Seven Years of Love, One Fake Marriage

The moment I pushed open the villa's front door, Leanne's shrill laughter greeted me.

My entrance shattered the cozy atmosphere in the living room. Everyone frowned at once, as if I were an uninvited stranger who had suddenly intruded.

My husband, my brothers, my sister... Not a single one of them remembered that I had just been discharged from the hospital.

To this family, I was less than a stranger.

Emmett stood up, hesitation flashing across his face.

"Camille, I'm sorry I didn't pick you up from the hospital. There's been too much going on at the company."

I looked at him indifferently and stepped aside, avoiding the hand he reached out to me.

His expression stiffened. Before he could say anything else, Leanne clung to him and walked over.

She wore that familiar smile—sweet on the surface, but a hint of provocation gleamed in her eyes.

"Sister, you're back," she said softly. "I'm sorry we didn't go pick you up. I really wanted to go to the Maldives ever since I saw the travel guide you made."

The smug glint in her eyes told me everything.

This was just another one of her plunders.

Taking what I cherished had always been Leanne's favorite thing to do.

"If you like it, then take it," I replied calmly.

She clearly hadn't expected that reaction. The smile on her face faltered for a split second.

She reached out toward me, malice flickering in her gaze.

"I heard you wanted to take the baby traveling too. Maybe next time," she whispered, leaning close to my ear.

"As long as he isn't already a pile of rotten flesh..."

I shoved her hand away violently, fury surging through my eyes.

"Get lost!"

Leanne curled her lips smugly and, following the force of my push, staggered back and fell to the floor.

Jace shot to his feet, rage exploding across his face.

"Camille! Have you lost your mind? Leanne's body is so weak—how could you lay hands on her?!"

Antonio was even more furious.

"You just caused her to get into a car accident, and now you're hurting her right in front of us! I should've sent you to the police station to clear your head!"

"The one who was in the accident was me!" I shouted. "If anyone should be reported, it's Leanne!"

I thought I could stay calm. But when everyone stood firmly on Leanne's side, I finally broke.

Emmett looked at me with disappointment and bent down to help Leanne up.

"Camille, even now you're still lying," he said firmly. "Leanne has cancer. How could she possibly have the strength to push you?"

"Don't say that about my sister," Leanne said tearfully. "I know she can't accept my return so easily. I'm willing to apologize properly."

I ignored her performance and stared straight at Emmett.

"Whether Leanne has cancer or not, I don't know," I said quietly. "But that day, I lost our child."

Before I could finish, Leanne's expression changed drastically. She suddenly clutched her head and screamed.

"Damn it!" Jace shouted. "Leanne is having an episode! Give her the medicine—now!"

Emmett shoved me aside without hesitation and rushed to Leanne.

In an instant, everyone crowded around her.

No one listened to me anymore.

The familiar scene made me want to scream, but days of torment had already drained every ounce of strength from me.

In the end, I didn't even glance at the farce unfolding behind me. I turned and went upstairs.

The moment I opened the bedroom door, I froze.

My clothes, my wedding photos with Emmett, everything I had carefully added to this room over the past seven years—all of it was gone.

In their place were luxury handbags, high heels, and revealing dresses.

They were tangled together with Emmett's suits, exuding blatant intimacy.

I even saw used contraceptives in the trash can.

While I was hospitalized, Emmett and Leanne had been entwined—in the master bedroom that belonged to me.

My body trembled violently.

Just then, Emmett's voice sounded behind me.

"I let Leanne move into the master bedroom."

He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"She's sick and needs the best room to recover. You're the older sister—be more accommodating. Your room is over there now."

He casually pointed toward the guest room.

"Why did you change the moment Leanne came back?" I asked softly, despair thick in my eyes.

A trace of hesitation appeared in Emmett's gaze, but after glancing downstairs at Leanne, his expression hardened once more.

"Camille," he said coldly, "everything you had originally belonged to Leanne seven years ago."

"I'm just returning what was hers to begin with."

I didn't cry anymore.

I turned numbly toward the guest room.

If all of this had always belonged to Leanne, then I would give it back—and disappear from their lives completely.

That night, Leanne's moans echoed endlessly from the master bedroom, piercing and cruel.

I wiped all my tears onto the sleeping puppy beside me. Feeling the warmth of its small body, the tearing pain in my chest finally eased—just a little.