It was the third year of my marriage to Ryder Vance when he was reported dead, killed in action during a mission. His twin brother, Archer Vance, brought back a blood-stained dog tag, his voice hoarse as he told me, “Mia, Ryder… he’s not coming back.” I fainted on the spot. When I woke up, I frantically tried to go find him, but my mother-in-law, Eleanor, held me back with all her might. Later, I swallowed sleeping pills, slashed my wrists, jumped into a river—three attempts to end my life, and three times I was saved. Everyone whispered, “Colonel Vance and Ms. Stone had such deep feelings for each other…” Yes, deep. So deep that it took three months after his “death” for me to discover the truth— He wasn’t the one who died at all. **Chapter 1** The night I was saved from my third suicide attempt, I stumbled into my in-laws’ house, my face pale, hoping to find some of Ryder’s old belongings for solace. Instead, I heard hushed voices from the inner room. “Ryder, how much longer are you going to keep this a secret? Mia has tried to kill herself three times for you!” My fingers dug sharply into my palms. Ryder? Why was my mother-in-law calling my deceased brother-in-law, Archer, “Ryder”? “Mom, just a little longer,” the voice replied. It was clearly Archer’s voice, but the gentle tone was eerily similar to how Ryder used to comfort me. “My brother, Archer, entrusted me with looking after his wife before he died. But she’s delicate, and hearing the news of his death would surely kill her. I could only pretend to be him, give her a child. With a child as an anchor, she can keep living.” My blood ran cold. I could barely believe what I was hearing. So, it was Archer who died, not Ryder. My husband was alive, but he was living as his brother, sleeping next door every night—with Scarlett Hayes! “But what about Mia?” Eleanor’s voice grew more frantic. “You’re sleeping in Scarlett’s room every day. Haven’t you thought about Mia’s feelings?” “I’m stronger than your average woman…” That sentence pierced my heart like a dagger. I stumbled backward, accidentally knocking over a broom leaning against the wall. The room fell silent instantly. But I turned and ran, as if a monster was chasing me. As I ran, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my hand. Opening my palm, I saw that the dog tag, clutched too tightly, had cut into my skin, and blood was flowing. For three months, I had held this dog tag every night as I slept, waking up countless times in tears. But now, it suddenly felt so ridiculous. My husband wasn’t dead. He just chose to let me believe he was, all to “comfort” his sister-in-law! Five years ago, Ryder and I first met at a military gala. He was a commanding officer in an elite unit, and I was a dancer for the armed forces performance group. Many women pursued him, and I had my share of admirers. But that night, he stood in the audience, his gaze fixed on me as I performed a powerful military dance. Afterward, he strode onto the stage and, in front of everyone, draped his military jacket over my shoulders. “Madam,” he said, “it’s getting chilly. Please stay warm.” I blushed, wrapped in his jacket. After that, he began to court me. Before every mission, he would make a special detour to visit me at the performance group. The day I agreed to officially be his girlfriend, he was ecstatic, drinking until he was utterly intoxicated. He spun me around in the courtyard, swearing solemnly, “Mia, you are the only woman I, Ryder Vance, will ever cherish in this life.” After we married, everyone said Colonel Vance doted on his wife to the extreme. I truly believed he treasured me like a precious gem. But now? He was impersonating his brother, sleeping in his sister-in-law’s bed, and even planning for her to conceive his child, all for “her comfort.” And I, like an idiot, cried for him, tried to die for him, was consumed by grief for him. Did he ever stop to think that I would hurt too? When I stumbled home in a daze, Ms. Jenkins, the matchmaker, paid another visit. “Amelia, Colonel Dawson is being transferred to the island in two weeks. This is the seventh time he’s asked me to come… He said if you still don’t agree, he won’t ever come back.” Liam Dawson, Ryder’s comrade. Since I was confirmed a widow, many men had approached me, expressing interest in dating or marriage. I had refused the first six times. Because I believed I would only ever love Ryder Vance. But now… I looked up and calmly said, “Alright, I’ll marry him.” Ms. Jenkins stared, stunned. “You, are you serious?” “Absolutely,” I smiled. “Please tell Liam Dawson that in two weeks, I’ll marry him and go to the island with him.” The door swung open abruptly. Ryder stood there, his face shadowed with anger. “Sister-in-law, who are you marrying?” I looked at him, and suddenly, it all felt so ridiculous. “Brother-in-law,” I said softly, emphasizing the title, “that’s my business.” He spoke to Ms. Jenkins but grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it hurt. “My sister-in-law has me to care for her. She doesn’t need to marry anyone else. Besides, you loved Ryder so much, you couldn’t possibly marry another. Ms. Jenkins, don’t come back here again, or I’ll be forced to send you away!” Ms. Jenkins looked bewildered. “But Amelia already agreed…” She was cut off mid-sentence as I quickly grabbed her arm. “Ms. Jenkins, weren’t you planning a trip to the local grocery store? You should hurry; it’ll be closing soon.” Ms. Jenkins’s attention was diverted. She nodded quickly, agreeing, and then hurried off. Ryder finally breathed a sigh of relief when Ms. Jenkins left. He took a half-step closer, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Sister-in-law, even though Ryder is gone, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. From now on, just send people like that away…” At that moment, I found him utterly laughable. He was secretly sleeping in his sister-in-law’s room every day, yet he was afraid I would run away, afraid I would remarry? What kind of logic was that? But I didn’t expose him. I just nodded. Anyway, in half a month, I’d be married to someone else, leaving this place forever. He wouldn’t be able to control me then. That night, as I packed my luggage, I suddenly heard the creak of a wooden bed from next door. Before, hearing that sound, I would have just thought my brother-in-law and his wife had a good relationship. But now, every muffled groan was like a blunt knife twisting in my gut. It was unmistakably Ryder’s deep hum, the sound he used to make only in my ear when we were intimate. “Ah—!” A piercing scream cut through the night. When I rushed out, I saw Ryder carrying a disheveled Scarlett Hayes, running outside. In the moonlight, a stark red stain spread on her white sleep shorts. The residential area immediately erupted in whispers. Mrs. Peterson, my neighbor, peeked her head out, asking, “Oh dear, what’s going on?” “I heard she got a little too excited during intimacy, causing some bleeding…” “I can’t believe it, Archer always seemed so serious, but he’s so attentive to his wife…” I stood among the crowd, feeling utterly cold. Just as I was about to turn and leave, Mrs. Peterson grabbed my arm. “Amelia, as Archer’s sister-in-law, you should go with them and check on her!” To avoid any more gossip, I quickly grabbed a jacket and rushed to the hospital. In the hospital hallway, the sterile scent of disinfectant stung my eyes. Ryder was pacing anxiously. He visibly froze when he saw me. “What are you doing here?” I forced a faint smile. “As Archer’s sister-in-law, I should naturally come see her.” The operating room door suddenly opened, and a doctor emerged. “Mr. Vance, please don’t worry. Your wife is fine. She’s just pregnant and needs to avoid strenuous intimate activity for a while…” **Chapter 2** I stood in the hospital hallway, my ears ringing. The doctor’s words, “She’s pregnant,” hit me like a blunt instrument. I instinctively looked at Ryder, who first froze, then his eyes exploded with wild joy. He murmured, “This is great… Everything is going back on track.” I knew exactly what he meant. Scarlett was pregnant, so he could finally shed Archer’s identity and return to me. But I didn’t need him anymore. “However, the patient is a bit anemic and needs a blood transfusion,” the doctor’s words interrupted my thoughts. Ryder immediately rolled up his sleeve, but the doctor stopped him. “Your blood type doesn’t match. We need B-type blood.” I was B-type. His gaze shifted to me. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over. “Mia, your sister-in-law is pregnant. This child… we’ve been waiting for a long time.” He paused. “Would you mind donating some blood? When the baby is born, I promise I’ll make it up to you.” Make it up to me? I scoffed internally. His idea of “making it up to me” was to come back to me as if it were a favor? “I can donate blood, but there’s no need for compensation.” I said calmly, then turned and followed the nurse to the blood donation room. As the needle pierced my vein, I watched my crimson blood flow into the bag. I suddenly remembered the year we were newly married: I had a high fever, and Ryder carried me for miles through the night to the hospital. That day, a similar needle was used, and he squeezed my hand tightly, saying, “Don’t be scared, wife, I’m right here.” Now, my blood would flow into another woman’s body, nourishing their child. For the next few days, I recuperated at home. Through the window, I watched Ryder, who didn’t even go to the base, shuttle between home and the hospital daily, carrying an insulated food container. One day, it was chicken soup; the next, boiled eggs… Once, when I was sick in bed with a cold, he would stand in the kitchen like this, making all sorts of nutritious meals for me. The day Scarlett was discharged, the entire residential area was filled with the sweet scent of candy. Ryder carried a jar of celebration sweets, distributing them house to house. His usually stern face held an undisguised smile. “Scarlett’s pregnant. Have a sweet.” “Oh, congratulations!” “Finally, a baby is on the way!” He smiled and nodded in agreement, his eyes beaming with the joy of an expectant father. Finally, he came to me, his hand hesitant as he offered the candy. “Sister-in-law…” “Congratulations, Brother-in-law,” I said, taking a candy and smiling just enough. “I wish your family of three happiness and fulfillment.” Ryder’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Such a perfectly polite blessing made him uneasy. Since “Ryder’s sacrifice,” I had either cried or thrown tantrums. When had I ever been so calm? But before he could ponder it, Scarlett walked over and linked her arm through his, chirping, “Ryder, didn’t you say you’d treat Mia to dinner?” To thank me for donating blood, Scarlett insisted on treating me. I refused repeatedly but was eventually pulled into their car. At the restaurant, a waiter greeted us warmly. “Right this way for three!” Her gaze flickered between Ryder and Scarlett, and she smiled. “You two make such a handsome couple!” Then she looked at me. “Is this your sister? She’s quite striking.” Ryder flinched, but before he could speak, I had already responded softly, “Yes, I’m his sister.” Those words stabbed him like a knife. But looking at Scarlett’s slightly swollen belly, he ultimately didn’t correct her. **Chapter 3** When ordering, he rattled off a string of dishes with practiced ease: “No cilantro, light on oil and salt, make it sour and spicy…” All of Scarlett’s preferences. It wasn’t until the waiter asked, “What would your sister like?” that he seemed to remember me, turning his head in my direction. “Anything is fine,” I said, lowering my head to drink my tea, the steam blurring my expression. When the dishes were served, I mechanically picked at my rice, grain by grain. Suddenly, my throat constricted. I looked down and realized the dumplings in my bowl were sesame-filled—I was allergic to sesame! Ryder used to remember all my allergens; he would even specifically remind people not to use sesame during group gatherings. Now, he had ordered an entire plate of sesame dumplings. “Amelia?” Scarlett noticed my pale face. “What’s wrong?” Ryder finally looked up. Seeing my flushed cheeks, he shot to his feet. “Did you eat sesame?!” My breathing grew increasingly difficult, and my vision blurred. In a haze, I saw Ryder rushing towards me, but he was stopped halfway by Scarlett’s cry of pain: “Ah… my stomach hurts so much…” Time seemed to freeze at that moment. I watched Ryder stand rigid, his gaze torn between me and Scarlett. Finally, he picked up Scarlett, and as he left, he hurriedly told the waiter, “Please send my sister to the hospital.” “Madam? Madam!” The waiter’s frantic shouts grew distant. My consciousness faded, and I completely passed out. The sterile scent of disinfectant stung my eyes. I opened them to see a nurse changing my IV drip. “Madam, you’re awake!” The nurse breathed a sigh of relief. “Luckily, the restaurant staff brought you here in time. Anaphylactic shock can be fatal.” I tried to speak, but my throat was burning. Ryder’s silhouette, carrying Scarlett and leaving without hesitation, wouldn’t disappear from my mind. I closed my eyes, but tears streamed down my temples. For three days in the hospital, I lay alone in my bed, the allergic rash making me itch all over, my throat so swollen I couldn’t even swallow water. At my worst, I overheard nurses outside whispering: “The pregnant woman in Room 308 has frequent fetal movements; her husband is frantic, like something’s possessed him.” “Unlike the patient in Room 302, whose allergy is so severe, yet her husband hasn’t even visited her, as if she were dead…” I buried my face in the pillow. Yes, my husband had died long ago. He died in that mission, he died three months ago, he died… the moment he chose to become another woman’s husband. The day I was discharged, the sun was shining brightly. As I reached the hospital entrance, I suddenly saw that familiar military-issue jeep. The next second, Scarlett Hayes walked out of the hospital doors. The car door *thudded* open, and Ryder rushed over, carefully supporting her waist. “Slow down, the doctor said you need more rest…” His voice was dripping with tenderness, exactly how he used to coax me. I stood there, watching the jeep drive away, the exhaust fumes blowing onto my pale face. He didn’t even spare me a glance. … The evening wind carried a chill. I pushed open my front door. From afar, I saw a tall figure standing at my doorstep. Ryder Vance held several shopping bags filled with supplements, and at his feet were several mesh bags containing nutritional drinks, candy, and canned goods. “Amelia,” he quickly walked over. “Are your allergies any better?” How ironic. During the day, he acted as if I were invisible, but when no one was around, he came to pretend affection. “Thank you for your concern, Brother-in-law. I’m much better.” I bypassed him, reaching for the doorknob. Ryder grabbed my wrist. “Take these to help you recover…” “No need—” “Ryder! Something’s happened!” Scarlett suddenly rushed into the yard, tears streaming down her face. “I, I’ve been reported for illegally obtaining special permits!”
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