The young master of Boston's elite circle, Kevin Hill, finally recovered after three years of paralysis. His crew threw a celebration banquet at a private club.

Jennifer Walker stood at the club entrance, clutching a carefully prepared gift. Just as she reached for the door, she overheard Kevin and his buddies talking inside.

"Kevin, Jennifer's been absolutely devoted to you. Without her these past three years, how could you've recovered this well?"

"Seriously, that girl massaged you daily, joined every rehab session, barely slept through nights worrying you'd have midnight breakdowns... You owe her a lifetime for that."

"She really is an amazing person." Kevin's voice came out low and gentle.

Jennifer's fingertips trembled slightly, a wave of warmth rising in her chest.

The next second, someone asked, "So when are you planning to marry her?"

The private room fell into terrifying silence.

Jennifer's hand froze mid-air, her heartbeat quickening unconsciously. She held her breath as if awaiting a verdict.

After a long pause, Kevin's voice sounded calmly: "I see her as a sister."

"A sister?!" The brothers' voices rose sharply. "She's been by your side for three years, and you only see her as a sister? Kevin, don't tell me you're still hung up on Emily Martin? When you were in trouble years ago, she ran off without a single word of concern! Now that you're back on your feet, she comes crawling back. Even if you like someone, it can't be her!"

Kevin remained silent.

Jennifer stood outside the door, her heart clenched like a fist.

Silence itself was the clearest answer.

She'd thought three years of shared days would earn her his heart, only to realize he still held a place for the one who'd walked away.

Three years ago, Kevin was the untouchable golden boy.

An Ivy League graduate, heir to a family empire, skilled in skiing and polo—even his face seemed carved by divine hands.

Jennifer? Just a scholarship student the Hills sponsored.

She first saw him at the university awards ceremony.

He stood onstage, eyes frosty, posture straight as an untouchable pine.

She sat in the last row, clutching her scholarship envelope, not even daring to clap too loudly.

Back then, Emily stood by his side—the campus beauty from an equally prominent family.

Everyone said they looked like a prince and princess straight out of a fairy tale.

Until the car accident.

Kevin’s spine was damaged. Doctors said he might never walk again.

Emily didn’t even step into his hospital room. She just sent a breakup text and vanished.

Overnight, the eldest son of the Hill family—once everyone’s favorite—plunged into rock bottom.

He grew volatile, withdrawn, and even attempted suicide.

Mr. and Mrs. Hill wept helplessly.

Then Jennifer stepped forward.

She crouched before his wheelchair, whispering, "Kevin, everything will be alright. I'm here with you."

For the next three years, she mastered every massage technique, surviving on two hours of sleep nightly, terrified he might harm himself after midnight.

When he smashed a stool against his own leg in a rage, she threw herself between them, taking the blow without hesitation.

Year after year, she stayed by his side, becoming the anchor of his existence.

Everyone knew Kevin could only find sleep when Jennifer was near.

Now healed, the world expected their wedding.

Jennifer had dreamed it too.

But how could she misunderstand his silence now?

Now that he had recovered, Emily was back, and it was time for her, this "sister", to exit the stage.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The laughter and chatter in the private room abruptly ceased, everyone looked over, a group of brothers looking guilty.

"Jennifer? When... when did you get here?" someone asked tentatively.

"Just now," Jennifer smiled, pretending she hadn't heard anything, and handed the gift to Kevin, "Congratulations on your recovery."

Kevin was about to take it when the private room's door was pushed open again—

Emily stood at the door, her eyes slightly red: "Kevin, I heard you've recovered. I came to congratulate you."

The atmosphere in the private room instantly froze.

"What are you doing here?" Kevin's brothers scowled. "When Kevin was in trouble, you ran faster than anyone. How dare you show your face now?"

Emily flushed red, eyes welling up. She shoved the gift at Kevin and turned to run.

Kevin suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Since you're here, you might as well stay."

Everyone froze, instinctively turning to Jennifer.

She stood motionless, her smile never wavered while nails dug deep into her palms.

So three years of companionship couldn't withstand a single tear from Emily.

The gathering descended into an eerie, suffocating silence.

Kevin's brothers deliberately ignored Emily, relentlessly teasing Jennifer and Kevin.

"Jennifer, did you give Kevin massages every day during his rehab?"

"Of course! Her technique is so professional. Kevin only wants her – he'd get mad if anyone else touched him!"

Jennifer lowered her head, pretending not to see Emily's jealous glare.

Though Kevin didn't say a word, she could feel his attention was entirely focused on Emily.

Midway, someone suggested playing a game. Emily lost first, and her punishment was to ask someone of the opposite sex for their contact info.

She instinctively looked at Kevin, her eyes pleading for help.

Kevin kept his head down, fiddling with his phone, pretending not to see.

Emily bit her lip and stood up defiantly: "Fine, I'll go."

Jennifer watched her walk to the neighboring booth, quickly surrounded by several men.

One drunkenly grabbed her wrist: "Cutie, adding me on Facebook is fine, but can I feel you up?"

"Let go of me!" Emily's piercing scream rang out.

Kevin's head snapped up, and he charged over the next second, slamming a fist into the man's face: "You fucking asking for it?"

Chaos erupted instantly.

"Kevin! Stop!" His buddies rushed forward to break it up.

Jennifer rushed to stop him, worried about his fragile recovery: "Kevin, don't—"

Before she finished, Kevin shoved her aside: "Move!"

"Thud—"

Caught off guard, Jennifer slipped and tumbled down the stairs. Her skull cracked against the floor, vision blurring as warm blood trickled down her temple, dyeing her vision crimson.

Struggling to rise, she saw Kevin carrying Emily away.

He didn't even glance back.

Her heart tore like ragged cloth, pain stealing her breath.

Suddenly, she remembered—

Years ago, when self-destructive rage drove his wheelchair-bound fists to smash his own legs, she'd lunged to shield him. His uncontrolled force had shattered three ribs.

With bloodshot eyes, he roared: "My legs are already useless! Trashing them won't matter! Do you have a death wish? Can't you tell what's important?!"

Sweating from pain, she stubbornly clutched his legs and whispered: "I can tell."

"Precisely because your legs matter, I must stop you."

"Because someday, I will make you stand again."

At that moment, the ever-proud Kevin trembled as he held her close, voice choked: "Jennifer, don't leave me..."

Everyone said Kevin's recovery was a miracle.

But only they knew the truth – what miracle?

She'd simply fought tooth and nail, pulling him out of the abyss bit by bit.

But now...

He had emerged from the abyss, yet no longer needed her.

Just then, Jennifer's phone rang abruptly.

Her trembling fingers pulled out the phone, the words "Mrs. Hill" on the screen stung her eyes.

She knew all too well what this call meant.

As expected, the moment she answered, Mrs. Hill's polite tone came through.

"Jennifer, you see, Kevin is now the CEO of a publicly traded company. His wife simply can't be someone without status or connections, someone who offers him no advantage..."

"I'm grateful for your care these past three years, staying by his side. But you must understand—had our family not funded your education, you couldn't go to college. Consider this kindness repaid, okay?"

The line paused briefly, seemingly waiting for her hysterical questioning or begging pathetically.

Jennifer looked toward the direction Kevin had left, the empty hallway seeming to mock her three years of unrequited devotion.

"Fine," she heard her own voice, terrifyingly calm. "I'll leave and never appear before him again."

Jennifer hung up and went straight to the hospital.

Three stitches closed the wound on her forehead, and the doctor warned her to keep it dry.

Numbly nodding, she spotted Kevin’s Maybach near the hospital entrance upon leaving.

Its window half-open, Emily was crying pitifully against his shoulder.

"Kevin, I was wrong to hurt you back then..." Her voice choked with sobs. "I don’t expect forgiveness, but I had no choice. My parents forced me abroad, confiscated my phone... I wanted to find you..."

Kevin sat in stony silence, his profile cold and hard.

Jennifer stood not far away, her feet seemingly nailed to the ground.

"Why did you come back now?" Kevin finally spoke, his voice low.

Emily looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Because I can't forget you... I know you have Jennifer now, I don't ask for anything else, just don't drive me away... Let me watch you from afar..."

Jennifer stood in the shadows, watching Kevin remain silent for a long time, finally reaching out to wipe Emily's tears.

"I don't blame you," he said, "As for Jennifer... I just see her as a sister, not what you think."

Emily's eyes lit up, her tears turning to a smile: "Really?"

Kevin nodded.

Emily burst into tears of joy and threw herself into his arms again.

Jennifer smiled bitterly and turned away, heading straight to the immigration office.

...

At the immigration office, an officer handed her a form: "Your visa will be ready in two weeks."

Jennifer thanked them. When she stepped outside, dusk had settled over the city.

She returned to Kevin's villa.

For three years, she'd lived here to care for him.

Once, she'd naively thought this was home—her hand-chosen slippers by the entryway, the succulents she nurtured in the living room, the stomach-friendly recipes she'd taped in the kitchen.

Now, she would remove every trace with her own hands.

While packing, she found a photo at the very bottom of a drawer.

It was taken when Kevin finished his rehab, him smiling at the camera for once, her standing beside him with eyes curved like crescent moons.

The photo edges had yellowed from too much handling.

Jennifer stared at it for a long time before gently tossing it into the trash bin.

Some dreams should've ended long ago.

Early next morning, Kevin called.

"I forgot my stomach meds. Bring them to the office." His morning-rough voice sounded natural, like nothing happened last night.

Jennifer paused two seconds. "Okay."

When she reached the office, the elevator doors opened to reveal Emily carrying an exquisite box.

Emily beamed, "What a coincidence? I'm bringing Kevin lunch. Want to join us?"

Jennifer didn't respond, following her into the office.

Kevin was reviewing documents. Seeing them enter together, he arched an eyebrow. "Why are you both here?"

"Ran into each other outside," Emily chirped, opening the boxes. A spicy aroma instantly filled the room. "I made your favorite Stir-Fry Roulette!"

Jennifer's face fell. "He has stomach issues. Can't handle spicy food."

Kevin glanced at her, picking up his fork. "Once in a while won't hurt."

He speared a chunk of beef glistening with red oil and ate it without flinching.

Jennifer clenched the stomach medicine in her bag, her knuckles turning white.

Soon, Kevin's forehead glistened with a thin layer of sweat, his pen-holding fingers trembling slightly.

"Kevin? Are you feeling unwell?" Emily asked with concern.

"No." Kevin forced a smile. "I still have work. You two head back first."

Jennifer gave him a long look, silently placed the medicine on the desk, then turned to leave.

Downstairs, Jennifer couldn't hold back: "His stomach condition is severe. When bringing meals later, please be mindful."

Emily suddenly laughed: "Jennifer, haven't you quite figured out your place yet?"

"You're just a slightly special caregiver to Kevin, so you need to remember these things. But I'm different—he loves me. I don't need to notice such details."

She stepped closer, crimson lips curving slightly: "Even if I gave him poison, he'd swallow it. Understand?"

Jennifer's fingers trembled, her heart feeling violently torn open.

She knew Emily wasn't wrong.

It took her three years just to get Kevin to notice her.

Yet Emily didn't lift a finger, and he'd gladly drink poison for her.

Kevin returned that night, face ghostly pale.

Jennifer turned from pouring water in the kitchen, nearly dropping her glass at the noise.

"You didn't take the medicine?" Her voice tightened.

"Too severe. Had my stomach pumped at the hospital." Kevin collapsed weakly onto the sofa, sweat-drenched hair clinging to his forehead.

Jennifer's hand trembled, scalding water splashing onto her skin, instantly leaving an angry red mark.

Did he love Emily that much? Enough to eat her cooking even if it meant getting his stomach pumped?

She brought over a glass of warm water, kneeling to massage his stomach.

Kevin drank the water, his furrowed brow finally relaxing under her gentle touch as he drowsily slumped against her shoulder.

Just like countless times before.

But this time, Jennifer didn't linger over his sleeping features.

She eased him onto the sofa, tucked a blanket around him, and walked upstairs without looking back.

...

When she woke the next morning, Kevin stood in the living room dressed in a suit.

He frowned, scanning the room. "Why are so many things missing here?"

Jennifer opened her mouth to explain, but he swiftly changed the subject: "Emily's hosting an art exhibition today. She invited us."

"I..."

"She just returned from abroad and has few friends here," Kevin cut her off. "Just show your support."

Jennifer clenched her fingers, then nodded silently.

At the gallery, Emily rushed toward Kevin the moment she spotted him, taking his arm intimately.

"Kevin! This is the piece I most wanted you to see..." She gestured toward an oil painting of snowy mountains, her voice softening. "I painted it in Switzerland, thinking of you every single day..."

Kevin listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the canvas, unreadable.

Kevin bought all the paintings in the end.

Whispers immediately rippled through the crowd—

"They say Kevin spoiled Emily rotten back then. Seems true..."

"She dumped him once, yet he still does this. Definitely true love..."

Emily shot Jennifer a smug look. While Kevin went to pay at the counter, she approached. "Hear that? Even after all this time, I'm still the only one in his heart."

Leaning in until her crimson lips nearly brushed Jennifer's ear, she lowered her voice. "If you still won't give up, I'll gladly make it clearer for you."

Suddenly, the fire alarm shrieked!

"Fire! Run!"

Chaos erupted instantly. Jennifer got knocked down in the stampede, her ankle twisting sharply. Searing pain flooded her senses as her vision went dark.

Jennifer struggled to rise, only to see Kevin charging against the crowd flow—

"Emily! Emily, where are you?!"

His voice carried a panic Jennifer had never heard before.

The next instant, he found the terrified Emily, shielding her in his arms as he bolted outside without looking back.

Jennifer collapsed onto the floor, watching helplessly as their figures vanished into the thick smoke.

She fought to stand when suddenly—a deafening CRASH!

A blazing roof beam came crashing down!

...

When she awoke next, dazzling white light assaulted her eyes.

"Jennifer! You're finally awake!" Her best friend Nancy threw herself at the bedside, tear-swollen eyes brimming with anguish. "You scared me to death! Do you realize you almost died?!"

Jennifer strained to move her neck, every bone screaming as though disassembled and reassembled.

"Where's Kevin?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

Nancy's face instantly turned grim: "Him? He's with Emily right now! You only broke a rib, but Emily scraped her skin – of course she needs proper care!"

Jennifer closed her eyes, chest pain making each breath a struggle.

"This Kevin is utterly heartless! When he was paralyzed, who cared for him day and night? Who slept just two hours daily fearing he'd harm himself? Now you're seriously hurt, yet he..."

Nancy gripped her hand tightly, voice trembling: "Jennifer, he's fully recovered now but still won't commit to you. How much longer will you endure this?!"

Only the monitor's steady beep pierced the hospital room's silence.

After a long silence, Jennifer spoke softly, "I'm processing my visa."

"When it's approved..." She stared at the ceiling, her voice barely audible, "I'll leave."

As the words faded, the hospital room door swung open—

"Leave?" Kevin stood at the threshold, his expression stormy. "Who's leaving?"

"Nothing. Nancy has work to attend to and needs to leave early." Jennifer lowered her lashes, avoiding Kevin's searching gaze.

Nancy shot her a conflicted look but didn't contradict her, instead glaring fiercely at Kevin. "Jennifer, call me anytime you need anything."

Only after the door clicked shut did Kevin approach the bedside, his tone tinged with apology. "The crowd was too thick back then... I didn't see you—"

"It's fine." Jennifer cut him off calmly, reaching for the water glass on the nightstand.

She slightly sat up, the collar of her hospital gown slipping aside to reveal a vicious burn scar beneath her collarbone.

Kevin's pupils sharply contracted: "How did you get hurt this badly? I thought it was just minor smoke inhalation?"

Jennifer glanced down, then calmly adjusted her collar: "Nothing serious."

Kevin frowned deeply: "I didn't know you were injured like this... I thought you'd just fainted from the smoke."

She gave a faint, bitter smile.

How would he know?

He only had eyes for Emily—how could he notice how badly she was hurt?

Jennifer stayed silent, just lowering her head to take a sip of water.

"I'll be taking care of you these days," Kevin suddenly declared.

"No need." Jennifer shook her head. "You're busy with work, don't worry about me."

Kevin was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.

"Kevin..." Emily's tearful voice came through the phone. "My hand hurts so much... The doctor says the wound might be infected..."

Kevin's expression wavered instantly.

Jennifer watched him, her lips lifting faintly at the corners. "Go ahead."

"I..." He gripped his phone, brows furrowed tightly. "I'm not much of a caregiver. I'll find a nurse to look after you."

Jennifer nodded. "Alright."

After Kevin hurried out, stillness finally settled over the hospital room.

Jennifer stared at the ceiling and suddenly laughed.

He'd promised to take care of her, yet he'd left without hesitation when Emily called.

Just like during that fire—he'd rushed toward Emily without a second thought, never even glancing back at her.

She slowly closed her eyes, chest aching so fiercely she could barely breathe.

Some promises shouldn't have been taken seriously from the start.

...

On her discharge day, Kevin came to pick her up personally.

"There's an auction tonight. You're coming with me." He handed her a newly bought cashmere coat.

Jennifer instinctively refused: "No need..."

"Still sulking?" Kevin frowned slightly, thinking she was holding a grudge. "I genuinely didn't see you then. When I realized you hadn't escaped, I immediately sent rescuers in."

Jennifer opened her mouth but ultimately accepted the coat in silence.

After getting in the car, Jennifer realized Emily was also there.

"Emily wanted to come too, so I brought her along," Kevin explained offhandedly.

Jennifer stayed silent, quietly sitting in the back seat.

Throughout the ride, Emily chatted animatedly with Kevin, swapping stories from their childhood antics to study abroad adventures. Though Kevin spoke sparingly, he responded naturally to every topic.

Jennifer watched the scenery blur past the window, withdrawn like an outsider.

At the auction, Kevin bid on and bought every item Emily lingered on, his lavish gestures quickly drawing stares from the crowd.

"That's Mr. Hill, isn't he? So generous with his companion."

"I heard his girlfriend took care of him for three years. No wonder he's so devoted."

"Wait, that doesn't look like Jennifer from the news. Isn't that the one who dumped him..."

Amidst the whispers, someone mistook Emily for Jennifer.

Kevin paused mid-sentence, suddenly turning to Jennifer: "What would you like?"

Just then, a sapphire necklace appeared onstage, shimmering with deep-sea radiance under the lights.

Jennifer's gaze lingered for an extra heartbeat.

Kevin snapped his bid paddle: "One million!"

"This necklace carries quite the history," Emily remarked casually. "A king gifted it to his queen as a symbol of love—representing loyalty and devotion unto death."

She looked meaningfully at Jennifer, "It's perfect for Jennifer."

Kevin's fingers paused.

After the necklace was delivered, he handed it directly to Emily: "This suits you better."

"Is that okay?" Emily feigned hesitation. "Didn't Jennifer want this?"

"I'll buy her something else." Kevin turned to Jennifer. "What do you want?"

Jennifer lowered her eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting in a self-mocking curve.

A gift symbolizing fidelity couldn't be given to her, yet it could go to Emily.

So this was how stark the difference between being loved and unloved felt.

“No need.” She said softly.

After the auction ended, guests drifted away in small groups.

While Kevin was surrounded by well-wishers, Emily seized the chance to approach Jennifer.

“Jennifer, you must see it clearly now?” Emily lowered her voice, her red lips curving triumphantly. “Kevin loves me. The more you cling to him, the more you’ll disgust him.”

Jennifer gazed at her calmly, eyes unflinching: “You’ll get your wish.”

“What do you mean?” Emily frowned.

Jennifer offered no reply, turning to leave.

"Ah—"

A sudden scream pierced the air behind her.

Jennifer turned to see Emily tumbling down the stairs!

"Jennifer!"

Kevin's furious roar echoed through the venue.

He charged over, shoving Jennifer aside with such force that she stumbled against the wall.

"Did Emily ever wrong you? Why hurt her like this?" His voice was razor-sharp, his gaze icy cold. "If you're angry about those times I failed to protect you, take it out on me! Why target her?"

Jennifer pressed against the cold wall, her voice quiet yet unwavering: "I didn't push her."

"Kevin..." Emily weakly clutched his sleeve, "...it was my own carelessness... Jennifer's innocent..."

Kevin shot Jennifer a cold look. "Don't speak for her!" He bent down and scooped Emily up in his arms. "I won't bother with you. Get home yourself."

Jennifer stood frozen, watching Kevin hurry away with Emily cradled against his chest.

His suit jacket still draped over Emily's shoulders, he held her as carefully as if she were some treasured possession.

He was always like this.

Whenever Emily cried, she'd automatically become the victim.

Her fingers brushed against the plane ticket in her pocket—a flight to London in seven days that would carry away all her love and pain.

He wouldn't have to think of her as a burden anymore.

Because soon, this burden would disappear from his world forever.

The auction venue was far from the villa and in a remote location. Jennifer couldn't hail a taxi and had to walk back alone.

The rain started just as she reached the halfway point.

Cold rainwater drenched her hair and clothes. Her shoes filled with water, each step feeling like walking on knives.

By the time she finally reached home, blisters had formed on her feet and her whole body burned with fever.

She forced herself to find medicine, tended to her wounds, then collapsed into a feverish sleep.

The next day, noises downstairs woke her.

Descending the stairs, she found the living room piled with Emily's luggage.

Kevin's voice carried from the parlor, "Emily's parents are abroad. It's unsafe for her to live alone, so she'll stay here these days. Make sure you don't play any games."

Gripping the banister, Jennifer descended pale-faced: "I won't."

She wouldn't do that.

She won't love him anymore either.

While Emily was living here, Jennifer saw a whole new side of Kevin.

He remembered that Emily avoids cilantro, and if she frowned, he'd swap out the food she hated.

On thunderstorm nights, he would immediately go to comfort the frightened Emily.

The study, which was off-limits to Jennifer before, is now open to Emily anytime.

Jennifer finally understood that this is how Kevin loves someone.

She recalled the past few years, secretly pleased that during his mood swings, he'd hold back from self-harm when she was around, thinking it meant he was starting to like her—how ridiculous.

That day, as Jennifer passed by the study, she caught a glimpse of Emily playing with something out of the corner of her eye.

She stopped in her tracks and peered through the half-open door—

To her shock, what Emily held in her hand was the crest locket left by Kevin's grandmother!

The locket dangled precariously at her fingertips, nearly slipping from her fingers several times.

Jennifer's heart pounded with fear. She rushed in and snatched the locket.

"What are you doing? This is Kevin's grandmother's heirloom. How could you casually..."

"None of your business!" Emily snatched it back impatiently. Seeing Jennifer so tense, a malicious smile curled her lips. "You care so much about it? Then..."

She deliberately let go.

Crack!

The crest locket slammed onto the floor, shattering into two pieces.

Jennifer's heart nearly stopped.

That was Kevin's most treasured possession—the family heirloom his grandmother had personally entrusted to him on her deathbed!

"What happened?"

Kevin's voice came from the doorway. Jennifer looked up to see him glowering at the fragments on the floor.

"Jennifer broke it," Emily blurted out, her voice laced with hurt. "I merely picked it up to look, and she rushed over to snatch it..."

Kevin's eyes instantly cooled. "Jennifer, how dare you—"

"The study has cameras," Jennifer interrupted softly, her voice trembling. "You can see what really happened."

The air froze solid.

Emily's face paled as she reluctantly corrected herself: "Sorry Kevin, I... accidentally broke this... Does it mean a lot to you? I'll get you an identical replacement."

Surprisingly, Kevin's anger evaporated instantly.

He strode to Emily's side, grasping her hands: "Are you hurt?"

Jennifer stood frozen, watching Kevin meticulously examine Emily's fingers, her heart aching as if someone had carved out a piece.

No one understood the significance of that crest locket to Kevin better than her.

Three years ago, Kevin had just undergone leg surgery when his mother lost this heirloom.

Despite his illness, Kevin searched for three hours in the snowy night. After returning, he fought bitterly with his mother and locked himself in his room, smashing things.

Jennifer braved the heavy snow, scouring the yard inch by inch until her fingers went numb. She finally found the crest locket at dawn.

But now, Emily deliberately shattered the locket, and he only cared if she was hurt.

Jennifer laughed mockingly at herself.

So he loved Emily this much.

How naive she'd been to think Kevin would marry her after his recovery.

For countless days and nights, she'd kept vigil at his sickbed, watching him endure painful rehab while silently vowing to stay with him forever.

Even at his lowest point, she'd written that laughable wish in her diary: "I'll marry him when he stands back up."

Now it seemed she was nothing but a complete joke.

Thankfully, she'd finally come to her senses.

She'd never again offer that sincere heart to someone who didn't cherish it.

After that day, Jennifer stayed almost entirely in her room.

Until dinner that evening, when Emily suddenly clutched her stomach, crying out in pain before collapsing pale-faced into Kevin's arms.

"What happened?" Kevin panicked, immediately summoning their private doctor.

After the examination, the doctor looked grave: "It's poisoning."

The entire villa was instantly thrown into chaos.

The maids stood trembling to the side as the butler began interrogating the dinner preparations.

"I... I saw..." a young maid stammered timidly, "saw Jennifer adding something to the soup..."

Kevin's eyes instantly turned to ice.

He strode to Jennifer, seizing her wrist with a force that threatened to crush her bones: "Because of that crest locket, you'd kill Emily? Jennifer, what's become of you?"

Jennifer lifted her gaze, voice barely audible: "I didn't."

"Still lying?" Kevin's glare sharpened as he snapped at the maids, "Bring the remaining soup."

Her pupils contracted: "What are you doing?"

"To help you remember." Kevin gripped her chin, his tone arctic. "So you'll know what to do... and what not to."

The maids brought the remaining soup and, at Kevin's signal, forced it down Jennifer's throat.

Jennifer struggled desperately but was pinned down by two bodyguards.

The warm liquid was forced into her throat, making her choke and cough violently.

The effects came fast.

Jennifer collapsed to her knees in agony, cold sweat instantly drenching her back. She curled into a ball, nails digging deep into her palms, yet stubbornly repeated: "I didn't poison..."

Kevin never glanced her way. He remained by Emily's bedside, tenderly offering her sips of water, gently wiping sweat from her forehead with a damp towel—his eyes soft as melting snow.

"Kevin..." Emily weakly grasped his hand, "Jennifer, she—"

"Don't speak for her now," Kevin murmured soothingly. "Just rest."

Jennifer's consciousness began to blur. Intense pain darkened her vision, and her last memory was being roughly loaded into an ambulance.

She lay in the hospital all night without a single visitor.

Returning to the villa the next day, the whole house was empty.

Her phone vibrated—a photo from Emily:

Under azure skies, Kevin held Emily's waist as they beamed at the camera.

Caption: [Someone brought me to the seaside to unwind~ Said I needed relaxation after the scare!]

Jennifer quietly locked her screen and started packing.

As she zipped up the suitcase, she suddenly realized how little in this three-year home truly belonged to her.

A single 24-inch suitcase held every trace of her existence.

Turns out she never truly belonged here.

Just like she’d never truly entered his heart.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

Kevin’s voice cut through the silence behind her. Jennifer turned to find him framed in the doorway, sharp suit immaculate. His brow furrowed slightly as his gaze swept over her.

"Learned my lesson." Her whisper hung in the air.

My mistake was loving you.

My mistake was stubbornly waiting all these years.

Kevin’s expression softened. "Good. Change clothes. We’re going to the party."

"Party?" Jennifer blinked.

"You forgot my birthday?" His frown deepened, voice laced with disbelief—as if her amnesia was utterly unthinkable.

Jennifer only vaguely remembered then—yes, today was his birthday.

In previous years, she would have already prepared the cake, carefully selected gifts, and even personally arranged everything by this time.

She remembered his favorite flavors, remembered decorations he disliked, remembered every birthday wish he'd made over the years.

But now, she had actually forgotten.

"You go ahead first," she said softly, her voice barely audible. "I'll change clothes and prepare a gift before coming over."

"Kevin!" Emily's voice floated upstairs with a pleading tone. "Everyone's waiting for you, darling!"

Kevin nodded, casting one last glance at Jennifer. "Hurry up."

With that, he turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Jennifer stood in place, watching his back disappear down the corridor, her lips twisting into a self-mocking curve.

Kevin, this time,

My birthday gift to you is vanishing from your world forever.

Letting you have Emily, and freeing myself.

She lifted her packed suitcase, took one last look around the home she'd known for three years, then walked away without glancing back.

The airport bustled with people as Jennifer stood before the boarding gate. She pulled out her phone and sent Kevin one final message:

[Kevin, I'm leaving. May you and Emily share lasting love and lifelong devotion.]

Then she switched off her phone and stepped toward the gate.

Three years of devotion, woke from a dream.

From now on, mountains high and rivers long, we'll never meet again.