Letting Go of What Was Never Ours

My childhood sweetheart has aplastic anemia and desperately needs a bone marrow transplant. His brother agrees to help, but there's a catch.

"I can save him, but you need to marry me."

My lover ultimately dies because of medical negligence. I'm heartbroken but still marry Martin Steinfeld per my promise.

During the wedding, he gets on one knee before me. His gaze is loving as he says, "I'll treat you well for life, Audrey Lynch. I'll be a thousand times better than Henry; I won't let you shed another tear."

I look at his face, which is so much like Henry Steinfeld's. I believe him.

Three years after our marriage, I'm five months along when I stumble upon Martin with his mistress. He wraps an arm around her and sighs. "She still can't forget about that dead guy despite us being married for so long. She's not like you, who only has eyes for me.

"If not for her insisting on marrying Henry and ruining my future, I wouldn't have had to take my own brother down so much earlier than planned."

My blood runs cold, and I tremble all over. Hatred consumes me, and I only have one thought—I have to destroy Martin!

I stood outside the door, feeling so distressed and angry that I could barely breathe. I gritted my teeth to keep myself from breaking down. The rustling sound of clothes rubbing together, accompanied by a woman's flirtatious laughter inside the office, further hurt my eardrums.

The baby in my belly seemed to sense something and kicked restlessly, but I ignored it. After waiting for a while, I kicked the door open with a bang.

The two people on the sofa were startled, and the woman screamed, covering her chest. I could never forget her face, not even in death.

I threw the lunchbox in my hand at Martin Steinfeld with all my might. The scalding hot food immediately splattered all over him, marring his skin until it turned red.

"You knew what she did to me before!" I shouted.

Irritated, Martin kicked the woman next to him hard and told her to leave at once.

Florence Barrack picked up her clothes and shot me a fierce glare as well as a bright smile. "Audrey Lynch, we'll meet again."

"Honey, why did you come early today? She seduced me. I've been holding back recently, and I couldn't control myself for a moment; that's why—

"We… We actually didn't do anything…" Martin stuttered.

In order to marry me, Martin had his legs brutally broken by his father and was then given the punishment of kneeling in the yard for an entire night.

Soon after, he was bombarded with harsh words and criticism. Many people called him crazy for intending to marry his brother's girlfriend. However, he made up his mind and declared loudly and firmly, "I will marry no one but Audrey in this life. Or else, you can just kill me."

However, just a few years later, he couldn't bear the loneliness and even sought excitement in the office. He even did it with the person I hated the most.

Florence was the one who initiated the bullying against me and even attempted to get some thugs to harass me. But now, Martin was making out with her.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to look at the disgusting and insincere expression on the face that resembled Henry Steinfeld's. If Henry were still alive…

My tears uncontrollably streamed down, and Martin instantly panicked, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Honey, it's all my fault. Please don't be angry; it's not worth hurting your health. I promise I won't do it again. You can hit me or scold me…"

I felt utterly helpless, and my mind was in a mess. I needed some time to think things through—not just about my relationship with Martin but also the true cause of Henry's death.

I withdrew my hand, opened my eyes, and said expressionlessly, "Martin, you've let me down."

Because I accidentally caught him cheating, he was very attentive to me at the family dinner that night.

"Honey, I've cut the fish into small pieces. Eat more."

"Honey, this soup tastes nice. Let me serve you a bowl."

"Honey, don't eat the meat if you find it too greasy. Give it to me."

Mrs. Steinfeld had never liked me, and Martin's lowly demeanor only irritated her further. "She's just pregnant. Why is she putting on airs?"

Martin defended me. "Mom, I married Audrey to provide her with a good life, and I'm more than willing to do so."

If I hadn't overheard him in the office today, I would have really believed he was a loving and thoughtful husband.