Chapter 2
The next day, I went to the hospital alone.
I signed the surgery consent form myself.
When the doctor asked, I calmly replied, “I’m practically an orphan.”
The surgery went relatively well. I stayed in the hospital for three days before the doctor said I could go home to recover.
During this time, neither my mother nor Jocelyn sent me a single call or text message.
Yet somehow, I felt a long–forgotten sense of peace.
After being discharged, I boarded the bus home.
As we passed through the university district, memories of Jocelyn and me flooded back.
It might sound hard to believe, but initially, Jocelyn was the one who pursued me.
Back then, she was full of youthful energy and boldness, even confessing her feelings for me in front of the entire school.
Despite my repeated rejections, she never lost heart, showing me affection I’d never experienced before.
1/5
Chapter 2
Inevitably, I fell for her.
During our senior year at Christmas, her father was defrauded of his business funds and fell seriously ill. Their once–privileged family was suddenly drowning in debt.
During that period, I worked internships by day and part–time jobs by night, not only comforting her exhausted mind and body but also supporting both of us financially.
That’s when my stomach problems began.
Fortunately, her father later received help from a kind benefactor, and they recovered part of the stolen funds.
Things gradually improved, and we set a date for our wedding.
Until Hugo returned from abroad, and her heart changed…
I got off the bus and arrived home.
As soon as I pushed open the door, the scene before me left me utterly shocked and horrified.
Our carefully decorated wedding home was in complete disarray.
The house that had been clean and tidy when I left was now littered with takeout boxes, with cockroaches crawling over them.
2/5
Chapter 2
On the balcony, my carefully nurtured succulents had been maliciously uprooted.
Through the open bedroom door, I saw Hugo sitting on my bed while Jocelyn crouched beside him, coaxing him to take medicine.
3/5
My mother lounged carelessly on my new sofa. The cushion I’d specially selected—printed with a photo of Jocelyn and me— had been torn to shreds by Hugo’s dog, with stuffing spilling out everywhere.
“What are you doing here?”
Seeing me return, my mother merely glanced at me, snorted, and said, “Jocelyn is carrying a Jones family child. I thought this apartment of yours was quite nice–it was meant to be your marital home anyway–so I let Jocelyn and Hugo move in together.”
“This is my wedding home. What right does he have to live here?!”
I looked at Hugo, who was hiding behind Jocelyn with smug eyes, and took a deep breath before saying, “Besides, I no longer plan to marry Jocel—”
Before I could finish, my mother rushed over, grabbed my arm, and started hitting me. “I’ll kill you, you ungrateful wretch! Hugo is your own brother. He broke his leg because of you! What’s wrong with letting him stay in your apartment? If you ask me, you should just transfer the deed to him! Besides,
Chapter 2
4/5
Jocelyn is now carrying Hugo’s child–of course the baby’s father and mother should live together. As for you, contributing nothing all day–how do you expect to support Jocelyn and Hugo’s child?!”
I almost laughed bitterly at the absurdity.
Since childhood, my mother never liked me.
When she was pregnant with me, my father had an affair.
After I was born, she directed all her resentment toward me, though none of it was my fault.
As a child, I still craved maternal love, striving for top grades, handling all household chores, saving money to buy her gifts, carefully trying to please her.
But none of that compared to Hugo doing nothing at all.
Later, when I told her about my plans to get married, her first reaction was to make it clear I shouldn’t expect her to provide any dowry or wedding gifts, let alone help with buying a house.
She even handed me an account book, telling me to repay everything once I had money.
The book recorded every expense spent on me since childhood, down to erasers costing mere pennies.
Most ironically, the total she’d spent on me from birth until now amounted to only fifty thousand yuan–a pittance.
5/5
From that moment on, I stopped hoping for any maternal love.
I felt warmth on my forehead. When I touched it, there was blood.
Taking a deep breath, I looked at the three people in the room: my birth mother, my brother, and the woman I had planned to spend my life with.
My mind had never been clearer.
“Hugo, you know perfectly well how your leg was broken!” Hugo’s eyes darted away for a moment.
I smiled sarcastically and said, “This apartment is mine. If you want it, fine–pay for it. And…”
I turned to Jocelyn, “If you didn’t hear me clearly on the phone, let me say it again: I’m letting you and Hugo be together. This wedding is off, for good!”
