At the wedding, when the couple was exchanging vows, Sebastian suddenly spoke up: "Mila, the truth is, the person I really want to marry is Vivian." "Last night, she cried her heart out, saying she couldn't live without me, begging me to stay with her. I was soft-hearted, so in our wedding bed, I slept with her." "We grew up together. If my parents hadn't objected, I would have married her long ago." "We can continue with the wedding, but I want to transfer all our joint assets to Vivian's name. You're lucky—you have wealth and a family that loves you. But Vivian has nothing. She only has me. Even if I marry you, I can't abandon her." I froze, unable to believe my ears. Years ago when the Foster family went bankrupt, it was my family, the Rivers, who emptied our coffers to help them rise again. How sincere our feelings had been back then, how sweet his promises had sounded—all of it was now overturned by these few sentences. At that moment, Vivian walked onto the stage and gripped my hand tightly. "Mila, I shouldn't be saying this at a time like this, but love can't be forced. Sebastian and I share true love." Sebastian's face turned cold as he pulled her into his arms. "Don't be afraid. If she doesn't agree, we won't go through with this wedding." I laughed bitterly in my rage. "What a coincidence. Last night, someone also told me they couldn't live without me and begged me not to get married.
Sebastian glanced at me and laughed mockingly. "Mila, don't make such pathetic jokes. You're not the type to cheat." He was right—I didn't cheat in the end. But my loyalty to my partner now made me look like a complete fool. I stared daggers at Vivian Foster. She was Sebastian's adopted sister. At this moment, leaning against Sebastian, she looked fragile and pitiful. Once upon a time, I'd also thought she was pitiful. Bang! I hurled my bouquet into Vivian's face. Petals scattered everywhere, and her face was scratched, leaving visible blood marks. Sebastian's expression instantly turned dark and terrifying. "Mila Rivers, what the hell is wrong with you?" I laughed—a laugh that sounded like crying. "Vivian, haven't I been good enough to you?" "You wanted a limited-edition bag, so I canceled my work and flew to Paris to buy it for you. You said you wanted to study acting, so I spent money networking for you, drinking until I had a bleeding stomach..." "Whatever you wanted, I gave you. Sebastian said he only saw you as a sister, so I loved you like my own sister. I was even planning to hand my bouquet directly to you, just hoping you'd find happiness!" "I've been so good to you—why would you destroy my happiness?" Vivian's eyes reddened, and she began to explain tremulously: "Mila, I'm sorry... I don't have your privileged background. I'm just the Foster family's adopted daughter. I have low self-esteem, I'm oversensitive, I didn't know Sebastian felt this way about me..." She dropped to her knees with a thud and began slapping herself. "Not until you two were about to get married did I have the courage to live for myself once. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Don't blame Sebastian—he's innocent..." Sebastian scooped her up in his arms and glared at me furiously. "Apologize to her, Mila. I want you to post an apology to her on social media by tomorrow." "She did something wrong—why should I apologize?" A sour feeling surged up my throat in waves. Only then did I realize I could barely stand. Sebastian's cold gaze swept over me, brooking no argument. "I'm the one who wronged her. She's too fragile. Just let it go." Then, just like that, he carried Vivian away without looking back.
The noise around me was deafening, but I couldn't hear anything. His words echoed endlessly in my ears until I caught sight of a streak of bright red blood. Looking down, I discovered my wedding dress was already drenched in blood. Pain—so much pain. Blood gushed from my abdomen in waves. I clutched my lower abdomen and crouched down with difficulty. Inside me was a three-month-old baby. I had fertility issues. For this child, I'd endured countless injections and suffering. Back then, Sebastian had gently caressed my belly. "Mila, this baby is hard-won. We should treasure it." But before I could even process my grief, people hurriedly helped me into an ambulance. There was another person lying in the ambulance. My hearing returned at that moment. I heard them say: "Mila, your grandfather couldn't handle the shock from earlier. He had a stroke." Blood trickled from Grandfather's mouth. Gasping for breath, he gripped my hand, trembling uncontrollably. Even in this state, he still tried to comfort me. "Mila, call Sebastian back. There must be some misunderstanding between you two. Once it's cleared up, everything will be fine. Once it's cleared up, I can die without regrets..." I was Grandfather's most beloved granddaughter, and Sebastian was Grandfather's favorite young man. Our meeting was even arranged by Grandfather. He'd always praised Sebastian endlessly. When Foster Corporation went bankrupt, he'd emptied his coffers to help, forcibly pulling the company back from the brink. Looking at his weakened state, I knew he didn't have much time left. Without hesitation, I called Sebastian. After three calls, he finally picked up. "Grandfather... Grandfather doesn't have much time left. Can you please come see him one last time!" My choked voice formed a stark contrast to his angry tone. "Mila Rivers, since when did you start lying too?" "I already said at the wedding—if you want the wedding to continue, transfer all joint assets to Vivian's name..." "I agree! Just please say in front of Grandfather that you're still willing to marry me!" "Too late, Mila. I want to cancel our engagement." "I did have some feelings for you, but I just figured it out. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Rather than keeping you around to disgust Vivian, I'd rather just marry her." I don't remember how I ended that phone call. I only remember that until Grandfather closed his eyes, I didn't dare look him in the face. The doctor told me to watch my diet, but I got blackout drunk instead. In the past, if I came home even a little late, Sebastian's concerned calls would flood in. "Mila, almost home?" "Mila, let me come pick you up." But today my phone was so quiet it felt unsettling. What arrived before any call was a divorce agreement Sebastian sent, along with a string of cold text. "Sign it. There's five million in the account. If it's not enough, I can add more. Mr. Rivers helped me considerably, so consider this repaying his kindness." "But Vivian doesn't owe you anything, so you still need to apologize to her." My vision went black for a moment. Money was the one thing I never lacked. In a single day, I'd lost both family and my child, and the person responsible was trying to use money to force me to back down. "I should congratulate you both. Hope you two lovebirds stay locked together forever!" After cursing a few times, I blocked Sebastian on Snapchat. But my heart felt suddenly lost, not even knowing where I belonged next. I'd been raised by Grandfather since childhood. Sebastian was the partner Grandfather had chosen for me. Grandfather was dead. Sebastian didn't want me anymore. What came next? Where was my home? Under the influence of alcohol, after wandering around, I somehow ended up back at the Fosters' new house.
I wanted to take all my belongings away, but when I actually arrived, I discovered this house was connected to me everywhere. The furniture was selected by Sebastian and me together. Even the wall colors were my favorites. Back then, we'd nestled together, envisioning our future, adding to this space bit by bit according to our preferences. Before I knew it, I'd walked to the bedroom door. The man's panting, the woman's moaning—everything told me I shouldn't linger here. Yet somehow I pushed the door open. The answer was exactly as expected. The air was thick with chaotic scents. Men's suits and women's lace were tangled together. Vivian screamed in panic. Sebastian quickly grabbed the blanket and covered her. His shoulders heaved violently. He was like a powder keg about to explode. "What the hell are you doing?" Only a door separated us. Outside was my world, but inside I felt like an intruder who shouldn't be there. I realized I really had gone mad. I didn't question them. I just smiled faintly. "Sebastian, if this is how you feel about your adopted sister, why did you deceive me in the first place?" Veins bulged on Sebastian's forehead. His voice kept rising: "Who gave you permission to come here? Get out!" As he commanded, I left the villa in a daze, taking nothing with me in the end. Under the influence of alcohol, a person's senses become abnormally slow. In my daze, I heard Vivian's soft voice behind me. "Sebastian, I'll follow Mila. Can't have anything happen to her this late at night." Then, in a blur, she slapped me hard across the face. She'd completely abandoned her sweet demeanor, now looking hideous. "This is for the slap you gave me during the day. Now I'm returning it." My face swelled quickly, burning with pain. She grabbed my hair and sneered in my ear. "Mila Rivers, do you know how much I've envied you? You have so much money, and I have nothing." Her lips curved slightly upward. "What a shame. Sebastian loves me most. This time, I won." Something dripped down from the corner of my eye. I touched it—tears. "So you stole him from me just because you were jealous?" "That's right. Why do you always act so high and mighty? Seeing you this pathetic makes me happy." I turned my head away, unwilling to argue with her. But she forced me to face her. "Let me tell you a secret. I've already begged Sebastian to buy the cemetery plot where your grandfather is buried. I'm going to turn it into an amusement park so it'll be noisy all the time and your grandfather will never rest in peace." My brain exploded with a "boom." My parents died when I was young. Grandfather raised me. Grandfather built his fortune from nothing. His dying wish was to return to his roots, so after a simple funeral, I buried him in the vegetable garden on the hillside. My entire body trembled violently. I lunged at her without thinking and grabbed her by the throat. "I won't allow it! I won't allow you to desecrate my grandfather like this!" I didn't come to my senses until someone punched me to the ground. Several bodyguards who'd rushed over looked at me with malicious intent. "This doesn't seem right. She's still the Rivers family heiress." "A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken! With Mr. Rivers dead, Rivers Corporation is leaderless now. In a few days, Mr. Foster will probably acquire it anyway." "Didn't Miss Foster say this woman is ours to do with as we please?"
I struggled to run, but they forcibly pinned me to the ground. Vivian grabbed my hair and stepped on my face. My consciousness dissolved in blood and tears. My vision blurred into a sheet of red. They tore at my clothes, toying with me like a completely broken plaything. In my stupor, Sebastian's face became strangely clear. One moment, sunlight fell on his handsome face as he smiled and greeted me. The next moment, he gripped Grandfather's hand, telling him to rest assured he'd never let us down. Fireworks exploded above our heads. Usually so reserved, he kissed me frantically: "Mila, I love you. I love you most. I'll always love you." Blood pooled in one place. I don't know where I found the strength, but just before they succeeded, I pushed them away violently. I'd never been this disheveled before. My clothes were in shreds. My bare feet were covered in blisters from being scraped by stones. It hurt so much, but I couldn't worry about the pain. I ran forward desperately. I fled, and a crowd chased behind me. Vivian's mocking voice kept coming from behind. "Mila Rivers, I did it on purpose. I just wanted to see you fall into the mud." "Sebastian loved you so much, but I got him with just a crook of my finger. There's no place for you in the Foster family. The Rivers family is barely hanging on. Where else can you go?" She was right—I had nowhere to run. I'd been forced to a dead end. Ahead was rushing river water. Behind were people closing in step by step. Vivian panted from exhaustion. "Mila Rivers, stop struggling. You have nowhere left to retreat." I lowered my eyes and laughed mockingly at myself. Life was truly full of ups and downs. Yesterday I was still looking forward to a happy married life, and today all that remained was fear, humiliation, and tears. Sebastian, if there's another life, I never want to meet you again. With a splash, water rushed in from all directions, flooding my ears, mouth, and body. I didn't struggle. I let my body sink continuously. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands pulled me upward. Before losing consciousness, I heard a clear voice: "Mila, stop loving my brother. Love me instead from now on, okay?"
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