Chapter 1

- 我（苏景林） -> Julian Vance

- 韩若若 -> Scarlett Harris

- 吴瀚思 -> Hans Parker

- 林可可 -> Chloe Miller

- 新妻子 -> Elena

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When I went bankrupt, my fiancée ran off with the last scraps of my savings and married Hans Parker.

Backed into a corner by loan sharks, my childhood friend, Scarlett Harris, appeared before me with red eyes. She proposed and handed over her entire fortune of ten million dollars to clear my debts.

My debts were paid, but the stress had wrecked my health. Scarlett ran around endlessly, bringing in top surgeons to operate on me.

After the surgery, my body was covered in puncture marks, and my bones became as brittle as glass.

Still, Scarlett stayed by my side. She nursed me, swore never to leave me, and guided me through the darkest days of my life.

Touched by her devotion, I married her.

Yet three years later, standing outside her study, I accidentally overheard her talking with her best friend, who was also my doctor.

"Scarlett, three years ago you lied to Julian, telling him he had a chronic illness just so you could secretly harvest most of his bone marrow stem cells. Aren't you afraid the truth will come out and he'll send you to prison?"

"As long as it saved Hans, what difference would a few more extractions make? Besides, I've stayed by Julian's side all these years, dedicating the rest of my life to compensating him. Isn't that enough?"

I looked at my haggard, skeletal reflection in the mirror, an overwhelming chill settling in my chest.

Only then did I realize that all the happiness in our three-year marriage had been a carefully staged performance.

The only man she ever loved was her true obsession—Hans Parker.

If that was the case, I didn't want her anymore either.

Inside the study, Scarlett was still giving instructions to her doctor friend, Chloe Miller.

"Prep the surgical equipment. Hans can't go through that agony again. We need to extract more stem cells from Julian as a backup, just like we did three years ago."

Chloe sounded hesitant. "Scarlett, you stole most of his bone marrow back then and told him his weakness was just lingering fallout from his breakdown. How are you going to explain it this time?"

"It's different now. I'm his wife. I have legal power of attorney to authorize the transplant. I'll tell him it's a revolutionary stem cell therapy to help his body recover."

"The risks this time are catastrophic. Julian's body is already falling apart. Another extraction could paralyze him—or kill him."

Scarlett fell silent for a moment before answering in a strained voice. "No matter what happens to him, I'll take care of him for the rest of his life. I have more than enough money to give him absolute luxury. Besides, it's just some stem cells. As long as Hans recovers, it's worth it."

Listening outside the door, I felt as if a thousand knives were carving through my heart.

The truth finally hit me. Her sudden appearance three years ago wasn't an act of love—it was a calculated trap from the start.

When I was cornered by creditors, Scarlett showed up like an angel saving my life.

She rushed me to the hospital not to save me, but to harvest my bone marrow for Hans.

She kept me around like livestock, fattening me up just to trade my life for her first love's health.

And for three whole years, I had bragged to the world about how lucky and loved I was.

What a pathetic joke.

Clutching my aching chest, I backed away, but my foot slipped on the top step. I tumbled violently down the staircase.

The loud thud startled Scarlett.

She bolted out of the study. The moment she saw me drenched in blood at the bottom of the stairs, all color drained from her face.

"Julian! What happened?! Where does it hurt? Hang on, I'm taking you to the ER right now!"

She rushed to my side, frantic with panic.

I subtly pulled away from her reaching hands and struggled to my feet. "I missed a step. Just scraped up. It's fine."

Seeing the blood, her voice grew even more hysterical. "It is not fine! Did you forget what the doctors said three years ago? Your body is far more fragile than a normal person's. Your immune system is shot. A simple scrape could trigger septic shock!"

"We have to go to the hospital right now! I won't rest until a specialist clears you!"

She supported me toward the front door, then sprinted to the garage to pull the car around.

She had always been this attentive.

For three years, I had basked in her care, believing it was proof of her love.

Now, watching her anxious face, all I felt was a piercing ache in my eyes.

She cared because my marrow kept her golden boy alive.

It was horrifying to realize how far someone would go for the one they truly loved.

Tears blurred my vision. My trembling fingers pulled out my phone, and I booked a faked-death escape service scheduled for two days from now.

Two days. That would be enough time to say goodbye to these three agonizing years.