Chapter 1

On the day of the principal dancer selection, I lost my legs to save a little boy, and my career plummeted.

In my moment of despair, Asher, whom I had been pursuing for years, defied everyone's objections and proposed to me with a diamond ring he had prepared long ago:

"Melody, even if you can never stand up again in this life, I will always be by your side, never leaving, taking care of you for a lifetime."

I was deeply moved and immediately accepted his proposal.

After marriage, Asher truly kept his promise, treating me with utmost care.

On our wedding anniversary, I secretly went to his company to give him a surprise, but accidentally witnessed the driver who had hit me leaving his office.

At the same time, Asher's conversation with his assistant came from inside the room:

"Mr. Carlisle, the driver has taken the hush money and won't be returning to Chicago. Your wife will never know that you arranged for her to be hit. But is what we're doing really right?"

After a long silence, Asher extinguished his cigarette and said in a hoarse voice:

"As long as Scarlett can become the principal dancer and fulfill her dream, anything is worth doing."

"But your wife's legs..."

Joy may have lost her legs, but I sacrificed my own happiness and gave myself to her. Isn't that enough...?"

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1

I hear the conversation between the two, my face turning ghostly pale, barely able to believe my own ears.

Now, I can no longer deceive myself.

I grip the armrests of my wheelchair tightly, tears streaming down my face.

So, the person who caused me to lose both my legs was the one lying next to me every night.

From beginning to end, his deep affection was all a façade.

I can't bear it anymore and want to escape this place, but before I reach the elevator, Asher comes out of his office.

The moment he sees me, his eyes fill with panic, and his tone becomes aggressive:

"Melody, when did you get here? What did you hear? Tell me!"

I pretend to be oblivious as I turn around, handing Asher the lunchbox I had prepared.

"I just got off the elevator to bring you lunch. I was worried about your stomach acting up again."

Hearing my response, Asher breathes a sigh of relief and walks over to ruffle my hair:

"In the future, just have Mrs. Winchester do these things. I can't bear to see you go through the trouble."

His eyes are full of tenderness, and his tone is indescribably doting,

Identical to when he pretended to love me in the past, yet worlds apart from his suspicion just moments ago.

I suddenly feel nauseated and turn my head away from his hand.Asher thought I was just throwing a tantrum. Feeling guilty, he didn't berate me, but instead asked his assistant Channing to take me home, saying he'd be back for dinner with me later.

On the way back, Channing kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror. As I was getting out of the car, he couldn't help but ask:

"Which is more important to you - love or career?"

...

Back home, I sat motionless all night, staring at the carefully prepared candlelit dinner on the table.

Asher didn't come back, nor did he send me any messages.

At one in the morning, I came across Scarlett's social media post.

A girl in a swan costume stood smiling on stage, flashing a peace sign at the camera. The caption read: S&A (Scarlett and Asher)

It wasn't until dawn was breaking that Asher finally returned. He looked at the bouquet on the table with "wedding anniversary" written on it, only then remembering that yesterday was our first wedding anniversary.

"I'm sorry, Melody. There was a business dinner I just couldn't get out of."

Asher hugged me from behind, reeking of alcohol and perfume.Seeing that I remained silent, Asher's tone became even more cautious.

"Next week, let's make it up. We'll invite all our family and friends to witness our happiness together, okay?"

I still didn't speak, just lowered my head and turned the ring on Asher's ring finger. This was the wedding band I had given to Asher.

Three characters were engraved on the inside of the ring:

M&A, "Melody Love Asher".

Even though it was a summer night, my heart felt like an ice cave, completely frozen.

Asher was oblivious to this, just smiling and kissing my cheek:

"There, there. I'll take that as a yes."

As he spoke, Asher took the ointment I needed to apply and lowered his head to put it on my injured area.

While doing so, he patiently reminded me of various precautions.

Every detail, with an ocean of affection, as if nothing in the world mattered more than me.

In the past, I often prided myself on finding such a good man, thinking that all those years of relentless pursuit had finally paid off.

But now, looking at the hickey on Asher's neck, I just felt I had been terribly wrong.

Asher's deep love was real, but it was never meant for me.

He was even willing to sacrifice his own happiness to ensure a smooth path for the girl he truly loved.I was merely a tool for him to display his deep affection...