Chapter 1

The day I caught Joel Kemper in bed with another woman, she slashed up her own face. Joel pulled her tightly into his arms, refusing to let me see her no matter how hysterical I got.

His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me.

"This is all my fault, Valerie. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'm begging you. Don't go after her."

After that day, Joel gave up every shred of privacy. He handed over his phone every day and even installed hidden cameras throughout his car.

If a female patient so much as texted him, I would question him over and over, and he never once complained. He went along with everything, asking only that I take him back.

Then, three days before our wedding, I went to pick up my dress, only for the sales associate to stare at me in confusion.

"Ms. Clayton, you already picked up your wedding dress this morning. I actually just saw a video from your ceremony online."

She pulled up the clip.

The same friends of Joel's, who had still been acting like I was the one he was going to marry yesterday were now handing the rings to the bride and groom, with several of our mutual friends standing nearby.

Joel leaned toward the bride with a smile and murmured tenderly, "I love you, Daphne."

The name, and the face that looked exactly like mine, left me frozen in place.

Chapter 1

A loud ringing filled my ears. My face went pale as I stared at the familiar rose tattoo on the bride's shoulder.

My best friend, Daphne Ferguson, got it on her left shoulder years ago after a devastating heartbreak. I tried everything I could to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen.

No matter how many times I asked, she refused to tell me who the man was. She would only cry and say, "I just wanted something I could hold on to. Valerie, you have everything. You don't know what it's like to love someone you can't have."

Now I finally understood. The man she could never have was my fiancé, Joel Kemper.

My knees nearly gave out, and I almost collapsed.

For the past three years, whenever I fell apart, Daphne always answered my messages right away and comforted me, but she never once came to see me.

I thought she was too busy with her work assignment out of town to get away. It never crossed my mind that she was the woman from three years ago, the one who would rather cut up her own face than let me see who she was.

Ignoring the sales associate's concerned look, I stumbled out of the bridal store and rushed straight to the wedding venue.

The moment I got out of the car, I heard Joel's friend, Edward Rogers, talking.

"Aren't you worried Valerie will find out?"

Joel fell silent for a moment before answering.

"Daphne scarred her face because of Valerie. Giving her this wedding is the least I can do to make it up to her. As for Valerie, I need you guys to keep covering for me."

Edward patted him on the shoulder.

"Of course. If Valerie hadn't pushed Daphne so hard back then, none of this would've happened. We wouldn't have had to worry about Daphne losing it, and she never would've cut up her own face. If you ask me, Valerie was the one who took things too far."

Alyssa Hart, the student I had been financially supporting, immediately chimed in.

"Don't worry, Dr. Kemper. We've got you covered. Just relax and enjoy your honeymoon with Ms. Ferguson for the next few days."

Then she pulled out her phone and sent me a message as naturally as if she had done it a hundred times before.

[Dr. Kemper has clinical training with the interns for the next few days, so he'll be staying at the hospital. Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he behaves himself.]

Tears fell onto my screen before I could stop them.

I scrolled back through the hundreds of messages they had sent me over the years, all supposedly keeping me updated on where Joel was. Now every single one felt like a slap in the face.

For three years, the people closest to me had all worked together to make a fool out of me.

Edward suddenly seemed to remember something, and his expression changed.

"There were so many guests here just now. What if Valerie sees a video someone posted? I'll go take care of it."

He had barely started to stand when Daphne stopped him.

"Don't worry."

Her voice stayed soft.

"Valerie found little things Joel and I accidentally left behind before. But every time she checked the security footage, all she saw was my face, and I looked exactly like her. After a while, she started thinking she was losing her mind."

Her casual words hit me so hard that my mind went blank.

I caught Joel cheating on me in a hotel during our tenth year together. The condoms scattered across the floor and the sight of their bodies tangled together nearly destroyed me.

After that, I became obsessed with keeping track of Joel's every move. If he came home even a minute late, I would fall apart.

And every time, Joel stood there with bloodshot eyes, exhausted but endlessly patient, letting me strip him down and check him before handing me his phone so I could go through it.

He would hold me and swear there was no other woman, that everything I thought I saw was just in my head.

Back then, I was constantly on edge and barely slept. There were times when I really started to believe something was wrong with me.

Now, the truth was right in front of me. My own face was the perfect cover for everything they did.

My stomach lurched. I couldn't hold it back anymore and bent over, throwing up on the ground.

Then I heard Alyssa's voice again.

Chapter 2

Alyssa wrapped Daphne in a sympathetic hug, then turned to Joel, clearly upset on her behalf.

"Ms. Ferguson has sacrificed so much for you. Can't you just tell Valerie the truth and take her somewhere far away?"

Joel froze, his expression unreadable. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Valerie...saved my life. I'll owe her for the rest of mine."

Watching the conflict on his face, I suddenly thought back to all those years ago.

Joel was someone I took in.

Winters over here were brutally cold. His parents had both remarried and started new families, leaving him with nowhere to go. He could only curl up beneath the eaves of my house to escape the freezing wind.

Being abandoned had forced him to grow up fast. He held the bowl of plain noodles I gave him in both hands for a long time before quietly asking what I wanted in return.

My house was huge, but it was lonely. I didn't want anything from him. I just wanted someone to keep me company.

From then on, he followed me everywhere like a shadow.

From the time we were eight until we turned eighteen, he grew quieter and more reserved. Even when he finally told me how he felt, he blushed so hard that he could barely get the words out.

I was a picky eater, but he always found ways to make food I would actually eat. If my stomach started hurting in the middle of the night, he would wake up right away and get me medicine and water.

At first, Daphne looked down on him. She said he wasn't good enough for me, and that all he had to offer were those little acts of kindness.

Whenever Daphne made a dig at him, Joel gave it right back. The two of them were always bickering.

I tried to keep the peace for a while, but eventually, I gave up. I figured they only fought so much because they both cared about me.

After all, one was my best friend who had protected me since we were kids, and the other was the man who always put me first.

Then one day, Daphne crossed the wrong people and got cornered in an alley by a group of thugs.

Joel, who was usually calm and controlled, knocked over a table in his panic and ran out without even looking back.

By the time I got there, Joel, who almost never fought, was going after those men like he had lost his mind. His lip was split, and he was covered in bruises and cuts.

I didn't stop to wonder why he was acting so out of character. I rushed in to protect him, only to get shoved into the street during the struggle and hit by a car.

I lost both my legs in the accident.

Joel stood in front of my parents, who looked like they had aged ten years overnight, and promised them he would never betray me.

Daphne held me and cried until her eyes were swollen, promising she would stay by my side until I learned to walk again.

The day I first put on my prosthetic legs, both of them had tears in their eyes.

Back then, I thought they were hurting for me. Now, I knew they were grieving a love they could never openly admit to.

Daphne's voice pulled me out of the memory.

"Joel, have we done something awful to Valerie?"

Everyone immediately rushed to reassure her.

"This isn't your fault. Valerie's the one who made things so difficult.

"If she weren't so emotionally fragile, none of us would've had to go this far just to keep the truth from her and avoid setting her off."

Joel said nothing. He only pulled Daphne into his arms.

It felt like someone had wrapped a fist around my heart and squeezed. Every breath hurt.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and sent him a message.

[You once told me that if you ever betrayed me, you'd give me a big gift. Does that still count?]

His reply came almost immediately.

[Yes.]

I stared at that single word, wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes, then stepped out and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Tell me. Whose fault is this?"

Chapter 3

The moment Joel saw me, his expression changed. He instinctively took a step toward me, his lips parting, but he didn't say anything.

I gave a bitter smile and turned to Daphne.

"Or do you think this is somehow my fault, too?"

Daphne went pale, her fingers tightening around the skirt of her wedding dress.

I stared at the gown I helped design myself, the one I had imagined wearing down the aisle countless times.

I always pictured myself marrying Joel in it, with Daphne standing beside me and giving us her blessing.

But now, she was the one wearing it, and she was the one marrying Joel.

"Valerie, I'm sorry. I just..."

Daphne's eyes reddened as she struggled to explain.

"You just what? Couldn't help yourself from going after my fiancé? You're unbelievable!"

All the hurt and anger I had been holding back finally exploded. Before I even realized what I was doing, I slapped her across the face.

Daphne recoiled, the last bit of color draining from her face.

Joel immediately stepped in front of her and snapped at me. "Valerie! What the hell is wrong with you?"

But Daphne pushed him aside. "Don't yell at her!"

Still trembling, she reached for my hand, her voice choked with tears.

"This is my fault. If you want to hit me, go ahead. I won't fight back."

The second her fingers touched me, nausea hit me again, and I yanked my hand away on instinct.

"Don't touch me!"

The sudden movement sent Daphne stumbling back several steps before she fell to the floor.

She immediately grabbed her stomach, her face twisting in pain.

Before I could react, someone shoved me hard.

"Valerie! Are you out of your mind? Just because you can't have children, you want Daphne to lose hers, too? She scarred her own face and spent three years keeping everything from you because we were all worried you'd fall apart. How can you blame her for that?"

Joel completely lost it, shouting at me with nothing but disgust on his face. Then he bent down, lifted Daphne into his arms, and carried her away without looking back.

Edward glared at me. "Do you even know Daphne's pregnant? If anything happens to that baby, Joel will never forgive you!"

Even Alyssa looked at me with disappointment. "You went too far."

I sank to the floor and watched numbly as they hurried after Joel. It felt like all the strength had drained out of me.

They seemed to have forgotten that Joel and I had lost a baby, too.

It happened five years ago.

Daphne had just opened her own studio, and I wanted to help her get established, so I agreed to be her demonstration model and went with her from one medical equipment company to another.

I pushed myself too hard, barely ate, and spent days running from one company to another without realizing I was pregnant.

By the time I found out, I had already lost the baby.

Joel was devastated. He completely lost control, cornered Daphne against the wall, and demanded to know if she had done it on purpose.

I was still weak from the miscarriage, but I pulled him away and begged him not to blame her.

In the end, he held me tightly and kept repeating through his tears, "We would have another baby someday."

His tears felt hot against my neck.

Now, as I watched him walk away without even looking back, a chill ran through my entire body. I couldn't hold myself up anymore and collapsed.

When I woke up, Joel was sitting beside my bed. His expression shifted when he met my blank stare.

"The doctor said you need to rest."

He held out a glass of water and medicine, trying to help me take them. I looked at him, then raised my hand slightly. The water spilled across his clothes.

His brows drew together, but he didn't say a word.

When I tried to get out of bed, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Take it out on me however you want, but you can't go downstairs right now."

His grip tightened, and the look on his face made it seem like he was terrified I might see something.

Just then, something shattered in the living room downstairs. A familiar angry voice followed.

My heart clenched. I yanked my wrist free and rushed downstairs, but the second I saw what was happening in the living room, my whole body went cold.

Chapter 4

Daphne stood in the middle of the shattered porcelain, still wearing a sleep dress. My parents stood across from her.

Joel rushed over and quickly checked her over. "Daphne, are you hurt?"

"Daphne?"

My parents exchanged a look. Before they could even ask why her face looked exactly like mine, they noticed that she and Joel were holding hands, and their expressions immediately darkened.

"Joel, what is going on?"

Joel fell silent for a moment, then tightened his grip on Daphne's hand. "It's exactly what it looks like."

Dad's chest heaved, and he nearly collapsed. "Have you lost your mind? How could you do this to Valerie?"

Mom steadied him and glared furiously at the two of them.

Daphne suddenly stepped forward, her face pale. "Mr. and Mrs. Clayton, this is all my fault. I'm the one who betrayed Valerie. Please, I'm begging you. Let us be together."

Joel immediately pulled her to her feet, then turned to my parents, his voice cold.

"I know I've hurt Valerie. I'll come back another day and apologize properly. But Daphne's still early in her pregnancy and needs to rest, so right now, I need you to leave."

Years ago, Joel stood in front of my parents and promised he would always take care of me, telling them they could trust him with me.

Dad had a heart condition, so I was afraid the stress would be too much for him. I never told him about Joel's affair.

Now, without any warning, he found out Joel was involved with the girl he had watched grow up and treated like another daughter.

Worse, Daphne had changed her face to look exactly like mine, almost as if she wanted to take my place completely.

"H-How could you do this to Valerie?"

Dad's eyes widened. The shock was too much for him, and he suddenly collapsed.

"Dad!" I rushed forward and shoved Daphne out of my way. "Move!"

Daphne froze and stumbled back.

Joel's expression turned cold as he immediately pulled her behind him.

"Valerie! Do you have to be so heartless?"

But by then, I didn't care what he thought. We rushed Dad to the hospital, only to find out every operating room was in use and we had to wait.

The minutes dragged by, and Dad kept getting worse.

Then I suddenly remembered that the hospital could open an emergency operating room for an employee's immediate family.

But when I brought it up, the nurse looked at me with obvious contempt.

"Dr. Kemper's wife is in the room next door being treated for pregnancy complications. What exactly is your relationship to him? If you need an operating room, you'll have to wait like everyone else."

I froze.

Dad's breathing grew weaker by the second. He was in so much pain he could barely speak, while Mom sobbed beside him and begged me to do something.

I couldn't think about anything else anymore. I rushed straight to Joel's room.

I barely got the words out about Dad before Daphne burst into tears.

"Valerie, I know you hate me, but I might already be losing my baby. Isn't that punishment enough? Do I really have to die before you'll forgive me?"

Whatever hesitation Joel still had disappeared. He turned to Daphne and took her hand, his face full of concern.

"Go back. Once Daphne settles down, I'll go check on your dad."

I stared at him like I didn't even know who he was anymore.

Joel frowned when he saw my expression.

"Don't look at me like that. If you hadn't upset Daphne earlier, she wouldn't be having complications right now..."

His voice suddenly stopped when he saw me slapping myself across the face.

"Is this enough? Will you save my dad now?"

I hit myself again, then again, each slap harder than the last until my cheek burned and my ears rang.

Right then, my phone lit up. It was a message from the nurse.

[I'm sorry. We couldn't save him. His heart stopped. The woman who was with him couldn't handle the shock and jumped from a window.]

Something inside me snapped, and with it, whatever was left of my heart seemed to die, too.

I didn't care about my swollen face. I couldn't even remember how many times I stumbled on my way downstairs.

All I knew was that the moment I saw Mom lying there, something inside me broke for good.

"Mom, wake up..."

I took her cold hand and gave it a small shake.

But the woman lying motionless in my arms would never touch my face again or call me "Sweetie" in that soft, loving voice.

I slowly got to my feet. The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn't even cry anymore.

Then I stumbled forward.

"Dad, Mom... I'm coming..."

By the time Joel found out what happened and rushed out of the hospital, his eyes went red at the sight in front of him.

"Valerie!"