The Last Goodbye

On my wedding day, my fiancé was caught having sex with my sister Lena Anderson in the lounge.

I became the laughingstock of the entire event.

But my childhood sweetheart Ryan Lowell proposed to me in front of everyone, shielding me with high-profile protection.

After marriage, he indulged my every wish.

The only pity was his inability to perform in bed.

It wasn't until this year, after IVF, that I finally became pregnant.

After that, he became even more attentive to me.

I thought he was my ultimate destination.

Until that day, I overheard his conversation with a friend.

"Ryan, you're too cruel. Cora has been so good to you. How could you switch the eggs just because Lena is afraid of pain and doesn't want to give birth, making Cora a surrogate?"

"Besides, the baby is due in two months. What are you planning to do then?"

He remained silent for a moment and sighed.

"After the baby is born, I'll take the child to Lena to fulfill her wish."

"As for Cora, I'll tell her the baby didn't make it."

"I'll spend the rest of my life with her."

So that's how it is.

The tenderness and care I thought were for me were all for her.

I turned around and scheduled the surgery.

I don't want this filthy child.

And I certainly don't want this fake marriage.

————————

"Aren't you afraid Cora will find out?"

Ryan remained silent for a moment before responding.

"She won't."

"You're that confident?"

"She trusts me." His voice was firm.

"She never doubts my word."

After a brief pause, his friend spoke in a hushed tone.

"Just don't regret this."

He laughed lightly.

"I won't."

So that was how it was.

I stood outside the door, nails digging into my palms until they went numb with pain.

I had come to bring him a coat.

The weather had turned cold, and I worried he wasn't dressed warmly enough.

Now, it felt like a knife had been plunged into my chest.

A cold wind seemed to blow straight through me.

I stumbled back home, too drained to even turn on the lights.

My legs gave way, and I collapsed onto the sofa, shivering uncontrollably.

My stomach churned.

My head spun.

Tears slid silently down my temples.

I lacked the strength to wipe them away.

The lock turned.

He was back.

The sound of dress shoes approached across the floor.

He bent down beside the sofa, his voice soft and concerned.

"Why are you sitting in the dark? The housekeeper said you skipped dinner. Is your stomach bothering you again?"

His hand gently brushed the hair from my forehead.

Worry filled his eyes.

"What's wrong, Cora?"

He knelt, covering my hand with his palm.

His tone was tender.

"You need to eat. It's not good for the baby."

I stared at him.

I stared at this man who wore kindness like a mask.

So love could be faked.

Four years ago, my fiancé had been caught cheating with my sister at our wedding.

My parents forced me to step aside.

They insisted family should support each other, that we couldn't become a public scandal.