The Secret to Falling in Love Again

On New Year's Eve, Mitchel threw Livia into the pool and she stayed there the whole night.

He questioned her, asking why she didn't climb out by herself when she had hands and feet. But he forgot that it was him who made her wear a mermaid tail, so she couldn't climb out of the pool at all.

"If it weren't for Malva kindly urging me, I wouldn't have come to see you! All you do is act jealous all the time. I don’t think you're ready to be the daughter in law of the West Family!"

Looking at his cold expression, Livia suddenly remembered the last time when she had endless arguments with Malva.

She was hysterical and Mitchel slapped her.

"Can't you stand it? Then break off the engagement!"

Livia bit my lip. "Fine, I'll break off the engagement."

Mitchel furrowed his brows, his face stern as he asked, "Are you really willing to?"

Later, his tone softened a little. "Actually, everything I said that day was out of anger. You don’t need to take it seriously..."

"I'm serious."

"You're throwing a tantrum again!"

Livia tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing out a bitter smile.

He didn't know that just now, she had sold her soul to stay alive.

Ten days later, she would forever be bound to another man’s side.

——

When someone pulled her out of the water, Livia’s body was frozen stiff.

Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were purple from the cold and her teeth chattered uncontrollably, making a clattering sound.

The staff hurriedly wrapped a blanket around her.

Malva, holding a glass of red wine, walked up with a calm demeanor, covering her mouth as she lightly laughed.

"Livia, you're so beautiful with such a good figure. No wonder the staff are so protective of you..."

Mitchel’s face turned cold as he ripped the blanket off her, sneering. "Livia, don't you have hands and feet? Can't you climb out by yourself? Do you know that everyone is waiting for you? You've ruined the entire New Year's Eve gathering with your antics..."

Before he could finish his words, he grabbed Livia’s hand, but when he felt the unusual coldness of her palm, his angry expression suddenly changed and his tone quivered slightly. "Are you... okay?"

"Livia's fine," Malva said, stepping in between them, looking up at Mitchel with a gentle gaze. "Mitchel, have you forgotten? A month ago, Livia took me to the island to swim. Mitchel, please don't be angry. After all, Livia didn't mean to leave me stranded on that deserted island..."

"It's just that it rained heavily that day and I had nowhere to take shelter, which is why I ended up sick for a month. It's really not Livia's fault..."

For a moment, there was complete silence by the poolside.

The atmosphere froze for several seconds before Mitchel released her hand, his voice cold to the extreme, filled with unspoken hatred. "Using the same old tricks again! I finally see through you! Livia, how could I be engaged to someone like you?"

Hearing the word "engagement," Livia seemed to snap out of her daze.

Her wet eyes looked at him, filled with confusion.

Mitchel's heart softened. Furrowing his brows, he took off his jacket and draped it over her.

The woody fragrance wafted into her nose and only then did Livia realize that she hadn't died.

She was the daughter of the prestigious Mayer Family in Holida City and since childhood, she had been betrothed to Mitchel, a marriage arranged between families of equal standing.

Her mother died during childbirth and she grew up under the care of Mitchel’s mother, Hailey, becoming childhood friends with Mitchel.

Hailey treated her as her own daughter and gave her whatever she wanted.

Although Mitchel appeared cold on the outside, he was especially attentive to her. Every birthday, he would give her a custommade piece of jewelry. At gatherings, he would even serve her tea and pour her water in front of everyone, treating her like the little princess of their circle.

From childhood to adulthood, her dream had always been to become Mitchel's bride, so she arrogantly drove away every girl around him.

She only waited for her 23rd birthday to marry him. But no matter how much she tried to guard against it, she couldn’t prevent Malva.

Malva was a poor student sponsored by the West Family. She resembled Mitchel’s late younger sister, which earned her his special affection. Livia, loving everything related to Mitchel, tried to be kind to Malva as well.

When Malva wanted the birthday gift Mitchel was supposed to give her, Livia gave it to her.

When thunder struck and Malva wanted to sleep in Mitchel's arms, Livia endured.

Until one day, after getting drunk, she lay on top of Mitchel, her clothes disheveled, twisting and turning, Livia could no longer hold herself back.

In the midst of their heated argument, she was hysterical and Mitchel slapped her.

"If you can't stand it, then break off the engagement!"

As her thoughts returned to reality, she trembled.

During her neardeath struggle, her mind was filled with a vast emptiness, when suddenly, a woman who looked exactly like her appeared.

The woman took her hand and said she would save her, as long as she agreed to marry someone else in her place.

In that lifeanddeath moment, she agreed.

Seeing her dazed and silent, Mitchel rubbed his forehead, his tone impatient. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes," Livia bit her lip and nodded. "Okay, I agree."

Mitchel was confused. "Agree to what?"

Malva also glanced at Mitchel nervously. "Livia, do you want to go rest for a bit?"

With a subtle shake of her hand, Livia looked up at Mitchel, speaking each word with utmost seriousness. "I agree to break off the engagement."

As soon as she opened her mouth, a metallic taste of blood flowed out. She wiped it with the back of her hand, revealing a hint of seductive red at the corner of her mouth.

Mitchel was momentarily stunned, seemingly not hearing clearly what she had said.

It was only that day, because of Malva’s injury, that he had been so angry and said he would break off the engagement with her.

But now, hearing her agree to it, an inexplicable bitterness rose in his heart.

He furrowed his brows, his face stern as he asked her, "Are you really willing to?"

Livia tugged at the corner of her mouth, but didn’t reply.

Mitchel frowned. "Actually, everything I said that day was out of anger. You don't have to take it seriously..."

"You don't need to comfort me," Livia interrupted him. "I'm not saying this out of anger. I'm serious. I'll break off the engagement and I'll bear all the consequences alone."

What Mitchel didn’t know was that she could no longer marry him. According to the agreement, she had to marry another man.

From now on, Livia and Mitchel would have no more connections. He could be with whoever he wanted and it had nothing to do with her anymore.

"You’re just throwing another tantrum!” Without giving her a chance to protest, Mitchel picked her up and carried her to the infirmary.

By the time the ship's doctor arrived hurriedly from the banquet, she had already developed a high fever.

Before administering the feverreducing injection, the doctor asked if she was allergic to penicillin. She opened her mouth, but instead of speaking, a gush of blood poured out.

It turned out that, while immersed in the freezing cold water, she had bitten her tongue to stay conscious.

When she was standing, she could still swallow. But now, lying on the bed, the blood in her mouth was nearly suffocating her.

"You... you're so badly hurt, why didn't you say something earlier?" Mitchel seemed frantic with worry.

Livia suddenly let out a mocking laugh, but as she tugged at her mouth, blood spilled over her.

She had wanted to speak, but had anyone ever given her the chance?

Previously, he had always been annoyed by her chatter when she was by his side, yet now, when she said she wanted to break off the engagement, he was suddenly so concerned for her.

Mitchel furrowed his brows, feeling a twinge of regret. He lowered his head and sat by her bed. He took her hand, trying to reassure her.

"Don't worry, I'll have the captain turn the ship around right now. We'll head back immediately and once we reach land, I'll take you to the best hospital!"

After saying that, he instructed the ship's doctor to give her the feverreducing injection and immediately contacted the captain, commanding him to change course.

This cruise was chartered by him specifically for the New Year's Eve gathering and suddenly turning back in the middle of the event left everyone astonished.

"Mitchel, I feel so dizzy," Malva swayed a little, struggling to stay on her feet.

Mitchel quickly released Livia's hand and rushed to catch Malva, his eyes instantly reddening.

"Malva, are you feeling seasick?"

Malva looked up, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I'm fine, Mitchel. It's just that after having a fever for a month, there are some aftereffects."

Mitchel's eyes dimmed, filled with deep concern. "I told you not to come, but you insisted on coming anyway..."

"But I wanted to spend New Year's Eve with you..." Malva's face grew increasingly flushed. "Mitchel, don’t worry about me. There’s just one feverreducing injection on this ship. Please give it to Livia first. I’m not important."

Mitchel quickly stopped the ship's doctor. "No, give it to Malva first!"

The doctor explained that Livia’s condition was much more serious than Malva’s. "The patient’s fever is almost 40°C. If we don’t inject now, it could cause brain damage!"

But Mitchel didn’t care. "She’s faking it. She’s always pretended to be sick before just to get my attention! Now, I order you to treat Malva first!"

He yanked Livia off the bed and picked Malva up, placing her on the bed instead.

"Now, treat Malva immediately!"

Livia was thrown onto the floor, her head hitting the edge of the bed with a heavy thud. Just then, the ship swayed and she was sent rolling into the corner of the room.

Photos and oil paintings hanging on the wall crashed down on her and she let out a faint groan, but no one paid her any attention.

Luckily, the captain quickly turned the ship around and an ambulance arrived at the port.

However, when the stretcher carrying Livia was about to be taken, Mitchel stopped them. "Send Malva first!"

The doctors dared not disobey him, especially since this hospital was owned by the West Family.

When it was Livia’s turn, the doctors discovered she had lost consciousness. Her body was covered in wounds and there were signs she had almost suffocated.

They forcibly pried open her mouth, quickly extracting the blood from her oral cavity, then administered the feverreducing medication.

Using tweezers, they carefully removed the shards of glass embedded in her body, piece by piece.

By morning, she was wheeled out of the emergency room and sent to the inpatient center.

Mitchel stayed by Malva’s side, sleepless through the night. When he saw Livia’s body wrapped in white gauze, a sense of confusion lingered in his heart.

"It’s just a fever. How could it lead to encephalitis? Why is her body all wrapped up like a mummy?”

He glared at the doctor. “What are you doctors even doing? What’s the point of the West Family supporting you all?"

Malva, weak and exhausted, lay on Mitchel’s chest. "Calm down, they all know Livia and whatever she asks them to do, they have to listen. They didn't have a choice..."

Mitchel snorted coldly in anger. "Is this place run by the West Family or the Mayer Family? She’s too full of herself. Does she really think I won’t call off the engagement?"

Malva’s eyes lit up as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Of course, in this family, it’s all about what you say, Mitchel. But when it comes to the wedding, that’s something your parents decide..."

Mitchel’s expression darkened and he fell silent.

His mother had always favored Livia. When he initially opposed the arranged marriage, he went on a hunger strike for three days, but his mother only took Livia shopping, saying Livia’s fate was so prestigious that the West Family wasn’t worthy of her.

He didn’t deny that Livia was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she was too spoiled.

He needed to suppress her and show her who was truly in charge of this family.

Livia hadn’t even been sent to the hospital before Mitchel’s bodyguards took her away.

She was placed in the attic of a villa.

Mitchel stayed by her bedside, coldly staring at her. "You’re really weak. Malva had a fever for a month and never needed to be hospitalized, yet you only had a fever for one night and are this badly off?"

It wasn’t until the caregiver helped her turn over that they discovered the bandages were soaked in blood. When the bandages were removed, they pulled off her skin along with it. Her entire body had no healthy skin left.

Mitchel's eyes turned red and he quickly took out his phone to contact specialists for a consultation.

Malva stood outside the door, pulling out some envelopes and stuffing them into their pockets.

She said, "With Livia in this state, she probably won’t make it. From now on, I’ll be the future mistress of the West Family, so you’d better think carefully about what you say and do."

"I want you to tell him that Livia's injuries are selfinflicted, that the brain inflammation was a misdiagnosis and that everything was planned by her to force you into this. Understand?"

The heads of several departments spoke in unison, stating that Livia’s injuries were selfinflicted and even the fever and brain inflammation were misdiagnosed under her coercion.

Malva's words dripped with feigned sincerity, her voice full of pity as she wiped away a few tears. "Mitchel, I didn't expect you to have lived all this time in the web of lies she so carefully spun. Livia never loved you. She only wanted to possess you because of your status as the heir to the West Family and she would stop at nothing to get you. Mitchel, don't be so heartbroken. I know you have feelings for her, but has Livia ever… “

The words hung in the air like a heavy weight, pressing against Mitchel's chest. "Don't you want to know why she immediately mentioned breaking off the engagement after getting out of the pool?"

The mention of breaking off the engagement was like a punch to his heart. It shattered the fragile remnants of his calm.

Mitchel immediately shoved aside the crowd, forcefully tearing at Livia's bandages and carried her into the bathroom.

He ordered the maid to bring ice cubes and poured them over her, desperate to grasp at any semblance of control in the midst of this chaos.

Livia lay motionless, her eyes tightly shut as the icy chill seeped into her skin, wrapping her in an unbearable, piercing cold.

Her mind flashed back to a month ago. She remembered Malva pleading with her to come on a trip to the uninhabited island. Once they arrived, Malva deliberately let the boat drift away. In a panic, Livia swam after it, desperate to bring it back. But when she finally returned to shore, Malva was gone.

Livia’s heart raced with panic as she searched the entire island, but no trace of Malva could be found. In desperation, she was forced to return alone and report the situation to the authorities.

However, when she got back, she found Malva unconscious in Mitchel’s arms.

Livia rushed over to check on her, but Mitchel forcefully pushed her away. His eyes were filled with disgust, a look that she would never forget.

For the past month, Mitchel had kept his distance from her, punishing her by refusing to speak a single word to her. But then, on this New Year's Eve, he sent someone with a message, asking her to meet him at the swimming pool.

As Livia carefully dressed up in the tightfitting dress Mitchel had sent her, she never imagined that the next moment she would witness him and Malva embracing by the pool.

She had always been afraid of water, but because Mitchel loved swimming, she had pushed herself to learn. However, as she fell into the water, she forgot to struggle. Her mind was overwhelmed with the image of her fiancé and another woman in a sweet embrace.

Her heart felt like it was breaking and she struggled to breathe. Desperately, she opened her mouth to cry out, but the water choked her and she couldn’t make a sound.

‘Help, Mitchel, save me!’ She pleaded in her mind, but the words refused to leave her lips.

As her consciousness began to fade, a final thought consumed her. ‘I will never love you again. I will let you go.’

After being rescued by the staff, she immediately decided to break off the engagement.

"Alright, Livia, you've grown some guts!"

Suddenly, she jolted awake, her eyes snapping open.

She looked down and saw herself completely naked, her body covered in ice cubes, while Mitchel was staring at her intently.

"Mitchel, I'll let you be with Malva... From now on, let's never see each other again!" Livia said.

Not sure which words triggered Mitchel, but he tightly gripped her neck, his deep eyes filled with anger. "Do you even know what you're saying? I only consider her as a sister and insulting her means insulting both of us!"

Even with her body covered in ice, the heartwrenching pain refused to subside.

The places where the glass had pierced her skin throbbed, as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at her body.

As Mitchel’s grip on her neck tightened, the suffocating sensation creeped back. She opened her mouth to speak, but blood spilled out instead.

As the blood covered Mitchel's hands, he immediately panicked, "What's going on? Didn't you say you were pretending to be sick?"

Livia forced a smile, her lips trembling.

However, this attitude seemed like a provocation to Mitchel.

After loosening his long, bony fingers for a while, he tightened his grip again on her chin. "What do you mean by never seeing each other again? You love me so much. How can you live without me?"

Livia tilted her head slightly, but her body was too weak to respond.

"Livia, are you causing trouble with Mitchel because of me?" Malva chimed in. "At first, you wanted to cancel the engagement, but after seeing him care for me, you selfharmed to make him pity you. So many doctors have testified that you’re fine. Now that Mitchel is treating you so well, why won't you just treat him properly?"

Mitchel sneered, an aura of hostility surrounding him as if he wanted to tear her apart. "Did you find someone else already, that’s why you're insisting on breaking off the engagement?"

Livia felt a stir in her heart. But she turned her head away, her expression cold.

Seeing her icy demeanor, Mitchel suddenly laughed, releasing his grip on her chin and smirked. "Whether we break off the engagement or not is not for you to decide. You don’t have the right to make that decision."

Malva tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Hearing Mitchel say that, Livia lost the desire to argue. Every time she tried to reason with him in the past, he only grew closer to Malva. Moreover, whenever she tried to defend herself, he always ignored her.

Realizing this, she smiled bitterly to herself. "Yeah, you're right about everything."

"You!" Mitchel was infuriated, glaring down at her with a cold expression before clenching his teeth and storming off.

Malva waved her hand, signaling the doctors to leave and personally poured a cup of hot tea for him.

"Mitchel, you know how bad Livia's temper is. When I used to accept your family's support, she even called me shameless..."

Mitchel's face darkened further, sneering sarcastically. "Why would she look down on you? Isn't she just a little better than you in terms of background? She's just been spoiled, a rich girl with all the bad habits!"

Malva timely wiped a few tears, speaking with a nasal tone to comfort him. "Alright, Mitchel, it's not worth getting angry over her. Livia's temper really is bad. Honestly, I think you should just break up with her and marry someone with a better temperament..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Mitchel interrupted her with a cold tone. "Whether we break up or not, that's for me to decide."

He sneered, his eyes softening slightly at the edges. "Livia is just stubborn and softhearted. She only said those things in the heat of the moment, no need to take them seriously. Besides, her dream since childhood has been to marry me. There's no way she'd really want to break up with me."

"She's been waiting for 23 years to marry me and her birthday is coming up soon. She wouldn't be foolish enough to truly fall out with me now. Besides, I think she's been through enough this time. Maybe tomorrow she'll come to her senses and beg me not to leave her."

"I have to admit, Malva, your method is really effective. I've noticed Livia has been much more subdued lately."

But as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of her bloodstained body and her indifferent gaze flashed in his mind.

His heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed, a mix of pain and bitterness rising within him.

Malva bit her lip, her hand holding the teacup starting to feel sore. She extended the cup forward and replied, "But Livia..."

Just then, the phone vibrated and Mitchel leaned back on the sofa as he swiped the screen.

"Mitchel, the custom wedding dress is ready. Would you like to come and take a look?"

Mitchel curled the corner of his mouth and said, "I have something to do, I'll go first.”

“Mitchel, let me get you a fresh cup of tea… ah, it's so hot!"

Mitchel stood up without noticing and the scalding tea splashed all over Malva.

He widened his eyes and hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the tea off her. But her fair skin was already red and swollen in patches, with her arm covered in cuts from broken porcelain.

"Mitchel, you don't need to worry about me, go ahead with what you're doing. It doesn't hurt..."

"You're covered in injuries, how can it not hurt!"

When they arrived at the hospital, a nurse helped treat her wounds. Using the excuse of going to the restroom, Malva slipped away.

A sudden scream rang out and several nurses scrambled to carry an unconscious Livia out. "Quick, get a stretcher!"

One of the kindhearted nurses placed a blanket over Livia. Shortly after, Malva arrived, slipping them an envelope and threatening them.

"You all know that I am Mitchel's true love and this woman is just a marriage partner. Even if something happens to her, it'll only make Mitchel angry, so no one can leak this information!"

"Malva, are you really okay?" Mitchel's anxious voice came from outside the door.

"I'm fine, almost healed. It's just that Livia..."

"Don't worry about her!"

Malva chuckled softly and whispered to those nurses. “See? Mitchel doesn't care about Livia at all.”

After saying that, she proudly pushed open the door to leave, but several nurses couldn't stand by and did nothing.

In the hospital, Livia developed a high fever and there were shadows on her lungs. Her body had no good skin left.

The department heads who had accepted the bribes all made excuses to avoid involvement.

Fortunately, an intern doctor, unaware of the situation, still did his best to treat her.

Mitchel took the wedding dress home, but couldn't find Livia anywhere. It was then that he learned she had gone to the hospital.

Her whole body was wrapped in thick bandages, only her mouth and one arm exposed.

Mitchel furrowed his brows. "What happened to her eyes?"

"Mr. West, Miss Mayer said she doesn't want to see anyone... so she asked us to cover them."

A heavy feeling sank in his chest.

She didn’t want to see anyone including him?

"Idiot! You just listen to whatever she says? As long as we're not married, she's not the future mistress of the West Family!"

How ridiculous.

They had been engaged for so long. It was Mitchel himself who had brought her to this hospital, introducing her as his fiancée and telling the staff to respect her as they would respect him.

But because of Malva, her position had plummeted.

Livia turned her head, pretending not to hear.

Mitchel's face darkened. "When are you going to change those spoiled habits? Even lying in a hospital bed, you still have such a bad temper!"

She remained silent. With her face hidden from view, an inexplicable unease settled in Mitchel’s chest.

"Forget it, I won't argue with a patient."

He sat down, sneaking a glance at her. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t suppress the flicker of guilt.

"Does it hurt?"

She remained silent.

"Livia, do you understand your mistake? Actually, I didn’t want to punish you. It’s just that you shouldn’t have treated Malva as a rival. I only see her as a little sister…"

Livia in the bed stirred slightly, but didn't respond.

A bitter feeling rose in her heart.

She pushed Mitchel's hand away, her hoarse voice catching in her throat. “No need to explain. It doesn’t matter to me anymore."

"No need for what? You’re not the one who’s been burning with fever for a month."

Realizing his words were too harsh, Mitchel paused and lowered his head to persuade her, his tone softening a little, "Actually, you've been punished as well. As long as you acknowledge your mistake and correct it, everything will be fine. In a few days, it's your birthday and we'll hold a..."

Before he could finish, Livia interrupted, saying, "I'm not in a hurry to get married..."

Upon hearing this, Mitchel's face turned completely dark. "You're not in a hurry to get married? You’ve been waiting for this for twentythree years. Everything is already prepared and now you’re telling me you’re not in a hurry?"

"Livia, you're still angry, aren't you? You're angry because I punished you for Malva, so you're deliberately saying this, right?"

Everything was ready?

Once, all she had ever dreamed of was being his bride.

But now, just hearing the word "marriage" made her head throb with pain.

She tugged at the corner of her lips, thinking that these 23 years of liking Mitchel, this biased and gullible fool, had been nothing short of a disaster.

"I’ve already picked up the wedding dress. In two days, we’re taking our wedding photos, so you must be discharged by then!"

After leaving these few words, he walked away without looking back.

Not long after he was gone, Hailey arrived.

Livia had no mother and Hailey had watched her grow up. Their bond was more like mother and daughter rather than a future motherinlaw and daughterinlaw.

Hearing Hailey's voice, Livia's tears instantly soaked the gauze.

"Come on, quickly take off the gauze blocking Livia's eyes!" Hailey ordered the nurse.

She then pulled Livia into her arms and comforted her, "My child, you've suffered. When I get home, I’ll make sure Mitchel kneels down and confesses!"

Hailey was not only closer to her than to her own son, but also helped her handle all the women around Mitchel.

However, after meeting Malva, who looked strikingly similar to her deceased daughter, she became somewhat softhearted. She even tried to persuade Livia to treat Malva as a younger sister.

But now, seeing Livia lying on the hospital bed, Hailey couldn't hold back her sobs.

Compared to Malva, Livia was the daughter she had raised since childhood. Although there was no blood relation, they were even closer than a biological mother and daughter.

Hailey felt deep regret in her heart. She shouldn’t have neglected Livia for the sake of an outsider.

To make it up to her, she specifically arranged a birthday dinner for five days later, planning to publicly gift her family heirloom that day. She also arranged for Mitchel to propose on the spot and even planned to hold the wedding the next day.

"Livia, it's all my fault! Take good care of your injuries and don't overthink things. As for the rest, I will take care of it for you!"

Hailey directly summoned all the doctors who had treated Livia to the hospital room. She questioned each of them with a cold expression, "My family supports you all to cure and save people, but you can't even cure the future mistress of my family!"

She then had someone bring Livia's medical records, carefully examining them bit by bit. With a loud slap, she slammed the desk.

"Alright, Livia's medical records are all vague and unclear. What exactly have you all been doing? You're all fired! My family can't afford to keep you!"

“Only this intern stays. The rest of you, get out!"

Hailey came from a family of medical professionals and this hospital was part of her dowry. It made her the legitimate owner of the hospital.

"It wasn't us, Miss Ritz ordered us to do this."

Hearing Malva's name, Hailey gritted her teeth. "I heard she's been causing trouble lately. I didn’t expect her to resort to such lowly tactics!"

Malva had intended to mock Livia, but when she overheard their conversation at the door, she was startled. Before she could leave, the sharpeyed butler spotted her.

"Miss Ritz is over there!"

Upon hearing this, Hailey quickly ordered for her to be brought in.

"Kneel down!"

Malva kept her expression grim as they ordered her to kneel in front of everyone. She simply couldn’t bring herself to lower her face especially in front of the doctors she had once bossed around.

She didn’t know who kicked her, but her knee buckled and with a thud, she fell to her knees in front of the hospital bed, locking eyes with Livia’s calm gaze.

A surge of hatred rose within her. "Apologize to Livia now!"

Malva’s eyes flickered with coldness. Her hands, once supporting her on the ground, clenched tightly together until her freshly done nails dug into her skin, causing pain.

"Mom..."

Just as Malva was about to speak, a sharp, earpiercing slap echoed through the room as Hailey slapped her across the face.

She sneered coldly. "I'm not your mother! You're just a poor student we've supported. Your mother is still working in the fields in the mountains! If it weren't for Livia's kindness, wanting to sponsor you when you couldn't afford school, you would have already been sold to some village as a bride. How could you be living comfortably like this now?"

A murmur spread through the room and the gazes directed at Malva were filled with contempt.

Malva gritted her teeth and swallowed her pride. “Mrs. West, I didn’t cause all her injuries…"

Before she could finish her sentence, another sharp slap landed on her face, leaving five distinct fingerprints.

"Isn't it clear to you? If it weren't for you meddling with Mitchel, how could he possibly let Livia wear that mermaid costume and soak in cold water for the entire night? If it weren’t for you, how would Livia have ended up covered in injuries? And if it weren’t for you bribing these ungrateful doctors, how could they dare treat Livia like this? You designed this scheme to frame Livia and you deliberately delayed her treatment! What exactly are you plotting?”

The butler raised his hand again, but after a few attempts, his hand couldn’t move.

He turned around and found himself blocked by Mitchel, who was holding a thermos in his hand.

“Have you lost your mind? How dare you hit Malva! "

At that moment, tears welled up in Malva's eyes as she threw herself at Mitchel's feet, sobbing.

"Mitchel, my biggest wish before I die was to see you again. Now you've finally come!"

Die?

Mitchel supported Malva with one hand and upon seeing her flushed cheeks, his expression froze.

"Don't be mad at your mom. It's Livia who hates me. She can't accept me. But even if I die, I don't want to leave you..."

Mitchel quickly walked to Livia's bedside and placed the thermos down.

After that, he slapped her hard across her face.

The crisp sound of a slap echoed, stunning everyone in the room and interrupting Malva, who hadn't finished speaking.

Livia’s head jerked to the side, her frail body collapsing onto the hospital bed.

Hailey never expected that her own son would actually slap Livia.

Fury surged through her as she clenched her teeth and swung her hand with all her might.

With a loud slap, Mitchel stumbled back. "Mitchel, you dare to slap Livia in front of me? I'll fight you to the end!"

Mitchel pointed at Livia and shouted, "You and your mother teamed up to bully Malva and now I'm asking for justice on her behalf. What's wrong with that?"

"You! Unworthy son! You don't deserve Livia!"

"Alright, since you say I don't deserve her, then we won’t get married!"

Mitchel's eyes reddened and the veins on his forehead bulged. He suddenly pulled Malva into his arms and kissed her.

In front of everyone's shocked gaze, he smirked and looked provocatively at Livia on the hospital bed. "Are you satisfied now?"

Malva, feeling bashful, placed her delicate hand softly on his chest. "Mitchel, how could you kiss me..."

"I kiss whoever I want!"

"Take them out!” Hailey couldn't bear the shock. She called security to drag Mitchel and Malva out.

Once the chaotic scene was over, she patted her chest to calm herself, only to notice Livia’s face was swollen on one side, with tears silently gathering and dripping down from her delicate chin.

Her heart immediately tightened with pain.

"I'm sorry, Livia, I failed to protect you. Your mother entrusted you to me and I swore I would make sure you lived a carefree life forever..."

She had once thought her son could take care of Livia for a lifetime, but now it seemed that her son was so foolish.

He couldn’t even see through Malva’s schemes and treated Livia so cruelly.

"Mom..."

Even though they were never truly family by blood, she had always called Hailey "Mom" out of gratitude for raising her.

"I just don’t have fate with him."

"Good girl, don't cry. When you cry, I want to cry too..." Hailey wept, not just for Livia, but for the years of sincere love she had wasted.

She wiped away her tears, her voice choking as she continued, "Your mother was my best friend. You actually have a twin sister, but she passed away young, leaving you all alone..."

Livia blinked her wet eyes in surprise, slightly stunned.

Before she had nearly drowned in the pool, she had seen a woman who looked exactly like her. It turned out that it was her twin sister.

People said twins have a telepathic connection.

She pressed her hand to her chest, her heart pounding fiercely.

Not only had her sister saved her, but she had also arranged for her to marry another man in her place.

On the other side…

"This marriage must be called off!" Mitchel's grandmother shouted as she noticed the slap on her beloved grandson's face, her eyes filled with deep concern.

She was furious, leaning on her cane, determined to seek justice for him. "Your mother spoiled that girl too much! She's not even a relative, yet just because of a little bit of friendship from her younger years, she raised someone else's child and ruined the future of the West Family! Now, she's even hitting her own son for her. This is going too far!"

Malva hurriedly knelt down. "Grandma, it's all my fault! If it weren't for me, Mitchel wouldn't have punished Livia and Livia wouldn't have gotten angry and caused trouble with his mother. So, everything is my fault. Family harmony leads to prosperity, please don't be angry..."

Mitchel’s grandmother, Carmen, squinted her eyes, studying Malva. Seeing her small face bruised and swollen, her tone softened. "Out of everyone in the West Family, you are the most pitiful. Malva, you're so wellbehaved and sensible, much better than that arrogant and spoiled Livia!”

Upon hearing this, Malva lowered her head, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. But Carmen's next sentence caused her smile to instantly freeze.

"Unfortunately, your background is a bit lacking. Otherwise, I would definitely try to match you with Mitchel."

Malva was stunned for a moment, then quickly changed the topic. "But what about Livia? Her birthday is in a few days..."

Carmen's face darkened. "What birthday! Hurry up, have those people take down the decorations now! If we keep spoiling her like this, soon, the entire West Family will be at the mercy of that girl!"

Although Mitchel was angry, upon hearing about canceling the birthday party, he couldn't help but plead with his grandmother. "It can't be canceled!"

"Grandma, the West Family naturally listens to you, but Livia’s birthday still needs to be celebrated. She has been looking forward to it for so long..."

"Since I have the final say, then listen to me. It's just a birthday, so what? Is she going to die without it?" Carmen was furious, exasperated at their failure to meet her expectations. She struck her cane against the floor with a loud bang.

"Mitchel, just look at yourself. You’re completely distracted! I think your very soul has been hooked by that girl! From today on, you are not allowed to see her again without my permission "

At some point, Malva had knelt by Carmen's feet, gently massaging her legs.

"Grandma, it's all my fault. You can lock me up, but you can't keep Mitchel locked up all the time. This is the West Family, after all. If Mitchel, a dignified CEO, feels constrained in his own home, people would laugh at us if they heard about it..."

Carmen frowned and Malva continued offering suggestions.

"Why not just send Livia back to the Mayer Family first? I heard although her mother is no longer around, her father is still alive. They haven’t seen each other for so many years. He must miss her dearly."

As soon as he heard they wanted to send Livia away, Mitchel was the first to object. "No way!"

"Why not? I think this is a great idea! Let's do it!"

Carmen seemed to have made up her mind. "Mitchel, just look at yourself. You're completely devoted to that girl. But what about her? You and your mother have spoiled her to the point of being unruly. In the past, I turned a blind eye when she fought for attention, but this time, she nearly cost Malva her life! Between emotions and human life, which do you think weighs more? You decide for yourself!"

With that, she had someone help her to her room to rest.

Mitchel still wanted to argue, but Malva stopped him. "Mitchel, don’t make your grandma angry. Her legs aren’t in good condition and she had a stroke last time. The doctor specifically warned that she mustn’t get angry..."

Mitchel clenched his teeth, let out a cold hum and looked at Malva with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

"Why do you want to send Livia back?"

"I'm doing this for you," Malva’s eyes instantly reddened. "Otherwise, your grandma would never let Livia go. Sending her home is just to help her avoid trouble for now. Once some time passes and your grandma calms down, you can bring her back whenever you want... By then, you can do whatever you please..."

"Sorry, I misunderstood you." Mitchel let out a sigh of relief.

Feeling a bit guilty, he reached out to touch Malva’s swollen face. "Does it still hurt? I’ll have someone bring you some ice to reduce the swelling."

The phone buzzed and a photo popped up on Livia’s phone screen.

In the image, Mitchel was lowering his head, cradling a woman’s face in his hands, his eyes filled with distress and tenderness.

[You see that? Mitchel loves me the most! Even if you die, he wouldn’t spare you a second glance!]

Fifteen minutes earlier, Hailey had received a call. She hurriedly left after offering Livia a few comforting words, telling her to rest well.

But Livia had heard it. On the other end of the call, Carmen’s voice was dripping with sarcasm and scorn.

Carmen had always been dissatisfied with Hailey. Back then, when Hailey lost her child and decided to adopt her, Carmen was firmly against it.

She had said, "Even if you raise her, she will still return to the Mayer Family in the end. You might as well have your own child—only biological children will truly be devoted to you!"

Obediently, Hailey got pregnant and gave birth, but her daughter died young.

Carmen insisted that adopting a child had disrupted her fate to bear her own children and blamed her for the misfortune. She even tried to send Hailey away, but Hailey refused to leave.

From then on, Carmen directed all her resentment over the West Family’s failure to produce heirs onto Hailey and Livia.

Malva glanced at the man sleeping beside her.

Mitchel had just drunk the tea she prepared and was now in a deep sleep.