Leaving My Husband Behind: My Freedom, His Loss

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you. I just….” My words trailed off as I hesitated, clutching the test pack in my hand. The timing did not feel right—not with his cold demeanor and frustration written all over his face. My eyes wandered to the digital calendar on his desk, and I noticed tomorrow’s date: the 1st. It clicked in my mind—our usual appointment with the gynecologist, a routine check requested by the Clifton family to monitor our fertility. ‘What a perfect moment,’ I thought. “I just wanted to ask what time we’re going to the gynecologist tomorrow,” I said quickly, slipping the test pack behind my back. “So, I can get ready.” Lewis ran a hand through his hair, visibly annoyed. “Oh, that annoying monthly check-up. Let’s see if I have time,” he muttered, clearly uninterested. “I’ll ask my assistant to call you tomorrow and let you know when I’m free.” He did not even look at me as he added dismissively, “Now, get out of my sight. I’m going to my room to sleep.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodded, and turned to leave. His words stung, but I forced myself to push the pain aside. The next day would be different. I just knew it. As I entered my room, I gently placed a hand on my stomach, the tiny spark of life within me giving me a sense of strength and hope. “Let’s surprise Daddy tomorrow, baby,” I whispered, a small smile forming on my lips. “Now, let’s sleep.” It was barely dawn when I woke, a faint hope lingering in my heart that everything I heard outside the study last night was just a nightmare. So, I instinctively rubbed my stomach. “We will check your condition to a doctor today, please don’t be afraid, it’s not scary at all. “So, let’s get ready today.” Though I was still early in my pregnancy and there was no visible sign, I felt the delicate life growing within me—a tiny soul that was now my reason to keep going. By seven, I made my way downstairs to the dining room for breakfast. Lewis was already there, seated at the table with his phone in hand, a faint smile tugging at his lips. I did not need to ask who he was texting—his glowing expression said it all. It was not a nightmare. Everything from last night was real. The warmth and love he reserved for my twin sister Ruby were genuine. Also, the disdain he had for me was not a figment of my imagination. I quietly moved to my seat, not saying a word, but the sound of my chair scraping the floor startled Lewis. “Why are you so late?” he asked coldly, barely sparing me a glance as he typed on his phone. I swallowed the lump in my throat and replied curtly, “I am sorry.” At the start of our marriage, Lewis and I had never shared meals. He would either avoid me or stay holed up in his study. But ever since his mother began dropping by unannounced in the mornings, he insisted we have breakfast together, if only for appearances. The maid soon began serving breakfast, and silence enveloped the room once more. Lewis focused on his phone, barely touching his food, while I stared at my plate, my appetite nonexistent. I tried to eat anyway, but the moment the first bite passed my lips, a wave of nausea hit me. I clamped my hand over my mouth and bolted toward the kitchen, barely making it to the nearby restroom before emptying the contents of my stomach. It felt endless, my body heaving until there was nothing left to give. Weak and drained, I splashed cold water on my face before returning to the dining room. Lewis was gone. The maid approached with a sad look on her face, carrying away his untouched plate. “Mr. Clifton said he had no appetite after hearing you vomit, so he left immediately.” I sighed, sinking back into my chair. My heart clenched at the sheer indifference of his actions, but I was too exhausted to let it weigh me down. The maid hesitated. “Are you okay, ma’am?” I forced a small smile, shaking my head lightly. “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry to worry you.” She nodded reluctantly before leaving me alone at the table. I picked up my fork, determined to eat again for the sake of my baby. In my heart, I whispered softly, “Don’t worry, baby. If you don’t like it, you can take it out. Your dad isn’t being mean; he’s probably just busy with something important.” As I forced down a few more bites, I was relieved when my stomach finally settled. A bittersweet smile formed on my lips. “Thank you for accepting it, little one,” I murmured. “You’re already stronger than me.” After I finished breakfast, I was still feeling suffocated with everything that had happened in the morning. So, I decided to retreat to the garden house—a sanctuary I had lovingly nurtured within the villa grounds. It was the one place where I could breathe, a place where the chaos of my life seemed to fade away. The garden was my escape. Among the neatly arranged rows of roses, jasmines, daisies, and other flowers, I found solace. Each bloom carried a piece of my heart, cared for with the kind of love and tenderness I could not express elsewhere. I had always wanted to take care of a cat or a dog, but Lewis was allergic to fur, so I poured my affection into the plants instead. They became my companions, my silent children. By the afternoon, the maid arrived with tea and biscuits, her gentle smile breaking through the quiet. “This garden is very beautiful, just like the one who takes care of it,” she said, her voice warm. I offered a faint smile, cradling the tea in my hands. “Thank you.” I glanced at the sky and realized it must be nearing noon, the time when Lewis usually took a break from his work at the office. Hoping he had not forgotten, I turned to the maid and asked, “Did anyone call home, or did Lewis’ driver come to pick me up?” The maid hesitated, her expression uncertain. “No, ma’am. Nothing happened before I came to the garden house to bring you tea.” My heart sank a little, but I forced a small smile. “Oh, maybe Lewis is still busy. Could you pass me my mobile?” The maid nodded and quickly fetched my phone from the table, handing it to me. ‘Let’s just ask the assistant to make sure,’ I thought, scrolling through my contacts to find Lewis’ assistant’s number. When the call connected, I didn’t waste any time. “Sorry to bother you, but could I know what time Lewis will be free? We have a gynecologist appointment today.” There was a pause on the other end, followed by the assistant’s hesitant response. “I’m sorry, Madam, but Mr. Clifton has been free since earlier. He instructed me to clear his schedule because… he needed to pick someone up at the airport.” My grip on the phone tightened, and my heart dropped. “What did you say?”

I immediately hung up the phone without letting the assistant explain further. I did not need to hear another word, since I knew Lewis had chosen to pick up Ruby instead of accompanying me to the gynecologist. It was not a nightmare. Ruby’s return was real, and with it, every ounce of hope I had held onto was slipping through my fingers. I sighed deeply, my chest heavy with hurt, but it was not the first time I had been betrayed by the people around me. Hiding my emotions, I turned to the maid and said coldly, “Prepare the car. I need to go to the hospital immediately.” “Yes, madam,” she replied, scurrying off to fulfill my request. I left the garden house and made my way to the front door, determined to go alone. I did not care anymore about Lewis or what he was doing. I just needed to know that my baby was okay. The drive to the hospital was agonizingly slow. The traffic was unusually congested, turning what should have been a thirty-minute trip into an hour-long ordeal. As I sat in the backseat, gazing out the window, my heart clenched when I spotted someone familiar. On the second floor of a restaurant, clearly visible through the large glass windows, were Lewis and Ruby. They sat close, their faces glowing with affection as they looked into each other’s eyes. My stomach churned as I watched Ruby lean forward, feeding Lewis a bite of her food. He smiled, returning the gesture lovingly. And then, as if to twist the knife deeper, they kissed. A soft, intimate kiss that they did not care to hide from anyone who could see them through the see-through window. Tears blurred my vision, spilling freely down my cheeks as our car moved away from the street. I clutched my stomach, whispering silently to my baby, “I’m so sorry you have to go through this with me.” When we finally arrived at the hospital, my legs felt weak as I stepped out of the car. Determined to move forward, I walked to the front desk to register. But before I could utter a word to the receptionist, a wave of nausea hit me hard. I turned on my heel and rushed to the bathroom, barely making it to the sink before I emptied my stomach. My tears mixed with the sweat on my brow as I vomited again and again, as though my body was expelling not just the food I had eaten, but the bitterness and anger that had consumed me. Clenching the sink tightly, I stared at my pale reflection in the mirror, my throat burning with bile and frustration. It was all too much to bear since it seemed Ruby was reclaiming the life she had left behind. The life I had been forced to take on. Piece by piece, she was taking everything from me, and I was powerless to stop her. I did not know how long I stayed in the bathroom, venting my sadness and anger in solitude. When I finally left, I felt too defeated to see the gynecologist. Instead, I walked straight out of the hospital and ordered the driver to take me home. As we drove, I placed my hand on my stomach, a new resolve building within me. I could not afford to be weak anymore. The baby growing inside me deserved better. I needed to find the courage to tell Lewis about the pregnancy and demand my place as his wife. When we arrived home, I stepped inside, ready to face Lewis. But what greeted me in the living room made my blood run cold. Lounging on the sofa, her legs crossed as she sipped tea like she owned the place, was Ruby. Her polished appearance and smug demeanor contrasted sharply with the turmoil brewing in my chest. She glanced at me lazily, her lips curling into a smirk. “Hi, nerd sister,” she greeted, her tone dripping with mockery. She did not bother to stand, her confidence radiating like a shield of superiority. Her presence hit me like a slap of cold water. After two years of trying to erase her from my mind, here she was—Ruby Gilmore. The name we once shared. The face that mirrored mine. I scanned the room, my heart clinging to a faint hope. Maybe Lewis had only brought her home so she could join me for the appointment. Maybe he was somewhere in the house, waiting to go to the hospital with me. But Ruby’s piercing voice crushed that hope instantly. “What are you looking for? Lewis?” she asked, her smirk growing wider. “I’m sad too because he just dropped me here and left. Apparently, he had some sudden meeting.” Ruby took another sip of her tea and added nonchalantly, “But don’t worry. He promised to come back home on time with a present for me. I’m willing to wait for him, of course.” Her words, casual yet pointed, felt like knives digging into my chest. My nails dug into my palms as I stood frozen in place, my mind swirling with anger, betrayal, and despair. Ruby’s sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe, her lips curling into a smirk. “Anyway,” she said, her tone dripping with mockery, “you really do look like me two years ago. Our parents have done quite the job turning you into my carbon copy.” “But, unfortunately,” She chuckled. “Lewis still doesn’t love you, does he? Haha.” Her words hit like daggers, but Ruby did not stop. She stood up and tilted her head while walking toward me, “Tell me, is your hair dyed, or are you still wearing wigs like when we were teenagers? “And those eyes…are you wearing contact lenses? Because there’s no way you could walk around without those thick glasses of yours, right?” I said nothing, letting her words hang in the air. Yes, I was the nerd sister, the one who never measured up. Even though we were twins, we could not have been more different. Ruby was the perfect, beautiful one—the golden child. I was the opposite, the albino sister with severe nearsightedness since birth. My natural hair was blonde, not the rich brunette shared by Ruby and our parents. My eyes were a pale, unremarkable grey, a stark contrast to Ruby’s vibrant hazel ones. Everything about me was the antithesis of what our parents valued. So, since I was young, my parents had tried to turn me into Ruby’s shadow. I wore wigs to match her hair, contact lenses to mimic her eyes. My pale skin, always so starkly different, was hidden beneath stockings, long sleeves, and layers of foundation at every family event. And so, it was no surprise that Ruby walked to me just to snatch the wig on my head with her smirk widening. “But what can I say? You’ve done a pretty good job changing yourself to look like me. Too bad, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never actually be me,” she said, her voice cutting.

She was right, even when seeing her at that time, I could not help but notice the small changes in her. Her style was different, a little more polished, a little more mature. And yet, my first thought was not about her—it was about me. Would I have to imitate her new style at that time, too? It was exhausting, infuriating, but at that point, it felt like it was all I knew. Ruby laughed again, snapping me out of my thoughts. Since I did not react or try to take the wig back from her hand, she grumbled, “Ah, you’re still as boring as ever. No wonder Lewis said you’re not attractive at all.” My chest tightened, but I refused to show any emotion. “That’s why I wasn’t worried,” she continued, inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. “When our parents said you’d replace me temporarily, I knew there was nothing to fear. You’ll never be me, Rose.” Her words were venomous, yet she delivered them with the ease of someone discussing the weather. “What time does Lewis usually come home?” she asked suddenly, her voice taking on a casual tone, as if the weight of her earlier words had not left the room. “It….” I began hesitantly. But before I could finish, Ruby cut me off with a dismissive wave. “Oh, never mind. It’s no use asking you. I’d rather ask Lewis,” she said while throwing my wig to the ground and back to the sofa. Her confidence radiating through the room, while I stood there in silence, quietly clenching my hands. Every word, every action of hers reminded me that I was nothing more than a placeholder in my own life. Ruby was there to take it all back, and I did not know if I had the strength to stop her. Suddenly, Ruby’s wide smile grew as she glanced at her phone screen. “He’ll be home soon,” she said, her tone full of excitement. Before I could react, my eyes followed hers, landing on Lewis’s figure walking through the front door. “Oh, my love, you’re really back,” Ruby called out, her voice sweet and affectionate. And just like that, Lewis’s gaze softened in a way I had never seen before. He immediately strode toward her, a warm smile on his face. My love? The words echoed in my head, making my stomach churn. I fought the urge to throw up as I watched their interaction. Ruby rose to her feet, meeting him halfway. Like reunited lovers, they embraced intimately, their closeness exuding a warmth I had never been allowed to feel. I had been married to Lewis for two years, and yet, not once had he ever hugged me like that. I stared at them, my chest tightening with suppressed anger. I could no longer bear to watch the nauseating display of affection and ready to leave the living room. Before I could take a step, Ruby’s voice pierced through the air, loud and accusatory. “Lewis, I was so scared you wouldn’t come home in time. “As soon as Rose saw me here, she went completely berserk. She even yanked off her wig because she couldn’t handle that I dyed my hair ginger.” Her dramatic words left me frozen in place, my fists clenched at my sides. My gaze fell to the floor, where my wig lay—a detail Ruby had obviously used as her proof. Lewis turned to me, his face dark with anger. “What’s the meaning of this tantrum, Rose?” he scolded, his voice sharp and cutting. “Ruby has every right to do what she wants. It’s your job to imitate her, like you’ve done all this time.” I felt the blood drain from my face, but I did not respond. I was too tired and drained to argue with him. Instead, I turned on my heel, ready to walk away. But before I could leave, Lewis grabbed my wrist, his grip firm and commanding. “Where do you think you’re going?” he barked. “Prepare a grand feast to celebrate your sister’s return. I’ve already sent the menu. Tell the maids and help them. I want everything ready before six.” His words were orders, not requests, and his cold tone only added to the ache in my chest, while Ruby smirked behind him. I wanted to say something, to push back, but before I could, Lewis turned to Ruby with a warmth that felt like a slap in the face. His voice softened, his expression filled with gentle concern. “Let’s pack your suitcase and get you settled. You must be tired after such a long journey.” He smiled at her and added, “Oh, and I bought you the Ruby jewelry set you wanted.” Ruby’s face lit up with delight as she leaned in to kiss Lewis on the cheek. “Oh, thank you so much. You’re truly my one and only love,” she gushed, her voice dripping with sweetness. Lewis’s expression softened further at her words, and without sparing me another glance, he picked up her suitcase and led her upstairs. Left alone in the living room, I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat. My hands trembled as I unlocked my phone to check the menu Lewis had sent. My stomach sank as I scrolled through the list—chicken, beef, seafood, an endless array of dishes that looked more like a royal banquet than a simple welcome meal. It was as if he wanted to give the entire world to Ruby. As I wanted to curse more, to scream, I directly placed a hand on my stomach and whispered inwardly, “It’s not good for the baby to hear that, so calm down, Rose.” With a deep breath, I swallowed my anger and made my way to the kitchen. Sweat soon dotted my forehead as I worked alongside the maids, chopping, stirring, and grilling. The heat from the stove and the overwhelming smells of the ingredients made me dizzy, forcing me to excuse myself to the bathroom several times. The pregnancy had heightened my sensitivity, and certain odors triggered intense waves of nausea. But as the clock ticked closer to five, I gritted my teeth and pushed through the discomfort. Only half of the dishes were done, and there was no time to rest. The maid assisting me noticed my condition and spoke softly, “Madam, please rest. You don’t look well. We’ll take care of the rest.” I shook my head, wiping the sweat from my brow. “It’s fine. I can handle it,” I replied, my voice steady despite the exhaustion. I knew better than to refuse Lewis’s orders. The consequences of disobedience were far too dire.

If I dared to resist, Lewis would not hesitate to remind me of my past sacrifice—the kidney I had donated to him when he was twenty. I still remembered the day vividly. Lewis had been on the brink of death, his kidneys failing, and the entire family had scrambled to find a suitable donor. Out of everyone, I, who was only a seventeen girl at that moment, had been the only match. After endless tests and procedures, I was deemed fit to donate, and my parents did not hesitate for a moment. They signed the consent forms with joy, forcing me to go through the operation without a second thought. Even after we were married, Lewis exploited my sacrifice. I would never forget the first time he used it as a weapon against me. It had been during the early days of our marriage, when his mother discovered we were sleeping in separate rooms. Furious, she confronted Lewis about it, and later that night, he cornered me in his study, his eyes blazing with anger. “You’d better talk nicely to my parents and fix this mess,” he hissed. “If you dare disobey me, don’t forget—I can still take your last kidney. Remember this, Rose.” The memory sent a shiver down my spine, but I shook it off, focusing on the task at hand. My baby deserved better, and I would do whatever it took to protect them. Even if it meant enduring this torment a little longer. ** After all the dishes were finally prepared, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and stepped back, watching as the maid arranged everything neatly on the dining table. My legs ached, my head throbbed, and my stomach churned from the nausea that had plagued me throughout the day. Then I heard them—their laughter echoing down the staircase. Lewis and Ruby descended together, chatting like a happy couple in their own private world. They entered the dining room, their voices light and carefree, as if they were the owners of the villa and I was nothing more than a hired maid. When Ruby laid her eyes on the spread of dishes, her face lit up in mock surprise. “Oh my God, Lewis, you really made all the menus I asked for! You’re amazing.” Lewis beamed at her praise, his hand resting possessively on her waist. “Of course. Seeing how light your body is, I thought I should try harder to make sure you get all the nutrition you need,” he replied smoothly. Ruby giggled, leaning closer to him. “You know, Lewis, all my fat gathers in my cheeks. So don’t misunderstand when you look at my body.” Lewis chuckled, gently pinching her cheek. “No wonder you have such adorable, chubby cheeks. I’d love to pinch them every day.” Their sweet interaction was like a knife twisting in my chest. For two years, I had hoped to see that side of Lewis—the affectionate, tender man he was capable of being. But then I realized it was not that he could not be sweet; it was simply that he did not want to be that way with me. Lewis then pulled out a chair for Ruby, his movements smooth and gentlemanly, like the perfect partner. “Let’s sit and enjoy our dinner,” he said with a smile. Ruby nodded and sat down gracefully. Then, her gaze swept across the room, and when she noticed me standing silently near the maid, she called out with a syrupy voice, “Oh, sister, come join us! Sit here beside me.” She gestured to the chair next to her, her tone exuding fake kindness. Lewis, who had just taken his seat, glanced at me with indifference. “Sit down already so we can eat,” he muttered lazily, as if my mere presence was a formality he had to endure. Suppressing a sigh, I walked over and sat beside Ruby. But the food on my plate, which I had painstakingly prepared, did not tempt me in the slightest. The sight and smell of it made my stomach churn, though I forced myself to keep my nausea at bay. As we began eating in an awkward silence, Ruby suddenly decided to include me in the conversation. “Oh, by the way,” she began with a smile, her tone falsely cheerful, “thank you for taking care of Lewis for the past two years, sister.” She then turned to Lewis, her expression softening. “And you, Lewis, thank you for keeping your promise to wait for me all this time. I always knew your love was genuine, even back then.” Her words struck me like a thunderclap, but before I could process them, Ruby continued with a playful pout. “I do worry sometimes, you know. I was overthinking that maybe you two might have… you know… had slept together behind my back.” The room went silent for a moment, save for the clinking of silverware. Lewis immediately broke the tension, taking Ruby’s hand in his and squeezing it gently. “It would never happen, Ruby,” he said firmly. “I never even touched your sister for a second. I only love you.” I stared at him, my lips curling into a bitter smirk. My chest tightened as I struggled to suppress the hurt and anger bubbling inside me. Never touched me? So, what was that night? Was it just a drunken accident that he chose to ignore because it did not count in his twisted mind? “I trust you, Lewis. I’ve seen the proof that you two slept separately all this time. That’s why I’m so grateful,” Ruby said, her gaze soft and full of affection as she looked at Lewis. He mirrored her expression, his face glowing with the kind of love and devotion I had never received from him. It was too much. My chest tightened, my stomach churned violently, and I could no longer suppress the overwhelming nausea. Abruptly, I stood, the chair scraping harshly against the floor, the sound reverberating through the tense room. But before I could escape, Ruby grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. “Where are you going?” she asked in a tone laced with syrupy concern. Yet her expression betrayed her—her eyes burned with anger, her lips pressed into a thin, venomous line. The sharp rise of stomach acid clawed at my throat, and I could not hold it back any longer. Without warning, I bent over and vomited everything onto the dining table, the bile and remnants of my last meal splattering across the dishes I had spent hours preparing. A shocked silence fell over the room for a brief moment before Ruby’s piercing scream shattered it. “How rude!” she shrieked, recoiling in disgust as she pushed her chair back, her face twisted in horror.

I wiped my mouth with trembling hands, tears brimming in my eyes from both the physical discomfort and the sheer humiliation. My legs wobbled beneath me, barely supporting my weight as the full weight of the situation pressed down on me like a crushing wave. The dinner I had poured my heart into, the one I had spent hours preparing, was ruined. But the devastation of my effort being wasted was not the worst part—it was the realization that no one cared about why. No one cared about me. After pulling Ruby away, Lewis’s cold voice cut through the silence like a knife. “How dare you ruin our welcome dinner,” he snapped, his gaze filled with disdain. Before I could utter a word, Ruby chimed in, her voice sweetly apologetic but laced with venom. “Oh, I just remembered, Rose doesn’t like seafood. How could I forget that?” She turned to Lewis with a faux look of regret. “She must’ve thrown up because of the smell of the seafood I ate. I really like it, though.” As if on cue, Lewis immediately softened toward her. He wrapped his arms around Ruby protectively, his voice full of warmth. “That’s okay, Ruby. You can eat as much seafood as you want. No need to feel guilty. Let’s just go out for dinner instead, if that’s what you want.” Ruby smiled, leaning into him as though I wasn’t even there. “It’s okay, Lewis. We don’t have to. I can eat tomorrow morning. I’ll just rest tonight.” Lewis’s voice was gentle and adoring as he replied, “Okay, everything for you, my love.” Tears blurred my vision as I watched them leave the dining room, their voices fading into the distance as they discussed plans for the next day. Neither of them looked back. The maid, ever so kind, quietly stepped in and began cleaning the mess I had made. She turned to me with a soft smile and said, “It’s okay, Madam. You’ve seemed unwell since this morning. It’s better for you to take some rest now.” Tears streamed freely down my cheeks as I nodded weakly, my voice cracking as I whispered, “I’m sorry to bother you.” Then I dragged my exhausted body upstairs. I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto my bed and shut the world out. But as I passed Lewis’s room, a glimpse through the small gap in the door stopped me dead in my tracks. Through the partially open door, I saw Lewis and Ruby entwined in each other’s arms. They were making love passionately, their bodies moving together with a kind of intimacy and devotion I had never experienced with Lewis. A lump formed in my throat as I gripped the door frame for support, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. Just a month ago, Lewis had done the same to me. But that time, he had been drunk, his words slurred, his movements aggressive and thoughtless. I had been nothing more than an outlet for his intoxicated state. But with Ruby, he was sober, fully present, and entirely devoted to her. Suddenly, I noticed Ruby gazing toward me. She was aware about my presence outside the door. Her cunning smile stretched wider as her eyes locked onto mine, stabbing straight into my chest with cruel precision. It was the kind of smile that did not need words to say. “Oh, Lewis, I’m sorry to make you wait for two years,” she moaned, her voice dripping with feigned regret. Lewis kissed her nape, his hands possessively around her waist. “That’s fine,” he murmured against her skin. “We can do it every day now. That’s enough for me.” Ruby let out a soft laugh, her voice teasing yet triumphant. “Sure, you can love me 24/7 if you want from now on.” Her gaze remained fixed on me through the crack in the door, as if to drive the point deeper. I could see the gleam of victory in her eyes, the way she silently declared her dominance over my life. I had spent two years sacrificing, imitating, becoming her shadow—yet it was all for nothing. Ruby had reclaimed everything effortlessly, like I had never existed. I staggered back, biting my trembling lip to stifle the cry threatening to escape and retreated to my room. My legs barely held me up as I locked the door behind me. My breaths came in short, uneven gasps as the walls closed in around me. However, that night offered no comfort. My tears fell endlessly, soaking the pillow beneath my head. My ears, they even still could hear Lewis and Ruby’s moaning all night, which made my heart shattered into pieces. As if not enough, in the morning, Ruby’s voice called out, sickly sweet as she knocked my door, “Rose, you must’ve been disturbed by our voices last night. I’m sorry.” Her fake apology felt like a slap in the face. My tears, still fresh from the night before, spilled over as anger surged within me. “Are you satisfied with showing off?” I snapped, unable to hold back my fury as I opened the door. Ruby’s expression shifted to shock, but only for a moment. She quickly recovered, jabbing her finger into my chest with arrogance. “Are you angry now?” she sneered. “Realize this, Rose. Lewis is my husband—he always has been. It’s my name on the marriage certificate, so you have no right to be angry.” Her words cut deep, but what came next shattered me. “Rose Gilmore disappeared from the earth—she’s dead,” Ruby said coldly, her tone filled with triumph as she brought up the painful truth I had tried to bury. She was right. Rose Gilmore, that name had been dead for two years, buried along with its owner. After Ruby’s accident, my parents faked the story, declaring that the one who was involved in an accident was me. They spread the lie that I did not survive after days of being treated in the hospital. While the fact showed it was Ruby who was speeding recklessly down the toll road, lost control of her car and got into a severe accident. Even if she had survived, the crash left her with a traumatic brain injury that caused her to lose her hearing. The wedding, which had been arranged by our parents to merge the Gilmore and Clifton families, could not be postponed. So, in Ruby’s place, I had been chosen as her replacement. The decision was made without my consent. My parents saw it as an opportunity for me to fulfill Ruby’s obligations, as I had always done. While Ruby went to San Jose to undergo treatment, leaving me to live her life, marry her fiancé, and assume the role she had abandoned. It was as if my existence had been wiped away, erased without hesitation. I begged them to stop, pleading for the right to make my own choices. But they ignored my cries, shutting down my voice with cold indifference. “You should be grateful that Lewis is willing to marry you, even if it’s just for a while,” they said, their voices devoid of empathy. “From now on, forget that you are Rose. You are Ruby, the daughter of the Gilmore family who married the son of the Clifton family. Do you understand?” So, my life had never been mine anymore since that day. What made it cut the deepest was that Lewis knew the truth. He followed the lies my parents made and tortured me if I did not obey his order. “So, Rose, be thankful that you are still alive until this moment,” Ruby continued. The words stung like a whip, and before I could stop myself, my hand flew up and slapped her across the face. "You bitch! Who gave you the courage to keep provoking me?" My sharp eyes fell on her, and I raised my hand again and slapped her on the other side of her face!