After my husband's death, his grieving parents suggested his twin Owen take his place as my husband and the baby's father. My sister-in-law Celeste was furious, calling me shameless before fainting in rage. That night, I went to talk sense into my in-laws—but overheard my mother-in-law ask, "Liam, why did you claim you died when it was Owen?" His sigh was heavy. "Celeste can't know the truth—her weak heart wouldn't survive it. I only married you to help her be with Owen. Now that you're pregnant, we're even. I'll live as Owen and care for Celeste forever." The horror hit me: my "late husband" wasn't Liam—it was Owen. At breakfast, I calmly announced, "You wanted me to move on? I will—by ending this pregnancy." The man feeding Celeste suddenly stood up. 1 The funeral for my husband, Liam, was a blur of grief. Soon after, a new shock: I was pregnant. For this child, I forced myself to suppress the suffocating pain in my heart, terrified that my despair would somehow harm the tiny life growing inside me. But Liam had always had fertility issues, a low sperm count. This pregnancy was excruciatingly difficult. Every day meant injections to protect the fetus, and I vomited so relentlessly I often came close to blacking out. In just over a month, I’d wasted away, losing twenty pounds, a mere shadow of my former self. Eventually, my in-laws couldn't bear to watch my suffering. They urged me to let go of the baby, to forget Liam, and to embrace a new beginning. But I refused them every time. Liam had been so good to me; how could I possibly give up our child? Truth be told, my initial engagement had not been to Liam, but to his older brother, Owen. However, just before the wedding, I was abducted and subjected to horrific abuse for three days and nights. Owen, deeming me "tainted," broke off the engagement and married Celeste Chen instead. It was Liam who rescued me from my tormentors, battered and bruised. He’d taken multiple stab wounds himself, yet he clung to me fiercely, his grip unyielding. He knelt before my father, his gaze unwavering, declaring his long-held love for me and his desire to make me his wife. For years, everyone had said he was madly in love with me. And under his tender care and gentle affection, I had slowly, painstakingly, mended the deep scars within my soul. But our happiness was fleeting. Just three years into our marriage, he died in a car accident. My world crumbled. For a time, I’d wanted nothing more than to follow him to the grave. It was this child that reignited my will to live. Our baby was his only bloodline, his last legacy. I swore I would keep this child, even if it cost me my own life. Seeing my resolve, my in-laws ceased their attempts to dissuade me. But the very next day, during lunch, they dropped a bombshell. They proposed that Liam's twin brother, Owen, should take on the responsibilities for both families – to care for me and the child in my womb. I was about to voice my immediate refusal when Celeste Chen suddenly snapped. She slapped me across the face, screaming accusations of shamelessness. Celeste had always been frail, and before I could even explain myself, the sheer force of her rage overwhelmed her. She fainted. Owen, my supposed brother-in-law, merely frowned, shooting me a look of displeasure, before cradling Celeste in his arms and rushing her out of the room. 2 Celeste’s slap had caused me to bleed, threatening the fragile life within me. I was confined to bed for two days before I felt even marginally better. I bore no ill will towards Celeste. Given my past engagement to Owen, her jealousy was understandable. Besides, setting aside the deep love I had for my husband, Liam, even if our relationship hadn't been strong, my in-laws' suggestion was utterly ludicrous. Neither Owen and Celeste, nor I, would ever agree to such an arrangement. Feeling a pang of guilt for having caused Celeste to faint, I made my way to my in-laws' room as soon as I could stand. I planned to persuade them to abandon this preposterous idea, to never mention it again. And after convincing them, I intended to personally apologize to Owen and Celeste, to reassure them. But as I approached their door, my steps faltered. I heard my mother-in-law's voice from within, laced with confusion: "Liam, it was clearly your brother who died. Why on earth did you insist it was you?" Liam? Wasn't that my husband's name? He wasn't dead?! The man who died in the car crash… it was his older brother, Owen? I felt as if struck by lightning, my eyes wide, frozen in place. This… how was this possible? I vigorously shook my head, convinced I was hallucinating. But then, the man's voice confirmed my worst fears. "Mom, Celeste must never know about this. She’s always been so delicate, with a weak heart. If she knew it was my brother who died, she wouldn't be able to bear it." Owen—no, I should call him Liam. My husband, Liam. He paused, then sighed again. "Besides, Celeste was always the one I truly loved. My marriage to Elara was merely a means to facilitate Celeste's union with my brother. Now, I’ve given Elara a child; I don't owe her anything more. From now on, I will take my brother's place and care for Celeste for the rest of our lives. Please, don't ever bring up that idea of me taking on responsibilities for both households again. It would only upset Celeste." 3 "But Elara has suffered enough already!" my mother-in-law protested, her voice pleading. "To sabotage her engagement to your brother, to ensure Celeste and your brother could be together, you had Elara abducted for three days and nights, subjecting her to unspeakable trauma. Now she's finally started to heal, and she's carrying your child. It's only right that you look after her, at least a little…" But Liam cut her off impatiently. "Enough, Mom! To 'compensate' her, I ignored the mockery of being labeled a cuckold and willingly married her. I devoted myself to caring for her for three years, helping her overcome her trauma. Isn't that enough? Do you want me to spend my entire life paying her back? Mom, I've suffered for three years, pretended for three years—I’ve had enough! Living with her, every single day has been torture! Now, fate has given me a chance to return to Celeste's side, and I refuse to let this opportunity slip away…" They said more after that, but I couldn't hear it. My body felt chilled to the bone, and my chest felt as if a knife had plunged into it, twisting with unbearable pain. Stumbling back to my room, I saw my reflection: I was trembling uncontrollably, my face streaked with tears. So, the man who died in the car accident wasn't my husband at all. It was his brother, Owen. And Liam’s devotion, his gentle affection these past three years – it had all been a lie. The woman he loved, from the very beginning, was Celeste, just like his brother. Even worse, the person who had orchestrated my abduction and torment was Liam himself. His motive? Simply to ensure Celeste could marry Owen. If they didn't want to marry me, they could have broken off the engagement honorably. But instead, they chose to destroy me! And the most pathetic part? I had mistaken this monster for my savior. I was even prepared to risk my life to bear his child… 4 Though I tried desperately to calm myself, the hatred and fury raging within me still brought tears to my eyes. The next morning, I descended the stairs, my eyes swollen and my face deathly pale. I saw Liam carefully tending to Celeste, feeding her. They were nestled close, a picture of sickening intimacy. From a distance, they looked like a perfectly awful pair. I clenched my fists, the sharp pain in my palms bringing a cold clarity to my mind. Soon, Celeste noticed me. A flicker of triumph crossed her eyes when she saw my disheveled appearance. Then, as if to provoke me, she buried her head in Liam's chest, whining playfully. Liam, his entire focus on Celeste, continued to dote on her, utterly oblivious to my presence. I lowered my gaze, watching his adoring smile directed at Celeste. A bitter, hollow laugh echoed in my mind. This kind of affection – I had never once seen it in three years of marriage. I gently touched my belly, then calmly settled into a dining chair. I began to eat, picking out the most nutritious items, forcing myself to consume every bite. I would terminate this pregnancy, restore my health, and then make those who had hurt me pay, tenfold! Once I'd eaten my fill, I calmly wiped my mouth. Across the table, Liam had finished serving Celeste. He finally lifted his head to look at me. Seeing my swollen eyes and pale face, he paused, a momentary flicker of guilt crossing his features, likely assuming I was still grieving his supposed death. But then his face hardened, and he spoke, his tone displeased: "Elara, I know you're deeply saddened by Liam's passing. But I will not agree to take on responsibilities for both households. My heart belongs only to your sister-in-law, Celeste. I can't spare a single ounce of affection for you." Celeste’s eyes gleamed with even greater triumph. Yet, she feigned concern, saying, "Elara, you didn't cry all night because my husband refused to take on those extra responsibilities, did you? I'm so sorry, I was too impulsive yesterday. But… but I truly love my husband, and I can't give way on this…" As she spoke, her frail body trembled, and her eyes welled up again. She clutched her chest, appearing utterly distraught. Liam was overcome with sympathy. He scowled at me, a warning in his gaze, then gently embraced Celeste, comforting her. "Celeste, don't worry. I will only ever love you. I'd sooner die than touch another woman." 5 How utterly ironic. Then what about the child in my belly? Was it conjured out of thin air? Still, he was, in a sense, "dead" to me. I suppressed the bitter ache and burning rage in my heart, turning away from the sickening display of their affection. I forced myself to nod, feigning indifference. "You can rest assured. The idea of taking on responsibilities for both households is absurd, and I would never agree to it." Liam looked at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. I looked up to see my in-laws descending the stairs; they too had overheard my words. Their expressions were etched with concern as they gazed at my pale face and swollen eyes. My mother-in-law spoke, her voice hesitant, "Elara…" I looked at them, my emotions a tangled mess. Since I'd married into this family, they had indeed treated me well. Their sympathy over the past few days felt genuine. But then I remembered: they knew everything about Liam orchestrating my abduction and torment. They had simply kept it from me. My feelings for them became incredibly complicated. The words "Mom and Dad" stuck in my throat. "You heard me. The idea of taking on responsibilities for both households is absurd. I don't agree." My mother-in-law, perhaps recalling Liam's words from yesterday, finally gave up trying to persuade me. She merely sighed. "I know, Elara, you have deep feelings for Liam and can't forget him. You certainly wouldn't agree to this. But, your mother-in-law truly sympathizes with your plight…" She paused, glancing at Liam, then continued earnestly, "Elara, Liam is gone, but you're still alive. One must always look forward. Your mother-in-law still wants to advise you: don't dwell on him forever. Move on, start a new life." Liam and Celeste, having heard my refusal to the "two households" arrangement, visibly relaxed. Their expressions softened. Liam, however, looked at me with a new, complex gaze. Listening to his mother's words, he too began to feign concern, offering hypocritical advice: "Elara, Mom is right. Liam is gone. No matter how deeply you love him, you are now separated by life and death. There can be nothing between you. In the future, you still have a life to live. It's best to forget him soon. It's good for you, and good for him. Fortunately, he left you a child, a glimmer of hope. Even without him, you can still live your life with his child. For the sake of the baby in your belly, you must be strong and move on." Listening to Liam’s pompous pronouncements, I couldn't help but inwardly sneer. A child? He still expected me to bear his child? Delusional! My heart was filled with mockery, but on the surface, I maintained a facade of gratitude, playing along with their words. "You're right. I thought about it all night yesterday and finally understood. Before, I was truly stuck in a rut, causing you all to worry. And since Liam had fertility issues by birth, and this pregnancy is so difficult, it must be fate's decree that his bloodline should end. So, I want to follow fate's will, listen to your advice, terminate this pregnancy, completely let go of him, and remarry to start anew."
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