Chapter 1 Chapter 1

I no longer hesitated and took the contraceptives. It was far more bitter than any other time I took them. Meanwhile, those two men continued talking. Mark Green, my husband’s friend, felt the knowledge of this weighing heavily on his conscience. “Let’s set aside the fact that you gave her contraceptives for now and talk about River jumping in the river three years ago to take her own life. Lyra’s mother did her best to save her, but she thrashed around and stepped on Lyra’s mother until she drowned. Dale, anyone who saw that video knows she did it on purpose. It’s only logical for Lyra to sue her. “But you became Lyra’s legal guardian so that River wouldn’t go to jail. You even signed the pardon letter behind Lyra’s back. Yeah, River is fine, but Lyra has severe depression. She keeps blaming herself. If she discovers the truth one day, she’ll lose her mind.” Dale Quinn, my husband, looked irritated. But he remained cold and firmly said, “River didn’t do it on purpose. She was drowning, and she did all those things subconsciously. She regrets that Lyra’s mother died because of her too. “I also kept that pardon letter well-hidden. Lyra will never know the truth. Besides, I treat her well, and I’ll make it up to her for the rest of her life by giving her a home. She’ll forget about her pain and get better.” Mark sighed. “Calm down. I just pity Lyra. You showed up during her darkest hour, and she began to love you, but the one you truly love is River… Forget it. I hope that you can continue hiding this and you won’t regret it.” Dale drank his wine and firmly said, “I won’t.” Those two words made me lose my composure. I fled from the house that I had treated as my sanctuary like a loser. New Year’s Eve was going to arrive in two days, and a celebratory air filled the streets. This morning, Dale made love to me. During the throes of passion, he kept saying that he loved me. However, his declaration had turned into the sharpest blade. It stabbed me in my heart and left me bleeding all over. I ran to the park and slumped down. Tears spilled from my eyes. The memories I had pushed to the back of my mind resurfaced just as I became disillusioned with love. The day I was engaged to my ex, Lucius Lane, River could not accept it because she loved Lucius. She left behind a will and jumped into the river. She was actually a good swimmer. Even so, my mother still jumped into the river to save her, although she was my father’s illegitimate daughter. Many people took videos of it, and I saw my mother pull River up. However, River pushed down on my mother’s shoulders and stepped on her head to drive her into the water. Just like that, my mother drowned. When I rushed over, River was wailing at me, “I was just incredibly upset and afraid. Don’t blame me, River. When Mom saved me, she wanted me to keep living.” I broke down and demanded why she made my mother drown, even though she knew how to swim. She just kept crying and saying that she did not do it on purpose. Nevertheless, I sued her for premeditated murder. Then, Lucius canceled his engagement with me to marry her.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Lucius said, “I won’t let you hurt River.” Conspiracy theories popped up everywhere online. They said that I used my mother’s death to earn sympathy points and earn money. They said I was such a virtue signaler that I got jealous of my own sister. That was why my fiance canceled our engagement. The insanely negative public opinion hit me so harshly that I could not breathe, and I broke down. I was then diagnosed with severe depression. Even so, I did not give up on trying to seek justice for my mother. My mother had taken care of me and protected me for twenty-three years. How could I give up on seeking justice for her? At this time, Dale started trying to win my heart. He took care of me attentively and protected me in every aspect. I treated him as my salvation and said yes to his proposal. After our wedding, the court found River not guilty. I tried my hardest to put it behind me and get better. I wanted to have a child with Dale and wanted our family to be happy.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

There was a beautiful gift box on the table. In it was an equally beautiful sapphire necklace. It was the type that was priceless and could not be bought even with money. I loved sapphires for their reserved and regal beauty. Yet, Dale would always give me gold accessories. He would say, “Preserving the value of accessories is more important. Besides, you’re beautiful. No matter what you wear, you still look like a noble.” I believed his sweet words. Back in the present, I took out the sapphire necklace from the jewelry box. It was beautiful. The sapphire was about the size of a quail egg. Tiny crystals were added beside it as decoration. As it swayed, the gemstones shone brilliantly. I saw a water droplet carved behind the necklace. Water. River. My breath stilled as my heart shattered, but I finally came to a full realization. Tears spilled from my eyes as I laughed. In the end, as I endured the soul-crushing pain, I fled from the loving cage Dale had built for me.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

River fought back and laughed maniacally. “You call me a murderer, but do you have proof? Your ex loves me, and your husband loves me too! Both of them believe that I’m innocent and kind! They help me! What can you do about it?” My rage burned even more because of what she said. But since I had been sick for so many years, I could not kill her. She even managed to fling me to the side. “Do you hate me that much, Lyra? I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me anymore!”“River, are you okay?” Dale had apparently heard the commotion and rushed over. He glared at me and slapped me before I could even defend myself. Disappointment burned in his eyes. “Lyra, she’s your sister! How could you try to kill her?! Are you mad?!” River shook her head sadly. “Don’t blame Lyra, Dale. It’s my fault. I killed her mother.” I ignored the burning pain on my cheek and glared at him with bloodshot eyes. “We’re the only ones who know where my mother’s grave is located. Are you the one who told River where it