Chapter 1

I was hospitalized due to severe morning sickness.

Lying in the hospital bed, I scrolled through my social media out of pure boredom.

I saw my favorite photography influencer share a new set of photos.

The caption read:

【Looking for this couple who had an argument on the snowy mountain.】

【The atmospheric shots you all requested are finally here.】

Curiosity got the better of me.

I clicked on the post, just wanting to see what the buzz was about.

But when I saw the matching scarves wrapped around their necks in the photo, a sharp, cramping pain suddenly tore through my lower abdomen.

Those were the bear-patterned scarves I had spent half a month knitting.

I had given them to the two most important people in my life.

One went to my husband, Ethan, and the other to my best friend, Sarah.

In the photo, a man wearing a black parka, sunglasses, and a face mask was kneeling on one knee, his posture humble.

The woman with curly hair stood over him, her arms crossed, head turned away, looking like she was pouting and complaining.

With the photographer’s expert shot and the stunning snowy mountain in the background, the photo was brimming with "vibes." It quickly drew envious comments from netizens:

【Report! I was actually there. This guy didn't take a good picture of his girlfriend, and he got yelled at hard without saying a word in his own defense.】

【After his girlfriend slapped him, he even knelt there begging her to hit him a few more times.】

【Whoa, did he like getting hit? This is basically a reward for him, right? Don't love her too much, seriously.】

The overwhelming envy in the comments made it hard for me to breathe.

Like someone addicted to self-harm, I used my fingers to zoom in on the photos.

I searched back and forth, over and over, looking for any clues.

The slightly worn Cartier watch on the man's right wrist.

That was a birthday gift I bought for Ethan before we were married.

There was a yellow stain on the side of the woman's white sneakers that wouldn't wash out.

That was from when Sarah and I went hiking and accidentally stepped in dog poop.

The matching bear-patterned scarves around their necks.

I had stayed up until 3:00 AM knitting those after dance practice.

One bear was missing ears.

The other was missing a leg.

Everything they were wearing bore traces I knew too well.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

My heart tightened, dropping straight into my stomach, and I broke into a cold sweat.

The familiar wave of nausea surged again. I frantically ripped out my IV and threw up into the trash can until there was nothing left.

Everything went black before my eyes.

The nurse rushed in to steady me.

"Ms. Su, your body is extremely weak right now. You need twenty-four-hour care."

"Where is your family?"

Family?

My only legal family, Ethan, said he was going on a business trip abroad yesterday.

The other, Sarah, whom I’d always treated like my own sister, said she was going back home to visit her parents yesterday.

But I never imagined that the two people who were so distant and polite to me would both end up on a snowy mountain behind my back.

A dull ache throbbed where the needle had been in my hand.

It pulsed in time with my racing heart, filled with chaos.

I forced a weak smile onto my pale lips.

"Could you please help me hire a caregiver? Thank you."

I lay back on the bed, gently stroking my still-flat stomach.

It held the fruit of Ethan’s and my love.

Barely a month along.

I was supposed to tell him the good news in a few days.

But now, I felt lost and confused.

I even began to wonder.

Should I keep this little life?

Refusing to give up, I picked up my phone and frantically searched the comments section again.

Finally, in the latest reply, I saw someone write:

【Thanks for the photos, photographer. My girlfriend has been cheered up. I'll improve my photography skills from now on and absolutely won't make her angry again.】

The account ID was "Thanks for giving me a home."

The tone was just like Ethan's.