Chapter 1

The child Elena Larson had raised for six years threw her into a cage full of fierce mutts. By the following day, her flesh had been torn in several spots. She leaned against the side of the cage, barely able to breathe through the pain.

Meanwhile, Kane Marsh stood on the steps outside the cage, looking down at her imperiously. His eyes were the spitting image of Robin Marsh's, and they were filled with ice and hatred.

"Does it hurt?" Kane's young voice carried a ruthlessness far beyond his age.

"Did it ever occur to you that this day would come when you so viciously killed the cat my mother left behind? Don't think marrying into this family means you can take my mother's place, Elena. When I grow up, I'll drive you out of the Marsh residence myself!"

Elena's throat tightened. Her voice was hoarse as she mumbled, "The cat… died of old age. I didn't kill it."

"Liar!" Kane suddenly kicked the cage. The iron bars rattled violently, startling the mutts, who lunged at her with even more aggression.

She instinctively backed away, her spine hitting the cold steel wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.

The housekeeper, Betty Baxter, couldn't bear to watch any longer. She hurried to intervene. "Mr. Kane, please calm down.

"We looked into it already. The cat really did pass from old age. It had nothing to do with Mrs. Marsh…"

"Shut up!" Kane snapped, turning to her. "Even if it died of old age, it was still her fault for not taking care of it properly!"

He turned back to Elena in the cage. "Keep her in there. Let her reflect on what she's done."

The mutts growled as they crept closer. Elena shut her eyes tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Six whole years. After six long years in this house, she was still nothing to them.

She didn't know how much time had passed before footsteps echoed closer from the hallway. Then, a deep, cold voice rang out at the doorway. "Kane, what are you doing?"

Robin stood there in a sharp suit. His expression seemed stern and composed.

His gaze landed on the bloodied woman inside the cage. His pupils contracted ever so slightly before he gave a low, firm command. "Let her out."

The bodyguards immediately stepped forward to unlock the cage. Elena's body had gone limp. As someone helped her out, her knees buckled beneath her. She nearly collapsed to the floor.

Robin reached out to steady her, but she instinctively pulled away the moment his hand touched her.

His brows knit together slightly, eyes landing on her pale face. "You're already this badly hurt, and you didn't call for help?"

Elena lowered her lashes, saying nothing. What was the point of calling for help? Who would ever listen to her in this household?

Robin's eyes flashed with impatience when she remained silent. He turned to the butler. "Take her to the hospital."

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was sharp and overwhelming. Elena lay on the bed, listening to the sound of the doctor tending to her wounds. The pain made her hands tremble.

The door to the room opened, and Robin stepped in. He had taken off his suit jacket and was now wearing only a shirt. The collar hung slightly open, revealing ambiguous red marks along his collarbone.

Elena's gaze froze for a bit before she shifted her eyes. She knew very well those were hickeys.

Over the years, Robin had been surrounded by a stream of women—each one uncannily resembling her late sister, Evangeline Larson. He couldn't forget about her, so he kept chasing after her look-alikes.

The most recent one was a young woman named Constance Beck. She looked just like Evangeline, which was why Robin was at her place nearly every single night.

As for Elena—his legal wife—she didn't even qualify as a stand-in. She was born the illegitimate daughter of the Larson family, cast out and forced to live with her gravely ill mother from a young age.

Evangeline might've been her sister, but their lives couldn't have been more different. Evangeline was born into privilege and raised with every comfort, eventually falling in love with Robin, the golden boy of high society.

He had cherished her like she was the most precious thing in the world. But six years ago, Evangeline died from complications during childbirth, leaving behind her newborn son, Kane.

The Marsh family needed a woman to care for the newborn, Kane. So, Elena's father threatened her with her mother's medical bills and forced her into a six-year contract in order to hold on to Robin, the golden ticket of a son-in-law. He then bound her to marry into the Marsh family and take proper care of Robin and Kane.

Elena had no choice but to accept. Afterward, Robin treated her with cold indifference for six years, constantly surrounding himself with women who looked like her sister.

Not to mention, Kane despised her. He'd even gone to every length imaginable to try and drive her out of the Marsh family. Over 2,000 days and nights had passed, and still, she failed to gain even the smallest sliver of acceptance from either of them.

Snapping back to the present, she heard Robin speaking in a flat tone, "The cat's gone, and yes—it was because you didn't take good enough care of it.

"Kaney was just angry. You've suffered a little, but just bear with it.

"Your mother's health has been poor since she was discharged, and she's showing early signs of dementia. I've arranged a private care facility for her, so consider it compensation for what happened."

His voice was steady, as if he were negotiating a deal, not speaking to his wife. However, Elena started laughing instead.

After a moment, she looked up at him and calmly said, "That won't be necessary. Our families agreed I would marry into this house and take care of Kane for just six years. There's only half a month left. I'll leave when that time is up."

Robin paused slightly before he frowned. His expression was full of impatience as he said, "What are you throwing a tantrum for? I don't have time to entertain your drama.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. The arrangements for the care facility are already underway. That's the end of it."

With that, he turned and walked out, his back looking cold and distant. Elena stared at the closed door and slowly shut her eyes.

She wasn't being dramatic, and she wasn't throwing a tantrum. A promise of six years meant six years. She wasn't going to give a day more.

This time, she truly was going to leave, and she would never come back.

Chapter 2

During her days of recovery at the hospital, neither Robin nor Kane showed the slightest concern for her injuries. And yet, Elena saw new photos posted by Constance on her social media every day.

In the pictures, Robin stood tall in a sharp suit inside a restaurant. Kane nestled affectionately at his side, while Constance, dressed in a flowing white gown, stood gently beside Robin. The three of them smiled at the camera, and they were the very image of a perfect family.

The caption read, "Dinner with the ones who matter. Happiness is really that simple."

Elena looked at it for only a moment before quietly exiting the app. She was leaving, so none of this would matter to her anymore.

On the day of her discharge, Elena checked herself out of the hospital alone. She limped her way back to the Marsh residence while dragging her still-healing leg.

The villa was silent and empty. Neither Robin nor Kane was home. She then returned to her room and began to pack without a word.

There wasn't much to pack anyway. She owned very little—just a few changes of clothes and some basic daily necessities.

She opened a drawer and reached to the very bottom, pulling out a wooden box. Inside were the documents and the money she had quietly saved over the years.

It was almost time. Only half a month was left, and she would finally be free of this place.

Just as she was midway through organizing her things, the door suddenly opened. Kane stood in the doorway, staring at her coldly.

His voice carried its usual impatience. "What the hell are you doing?"

Elena paused for a moment, then answered calmly, "Packing up."

Kane frowned slightly. He didn't seem interested in what she was doing. He was only there to issue a command.

"The rainy season's coming. Dad says to go through Mom's stuff and make sure it doesn't get moldy."

Elena's fingers curled slightly. She simply answered in a low voice, "Alright."

Kane turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and looked back to add, "Oh right—my birthday's coming up. Prepare it like you always do."

Elena lowered her gaze and replied softly, "Okay."

Kane let out a mocking laugh, clearly finding her submissiveness dull and uninteresting. He then turned and walked away.

Elena spent the next three days preparing a grand birthday banquet. Half an hour before the party was set to begin, she went to change into her gown. But the moment she opened the wardrobe, she found all her dresses shredded beyond recognition.

Kane appeared in the doorway just as she was about to ask Betty what had happened. He was holding a pair of scissors, and a mocking smile played on his lips.

"Let's see how embarrassed you'll get without a gown to wear!"

He pulled a silly face and darted off down the stairs. Elena stared at the scattered scraps of fabric on the floor and sighed quietly.

It was too late to buy a new dress now. As she stood there, unsure of what to do, Constance suddenly showed up at the house.

When she learned that Kane had ruined all of Elena's clothes, she offered kindly, "Ms. Larson, the banquet's starting soon. I can lend you a gown for now. Just return it to me after the event."

She smiled gently without a trace of malice. Elena studied her for a long while but sensed nothing suspicious. She reluctantly accepted since there was truly no time to find another outfit.

Constance sent over the dress not long after. It was a pale blue fishtail gown that shimmered under the sunlight, adorned with countless tiny rhinestones that sparkled brilliantly.

The ballroom was dazzling with light. When Elena stepped into the venue wearing the dress Constance had given her, the entire hall fell silent for a brief moment.

Every pair of eyes turned to her, filled with surprise, curiosity—and a strange, unspoken tension. Elena sensed something was off, but before she could fully register it, Kane came rushing over as his face twisted in rage.

"Elena Larson! Who said you could wear my mom's dress?"

She froze. As she looked down at the gown on her body, she finally realized what Constance had given her wasn't just any evening gown. It was the dress Evangeline had treasured most before her death.

She snapped her head up and looked toward Constance, who stood not far away. Constance gave her a gentle smile, but in her eyes flickered a glint of triumphant satisfaction.

The next second, Kane shoved her hard.

"Don't think wearing my mom's dress means you can take her place! I only have one mom! Just go to hell!"

Caught completely off guard, Elena stumbled backward and fell straight into the pool behind her.

Icy water instantly engulfed her nose and mouth. She didn't know how to swim. Panic surged through her as she struggled to stay afloat, but the gown had soaked through.

It was turning unbearably heavy, dragging her down, deeper and deeper. Just as consciousness began to slip from her, a bodyguard finally pulled her from the water.

She collapsed at the pool's edge, coughing violently while still gasping for air. That was when Kane's cold voice pierced through the noise.

"Take off her dress! She's not worthy of wearing my mom's clothes!"

The bodyguard yanked at her gown without hesitation as soon as Kane said this.

Elena cried out in shock while instinctively curling in on herself, but it was already too late.

The pearl-white satin layer underneath tore apart in an instant, leaving her body exposed to the cold air. Soaked to the bone and stripped down to her undergarments, Elena was left in complete humiliation under the eyes of the entire crowd.

Kane stood nearby. He clenched his teeth as he spat, "You don't deserve to wear my mother's clothes!"

Meanwhile, all the guests had gathered tightly around the poolside. Elena trembled uncontrollably, curling up in a miserable ball.

Their stares cut into her like knives, each glance slicing deeper into her dignity. Just then, a tall figure pushed through the crowd.

Robin walked over, removing his suit jacket and draping it over her. He asked while frowning. "What's going on?"

Kane immediately complained, "Dad! She stole Mom's dress on purpose! She wants to replace Mom completely!"

Chapter 3

Robin's expression instantly turned cold at Kane's words. He looked down at Elena, his gaze so unfamiliar it was terrifying.

"Elena, I thought you were obedient and sensible. You never fought for anything before, but I guess it was all an act. You should know by now that no one can take your sister's place in my heart.

"You knew that from the moment you married into this family!"

Elena opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Just then, Constance walked in gracefully.

She wore a flowing sea-blue gown. Her long hair was curled like seaweed, and her makeup looked delicate and ethereal. She currently looked so much like Evangeline.

The guests around them immediately began to whisper.

"Oh my god. She looks exactly like her…"

"Ms. Beck is the spitting image of Ms. Evangeline when she's dressed like this…"

Robin's eyes flickered with a moment of daze amid the murmurs. Kane's eyes grew red. A second later, he could no longer hold back and burst into tears as he threw himself into Constance's arms.

"Constance, I wish you were my mom! I don't want Elena to take care of me!"

Constance gently hugged him back, stroking his hair with tender care. Robin stared at her for a long time, as if lost in a trance.

When he finally came to, he rushed forward and pulled her into his arms without hesitation. His every expression, every glance, was filled with affection.

Elena lay weakly by the edge of the pool, her heart turning utterly cold. She had spent six years in the Marsh family, caring for them in every possible way. Yet Kane had never relied on her like that, and Robin had never looked at her that way.

She had never left even the faintest mark on the hearts of this father and son. Constance, on the other hand, had effortlessly gained everything Elena had dreamed of and more just because she had a face that resembled her sister's.

She clutched the suit jacket wrapped around her, letting out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. It would all be over soon, at least.

After the banquet, rain poured down through the night as they drove home together. Elena had changed into a fresh set of clothes and sat silently in the front passenger seat, gazing out the window.

Constance spoke gently to Kane in the backseat, her tone soft and doting. Robin responded now and then, and his voice was low, indulgent in a way Elena had never heard before.

They looked so much like a real family. She lowered her eyes and absentmindedly rubbed the wedding ring on her finger. It had been six years, yet this ring had never truly meant anything.

Suddenly, the sharp screech of brakes tore through the rain. Then, there was a loud bang.

The deafening crash sent the world spinning. The airbag slammed into Elena's face with brutal force. The sharp taste of blood filled her mouth instantly.

She lifted her head with difficulty. She saw Robin cradling Constance as he rushed into the rain through the shattered car window, with Kane trailing right behind them. Not a single person looked back at her.

Rainwater, mixed with blood, slipped into her eyes. Her vision blurred as she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. So it was true—one could truly see one's life flash before one's eyes when they were on the brink of death.

She saw that snowy night six years ago, when Robin had stood in the Larson family's living room. His eyes were colder than the snow outside.

"Our families already agreed. You will take care of Kane and handle my physical needs for six years. You're not to interfere in my personal life outside of that. If you get pregnant, the child must be aborted."

She saw herself locked in the basement for the first time by Kane, and Robin standing at the top of the stairs, saying indifferently, "He's the boy Evangeline gave her life to give birth to. Just bear with it."

…

"She's still breathing! Get the stretcher!"

That was when someone dragged her out of the wrecked car through the haze. The hospital corridor lights were harsh, cold, and blinding.

"They're both Rh-negative. The blood bank only has enough for one!" a doctor shouted urgently.

"Give it to Constance first," Robin replied without hesitation. "She absolutely must survive."

"What about Ms. Larson?"

"She might as well die anyway!" Kane's voice cracked with tears.

"Mom's scared of the dark, so let her die and keep Mom company!"

Elena tried to laugh but ended up choking on her own blood. How ridiculous. It seemed like her life wasn't even worth that of a substitute to them.

Chapter 4

When Elena woke again, the hospital room was so empty that her chest tightened with unease. Her right leg was wrapped in a thick cast. Even the slightest movement sent waves of pain crashing through her, leaving her drenched in cold sweat.

While the nurse was changing her dressing, she couldn't help but mutter, "There's another patient here, Ms. Constance Beck. She got sent in from the same accident.

"Her husband and child haven't left her side once. But you—your injuries were even more serious that you almost died. How come your family isn't here to take care of you?"

"That husband and child you just mentioned… they're mine," Elena replied softly.

The nurse's face froze in embarrassment. She quickly finished changing the dressing and left in a fluster.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the white sheets. Still, it couldn't chase away the coldness inside her bones.

By evening, the silence was shattered as the door to her room was suddenly kicked open. Robin stormed in, rage practically radiating off him.

He grabbed her by the chin and yanked her face toward him as he asked, "Was this car accident your doing?"

Elena's pupils shrank.

"Do you know Constance almost got a scar on her face?" His grip tightened, fury boiling in his eyes. "She won't look like Evangeline anymore if she gets disfigured…"

Elena let out a weak cough. "It wasn't me… I didn't do anything. And… can't you see I was the one who got hurt the worst?"

Even so, Robin didn't believe a word she said. He dragged her out of bed, and they went straight toward Constance's hospital room. His voice was like ice as he spat, "Come with me to apologize to Constance."

"I didn't do anything wrong."

Her refusal only enraged him further. "Fine! If you won't apologize, I'll show you exactly what it means to destroy her face.

"I remember… You used to dance, didn't you? Someone—break Elena Larson's leg!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a bodyguard entered the room while holding a baseball bat. Elena's blood ran cold.

"No—please, no…"

She struggled to escape, but two bodyguards pinned her down firmly on the hospital bed. The baseball bat immediately came crashing down on the cast around her right leg.

There was a loud crack as the sound of her bone breaking echoed in the room. As the searing pain tore through her body and shattered her grip on reality, a ridiculous thought suddenly crossed Elena's mind—she didn't even know how to dance.

It was Evangeline who had won the gold medal in the ballet competition. It was her sister whom Robin could never forget. She was nothing more than the illegitimate daughter the Larson family kept hidden in the shadows.

If Evangeline hadn't died, perhaps her father, Paul Larson, would've gone his entire life without remembering he even had another daughter. He would've never known how she and her mother had struggled to survive, relying only on each other.

When the bodyguards finally let go, Elena curled up on the bed like a discarded doll. Cold sweat had soaked through her hospital gown. Robin stood by the bed, his expression frigid as he watched the nurse panic while scrambling to call the doctor.

"Remember how much this hurts. Maybe you'll learn your lesson next time."

Days passed, and not a single person came to visit Elena. Until one afternoon, when Paul burst into the hospital room and slammed a stack of photos across her face.

"This is how you uphold the bond between our families? By letting a fake trample all over you?"

The sharp edges of the photos scratched her cheek, drawing thin lines of blood. When she picked them up and looked, they were all images of Constance with Robin and Kane, smiling and living in bliss.

"These have nothing to do with me. Plus, the six years are up," Elena replied calmly. "It's time for me to leave.

"We had a deal. Once the marriage ended, I'd get to live my life with Mom."

Just as Paul was about to explode, the hospital door flew open with a bang. Robin stood in the doorway, his face dark as a storm.

"Do you mean it?" he asked coldly.

Chapter 5

"Yes, I'm very serious." Elena's voice was soft, yet every word rang clear.

Robin's gaze darkened. Then, Paul abruptly cut in just as he was about to speak, his face plastered with a flattering smile.

"Mr. Marsh, don't listen to her nonsense! She's just acting out of spite—there's no way she'd actually want to leave you and Kaney!

"She's only jealous because you've been getting close to Ms. Beck lately! Just coax her a little. There's no way she'd really walk away."

The chill in Robin's eyes eased slightly when he heard this. He looked back at Elena. "As I expected, you're doing all this just because of Constance."

Elena opened her mouth and was about to argue, but Robin had already continued, "You're nothing if you walk away from us. But if you stay and behave, I promise Constance will never affect your position. That should be enough for you, shouldn't it?"

Her fingertips dug into her palm. She was just about to refuse when Paul suddenly slammed the table with a loud smack, his voice sharp with authority.

"Elena! You're my daughter. You'll do as I say!"

Then, he put on another ingratiating smile and pulled a contract from his briefcase just as quickly, offering it to Robin with both hands.

"Mr. Marsh, here. This project still needs your signature…"

Robin glanced at the document, then looked over at Elena. He picked up the pen and signed after a moment's pause.

"Stop making trouble," he said coldly before turning around and walking out.

The door had barely clicked shut when Kane burst into the room. His small frame stood in the doorway, but his eyes were filled with hostility.

"I heard everything! Dad wants you to stay—but I don't!"

Elena looked at him, and her mind drifted back to the Kane from before he turned three. He used to call her "Mommy" in a soft voice, and he'd stretch out his arms for her to hold him.

But then… someone must've told him the truth that she wasn't his biological mother and even told him that she was the one who killed her. And from that moment on, everything changed.

"Constance is gentler and kinder than you, and she treats me well!" Kane's young voice trembled with hatred as he gritted his teeth.

"I'd rather she marry Dad and take care of me than have you a murderer like you around!"

Elena closed her eyes for a moment, her voice hoarse as she said, "Kane, I've told you so many times—your mother was already gone when I married your father…"

"You liar!" Kane screamed, cutting her off.

"Constance told me everything! You killed my mom! You're just a gold-digger who wanted to climb your way up! Don't think I'll forgive you just because you lied to me!"

A jolt shot through Elena's heart.

Constance? Had she truly gone as far as slandering her in front of Kane?

Before Elena could even explain, Kane had already barked an order at the bodyguards. "Throw her into the morgue! Let her think about what she's done!"

The bodyguards hesitated. "Mr. Kane, that's…"

"What, are you all not going to listen to me?" Kane pulled out his phone.

"Then I'll call my father right now and tell him you're disobeying me!"

The guards dared not delay any longer. They wheeled Elena away, heading straight for the coldest, darkest corner of the hospital—the morgue.

The chill cut through bone. The morgue was as cold as a freezer. Elena wore only a thin hospital gown, and her entire body shivered uncontrollably.

She tried to push the wheelchair, but her right leg, which was bound in a heavy cast, made any movement impossible.

"Kane! Kane! Let me out!"

She screamed his name again and again, but all she got in return was the slam of the iron door and the cold, mechanical turn of the lock.

Darkness swallowed her. The silence was suffocating as only the low hum of the refrigeration units echoed around her.

Elena's desperation reached its peak. She pounded on the door until her hands were sore and numb, but no one came to her rescue. Eventually, her hand slipped from the metal, sliding down the surface in defeat.

The cold seeped into her bones, and her consciousness began to fade. Everything went black at last.