1 On my wedding day, compromising photos were leaked. My fiancée Maya took my stepbrother Brent’s hand and switched grooms. Then her sister Lindsay offered me $10 million to marry her—despite my disgrace. Moved, I agreed. It was all a lie. After a crash left me near-paralyzed, Lindsay arrived with a property transfer, not consent forms. "Sign your company over to Brent, or stay on that table," she hissed. Trembling, I obeyed. Her love? A calculated act. Years later, she fell to her knees, slapping herself. "You swore to love only me! Why do you have a child with another?!" … When I opened my eyes, Lindsay was gently moistening my dry lips with a cotton swab. I turned my head away. She simply leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “Darling,” she murmured, “I wasn’t trying to force you to sign just now.” “Brent is your family’s stepson. Without any real assets to his name, it’s hard for him to find his footing in our world. He just called me, said Maya’s mother was screaming at him again. I was just so worried, I rushed you. With the company, he can finally hold his head high.” Her eyes were filled with that deep, convincing affection. It would have been so easy to drown in it. But this time, a wave of nausea rolled in my stomach. The searing pain tearing through my body was a constant, brutal reminder of what had just happened in that operating room. I’d been hit by a drunk driver. The doctors at the hospital said my spine was severely damaged; without immediate surgery, I’d be paralyzed for life. After more than ten hours of emergency procedures, they needed to use a new, adKinsmand technology—an artificial spinal implantation. My wife, the one who should have been signing the consent form without a moment’s hesitation, showed no panic, no fear. Instead, she forced me to sign away my company. The business my mother had bled for, her life’s work, was now in the hands of my stepbrother, Brent. The memory of teetering on the edge of death was still a fresh terror. The woman who had cherished and protected me had used my future, my health, my very ability to walk as a bargaining chip. Lindsay was still tucking the corners of my blanket in, her touch gentle and caring, as if she wasn't the same woman who had threatened me for another man just moments before. A bitter, acidic feeling rose in my throat. Sensing my despair, she sighed. “Leo, you just had surgery. Getting angry isn’t good for your recovery.” “The company is no use to you now; it would only drain your energy. But for Brent, it’s a lifeline. You’re his brother. Be the bigger person.” “Besides,” she added, a perfect picture of loving concern, “I earn more than enough for both of us. What more could you want?” Her words, meant to sound so considerate, sent a chill through my heart. I lowered my gaze. “What did the police say?” I asked softly. “Did they catch the driver?” A flicker of guilt. She touched her ear, a nervous habit. “Not yet. But don’t you worry, Leo. I will make the person who did this to you wish they were never born.” Not a shred of remorse in her voice. But I’d heard her. In the hazy moments before I lost consciousness, I’d heard her on the phone with Brent. “Brent, you’re saying your friend was the one who hit him?” A pause. “He’s hurt this badly… I can’t just let this go.” But after a few wheedling pleas from Brent, she had relented with a sigh. “Don’t worry about Leo. He’s so in love with me, he’ll believe anything I say. I’ll just make up some excuse to placate him. Besides, he’s fine now. The surgery was a success, so what’s the big deal?” Just because the man who nearly crippled me was Brent’s friend, she was willing to ignore my suffering and let the perpetrator walk free. A numbing pain spread from my heart through my entire body, and I couldn’t stop shaking. Later, my vision blurred with unshed tears, I wheeled myself to the doctor’s office to discuss my prognosis. On my way back, I saw Lindsay by the window, on the phone. “Maya, don’t worry. No one in the family will dare look down on Brent now.” “Don’t thank me. We both did it for him. He just chose you back then, so all I could do was watch over him from a distance.” “And remember,” her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, “the night you got Leo drunk, and I arranged for those photos to be taken… we have to keep that a secret forever.” 2 “As long as I’m here, Leo won’t be able to make any trouble.” I took a deep breath, my eyes closing as I slumped in the cold wheelchair. The chilling words brought me back to my senses with a jolt. The company was the last thing my mother left me before she died. Less than three months after her funeral, my father brought Brent and his mother into our home. For years, my father had tried to wrestle the company from me, but as a man who had married into my mother’s wealth, he had no legal standing. He always failed. Lindsay knew how much the company meant to me. And still, she had ruthlessly torn it from my hands and given it to Brent. I had been a fool. Trapped in a scheme orchestrated by her entire family, a scheme that had almost cost me my life. When the scandal broke, everyone saw me as a disgusting, cheating scumbag. Only Lindsay had accepted me, stayed by my side. During the two years of my deep depression, she never gave up on me. But what I thought was my salvation was just her strategy to control me. From the very beginning, her goal was to seize my company and ensure I would never interfere with Brent’s happiness. The life I thought we were building was nothing but a dream woven from lies. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to a number my mother had given me years ago, one I had never used. [Uncle Marcus, it’s time. Please come get me. I want to come to Emeria.] The doctor who had come to change my bandages found me frozen outside my room. “Mr. Kinsman? You’re still weak. It’s cold in the hallway. You should be in bed.” The door to my room flew open. Lindsay stood there, her expression unreadable, but a flash of anxiety crossed her eyes. “Leo, when did you get back? Why didn’t you call me to come get you?” I forced a smile as she wrapped her arm around me and guided me back to bed. “Darling, the wheelchair does all the work. I’m not tired.” “I just ran into the doctor. He said I have a long road of physical therapy ahead of me.” As the doctor changed the dressing on my back, cold sweat beaded on my forehead. The pain was so intense I couldn’t stop trembling. Lindsay offered her arm to me. “Leo, if it hurts, bite me,” she said, her voice thick with pity. “Don’t just suffer in silence.” She played the part of the doting wife so perfectly. If I hadn’t already seen her true face, I might have been foolishly moved. Now, I couldn’t even be bothered to argue. I just bit down on the corner of the blanket, ignoring her. She looked at me, startled, and was about to say something when her phone rang, interrupting her. “Brent? Don’t worry, I’m on my way now. Yes, I can handle it.” She hung up, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Leo, something urgent came up. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.” “You be a good boy and listen to the doctor. I’ll bring you back some seafood bisque.” She rushed out, completely oblivious to the fact that the doctor had just strictly forbidden any rich or spicy foods near my wound. Her superficial concern was nauseating. The tragic joke was that I had mistaken all her past deceptions for love. A woman whose phone password was my birthday had been acting for eight long years. Suddenly, a nurse rushed in. “Mr. Kinsman, great news! The hospital has secured a top-of-the-line artificial spine for you. We just need your signature to confirm.” My heart leaped. The quality of the implant would determine my future mobility, my control over the lower half of my body. This was a miracle. I hurried to the nurse’s station to sign, but the administrator looked up from her records, a confused expression on her face. “Mr. Kinsman, I’m sorry, but your wife has already authorized the transfer of this implant to another patient.” Her words fell, and my heart plunged into an icy abyss. I fumbled for my phone, trying to call Lindsay, but my fingers were shaking so violently I couldn’t even press the dial button. The nurse looked at me with pity and held the phone for me. Lindsay answered quickly. “Darling, missing me already…?” I had no patience for her act. My voice was sharp, desperate. “Where is my artificial spine?” There was a pause. She recovered quickly, her tone soothing. “Oh, that. Darling, one of Brent’s old university classmates has been paralyzed for years. She just wants a chance to stand again.” My voice shattered with rage. “That implant was specifically requested for me! Do you want me to be like this for the rest of my life? Bring it back. Now.” Lindsay sighed, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. “Leo, you’re usually so kind. What’s wrong with you today?” 3 “You’ve always disliked Brent, I know that. But you can’t be so cruel as to gamble with someone else’s health just to spite him!” She hung up before I could even respond. I called back dozens of times. Finally, she just turned her phone off. The pain in my chest was suffocating. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor. For Brent, for a complete stranger, Lindsay had cast aside my health without a second thought. Her love was truly great. It was just a shame that the one she loved was Brent, and the one left broken was me. The doctor took off his mask, his eyes full of sympathy as he looked at my bloodshot gaze. “Mr. Kinsman, in all my years, you are the strongest patient I have ever seen. Your spine was almost completely destroyed, yet you had such a powerful will to live.” “The top-tier implant is difficult to get, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power.” I let out a shuddering breath. As I reached out to thank him, I realized that blood-tinged tears were streaming down my face. My grief, my rage, my agony—it all poured out. My heartless wife? I was done with her. If she loved Brent so much that she would sacrifice her own marriage for him, then I would grant her wish. Let them have their great love story. I spent another two weeks in the hospital. Lindsay came every day. She brought books to keep me from getting bored and massaged my numb legs for hours. She acted as if she wasn’t the one who had forgiven the man who crippled me, as if she wasn’t the one who had given away my chance at a normal life. The despair I’d felt when she refused my calls still threatened to swallow me whole. But now, looking at her hypocritical face, I was too tired to even scream at her. During that time, my uncle Marcus arranged to have my official records wiped. Before sending his people to get me, he called one last time to confirm. “Leo, are you absolutely sure you want to come to Emeria?” “I’ve thought it over,” I said, my voice firm. “I’m sure.” I hung up the phone and turned to see Lindsay standing behind me. “Darling, where are you going?” she asked, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. I curved my lips into a smile. “Remember we talked about seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland? I was just contacting a guide I know.” She visibly relaxed, a wave of relief washing over her. She kissed my forehead, her voice full of affection. “Anywhere you want to go, darling, I’ll be right there with you.” Her performance was so convincing it almost made me dizzy. But one night, while she was asleep, I secretly opened her phone. She had a special folder of notes, all dedicated to Brent. [Took Brent skydiving in New Zealand today. He was so happy.] [Brent and Maya had a fight. To cheer him up, I bought him a small private island. He loved it.] [Brent came over today and was frightened by the chihuahua Leo raised. Can’t keep an animal that doesn’t know its true master.] Every entry was a fresh stab to the heart. She had meticulously documented Brent’s every mood, every preference. Yet when I had asked her to ride the Ferris wheel with me, she’d refused, claiming she was afraid of heights. When I was burning up with a fever, delirious, she was out of the country shopping with Brent. And my beloved dog, the one I had raised for three years, the one I had cried inconsolably over when it was poisoned—the culprit was her. I scrolled, a self-loathing masochist, reading about how she had memorized Brent’s shoe size, his favorite brands. A bitter smile twisted my lips. It must have been so painful for her, suppressing her love for Brent all those years while pretending to care for me. The day I was discharged from the hospital happened to be my father’s birthday. I didn’t want to go. But Lindsay insisted. “Leo, your mother’s ashes are still in the family shrine at the villa. How long has it been since you’ve seen her?” She had a point. I agreed. She buried her face in my chest, her voice soft. “Leo, I knew you’d be reasonable. This is the perfect opportunity. We can announce the company transfer at the party, introduce Brent to the shareholders. It will make things easier for him going forward.” “Darling, you always worked so hard you forgot everything else. From now on, you just rest. I’ll take care of you.” Her words were sweet, but her mind was entirely focused on paving Brent’s way into the company. The Kinsman family home was no longer my home. My life had become a living hell the day Brent and his mother moved in. Their schemes for favor and torment were endless. My own father, though alive and well, looked at me with nothing but disgust. My mother’s death had taken the man who used to give me piggyback rides with her. I had no expectations left for him. And yet, when he saw me in the wheelchair, his stern expression softened, just for a moment. 4 Brent approached, with Maya on his arm. “Little brother, you finally decided to come home! You have no idea how happy Dad is.” “I know he yelled at you back then, calling you shameless, but he was just worried about you. Afraid you’d catch some disease from your… flings.” “I heard you were in an accident,” he continued, his voice dripping with false concern. “Don’t tell me one of your old flames came back for revenge.” He covered his mouth in a parody of shock that made my stomach turn. “My health is fine,” I said coolly. “You don’t need to worry about me. But you… coming to a birthday party with a hickey on your neck? Didn’t you think to cover that up?” His lips tightened. He awkwardly tried to hide his neck with his hair as Maya shot him a suspicious look. “Don’t listen to my brother,” Brent stammered. “It’s a mosquito bite. He’s always loved slandering me.” Maya, seemingly satisfied, drifted off to mingle. The moment she was gone, Brent leaned in close, his voice a triumphant whisper. “Dear brother, do you know how many times Lindsay cried out my name while I was trying on this suit today? You can barely even stand now. I doubt you’ll ever be able to perform your duties as a husband again. You certainly can’t satisfy her anymore.” I looked down, hiding the bitterness in my eyes. Lindsay’s excuse about buying me new clothes—she had been with Brent. So much for her silent devotion. In the end, she couldn’t resist temptation. I ignored his taunts and turned my wheelchair toward the restroom. When I came out, I saw him. Brent was holding a small urn. My mother’s ashes. He was tossing it up and down in his hands like a toy. My vision went red. I wheeled myself forward, charging at him. “Are you insane?! Put my mother’s urn down!” “Brent, I know you’re ruthless, but I never thought you’d stoop to disrespecting the dead!” I shoved him. He stumbled, spilling his drink on his pants. He leaned in again, his voice a vicious hiss in my ear. “Leo, your bitch of a mother gave birth to a bastard like you. Even in death, she’s nothing but a plaything.” “Oh, are you angry now? That’s not all. I even pissed in the urn.” Hearing him insult my mother, I finally snapped. I raised my hand and swung, slapping him hard across his smirking face. The next second, I was shoved violently to the ground. I lay there, helpless, my legs pinned beneath the heavy wheelchair, pain shooting through me. “Leo, how dare you raise a hand to your own brother!” Lindsay’s voice was sharp, all pretense of the doting wife gone. Her beautiful face was tight with rage, veins pulsing at her temples. Clearly, my slapping Brent had enraged her. Brent, his eyes red, buried his face in her arms. “Sera, my brother didn’t mean it. Don’t blame him. He’s just jealous that my legs are fine. I provoked him.” “You’re lying!” I spat, gritting my teeth. “He was going to smash our mother’s urn! Brent, I’ve put up with your schemes and your bullying, but I will not let you insult my mother!” My father strode over, his brow furrowed. For a fleeting moment, I thought he was going to defend me. Instead, he kicked me squarely in the chest. “You’re just like your mother! A troublemaker, the both of you! Did you deliberately cause a scene at my birthday party? What are you trying to do, you little bastard?” “Leo, let me tell you something! If Lindsay hadn’t begged me to let you in the door, I wouldn’t have ever wanted to see a degenerate piece of trash like you again!” My own father, using the vilest words to humiliate me. The surrounding guests stared, their eyes filled with scorn. Brent’s face was a mask of smug triumph. It was Lindsay who finally pulled me up and put me back in my wheelchair, diffusing the situation. “It’s just a family matter. Please, everyone, continue enjoying the party.” She pushed me into a quiet corner, her grip on the chair handles tight. “Leo, you were in the wrong today. In a little while, when I announce the company transfer, you will apologize to Brent. You’re brothers, after all. Don’t make things too ugly.” “You’re always so obedient, aren’t you, darling?” she whispered, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. There was no affection in her eyes. She led Brent to the stage, ready to make her grand announcement. I looked at her one last time, my heart a barren wasteland of grief. Then, without looking back, I let the foreign bodyguards who had come for me wheel me out of the ballroom. Lindsay, enjoy my final gift to you.
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