Chapter 1

I was just pulled back from the brink of death.

Before I could remember my own name, I became my sister's blood bank.

The man who dragged me from my hospital bed to drain my blood was the one who hated me most.

My husband. Julian Vance.

Chapter

Amelia's POV

The sharp sting of antiseptic dragged me back to the land of the living.

I blinked up at a blank, white ceiling. My left wrist was a clumsy bundle of bandages.

I had no memory.

My mind was a clean slate, wiped. Nothing remained.

The door flew open. A middle-aged couple stood there, their expressions not of relief, but of profound irritation.

"Creating another scene, Amelia? Have you no shame left?" The man sounded furious.

The woman's was a razor. "We never should have fetched you from that backwater village. If our Chloe had an ounce of your dramatics, she'd never let herself be victimized!"

From their unveiled contempt, the outline of my life began to form.

My name is Amelia. The Dawson family's long-lost biological daughter.

But in this house, I ranked far beneath the cherished adopted one, Chloe.

I also had a husband, Julian.

Three years ago, an incident led to me becoming his wife.

It also made me the most unwelcome and inconvenient person in his eyes.

Because his heart had always belonged to Chloe, never me.

My father continued his cold sneer. "Stop using these tactics in the future. When have you ever succeeded? Even if something really happened, Julian wouldn't spare you a glance."

My mother's face was full of disdain. "I really don't know what part of you, besides your bloodline, resembles a Dawson."

"Let's go. Chloe needs us."

They turned and left, never once looking back at me.

I lowered my head, touching the bandages on my wrist, and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Even with amnesia, it didn't mean I couldn't feel pain.

I could only imagine how many times the past me had endured such neglect.

My parents didn't love me, and my husband didn't love me either.

I was superfluous.

The next day, I discharged myself.

As I stood by the hospital entrance in thin clothes, a black luxury car pulled up in front of me.

The door opened, and Julian stepped out.

He held a petite woman in his arms, his gaze incredibly tender as he looked down at her.

His usually stern features softened.

Whispers of curiosity and gasps of envy rippled through the onlookers.

"Isn't that Julian? Who's the woman he's holding?"

"He's so handsome! Finally seeing him in person today. I'm so jealous of the woman in his arms, being cherished like that. I'd die on the spot."

He rushed into the ER with her, brushing past me without a glance. I wasn't even a blur in his periphery.

Only then did it hit me.

He was my husband.

My husband in the eyes of the law.

A bitter laugh escaped me. My husband wasn't here to pick me up from the hospital, but he was accompanying another woman to the emergency room.

Just as I turned to leave, hurried footsteps echoed behind me.

Julian had returned, grabbing my wrist with a force that felt like it would shatter my bones.

"Chloe is injured and needs a blood transfusion urgently." He stared at me, his tone an undeniable command. "You have RH-negative blood. Come with me for a blood draw."

He roughly dragged me forward. I didn't struggle, just looked at him calmly.

My gaze seemed to irritate him.

He impatiently unclasped his watch from his wrist, shoving it into my cold palm. He clearly expected tears or demands.

"Here. Now leave."

His posture was like dismissing an object.

I clutched the watch, a faint, almost imperceptible cold smile playing on my lips.

"Not enough?" He frowned in displeasure. "Amelia, don't be greedy."

I tucked the watch away, replying blandly. "How could it not be enough? Such an expensive watch is more than enough for a hundred blood draws."

He seemed to sense something was off, but only frowned, eventually saying nothing.

In the blood draw room, the needle pierced my skin.

Through the glass, I watched him by Chloe's bedside, gently tucking her blanket in.

The nurses' hushed whispers drifted into my ears.

"It's her again. Mrs. Vance." Their low voices carried. "Jumping off buildings, cutting her wrists. She just tried to get Mr. Vance's attention."

"What's the point? Mr. Vance only cares about Chloe. She's just humiliating herself."

Their words stung like needles.

So, this was how pathetic my past self had been.

Amnesia, perhaps, was a blessing.

Four hundred milliliters of blood later, my face was pale. I leaned against the wall and walked up to Julian.

"Where do we live?" I asked.

Julian's face was full of mockery. "What, another trick of running away from home so I'll go looking for you?"

"I forgot, I really forgot." I smiled faintly. "After all, I've lost so much blood, my brain isn't working right."

He waved his hand impatiently. "I'll have the driver take you back."

"Thank you."

I turned to leave, then paused, looking at him.

"Are you coming home for dinner tonight? To celebrate my discharge."

"Celebrate?" His face instantly darkened. "Chloe is still in there. What's there to celebrate? Are you that heartless?"

"If you're not coming back, fine." My tone was calm. "I had a gift for you."

"Stop with these attempts to curry favor. I don't need them."

He cut me off, turning to stride quickly towards Chloe.

Did he really not need it?

I lowered my head and smiled.

He would need this "gift."

I pulled out my phone, found Mr. Henderson the lawyer's name in my contacts, and called.

"Mr. Henderson, please prepare two documents for me."

"One divorce agreement."

"And a parental rights termination statement."

Chapter