My Husband Replaced His Twin and Married His Brother’s Wife

After three years of marriage, Darren couldn't bear to let his sisterinlaw live as a young widow, so he decided to take both wives under one roof.

Behind the back of his wife, who loved him like her life depended on it, he took on his younger brother's identity and spent his days entangled with his lover, his sisterinlaw.

By the second month of sharing a bed, the sisterinlaw was already pregnant. Darren spoke coldly, "Zaylee has always been pampered. The three daily meals are now your responsibility to serve."

When Joanna found out the truth, she neither argued nor cried. She simply counted down the days until her departure.

Later, Darren realized he could no longer find his wife.

All she left him was a divorce agreement and a fully formed stillborn child.

——

Three months after Darren died in a car accident, his twin brother Drake Grive returned from the military.

Joanna had knelt at the graveyard in the rain all afternoon. As she entered the Grive Residence, supporting her swollen belly, she overheard joyful chatter from inside.

Her wicked motherinlaw, Garcia, was beaming with delight, holding the hands of her sisterinlaw, Zaylee and a man.

“Wonderful! My son is finally back! Our plan went perfectly. That pitiful Joanna acted like she was dying every day. She even tried to kill herself ninetynine times for your sake until she found out she was pregnant with your child and only then did she calm down.”

At first, Joanna thought the man was Darren's younger brother, Drake. But when she saw his face clearly, a blinding light flashed through her mind and she froze on the spot.

‘Plan? What plan?’

Under the lights, the man spoke calmly, as if he didn’t care at all.

“Joanna is my official wife, chosen by me as the Grive Family's primary madam after weighing all pros and cons. She’s the hardworking type, always the most sensible.”

Garcia’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful. “Before your brother died, he begged you to take care of Zaylee. If it weren’t for his dying wish, how could I have gone so far with this scheme? Fortunately, you two brothers look so much alike. It’s enough to pass for the real thing!”

“You first took on his identity to give your sisterinlaw a child. Consider it borrowed seed. After all, with a child, a woman can secure her place in the household!”

Hearing this, Zaylee shyly lowered her head, then suddenly pouted and said teasingly, “But what if your wife finds out about this ‘borrowed seed’ plan and wants to divorce you?”

Darren curled his lips into a cold smile, his eyes indifferent, his tone full of absolute certainty.

“Joanna cut ties with her poor family for me long ago. Without me, where could she possibly go?”

The words pierced her heart like a knife. Joanna’s nails dug hard into her palms, but her mind was unusually clear.

Sleeping pills, drowning in the bathtub, slitting her wrists through the pain, jumping from a tall building, endless gossip…

After Darren faked his death, she had done countless foolish things for this man.

And in the end?

This was how he repaid her.

The moment she stepped into the hall, Darren seemed to tense up completely. But Joanna acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Zaylee sweetly clung to Darren’s arm as they walked over. “Joanna! This is Drake! You two haven’t met yet, right?”

Under Joanna’s numb gaze, Darren hesitated for a moment before calling out, “Joanna... We’re all heartbroken about my brother’s death. You should take care of yourself too for the sake of the baby.”

‘The baby?’

Joanna laughed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes. What a pathetic performance, yet she had no choice but to pretend she knew nothing.

At the dinner table, Garcia placed a greasy bowl of pig’s trotter soup in front of her.

“What you need to do now is focus on your health. This tonic soup is excellent. It’s the best for boosting milk production!”

“If, heaven forbid, my eldest grandson is born and there’s no milk for him to drink, would you be able to face my son in the afterlife?”

Milk. Milk. Always about milk!

Joanna could no longer hold it in. With reddened eyes, she pushed the bowl away.

“Mom, I’m not some dairy cow raised by your Grive Family. I’m a person, a living, breathing person! So can you please stop…”

The sudden slap stunned her. Her cheek immediately swelled, burning with a sharp, stinging pain.

It was Darren. The man stared at her coldly. “Joanna, as a young person, you have no right to speak to Mom like that. My brother is gone, so I’m now the head of the Grive Family. Sometimes a bit of discipline is necessary. You’ll just have to endure it.”

A flicker of excitement flashed in Zaylee’s eyes, barely concealed. When a servant brought over a steaming bowl of fish soup, she deliberately stuck out her leg to trip the servant.

At the critical moment, Darren reacted quickly and pulled Zaylee into his arms to shield her.

The scalding soup, slick with red chili oil, splashed directly onto Joanna’s face, raising large blisters on her skin. She was a complete mess, drenched, humiliated, in pain.

A servant screamed. Only then did Darren lift his head, his eyes full of nothing but disgust.

“Joanna, go clean yourself up. How indecent looking like that…”

‘How indecent?’ What a choice of words.

Joanna closed her eyes and covered her face, tears slipping through her fingers.

At that moment, she finally understood. The man who once cherished and loved her had long since died.

He died three months ago. He died the moment he chose to abandon her to become someone else’s husband.

That night, sounds of a woman’s ecstatic moans echoed from the neighboring room, lasting until dawn.

Finally, Joanna dialed the number she knew by heart.

“Dad… I’m willing to listen to you. I’ll go through with the arranged marriage.”

“What did you just say?”

Joanna’s father sounded shocked, unable to hide his suspicion. “Weren’t you the one with so much pride? Three years ago, for the socalled ‘true love,’ you cut ties with the Spencer Family, swearing never to contact us again. You were crying and begging just to marry that man!”

“I heard that after you married someone else, the man from the Lowell Family… even made a public vow never to marry in his lifetime. Well then, if you finally realize your mistake, come back and proceed with the arranged marriage. I’ll see you in Larkhaven on the eighth of January!”

Countdown: 99 days until her departure.

The Grive Family hosted a charity auction.

Joanna arrived in a black evening gown, her face bare of makeup, her expression calm and composed.

Zaylee smiled sweetly. “Joanna, you're still pregnant. You really didn’t need to come. The Grive Family has me!”

“Drake, even if I asked for the stars and the moon, you’d still bring them down for me, wouldn’t you?”

The man fondly pinched her nose. “Of course. You’re my precious, obedient wife. Loving my wife brings prosperity. Whatever you want tonight, just say the word.”

The two of them flaunted their affection publicly, glued to each other, instantly stirring envy among the guests.

“Has no one noticed how Drake looks exactly like the late Darren? Even the way he dotes on his wife is so similar!”

“Oh my gosh! Zaylee is so lucky! They’re the perfect match—a talented man and beautiful woman!”

“Compared to Joanna, she looks so haggard since her husband died… It’s true that women really do need love to flourish!”

As the auction began, no matter what Zaylee coquettishly asked for, Joanna didn’t even lift her head.

Until the final item appeared…

It was an extraordinarily rare and priceless treasure named ‘Remembrance of Joan’.

The entire crown had an intricate design, adorned with rare pink diamonds, sparkling brilliantly under the lights.

Joanna froze like she’d been struck by lightning, staring unblinking as tears welled up and streamed down her face.

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

“What exquisite craftsmanship!”

“But why is it such a strange name, Remembrance of Joan?”

“You don’t know? This is the only surviving piece left by designer Camille Quarles before she passed away! She spent over ten years pouring her heart and soul into creating this crown. It’s truly a masterpiece!”

“Remembrance of Joan, Remembrance of Joan… I heard it was made to commemorate the birth of her beloved daughter.”

Upon hearing this, Zaylee’s eyes sparkled. “Such a romantic story! Drake, I really love it…”

When Darren’s gaze landed on the exhibit, he froze. They’d been married three years and Joanna had whispered about this jewelry to him countless times. Now, it was right in front of him.

The starting price was a million dollars. Zaylee raised her paddle and Joanna bit her lip, fiercely bidding back several times.

Just when things got awkwardly intense, Darren stood up and loudly announced, “Unlimited bidding!”

The entire room instantly erupted in excitement. Joanna’s tears were about to fall as she lowered her voice and looked at Darren.

“This exhibit is a relic left by my late mother. Please, Drake, endure the pain and let it go. I'm begging you.”

Hearing this, Zaylee’s interest grew even more. “Oh dear! What should we do now? I really like it too! Drake, do you remember what you said just now? You won’t disappoint me, right?”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Darren spoke, “Since Zaylee likes it, I’m determined to win the bid, no matter how much the other party offers!”

That dazzling crown was placed by Darren himself atop Zaylee’s head and the woman couldn’t hide her triumphant expression.

In the blink of an eye, Joanna had composed herself and nodded calmly. "Then congratulations to you and your wife."

"Of course. From now on, I will love Zaylee just like the designer loved her daughter. This crown is proof of my love for her," Darren said.

As he spoke, Joanna suddenly recalled how, back when they were dating, the man treated her with such care and caution. He hid his identity, endured everything, handed out flyers under the blazing sun just to buy her the only gold ring in the world, endured pain to donate blood so she could wear her beloved dress and even fought with his family just to marry her.

But now, the love that once belonged to her had been transferred to another woman.

Joanna paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Seeing that your relationship is so good, I can finally be at ease. Drake, I wish you and your wife happiness. May you two have a noble child soon and grow old together.”

Darren frowned slightly, his eyes quietly studying the woman before him, whose gaze seemed nothing but coldness. A wave of unease swept over him as if something vital in his life was slipping gradually out of his control.

By the second month of their living together, Zaylee had successfully become pregnant.

The Grive Family was very traditional and feudal. Even pregnancy couldn’t exempt Joanna from constant orders and strict rules. Battling morning sickness, she endured endless nagging from Garcia and had already become visibly worn out after three months.

Meanwhile, Zaylee only needed a single word from Darren to avoid any effort or hardship.

“From now on, Zaylee will be the Grive Family’s lucky star! You all must take good care of her!”

Though Joanna had long prepared herself mentally, the joy shining in Darren’s eyes as a new father still stabbed painfully at her heart.

During the pregnancy, Zaylee was very delicate. Darren stayed up sleepless out of concern for her morning sickness, personally cooked nourishing meals for her and the baby’s health and even, despite his cleanliness obsession, didn’t hesitate to catch her vomit by hand.

Zaylee carried his precious treasure in her womb.

So what exactly was the child that Joanna, five months pregnant, was carrying?

Back in the bedroom, Joanna stared at the wedding photo on the bedside table, suddenly feeling a sharp sting in her heart.

Once, Darren had pursued her actively. After they married, they even had two months of warmth and closeness. She had eagerly looked forward to carrying the fruit of their love and had imagined how the man would be after she became pregnant.

But now, things had changed, people were gone and all was lost. Before she could speak, tears flowed first.

After tidying up the couple’s pajamas, photo booth stickers and love albums, Joanna personally packed them all up and threw them away.

Behind her, Darren appeared without her noticing. When he saw the wedding photo, his eyes sharply flickered with surprise.

Then Darren grabbed Joanna’s wrist tightly, pressing her with a harsh tone.

“Joanna, what are you doing?”

“Drake,” Joanna sneered coldly at him, “Whatever I do is none of your business!”

Darren gritted his teeth, his dark pupils filled with menace.

“If my late brother knew, I wonder what he’d think from above. Joanna, you’re truly heartless!”

Joanna found it amusing. She instinctively pried each of Darren’s fingers apart, then turned and walked away.

“No need for you to worry about this, Drake.”

In the stairway, Zaylee was being supported by a servant. When she saw Joanna, she waved her hand dismissively, sending the servant away.

The woman curled her lips into a smug smile, her true nature completely revealed beneath her surface charm.

“Joanna, what are you pretending for? You’ve known the truth all along, haven’t you? How does it feel to watch the man you loved abandon you and be with me? Or maybe you still don’t know. Darren and I are each other’s first loves. Our feelings reignited long after you two got married. Even Drake’s car accident was a scheme we planned together!”

Joanna’s eyes widened in disbelief as she took a step back. “What did you say? You two disgusting lovers are utterly heartless! That was a living, breathing person!”

Zaylee stepped forward, pressing closer, smiling cruelly. “So what? He stood in my way! Even if it were two lives, what does that matter? If that bastard child in your belly stands in my son’s way...”

Joanna’s instincts screamed that something was wrong. She saw Zaylee suddenly change her expression, grab Joanna’s hand, then raise it. And with Joanna’s shocked eyes fixed on her, Zaylee slapped her own face twice, without using any force.

“Ah!”

The next moment, Zaylee fell like a falling butterfly, straight down from the second floor to the first.

Joanna was still stunned in place when Darren rushed over, furious. He glanced at the woman lying on the floor, then pushed Joanna forcefully.

Joanna, clutching her belly, slammed hard into the shelf behind her. The sharp metal blades cut open her forehead.

“Who allowed you to lay hands on Zaylee? No matter how jealous you are, you cannot harm an innocent child!”

Zaylee watched, tears streaming down her face, her voice rising in panic, “It hurts so much! Drake, will our baby be okay?”

Darren immediately scooped her up horizontally, holding her close and soothing her gently, but his eyes shot daggers at Joanna, as if wanting to kill her on the spot.

“Wicked woman! Despicable bitch! If anything happens to Zaylee and the child in her womb, I’ll make you and that bastard pay with blood!”

Joanna lay in a pool of blood from her forehead and the fresh flow beneath her didn’t stop.

Zaylee leaned softly against the man’s chest, flashing Joanna a provocative smile.

What a pathetic act.

Unfortunately, Darren left, not even sparing her a single glance.

When she opened her eyes, the sharp scent of hospital disinfectant filled her nose.

Nearby, a young nurse whispered to her colleague, "Both are women, but really, everyone has their own fate!"

"The second daughterinlaw of the Grive Family in the next ward only had a little fright, but the head of the family has been worried sick, guarding her room day and night, not even taking off his clothes to rest. He’s been so devoted, you can really ship a couple like that!"

"Unlike this one... I heard it was the servants who couldn't bear to watch and feared she’d die right there, so they called emergency services."

When Darren arrived, there was a hint of apology in his expression and he was carrying bags of nourishing supplements.

“Joanna, about what happened earlier... I was just so anxious that I acted irrationally. These tonics are my way of making it up to you. But you're allergic to peanuts, so be sure to check the ingredients carefully."

"Are you… and the baby okay?"

It was like a slap followed by a sweet date. What a clever trick. But Joanna wasn't buying it.

She forced herself to sit up and looked him straight in the eye. "Drake, how did you know I'm allergic to peanuts?"

Darren was stunned for a moment, his eyes evasive. "Mom told me, of course. When it comes to food, one has to be extra careful with pregnant women."

Full of holes! Garcia hated Joanna so much. How could she possibly remember her preferences and allergies?

Joanna quietly withdrew her gaze and looked out the window, her face filled with sorrow.

"When I heard the news of your eldest brother's death, I wanted to leave this world too, to follow him. When I swallowed a large number of sleeping pills, where was he? When I slit my wrists in the bathtub and blood flowed all over the bathroom, where was he? When I stood atop an eighteenstory building, the freezing wind cutting through me, where was he then?"

Darren's pupils trembled and he guiltily looked away. "I actually…"

Just a few seconds away from speaking, Darren’s words caught in his throat as a young nurse rushed in, flustered.

"Mr. Grive! Something’s happened to your wife! She found out you weren’t there and is threatening to slit her wrists!"

Darren still left. When Joanna’s close friend arrived, she was furious.

"Joanna, how did you end up like this? You’re not quite human, not quite a ghost!"

"How could the Grive Family treat you like this? You're the widow of their eldest son, after all! Once you give birth, just leave. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for some outstanding young men. Worst case, we find you someone new and you remarry!"

That night, when Joanna went out to fetch water, she overheard Darren and Zaylee talking in the room next door.

"Honey, the informant I planted said Joanna plans to leave after giving birth. She's even planning blind dates to remarry! A fickle woman like her really can't be trusted. She has no sense of virtue as a widow!" Zaylee said indignantly.

But unlike her righteous anger, Darren's expression was complicated and especially dim. He shook his head.

"Impossible! Joanna loves me so much. There's no way she'd be willing to leave me. Blind dates? Who else does she think she can marry besides me? Even if I die, she should remain a widow for me forever."

"Just in case!" Zaylee's eyes rolled craftily. "How about this… We knock her out and get someone to take compromising photos of her. If she ever thinks about remarrying, we can use those photos to threaten her. That way, she’ll never escape the Grive Family for the rest of her life."

Just one wall away, Joanna returned to her room, closed the door and slowly slid to the floor.

This time, Darren didn’t even pretend to care about any bond they once shared as husband and wife.

That very night, a nurse sneaked into her room and slipped something into her water cup. Joanna pretended to take a sip, then turned around and vomited everything out in the washroom.

In the dead of night, someone quietly slipped into the room, climbed into bed, wrapped an arm around her waist and began planting heated kisses on her.

Joanna’s eyes flew open. Without hesitation, she reached beneath her pillow, pulled out the fruit knife she had long prepared and stabbed without a word.

"Who…"

A muffled groan rang out as the drunken man staggered to his feet, bleeding from his abdomen and barely able to stand.

Joanna turned on the light, only to realize it wasn’t someone sent by Zaylee to take indecent photos.

It was Darren.

He had bribed the young nurse to drug her, crept into her bed to touch her, force a kiss on her and even attempt to violate her.

At this moment, his drunkenness outweighed the pain. Darren was still out of it.

“Joanna, don’t go on blind dates with anyone else, I’m begging you… You’re still carrying my child, how could you possibly marry someone else?”

Under the light, the man's eyes were filled with nothing but longing.

"You’ve got the wrong person!" Joanna calmly turned her face away, deliberately emphasizing each word as she called him by his current name.

"Drake! Look closely, who am I really?"

The night breeze sobered Darren a little. Just as he reached out, wanting to hold the woman in front of him, Zaylee suddenly appeared behind them.

A harsh slap landed squarely on Joanna’s face. Gritting her teeth, Zaylee pointed at her nose and shouted, "Joanna, your husband’s dead and now you’re seducing someone else’s? What were you two doing alone in the middle of the night?"

How ironic.

Joanna, who was once Darren’s lawfully wedded wife, was now being slapped by the mistress.

Joanna raised her hand high, ready to return that slap, but Darren grabbed her wrist and flung it aside harshly.

"Enough!" the man barked, now fully sober. "Joanna, I was just drunk tonight. Don’t take it to heart. Maybe I’ve been missing my brother too much lately and got possessed by his spirit, which led to such inappropriate behavior. As for Zaylee, she’s young and immature. It was just a slap, try to be more understanding."

Joanna suddenly laughed. Her lowered hand rose again. This time, it landed squarely on Darren’s cold, emotionless face.

"Oh? Since you feel so sorry for your wife, then you can take this slap on her behalf. Be more understanding? Sorry, that’s something I’ll never learn in this lifetime!"

On the day of her discharge, the night was deep and silent. Joanna, heavily pregnant, walked alone.

Suddenly, a group of men emerged in the dim underground parking lot. One of them covered her mouth and nose from behind and dragged her toward a van.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. Tied to a chair like her was Zaylee, crying bitterly with tears streaming down her face.

A man with a scar on his face lashed a whip down, causing Zaylee to instantly drop to her knees and beg for mercy. "I’m part of the Grive Family! I can give you however much money you want! Please, just let me go! I’m pregnant too!"

To her surprise, the men burst out laughing. "Pregnant? Both of the women we kidnapped are expecting? Well, that makes things even more interesting!"

"Drake took over the Grive Group and still owes us back wages. So don’t blame us for kidnapping his wife and child. But looks like our intel was off. We caught two women. Now tell us, which one of you is really Drake’s woman?"

Zaylee immediately denied it on the spot, "It’s her! She’s the one you’re looking for! I have nothing to do with this! Please, I’m begging you, just let me go!"

The rusted warehouse doors were suddenly kicked open from the outside. It was Darren as Drake, dressed neatly in a suit.

The rough ropes dug deep into Joanna’s wrists, her palms already bleeding. She looked up just in time to see Darren swallow hard, then he pointed directly at her.

"The one with the bigger belly is my wife. You all better take a good look."

"As for the one next to her… she’s my late elder brother’s wife. She has nothing to do with this."

"Let the innocent one go. As for the rest, do whatever you want."

In that instant, all the blood in Joanna’s body turned cold.

She let out a cold laugh. Sure enough, between the two women, he still chose Zaylee.

She had long stopped having any illusions about him, but hearing those words with her own ears still made her heart twist in unbearable pain.

"Do whatever you want?"

He was willing to abandon even his own flesh and blood for Zaylee.

Zaylee was handed over to Darren. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, holding the woman in his arms and checking her body for any scars.

But Joanna became the target of vengeance by desperate criminals.

The whip struck down, one lash after another, harsh and piercing, tearing the skin and flesh on her back. Yet Joanna endured it all silently without a sound.

What’s the use of crying? No one would feel sorry for her.

In the chaos, someone set a fire. The raging flames quickly spread and everyone fled in panic.

Joanna was tied to the chair, unable to move a muscle, her life hanging by a thread. Yet Darren’s heart and eyes were fixed only on Zaylee.

He only glanced at Joanna once, his eyes filled with inner struggle. But urged on by the woman, his expression hardened with resolve.

“Hold on a little longer! I’ll take Zaylee outside first, then come back to save you!”

“She’s carrying my child. I absolutely can’t let anything happen to her. Sorry!”

Holding Zaylee tightly in his arms, Drake turned and ran out.

The ceiling beam collapsed right in front of Joanna, blocking her path to escape.

“Darren…”

Before losing consciousness, scenes from three years ago when Darren was caught in a fire flooded Joanna’s mind.

Even though he was unconscious, she still rushed into the fire alone, carrying him out by herself, even sacrificing one of her kidneys to save him.

The boomerang of the past had now struck him right between the eyes.

When Joanna opened her eyes again, she thought she was in hell.

But the tubes inserted in her body and the running ventilator made her realize she was still alive.

After all that, how was she still not dead?

The doctor sighed, "Thanks to your luck and fate, you held on until the rescue team arrived. You inhaled too much toxic gas and were unconscious for three days and nights. Fortunately, the baby in your womb was saved!"

So, Darren really did disregard her life and death, right?

Joanna struggled to sit up, but the doctor ordered someone to hold her down, "Don't move! You just had skin graft surgery. Are you trying to risk your life?"

Her whole body stiffened, like falling into an ice cellar.

“What? Skin graft surgery? Who authorized this?”

Facing Joanna’s furious question, the private doctor’s tone turned icy cold.

“We only took instructions from Mr. Grive. He was worried that the wounds on your legs would scar, so he ordered us to take healthy skin from your arm and graft it there. We had to follow his orders.”

When Darren arrived, Joanna threw everything she could grab at him, screaming hoarsely, “Zaylee is a living, breathing person you cherish, but my life means nothing to you? You had no right! How could you perform a skin graft on me without my consent?"

The man frowned, looking at her coldly. "Joanna, stop making a scene. Please calm down."

Joanna laughed until tears came out, pretending to be calm as she asked, "Take a guess. If your elder brother were still alive, what do you think he would have done?"

A flicker of struggle flashed in Darren's eyes. He didn’t know what to say and his voice turned somewhat flustered. "Joanna, once Zaylee gives birth to the baby, everything will be fine! If my brother… had survived, he would’ve made it up to you. He wouldn’t have let you down."

Joanna said nothing. She simply looked at him calmly, her gaze as still and lifeless as a pool of dead water. “Is that so? Then the child and I will wait and see.”

Darren quickly turned away, but it felt like something was stuck in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Just a wall away, Darren’s assistant arrived as instructed.

Zaylee sat up.

“Darren, your birthday banquet with your twin brother is in a few days. Why don’t we take the opportunity to humiliate Joanna a little, just a small lesson. If something were to happen while the car is passing over the West Brigde…”

Before she could finish, the man interrupted her. He frowned, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. “Zaylee, how could you come up with such underhanded tactics? Is this really the gentle and delicate you I once knew?”

"You used to be so kind. Back then, you didn’t hesitate to donate one of your kidneys just to save me from that fire. I saved you this time, consider it repaying the favor. But now, why are you speaking of nothing but schemes and violence?"

Zaylee’s gaze flickered, then she suddenly pouted and wiped away a tear in a show of emotion. “I… I only did it all for you, for our child. I was afraid you’d get back together with her. I was afraid you’d leave me. I was even more afraid you’d be heartbroken if Joanna remarried.”

Leon, Darren’s assistant and longtime friend, exchanged a glance with Zaylee. At this moment, he also stepped in to mediate.

"Boss, don’t tell me you’ve really fallen for Joanna? This is just a minor punishment, that’s all. Back then, didn’t you only plan to marry her because you admired her capabilities? All these years, she’s only ever had the title of Mrs. Grove in name. You never truly loved her, did you?"

"I’ve seen with my own eyes how deep your bond with Zaylee is. She’s pregnant, how could you bear to let her feel hurt?"

Zaylee burst into tears again. "Forget it… maybe it was all just my wishful thinking. I don’t want to make things difficult for Darren."

At that moment, an image of Joanna’s once bright and innocent smile flashed through Darren’s mind, only to be quickly replaced by her current cold and emotionless expression.

He nodded, giving a stern warning in a low voice. “Just a punishment. Make sure there’s no danger to her life. No matter what, that woman is carrying the Grive Family’s blood. Nothing can be allowed to happen to her.”

Joanna stood at the doorway, her gaze dim. She dialed a number to the Spencer Family. “I have one last request. Create a lifelike corpse, modeled exactly after my proportions and appearance and real enough to pass for the real thing.”

If Darren could fake his death… then why couldn’t she?

Nine days left. The love story of Darren and Zaylee spread all over Jaskara.

When Darren spent millions to buy a necklace for Zaylee, Joanna took out the engagement ring he had used to propose to her three years ago. She rubbed it twice, then threw it into the trash without hesitation.

When Darren lavishly lit fireworks by the sea for three days and nights to celebrate Zaylee's birthday, Joanna contacted the most prestigious lawyer in Jaskara to draft a divorce agreement.

When Darren and Zaylee hung wish plaques at a temple, praying for each other and the safety of their unborn child, Joanna scheduled a termination and uterine clearance procedure for the following day.

After being wheeled into the operating room, Joanna lay on the operating table, drenched in sweat from the pain, trembling all over. The feeling of flesh being torn from her body cut deeper than any blade. After a rush of warmth, her once swollen belly deflated in an instant, like a balloon losing air.

Speculums, scissors, forceps… the placenta was separated and removed.

An older female doctor glanced at the bloodied mess in the tray and couldn’t help but sigh.

“What a sin…”

“Don’t look! It’s too broken and can’t even be wrapped in a blanket…”

Joanna’s vision was blurry as she clung to the tiny box, whispering words of repentance again and again, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Nine hours left on the countdown. For the first time in ages, Darren unexpectedly called.

“Joanna, Mom is holding a birthday party for me and my brother at the banquet hall. You must come!”

Joanna’s voice was soft and distant, echoing through the phone. “Mm, I’ll definitely be there.”

“At that time,” she added, “I’ll give you a birthday surprise you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.”

As the banquet reached its peak, Darren stood amidst the crowd in a tailored suit, laughing heartily among clinking glasses and lively chatter.

Time ticked by, minute after minute. As the event drew near its end, Joanna still hadn’t shown up.

A flicker of unease crept into Darren’s heart. He furrowed his brows and dialed Leon, his assistant. The line was busy.

Meanwhile, on one side of Jaskara’s West Bridge, the rescue team sent for recovery wore grim expressions as they rushed over.

Back elsewhere, Leon took a calm sip of tea, entirely unhurried. “Didn’t I tell you to delay things a bit longer? If she drowned, then let her soak properly. She brought this on herself by offending the wrong people. And besides… how dare you ignore Garcia’s orders?”

One of the recovery workers leaned in and whispered two sentences into Leon’s ear, his expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the riverbank, urgency written all over his face as he demanded details.

For this birthday banquet, Garcia had gone to great lengths, even inviting numerous media reporters. Bored and idle, they loitered around the entrance of the banquet hall, hoping for a story.

Suddenly, someone burst into the hall, panicstricken.

Leon was utterly flustered now, hesitating over how to break the news.

Darren sneered coldly, his lips curving into a mocking smile. “What is it? Did Joanna catch a cold, or did she drown? Do you want me to go invite her myself? Tell her this. If she doesn’t show up today, she never needs to come again.”

Under the watchful and curious gazes of the crowd, Leon could no longer contain the fear in his heart. He suddenly dropped to his knees.

“Mr. Grive, something terrible has happened! Miss Spencer really drowned! When the rescue team pulled her out, all that was left was a cold, lifeless body!”