Chapter 1

"Caleb…"

The coy, breathless voice from the room next door grated on Noelle Spencer's ears.

She curled her hands into a fist, the nails biting deep into her palm and stinging. Still, it didn't hurt as much as the ache in her chest. Each throbbing of her heart made it harder and harder for her to breathe.

That day was meant to be the day that she, in her heartbreak, ended her life.

Two months earlier, the Ashfords had received a piece of devastating news.

The plane carrying her husband, Conner Ashford, and his older brother, Caleb, had crashed. Caleb had returned alive, but Conner had died in that tragedy.

That night, Noelle had cried until she passed out. Then, after a month of mourning, she no longer wished to go on.

She'd saved up her sleeping pills for over a month, but the thought of dying in the Ashford residence without Conner felt unbearably lonely. So, she decided to take the pills at his grave.

As she was on her way there, she passed through the garden and overheard her mother-in-law, Yasmine Clark, and Caleb speaking.

"Conner, it's been over a month, and Sabrina isn't showing any signs of pregnancy. Could she have an issue too? You've been pretending to be Caleb just to give her a child, yet she hasn't been getting pregnant.

"Your wife wasn't fertile either… Our family must be cursed."

Noelle nearly collapsed among the flowerbeds. Her hands gripped the edge of the planter, and as if struck by lightning, her mind struggled to catch up with what she'd just heard.

Soon, her consciousness started fading away as she pressed a hand to her mouth to keep herself from sobbing.

Conner didn't die—it was Caleb who did. And just because she'd been too weak to conceive in all their years of marriage, the Ashfords had arranged such a sordid trick.

Still, Noelle refused to accept the truth. The Conner she knew would never do something like that, so it had to be Yasmine's doing. After all, she just wanted the Ashfords to have an heir.

But Conner's next words shattered that illusion of hope.

"I've taken Sabrina for a checkup. She's fine. Pregnancy just takes time, and I've been trying my best."

Trying? He certainly had been. Night after night over the past two months, he'd never stopped.

At first, Noelle had assumed that it was grief that had made the couple cling to each other more. But now, she saw it for the pure revulsion it was.

Conner continued, "Mom, please don't talk like that in the house. Sabrina might not take it well if she overhears.

"She's always been timid and delicate. If she learns that Caleb's gone, she might not even survive the news."

So, it seemed like Conner hadn't been forced, after all. He'd just been protecting Sabrina Harper.

Noelle finally fell to the flowerbeds with a bitter laugh.

So, Sabrina might not live if she learned the news of Caleb's death. But what about her?

So much for being timid and delicate, and so much for not taking the news well. This was the man she'd loved for years!

She felt like she deserved a hard slap for even thinking to die at Conner's grave.

While Noelle had feared that Conner would be lonely and cold in the afterlife, he had fretted over Sabrina's grief and that she might not be able to bear the news of Caleb's death. He'd even gone as far as to abandon his wife and step in as a substitute to give Caleb an heir!

Silent tears streamed down Noelle's cheeks as she tightened her grip on the bottle of pills.

Memories of their loving days played out in her mind like a slideshow—until Conner reached over to switch the slideshow off.

Soon, Noelle returned to her and Conner's shared bedroom.

On the nightstand sat a photograph of them on their honeymoon in Etheland. In the photograph, her smile was so bright and filled with joy. But now, her tears couldn't taste any bitterer.

For the past two months, she'd fallen asleep each night clutching that photo frame. In retrospect, that was absurdly laughable of her.

Suddenly, Noelle grabbed the frame and smashed it into pieces. However, what she was destroying wasn't just the frame, but also their five years of love and three years of marriage.

Just then, she received a call from the Spencer residence.

Fearing that Noelle might take her life over the grief, Mary Anderson, her mom, had called every night to soothe and calm her down.

Tonight was no different, except that Mary sounded hesitant.

"Mom, just say it. We're mother and daughter, so quit beating around the bush."

So, Mary went straight to the point. "Noelle, it's only been two months since Conner passed, and I'm afraid you'll be upset. But life has to go on, doesn't it?

"The Coles came by today to honor an old promise."

The Spencer and Cole families had once arranged a marriage between their children, but when the Spencers had fallen on hard times, they knew better than to cling to a match now far beyond their league.

So, when Noelle met Conner by chance and fell in love with him, the Spencers never brought up the marriage to the Coles again.

Mary continued, "I know you can't move on in such a short time, and I won't force you either…"

But before she could finish, Noelle cut in and said, "I'll marry him."

Chapter 2

Mary perked up in joy, but fearing that she might have misheard, she pressed, "Really, Noelle?"

Noelle glanced at the shattered photo frame on the floor and calmly replied, "Even if Conner's dead, I have to live my life to the fullest."

Indeed. Now, Conner was no different from dead to her.

Naturally, Mary was thrilled to hear this. After all, Noelle had been so devastated that it had seemed like she'd lost her point in living now that Conner was dead.

"That's right! Life goes on for the living!" Mary exclaimed, her voice trembling with relief.

…

That night, sounds from the room next door were bolder than before. Each breathy cry was like a dull blade sawing into Noelle's chest without mercy.

Noelle didn't sleep until late into the night, and at dawn, the wail of an ambulance siren tore through the Ashford residence.

When Noelle opened her bedroom door, she saw Conner rushing downstairs holding Sabrina in his arms. He had panic written all over his face and didn't even bother to spare Noelle a glance.

In all the years she'd known him, she'd never seen him so alarmed. He'd always been composed and in control.

Downstairs, the housekeepers were talking among themselves.

"Mrs. Sabrina woke up feeling nauseous, and Mr. Ashford was so worked up that he called an ambulance right away and said she needed a check-up."

Another housekeeper snickered. "I could hear them from my room downstairs last night. After more than a month of that, it'd be stranger if she wasn't pregnant."

As Noelle stood at the top of the stairs, she gripped the polished wood railing so hard that she left scratches on it.

Soon, the hospital called and asked for her.

Noelle was too disgusted to go, but Yasmine pressed and added some guilt-tripping. "Noelle, even if Conner's gone, you're still family. The Ashfords have only always had few heirs to carry on the name, and this baby is a hard-won miracle."

She sighed and continued, "Dr. Brown is known for saving difficult pregnancies, yet he won't agree to come, and no amount of money can bring him here. Since the Spencers have ties in the medical field, you can surely reach him, right?

When that didn't move Noelle, Yasmine tried again. "We've treated you and the Spencers well. Back then—"

"I'll go," Noelle said, cutting her off with a raised hand. She could see where this was going.

It was true that the Ashfords had once helped the Spencers financially, and the Spencers had never been ones to accept help without paying it back. However, they'd long settled every debt of gratitude already.

Still, if Yasmine insisted on bringing that up, Noelle would rather oblige than appear ungrateful.

When she arrived at the hospital, Conner was scrambling to pull strings. However, this was a top private hospital in Norland, and the doctor, Dalton Brown, was a top obstetrician. Money alone wouldn't make him appear.

Upon spotting her, Conner strode forward and seized her hand so hard it sent pain shooting up her wrist.

"Noelle, you're finally here! Sabrina has an unstable pregnancy, and the doctor says it's a tough case. Your family's acquainted with Dr. Brown, aren't they?"

Noelle looked down at the reddened skin he was holding onto, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.

Conner had always known that she couldn't stand pain and was highly sensitive. Sometimes, even a light touch could make her flinch.

In the past, he'd used to gently hold her hand. But now, for the sake of the child in Sabrina's womb, he was too frantic to notice that he'd hurt her.

Noelle smirked, and a cold glint flashed across her eyes as she said, "Caleb, you've never called me by my name. It's always been 'Ms. Spencer.'"

It was absurd, really. When Conner had come back pretending to be Caleb, the flaws had been obvious. It was just that she'd been too blind then. She was convinced that the man she loved would never pull such an outrageous trick, so the suspicion had never crossed her mind until the previous night.

Conner's expression awkwardly stiffened. Then, he briefly paused to confirm that Noelle hadn't noticed anything and immediately relaxed.

"I was just worried about Sabrina and slipped up. It happens."

Noelle scoffed. "Oh, worried? You should be gentler then. Didn't she beg you to be gentler last night?"

Chapter 3

Conner couldn't shake the feeling that something about Noelle felt off today. Usually, she'd spiritlessly drift through days with that hollow, detached look in her eyes. But today, there was a strange sharpness to her.

Still, he didn't have time to dwell on it. All that mattered was keeping the baby in Sabrina's womb safe. After all, if they could save the baby, then he could return to Noelle's side and put an end to this ridiculous farce!

"I admit that I wasn't careful, Noelle. But now isn't the time for blame.

"Please, I'm begging you to get Dr. Brown here. I'm sure the Spencers can do it!"

A bitter smile hung on Noelle's lips.

Throughout their three years of marriage, she'd never been able to conceive, and they'd tried every treatment they could find.

Back then, she'd thought about seeking Dalton out too, but favors were the hardest debts to repay. The Spencers had struggled for years and already owed too many favors.

Ever mindful of her parents' burdens, Noelle had never sought their help even when she'd longed for a baby with Conner. That was why they hadn't approached Dalton for help in the first place.

Conner knew everything, and she'd always assumed that his silence was out of care and love. However, she understood then that it had all been nothing but her wishful thinking.

Now, here he was, pushing her into a corner for the sake of the baby in Sabrina's womb.

When Noelle didn't answer, Conner obviously panicked. "Ms. Spencer, if you can save this baby, I promise that the Ashfords will get the best lawyer for your dad."

Now, the forced smile on Noelle's face widened, and a deep bitterness welled up in her throat.

She'd begged Conner before to help her dad, Patrick Spencer, more than once, but the Ashfords had brushed her off time and again. Yet now, Conner was pulling every string of his without hesitation—just for Sabrina's baby.

Noelle was nearly forcing the words through gritted teeth when she spat, "Fine!"

When she finally called Mary, Mary agreed immediately—and that broke Noelle a little more.

Even when the Spencers were having a hard time themselves, Mary still worried that Noelle would be mistreated under the Ashford family roof and agreed without a second thought.

She even tried to sound cheerful and comforted Noelle, saying, "If you ever need something, just speak up. You don't have to worry about troubling us! We're your mom and dad!"

Noelle swallowed the ache in her throat and feared that Mary might pick up on the abnormality in her voice.

As expected, Mary indeed caught something off when they were saying goodbye.

"Noelle, what's wrong? Are you alright?" she asked in concern.

Forcing a smile, Noelle replied, "I'm fine, Mom. I'm just having cramps from my period."

With that, she quickly hung up.

It wasn't a lie. The stabbing period cramps in her stomach had her crouching on the floor and hugging her knees to make it bearable. When Noelle finally got back up, people all around her gave her odd stares.

She'd worn pale blue jeans that day, and dark blood stains were now stamped in the worst place possible. As Noelle gritted her teeth, she propped herself up against the wall and made her way to the women's restroom.

Then, she called Conner and said, "Could you bring me some tampons and a change of pants? I'm in the women's restroom on the ER floor."

But Conner's voice carried no concern for her. He was only concerned about whether or not Dalton had agreed to see Sabrina. He urgently said, "Sabrina isn't feeling well right now. What did Dr. Brown say? Did he agree?"

Noelle was seconds away from passing out from the pain. She braced herself against the wall, her lips nearly bloodless now.

"He agreed. Now, can you bring them?" Her voice sounded so weak that anyone could tell she was going through immense pain.

Just then, in the background came Sabrina's dramatic cry, "Ouch! It hurts, Caleb! What if we lose our baby? If our baby dies, I'll just die too!"

With that, Conner frantically hung up. However, just before he did, he said, "Sabrina's upset, so don't cause me trouble with all these little things. Figure it out yourself."

Noelle stared at the phone in her hand and let out a snort. It seemed like Sabrina's single, dramatic threat about not wanting to live anymore made everything that was happening to Noelle now insignificant.

But the truth was that people who truly wanted to die would never announce it so openly.

When Noelle had first learned of Conner's "death", she'd barely spoken for a month, let alone made a scene.

At that moment, the days of when she'd first met Conner surfaced in her mind. She had sensitive skin and would have rash reactions to most tampon brands. So every month, Conner would go from store to store, hunting down the one brand she could use.

Now, Noelle weakly sat on the toilet seat, barely able to straighten up. Still, her gaze was steady as she called Mary again.

"Mom, set the date for my wedding. The sooner, the better."

Chapter 4

Soon, Noelle was found collapsed on the restroom floor by one of the hospital's cleaning staff.

When she woke up, she was laying on a clean white bed.

A nurse was standing beside her, flipping through a chart with professional detachment. "Call a family member to bring you a change of clothes," she simply said.

Noelle kept her eyes on the ceiling. "My husband's dead, and my sister-in-law's pregnant. The whole family's revolving around her now. They don't have time for me."

The nurse's expression softened, and she let out a small sigh. "Wait here. I'll get some for you."

After she returned and handed Noelle some tampons and a pair of slacks, she then turned to her colleague and started gossiping.

"I just ran into a real piece of work next door. The mother-in-law's fussing because her elder daughter-in-law is pregnant, and apparently, the younger daughter-in-law has her phone switched off.

"She won't answer her phone or even show up to check in. And now, the mother-in-law's calling her rude and ungrateful.

"Oh, and the son's another bizarre one. He's hovering over his wife like something's going to happen to her and tasting the water's temperature before even handing it over. Not to mention, he's complaining that we're doing everything wrong…"

Noelle weakly picked up her phone, only to find that it was dead. If she had to guess, that reprimanded daughter-in-law in the gossip was herself.

After putting on the plain slacks the nurse had bought and giving her some cash as a thank-you, she made for the hospital exit.

However, just as she stepped out of her ward, she ran into Yasmine. She was outside Sabrina's ward, still bombarding Noelle's phone with calls.

Upon spotting her, Yasmine's face lit up with fury and blame. Without a word, she grabbed Noelle's wrist and dragged her into Sabrina's ward.

"Where have you been? Why haven't you been answering your phone? Sabrina's pregnant, and you couldn't even be bothered to visit! Don't you have any manners at all?"

Then, Noelle was given a harsh lecture.

Though Yasmine was never warm with her, she'd never been this hostile either and would make it a point to at least keep up appearances. But now, Noelle couldn't understand why this particular issue would make her drop all pretense.

From the bed, Sabrina watched with a triumphant smile as Yasmine rained insults on Noelle.

At first, Noelle thought she'd imagined it. But after Sabrina shooed Yasmine and Conner out of the room, she finally realized that she'd been right and understood why Yasmine had been so brutal.

Once it was just the two of them in the ward, Sabrina arched a brow and shot Noelle a look of displeasure. "Why would you call my husband when you're on your period and have him send tampons to the women's restroom? What exactly are you planning?"

Sweat beaded on Noelle's forehead from the pain, but the cramping in her abdomen could never compare to the throbbing ache in her heart.

Whenever she was on her period, Conner would clear his schedule for her. He'd even fuss over her and make her warm soup to alleviate the pain.

It was something the spoiled son of the Ashfords had probably never done for anyone else. But now, a simple request to help her for an emergency was being twisted into something so sordid.

Sabrina's sharp voice continued, "I know what you're thinking. You've always been head over heels for Conner, and Caleb looks so much like him.

"Now that Conner's dead, you want to steal Caleb, don't you? Well, dream on!"

Noelle didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but she knew either would have felt equally bitter. So, she calmed herself and scoffed. "If you've got time to worry about whether or not I'm going to steal your husband, maybe you should think about how you can keep your baby alive.

"And by the way, you only managed to save this precious baby of yours because I pulled the strings and got Dr. Brown here. Shouldn't you thank me?"

Sabrina scoffed. "Thank you? Why should I? Caleb made a deal with you, and you grudgingly went along."

Noelle didn't bother to argue. She knew that she shouldn't waste her breath on someone without basic manners and decency. Plus, she'd only been forced into the favor by Yasmine and Conner's guilt-tripping. She never needed Sabrina's gratitude in the first place.

As she turned for the door, Sabrina called out behind her, "Stop right there, Noelle! Pay attention and listen when I talk!

"I'm warning you, I know every little scheme you're planning. Don't even think about pulling underhanded tricks just because I'm pregnant.

"Caleb might look like Conner, but he's not yours to covet. And if you ever wreck my family, I'll haunt you from the grave."

Noelle gave her one cool, sidelong glance. Then, she arched her brows and replied, "Who cares if it's Conner or Caleb, I'm done with both. They disgust me."

Chapter 5

Noelle left Sabrina's ward, still clutching her abdomen against the cramps.

Just as she stepped out the door, she ran into Conner. He was carefully carrying a bowl of beetroot soup. Meanwhile, Yasmine trailed behind him, balancing a small plate of pickles Sabrina had suddenly craved.

All Conner had were eyes for Sabrina. He stepped past Noelle, his shoulders brushing against hers just enough to push her toward the doorframe. Then, he gingerly crossed the room to Sabrina. "This isn't the best, but I'll have Hugo import some next week," he said.

Suddenly, the angry expression on Sabrina's face disappeared, replaced with a gentle smile as she grinned at Conner. "If you treat me so well, honey, you'll just spoil me."

Conner settled down beside Sabrina's bed and dotingly ruffled her hair. "You're pregnant with our baby now, silly. Who else would I pour all this love onto?"

Yasmine eyed Noelle before speaking in a tone edged with disapproval, "What's with that face, Noelle? Sabrina's pregnant, and you should be happy for her."

Noelle figured Yasmine might have long been harboring silent resentment toward her. After all, through all the years of Noelle's failed attempts at conceiving with Conner, Yasmine had more than once suggested she approach Dalton to identify the issue. Yet, she had repeatedly brushed it off.

Eventually, Yasmine decided that Noelle simply wanted to enjoy her childless marriage a little longer and was indifferent to the fact that the Ashford family's bloodline was thinning.

By then, Noelle's stomach cramps had grown so intense that she could barely speak. As she braced herself against the wall, beads of dense sweat rolled down her back and soaked into her blouse.

However, to Yasmine, this was nothing but Noelle's petty jealousy and resentment on full display. If she couldn't bear children herself, she had no right to act bitter or begrudge Sabrina's pregnancy.

As Noelle steadied herself against the wall, she could feel Conner's gaze sweep over her for the briefest moment. She knew he understood what was happening to her, yet he decided to stay silent.

"I'm not feeling well," she said in a tight voice, frowning.

Yasmine set the pickles aside, visibly annoyed. It was as if she was convinced that Noelle's discomfort was nothing more than an excuse borne of spite and envy.

So, she waved Noelle off. "Fine, go home. Don't stay here and upset Sabrina. Right now, the only thing that matters to the Ashfords is keeping this precious baby safe."

From the bed, Sabrina shot Noelle a small, smug smile. The look in her eyes seemed to tell Noelle that she was the one the Ashfords saw worth protecting. No one cared if Noelle lived or died.

…

After returning to the Ashford residence, the first thing Noelle did was call Mary.

She stood on the bedroom balcony, where an easel and a wooden chair were.

Noelle had studied fine arts in college, but she'd become a full-time housewife after marriage. Sometimes though, when she felt inspired, she would paint while Conner joined her at the balcony.

This place had used to be a warm corner of Noelle's world. But now, it just stung to be here.

She pressed the phone closer to her ear, her tone casual as she said, "Come get me this week, Mom. Conner's gone, and there's no point in staying with the Ashfords anymore."

In truth, Mary had wanted to bring Noelle back home for a while now, but she was held back by the thought that it might be better to keep her at the Ashford residence. At least here, there'd still be memories of Conner around the house.

However, she was delighted that Noelle had chosen to leave now. "Home! Yes, you must come home! We'll sever every tie with the Ashfords, and you'll meet new people and start fresh. I'll pick you up this week!"

Mary's voice grew heavy as she continued, "And Noelle, the Ashfords called. They've arranged a top-tier lawyer for your dad's case, but other than Conner, no one else in that family is easy to deal with.

"Let's not take their favors. I won't have you indebted and humiliated all over again…"

Noelle rested her hands on the railing of the balcony and looked down on the sprawling Ashford residence. "Mom, since when had Conner been easy to deal with?"

Mary went quiet, not quite understanding what Noelle meant. To her, Noelle had loved Conner too deeply to speak of him in such harsh words, especially now that he was dead.

Upon sensing her puzzlement, Noelle gave a faint smile. "Everything's fine, Mom. The Ashfords don't give without having received payment first, so let's just take what they've offered and live with it in peace."