After seven years of marriage, I was finally pregnant. I excitedly told my husband, Damien Cross. His hand froze mid-air, cigarette between his fingers. Then he let out a cold laugh. “Elena Rivers, how many times are you going to play this disgusting trick? Even if you really are pregnant, a vicious woman like you doesn’t deserve to carry my child. Go to the hospital tomorrow and get rid of it.” Three years ago, he was a helpless patient who had lost his sight in a car accident. I dragged him out of a burning building, my voice hoarse from smoke inhalation. Now his sight was restored. He held my “best friend” in his arms while throwing acid on my hands. I wanted to tell him my brother was still in the ICU, fighting for his life. But before I could speak, he threw a document at my feet. It was a Patent Transfer Agreement. The competition piece I had spent two years perfecting would now bear her name. “Sign it,” he said, looking down at me. “Or tomorrow, your brother’s ventilator gets unplugged.” I didn’t want to love this man anymore.
Elena POV I stood alone at the end of the hospital corridor, ultrasound report in hand. Despite the heavy smell of disinfectant, the air felt sweet for once. Eight weeks pregnant. The heartbeat pulsed like a strong, vital seed. I touched my still-flat stomach and couldn’t help smiling. The doctor’s words still echoed in my ears. “Miss Rivers, your body is in poor condition. Long-term exposure to chemical compounds has caused hormonal imbalances. This pregnancy is incredibly precious. You must stay calm and avoid any emotional extremes.” I carefully folded the ultrasound report and tucked it into my coat’s inner pocket, right over my heart. Today was my third wedding anniversary with Damien Cross. I couldn’t wait to tell him this news in person. Maybe for the baby’s sake, he’d be a little nicer to me. Even just a little would be enough. I took a cab to Cross Corporation headquarters. The whole ride, I stared out the window at the passing streets, rehearsing over and over what I’d say when I saw him. When I reached the executive floor, the office door wasn’t fully closed. A thin gap remained. I raised my hand to knock, but froze mid-motion. Through the gap, I saw Lily White. Lily wore a pure white silk dress. She was perched delicately on Damien’s lap. And that man who was always cold and distant with me was now bent over her, carefully applying ointment to her wrist with a medical cotton swab. “Does it hurt?” Damien’s voice was low and husky, so gentle it could melt. We’d been married for three years. Even when he exhausted me in bed, I’d never heard him use that tone. Lily wrapped her arms around Damien’s neck, her voice soft and sweet: “A little. But with you here, it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.” Standing outside the door, I felt my blood run cold. Even my fingertips went numb. I pushed the door open. It made a soft sound. Lily caught sight of me from the corner of her eye. She immediately jumped off Damien’s lap like a startled rabbit and hid behind him. “Damien, Elena’s here… Did she misunderstand something? You should explain. My wrist injury just flared up and I came to get some medicine from you.” Damien looked up. The moment he saw it was me, all the tenderness drained from his face. Only undisguised disgust and coldness remained. “Who gave you permission to come in?” He pulled out a tissue and slowly wiped his hands, as if he’d just touched something dirty. I instinctively hid my hands behind my back and clutched the ultrasound report in my pocket so hard my knuckles turned white. “Today is our wedding anniversary.” “Anniversary?” Damien laughed like I’d told the funniest joke. He picked up a thick document from his desk and threw it at my feet like garbage. Papers scattered across the floor. “Sign it.” I looked down at the top page. In black and white, it read: Patent Transfer and Lifetime Ghostwriting Agreement. “Lily’s olfactory nerves have deteriorated again. The doctor says she might never be able to distinguish complex scent profiles anymore.” Damien lit a cigarette and looked at me through the pale smoke. “Her solo fragrance exhibition is next month. Starting today, every formula you create goes under her name. You’ll be her shadow.”
Elena POV I looked up at him in disbelief. “That’s my entry for the Grasse Master Perfumer Competition. I spent two whole years on it. Countless nights in the lab to create that formula.” “You owe her this.” Damien slammed his hand on the desk and stood up, walking toward me step by step. He grabbed my chin, squeezing so hard I thought my bones would break. “Three years ago, if you hadn’t pushed Lily down the stairs to force me to marry you, would she have lost her sense of smell? She’s a genius perfumer and you destroyed her! Now you’re handing over a few formulas as compensation. That’s nothing!” Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain, but I bit down hard, refusing to let them fall. “I didn’t push her! I’ve explained a thousand, ten thousand times. She lost her footing!” “Shut up!” Damien shoved me away violently. I stumbled backward several steps. My lower back slammed into the hard wooden table. The pain made me gasp. I instinctively covered my stomach. “I don’t have the patience for your lies.” Damien looked down at me like I was worthless trash. “You don’t have to sign. Tomorrow morning, the hospital will disconnect your brother’s ventilator. Go ahead and test me. See if I’m a man of my word.” My whole body went cold. My brother was my only family in this world. My only weakness. Three years ago, a car accident left Jamie in a vegetative state. He was kept alive by expensive imported machines and medications. Damien knew exactly how to control me. Like a venomous snake, he struck precisely at my pressure point. I looked at this man I’d loved for ten years and suddenly felt like I was staring at a stranger. Slowly, I bent down and picked up the papers and pen. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the pen, but I still signed my name on the last page, stroke by stroke. Each stroke felt like carving into my own heart. Lily hid behind Damien. As she watched me sign, a barely noticeable smirk crossed her lips. I put down the pen and straightened up. I took a deep breath and reached into my pocket, touching the ultrasound report. “Damien, I’m pregnant.” I said it quietly. Damien’s cigarette-holding hand paused for a moment. But quickly, the mockery in his eyes deepened until it was overwhelming. “Pregnant? Elena Rivers, how many times are you going to play this disgusting trick?” He stepped forward, his gaze coldly sweeping over my flat stomach. “Even if you really are pregnant, a vicious woman like you doesn’t deserve to carry my child. Go to the hospital tomorrow and get rid of it.” In that moment, my heart shattered completely into dust. I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just looked at Damien one last time, then turned and walked out of the office. Outside, it had started pouring rain. The icy rainwater pelted my body, bone-chillingly cold. I’d barely stepped off the entrance stairs when a sharp, twisting pain tore through my abdomen. My vision went black. My legs gave out and I collapsed into a puddle. The rain instantly soaked through my clothes. Just then, a black Maybach pulled up in front of me. The door opened. Damien’s bodyguard stepped out with an umbrella, looking down at me expressionlessly. “Mrs. Cross, Mr. Cross has instructed that since you’ve signed the agreement, you’re to report immediately to the basement lab. You have three days to complete the new fragrance. Miss White’s launch event can’t wait.” I clutched my stomach, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain. I couldn’t even form a complete sentence. When the bodyguard saw I wasn’t moving, he stepped forward and dragged me into the car like I was lifeless cargo. The car door slammed shut, blocking out the sound of rain. I curled up in the back seat. I felt something warm slowly trickling down the inside of my thighs.
Elena POV The basement laboratory of the Cross estate never saw daylight. The air reeked of sharp alcohol mixed with various high-concentration synthetic compounds. The bodyguard threw me inside, then locked the heavy metal door from the outside. “Mr. Cross says if you can’t finish the perfume, you don’t need to come out.” The bodyguard’s cold voice came through the door crack. I lay on the ice-cold tile floor, clutching my lower abdomen, gasping for breath. The warmth between my legs continued, but I didn’t dare think about what it meant. I gritted my teeth and used the edge of the lab table to pull myself up, bit by bit. I couldn’t collapse. Jamie’s life was still in Damien’s hands. Even if it killed me, I had to finish this perfume first. For the next three days, I stood at the lab table day and night. To achieve the ultimate olfactory experience, perfumers can’t wear gloves while working. We have to use our fingertips to feel the temperature and texture of the essential oils. High-concentration acidic solvents and volatile chemicals mercilessly corroded my hands. My once slender, fair fingers were now swollen and red. In some places, the skin had started peeling and bleeding. Every time I touched a glass vial, it felt like needles piercing my skin. But I didn’t care about the pain. I just mechanically measured, mixed, shook, and sniffed. The dragging pain in my abdomen grew more intense. I forced myself to keep going with high doses of painkillers. When the medication kicked in, I’d have brief hallucinations. I’d find myself back ten years ago. Back then, Damien had lost his sight in a car accident. His temper was explosive, like a wild animal. He smashed everything in his room. I was the one who stayed by his side every day, using lavender and cedarwood aromatherapy I’d blended myself to slowly calm his rage. I even damaged my vocal cords rescuing him from a fire. For half a year, I couldn’t speak at all. But when he finally removed his bandages and regained his sight, the person standing before him was Lily White. She wore the same clothes as me. She sprayed on perfume I’d created. She effortlessly took credit for everything I’d done. The timer’s beep pulled me back to reality. The last drop of Bulgarian rose essential oil fell into the flask. The liquid turned a mesmerizing pale gold. It was done. I slid to the floor, completely drained. I looked at the bottle of perfume that contained all my heart and blood, and smiled bitterly. A few hours later, the metal door opened. Damien walked in. Without even glancing at me, he grabbed the perfume from the table. “Tonight is Lily’s celebration party.” He tossed out the words. “You’re her assistant. You have to attend.” I didn’t even have the strength to refuse. That evening at eight, the city’s most exclusive hotel. Elegant guests mingled. Champagne flowed. Lily wore a designer gown and priceless jewelry. She looked like a noble princess surrounded by admirers. The captivating scent she wore was the fragrance I’d created with my life’s blood. Camera flashes exploded. Praise filled the air. “Miss White, this perfume is absolutely stunning! You truly are a genius in the perfume world!” Lily leaned sweetly against Damien, her smile radiant. “Thank you, everyone. I really have to thank Damien for all his support.” I stood in the corner wearing a cheap black work suit, invisible. I was even holding Lily’s backup heels for her. My hands were covered in rashes and cuts. Every tiny movement sent sharp pain through them.
Elena POV Halfway through the party, Lily went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. I was required to follow her in. The restroom was empty. No cameras. Lily looked at me in the mirror. Her sweet expression vanished instantly. “Elena Rivers, how does it feel watching someone else dressed to the nines, taking credit for your work while everyone applauds?” She reapplied her lipstick slowly as she spoke. I kept my head down, my voice hoarse. “I already gave you the perfume. What more do you want?” “I don’t want anything.” Lily turned around. She walked toward me in her four-inch heels, staring at my damaged hands. “I just think your hands are an eyesore.” The moment the words left her mouth, Lily pulled a small glass bottle from her purse. It was industrial-strength corrosive acid, normally used to clean stubborn stains from lab equipment. She unscrewed the cap and without hesitation poured the entire bottle onto my right hand.A piercing scream tore through the restroom. The sizzling sound of flesh burning mixed with the searing pain nearly made me pass out. I clutched my right hand and collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony. At that moment, the restroom door was kicked open violently. Damien charged in. The instant the door opened, Lily dropped to the floor, clutching her dress, tears streaming down her face. “Damien! Help me! Elena’s lost her mind. She was jealous I won the award and tried to throw acid on my face. I dodged and it hit her hand instead…” Damien looked at me. His eyes were as cold as ice. He didn’t look at my mangled, bloody hand. Instead, he strode to Lily and carefully helped her up. “Are you hurt anywhere?” “I’m fine. Just my dress got dirty…” Lily sobbed pitifully. Damien turned his head and glared at me. Then he lifted his foot and kicked me hard in the shoulder. “Elena Rivers, you’re absolutely vicious!” The kick sent me sprawling. I landed on my back on the cold tile. I held up my nearly destroyed right hand toward Damien, tears mixing with cold sweat streaming down my face. “It wasn’t me. She did it to herself. Damien, look at my hand. I’m a perfumer!” “Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be called a perfumer.” Damien cut me off. “Security!” Several guards rushed in immediately. “Throw this lunatic out! Don’t let her ruin Lily’s celebration!” The security guards dragged me through the hotel lobby. Outside, snow had started falling. They threw me mercilessly into the snow. The hotel’s heavy revolving glass doors closed, cutting off all the warmth inside. I lay in the knee-deep snow, my right hand numb with pain. But worse than my hand was my stomach. A crushing, twisting agony swept over me like a tidal wave. I struggled to turn over onto my back and stared up at the black sky. Snowflakes landed on my eyelashes and melted into icy water. I felt something warm slowly melting the snow beneath me. Blood spread from under my skirt, blooming across the white snow like crimson flowers. “Baby…” I closed my eyes in despair and lost consciousness completely.
Elena POV When I woke up again, I was staring at a stark white hospital ceiling. The smell of disinfectant filled my nose. I tried to move my fingers. My right hand was wrapped in thick bandages. The slightest movement sent sharp pain through it. But I didn’t care about my hand. Instinctively, I reached with my left hand to touch my stomach. Flat. That feeling of connection, of life growing inside me, was gone. The hospital room door opened. A doctor in a white coat walked in, looking at me with sympathy. “Miss Rivers, you’re awake.” I opened my mouth. My throat was so dry I couldn’t speak. I could only look at the doctor pleadingly. The doctor sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry. You were brought in too late. We couldn’t save the baby. And…” The doctor hesitated, as if he couldn’t bear to continue. “Because you were frozen in the snow for so long and suffered severe hemorrhaging from the miscarriage, your uterus sustained irreversible damage. You… you may never be able to become a mother again.” Those words hit me like a sledgehammer to the skull. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I didn’t even shed a tear. I just stared at the ceiling. I don’t know how much time passed before the door was violently shoved open again. My father, Robert Rivers, stormed in furiously. He didn’t look at my face. He didn’t ask about my condition. He rushed to the bedside and raised his hand, slapping me hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed in the quiet room. My face whipped to the side. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. “You useless piece of trash!” He pointed at my nose and cursed. “Do you know Damien Cross just pulled funding from the downtown project? Rivers Corporation is about to go bankrupt! I raised you all these years so you could strengthen our relationship with the Cross family, not so you could offend him!” I slowly turned my head and looked at this man who was my biological father. “I lost my baby.” I said quietly. “So what if you lost it! It was just a clump of cells!” He waved his hand impatiently. “As long as you’re still Mrs. Cross, you can adopt a child later! Right now, the most important thing is for you to get out of this bed and go kowtow to Lily White and apologize! As long as Lily’s happy, Damien will leave Rivers Corporation alone!” I looked at him and laughed. This was my family. In their eyes, I was never a living, breathing person. Just a bargaining chip to trade for profit. “Get out.” I said coldly. “What did you say?” He stared at me, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “I said get out!” I don’t know where I found the strength, but I grabbed the water cup beside me and hurled it at his feet. “I’m not part of the Rivers family anymore! Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me!” The sound of shattering glass startled him. He looked at me like I was crazy, cursing as he backed out of the room. “Fine! You’re tough! Don’t ever think about coming back to the Rivers family!” The hospital room fell silent again. My throat felt unbearably dry, like it was on fire. I pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand. A bead of blood welled up at the puncture site. I ignored it. Barefoot, dragging my weakened body, I slowly made my way out of the room toward the water dispenser at the end of the hall. When I reached the corner by the stairwell, I heard familiar footsteps. It was Marcus, Damien’s assistant.
Elena POV I instinctively stopped and hid in the shadows by the wall. “Mr. Cross, we recovered the hotel restroom security footage.” Marcus’s voice was low, but in the empty stairwell it was crystal clear. “Miss White was the one who threw the acid on Mrs. Cross’s hand. Also…” Marcus hesitated, seeming to choose his words carefully. “I rechecked the medical records from three years ago. Miss White’s olfactory nerve atrophy is due to a hereditary genetic defect. It wasn’t caused by falling down the stairs at all. Mrs. Cross… she really was wrongly accused.” I froze in place. Even my breathing stopped. I gripped the corner of the wall so tightly my nails bent backward, but I couldn’t feel the pain. Through the crack in the door, I caught the scent of cigarette smoke. Damien leaned against the stairwell wall, a cigarette between his fingers, the ember glowing and fading. Half his face was hidden in shadow. I couldn’t see his expression. After a long silence, he exhaled a stream of smoke. His voice was cold, mechanical. “So what?” Those words stabbed into my heart like a knife. “But Mrs. Cross’s hands are destroyed. She’ll never be able to create perfumes again. And she just miscarried. The doctor says she can never have children…” There was a hint of sympathy in Marcus’s voice. “She brought it on herself.” Damien threw his cigarette on the ground and crushed it viciously with the toe of his expensive leather shoe. “If she hadn’t used her father’s favor to force me into marriage and ruin all my plans, would she be in this situation today? Lily White is just an excuse.” He looked up, his eyes utterly merciless. “I wanted her to know that forcing someone to give her something that doesn’t belong to her comes with a price. Elena Rivers only deserves to rot in the gutter.” The stairwell door swung open. Damien strode away. Marcus sighed and followed. I leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid to the floor. So that was it. He knew everything. He knew I didn’t push Lily. He knew Lily’s sense of smell wasn’t my fault. He knew Lily staged the whole bathroom scene. He just didn’t care. He simply hated me for marrying him. Ten years of secret love. Three years of marriage. Countless days and nights of humble devotion. I’d even sacrificed a child and my own hands. In his eyes, I’d brought it all on myself. I covered my face. I didn’t make a sound, but tears flooded from between my fingers like a bursting dam. I was a complete and utter joke. I once thought that if I tried hard enough, I could eventually warm his cold heart. But I forgot, you cannot warm a stone. It will only freeze you to death. I don’t know how long I sat on the floor. Then my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I numbly pulled out my phone. The screen displayed “City Central Hospital ICU.” That was the hospital where Jamie was. I frantically pressed the answer button, my fingers trembling. “Miss Rivers, you need to come here immediately. Your brother is in heart failure. He needs emergency bypass surgery right now. But Cross Corporation just froze your brother’s medical account. Without payment for the surgery, we can’t operate.” My mind exploded. “I’m coming right now. Please save him. I swear I will get the money.” I hung up and ran downstairs. I wasn’t even wearing shoes. My feet were cut by broken glass in the hallway, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.
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