On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, Liam Sterling suddenly demanded that his aunt's child be registered under my name. "Aunt Bella is pregnant out of wedlock. Her reputation in the circle is ruined. If we register the child under your name, we can pretend it's ours." When I refused, Liam dropped a bombshell: "We'll get the license when you agree!" He left me at the City Hall and strode away. This was the ninth time our marriage registration failed because of his "Aunt" Bella. Did he think I would still wait for him like before? I looked down at my phone and saw a notification from a friend's post: "The girl I love most is about to marry someone else. Heartbroken!" I sent him a message: "Want to get married? Waiting for you at City Hall. Now." 1 Fifteen minutes later, Noah rushed over in his car. "Really? We can get married? With you?" His eyes couldn't hide the joy, nor the disbelief. "Cut the crap. Did you bring your ID?" Noah muttered softly: "I dropped an eighty-million-dollar contract signing to come here. Can't I ask one more question?" But after getting the license, he stared at the little red booklet repeatedly: "I really married you, Chloe? You're my wife now?" Then he apologetically told me he had to go back to sign the contract and asked me to take a taxi home. While waiting for the taxi, Liam pulled up in front of me with Bella. "Get in." I pressed the bag containing the marriage certificate and opened the car door. "For you." He handed me a box. Inside was a silk scarf. Liam was always like this. After making me unhappy, he would give me a small gift. Then we would tacitly never mention the unhappy event again, as if it had passed. Bella, Liam's "Aunt," quietly touched the bag beside her. Looking at the scarf in the box again, I realized it was just a free gift that came with that bag. As usual, I pretended not to notice and put the gift box aside. Bella curled her lips into a mocking smile. "Where are we going?" I asked. Liam looked at Bella tenderly: "Picking up a gift, then heading to the Sterling family estate." I remembered then, today was Liam's grandfather's eightieth birthday. We had agreed to go long ago. It was good to go today, to say goodbye to Grandfather Sterling. Through the rearview mirror, Liam carefully looked at my face and explained, which was unprecedented for him: "Chloe, don't overthink it. Aunt Bella is pregnant alone; people will gossip." "Raising the child under our name will make it easier for her to marry in the future." I said indifferently: "Indeed, being pregnant out of wedlock is bad for one's reputation. Not even having a boyfriend makes people call you loose. Raising the child under your name is best." Hearing my words, Bella's face turned purple with anger. She turned her head and said, "You..." But Liam corrected me: "It's raising the child under our names, yours and mine." Then he looked at me expectantly. I sneered: "What if I'm not willing?" Liam's face instantly darkened: "If you're not willing, we break up." I said, "Okay." Seeing Liam's face relax, I knew he misunderstood. My "okay" meant okay to breaking up. He continued: "See, Chloe? If you were this obedient earlier, we would have gotten the license already." I didn't answer, just watched the scenery retreating rapidly outside the window. Just like our three-year relationship, speeding away from me. Bella was the same age as Liam, the adopted daughter of his grandfather. She was also a thorn stuck between us. When we dated, Liam brought her along. When we ate, Liam brought her along. Even the house we lived in together had a room for Bella. I voiced my dissatisfaction many times, but Liam always said: "She's my aunt. What are you thinking?" Liam and Bella grew up together and were very close. Every time he said this, I would back down. But Bella seemed to have no boundaries, always deliberately showing intimacy with him. They got out of the car together to pick up the gift, and Bella specifically linked arms with him. From behind, they really looked like a couple. And I was left alone in the car, like an outsider. For three years, it was almost always like this. I felt like the third wheel. But it took me two years to chase Liam, and I couldn't bear to leave. He knew my feelings, which is why he abandoned me at the City Hall time and again. Lost in memories, my phone rang. It was Noah: "Wife, contract signed, but I have to entertain clients tonight, so I'll be back late. Eat well by yourself." "I'll contact you when I'm done." 2 Only then did I realize I was someone else's wife. It was just too sudden; I hadn't adapted to this identity yet. But when answering Noah's call, I felt more relaxed than ever before. "Who was that?" When Liam opened the car door, I had just hung up. He looked at me suspiciously. "A friend." I don't know why, but I just didn't want to tell him about getting the license with Noah yet. Bella also got in the car carrying the gift. Putting down the gift, she kept rubbing her hands and blowing on them. "So cold." Liam immediately wrapped her hands in his: "I'll warm them for you." As if I wasn't in the car. Suddenly glad he abandoned me at the City Hall this time. If we had really gotten the license, could I stand their ambiguity for the next few decades? I shook my head gently. "Liam, it was too cold outside just now. Is the baby okay?" Hearing her words, Liam looked nervous. He quickly took off the Bodhi bracelet on his wrist and put it on Bella's. Bella smiled smugly at me through the rearview mirror. That bracelet was something I prayed for at a mountaintop temple during my period, climbing 999 steps for Liam. I got caught in a rainstorm on the way down and was almost washed away. When I gave it to him two years ago, he was moved to tears. He said he would never take it off in his life. Now, only two years later, he gave it away so casually. The past flashed by like a meteor. I desperately held back the tears. I grabbed Bella's hand, snatched the bracelet, and threw it out the window. A flash of anger crossed Bella's face, then she looked like she was about to cry: "Liam, why is Chloe angry? Is she blaming you for giving me the bracelet? Even if she's angry, she shouldn't throw it away, right? After all, it's something you wore. She cares about you too little." Liam's face was livid: "Chloe, what are you fussing about now? Just a broken bracelet, not something precious. What's wrong with me giving it to Aunt Bella? If you keep being so willful, I can't marry you." I said disdainfully: "Don't marry then. What's the big deal?" Hearing my words, Liam was even angrier. I should be the one angry about this, shouldn't I? But he pursed his lips tightly and drove fast. Even running two red lights. As soon as we arrived, Bella was taken to a room by Grandfather. "Whose child are you carrying? If you can't get engaged, get rid of it immediately." "Girls of our Sterling family are not allowed to have children out of wedlock." Even from far away, Grandfather's roar could be heard. And Bella's sobbing. Liam looked worried. He pulled me over, looking serious, and persuaded me again: "Chloe, you see how hard it is for Aunt Bella." "Go tell Grandpa that you can't have children, and Aunt Bella is the surrogate carrying the child for you." "You're afraid of pain anyway. With this child, you won't have to give birth yourself." I slapped his hand away: "For your aunt, I have to say I'm infertile? Are you sick? Is this child yours?" Liam's face darkened, obviously displeased: "Chloe!" He said heavily. "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I do such a thing?" "Didn't you agree in the car just now?" I sneered: "The things you've done, I'm afraid we couldn't finish listing them in a day." Liam grabbed my wrist: "Chloe, if you still want to marry me, accept this child and stop spreading rumors about me and Aunt Bella. Otherwise, we break up." "Think about it." Before I could answer, he pushed me and turned to leave. When the banquet was about to end, I wanted to say goodbye to Grandfather. At the corner, I was suddenly dragged to the terrace by Liam. 3 Bella was waiting there. Eyes red. Liam gripped my wrist hard, his voice cold as ice: "Chloe, you must give a definite answer today. Is it okay to put the child under your name?" I struggled hard but couldn't break free. "Liam, let go. You care so much about this child, it must be yours." After saying this, I saw a moment of panic in Bella's eyes. Liam gripped even harder, my wrist hurting. "Still spreading rumors about me. I've really indulged you too much." His other hand pinched my chin forcefully: "Grandpa scolded Aunt Bella today. Are you satisfied seeing Aunt Bella embarrassed?" "If I had known you were such a vicious woman, I wouldn't have accepted your pursuit back then." Whenever he argued with me before, he always said he regretted accepting my pursuit. I would immediately admit defeat and start coaxing him. No matter where the fault lay, it was all my fault. I apologized softly and made promises until he reluctantly accepted. But this time, I suppressed the anger in my heart and said softly but firmly: "It's not too late now. Let's break up!" Liam was stunned for a moment. He let go of my wrist and took a step back. His suspicious gaze swept over my face again and again: "Chloe, are you serious?" Before I could answer, he said again: "You know me. If I agree to break up, you won't even have a chance to regret it." "In the future, don't say break up easily in front of me." After speaking, he turned and walked out. I also turned to leave. This place, this Sterling family, would have nothing to do with me in the future. Just taking a step, Bella pushed me hard. In desperation, I grabbed Bella's arm. She and I rolled down the terrace steps together. I was pressed under Bella. It hurt too much, so I pushed her. She rolled onto the ground. Turning halfway, I sat up and slapped her face hard. Using too much force, my palm hurt. Hearing the commotion, Liam turned back. The blurted "Auntie" echoed through the entire banquet hall. He rushed over, kicked me away, and picked up Bella. "Auntie, how are you? Where does it hurt?" Bella was incredibly weak: "Pain, pain. She hit me." Bella pointed at me, tears flowing instantly. Liam looked at me with eyes spitting fire: "Chloe, I won't spare you this time. Just you wait." "Aren't you going to ask for the reason?" Shouting this sentence, tears swirled in my eyes too. Partly from pain. Partly because Liam always unconditionally believed Bella, not me. It had been like this for three years. After speaking, he picked up Bella and walked out. After two steps, he turned back: "Chloe, follow us to the hospital. If anything happens to Aunt Bella, I will definitely call the police." His tone contained a thousand years of ice. My whole body hurt. Especially my legs. When Bella fell, she landed right on my legs. Elbows hit the ground, now covered in blood. My injuries were more severe; anyone with eyes could see. But Liam seemed blind; he only had Bella in his eyes. I stood up with difficulty, grabbed my down jacket, and got in the car with them. Liam drove faster than when he came, even almost hitting the guardrail. Asking while driving: "Auntie, don't sleep, we'll be at the hospital soon." That tone, as if his aunt was about to die. Hearing his words, Bella pretended to be extremely uncomfortable. But she was just scrolling on her phone a moment ago. At the hospital, after drawing blood, Bella even asked me to press the cotton swab for her. After pressing, I quietly kept the cotton swab. After a checkup, Bella was fine except for a little anemia. Even the baby was growing steadily in her belly. Hearing Bella had anemia, Liam broke out in a cold sweat from nervousness. "Anemia? How can this be good?" "Right, Auntie has a rare blood type, and Chloe has a rare blood type too. She can transfuse her blood." He dragged me in front of the doctor. 4 The doctor looked at him sarcastically and said: "Women all have a little anemia. This is normal. No need for a blood transfusion at all." But Liam didn't listen to the doctor at all. "You must give her a transfusion today. She is a pregnant woman. You can't take responsibility if something happens." The doctor wanted to persuade again, but Liam showed his business card. "My family invested in this hospital. If you don't want to lose your job, draw blood and transfuse it now." Seeing Liam's obsession, I wanted to break free and leave quickly. Seeing my reluctance, the doctor said helplessly: "Even if we draw this lady's blood, we have to get her consent, right?" He looked at me inquiringly. "I am not willing. Why should my blood be given to someone else?" Liam gripped my wrist tightly: "Chloe, you have to understand. Auntie is a pregnant woman and cannot be harmed." "She can't be harmed, but I can, right?" My voice trembled with anger when I spoke. I didn't know that the man I had been with for so long was such a jerk. Hearing my words, Liam hesitated for a moment. But he still didn't let go of my hand: "Chloe, be obedient. After the transfusion for Auntie, we will go get the license tomorrow." "Haven't you always wanted to get it? I will definitely not break my promise this time." While trying hard to shake off his hand, I shouted "Let go! Let go!" He still wouldn't let go. And started calling security to come and hold me. In desperation, I dialed Noah's number: "Save me—" Before Noah could answer, the phone was knocked to the ground. Noah's voice continued to come from the receiver: "Chloe, what's wrong? Where are you?" But the noisy surroundings drowned out Noah's anxiety. Several people pushed me into the blood drawing room. I couldn't move at all. My menstrual flow has always been heavy, so I have always been anemic. Treated many times, but no obvious effect. Liam clearly knew. He even introduced me to a Chinese medicine doctor before. But when facing Bella, he could be deaf, mute, and blind. My health in his eyes was not worth a single hair of Bella's. Tears flowed uncontrollably. Watching the nurse's needle about to pierce my arm, I closed my eyes in despair. Just then, messy footsteps approached. Seven or eight people ran towards this side at the same time. "Who dares to draw my wife's blood?" It was Noah.
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