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She stopped loving him,because of two things she overheard. First time, at home. He was joking with a friend: “You’re getting married in two weeks. What about that girl?” Second time, at the hospital. He said to his fiancée: “The child’s two months old.Don’t worry about the wedding, I’ve got it covered.” The man who loved her for three years, who once said he’d fight his whole family for her— turned her into the other woman. And she actually believed him when he said, “You’ll be my only wife.” Pathetic. She made one call. “Are you sure you want to erase your identity? You’ll disappear completely.” She didn’t hesitate. "Alex, you're getting married in two weeks. What's your plan for your mistress?" Hearing those words, Sophia Bennett froze outside the door. What followed was a man's lazy, indifferent voice. "Just shut up. As long as you don't mention her, Sophia will never know." Separated by just a door, tears had already blurred Sophia's vision. She never imagined that the man she'd loved for years was planning to turn her into a mistress. From that moment, Sophia saw everything clearly and immediately made arrangements to enter witness protection. Only later would Sophia realize that she wasn't the one who couldn't let go. "Are you sure? Once you enter the witness protection program, Sophia Bennett will cease to exist, and anyone who knows you will never be able to find you again." Never find her again? Perfect. Sophia gave a bitter smile, then composed herself and said firmly, "I'm sure." The finality in her voice surprised the person on the other end, who quickly responded, "Very well, Ms. Bennett. The process will be completed in two weeks. We'll provide you with a new identity then. I hope you'll have a fresh start in two weeks." A fresh start? She could only hope. After hanging up, Sophia stood and walked to the curb on unsteady legs, hailing a cab home. She had just finished showering and was about to lie down when Alexander Sterling pushed through the door, reeking of drinking. The moment he entered, he found her unerringly and wrapped his arms around her, slurring affectionately. "Honey, why didn't you come pick me up?" His words came out in a soft, affectionate murmur against her skin. "God, you smell so good... I missed this, missed you so much." As he spoke, he buried his head in her neck, his hands beginning to wander. Watching him in this state of intoxicated desire, Sophia's mind drifted to the memories of how Alexander had once pursued her relentlessly for three years, desperate to prove his unwavering devotion. Later, when Catherine Sterling opposed their relationship, he held her tightly. "If my mother won't let us marry, then I'll never marry anyone. We'll date forever. Don't worry—I'll never marry anyone but you." When Catherine later took away Alexander and forced him into an arranged marriage with the Whitmore family, he escaped looking pale and haggard. She later learned he had gone on a hunger strike to resist his mother's control. From then on, no matter how Catherine threatened her, she never backed down, knowing someone was fighting alongside her. She was grateful she'd overheard those words today. Otherwise, how long would he have continued deceiving her? Until their wedding day? Or until she discovered she was the other woman? Suppressing her heartache, she gently pulled away from his embrace and refused him. "I'm a bit tired tonight." Alexander didn't force her, instead helping her into bed with concern and holding her from behind. "Then rest well. I feel like you've been losing weight lately." Sophia pretended to fall asleep without responding. The next morning, Sophia woke to see Alexander getting dressed by the closet. Hearing movement behind him, he walked over and kissed her forehead. "Good morning, darling. It's New Year's Eve today. I'm taking you out. Get up and get dressed." Without waiting for her to refuse, Alexander headed downstairs. After dressing, she came down to find the housekeeper greeting her. "Mrs. Sterling is up? Let me get you some oatmeal." Sophia and Alexander weren't married, but he insisted all the staff call her Mrs. Sterling, saying she would be his only wife. But in two weeks, he'd have a legitimate wife, and she—the unofficial Mrs. Sterling—would be finished. She smiled bitterly to herself and went down for breakfast, after which Alexander dismissed the driver for some alone time and drove her out himself. During the day, they wandered the city. Alexander took her to a garden restaurant and the aquarium. Throughout, he was extremely attentive to her condition, stopping to rest the moment she showed any fatigue. That evening, just as Sophia thought they were heading home, Alexander drove up into the mountains. Seeing her confusion, Alexander explained, "You once said watching fireworks from the mountains would be beautiful. Let's see if you were right, okay?" She'd mentioned this so casually while scrolling through videos that she'd almost forgotten it herself, never expecting him to remember. Sophia didn't respond, but he didn't mind. Noticing her low spirits, he chattered away, trying to cheer her up. Alexander was naturally a man of few words, but around Sophia, he became talkative as if he had endless things to say. They reached the mountaintop in half an hour. Tonight's view was undeniably beautiful. During the last hour of 2024, Alexander's phone buzzed, and seeing the sender, he glanced warily at Sophia before breathing a barely perceptible sigh of relief and eagerly unlocking his screen to reply. With a slight turn of her head, Sophia could see his screen clearly. [Alex, I'm so lonely spending New Year's alone. Can you come keep me company?] She watched Alexander reply: [Don't be silly.] [Please, I am scared of the dark and need you here.] Alexander hesitated for two seconds before typing: [Be good and wait for me.] Before he looked up, Sophia had turned away. Alexander's voice reached her ears: [Sophia, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go back. Sorry I can't spend New Year's with you.] She calmly responded with a simple "mm," appearing as if she'd seen nothing, though only her hands gripping the car hood betrayed her emotions. Alexander drove off within a minute of his announcement, too eager to remember he was taking the only car and leaving her stranded. Uber never came up this mountain. Realizing this, her heart felt seized by a giant hand, sending waves of suffocating pain through her thorax. The second hand reached twelve, and fireworks exploded below—magnificent and brilliant, truly beautiful. Sophia knew Alexander had arranged this for her, but the man who'd prepared all this was now with another woman. As if to confirm this thought, her phone vibrated against her palm. Opening it revealed an unknown number. The moment she saw the content, she knew it was from Victoria Whitmore. Victoria had sent a photo of herself sitting in Alexander's lap. In the picture, Alexander gazed down at her with obvious affection, the background clearly showing they were at home. [We're getting married soon. Alexander already feels you're not worth it. Be smart and leave while you can.] Her hand clenched the phone tightly. Those three words—"not worth it"—pierced her deeply, seeming to carve themselves into her heart stroke by stroke, making it hard to breathe. The fireworks below had ended, leaving the mountain in darkness and silence. Sophia's phone died from the cold, plunging the mountain into darkness as snow began to fall—she knew staying meant they'd find her body tomorrow. With no choice but to walk down, she was soon surrounded by complete darkness, fear creeping up her spine. Alexander had forgotten she was terrified of the dark and ghosts. She walked the entire mountain path in extreme fear and freezing temperatures. Eventually, she became numb to it all. It took four hours to reach a place where she could call a cab. When she finally returned home—pale-faced with blue lips—the house was pitch black. The housekeeper had gone home, and Alexander was with his fiancée. Sophia tugged at her nearly numb lips. Wasn't this exactly as it should be? She was nothing to him. Of course he should be with his fiancée. The next day, Sophia was shaken awake. She groggily opened her eyes to see Alexander's anxious face. "Sophia, you have a fever. I'm taking you to the hospital." She was drowsily carried to the car, her mind filled with one thought, 'Why was he back? Wasn't he supposed to be with his fiancée?' When her consciousness cleared somewhat and she saw the bright daylight outside, she realized it was already the next afternoon. Alexander held her tightly in the car, then carried her straight to the emergency room upon reaching the hospital. In the examination room, Sophia felt dizzy and couldn't sit upright, so he stood beside her for support. Throughout the process, he appeared very nervous, repeatedly asking the doctor about precautions. When they went for an IV drip, the doctor even remarked to her, "You should treasure such a wonderful boyfriend." Instantly, the pungent smell of intimate affairs from his body assaulted her nostrils. Sophia laughed softly, the sound tinged with bitterness. A wonderful boyfriend? One who'd just come from his fiancée's bed? Throughout their hospital visit, Alexander never let her walk, carrying her everywhere. When the nurse inserted the IV, Alexander cradled her head against his thorax, constantly comforting her, "It's okay, don't be scared. Just a quick pinch, it won't hurt." He treated her like a beloved girl despite being the cause of her suffering, and though she wanted to say this pain was nothing compared to last night's terror, she stayed silent to avoid giving him another chance to perform. At this moment, he seemed like the most attentive boyfriend. No one would know he had a fiancée—even Sophia almost fell for the act. She lay in the hospital bed as Alexander tucked her in asking about her comfort, but she simply shook her head and closed her eyes, refusing further interaction. She fell asleep and woke to find Alexander gone, then after removing her IV and using the restroom, she spotted him supporting Victoria by the waist as they emerged from an obstetrician's office. She ducked back into the bathroom but could still hear their conversation. "The child is two months along. You're going to be a mother now, so no more tantrums." Alexander's gentle voice carried clearly. Victoria clung to his arm coquettishly. "Then Alex has to watch over me from now on. The child needs father too, okay?" Alexander responded indulgently, "Of course. Less than two weeks until the wedding. Don't worry about anything else—just rest so you don't tire yourself or the child..." Their voices gradually faded. Sophia stood frozen in place. When she finally reacted, her heart felt as if it were being torn apart. She pressed hard against her thorax, bending over and gasping for air as tears streamed down her face. They already had a child. Two months along. So they'd been together two months ago. She'd been kept in the dark all this time. If she hadn't overheard that conversation, how much longer would she have remained ignorant? Sophia smiled bitterly, wiping the moisture from her face, feeling something cold. Looking down, she saw it was a ring. This ring was a gift from Alexander. He had knelt on one knee, looking up at her nervously with eyes full of love, his voice trembling, "Sophia, will you... will you date me forever? I truly love you. I'll never marry anyone but you." These were actually quite empty words that any rational person shouldn't believe. But she had believed them. How moved she'd been then was how much pain she felt now. Sophia composed herself and left the hospital, her hand now empty except for a faint ring mark. A clearly expensive ring now lay abandoned on the restroom sink. It wasn't until 10 PM that Alexander hurriedly pushed through the door. Upon entering, he knelt on one knee before Sophia, who sat on the sofa. Before she could react, he produced the ring she'd discarded that day, gently sliding it back onto her finger. Holding her hand and looking up at her, he said indulgently, "Darling, did you not notice you'd lost your ring? How careless of you. Don't lose it again—this is proof of our commitment." His eyes still held the same devotion, but Sophia could no longer recapture her former feelings. This relationship now contained irreparable impurities. Sophia didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked. "Where were you today?" She stared intently into his eyes, precisely catching a flash of guilt. But it lasted only a second before he replied, "Had business at the company. When I got back to your room, you were already gone." Hearing this, Sophia felt deeply weary. Without a word, she turned toward the television. Thinking she was upset about his lack of communication, Alexander used a coaxing tone. "Darling, let's go horseback riding tomorrow, okay? You've always wanted to try, and the doctor said you need to get more sun." Sophia remained noncommittal, too exhausted by Alexander's lies to do anything but wait peacefully for her departure. The next day, Alexander took her to a horse ranch up north. Upon arrival, Sophia met Victoria for the first time and immediately saw why she and Alexander were perfectly matched—Victoria had the polished demeanor of a true socialite. Bitterness welled up in Sophia's heart. She'd assumed that with the real deal present, Alexander would ignore her. Surprisingly, he kept his arm firmly around her. "Sophia, come let me teach you to ride." He completely ignored Victoria, focusing entirely on selecting a gentle horse for Sophia and teaching her hands-on how to ride. She got caught up in learning to ride and forgot her earlier emotions, but after half an hour said she was tired. Alexander immediately stopped and brought her back to rest. They'd barely sat down for two minutes when Sophia noticed Victoria leaving the area. Two minutes later, Alexander said, "Let me get you some water." Sophia's fluttering heart suddenly stilled as she quietly followed Alexander to a secluded area where Victoria was waiting. The moment Victoria saw him, she threw herself into his arms. Alexander immediately caught her, frowning as he spoke, "Didn't I tell you to pretend we don't know each other until after the wedding? If Sophia makes a scene, it'll impact both our families." He had indeed told her this before. But Victoria immediately began acting coquettish. "The little one missed you. Besides, she didn't notice." The "she" naturally referred to Sophia. After this comment, Sophia watched Alexander's frown melt into helpless affection before they kissed passionately, their tongues intertwining. Watching this scene, Sophia felt her heart being torn apart. Her hands clenched into fists, nails nearly drawing blood, yet she felt nothing. Unable to bear the torturous sounds any longer, Sophia fled on unsteady legs back to the rest area. Half an hour later, Alexander returned with water, his voice apologetic. "Darling, I had to take a call—that's why I was gone so long. Were you waiting anxiously?" Hearing this endearment while remembering their kiss made Sophia feel nauseous. She took a sip of water to suppress the feeling. Alexander's sharp eyes noticed her bruised palms. He nervously took her hands. "What happened to these?" Only then did Sophia realize her palms were bruised from her nails. Startled, she casually deflected. "Must have gripped the reins too tightly." Concerned, Alexander reached to help her seek treatment, but Sophia recoiled from his touch and pulled away.. "It's fine. I want to ride." Seeing Alexander about to follow, she quickly added, "I want to ride alone." Hearing this and seeing Sophia's expression, he didn't follow. Sophia rode slowly, somewhat lost in thought, failing to notice Victoria approaching on horseback from the side. By the time she realized what was happening, her horse had been startled into losing control. Sophia's heart jumped. Before the horse could bolt, she released the reins and rolled to one side. She hit the ground hard and rolled several times. Looking up, she saw Victoria, who had also fallen from her horse, being held in Alexander's arms. Her heart clenched painfully. Alexander noticed her too and immediately moved to release Victoria. Just as he let go, Victoria grabbed his hand, covering her stomach with the other and speaking weakly, "The child..." Sophia watched him freeze mid-motion, then embrace Victoria again. He looked up at Sophia with apparent conflict. "She's carrying a child. I need to get her to the hospital first, okay?" Watching him hold the other woman so tightly, bitterness flooded Sophia's heart. She smiled silently and gave a faint nod. With her permission, Alexander immediately lifted Victoria and rushed toward the exit. Sophia watched his urgent retreat, bitterness nearly overflowing from her heart. A riding instructor approached to help her up. "Miss, are you hurt anywhere?" She'd dismounted in time and suffered no serious injuries—just minor aches that paled compared to her emotional pain. Sophia shook her head at the instructor and thanked him for his kindness. Enduring her physical discomfort, she walked to the ranch entrance. The car that had been parked there was gone. The scene felt painfully familiar. This time, she felt no pain like before—she'd expected this, hadn't she? She took out her phone and called an Uber, returning home alone. Exhausted from recent events, Sophia went to bed early without waiting for Alexander, not caring if he'd return. The next morning, Sophia woke to find Alexander sitting beside the bed, watching her with a smile that faded when he saw the emptiness in her eyes. Panicked, he grabbed a box from the nightstand and fastened something around her wrist. Then he gently kissed the back of her hand, as if it were precious. Holding her hand, Alexander said, "I'm sorry, darling. I couldn't take you to the hospital first yesterday. Victoria is gestation—she's my friend's girl, so I should look after her. You understand, right?" Friend? Sophia looked down with a sardonic smile. Only then did she focus on the bracelet—she recognized it as one she'd casually admired before, quite expensive. She thought of the words she'd heard in the private dining room and murmured, "Not worth it..." Alexander heard her and panicked. "What are you saying? What's not worth it? Darling, you're worth everything. You deserve this and all the beauty in the world." Hearing this, Sophia laughed softly, looking up at him. "I saw a TV drama yesterday where the female lead was dating the male lead but secretly got engaged to someone else. Everyone was debating whether the male lead should forgive her. What do you think?" Alexander, fidgeting with her hand, replied casually, "Of course he shouldn't forgive her." Sophia gently withdrew her hand. "I think so too." Before he could grab her hand again, Sophia said she was hungry. Alexander immediately offered. "I'll cook today, darling. Go freshen up, and I'll call you when it's ready." He headed downstairs enthusiastically to cook. Sophia watched his retreating figure and removed the bracelet—she didn't deserve something so expensive, just as she wasn't worth him sacrificing his family's interests. Two days later was Sophia's birthday. Alexander, who usually spent every birthday with her, suddenly said he had business that day and celebrated with her a day early. Sophia didn't ask what business he had. If possible, she'd rather not celebrate at all. But when Alexander heard her say this, he immediately became serious, "I promised to spend every birthday with you. We can't skip it." Hearing this, Sophia laughed softly, thinking, 'This is the last time. After this, you won't be part of my birthdays.' The cake was brought out, Alexander inserted candles and sang happy birthday just like every year before. Sophia closed her eyes and silently wished, 'I hope after leaving Alexander, I can start a new life.' After making her wish, she blew out the candles. Alexander watched her, smiling as he asked what she'd wished for. Sophia looked down, cutting the cake while silently thinking, 'To leave you.' That evening, while Alexander was out, Sophia packed her belongings and found photos they'd taken over the years. She took them to the back garden and burned them. These items carried emotions that no longer existed, so there was no need to keep them. She didn't take any of Alexander's gifts. She wouldn't take what didn't belong to her, just as she wouldn't keep Alexander once he no longer belonged to her. After finishing this, she got a new phone card. After leaving, she wouldn't use her current number, and she had no one she needed to contact anyway. Having completed these tasks, she sat in the garden scrolling through videos when she stumbled upon a live interview. She recognized the person on screen—Victoria, wearing a wedding dress and standing center stage, with an arm from off-screen wrapped around her waist. So his "business" was helping Victoria try on wedding dresses. The host's voice came through, "The groom prefers not to show his face, so let's respect that, shall we?" Then came the first question. "How did you two get together?" Victoria smiled. "Arranged marriage." The host immediately protested. "Looking at how sweet you are together, it doesn't seem like an arranged marriage at all!" Victoria smiled shyly, glancing to the side as Alexander's voice came through. "Can't an arranged marriage be true love?" The host quickly apologized, then asked when the wedding would be. Alexander turned slightly toward Victoria, his partially visible eye showing deep affection. "Four days from now. It'll be the most spectacular wedding—you'll all see it then." The comments immediately filled with congratulations and well-wishes. Watching that affectionate profile, Sophia's heart felt seized by a giant hand, sending waves of suffocating pain through her. The sunlight that should have been warming felt like it was exposing her mercilessly. Every comment about how well-matched they were, every blessing, felt like a knife slowly cutting into her flesh. She had no legitimate status—she was just a mistress hidden away from the light. Sophia smiled bitterly at herself. That evening, Alexander returned with a box containing a dress. She immediately recognized it as a bridesmaid dress. Calmly, she asked, "Are you asking me to be a bridesmaid at your wedding?" The words made Alexander's heart clench, thinking she'd discovered something. He stammered, "What?" "Isn't this a bridesmaid dress?" Sophia replied with a bitter smile. Relieved, Alexander immediately threw the dress on the floor, frantically saying, "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't know it was a bridesmaid dress. I'll buy you a new one in a few days." He came over and held her. "If you were the bridesmaid, who would be my bride? You're my only bride." Sophia remained quiet in his arms, silently adding, 'Of course Victoria will be your bride.' For the next few days until the wedding, Alexander stayed home with her. Initially, she didn't understand why, until the second day when she overheard his phone conversation. "Alright, Victoria, I need to keep her calm, don't I? This way there won't be any trouble at the wedding. Be good, okay?" Hearing this, Sophia smiled silently—so he was afraid she'd discover something and ruin their wedding, but they were overthinking it. The night before the wedding, Alexander held her tightly. "Sophia, stay home tomorrow and don't go out. I'll have a surprise for you when I get back tonight." Sophia remained noncommittal, but he insisted she promise verbally, so she agreed. The next morning, Alexander got up very early. Before leaving, he kissed her forehead. After the engine sounds faded, Sophia silently opened her eyes and lay on her side watching out the window until dawn broke, only to discover both the internet and TV signal had been cut off. The housekeeper approached nervously. "Mrs. Sterling, the neighborhood is doing network maintenance. There might be no internet all day." Sophia showed nothing on her face, saying softly, "Then I'll go out for a walk later." The housekeeper froze, wringing her hands. "Mr. Sterling asked you to wait for him at home." Seeing her nervous expression, Sophia glanced through the window and faintly saw two men in black suits standing guard at the entrance. She understood the situation—this was Alexander's method of keeping her from knowing: locking her at home. But the truth will come out. Even if she didn't know today, she'd find out eventually. Sophia smiled coldly to herself. Without making things difficult for the housekeeper, she simply said, "Alright then, I'll go upstairs to rest. Don't disturb me unless it's important." Back in her room, Sophia packed her last few belongings into a suitcase, then took out a gift box she'd prepared. She placed the ring and bracelet inside, leaving a note: [Congratulations on your wedding.] Then she tore bedsheets into strips, tied them together, threw them down from the second floor, and climbed down. She was never one to be tied down—Alexander couldn't contain her. Leaving the villa, she removed her phone's SIM card and tossed it into a nearby planter, inserting the new one. Sophia went to the identity relocation company, collected her new identity and the plane ticket they'd purchased for her. As she was about to call a cab to the airport, someone nearby exclaimed, "Look, how romantic!" She looked up to see a large screen on a plaza broadcasting Alexander's wedding live. The wedding was spectacular, worthy of being called the wedding of the century. Center stage stood Victoria in her wedding dress and Alexander in his black tuxedo—they looked perfectly matched. Discussions arose around her: "What a fairy-tale romance! They're absolutely perfect together!" "Right? I heard the groom spent an astronomical amount on the wedding—he's treating her like a princess. So envious!" On screen, they began exchanging rings. Alexander had removed his ring, and the tan line from years of wearing it was covered with foundation. Next came the groom kissing the bride. Sophia lowered her aching neck and adjusted her baseball cap. Exclamations continued around her. She had watched his wedding, but she wasn't the bride. Sophia smiled bitterly, wiping away an unexpected tear before hailing a cab to the airport, where while waiting in the departure lounge, she inexplicably clicked on a celebrity gossip notification only to see her own name staring back at her. Her name was sandwiched between the newlywed couple's, with the source claiming she was a mistress who had seduced Alexander and destroyed their relationship. So this had happened after all—she'd become the reviled other woman. "How shameless is this woman!" "Seriously? This random chick thought she could land a Sterling? She's delusional." The insults came from nearby. Sophia knew they hadn't recognized her, but she still felt exposed. She wouldn't defend herself. After today, Sophia Bennett would cease to exist, and she'd be free of everything from her past. Thirty minutes before takeoff, she stood and walked toward the gate. On her way, fragments of conversation reached her ears: "Why did the groom leave the reception?" "How could he abandon his bride and run off?" But she continued walking steadily toward the boarding gate. As the plane took off, she left everything behind to start a new life.