I tried to seduce my fiancé 99 times, but he still preferred my sister. On our wedding day, he didn’t show up. Instead, he married my sister first, making me the laughingstock of the entire city. In my moment of pain and despair, my fiancé’s brother Ethan Foster took me into his arms. He said he had secretly loved me for a long time and asked me to give him a chance. Moved by Ethan’s devotion, I turned around and married him instead. For five years of marriage, Ethan catered to my every whim and showered me with affection. Until a tragic boating accident took his life. At the funeral, I was inconsolable, nearly smashing my head against his tombstone in grief. It wasn’t until I unexpectedly discovered I was pregnant that I gave up thoughts of suicide. I spent my days in tears, barely hanging on. I thought this was how the rest of my life would be. Until one day, I overheard a conversation between my former fiancé and his friend. “Ethan, it was actually your brother who died in that boating accident. But you’ve been deceiving everyone by assuming your brother’s identity just to be with Zoe. Aren’t you afraid the truth will come out one day?” “I don’t care anymore. I’ve always loved Zoe. I only married Olivia out of duty, to avoid interfering with her happiness. I already stepped aside once before. This time, fate has given me a chance and I don’t want to let it go!” In that moment, I finally understood. It turns out, everyone had always preferred my sister Zoe Reed. It turns out, Ethan loved her even more deeply than Aaron did. Back then, Ethan had been willing to “make the sacrifice” of marrying me for Zoe’s happiness. Now he was even willing to fake his own death and assume his brother’s identity just to be with her! I couldn’t accept this reality. I ran out into the pouring rain and cried my heart out until dawn. Looking at my disheveled state, I finally came to my senses. He didn’t love me. Heartbroken, I accidentally tripped and fell, bleeding profusely. Soaked to the bone, I stumbled into the hospital. “Doctor, please save my baby!” “Ms. Reed, I’m sorry but your baby has stopped developing. We need to perform surgery immediately. What happened to you? We need to contact your family right away.” Hearing the doctor’s reproach, my heart shattered. If I hadn’t truly lost all hope, how could I have ended up in this state? Tears streamed down my face as I recalled the past few months. Ever since “Ethan’s” death, the entire Foster family had been consumed by grief. So when I found out I was pregnant, I hadn’t told anyone. So Ethan had no idea that while he was playing husband to Zoe, I was already carrying his child. I touched my belly, heartbroken that the baby could no longer be saved. My hand trembled as I held my phone, but ultimately I released the send button. Since he was so fixated on pursuing his true love, completely disregarding me and our child, there was no need to tell him this news. “Don’t contact anyone! Doctor, please proceed with the surgery.” After three grueling hours of surgery, I emerged from the operating room looking deathly pale. I leaned against the wall and sat down on a bench in the hallway, feeling a dull ache in my lower abdomen. Suddenly, there was a commotion up ahead. A familiar figure rushed past carrying someone in his arms. Not long after, he hurried by again, his gaze finally landing on me. This time, I clearly saw who it was. Ethan. “Quick, come with me!” He tossed out those words and pulled me along in the direction he came from. Having just undergone surgery and now running, I felt waves of nausea and my face grew even paler. But Ethan’s attention clearly wasn’t on me, so he didn’t notice my condition. We finally stopped when we reached the blood donation room. “She has the same blood type as Zoe. Draw her blood!” I frowned, about to refuse, but Ethan pushed me into a chair without hesitation, directing the nurses to start drawing blood immediately. From start to finish, Ethan never thought to offer me a word of explanation. Only after seeing the needle pierce my arm did he hurry off again, his face filled with anxiety as he went to check on Zoe. As they drew my blood, the nurses gossiped about what they had just witnessed. “What’s going on? Why is Mr. Foster in such a panic?” “What else could it be? His wife was just rushed in from their bedroom with a ruptured corpus luteum and massive bleeding. Things must have gotten pretty wild, if you know what I mean.” “He really loves his wife, huh? Married for three years and still as excited as a high school boy.” Listening to the nurses’ knowing looks and whispers, I finally understood what had happened. So… He and Zoe had been intimate, and due to their overexcitement, she suffered a ruptured corpus luteum and massive bleeding! The hospital blood bank was low, so when Ethan frantically spotted me resting in the hallway, he dragged me over to donate blood. Realizing this, I felt as if my heart had been violently torn apart. The pain radiated through my entire body. Ethan would never know that while he was passionately entangled with the woman he loved, I had just lost their child. If Ethan had shown even a moment of concern for me earlier, he would have noticed something was wrong. But he didn’t. His heart and eyes were filled only with Zoe. Tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes. Ethan, since you love Zoe so much, I’ll step aside completely. From now on, we’ll never meet again! After leaving the hospital, I touched up my makeup to ensure no trace of distress showed before returning to the Foster family mansion. Instead of hiding away in my room staring at Ethan’s photos and crying like before, I walked straight to the study and knelt before Mr. Foster Sr. “Grandpa Foster, I’ve made a decision. I’m ready to let go of Ethan and leave the Foster family!”
After Ethan’s “death”, I was the one most devastated by grief. So even though Mr. Foster Sr. was still mourning, the first thing he did was try to console me. Mr. Foster felt I was still young with a long future ahead. He gently suggested that now that Ethan was gone, it was time for me to start a new life. He tactfully encouraged me to leave the Foster family and find happiness again, to move past the pain of losing my husband. I knew Mr. Foster meant well, but at the time I refused without hesitation. I couldn’t forget Ethan and didn’t want to leave the home filled with our memories. I was determined to remain single and live out my days alone. But now, I discovered that Ethan’s pursuit of me from the very beginning had all been a lie. These five years held no love, only deception! I no longer had any reason to stay. Mr. Foster didn’t know all the twists and turns, so his first reaction upon hearing my decision was relief. He helped me up, his eyes brimming with tears: “Olivia, you’ve finally come to your senses. You’re a good girl, and I’ve watched you grow up. The past is over now. The living must go on living.” “I’ll transfer 50% of the Foster family shares to you. It will be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Child, don’t come back to the Foster home after this. Forget Ethan and take good care of yourself…” I held back my tears for a long time before I could speak without crying. My parents didn’t love me, they only loved my sister Zoe. My fiancé didn’t love me, he only had eyes for Zoe. And now, even Ethan who I thought loved me most, truly loved Zoe all along. From childhood, Mr. Foster Sr. was the only one who genuinely cared for me. I nodded, “Grandpa, I will. If not for myself, then for you. I’ll start a brand new life.” Since everyone loves Zoe Reed and no one loves Olivia Reed, From now on, I’ll love myself. I’ll have nothing more to do with these awful people and their drama! The next morning, I got up early and went to a real estate agency. “I want to buy a secluded island, away from everything. Do you have anything like that?” I stated my request simply. The sales agent immediately brought out a catalog and started introducing various options. My head spun looking at islands of all shapes and sizes. In the end, I randomly chose one that caught my eye and paid in full. “Ms. Reed, the paperwork will take about a month. Once everything is finalized, you’ll be able to move in.” The sales agent walked me to the door, smiling excitedly as he reminded me of the final details. “Alright, I understand.” Back home, I started packing right away. Because I wasn’t valued by the Reed family, I didn’t bring much when I married into the Foster family. Though Ethan and I had a large bedroom, most of the things in it were gifts he gave me later. Photos of us covered the walls. Couple figurines carefully arranged on the shelves. In the past, seeing these things filled me with joy and happiness. I thought they were proof of Ethan’s love. But now, I only felt bitter irony. I packed all those things into cardboard boxes. Soon, all the memories related to Ethan were boxed up, the boxes stuffed full. I carried the boxes outside and threw them unceremoniously into the trash. Just as I finished, I looked up to see Ethan walking towards me. I could tell Ethan didn’t want to greet me, until his gaze fell on the boxes of photos and gifts I had thrown away. His brows furrowed deeply. I pretended not to see him and turned to leave, but he suddenly called out to stop me. “Why are you throwing all this away? Aren’t these your memories with my brother?” I paused, feeling a surge of mockery rise within me. I turned back to look at him, keeping my voice calm, “It’s been so long. I should move on.” Move on? Hearing those words, his expression changed abruptly. He grabbed my arm, “What do you mean?!” “Let go, you’re hurting me!” Feeling the pressure on my wrist, I frowned and forcefully shook him off. My wrist was already turning red. I couldn’t help but rub it. Noticing my reaction, Ethan seemed to realize he had overreacted. After all, his current identity was supposed to be his brother “Aaron”. I forced down the emotions churning inside me and looked at him coldly. In the end, Ethan couldn’t hold back and spoke again: “You’re leaving?” “Don’t you want me to leave?” I looked straight into his eyes, my gaze unwavering. Ethan said nonchalantly, “Don’t listen to what Grandpa says. The Foster family can afford to support you. I also promised my brother I’d take good care of you. I won’t fail his dying wish, so you’re not allowed to leave my sight. Ever.” Hearing those words, I let out a bitter laugh. I suddenly couldn’t understand Ethan anymore. I didn’t get it. If I left, wouldn’t everything work out perfectly? Ethan could stay by Zoe’s side forever without having to keep up this charade with me, constantly worried I might notice something was off. If that was the case, why did Ethan seem so unwilling to let me go? I was about to speak when Ethan’s phone suddenly rang. Ethan glanced down, his expression instantly softening. He answered the call and Zoe’s voice came through. “Honey, is the soup ready yet? I’m hungry.” Ethan’s tone was gentle, “I’ll bring it right over. Be patient for just a little longer, okay?” Because I was standing close, I could even hear Zoe’s coquettish voice, half pouting and half teasing. “It’s all your fault. We’ve been married for so long, how are you still so excited? You were so worked up the other day, you ended up hurting me. Like an overexcited teenager. Anyone would think it was our first time…” Hearing those words, my body suddenly went rigid. A hidden pain bloomed in my chest, tinged with sorrow. For him and Zoe, it really was their first time, wasn’t it… I stood silently to the side, not speaking, but my thoughts drifted to the past. In our five years of marriage, although Ethan doted on me, he was always cold and unresponsive during intimacy. He went through the motions mechanically, as if completing a task. Back then, I thought it was just Ethan’s reserved personality. After all, I had never seen him get emotional about anything. If it weren’t for him becoming “Aaron” this time, I probably never would have known that Ethan could also lose control from excitement when he was with the woman he truly loved. When I came back to my senses, Ethan had already hung up the phone and gone to the kitchen to make soup. Watching him refuse the maid’s help and personally prepare soup for Zoe, I gave a self-mocking smile and turned to leave. For the next few days, I stayed shut in my room, not going out at all. I was just waiting for the island purchase to be finalized so I could leave the Foster house as soon as possible. Until Zoe was discharged from the hospital and came chirping at my door. “Sis, my husband has a car race today. Come watch with us! I know you’ve been depressed since Ethan passed away, but staying cooped up at home all the time isn’t good for you.” The Foster brothers were both exceptional men. Ethan was cool and steady, inheriting the position of CEO at Foster Corp. Aaron was wild and unrestrained, a globally renowned Formula 1 race car driver. The two had completely different personalities and life directions. I didn’t want to go, but I was curious to see how Ethan, who had never touched a race car before, would handle this. So I went along. At the racetrack, Zoe went off on her own to find Ethan. Left alone, I wandered aimlessly until I suddenly overheard a conversation nearby. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You’re even willing to tamper with the brakes just to stay by Zoe’s side? Have you lost your mind?” The familiar name made me stop in my tracks. I recognized the speaker’s voice too – it was one of Ethan’s friends. Last time, I had discovered the shocking truth by overhearing their conversation. I never expected to stumble upon them talking again. “I don’t know how to race. If I don’t mess with the brakes, my cover will be blown.” “Even if you can keep up the act for now, you can’t hide the truth forever! Ethan, I know you love Zoe, but she’s your brother’s wife. You have your own wife too. Olivia’s been crying her eyes out for you these past few months. I saw her earlier – she looks like a shell of her former self. You’ve been married for five years, surely you must have some feelings for her. They say to cherish what’s in front of you. Just let Zoe go.” Silence fell after those words. A moment later, his voice finally rang out: “Give me three more years. Just three years to live out this dream. After that, I’ll go back to her.” Hearing that, I smiled. Ethan, you don’t need to come back. I’ll leave on my own. From now on, you can be “Aaron” for as long as you want. I turned and walked away smiling, heading towards the spectator stands nearby. I had barely sat down when a round of cheers erupted. The racers, including Ethan, started entering the track one by one. When it was Ethan’s turn, the cheers grew even louder. Zoe sat down in the seat beside me, her eyes fixed ahead but her words directed at me. “Sis, don’t keep moping around because of Ethan’s death. You need to get out more.” “Some things are just fate, you know? Look at how your husband and my husband were on the same cruise ship. Your husband died, while mine luckily survived. I know you’ve been devastated lately, but that’s just how life goes. Your luck has never been as good as mine, so you need to look forward.” Those words left me breathless, my face turning pale. I was about to speak when a loud crash rang out, followed by screams of horror. “Ethan!!!” I looked up to see that Ethan had crashed on the track. His race car had slammed straight into the barrier at the first turn! The medical staff rushed over in a panic. After what felt like forever, they finally pulled Ethan’s bloodied body from the wreckage and rushed him to the hospital. With such a serious accident, the race couldn’t continue. Everyone anxiously followed to the hospital. Even Zoe had no time to gloat, crying dramatically as she got into the ambulance. Only I remained eerily calm from start to finish. The conversation I had just overheard was still ringing in my ears. I knew this was the outcome Ethan had engineered for himself. It was what he wanted. To stay by Zoe’s side, he was even willing to harm himself to this extent. For a moment, I didn’t know if I should marvel at this earth-shattering love story, or pity myself for being so pathetic. On the third day, I suddenly received a call from the hospital. “Ms. Reed, the time limit for storing your items in our cold storage has expired. Please come collect them as soon as possible.” Items… Hearing those words, my eyes welled up with tears. That’s right, a pair of miscarried fetuses were nothing more than “items” now, weren’t they? I could still vividly recall the painful scene from that day. I struggled to control my emotions, “Alright, I’ll be right there.” I hung up and rushed to the hospital as quickly as I could. I was about to go retrieve the items when I accidentally caught sight of Ethan as I passed by the inpatient ward. The doctor stood by his bedside, shaking his head and sighing, his eyes full of regret. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Foster. The crash caused severe damage to your left wrist. I’m afraid you won’t be able to race again.” Zoe was draped over his bedside, crying inconsolably upon hearing the news. Ethan gently comforted her, “Don’t cry, darling. It breaks my heart to see you like this.” “Racing is too dangerous. You were always so worried. I was already thinking about retiring. This accident just sped up the process. Zoe, you used to complain that racing took up too much of my time. Now that I can’t race anymore, doesn’t that mean I can spend all my time with you?” “Our wedding anniversary is coming up soon. Let’s throw a big party to celebrate, okay?” His coaxing tone was obvious. Zoe finally broke into a smile through her tears. She wiped her eyes and childishly held out her pinky to link with his. “It’s a promise then.” My heart clenched in pain. Not wanting to see any more, I turned away and headed towards the cold storage. I hadn’t gone far when Zoe’s voice suddenly called out from behind me. I turned to see Zoe running up, out of breath. “Sis, how come you came to the hospital without telling us?” Without waiting for my response, Zoe launched into her own monologue. “Aaron needs to rest these next few days. He’s not in any condition for visitors. I’ll take care of him here, so you should just go home. By the way, it’s our third wedding anniversary in two weeks. He said we’re throwing a big party at the Starlight Ballroom that night. You have to come, and don’t forget to bring a nice gift!” Seeing the challenge and smugness in her eyes, I lowered my gaze and said nothing. Two weeks from now was also the day I would be leaving the Foster family. After a moment, I smiled and nodded, “Of course. I’ll be sure to prepare a special gift for you two.” Satisfied with my response, Zoe sauntered off. I watched her retreating figure as I took out my phone to make a call, continuing towards the cold storage. I only waited briefly in the cold storage before the staff member I had arranged arrived. I rewrapped the fetuses I had just retrieved from storage and handed them to him, my gaze flickering. “Two weeks from now, please deliver this to the Starlight Ballroom and give it directly to Aaron Foster.” “This is the grand gift I want to give him.”
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