Chapter 4

When Julie woke up again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. The one keeping watch beside her wasn't Samuel. It was the maid. "Mrs. Lloyd, thank goodness you're awake," the maid said, still shaken. "I was the one who brought you here. I made the juice too. I swear on my life, there was no pineapple in it." Julie closed her eyes, a single tear slipping from the corner of her eye. "I know." The maid had made the juice and was absolutely sure there were no pineapples in it. And yet, she still chose to believe Julie's allergy was real and rushed her to the hospital. But where was Samuel? The man who had promised to love her for a lifetime had left her at home to die! Cynthia's room was right next door. When Julie got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, she saw Samuel sitting by Cynthia's bedside, keeping watch. Back when she was the one who was sick, Samuel would stay by her side day and night just like this. A prominent figure like him had countless things to handle every day. Yet, he'd always drop everything to take care of her whenever she was sick. He'd bring her warm water, cook for her, and coax her into taking her medicine... Thinking back to those days, Julie's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't understand why a once-beautiful relationship had become this. "Sam, I'm dying. Before I die, I just want an answer from you." Inside the ward, Cynthia lay in Samuel's arms, tears glistening in her eyes. She asked weakly, "After all these years, have you ever loved me?" Samuel fell silent. He couldn't bring himself to answer. "Even just a little?" Cynthia sobbed. "Sam, I'm not asking you to love me wholeheartedly. If you have even a trace of real feeling for me, I can die without regrets." Samuel's heart ached as he looked at her tear-streaked face. He could no longer suppress his feelings. He reached out to pull Cynthia tightly into his embrace. "Cindy, of course, I have feelings for you. Forgive me. I can't say I love you because I have Julie. I can't betray her. But if Julie didn't exist, I can tell you this with absolute certainty. You would be the woman I love most in this world." It felt like someone had stabbed a hole straight through Julie's chest. The cold air rushed in all at once, sharp and bitter. She reached up and touched her cheek. Only then did she realize she was already in tears. She used to believe Samuel and Cynthia were together merely for excitement. She had thought it was only physical, and there was no love between them. But how could there be no love? When Cynthia coughed blood and collapsed, Samuel's eyes were filled with worry. Even when Cynthia placed the rosary beads—something Julie had prayed for with her whole heart—in that filthy place, he hadn't blamed her. The scale in his heart had already tipped. Julie turned and walked away in tears. She had only taken a few steps when her phone buzzed. Cynthia had sent her a video. Beneath the video was a caption that read, "Everything he once gave you, he's given to me too." Julie tapped on the video, and a lively wedding ceremony filled the frame. Julie immediately recognized it as the place where she and Samuel had held their wedding. Not only was the venue the same, but the wedding layout and all the decorations were identical. For a moment, Julie even thought the video was of her own wedding. It wasn't until Cynthia, dressed in a wedding gown, appeared in the frame that Julie gasped. "Cindy, I already heard from Sam. You're pregnant with his twins!" In the video, Samuel's mother, Stella Huffman, held Cynthia's hand affectionately. It seemed like she was very pleased with Cynthia. "I'm over the moon! You've done so much for the Lloyd family. Although you and Sam can't get legally married, I promise you'll have whatever Julie has. And whatever she doesn't have, I'll make sure you do!" As she spoke, Stella removed the emerald bracelet from her wrist. "This is the Lloyd family's heirloom. It once belonged to royalty. A queen once wore it," she said with a smile. "There's only one of these in the Lloyd family. It's passed down to our daughters-in-law." She slipped the bracelet onto Cynthia's wrist. "Cindy, you're the only daughter-in-law I acknowledge."