Chapter 1

My boyfriend got into a car accident saving me.

He went from a genius admired by everyone… to the town’s laughingstock. People whispered behind our backs, saying he was brain-damaged, useless. But I couldn’t leave him. Not after what he did for me.

Even when my parents begged me to walk away, I refused. I stayed. Took care of him. Loved him.

Until the day I found it.

A photo hidden under his pillow.

It showed him locked in a passionate kiss with his doctor—Dr. Tessa Monroe. Their bodies pressed together like lovers. On the back, in scrawled ink, was a date.

Yesterday.

My entire body froze. My heart slammed against my ribs, and for a moment, everything around me blurred. My mind spun with questions, but I didn’t hesitate.

I went straight to the hospital.

As I approached the door to his ward, I heard voices inside—familiar ones.

"Sebastian, are you sure you want to do this on her birthday?" one of his friends asked, sounding unsure. "You’re really going to propose to Tessa?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Yeah. Tessa’s birthday is the perfect time. Help me set it all up, alright?"

His friend sounded hesitant. "But… what about your girlfriend? She still thinks you’re brain-damaged, man. She takes care of you like some devoted wife. If she finds out you’ve been faking it, she’ll lose her damn mind."

Sebastian's voice dropped, suddenly colder. "She was just a tool. I only got close to her to piss off my uncle. That mission’s accomplished. She’s irrelevant now."

Irrelevant?

I stood frozen in the doorway, their laughter stabbing into me like knives.

My chest burned. The betrayal crushed me, sucked the breath from my lungs. And then came the fury. Cold. Righteous. Blinding.

I turned on my heel, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in years.

"Myles," I said, voice shaking, "Are you still willing to marry me?"

There was a long pause before his deep voice came through the line. "Are you serious right now?"

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. "Yes. I'm done wasting my time. Are you still willing?"

His answer was immediate. "Yes. I finish my research grant in a week. After that, I’ll fly back and arrange everything. Just say the word."

Myles Ashford wasn’t just anyone. He was the Ashford family’s outlier. While his older brothers fought over the family fortune like spoiled brats, he stayed out of it all—choosing academia over drama.

He was brilliant, respected in the scientific community, and coincidentally, my father’s most trusted former student.

Unlike Sebastian, who played games and spun lies, Myles had always been calm. Rational. Honest.

And my parents adored him.

They’d warned me not to waste my youth on a man with no future after Sebastian’s accident. I’d fought them, furious that they could be so cold.

Looking back, maybe I was the one being foolish.

"I have one request," I said quietly. "Don’t let Sebastian know about us just yet. Not until everything’s settled."

"I understand," Myles said.

I had barely ended the call when I heard a voice behind me.

"Sis, who were you talking to?" Sebastian asked, his tone light, playful.

I turned slowly.

He was standing there with a lollipop in his hand, smiling like a child who knew no better.

"Sis?" he asked again, confused by my silence.

My hands clenched by my sides.

If I hadn’t discovered the truth, I would’ve fallen for this innocent act again. He even reached out, brushing a finger across my brow.

"Don’t frown," he said. "I’ll give you my lollipop, okay? Don’t be mad."

His gestures used to make my heart flutter. Now? They made my skin crawl.

I took a step back.

He flinched. His eyes immediately welled with tears. "Sis… do you not want me anymore?"

No. Not anymore.

But I didn’t say it. I simply stared at him in silence.

That’s when Dr. Tessa Monroe stepped out of her office and saw us. Her expression shifted into a practiced frown as she walked over.

"Miss Remington," she began, tone clipped, "Even if you’re dissatisfied with Sebastian, you shouldn’t treat him like this. He might act like a five-year-old, but he still has feelings. Please don’t—"

"Don’t blame my sister!" Sebastian suddenly stepped in front of me, arms spread wide like a shield.

Tessa’s face darkened. She bit her lip and turned on her heel, walking away without another word.

I stared at his back, at the way he pretended to protect me.

What a performance.

But this time, I wasn’t buying it.

Not anymore.