Chapter 1

My half-sister pushed me off a snow-covered mountain, leaving me with a broken spine.

My father and fiancé went crazy, rushing me to the hospital.

When they found out I might never walk again, my fiancé, trying to comfort me, raised a ring and promised to take care of me for the rest of my life.

My father cut all ties with my half-sister, swearing she would pay for what she had done.

Later, they told me she had fallen off the cliff while trying to run away. Her body was missing in the mountains, and I believed them.

However, three years after we got married, a video from my best friend shattered everything I thought I knew.

In the video, my half-sister, who was supposed to be dead, was sitting on my husband's lap and holding a child.

She said, "Edward, thank God you helped me fake my death. If not, I would be in jail now.

"Has Dad said when we would get Lydia's inheritance? I can't stand hiding anymore!"

My husband replied, "Charlotte, these years have been hard on you. If it weren't for that inheritance, I wouldn't have married a cripple.

"As soon as we get that money, I'll bring you and our daughter back together."

It turned out that the rescue I thought I had was just another trap.

The two men who were supposed to mean the world to me never really cared about me at all.

And at that moment, I realized that there was nothing left to hold on to.

*****

Right after that, Bernice sent me a photo.

It was a family portrait without me.

My dad, Dwight, my husband, Edward, and my half-sister, Charlotte, were all beaming, like everything in their lives was perfect.

It felt as if a knife had pierced my heart. I could hardly breathe from the pain.

The man who promised to love me forever had a child with the person who destroyed my life.

The only person in this world I could call family turned out to be nice to me just because of the inheritance my mother left behind.

What a performance. They gave up the ones they truly cared about, all for money. Pretending to live with a cripple like me for three damn years.

Anger slowly burned through me. My trembling hands balled into fists, and I hammered them down hard onto my lifeless legs.

Dwight had just come home when the furious thudding grabbed his attention.

He rushed over, his eyes full of fake concern. "Lydia, what are you doing? Why are you hitting yourself?"

At Dwight's gentle concern, the emotions in my chest finally broke loose. I couldn't hold back anymore and just let the tears flow.

"Why is my life so cursed? I don't want to be stuck in this wheelchair forever!" I wailed.

As soon as Dwight saw me break down, he pulled me close in a tight embrace. "It's okay, Lydia. No matter what happens, I will always stay by your side.

"Besides Edward, we'll both always be here to look after you."

Back then, words like these used to make me feel like I was the luckiest girl alive to have a father and husband.

But now, looking at his face, all I could see was just how utterly insincere he was.

Though I already knew the answer, I lifted my head and asked, "Dad, where's Edward?"

Dwight's face went stiff. His eyes flicked all over the room before he blurted, "He went out to buy you some apples."

I forced a little smile, not calling his bluff.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and said quietly, "I'll call Edward."

Just as I dialed Edward's number, Dwight reached over and grabbed my phone, cutting the call.

"Lydia, go get some rest in your room. I'll call Edward for you later. By the time you wake up, he'll be home," he coaxed.

His soft tone just made everything so obvious to me.

He was clearly stalling, buying time so Edward and Charlotte could enjoy their little secret rendezvous.

After I was stuck in this wheelchair, Edward would sneak out whenever I napped. Every time he came back, he'd hand me some pointless little present.

I used to think he was just being thoughtful, going out to get me something nice while I was resting.

It turned out that he was only waiting for me to fall asleep so he could sneak off to meet up with Charlotte behind my back.

Pain and anger surged through me. The whirlwind of emotions was so intense that I could barely breathe.

Charlotte had almost killed me.

Yet, everyone was covering for her.

I bit down hard on my tongue, letting the metallic tang of blood flood my mouth before forcing myself to calm down.

If my father was so cold-hearted and my husband was willing to betray me, what was the point of caring anymore?

I had nothing left worth holding onto.