Chapter 1

To test myself, I concealed my identity as the sole heiress of the Sinclair Family of Capital City.

In my first year at Southgate Mercy Hospital, I fell head over heels for Andrew Bennett, the youngest chief of surgery on staff.

For five years, he was both my boyfriend and my superior, spoiling me absolutely rotten.

Yet he never took me back to Bennett Manor to meet his family.

Only later did I learn the reason that his family plainly looked down on me.

After all, the Bennett Family was a renowned medical family in Southgate.

While in their eyes, I was nothing more than a poor girl from some backwater county town.

With the gossip about our mismatched backgrounds growing louder at the hospital, I decided it was time to come clean about who I really was.

But then, my boyfriend started disappearing for days on end.

*****

After the ninety-ninth time he failed to come home, I went into his study and found a half-finished guest list for an engagement party.

The bride was the hospital director's daughter, and the groom was none other than Andrew, the man who shared my bed.

It turned out that even while we were still in each other's arms every night, he had already accepted the engagement his family had arranged for him.

So I did something behind his back as well. I accepted the Sinclair Family Seal that my father had entrusted to me.

Now that his heart had made room for someone else, it was time for me to leave.

Over the phone, my parents were jubilant. "As long as you come home, your place is always waiting for you. We have tidied up your office for you."

Thinking about my boyfriend in Southgate, my mom sounded worried. "What about your boyfriend? Are you going to bring him back with you? You haven't told him your true identity yet, have you?"

"Yeah, I'm going to break up with Andrew," I said, my voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible when I mentioned Andrew. "I'll take care of everything here within a week."

That night, Andrew didn't come home, and I did not care about it at all.

The next morning, I headed straight to HR and submitted my resignation.

After finalizing the paperwork, I treated a few colleagues I was on good terms with to a meal.

When they heard I was leaving, one of them joked, "Charlotte, you are going through all this so quickly. Don't tell me you're going home to take over the family business, like something from the short videos, right?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing."

Everyone paused for a second, and then burst out laughing.

They thought I was joking and didn't take it seriously.

I laughed along with them and did not bother to explain any further.

After dinner, I carried my box home.

When I opened the door, Andrew happened to be there.

He saw me come in with the box, his hand freezing in mid-air with a glass of water. "Are you on vacation?"

I didn't feel like explaining, so I nodded and headed for the bedroom with the box.

"Wait," he said, stepping in front of me. "Didn't you say you loved being in the operating room every day? Why are you suddenly taking time off?"

I looked into his eyes and gave him a gentle smile. "Because there's something more important I need to do now."

"What is it?"

"It's a secret."

Hearing that, Andrew assumed I was planning another surprise for him, his tone softening. "You should've taken a break ages ago. You're always working so hard, running yourself ragged every day. It breaks my heart to see you like this.

"Charlotte, you know, even if you stopped being a doctor, I could support you."

"I don't need you to support me," I said, enunciating every word. "I'm not anyone's accessory."

Andrew looked at me for a moment. "How could you ever be an accessory?"

I didn't want to hear his sweet talk, so I cut him off. "Why are you home so early today?"

Andrew pulled me into his arms. "I've been swamped lately and barely had any time for you. I was worried you'd feel lonely, so I set aside time today for a date with you.

"Lottie, is there anywhere you want to go? Whatever you want to do, I'm all yours today."

His eyes held a softness that still carried the whole of those five years.

If this had been before, I would've been moved.

After all, he was the most respected chief of surgery at Mercy Hospital, with surgeries scheduled late into the night every day, so busy that he sometimes did not have time for a meal.

The fact that he could spare time for me at least proved how much I meant to him.

But now, as I looked at him, all I could think of was that engagement guest list, filled with names.

Was he swamped with work, or was he too busy preparing his engagement party?

How could he, on one hand, discuss the wedding with another woman, and on the other hand, coax me with words that I was the only one he loved?

Those questions hovered on my lips, but I swallowed them back.

Forget it, there were only a few days left anyway.

Soon enough, I'd vanish from his life without a trace.

I turned down his offer, my gaze lingering on the photos hanging in the living room walls.

"Andrew, let's clean up the house. Most of this stuff is old and taking up space," I said.

"As you wish, Mrs. Bennett," he replied.

Andrew grabbed a trash bag and joined me in cleaning up.

But as we kept cleaning, he gradually realized that everything I was discarded was packed with moments we once cherished.

That pen he gifted me on our first date.

The ceramic mug we crafted together on our third anniversary.

The love lock we had hung on the bridge.

I dropped each item into the bag without a hint of hesitation.

Andrew's smile dimmed.

When the matching ring he had given me a week ago fell into the trash, he finally grabbed my hand.

"Charlotte, have you been hearing rumors?" Andrew asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"What rumors? Is there something you're keeping from me?" I replied.

I stared at him, and for a moment, I thought if Andrew would tell me the truth, maybe I'd finally drop the act, let him know who I was, and give him one more chance.

But he didn't.

Andrew looked away, pressing his fingers to his brow.

After a long silence, he held my hand and said, "Charlotte, no matter what happens, remember, you're the one I love."

I gave a weak smile, but my heart felt like a wasteland.