It was the third year of my marriage to Daniel Thorne when I finally learned the truth.
The woman he truly loved had always been his sister-in-law, Amelia Blake.
When his brother died on a bungee jump fueled by Amelia’s recklessness, Daniel didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even look my way before stepping in to take the slap meant for her.
Everything became painfully clear. Of course he made sure we were at the family home every time they visited.
And of course, anything Amelia admired, from my favorite painting to my necklace to a mere pastry, was immediately given to her. My role was always to give it up.
He calmly faced Mrs. Thorne, who was seething with rage, his protectiveness for Amelia undeniable, “Marcus is gone. Blaming Amelia won’t change anything.”
“Besides, she’s pregnant. Mom, do you really want Marcus’s line to end?”
After everyone left, I asked in a choked voice, “Is Amelia really pregnant?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
My hands and feet turned instantly cold, and I could barely stand.
So, to protect her, he would give her a child?
I looked at him, exhaustion settling deep in my bones. This marriage had no love left. I was done.
……
After the slap echoed, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone from the Thorne family stared at me, their gazes filled with lingering shock and then, pity.
A husband, openly defending another woman – his sister-in-law, no less – right in front of his wife.
I stood rooted to the spot, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably, yet my eyes were drawn, in a masochistic way, to the scene before me.
I watched Daniel shield Amelia Blake, holding her securely behind him, listening to his firm, defiant words. “Marcus is gone. Blaming her won’t change anything.”
“But Amelia caused your brother’s death! If I don’t seek justice, how can I ever move past this?”
Mrs. Thorne, usually so composed, had tear-swollen eyes and looked at Amelia as if she wanted to kill her. “You protect this woman so fiercely. Where does that leave Marcus? And where does that leave Sarah?”
It was only then that Daniel seemed to remember I was there. His gaze flickered towards me, but his protective stance over Amelia remained unchanged.
I clenched my fingers, my nails digging into my palms, almost piercing the skin. Yet, that physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of watching my husband of three years openly champion another woman.
It was at that exact moment I finally understood who Daniel’s never-forgotten love interest truly was.
I’d guessed many people, but I had never, not once, considered it would be his sister-in-law.
Daniel continued to speak for Amelia. “Marcus is dead, but Amelia is pregnant. Do you want to force her to her death, and let Marcus’s line end?”
At his words, Mrs. Thorne stared at Amelia’s flat stomach in disbelief.
Standing across from Amelia, I clearly saw a flicker of surprise cross her face too, but it quickly vanished, replaced by tears welling in her eyes.
“Mom, Marcus is gone. I wish I could go with him, but our child is still so small. How can I bear for them to die before even being born?”
This sudden turn of events was beyond anyone’s expectations. Even if Mrs. Thorne was furious, she had no choice but to temporarily back down.
As people dispersed, the memorial hall was soon left with just Daniel, Amelia, and me.
He leaned down and whispered something to Amelia, his posture intimate, like a loving couple. I felt like the awkward clown disrupting their moment.
“Daniel,” I said, my voice hoarse.
“You should rest. I’ll come see you later.” Daniel spoke to Amelia first, and only after she had walked out of the memorial hall did he turn to me.
“Sarah, I was desperate. If I hadn’t protected Amelia just now, Mom’s slap might have injured her.”
Marcus, Daniel’s older brother, had suffered from a weak heart since childhood, which was why Daniel, despite being the younger son, took over the family business.
Years of navigating the corporate world had made him mature, steady, and unyielding.
When had he ever explained his actions or words to me before?
I looked at him, forcing my voice to sound normal. “Daniel Thorne, is Amelia really pregnant?”
My palm was pierced by my nails, but Daniel didn’t notice my distress. However, my words clearly annoyed him. “What are you implying?”
“Before, anything Amelia wanted, you’d give to her. Even things that belonged to me, as long as she liked them, you’d send them her way.”
I looked at him, my throat feeling like a hand was squeezing it.
My voice trembled. “All these years, I could pretend your kindness to Amelia was because you’re family. But now you’ve told this lie. How will you make that lie believable?”
“Are you planning to give her a child?”
“Sarah!”
Daniel’s gaze turned ice-cold. “Do you know what you’re saying? I never realized you were so petty. They were just a few material things, and you’ve held onto it all this time!”
His scathing words felt like a physical slap across my face, and my heart plummeted.
“Material things?”
My favorite oil painting, a necklace, my car… even a pastry. If Amelia liked them, I had to give them up.
And now, merely mentioning it made me petty?
I suddenly felt incredibly tired. I didn’t want to keep fighting for this marriage.
I looked at Daniel, a self-deprecating smile on my face. “So, Amelia Blake is the woman you never forgot, the one you always carried a torch for, right?”
“Otherwise, why did you never call her ‘sister-in-law’ even after she’d been married to Marcus for years?”
Daniel’s eyes became completely frigid, his tightly furrowed brows signaling his suppressed rage. “When you orchestrated that night to get me, you should have known I’d never fall in love with you!”
His words stunned me, and I instinctively blurted out, “I didn’t! It was Mrs. Thorne who…”
“Don’t bother with excuses. Do you think I’ll believe you?” Daniel stared at me with cold detachment. “Isn’t the ‘Daniel’s wife’ supposed to be compliant? What are you making a fuss about now?”
“Sarah, I can overlook this for now, but if it happens again…”
I looked at his sharp, severe features, my heart aching. I cut him off. “There won’t be a next time. We should…”
Divorce.
But before I could finish, I was interrupted by Maria, the housekeeper, rushing in. “Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne is trying to force Mrs. Blake to the hospital for a check-up. Things have gotten quite chaotic.”
At that, Daniel stood up and strode out, not even sparing me a glance as he passed.
He truly cared for Amelia.
I remembered when I was so sick I ended up in the ICU, and he didn’t show an ounce of concern.
I stood in the memorial hall for a long time, hearing the chaotic arguments and the sound of breaking objects from a nearby room. Finally, I saw Daniel carrying Amelia away, and only then did I stiffly go to find Mrs. Thorne.
She sat on the sofa, her face streaked with tears.
“Mom, three years have passed. Daniel hasn’t fallen in love with me, so I’m leaving.”
The Thorne family was incredibly prestigious. Three years ago, I’d wondered why Mrs. Thorne chose me. Now, I understood everything.
She feared a scandal of a forbidden affair between her younger son and his brother’s wife within the Thorne family. A true socialite, if she knew their relationship, would never silently accept such an insult. But I was an orphan.
Aside from having no one to support me, there was another reason. my features bore a subtle resemblance to Amelia’s.
Everyone in the Thorne family knew these things, but I had been kept in the dark all along.
Mrs. Thorne looked at me, her tears flowing even more fiercely, but fortunately, she was true to her word. “Sign this divorce agreement, and you’ll get your divorce certificate in a month. Then you can go.”
I looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and hugged her.
In my twenty-six years of life, she was the only one who had ever truly been kind to me. Even if her kindness had an underlying reason, I was still incredibly grateful.
That’s why I didn’t tell her I was pregnant.
As soon as I left the Thorne mansion, I scheduled an abortion.
I never expected to run into Daniel at the hospital during my check-up. He was standing in the corridor’s corner, talking to his friend.
“Daniel, if you wanted to protect Amelia, any excuse would have worked. Why did you have to say she was pregnant? Marcus is dead, where’s she supposed to get a child from?”
Daniel’s gaze deepened, but he said nothing.
His friend’s expression shifted. “You’re not actually thinking of… stepping in yourself, are you? Are you crazy? Sarah loves you so much. Even if you don’t love her, you can’t treat her like this!”
I hid behind a pillar, not making a sound.
Even though I was prepared to leave, hearing those words still sent a chill through me. I bit my lip hard, holding back my tears.
Daniel’s chest tightened with irritation. After a long moment, he finally spoke. “Amelia has no child, and my mother won’t let her off the hook. I don’t necessarily have to… touch her. IVF is an option.”
“Once this is over, I’ll compensate Sarah. We’ll have children and live a normal married life…”
I sneered, then turned and walked away.
Back home, I fell into a daze and slept fitfully. The noisy sounds from the living room downstairs roused me, and I forced myself to get up and check.
Maria, the housekeeper, was coming in with large bags of things, followed by Amelia. Daniel was carefully supporting Amelia beside her, treating her like a precious treasure.
Amelia noticed me first, but she pretended not to, pulling Daniel’s hand and asking, “Daniel, this is your and Sarah’s marital home, after all. Is it really appropriate for me to stay here?”
“Amelia, you’re safe with me here. Just settle in,” Daniel said softly, comforting her.
“I told you, my home is your home.”
This was Daniel’s home, and now it was Amelia’s home too. What about me?
I looked at their affectionate gazes, but I didn’t feel the sadness or pain I expected. Instead, it was more like ridiculousness and despair.
Daniel only noticed me after a long while, his tone somewhat commanding. “Amelia will be staying here until her prenatal check-up results are out. She’s pregnant, so don’t make any trouble. Take good care of her.”
He wanted his wife to care for his sister-in-law, who was about to carry his child?
A mocking smile touched my lips, but my voice remained calm. “Okay, I’ll take good care of her.”
Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. Daniel was visibly stunned, but a strange unease stirred in his heart.
After settling Amelia, he came into our room to find me.
“Sarah, just be good. Once…”
His words grated on my nerves, and I couldn’t help but interrupt. “Daniel Thorne, haven’t I been good enough?”
He frowned at me, said nothing, and turned to leave. He didn’t come back to our room that night.
I didn’t know what else he could be dissatisfied with.
The next morning, as I stepped out of my room, I ran into Amelia. She’d shed her usual gentle demeanor and sneered, “Sarah, you really can endure a lot, can’t you?”
“But what good is being obedient? In Daniel’s heart, you’re still not worth even my little finger!”
As her words hung in the air, a sense of dread washed over me.
Before I could react, the world spun around me, and I tumbled down the stairs. My bones felt like they were shattering, and I instinctively covered my abdomen.
But I still felt a warm gush of fluid between my legs.
Amelia stared at me, her eyes glinting. “Sarah, don’t blame me for being heartless. If you don’t know your place, I have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Marcus is dead. Daniel must become my support.”
My stomach cramped with waves of pain, and I could barely hear what she was saying.
The unborn child, still unformed, was slowly slipping away from me.
“Daniel, help me…” Amelia cried out in pain.
Daniel, who had just entered, didn’t even glance at me, who was just a few feet away. He rushed to Amelia.
“Where are you hurt? Don’t be afraid, I’m taking you to the hospital right away.”
His eyes overflowed with concern.
It took me a while to catch my breath. “Daniel, call 911! I’m having a miscarriage…”
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