I forced a bitter smile and it wasn’t until tears began to fall that I finally closed my eyes.
I was so tired. Living was so exhausting and loving someone who didn't love me was even more tiring.
But Lucian, if he knew that the person he loved would rather fake her death to escape, would he regret how he treated me?
Lucian and I grew up together as childhood friends, but my feelings for him could never be seen in the light.
The man who never showed interest in women fell in love with my roommate, Astrid, during our first year of university.
She was a gentle and beautiful girl, like a white rose.
The year we graduated, Astrid suddenly came to me, telling me she no longer loved Lucian and was planning to leave for overseas with her first love.
To spare Lucian’s feelings, she asked me to help her put on an act. What I didn’t expect was that this act would trap Lucian for ten years.
Over those ten years, the Aldridge Family fell apart and my mother, seeking protection from the Prescott Family, drugged Lucian’s drink and sent me to his bed.
From that moment on, I became his secret lover. And under the Prescott Family's scheme, I secretly became pregnant with Lucian's child, signing a surrogacy agreement.
Ten years of turmoil, all I got in return was exhaustion, both physically and emotionally.
After surviving a near-death experience, I woke up to find no one by my side.
In my daze, I thought I saw my father, the one who had always loved me and protected me from everything.
“Dad... I miss you so much.”
The room was quiet, except for the sound of the IV drip.
For the entire half-month, Lucian didn’t even call once.
The day I was discharged, I called his number. When he answered, his tone was full of cold mockery. “Wasn’t it a miscarriage with heavy bleeding? How are you still alive?”
I tightened my grip on the phone and let out a few cold laughs. “Thanks to Mr. Prescott, I’m still alive. Mr. Prescott, I have a news for you. Astrid... she’s still alive.”
The breathing on the other end of the line stopped.
In the ten years I spent with Lucian, every corner was filled with news about Astrid, but her whereabouts always seemed to come from all directions.
No matter what Lucian was doing, the moment there was any sign of her, he would drop everything and rush to her side.