Chapter 1 Chapter 1

By the time my mother was pulled ashore, her body was already cold, and she had no breath left. Trembling all over, I held her tightly while trying to wake her up. But she remained completely still. However, Adrian Lawson walked over impatiently and kicked my mother's lifeless hand, which had slipped to the ground. "Enough with the act! Everyone knows your mom is a professional swimmer. There's no way a little wave could have drowned her. Even if you're trying to play the victim in front of me, I won't just let this matter go so easily. "I have zero tolerance for betrayal. The woman I marry must be fully devoted to me and put me first in everything. You've really disappointed me." Even after his harsh kick, my mother didn't respond in the slightest. A flicker of uncertainty flashed through Adrian's eyes, and he hurriedly crouched down to check on her. His childhood sweetheart, Vivian Sinclair, stepped in front of him. She shifted her gaze to my mother's pale face before letting out a mocking laugh. "She looks perfectly fine to me. She doesn't seem like someone on the brink of death." She rested a hand on Adrian's shoulder, speaking as if she knew everything. "I've heard that professional swimmers can hold their breath for minutes at a time. Two or three minutes is nothing to them. "I think they planned this together just to scare you. That way, once you marry into their family, you'll have no choice but to obey them and let them control you." Adrian froze. He clenched his fists and stood still. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward me and asked, "Camilla Prescott, is this true?" Just as I was about to answer anxiously, he cut me off. "Don't bother explaining. I find it hard to believe anything you say right now. As punishment, our wedding will be postponed for six months. Once you've learned how to love me properly, I'll reconsider marrying you." With that, he turned away without hesitation, walking off arm in arm with Vivian. At that moment, I suddenly felt my mother's fingers twitch. It was like grabbing onto a lifeline. I immediately crawled forward and grabbed Adrian. "My mom is still alive! She can still be saved! There's no hospital on this island, but please, I beg you to ask a private doctor to take a look at her!" Seeing that he remained unmoved, I lowered my voice further. "Have you forgotten how good she was to you? She treated you like her own son! When you had the flu, despite the lockdown, she still risked everything just to bring you food! She would never harm you! And she would never use this as a scheme before the wedding!" Adrian seemed slightly shaken. His steps faltered for a brief moment. He stared at me deeply for a long while before finally agreeing. "Fine, I'll call the doctor." Vivian tried to stop him. "Adrian, there's no need—" But Adrian cut her off. "This is the last time I will trust you. If the doctor comes and finds that your mother is perfectly fine, you will have to pay the price for this." I nodded frantically. As long as a doctor could come and save her, I didn't care about anything else. But just as the doctor, dressed in a white coat and carrying a medical kit, rushed over, my mother suddenly coughed violently. She spat out a mouthful of seawater.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

When my mother opened her eyes, everyone was startled. I was also momentarily stunned, but there was no joy in my eyes because I knew this was most likely the phenomenon of a dying person's final burst of clarity before death. I hurriedly grabbed the doctor. "She's about to go. Please, give her emergency treatment—" But before I could even finish speaking, Adrian raised his hand to cut me off. His expression darkened. "Enough! Your mom is completely fine. Vi, let's go." With that, he walked away without looking back. I was about to chase after him when my mother raised her hand weakly and tugged at me. A tear fell from the corner of her eye as she spoke haltingly. "Cam, don't blame Adrian. It's my fault. I couldn't even swim a few hundred feet. Explain things to him properly. Don't hurt his feelings. I can pull through. I want to drink at your wedding." But as soon as she finished speaking, her pupils gradually dilated, and her hand slipped weakly from my grasp. No matter how desperately I screamed her name, she never woke up again. My heart went completely numb as I reached out to close my mother's eyes. Adrian and I had been together for three years. I couldn't understand how we ended up like this. Just a year ago, our relationship had been sweet and full of affection. But ever since his childhood friend returned from abroad, everything changed. He started becoming distant, constantly setting up "tests" to prove my sincerity. He even said that I had to pass all 99 of his tests before I could marry him. Last time, he called me to his childhood friend's house in the middle of the night to welcome her back. As soon as I stepped inside, a bucket of flour was dumped on my head. Vivian held the empty bucket while looking aggrieved. "I was the one who did it. You don't blame me, right, Cam? I just wanted to liven things up and have some fun." Seeing Adrian watching me with an assessing gaze, I didn't snap at her, despite being angry. I just shook my head and said, "It's fine." Who knew that in the next second, Vivian would wink at Adrian and congratulate me for passing the test? "Not bad. Your girlfriend actually passed. Looks like she's a wife material. You won't have to worry about her disobeying you in the future." Only then did Adrian's expression ease slightly. But even as he looked at my disheveled state, he didn't offer a single word of comfort. He simply told me, in a detached tone, to wash up in the kitchen and then use the remaining ingredients to cook dinner for everyone. I didn't understand why Adrian was so obsessed with testing me. I even reflected on whether I had failed to give him enough security in our relationship. Not only that, but I also reassured myself that once Vivian left the country, everything would return to normal. I never imagined this would be our ending. I sat slumped on the ground for a long time before slowly standing up. After arranging for my mother's body to be taken care of, I turned to find Adrian, who was hosting a party. Right now, I just wanted to leave this island and give my mother a proper burial so she could rest in peace. But on my way to find Adrian, I kept noticing people holding up their phones. They were holding up their phones in my direction and taking photos while whispering to each other. At first, I didn't think much of it until someone suddenly stepped in front of me and shoved their phone in my face. "You filthy woman! How much did you sell your mother's life for? Maybe I should pull the same stunt in front of Mr. Lawson next time." The comment section was flooded with insults. "Wasn't that old hag a swimming champion? How could she not even swim back from such a short distance?""Exactly! Who knows what kind of shady tricks she pulled back then to win?""I'd be crying if I were Adrian. He's stuck with a poor and vicious mother-in-law and a fiancee who's desperate to climb the social ladder. She's probably putting on an act to manipulate him and gain leverage over her wealthy husband-to-be."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I pushed away the busybodies in front of me and frantically found Vivian. "Vivian, why are you allowing your friends to spread such lies online? I don't care about myself, but what did my mom do? Why does she have to bear such slander even after her death?" However, Vivian was playing with her manicured nails. She looked indifferent. "Well, you guys did do those filthy things, didn't you? What? You dare to do it but don't dare to let people talk about it? Adrian loving you is the biggest blessing of your life. "As his friends, we have to help him vet you. After all, you're just a poor woman from the slums. Who knows what your true intentions are?" The glass in my hand shattered from my grip, and blood dripped through my fingers. But I felt nothing. Just as I was about to say something more, Adrian interrupted me. "Enough, Camilla. Stop making a scene. Vi is just looking out for me. We're going to get married anyway. It's just a six-month delay. As long as you admit your mistake, everything can go back to normal." After saying this, Adrian had someone bring a first aid kit. He took out a bandage and looked at me with a hint of concern. "Your hand is bleeding. Come here. Let me wrap it up for you." I looked up at him. "You think I'm just putting on an act too?" Adrian didn't answer, but his silence said everything. I finally understood, and I nodded slightly. "Since this is how you see me, then from today onward, we'll go our separate ways. Adrian, this wedding is off." I turned to leave, but Vivian called after me. "Wait, if you're leaving, then return the ring Adrian gave you." She pointed at the ring on my finger. Adrian custom-made this for me. His so-called "true love tests" had started half a year ago and had lasted until now. During that time, I endured endless torment, and there were moments when I wanted to give up. But the last time I brought up breaking up, he lost his temper completely and smashed everything in his house before storming out in a rage. The next morning, he rushed back home. His eyes were red as he held me tightly and apologized. At the same time, he took a ring out of a jewelry box and comforted me softly. "This is your wedding ring in advance. We'll be able to get married soon. As long as you make it through all the tests, I'll belong to you forever, hmm?" I softened and didn't insist on breaking up. But I never expected that decision would drag my mother and me into this mess. Thinking of this, I didn't hesitate at all. I yanked the ring off my finger and tossed it onto the sand. "Here you go. From now on, we owe each other nothing." Adrian's face darkened. But I didn't care and left without looking back. On the way, he called me repeatedly, but I didn't answer. I just held my mother's lifeless body tightly, wanting to cry but unable to shed a single tear. When I returned to my hometown, I wanted to cremate and bury her immediately. However, not a single crematorium was willing to accept her, and no one would issue a death certificate. Even when I knelt on the ground and begged, they answered me with cold indifference. "Mr. Lawson has instructed us not to accept her." "The Lawson family is preparing for a wedding. There can't be a funeral. It's bad luck." I had no choice but to call Adrian. But Vivian was the one who answered, and she mocked me mercilessly. "You really have no shame. You dumped him, and now you're calling to harass Adrian again? Give up. I'm the only one who'll end up with Adrian. "Those so-called 'true love tests' were just something I made up to fool him. I originally wanted to scare you off, but you just had to hold on until now. You even dragged your own mother into this." Vivian hung up with a wildly arrogant laugh. When I called back, the number was already disconnected. I clenched my fists and threw my phone hard against the wall. Back in my hometown, I set up a simple mourning hall and placed my mother in a coffin. After the seventh day had passed, I was preparing to bury her when an unexpected guest arrived. Adrian stormed in with a terrible expression. "Camilla, first you buy a coffin, then you hold a funeral. When will you be done? The last incident already disgraced the Lawson family, and now you're doing something that will make people gossip again. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because I've been indulging you!" His face was full of pain and disappointment as if I had let down his deep love. "Don't disturb my mother's peace. Whatever you have to say, wait until after she's buried. You're not welcome here," I said simply. I had never spoken to Adrian this way before, and he stood frozen in place. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Enough! How long do you plan to keep up this act? Do you think I'm a child?" I only repeated my words calmly. "Please leave." Adrian let out a furious laugh. His eyes were glistening with tears. He nodded bleakly. "Fine. You say your mother is in this coffin, right? Men, take this coffin away!" The bodyguards he brought swarmed forward and lifted the coffin. The edge of the coffin barely caught on the window railing. With one push, it would fall. "What are you doing?" I struggled desperately. But they held me down firmly and rendered me immobile. Then, Adrian uttered, "Since you insist on lying to me, I'll give you one final true love test. Do you choose this coffin, or do you choose to marry me? You can only pick one." I stared at Adrian in disbelief, unable to comprehend that he could do something so absurd. "Put it back! My mother is in there! If you really throw it down, I will never forgive you!" Adrian's temper flared instantly. "You won't even choose me over a fake coffin? Camilla, you're truly heartless. I declare that you have failed your final true love test. Now watch me marry Vivian. As for this thing…" Adrian glanced at the coffin and sneered, "Throw it down! Just looking at it annoys me!" His men let go, and the coffin plummeted from the high-rise building, crashing onto the ground and shattering to pieces.