He Chose Her, But Still Said He Loved Me

Evelyn Carter didn't go home with Adrian. She insisted on checking into a hotel alone.

Adrian, worried, offered to stay with her.

Evelyn picked up her notepad and wrote: No need. Go home.

"Evelyn… I know you blame me." Adrian spoke quietly, his voice cautious. "When you had your accident, I was drinking heavily every day. One night, she put something in my drink. I mistook her for you. I was furious when I found out. I cut her off completely. But she kept coming back, saying she was pregnant…"

He paused, then continued, "I told her to get rid of it, but she refused. She had the baby on her own and raised her until she was two. That couldn't have been easy."

Evelyn's fingers tightened into fists.

Easy? He thought Renee Liu—the woman who had tricked him—deserved sympathy?

Ridiculous.

"She came to me again when the child got sick. She was alone, unmarried; her father disowned her. She had nowhere to turn. I helped her at first, just for the child. Evelyn… Faye is innocent in all of this."

Adrian crouched beside her bed, trying to meet her eyes.

But Evelyn didn't look at him. Her heart had long drifted elsewhere.

"Evelyn, I know you've suffered so much over the years. The one thing I regret most…" Adrian choked up, gripping her hand; his eyes turned red. "…was sending you on that mission."

But it was too late for regrets now.

Evelyn lowered her eyes and wrote slowly on her notepad: How do you plan to handle things between me and her?

The law was clear. One man, one wife. Adrian had to choose—her or Renee.

"Evelyn, please… just give me some time. Can you?" he begged, holding her hand tightly.

Evelyn took a long, trembling breath. Then she wrote, You don't need to be torn anymore. Let's get a divorce.

She was stepping back.

No one knew how much it hurt.

How deeply the pain twisted inside her chest.

She had lost everything. Her only reason to keep going now was to uncover the truth behind that kidnapping—what happened to her parents, and who caused their deaths.

"Evelyn…" Adrian's voice was hoarse as he grabbed the pen from her hand. "Please don't say things like that. I need time to process all of this. I don't want to lose you. You know it's always been you I loved. But Renee… she's been with me all these years. And there's Faye too. I just… I need time."

He was pleading. Begging her to wait.

But the gap between them wasn't just five years anymore—it was something wider. Something permanent.

Adrian's phone buzzed again.

He silenced it, frustrated. But it rang once more.

Evelyn didn't need to ask. She already knew it was Renee calling.

Go home, she signed quietly.

Adrian hesitated, trying to read her expression, then shook his head. "Evelyn, I spoke to Dr. Zhang in psychiatry. He said your condition is a stress response. It's psychological trauma. What you need now is someone by your side. I'll be here for you. I'll stay until you get better."

But Evelyn pulled her hand away. Her body, her heart, her soul—they all rejected him.

She once believed his presence would heal her.

That he would be her medicine. Her sanctuary.

But now, he and Renee were the poison.

His phone rang again. This time, he picked it up and stepped into a corner of the room.

"Adrian! Faye has a fever. Where the hell are you in the middle of the night? Not with your wife and child?" The voice on the other end was stern—it was Dr. Louis, Renee's father and now Adrian's father-in-law.

Not wanting Evelyn to hear, Adrian turned away, lowering his voice. "Dad… Professor Chen's team came back. You probably heard—Evelyn came back too."

There was a long silence.

Then Dr. Louis spoke again, his voice cold and heavy. "Adrian, you know how much my daughter has sacrificed for you. She gave you a child and stood by you for five years. Yes, Evelyn was your wife once, but the two of you barely had a wedding. You need to make a decision. You're at the peak of your career. Don't let this spiral out of control. Don't forget—Evelyn works at our hospital too."

"She has no family left. No one to protect her," he added. "It's up to you now."

"…Yes," Adrian replied, almost in a whisper. He turned to glance at Evelyn.

She sat quietly on the bed, her eyes empty, her entire being like a ghost of who she once was.

Dr. Louis was right. She had nothing. No parents. No voice. No way to defend herself.

So, she became the one everyone could dismiss. Ignore. Walk all over.

Because life was cruel like that—always pressing hardest on those who already had the least.

"Evelyn… Faye's sick. I have to go check on her," Adrian said gently, moving closer to try to kiss her forehead.

But Evelyn flinched, turning her head away, fists clenched tight.

She understood now.

Adrian had already made his choice.

Between her and Renee…

He chose Renee.

"Evelyn," he knelt again, his eyes locked on hers. "We're not naive kids anymore. The world is a cruel place. But you have to believe me. I love you. Even if we divorce, I'll still protect you. I'll stay by your side. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Evelyn stared at him, wide-eyed in disbelief.

He wanted her to leave the marriage, so he could keep her as his mistress.