Eleanor commanded. I turned around and saw she was holding a laundry basket. It was filled with Rain’s clothes, with a blood-stained pair of underwear on top. “Mom, I’m really tired.” I said, gritting my teeth through the abdominal pain. At that, Eleanor’s face immediately hardened. “These few clothes will kill you? Rain is a young lady; her intimate clothes must be hand-washed. And this is all your fault. Your surgical skills are so poor, you made Rain bleed! If you don’t wash them, who will?” Was there such a thing as a procedure that didn’t involve bleeding? I couldn’t listen anymore. I walked into the room and closed the door. Soon, a thunderous pounding rattled the door. “What kind of attitude is that? You’re family, is it really so hard to wash a few clothes for your sister-in-law?” “You’re angry, aren’t you? What right do you have to be angry? You’ve been married into our family for four years now, and still no baby! Do you even have the right to be angry?” “Open this door! You’re out of control…” The excruciating pain in my abdomen made my legs weak. I couldn’t stand, slowly sliding down the door to the floor. Through the closed door, Eleanor’s curses were still piercing. With cold, trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and sent a message: “Proceed with your plan. I’m in!” Liam, don’t worry. Soon, I’ll be out of your life for good!
The moment I sent the message, Liam’s voice sounded from outside the door. “Mom, what’s wrong?” “Your wonderful wife! I asked her to wash Rain’s clothes, and she slammed the door in my face.” Eleanor kicked the door in a fit of rage. “I’ll have Harper wash them later, just leave her alone for now. Rain says she’s in a lot of pain, Mom, you should go check on her.” Without waiting for her to finish, Liam pulled Eleanor away. Just last night, he’d told me to come home early. And what did it matter if I did? It would still be the same: “Just leave her alone!” I leaned on the door, stood up, and forced myself to take a shower. After resting for a while, I started packing my things. Opening the closet, my clothes were pitifully few. A few were bought by Liam before we got married; the rest I’d bought myself. After we married, he never bought me a single outfit. Because the year we married, Rain came back from overseas. In truth, everything had been evident for a long time. I was just too slow, too oblivious to notice. With my things packed, I lay down for a nap. Waking up thirsty, I slowly got up, my body still aching and weak, and walked out. The moment I stepped out, Rain’s saccharine voice floated into my ears. “Brother, I’m so sorry. I’ve caused you so much trouble.” “What nonsense are you talking about? This is all my fault. I didn’t take proper precautions.” Liam said, his voice laced with tenderness. Drawn by their voices, I inexplicably walked towards the room at the end of the hallway. The door was ajar. Liam sat on the edge of the bed, holding a cup of water, while Rain leaned against his chest. “Careful, it’s hot.” Liam put one arm around Rain’s shoulder, the other carefully raising the cup to her lips. “It’s brown sugar water. Drink it, and the pain will go away.” Brown sugar water. It must be so sweet. My grip tightened unconsciously on the empty cup in my hand. “Harper?” Rain noticed me. I turned to leave, but Liam came over and pulled me in. “You’re just in time. I need to make a call back. Can you feed Rain? She’s very weak right now.” Liam took the empty cup from my hand without explanation and pressed the cup of brown sugar water into my grasp. So weak she couldn’t even drink water herself. I glanced at Rain, my gaze suddenly snagged by the pillow beside her. The pillow still had a faint indentation, clearly having been slept on. And beneath the pillow, a watch strap was peeking out. It was Liam’s watch. They had slept together again last night, after I lost our baby. An invisible hand gripped my heart, squeezing it, tearing at it. I couldn’t breathe. “Harper, give it to me. I can drink it myself. Brother is just being overly cautious.” Rain reached out and took the cup from my hand. That watch was a burning ember in my eyes. I wanted to leave, but before I could move, Rain suddenly let out a gasp. “Ah…!” I quickly looked at her. The cup of brown sugar water, which she’d just been holding, had tipped over onto the bed. Rain was soaked from head to chest, and a large patch of the duvet was wet. “Harper, why did you throw water on me?” Rain, her long hair dripping, wailed accusations. Liam rushed to the bedside with incredible speed. “What—what are you doing?!” He shoved me aside, sat on the bed, and pulled Rain into his embrace, then glared at me. His eyes looked like they wanted to kill me. I stumbled back two steps, catching myself on the bedside table. “I…” Just as I tried to explain, he cut me off. “You don’t need to say anything. I know. You’re just taking your anger out on Rain. Go get a clean duvet for her right now, and then wash this one. If she catches a cold, I won’t let you off the hook.” Liam’s face was furious. He yanked off the wet duvet and threw it at my feet. “It’s okay, Brother, don’t blame Harper. It’s all my fault. *cough, cough*…” Rain clutched Liam’s shirt. Before she could even finish a sentence, she started coughing. In a single second, she’d ‘caught a cold.’ I bit my lip and slowly straightened up. How ridiculous. I’d actually been foolish enough to fantasize about explaining myself just now. What explanation could ever stand against a few of Rain’s tears? “If you’re afraid of her catching a cold, you can sleep with her. You don’t need the duvet.” I was about to leave when I saw Eleanor walk in. “Liam, call the hospital. Cancel the project.” The unwashed laundry basket still fuming in her mind, Eleanor’s face was filled with anger the moment she saw me. “The first day you married into this family, I told you, the Lennox family doesn’t need your meager earnings. I told you to quit your job and focus on being a good wife and mother. But you refused. Now you haven’t produced a child, and your temper has grown. Today, I’ll show you that without the Lennox family, you are nothing.” If the collaboration project was canceled, I wouldn’t be able to stay at the hospital. But that wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was that this project would benefit millions of patients. I couldn’t drag those patients down with me. My hands, hanging at my sides, clenched into fists. My nails dug deep into my palms. After a long silence, I finally swallowed my resentment and anger. “I’m sorry, Mom. I was wrong. I’ll wash this, and all the previous clothes too.” I resigned myself, grabbing the duvet from the floor and beginning to strip its cover. “Always needing to be knocked down a peg to know your place in this family. You truly are spineless, aren’t you?” Eleanor’s low curses reached me from nearby. I didn’t look up. I hugged the duvet cover and walked out. I had no family background, and my mother-in-law had always disliked me. I used to think that as long as Liam loved me, none of it mattered. Now, thinking back, I realized how naive I’d been. My mother-in-law treated me poorly because she knew her son didn’t care about me at all. In the laundry room, the moment my hands plunged into the icy water, the cold transformed into sharp blades, scraping at my entire body. I gritted my teeth and persisted. After the duvet cover, I washed the clothes. Just as I was washing the blood-stained underwear, Liam walked in. “Didn’t I explain what happened that day clearly enough? Why are you still upset?” His first words were an accusation. I didn’t say anything or look at him, just mechanically scrubbed the clothes with my frozen hands. “I’d had too much to drink, my head wasn’t clear, and she happened to be there taking care of me…” The suds in the basin were tinged with a faint red, just like the delicate rose in the bottom right corner of his journal.
Rain was the one who showed me that journal. It was the very day she announced her pregnancy. One hand caressing her belly, the other holding that locked journal, Rain showed no sorrow for the impending abortion. Instead, her face was smug. “It’s just a baby, who cares? Getting rid of it will just make Brother dote on me even more.” Rain unlocked the journal and tossed it in front of me. I opened it, and Liam’s familiar handwriting instantly filled my vision. “January 6th, Overcast. I’m sorry, Rain, I can’t love you anymore, my brother’s heart. Mom says the company is about to go public. We are siblings, after all; if our relationship is exposed, it will definitely bring negative publicity.” “May 10th, Overcast. Rain, today I told Mom that I would bury my love for you deep inside, but it’s so hard. When I see you, all I want to do is hold you, kiss you…” “October 23rd, Heavy Rain. Rain, today I met a girl who looks a little like you. I decided to pursue her. Mom sent you to study overseas, and I can’t see you. I’m in so much pain. Forgive me.” Seven years ago, on that rainy night, I left the library very late, and it was pouring. I was wearing a thin dress, about to brave the rain when I heard someone call out. “Hey, classmate.” I turned to see a boy in a white shirt running over from the library entrance, holding an umbrella. The arrow-like raindrops were blocked by the umbrella. He raised a hand to brush away the wet strands of hair from his forehead and asked, “Which dorm are you in? I can walk you. The rain’s so heavy, you’ll definitely catch a cold if you walk back.” The girls’ dorm wasn’t far, and with exams approaching, getting sick would mess up my studying. After a moment’s thought, I didn’t refuse. Who knew, after only about ten meters, a few late-returning boys on bicycles came flying past us. They pedaled furiously, shouting at us, “Liam, got a girlfriend? Nice! She’s pretty!” Liam. So, he was Liam, the campus heartthrob the girls in my dorm often talked about. I gazed at his youthful, handsome face, my mind drifting. Their story, a love at first sight, was once a hot topic on campus. Back then, I didn’t know I was just a substitute. No, not just a substitute. I was a clown. The moment Rain returned from overseas, Liam handed her that journal, as if to prove his twisted, undying devotion. For four years, Rain had watched me from under this very roof. Watched how I tried to please my husband, how I tried to win over my mother-in-law. Watched me give everything, only to end up with nothing. Cold tears fell into the suds, quickly mixing with them. “Hospital duties are hectic. I’ll be staying in the dorm for a while.” I sped up my scrubbing, still not looking up. Liam looked at the basin of dirty clothes, a frown creasing his brows. “Fine, maybe you need some time to cool off. You’re always so emotional, it’s not good for Rain. She needs to rest right now.” With that, he turned and left. I glanced back slightly, only catching sight of his hurried departure. When I left the Lennox house, dragging a large suitcase, not a single person came to see me off. Liam and Eleanor were in Rain’s room. I clutched my lower abdomen with one hand and dragged my suitcase with the other, inching my way to the roadside, where I squatted down to wait for a cab. Arriving at the hospital dorms, I passed a room with the door ajar and heard voices inside. “I never would’ve thought she was like that. So gentle and kind on the surface, but actually so shameless.” Women often gossiped. I didn’t pay it much mind, but as I prepared to continue, I heard more. “Ms. Rain is the legitimate Lennox family daughter. She just married in a few days ago and already wants to kick out her illegitimate sister-in-law to monopolize the family fortune. I’ve seen shameless, but never this shameless.” “Her greed is insane. And she even attacked Ms. Rain! Mr. Lennox truly has a good temper to put up with a wife like that.” “If you ask me, Mrs. Lennox is just too kind. She actually laid hands on her, and before that it couldn’t have been good. Mrs. Lennox actually tolerated her, what a woman of composure.” The fragmented voices made my head spin. What attack? What monopolizing the family fortune?
“Harper.” My friend, Chloe, came up. I didn’t want to disturb the two people in the dorm room, so I just glanced at Chloe and continued towards my own room. Once inside, I closed the door. Chloe, seeing my distraught expression, said, “Don’t take any of that internet stuff to heart. Those tabloid reporters just love writing about high-society drama. What do they know?” “You know about it too? What exactly happened?” I put down my suitcase, grabbed Chloe’s hand, and stared intently at her. Chloe paused. “You haven’t seen it?” Then she pulled out her phone. “What happened with Rain last night? The internet is claiming you, as her sister-in-law, were fighting with her over the family fortune, trying to kick out your ‘illegitimate’ sister-in-law. They’re saying you two had a huge fight at home, and you injured her, sending her to the hospital.” The accompanying photo showed Liam carrying a post-surgery Rain out of the hospital. The comment section was filled with hateful remarks, all condemning me and sympathizing with Rain’s ‘tragic’ ordeal. They had done something despicable, and I was taking the blame. I had become the malicious daughter-in-law, coveting their family fortune and assaulting their daughter. They, on the other hand, had gained sympathy, and he, a reputation as a husband who loved his wife unconditionally. Even my mother-in-law, Eleanor, was praised as a tolerant and generous woman. Chloe scrolled through the comments, growing angrier with each word, and tapped on the comment box. As my best friend, she wanted to defend me. I pressed her hand, shaking my head helplessly. “What’s the use of clarifying on the internet? They won’t listen, and it’ll only blow this story up even more. I’ll just get dragged through the mud worse.” I didn’t care anymore. Chloe thought it made sense, so she put her phone in her pocket and helped me unpack my suitcase. “Honestly, it’s nothing. Let them talk. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. They don’t know. We were roommates in college, and I know better than anyone how much Liam loved you.” “In sophomore year, when he was pursuing you, he’d buy breakfast in a thermos early in the morning, stand beneath the girls’ dorm building from five to seven, but he never dared to wake you up.” “In junior year, we were harassed by some thugs at a snack shop outside the school, and he fought four or five of them by himself, almost losing his life. He would’ve died for you back then. And in senior year…” Chloe recounted Liam’s past ‘heroic deeds.’ But how could she know that the man waiting downstairs with breakfast that year was actually longing for the shadow of his sister? I sank onto the bed, feeling helpless, my heart aching. Just then, my phone rang. Liam! My cold, numb fingers tapped open SnapChat. “Harper, are you at the hospital? Get some good rest when you get there, don’t overthink things. It’s all my fault, honey. When work isn’t so busy, I’ll take you away for a break. Darling, no matter what happens, my heart for you will never change. Love you!” Love me? The online posts were already blowing up. Hadn’t he seen them? Maybe he really hadn’t seen them. His eyes were only for Rain; he saw no one else. “Oh, what did I tell you? Look, ‘darling,’ ‘love you’—if you ask me, you should cherish it. A man as rich as Liam, who’s willing to stoop to such lengths to sweet-talk you, isn’t easy to find.” Was he sweet-talking me? Rain was back by his side. He no longer needed me, his shadow. But he had to maintain his image as a model husband in public, to protect the Lennox family’s reputation. Liam, how much longer will you deceive me? I closed SnapChat, not replying. Not wanting Chloe to see the despair in my eyes, I simply lay down, turned over, and closed them.
After resting for over a week, I recovered my strength. The day of the official signing for the hospital’s collaboration project with the Lennox Group finally arrived. The hospital placed great importance on this partnership, and the ceremony was grand. As a key party involved, I rushed there immediately after my surgery shift, and the moment I walked in, I started looking for Chloe. Before I could spot her, a familiar voice reached my ears. “Harper.” Rain walked over from the side. She looked well after the past ten days—her complexion was rosy and glowing, her peach-blossom eyes were watery and bright, and she seemed to have gained a little weight. Her off-the-shoulder red dress hugged her curves perfectly, and with a twist of her slender waist, she exuded charm and allure. No wonder Liam loved her so much. Growing up together, childhood sweethearts, and possessing both a beautiful face and an impressive figure—who wouldn’t love her? I felt a surge of impatience and ignored her. I tried to walk away, but Rain blocked my path. “Harper, are you happy with the gift I sent you?” Rain smiled. I froze, suddenly recalling the malicious posts online from a few days ago. Because of those posts, people from the Lennox Group were still pointing fingers at me today. “You sent those posts?” I asked coldly. Rain brushed a strand of long hair from her shoulder, raising an eyebrow smugly. “If I were you, I’d divorce my brother voluntarily. The sooner you leave, the more gracefully it will be.” She kept provoking me, simply to force me out of this marriage. Liam, mindful of their sibling relationship, hadn’t brought up divorce. But I couldn’t wait any longer. It was time for me to withdraw. Withdrawal would mean freedom. “Are you done talking? If so, move aside.” I looked at Rain with annoyance. As I prepared to walk past her, I saw Liam approaching. “What are you two talking about?” He had just come down from giving a speech, his face beaming with triumph. He seemed to have completely forgotten what had transpired between the three of us. “Brother, those posts online really weren’t from me. Harper insists they were, and no matter how I explain, it’s no use.” Rain bit her lip in distress, her eyes welling up. Liam paused, then his face subtly darkened. “Rain has been resting at home these past few days; she barely leaves the house. How could those posts be from her? Besides, don’t people online just love gossip? What does it matter if they talk a bit? Harper, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.” Did you need to leave the house to post online? He wasn’t the one being slandered, nor was his precious darling. Of course, he didn’t care. I no longer wanted to argue. Just as I prepared to leave, I heard Liam tell Rain, “Go over there for a moment. I need to speak with Harper.” Rain froze, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. Liam gave her a reassuring look, and she reluctantly left. Watching Rain walk away, Liam finally turned his gaze back to me. “It’s been so many days, shouldn’t you have cooled off by now? Dad even asked about you the other day. Everyone at the hospital knows you’re my wife, and you keep staying in the dorm. It makes me look bad. Come home with me after the banquet today.” He hadn’t taken my pain to heart at all. He only wanted me back for his own image. “Liam…” I bit my lip. “Let’s talk about divorce after the banquet.” “Divorce?” Liam glanced into the distance, a dismissive and slightly mocking smile on his face. “Harper, there’s a limit to how childish you can be.” My breakdown was, in his eyes, nothing more than a woman’s petty theatrics. A bitter taste filled my mouth. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Liam glanced away again, impatiently tugging at his tie. “The company has several major projects launching soon. Don’t always dwell on these minor issues. Don’t forget, you’re Mrs. Lennox. Alright, we’ll talk about it when we get home. I’ll find you after the event.” He didn’t give me a chance to speak before turning and walking away. Mrs. Lennox. What a laughable Mrs. Lennox. I wouldn’t go back with him. Not until I was free, truly free, would I ever step foot in that house again. I hadn’t found Chloe, and decided not to bother anymore, so I turned and headed towards the back exit of the banquet hall. Just two steps in, I saw Rain suddenly rush back in through the back door, clutching her chest. She precisely located Liam and threw herself into his arms. From a distance, I couldn’t tell what had happened.
A moment later, another person burst in. It was a young doctor named Dr. Owen. He was a highly accomplished professional, usually very meticulous about his appearance, but now he looked disheveled, as if possessed. He was chasing Rain, but was quickly grabbed and pulled out by others. Then, the hospital director walked up to Liam and Rain. I wasn’t interested in what they were saying. I continued towards the back exit. But as I reached the door, Liam suddenly came up from behind and grabbed my hand. “Come with me.” Liam’s face was ashen. He dragged me directly out of the banquet hall. “You’re going too far.” Once outside, he immediately let go of my hand, as if holding it for another second would taint him. I happened to be standing by the steps, and my body swayed, causing me to tumble down. The steps weren’t high, but I fell sideways, my head hitting the concrete ground below. A dull ache and dizziness washed over me in waves. I lay on the ground, unable to get up. Chloe rushed over and quickly helped me to my feet. “Liam, you haven’t even figured out what happened, how can you treat Harper like this?” She tried to reason with Liam, but he wouldn’t listen. “She misunderstood that Rain posted those things, got angry at her, and I can understand if she yelled a bit. But I never imagined she would be so malicious as to set Rain up with such a sleazy man!” Liam’s accusation exploded like thunderclaps above my head. It took me a while to process his words. “Is this another one of Rain’s stories?” I struggled to my feet, my voice strangely calm. It had happened too many times; I was used to it. “Harper, what do you mean? Are you saying I deliberately ruined my own reputation to frame you? I just went to the restroom, and that man suddenly appeared and grabbed me, claiming you’d married me off to him. You told him that as my sister-in-law, you had the right to make decisions for me, and that I’d accept any marriage you arranged. Do you swear those weren’t your words?” Rain clutched Liam’s arm, her voice choked with sobs as she questioned me. Her tearful accusation provoked Liam, and his face turned ashen as he glared at me. “You truly can’t tolerate Rain, can you? You’re so desperate to drive her out of this family?” Earlier in the banquet hall, over the online posts, he hadn’t been this furious. But now, with a man attempting to assault his precious darling, he couldn’t hold back. He even abandoned his most cherished pride. The deader the heart, the calmer it becomes. That was how I felt at that moment. “I didn’t. Believe me or not. And no, I won’t be going back with you today.” I turned, leaning on Chloe’s arm, and limped towards the dorm area, my legs aching from the fall. “Stop right there!” Liam chased after me, grabbing my arm. Just then, an old, anxious voice reached us. “Harper!” It was Liam’s grandma. Wasn’t she vacationing overseas? How was she back? All three of us were startled. Liam quickly let go of me. The old lady pulled me close, tenderly stroking my face. “Harper, my poor child.” Before I could speak, Liam said, “Grandma, why are you back?” “Why am I back? You should be asking yourself that!” The old lady glared at her grandson in annoyance, then turned to me. “Good child, come home with Grandma first.” She had returned specifically from overseas, and I couldn’t bear to refuse her. So, I briefly explained to Chloe and then complied with the old lady’s wishes. The old lady rubbed my hands, her face full of tenderness as she looked at me. “Harper, Grandma knows all about your troubles.” In the Lennox family, Grandma was the kindest to me. Eleanor and her mother-in-law had an average relationship. Liam and his father were usually busy and rarely spent time with the elderly. Although Grandma lived in the main house with dedicated caregivers, she was still often lonely. I was the only one who would visit her and chat when I had time, which was why she was very fond of me. “It’s okay, Grandma. It’s all in the past.” I didn’t want to bother the old lady, so I quickly brushed it aside. Our affectionate display made Rain grit her teeth in resentment, but in front of Grandma, she didn’t dare say anything, just bowed her head, hugging herself tightly. Liam, seeing her so distressed, couldn’t help but say, “Grandma, don’t spoil her. She just…” “You shut your mouth!” The old lady glared at her grandson. “Just what? All I know is someone was bullying my granddaughter-in-law again.” She meaningfully glanced at Rain, then purposely raised her voice as she spoke to me, “Girl, don’t worry. Grandma has made arrangements. In a few days, it’s Grandma’s birthday. On that day, Grandma will announce something in front of everyone. Since you married into our family, I will never let you suffer any injustice.” Announce what? I was puzzled, but Grandma said no more, simply pulling me along. Rain, hearing this, was both surprised and angered. She gripped Liam’s hand, whispering, “Brother, did you hear? Grandma is going to do something, I’m so scared.” “What can an old lady do? I’m here. Don’t worry.” Liam reassured Rain, not taking Grandma’s words seriously.
For the next few days, I stayed at the old manor. Grandma’s birthday fell on a weekend, and the invited guests arrived early. Grandma purposely kept me and Liam by her side. Rain tried to approach Liam several times but was scolded by Grandma, making her angry enough to run upstairs to sulk alone. Passing Grandma’s bedroom on the second floor, Rain saw the door was open and walked in. Grandma had many valuable pieces of jewelry; some were just kept in her cabinets, as Rain had seen when she played there as a child. With so many people here today, if one or two pieces went missing, Grandma wouldn’t know who took them. And why should Grandma have been so rude to her earlier? Rain grew angrier the more she thought about it and started rummaging frantically. But instead of jewelry, she found a document first. It was in the nightstand drawer. *Share Transfer Agreement?* Rain opened it, and her eyes instantly widened. **Transferee: Harper Lennox.** Grandma was transferring ten percent of her Lennox Group shares to *me*? No wonder the old woman had said she had something to announce that day, promising she’d never let me suffer injustice. Oh, she wanted to bind Harper and Liam tightly together with shares. Rain gripped the agreement tightly, her teeth grinding with hatred. Just then, a sharp reprimand suddenly came from behind her. “What are you doing here?” Rain gasped in fright. She turned to see Grandma rushing towards her, her face furious. “Who gave you permission to rummage through my things?” Grandma reached out and grabbed the agreement from Rain’s hand. Rain, coveting those shares, subconsciously tightened her grip on the document. Grandma pulled hard, but couldn’t wrench it free. Enraged, she let go and raised her hand to slap her. “You beast! What do you think you’re doing?” As the slap came, Rain reacted quickly, raising her hand to grab Grandma’s wrist. Calling her a beast. This old hag had never liked her. It had been okay when she was little, but as she grew up, Grandma always kept an eye on her, telling her not to get too close to Liam. With this old woman around, Rain never had an easy day. Rain’s anger flared, and she violently flung Grandma’s hand away. Grandma, being elderly, couldn’t withstand the force and fell heavily to the ground. *Thump.* Her head hit the floor with a dull thud. Grandma’s eyes immediately closed, and she fell silent. Seeing this, Rain was also terrified. She stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move. After waiting a long time and seeing no reaction from the person on the ground, she cautiously moved closer and knelt down, reaching a hand under Grandma’s nose. No breath. Dead? Rain fell back onto the floor in fright. Just then, the sound of high heels echoed in the hallway. Her heart tightened. She glanced at the agreement in her hand, quickly folded it, tucked it into her pocket, and then got up. “Grandma…!” The moment I walked in, I saw Grandma lying on the ground. Terrified, I rushed over, but before I could reach her, Rain grabbed my arm. “You actually pushed Grandma down! Are you even human?!” Rain shrieked. I had been so focused on Grandma on the ground that I hadn’t even noticed who was next to me. Now, I saw it was Rain. “What are you talking about?!” I shook off Rain, knelt down, and gently shook Grandma. After calling her name a few times and realizing something was wrong, I quickly reached for Grandma’s nose. At the same time, Rain ran out. “Dad, Mom, Brother! It’s terrible! Something happened to Grandma!” My fingertips rested beneath Grandma’s nose. After a few seconds, my heart sank to rock bottom. But I refused to give up, frantically trying to open Grandma’s eyelids. “Grandma, Grandma, don’t scare me…” I collapsed onto the floor, clutching Grandma’s arm in disbelief. Liam was the first to rush up, followed by everyone else. Soon, guests crowded the second-floor hallway. “What happened to Grandma?!” Lost in shock and grief, I didn’t answer. Rain cried, “I don’t know either. I was resting in the next room and heard an argument here. I ran over and saw Harper and Grandma struggling.” “I heard Grandma tell Harper to prioritize the big picture, saying so many people were here today, and asking her not to make a scene. But Harper didn’t listen, yelling that Brother had wronged her, and she was going to ruin his reputation or something.” “I wanted to go over and mediate, but before I could even reach them, Harper pushed Grandma to the ground.” Rain’s tearful accusation made my head spin. I couldn’t understand how someone could be so shameless. Before I could even speak, Liam rushed over and roughly pulled me to my feet. “Harper Lennox, are you going to cause trouble endlessly? What kind of day is today? Causing a scene with me is one thing, but pushing Grandma?! Are you even human?!” He hadn’t even asked; he just believed Rain. Grandma’s death had already shattered my heart. Now, I felt utterly frozen to the core. Tears streamed down my face instantly, and I could no longer suppress the pain in my heart. “You believe everything she says! You don’t care about me, fine, but you don’t care about Grandma either?!” “One is your own grandmother, and the other is a sister with not a drop of your blood! Instead of investigating the truth and getting justice for Grandma, you blindly believe her lies?! I’m not human?! What about you?! You’re worse than an animal!” The more I spoke, the more it hurt. My body trembled as I screamed. I was a tearful mess, staring at Liam, and then I saw Rain, still looking smug, hiding behind him. “Grandma was as foolish as me. She even begged me not to leave you, saying if I left, your precious sister would ruin you. She cared for you wholeheartedly, and what about you? All you cared about was sneaking off to hotels with your precious sister!” The words “sneaking off” silenced the noisy crowd and flushed Liam’s face scarlet. “You—what nonsense are you talking about?!” “Nonsense? Did I make it up? You two begged me to perform the procedure to remove the baby she was carrying! What nonsense am I talking about?!” “You…” Liam was enraged. He just wanted this woman, who was humiliating him, to shut up, so he slapped me. *Slap!* The sound cut off my accusations. My cheek burned. A dampness seeped from the corner of my mouth. I touched it with my finger—blood.
Clutching my face, I stared at Liam, my eyes filled with despair. Growing up together, childhood sweethearts—that love had long been etched into his very bones. And I, I was nothing more than an unlucky stranger who had stumbled into his life. Grandma was the same—unlucky. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been worrying about her grandson until the day before she died. “Alright, alright, stop arguing! Let’s get the old lady to the hospital immediately!” Someone came over to mediate. They didn’t yet know that Grandma was beyond help. Everyone was in a frenzy. I looked at Grandma, being carried away, overcome with boundless grief. Knowing the outcome, I didn’t go to the hospital but stayed at the old manor. News of Grandma’s death soon arrived. The joyous occasion turned into a funeral, leaving everyone heartbroken. The sky was gray on the day of the funeral. After a final farewell at the cemetery, I left without exchanging another word with anyone from the Lennox family. As I neared the cemetery gate, Liam caught up with me. “Why are you leaving in such a hurry? Come home with us in a bit.” Home? Did I even have a home anymore? “No need.” I ignored him and walked straight ahead. Liam frowned and grabbed my arm. “Harper, how long are you going to keep this up? Grandma is gone. I’ve said all the good things I could to Mom, Dad, and the relatives, and they finally decided not to pursue your responsibility. I’ve done this much for you; isn’t that enough?” “My responsibility? What responsibility do I have?” I shook off his hand. “Liam, I’ll say it one last time: Grandma’s death had nothing to do with me. You should go ask Rain what really happened.” Unwilling to say more, I turned and swiftly walked down the steps. “Harper!” Liam chased after me for a few steps, then stood on the staircase, staring angrily at my rapidly retreating back. “It’s easy to leave, but hard to come back. My patience has its limits. Don’t regret this.” Come back? Never. Liam, I won’t be back. I didn’t look back. Liam’s face hardened in anger. Fine, go. Let’s see how long you can be stubborn. He stopped watching my retreating figure and turned back. A week later, when Liam returned home, a wave of irritation washed over him as he looked at the empty bedroom. Seven days, and that woman still hadn’t caved. She hadn’t come home, hadn’t called, not even a single text. She’d never been like this before, not even when Rain first got pregnant. What was different this time? Just as he was pondering, Rain came over. “Brother, look at my new dress. Doesn’t it look pretty?” She stretched out her arms and twirled. In this time, she had not only fully recovered but also looked healthier, her complexion glowing. The lake-blue off-the-shoulder long dress made her look like a beautiful fairy. Liam glanced at it, uninterested in the dress. He was about to give a perfunctory reply when his phone rang. “Mr. Lennox, this is the property management for Crystal Manor. Your house is on fire…” Crystal Manor was the small villa he’d bought when they got married. They had lived there for a while after getting married, but then Eleanor had called them back to live here, leaving the villa vacant. No one was living there, so how could it be on fire? Liam was puzzled. He hung up the phone and rushed over. By the time he arrived, the fire department was already wrapping up. The fire had raged fiercely. The elegant two-story villa was now just a charred skeleton. There were still scattered embers on the roof frame, and fire trucks were spraying water inside. Outside, besides the fire trucks, there were also one or two medical vehicles. No one was hurt, so what were the medical vehicles doing there? Liam was puzzled. As he prepared to question the property management, he saw several people rushing out from inside. They were carrying a stretcher, draped with a white sheet. Beneath the sheet was a charred, black mass. Beside the stretcher was a doctor he recognized, and that person was crying. “Chloe? What are you doing here? Why are you crying?” Liam rushed over and grabbed Chloe’s arm, a surge of unease flooding his heart. Chloe raised her face, her red-rimmed eyes staring at Liam. She pushed him away like a madwoman. “You have the nerve to ask?! Harper is dead, and you’re still asking?!” “Harper?!” Liam froze for a moment, then turned and lunged at the stretcher, tearing off the white sheet.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298863”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply