The mocking voices inside the room didn't stop.
"Still, Jasper, you're clever. You swapped that woman's vitamins with abortion pills. She couldn't get pregnant and had to resort to in vitro fertilization. If she find out that the embryos in the test tubes were actually swapped for Ruby and Steve Richardson's baby. She'd probably die from anger."
"Why should I care if she dies from anger? Once she has the baby, we'll just make up some excuse about the baby dying. She'll believe it's her fault for not being able to keep the child. It'll be her blessing to pave the way for Ruby's happiness."
He threw his lighter on the table, stood up, and warned everyone present, "Not a word of today's conversation is to get out. I want her to have this child quietly."
Gabe Lyons patted his chest and laughed, "Don't worry, Boss. That woman's as stupid as they come. We just call her ‘Sister-in-law,' and she thinks she's the head of the household. Every day she brings us food and drinks, and she still doesn't know that I was the one who picked out all the people who filmed the video."
Someone laughed loudly, "Gabe, you're so bad. Why didn't you pick me back then? I want to try…"
A fruit knife suddenly flew across the room, embedding itself in the floor between the man's legs.
The man who had been joking turned pale with fear.
"Did I ever say," Jasper's voice rang out coldly, "that Alice is my wife? Whoever dares to mention that again, I'll ruin them."
One of his subordinates sheepishly spoke up, "Boss, I can see you're not entirely indifferent to her. That woman loves you to the point of obsession. Aren't you worried she'll leave you once she knows the truth?"
Jasper sneered, "So what? If she leaves, I'll just have her get pregnant again through in vitro fertilization. I'll take care of her for the rest of her life. She's just a tainted, love-struck fool. A few sweet words, and she'll act like a dog licking my feet."
The room burst into laughter again, and I felt as though I had been struck by lightning.
I could only cover my mouth tightly, trembling as I swallowed my sobs.
The footsteps drew closer to the door. I quickly turned and ran downstairs, poured a glass of highly concentrated liquor, and gulped it down in one go.
The sharp burning sensation rushed to my head, and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.
I clutched my chest, and the words from the room replayed in my mind over and over again.
A week before the wedding, I was suddenly kidnapped and endured a day and night of torment that felt worse than death.
My fiance, Steve, held my hand tenderly, saying he loved me and still wanted to marry me.
But the wedding I eagerly awaited turned into a nightmare when a video of me being violated was shown to everyone. Steve abandoned me once again, and I became the object of public scorn and derision.
It was Jasper who stormed in, shot out the screen, and held me in his arms, forcing back the insults and taunts of the crowd.
He had ten boxes of gold carried in as a dowry, saying he had already fallen in love with me. If he couldn't marry me in this life, he would die with regret.
His determined gaze conquered me, but now, I realized that everything he did was to clear the way for Ruby.
No wonder, during the wedding, Ruby had looked at me with that strange smile.
I was kidnapped because Ruby had told me her car had broken down and asked me to pick her up.
She had known all along that this was just a trap set by Jasper for her.
She was mocking my stupidity, and gloating over having such a man who would do anything for her.
And all the care and love over the past three years? It was nothing but a hypocrisy, a fake act to squeeze the last bit of value I had.
I had mistaken the executioner for a savior. How foolish I was!
My fingers dug into my flesh, biting down hard, the pain and hatred churning inside me, while the tears wouldn't stop falling.
A familiar scent drifted down from above. Jasper kissed the corner of my eye tenderly, but his brow furrowed in anger as he yelled loudly, "Who the hell made my wife cry? I'll kill them!"
The hall fell silent, no one daring to make a sound.
Jasper pulled out his gun and thrust it into my hand, wrapping me in his arms and holding my hand. He scanned the crowd one by one, "Baby, if you don't like someone, just shoot them. I'll cover for you."
The people who were being stared at trembled like leaves in the wind, but not a single one dared to move.
In Vietnam, Jasper was the leader of one of the two largest gangs. No one dared to provoke him.
When the gun was aimed at Gabe's head, I stopped.
Gabe's eyes went wide in fear, his face as white as a sheet.
The words "I was the one who chose the people who filmed the video" echoed in my ears like a curse.
My chest heaved violently. As my eyes reddened, I was about to pull the trigger when the gun was lowered.
—-
"Sweetheart, the doctor said the IVF was successful, but we should avoid any contact with blood; it would be bad for the baby."
He spoke gently, with concern in his eyes, not a trace of insincerity.
I almost couldn't help but applaud his superb acting.
Seeing that I seemed upset, Jasper noticed the wine glass in front of me. He gently squeezed my hand and asked, "Sweetheart, how long have you been here? Why didn't you come upstairs to find me?"
His words carried a subtle, careful probe.
I lowered my gaze and replied indifferently, "You guys, a bunch of men, talking upstairs in that smoke-filled room, I don't like it."
He sighed in relief, reaching out to pat my head, and instructed the housekeeper to bring a cup of hangover tea. Just as the housekeeper handed it to me, he suddenly picked up a gun and shot the housekeeper in the head.
I didn't even have time to react before thick blood sprayed onto my face. The housekeeper's outstretched hand was still frozen in mid-air, and she collapsed, wide-eyed.
I trembled, my stomach uncontrollably spasming.
But Jasper was unfazed. He put the gun down and carefully wiped my face with his sleeve, then picked up the hangover tea and fed it to me, sip by sip.
I mechanically swallowed, my body shaking uncontrollably.
Out of the corner of my eye, Gabe ordered someone to drag the housekeeper's body out.
A winding trail of blood was left on the floor.
"She can't keep an eye on my wife while she's drinking. It ends up harming my son, there's no need for her to stay alive."
I looked at his cold, ruthless expression, my stomach churning.
Jasper tenderly touched my face. "It's all my fault, sweetheart. You've suffered so much. Now that we're finally having a baby, you can't drink anymore."
"This baby must be healthy, no matter what, understand?"
I took several deep breaths before forcing out a faint smile. "Okay."
But my heart was trembling with cold fear.
In three years of marriage, I had been pregnant six times, and each time I lost the baby for no reason.
It became a habitual miscarriage.
Six months ago, the doctor declared that I could never have children again.
Jasper was heartbroken, holding me and saying that it didn't matter to him if we had children, as long as I was happy and healthy.
I had always felt guilty for not being able to give him a healthy child. After much searching, I chose the difficult path of IVF.
My belly had been pricked with needles countless times, and I swallowed hormone pills by the handful.
Enduring all that pain, only to end up as a mere tool for Ruby's benefit.
Because she was afraid of pain, I had to permanently lose the ability to be a mother, reduced to nothing but a breeding machine.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell? I'll call the doctor right away."
"I'm fine, just some pregnancy discomfort."
Jasper's eyes turned red with worry as he gently stroked my face. "Sweetheart, you've worked so hard. I only wish I could bear it for you. When we got married in such a hurry, I had the wedding dress you love air-shipped. Before your belly gets too big, let's go try it on tomorrow."
I stared at him, his affectionate gaze. How deeply he looked at me, yet he treated me like a fool, deceiving me over and over again.
If he knew that I didn't plan to keep this baby, my fate would be no different from that of the housekeeper.
I forced a smile and said, "I'm going to rest in the room. You guys continue talking."
As soon as I returned to the room, I couldn't hold back and ran to the bathroom, vomiting so violently that my whole stomach twisted into a knot.
Tears streamed down my face, and the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.
After a long while, I managed to get up and leave the bathroom, just in time to notice Jasper's phone left on the table.
By a strange twist of fate, I picked it up. After trying just once, I unlocked it using Ruby's birthday.
The screen saver was a photo of Ruby leaning on his shoulder, smiling brightly.
I flipped through the photo album.
There were more than five thousand pictures, each one featuring Ruby.
He had saved them into four folders, each one labeled with a single word. Together, the labels read, "Love of My Life."
In their chat records, Jasper had once risked his life to hijack the queen's crown from Denmark.
I suddenly remembered that day when he had been shot twice and barely made it back. I had been the one to trade my mother's only heirloom, a priceless family heirloom Buddha pendant, to the royal family to get him back.
The reason? Ruby had casually said she wanted to enjoy the feeling of being a queen at her 25th birthday party.
Tears fell onto the screen, my heart torn apart.
It wasn't the years of betrayal that hurt so much, but the fact that I had sacrificed the only thing my mother left me for that demon who had ruined me.
Through blurry tears, my gaze fell upon the crescent-shaped birthmark on Ruby's right shoulder. I stared in shock, my eyes wide.
I had the exact same birthmark in the same spot on my right shoulder.
I remembered when I met Ruby, she didn't have that birthmark.
After I told her about once saving a bloody man while working as a volunteer doctor in Vietnam, she started to distance herself from me.
Not long after, she became Jasper's adopted sister, and Jasper had once said that Ruby had saved his life.
But Ruby was a coward who feared death, and she had never been to the war-torn Vietnam. She always looked down on it and belittled it.
I curled my cold fingers, an absurd guess gradually forming in my mind.
So that's how it is!
I collapsed to the floor, laughing and crying at the same time.
—-
After a long while, I wiped away my tears and composed myself before picking up a strange phone number.
"I have a ten-billion-dollar deal on hand. Are you interested?"
"What business?"
"Kidnap me in three days."
I gently caressed my stomach. "Jasper will be willing to pay this ransom with all his heart."
Just as I hung up the phone, the door opened, and Jasper walked in.
He had drunk quite a bit, stumbling slightly as he walked, but his grip on my hand was still firm, though his eyes were alert. "What's this you're saying about giving it willingly?"
I answered without blinking. "I saw a necklace I liked. The other party said I need to pay a deposit first."
He laughed and lowered his head to rest on my shoulder. "Alright, I'll pay, I'll pay. Alice, whatever you want, I'll get for you. I'm all yours."
I expressionlessly helped him to the bed and covered him with the blanket, lying awake beside him the entire night.
The next day, on our way to try on wedding dresses, Jasper received a call. His face changed, and he hastily explained, "Honey, there's a shipment that's been stuck. I need to go deal with it now."
He grasped my hand in apology. "I'm sorry, I promise I'll accompany you to try on the wedding dress tomorrow. I've already ordered our wedding rings. Let's go pick them together, okay?"
I pulled my hand back. "I understand. I'll wait at home for you."
He squeezed my hand gently before heading off once I got out of the car.
Less than ten minutes later, Gabe's car arrived.
As soon as I got in, a photo of Ruby came through.
She was wearing the dazzling diamond ring and the wedding dress I had been eyeing, kneeling on a man's lap.
His large hand was placed on her pale thigh through the thin fabric, and he was kissing the crescent-shaped birthmark on her right shoulder, his eyes filled with desire.
A message followed immediately.
"At night, when I turn off the lights, I imagine her as you so I can go on. Ruby, my good Ruby, I misses you. Please, show me some love."
The husky voice was followed by muffled gasps.
In the silent car, Gabe's mocking laughter sounded.
I was startled, realizing that the car was not headed toward home.
"Gabe, I'm Jasper's wife! What are you planning to do?"
The car screeched to a halt. I immediately reached for the other door, but Gabe acted faster, grabbing my ankle and dragging me out of the car.
The pain made me dizzy.
Gritting my teeth, I glared at him. "I'm carrying Jasper's child. If anything happens to me, you won't survive either."
"Idiot, do you really think Jasper would let such a dirty woman carry his child?"
A sharp laugh came from behind, and I suddenly realized that this secluded alley was not far from the wedding dress shop.
Ruby stepped on my face, her eyes and brows filled with delight.
Gabe walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing it forcefully. In my astonished gaze, the two of them embraced passionately.
After a long kiss, Gabe slowly spoke, "You must have heard that day at the door. Too bad, the child in your belly isn't Ruby's embryo. I just randomly swapped it with a poor beggar's bastard from a slum."
I suddenly raised my head, my pupils shaking.
Ruby laughed uncontrollably.
"Now you're dirty from the inside out. A bastard's child, a wild woman's mother. Alice, what's the difference between you and those from the red-light district? At least they charge a few bucks. You're paying to give birth to a bastard."
"Is one enough? Or should I stuff you full? Like a sow, hahaha."
My mind roared, the thick, metallic taste rushing up my throat. I screamed and grabbed a stone from the ground, wishing I could take both of them down with me.
Gabe kicked my stomach, and I fell to the ground, vomiting blood, my face turning pale from the pain.
But at that moment, Ruby suddenly took several steps back in fear and fell backwards.
Even though she didn't touch a single scratch, Jasper appeared out of nowhere, stepping on my hand and immediately pulling her into his arms. His eyes were filled with blatant worry. "Ruby, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
—
Ruby cried pitifully, her tears about to fall as she looked at me with a soft, tearful gaze. "Alice, I know I've wronged you. I just want to apologize to you properly and wish you and my brother well. Why do you have to hurt me like this? You know I'm only just a few months pregnant."
"Even if you hate me, the child is innocent."
She held Jasper's hand and, under his surprised gaze, whispered, "Jasper, this child is…"
She shyly lowered her eyes, hesitating as though she was about to speak but stopped, her meaning very clear.
Unexpectedly, Jasper didn't seem as excited as I imagined. He just stared at her with an unreadable expression.
Gabe, angrily said, "Boss, she, relying on the fact that she's pregnant, not only insulted Miss Blake by saying the child is a bastard, but also cursed her, saying she'd give birth like a sow, constantly producing bastards."
"She even threw stones at Miss Blake. When I stopped her, she threatened me with the child in her belly, saying if I harmed the child, you'd kill me. I don't mind taking a little suffering, but Miss Blake is so kind and shouldn't be treated like this!"
Jasper turned to look at me, his eyes filled with intense anger, telling me that no matter what I said, he wouldn't believe me.
"Alice, Ruby is my lifesaver. Didn't I tell you? Anyone who dares to touch her, I won't spare them, even if you're my wife and carrying my child!"
Carrying his child?
I shakily stood up and sarcastically laughed, "Jasper, tell me, is this really your child I'm carrying?"
Jasper's face froze for a moment, and after a brief moment of panic, he quickly turned the blame onto me.
"If it's not mine, who do you want it to be? Gabe, take her back and lock her up. No one is allowed to let her out without my orders."
With that, he took Ruby in his arms and left without looking back.
Gabe crouched down in front of me, holding two sharp steel nails in his hands, and laughed ominously.
"Ever seen the bone-breaking nails we use in our world? Just one of them, and your foot will be completely useless. You'll spend the rest of your life crawling on the ground like a dog."
I stared at him in terror but was unable to move as he stepped on my foot, driving the two steel nails directly into my ankle.
The pain was excruciating, and I screamed, my body finally giving out as I lost consciousness.
When I woke up, two days had passed.
My phone was flooded with Ruby's bragging posts.
The man I had never seen in three years, the so-called "big boss," was personally cooking for a woman, soaking her feet, and fixing her hair.
Feeding her mouthful by mouthful, with piles of beautiful gifts filling the background.
They were at an amusement park, sharing a piece of cake, their eyes filled with love, clearly showing their affection for each other.
I swallowed my tears and, with great difficulty, dragged my aching legs to take out the divorce agreement I had already prepared in the drawer, along with the injury report from eight years ago when I saved a man in black in a port in Vietnam, and a voice recorder, placing them all in the most obvious spot.
I struggled to climb up to the window, seeing the waves crashing below the villa. A small, inconspicuous boat had already paddled closer.
Just then, Jasper's message arrived on my phone, "Do you know your mistake now? If you come and kneel down to apologize to Ruby, she might forgive you."
"I've already pleaded for you, just behave and don't make things difficult for me."
I replied, "My biggest mistake was saving a man in black, who was stabbed eight times, at the Vietnam port late at night eight years ago."
After throwing my phone away, I jumped into the sea.
And at that moment, my phone on the ground began vibrating uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, in the hospital room.
Jasper glanced at the incoming message on his phone, but before he could read it, Ruby snatched it away. "Jasper, my stomach really hurts, could you make me some brown sugar water?"
Jasper frowned, somewhat impatiently, "It seems like it's a message from Alice. Let me check it first."
—-
Ruby, looking pitiful, handed the phone to him. "Brother, Alice knows you're good to me, but she's always jealous of me. She often insults me behind my back with harsh words. I know that my marriage to Steve hurt her deeply.
But that's her fault. She dressed provocatively and got herself noticed. When she got dirty, she wanted to drag me down with her. If she's sending messages slandering me, I'll accept it. As long as it helps her feel better, please don't argue with me because of her."
Hearing these words, Jasper usually wouldn't think much of them.
But after recalling the calm look in my eyes when I left a few days ago, he suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
He was about to refute when he saw Ruby turning her head, tears in her eyes, intentionally exposing the crescent-shaped birthmark on her right shoulder from the loose hospital gown.
Jasper's expression softened instantly, and he gently coaxed, "Alright, alright, I won't look at it anymore. I'll go make you some brown sugar water right now. You lie down and rest, okay?"
As soon as Jasper left, Ruby immediately checked the phone and quickly deleted the last message I sent.
Just as she was about to exit, another extortion message popped up.
"Jasper, I have your wife and child. I'll need 1 billion in ransom by 8 PM tonight. If you don't pay a single cent less, you'll get your wife and child's bodies instead."
This number wasn't unfamiliar to Ruby. It belonged to Jasper's rival black boss.
She sneered, curling her lips, and quickly typed a reply. "Alice's that broken thing isn't worth a penny. I've already gotten bored of her.
You can play with her however you want, but when you're done, just throw her body into the sea to feed the fish. I don't want her anymore."
Her smug smile spread across her face as she thought about how I would definitely not survive the night in the hands of the rival black boss.
Once I was dead, no one would ever know I was the real person who saved Jasper eight years ago. Then, she could shamelessly pretend to be Jasper's savior and claim rewards without any worries.
Delighting in the thought, she hummed a little tune.
Jasper, after leaving the hospital room, was planning to ask one of his subordinates to buy some brown sugar water. He ran into a nurse on the way and grabbed her, saying, "My sister is pregnant and her stomach hurts. She wants some brown sugar water. Hurry up and get a cup."
The nurse looked at him, speechless, and scolded, "Brown sugar water is for improving circulation, which is a taboo for pregnant women. You're a man, fine, but your sister doesn't understand either? Are you sure she's pregnant? She don't even know this basic knowledge!"
Jasper stood frozen, doubt flashing in his mind.
He turned and walked back to the room. Just as he was about to push open the door, he heard Ruby's proud laughter from inside.
"Gabe, thank you for covering for me all these years. Jasper believes that I'm his lifesaver, and because of that, all these years, he's been paving the way for me to become the young madam of the Richardson family."
Through the crack in the door, Jasper saw Gabe pinning Ruby to the bed, shamelessly ravaging her. Ruby didn't resist at all, instead wearing a look of enjoyment.
Jasper stood there in shock, his eyes wide as if struck by lightning, his breath growing heavier.
Gabe's laughter came through the door, "So how are you going to repay me? I risked my life to lie for you. You know how the boss is.
If he finds out that the person who saved him eight years ago was actually Alice, and that all these years, he's harmed the real lifesaver for your sake, he definitely won't let me off."
"And to get revenge for you, after you left that day, I drove two broken bones into Alice's ankle."
"Hahaha, so now she can only be a cripple for the rest of her life, right?"
The two of them laughed and played around, but then the door was suddenly kicked open with a loud crash.
—-
Jasper's body tensed up, his clenched fists bulging with veins, and his eyes, bloodshot and fierce, stared at the two of them as if they were prey.
Gabe was startled. He was about to curse, but when he saw it was Jasper, he immediately scrambled off the bed and dropped to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.
"Boss, you must've heard wrong. The person who saved you is Miss Blake. What I just said—just now, I was joking with Miss Blake."
Hearing his pathetic excuse, Jasper squeezed his eyes shut with force, a deadly and cold aura surrounding him.
"Broken bone nails! How dare you!"
He suddenly drew the gun from his waist and fired two shots into Gabe's knees.
Gabe screamed in agony, rolling around on the floor. Jasper crouched down, grabbing his neck, and ground out each word through clenched teeth, "Who saved me that year? Tell me, clearly!"
"Jasper, Gabe had an affair with Alice. I just discovered it, and he threatened me. You need to kill him—"
‘Bang…'
The bullet grazed Ruby's face, embedding itself in the wall behind her.
Jasper turned his head, ignoring her pale, terrified face. No warmth or pity was left in his eyes; instead, there was a shocking murderous intent. "Say another word about my wife, and I'll kill you."
Gabe, fully aware that disaster had struck, realized it was because of Ruby that he had ended up in this situation. This woman, who had turned her back on him, even tried to pin the blame on him alone.
He gritted his teeth and, dragging his broken leg, clutched Jasper's pants leg, crying like a drowned dog. "Boss, I was wrong. It's all because of that bitch Ruby, she seduced me, encouraged me to lie.
Eight years ago, it was your wife who saved you. She broke two ribs, had a crescent-shaped mark on her right shoulder, and was in the hospital for two months. After Ruby found out, she deliberately had someone make a fake mark that looked identical. She was impersonating her."
"Boss, it was I who was bewitched by this bitch. That day in the alley, she called your wife a bitch, and her child a bastard. I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Boss, please spare me!"
Jasper quickly picked up the words "wild bastard." He knew that Ruby was aware that Alice was carrying his child; she wouldn't have said her own child was a bastard.
A realization hit him, and it felt like his head was struck with a blunt object. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably. "The child in Alice's belly isn't Ruby's embryo?"
Gabe shook his head repeatedly, clutching at straws. "Boss, the child in your wife's belly is yours. Ruby changed her mind and planned to have the child die in her womb when your wife was about to give birth. She would tell you that your wife found out about the IVF truth and deliberately killed the baby, then cry to make you angry enough to kill her."
"This was all Ruby's plan. It had nothing to do with me. Boss, please spare my life!"
Hearing Gabe shift the blame, Ruby stopped pretending to be sick and jumped off the bed, punching and kicking him.
Gabe had a broken leg but was strong, grabbing Ruby's hair and throwing her to the ground.
The two immediately began fighting, cursing and revealing all the dirty deeds they had done over the years, trying to pin the blame on each other.
Jasper listened, his heart sinking further into despair. His heart felt like it was pierced by a sharp blade, and he whimpered in pain.
Three years. It turned out Alice was the woman he loved the most, and he had six living children.
The pain was unbearable. He roared, firing several shots.
The men outside rushed in, shocked by the scene before them.
Jasper, covered in blood, pointed madly at the lifeless Gabe on the floor, "Drag him out and chop him up to feed the dogs."
On the bed, his phone vibrated.
Ruby, who hadn't passed out from the gunshot wound, screamed, trying to grab the phone.
She was kicked over by Jasper.
He quickly grabbed the phone, thinking it was a message from me. But when he opened it, the smile on his face froze.
In the video, I was being lifted and thrown into a crocodile pit.
"As you wished, fed to the fish."
"No…" He screamed in pain, and as he backed out, he noticed a ransom message from the enemy and Ruby's reply.
Ignoring his rage, he hastily dialed the number. The man, who had remained unfazed in the gunfire, was now trembling, his face pale. As soon as the call connected, he begged, "Ten billion, no, twenty billion. I'll give you everything. Just save my wife, right now!"
A short, mocking laugh came from the phone.
Jasper immediately ordered twenty billion to be transferred.
One of the men stopped him, "Boss, this is all the cash we have on hand. Boss King is devious. Sister-in-law might not even be in his hands. He might be tricking us. We should investigate first…"
"Get lost."
Jasper roared, not saying anything further, and transferred the money.
In less than a minute, Boss King sent a few words: "Sorry, Jasper, but you said you wanted to feed her to the fish. You were too slow to retract your words, and the bones are already picked clean. We only found one shoe. As for the twenty billion, I've arranged for someone to send it back to you."
Jasper collapsed to the ground, stunned.
The bloodstained shoe was soon delivered, along with the divorce agreement I had left behind and an injury report from eight years ago.
Jasper, lost and out of his mind, clutched them to his chest, laughing and crying like a madman.
—
At that moment, I had already left Vietnam, with the help of my senior, Harry Franco, boarding a plane with the Doctors Without Borders team.
When I woke up, my teammates surrounded me, overjoyed. "Alice, you're awake! How's your leg? Luckily, our surgical expert, Harry, was here. The nails have been removed. Your leg is saved."
Looking at my bandaged legs and the concern in Harry's eyes, I felt guilty and ashamed.
Once, I was the most promising surgeon, surrounded by like-minded friends.
At the peak of my career, I chose a man and gave up my future.
My friends, though regretful, still wished me well.
Especially Harry. I still remember the helplessness in his eyes, the frustration of wanting to do more but being unable to.
Now, I found myself in this miserable situation, yet they hadn't abandoned me. They helped me escape my prison.
Everyone on the plane wore faces filled with kindness and understanding.
I burst into tears of joy, "I'm sorry, everyone. I won't leave the team again. I'll travel with you all, and fulfill my true potential."
Harry wiped my tears with a handkerchief, "Alice, having you back is a blessing for our team. Don't feel guilty. You've always been the best."
Someone winked, laughing, "Alice is back! The happiest person is Harry. Good thing he's been waiting for you all these years and stayed single."
I looked at Harry in surprise. He blushed slightly, pursing his lips. "Liking you is my own affair. You don't need to feel burdened. I respect all your decisions."
"And one more thing." He hesitated, looking at me. "I'm sorry, Alice. Your child was crushed during the sea jump. It can't be saved."
I absentmindedly touched my belly.
Sighing for the brief life that had come and gone, I thought: It's better this way. From now on, I'll cut ties with Jasper and have no more entanglements."
After that, I devoted myself to rescue missions, traveling through war-torn countries, using my small strength to save many lives.
The children made me flower garlands, and the adults prepared food and simple clothes for me.
We gathered around the campfire, singing prayers for hope in the brief moments of peace between battles.
These heartfelt gestures gave me an immense sense of fulfillment.
In just two short years, I finally felt like I was truly alive.
But little did I know, one day, I would see Jasper again.
That day, I had just finished bandaging a wounded patient when a child I had once helped pointed behind me.
Amid the ruins and rubble, a tall figure of a man appeared, looking much more hunched over, with a scruffy beard and his body in tatters.
"Alice…"
His eyes filled with tears of joy as he spoke, his voice trembling.
"You're still alive, thank goodness. I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime."
Seeing my indifferent expression, he hurriedly pulled out a pair of glittering wedding rings from his pocket.
Inappropriately, he spread them in front of me.
"Honey, this is the ring I promised you, the one that can only be given once in a lifetime. I brought it for you. Please wear it, okay?"
—
Only once in a lifetime?
I coldly stared at him. "No need. I'm not interested in secondhand goods that someone else has already worn."
Surprised by my outright rejection, he rubbed his eyes over and over with the hem of his clothes. "It's never been worn by anyone else. I only prepared it for you, honey. I'm sorry. I know saying this now is too late, but I truly only love you. I didn't realize it before, I was deceived by Ruby.
It wasn't until I saw through her true nature that I realized I've always loved you. When I heard you had died, I felt like I couldn't live anymore, and I wished I could die with you."
I laughed. "Then why are you still alive? And still have the nerve to shamelessly beg?"
"You don't think that just because you say ‘sorry' you can erase the fact that you killed my six children and robbed me of the chance to ever become a mother? You had people kidnap me, humiliate me, and make me act as a surrogate for her. Did you never think about this day?"
"I can't understand it. After doing all these unspeakable things to me, how do you have the face to still say you love me?"
Jasper clutched his head, tears of pain streaming down his face. "Honey, I'm sorry, really sorry. Ruby is dead. I tied her up in the basement, and with three times more men than I used on you, I had her repeatedly abort six children before I killed her. I've avenged you, please don't leave me, okay?"
I stared at him for a long while. Jasper thought I had softened, and was about to take my hand, but I slapped him hard, knocking him back in shock.
I looked at him with disgust. "You really make me sick. Ruby is evil, but at most, she's an accomplice. The real executioner is you! All the wounds and harm I endured, they were all caused by you."
"I'll say it one last time, we're divorced. You can pretend I'm dead if you want, but in this life, and in the next, I never want to see you again. If you still have any guilt in you, stay far away from me."
With that, I turned and walked away without looking back.
I don't know when Jasper left, but a month later, I heard that he had been stabbed eight times during a conflict with Boss King at the harbor.
His subordinates tried to drag him away through the gunfire, but he gave up his life, staring into the distance, murmuring in a daze, "My wife will come to save me, she'll come…"
Soon after, the news reported that the two major criminal organizations in T Country had been wiped out by Interpol. Jasper was blown to pieces, and Boss King, along with his subordinates, were sent to prison to face international justice.
All the assets Jasper had prepared in advance for me were left behind, and I donated them all.
He atoned for his sins with death, but I would never forgive him.
I looked at the rising sun in the distance, the air filled with the scent of sunlight. For the rest of my life, I would live it brightly.
