My mercenary husband, Caleb, was on a mission when he found himself acting as a ‘cure’ for Sera, a new operative on his team. They explored every intimacy imaginable within that cave. He didn’t return for three full days and nights. He knelt before me, his voice filled with despair and pleading. “Aubrey, it was all for the mission, a matter of life and death. As captain, I couldn’t just stand by.” “But you’re the only one I truly love.” To show his commitment, he removed Sera from the team. He also promised to leave the mercenary life in three years and return as the heir to the Davies family fortune. I cradled the tiny two-month-old life inside me and forgave him. Three years later, having just suffered yet another miscarriage, I saw Caleb Davies at the hospital, when he was supposed to be on a mission. He was holding Sera, who was covered in blood, screaming at the top of his lungs for a doctor. It turned out Sera had taken a bullet for Caleb, the slug missing her heart by mere inches. And her child was already three years old. It was Caleb’s. Caleb knelt before me, his face pale as death. “That time, three years ago, she got pregnant and raised the child alone. I just came to see them, mother and son, because I felt sorry for her, and then… this happened.” “Aubrey, there’s nothing between us. Even if you can’t carry a child, you’ll always be my wife.” Sera, still recovering from her injuries, looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. “Mrs. Davies, please, I beg you, save my child! He has leukemia and needs umbilical cord blood from a full sibling…” Caleb looked at her, his expression filled with tenderness, then turned to me. “Aubrey, you’re the kindest person I know. I can’t just let him die. Don’t worry, we’ll just do IVF.” I stared at him, thinking of the investigation report I’d received. I spoke calmly, “Then while we’re at it, let’s get a divorce. We wouldn’t want the child to be born out of wedlock, that would be too sad…” “Aubrey, I knew you’d understand me perfectly!” Caleb’s face visibly brightened with joy. “Don’t worry, once the baby is born and registered, we’ll remarry.” I ignored him and walked straight out. I pulled out a golden card and made a call. “Your offer, I accept.”
Caleb’s relief was almost palpable when he heard me suggest divorce. He quickly helped Sera to her feet, adjusted her hospital gown, and gently scolded her. “You just healed, and you’re already worrying me. My Aubrey is so kind, stop kneeling all the time.” Sera, her face pale, shook her head. “You don’t understand, only a woman truly understands another woman.” “You see Aubrey acting all calm and composed, but she’s really hurting inside. Promise me, you’ll spend some real time with her.” Every word she spoke sounded perfectly reasonable and compassionate to Caleb. But I knew, she was rubbing it in my face, flaunting the undeniable intimacy she shared with Caleb. Caleb glanced at me, then seemed to realize something. “Aubrey, why are you at the hospital?” I felt the cold ache radiating from my lower abdomen. I hid my trembling hands. I thought of the phone call I hadn’t made, not wanting to distract Caleb from his mission. A self-mocking smile touched my lips. “Just visiting a friend,” I said softly. But Caleb reached for my hand, finding it icy cold. I pulled away as if I’d been shocked. Sera gasped dramatically at just the right moment, diverting his attention. He pulled out a tissue and, with practiced ease, wiped her forehead. “I told you to stay in bed. Everything’s resolved now, let me help you back to rest.” Then he turned back to me. “Aubrey, you can go back by yourself. Sera was injured for me, after all. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t stay with her for a couple of days.” I walked out in silence. Caleb called out to me. “Oh, Aubrey, I’ve already prepared the divorce papers. Remember to sign them.” I hung my head low, stubbornly refusing to let my tears fall. As I walked out of the hospital, I saw Caleb’s parents. Of course, I only knew who they were after doing my own research. Caleb had never introduced me to his family. They were holding onto each other, their voices full of satisfaction and relief. “Last grandchild, you gave fifty million. This time, it needs to be double!” “Right, right! And we need to arrange the wedding quickly. Our grandson’s mother is Miss Kingston, she absolutely can’t be an illegitimate child!” “What illegitimate child? Our Caleb isn’t even married yet.” My hands clenched tightly. So Caleb had never told his family about my existence at all. And he and Sera already had another child on the way. Tears finally, unwillingly, streamed down my face. I raised a hand to wipe them away. The jade bangle on my wrist slipped from my sleeve. Mrs. Davies, sharp-eyed, immediately stepped forward, grabbing my hand, her voice sharp. “Who are you? How dare you steal my daughter-in-law’s bangle!” I was about to protest. But the Davies’ bodyguards stepped forward and restrained me. Mrs. Davies tried to yank the bangle from my wrist, instructing the bodyguards to call the police. Hearing the commotion, Caleb rushed over, panicked. “Mom, Dad, you’ve misunderstood. This is… one of our family’s bodyguards. She’s just helping Sera take her things back.” I stared at him, seeing that familiar plea in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he begged for my forgiveness after sleeping with Sera three years ago. Suddenly, I felt utterly disgusted. I deliberately slipped the bangle off my wrist and placed it in Caleb’s hand. “Mr. Davies, returning what’s rightfully yours.” Caleb’s face went ashen. He lowered his voice, his tone tense. “Aubrey, wait, I’ll explain everything later…” I curved my lips into a cold smile. “No need. Wouldn’t want your family to misunderstand.” Then, without looking back, I left. Once on the street, I pulled out my phone and dialed. “Your offer, I accept.” The voice on the other end was low. “Good. Don’t worry. In three days, you will ‘die’ taking a bullet for Caleb. After that, you will only ever be Mrs. Kingston.” I hung up. A cold laugh echoed in my mind. Caleb Davies, since you choose Sera every single time. This time, I’ll make sure you lose me forever because of her.
Back home. My phone buzzed with a SnapChat friend request. My heart fluttered. I knew instinctively who it was. Sure enough, after accepting, I saw Sera’s profile picture. More precisely, it was a photo of her and Caleb from behind. Her feed was filled with screenshots from the Davies family SnapChat group. Three years ago, after she gave birth, everyone in the Davies family had sent their congratulations. It turned out that after Caleb sent her away back then, she immediately contacted Mr. and Mrs. Davies. She’d used their son to completely charm the elder Davies. Caleb had compromised for his child, again and again. When he lied to me about going on missions, he was actually spending time with them, mother and son. Because of that, he missed both of my miscarriages. He missed every one of my birthdays. Her most recent post was a video. The filming location was the hospital. Caleb was nervously watching Sera as she got her check-up. When the doctor said the fetus was perfectly fine, he let out a sigh of relief. He took the bangle he’d snatched from my wrist and placed it on hers. Sera let him put it on, but protested with her words. “This is Mrs. Davies’s, how can I wear it?” Caleb leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You’re always so considerate. Don’t worry, if I give it to you, you wear it. After all, in Mom and Dad’s social circle, you’ve already been Mrs. Davies for a while.” Sera shook her head. “I know you only love Aubrey. In your heart, only Aubrey is Mrs. Davies.” Caleb looked into her eyes, his voice, warm and melting like the spring snow. “Everything else besides love, I can give to you.” Then he eagerly kissed her lips. At the end of the video, Sera provocatively glanced at the camera, then unbuttoned Caleb’s shirt. I pressed a hand to my chest, but I couldn’t stop the cold wind that seemed to blow right into my bones. I stumbled to my study. With a firm hand, I signed the divorce papers. Our divorce process didn’t require a cooling-off period. I told myself, *only three more days.* In three days, I would never cry for Caleb Davies again. The next day, Caleb called. His voice was deliberately low. “Aubrey, I’m sorry about Mom and Dad yesterday. You know how elders are, they just want grandchildren.” “Since you can’t have children, let Sera and the baby stay with them in the future. It’ll save them from bothering you.” I scoffed. “Mr. Davies, you don’t need to explain. We’re already divorced.” Caleb’s breathing hitched. His voice turned anxious. “Aubrey, are you mad? I told you, once the baby is born, we’ll remarry…” “Wait for me, I’m coming home now.” I didn’t bother listening, hanging up directly. I started clearing out my old belongings. My gaze fell on a blood-stained shirt, and I drifted into thought. Caleb and I met five years ago. I had been dragged into a dark alley by some thugs when a man saved me, even taking a knife for me. In the darkness, I hadn’t seen his face clearly. But when I woke up in the hospital, what I saw was that blood-stained shirt and Caleb sitting by my bedside. My gratitude turned to affection. We spent five years together. Because of his special identity, our marriage was kept secret. He said it was to protect me. I once cherished that secretive affection. Now, it was nothing but a joke. I snapped back to reality and threw the shirt, along with all my other old belongings, into the trash. Who knew, Caleb actually came back.
And he brought Sera with him. Caleb carefully helped her out of the car. Sera saw me and lifted her neck, covered in faint marks. “Sister Aubrey, would you be my bridesmaid tomorrow for our wedding?” I looked at her, utterly bewildered. Caleb’s face looked unnatural as he explained, “Aubrey, Mom and Dad insisted that Sera and I have a wedding. It’s all for the child…” I scoffed. “It hardly seems appropriate for an ex-wife to be at your wedding.” Sera’s eyes reddened at the corners. “Sister Aubrey, you know Caleb only loves you. Please don’t be sarcastic and upset him…” Caleb stepped forward, gently comforting her. “There, there, you have a baby in your belly, you can’t keep crying.” Then he looked up at me, his eyes full of helplessness. “Aubrey, the wedding is just a formality. No matter what outsiders think, you’re the only one in my heart.” I stared coldly at Caleb. Just like that, he was shamelessly standing here. Yesterday, he was begging me to agree to their IVF. Today, he brought pregnant Sera home. He swore up and down he loved me, yet he was marrying another woman and having children with her. Was I truly naive, or was he just deluding himself? Seeing me turn to leave, Caleb’s temper flared. He frowned deeply. “Aubrey, Sera is already being so understanding. Why are you still not satisfied?” “What exactly do you want us to do to make everyone happy?” I closed my eyes briefly. “Fine. I’ll go tomorrow.” *And then leave you forever.* That night, after I showered, Caleb appeared before me. His eyes held that familiar warmth. He reached out to hug me from behind, but I stepped away. He didn’t give up, chuckling softly, his warm breath fanning my neck. He mysteriously pulled a small box from his pocket. Inside was a pink diamond ring. His voice husky, he said, “Aubrey, after the baby is born and we remarry, we’ll go on a honeymoon trip.” “Sera and the baby are just for Mom and Dad.” “She’ll never interfere with us.” He leaned in for a kiss. A knock on the door came at the perfect moment, saving him from the slap I was about to deliver. It was Sera. Her face was pale. “Caleb, my morning sickness is really bad this time. Can you make me the sour plum soup you made when I was pregnant before?” She glanced at me, then covered her mouth, as if she’d said something she shouldn’t have. Caleb peered at my expression. “What are you talking about? I don’t know how to make that!” He slammed the door shut. Blocking Sera’s tear-streaked face from view. I lay still, and soon *fell asleep*. Caleb, who had been restless, finally quietly opened the door and left. Sera’s SnapChat feed updated immediately. The picture showed a steaming bowl of sour plum soup. [Someone scolded me for running around with morning sickness, so he punished me by making me drink two bowls.] [Hmph, he messed up, so he’s punished by having to rub my back.] Then she sent a direct message on SnapChat. [Sister Aubrey, I heard you were the principal dancer in your dance troupe. But why did he say my waist was softer than yours?] I screenshot the message and turned off my screen. I remembered. Three years ago, I heard Caleb had fallen into an icy lake during a mission. I forgot I was pregnant and jumped in after him. After three hours of searching, when I was pulled out, I’d lost the baby. The next day, Caleb returned and held me, crying as if his heart would break, his eyes full of tenderness and guilt. “Aubrey, it’s okay if we never have children.” Only a few days ago, through my investigation, did I discover that he hadn’t participated in that mission at all. He had been taking care of Sera, who was suffering from severe morning sickness. He didn’t care if I could have children. Because he already had one. I laughed at myself bitterly in my mind. *Fool.* Even more foolish for crying over such a liar. As I drifted into a hazy sleep, I felt someone wiping away my tears. When I woke again, Caleb was by the bed, putting on his wedding suit.
“Aubrey, can you help me with my tie?” His voice was intimate and lazy. It gave me a fleeting illusion that we were back to the beginning. But seeing the hair tie on his wrist, which wasn’t mine, immediately brought me back to reality. Just as I was about to refuse, his phone rang. Sera’s voice, sickly sweet, came through the speaker. “Caleb, can you come help me zip up my dress?” Caleb hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently. “Wait for me.” Then he grabbed the silk tie and left without a backward glance. I changed into the dress I wore the day Caleb and I first met. I placed the lucky charm we’d gotten together inside the chest of my dress. I numbly watched Caleb lift Sera into the wedding car. Her long wedding dress didn’t even touch the ground. He turned and saw me. He hurried over. The scent of freesias from Sera’s dress clung to him. He tried to put the ring box into my hand. “Aubrey, when it’s time to exchange rings, bring them up to us.” I looked at him steadily, not taking it. He shoved it into my arms, his face full of impatience. “Aubrey, not now. Don’t make a scene.” I dodged his hand as he tried to pat my head. He awkwardly lowered it. “I’ll come back to you tonight.” I didn’t answer. I glanced around. I wondered where *that person* would appear. Soon, we arrived at the wedding venue. It was an outdoor setting, flowers everywhere. Guests gathered in small groups. Caleb’s family sat on a long bench. The child was held by Mrs. Davies. The family looked happy and harmonious. Only I had foolishly waited for his promise to leave the mercenaries in three years. When it was time to exchange rings, Caleb and Sera’s eyes locked, practically melting together. He didn’t spare a single glance for me, standing right beside them. As the wedding atmosphere reached its climax, the child in Mrs. Davies’s arms suddenly started crying. In the confusion, Caleb rushed off the stage to check on the child. Bang— A gunshot rang out. The crowd erupted in chaos. Sera clutched her stomach, crying out in pain. Caleb rushed back, scooped up Sera, and began to leave. He looked up at me, his eyes darting away. “Aubrey, Sera’s pregnant, hide yourself. I…” Before he could finish, a whistling bullet pierced my chest. Mrs. Davies had pushed me, making me shield Caleb. “Let this bodyguard take the bullet! Son, grab your daughter-in-law and run!” Caleb stared at me in a panic, his voice trembling. “Aubrey, wait for me, I’ll call an ambulance.” I collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from my chest. Though the blood was fake, watching him walk away with Sera without hesitation, The heart that had beaten for him for five years finally died. Caleb Davies, we are over. A few days later, it would be the grand wedding of Miss Kingston and the heir to the Kingston family. ———-此处为截断点———- Caleb placed Sera in the ambulance and was about to grab a nurse to rush back. “Quick, hurry back with me to save Aubrey!”
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