He Secretly Married My Sister, So I Left Him and Started Over

After my younger sister died from being stabbed by a patient's family member while trying to save me during a hospital disturbance, my parents came to hate me. They publicly cut ties with me and refused to let me attend my sister's funeral. I developed PTSD and could no longer bring myself to pick up a surgical scalpel. With my whole world falling apart, I stood on the rooftop, ready to end my life. My fiancé, Freddie Magison, pulled me back. “Olive!” He took out a prenatal checkup report. His eyes were filled with desperate pleading as his voice trembled. “I'm begging you. Even if it's just for our baby, please don't give up on yourself.” After that, he stayed by my side through my treatment, helping me slowly step out of the darkness. Little by little, I recovered from the tragedy and decided to live my life to the fullest. But one day, while passing a hospital room during a routine prenatal checkup, I suddenly heard my mother's excited voice from inside. “That's wonderful, Gwen. The baby was finally born safely. All that planning with Freddie to fake your deaths and escape was worth it.” I froze in place. But the conversation inside continued. My father spoke with relief in his voice, “From now on, this baby will be the cutest little princess in our family.” Then I saw Freddie through the doorway. He hugged Gwen with tears in his eyes, his face filled with a joy I'd never seen before. The room was filled with warmth and laughter, but I felt nothing but cold. I didn't know how long I stood there before an impatient nurse spoke from behind me. “Miss Vance, it's your turn. Please come in.” “No need.” I replied hoarsely, “Please cancel my prenatal checkup, Nurse. I don't need it anymore.” I wouldn't need it ever again. The nurse froze for a moment, but she didn't ask why. She simply canceled the appointment as I requested. I wiped away my tears and scheduled an abortion for the next day. By the time I got home, it was already dark. When I opened the door, I found Freddie sitting on the couch, holding a pure-gold longevity lock. The moment he saw me, his brows furrowed ever so slightly. Then he stood and draped his warm coat over my shoulders. A familiar scent filled my nose. It was the same perfume Gwen loved to wear. Freddie spoke with a helpless sigh. “It's just that something came up at work today, so I couldn't go with you to your prenatal checkup. Don't take it out on yourself. You're still pregnant, after all, okay?” I didn't answer. I simply pushed his coat away. Freddie froze for a moment when he saw what I did, and the room fell silent. After a while, I looked at the golden longevity lock in his hand and asked hoarsely, “What's that?” A flicker of unease crossed his eyes. “My coworker's baby was born. It's a gift for the baby.” “Your coworker's baby?” I looked up at Freddie. His thumb was unconsciously rubbing against his other fingers. After six years together, we knew each other far too well. That was the unconscious gesture he always made when he lied. I suddenly remembered how, a while ago, I had excitedly told him that I wanted to buy our baby a silver longevity lock. But all he'd done was sigh. “Olive, can we do it later? I've been a little busy lately.” Only now did I understand what he'd really been busy with. “Freddie.” I met his eyes. “Was that day at the hospital really just an accident?” Freddie's breath caught. I said nothing more. His silence erased the last bit of hope I had been clinging to. “Tomorrow, I'll go to the hospital with you.” A trace of concern flashed in Freddie's eyes. “Your condition…” “I feel fine now.” I cut him off. “I don't need any more treatment.” But this time, Freddie was unusually firm. “Olive.” His tone left no room for argument. “Be good. Listen to me.” “I won't go.” The atmosphere grew tense. After a while, Freddie let out a sigh. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. The moment he saw who was calling, his expression softened. I noticed the caller ID. My wife. “Olive, something came up at work. I need to take this call,” he said, then walked straight into his study without looking back. The moment the door closed, I almost laughed. Freddie was wary of me. As for what he was trying to hide, I didn't need to ask. I wondered how long he would have kept it from me if I hadn't found out by accident. A month? A year? Or a lifetime? I didn't make a scene. I simply wiped away my tears, took out my phone, and made a call. “Mr. Foster, I want a divorce. As soon as possible.” I was done playing this absurd game. There was a long silence on the other end. “Are you joking, Miss Vance?” After a long pause, Mr. Foster finally spoke, his voice filled with pity. “Mr. Magison's legal wife is Ms. Gwen Vance. As for you, you're unmarried according to the law.”

A loud ringing filled my ears. After hanging up, I nearly collapsed. So Freddie had been lying to me all along. He had deceived me about everything, from his career to our marriage. From beginning to end, he had never truly cared about me. I had always been the one he was willing to cast aside. “Olive?” Freddie stepped out of the study and casually locked the door behind him. “Why are your eyes still red?” A trace of concern flashed in his eyes. “Okay, we won't go to the hospital tomorrow, all right?” I didn't answer. I pulled my hand away and asked, “You have the marriage certificate, don't you?” Freddie's body stiffened, and he answered awkwardly, “I forgot where I put it.” I closed my eyes and didn't press him any further. “Oh, right.” Freddie's tone was casual. “I'm going out tomorrow anyway. You should stay home and get some rest.” He handed me a peach-flavored candy and added, “Get some sleep.” Then he left the living room. I sat alone on the floor, staring at the peach candy in my hand for a long time. After a while, I laughed. Gwen and I had never been alike, even when we were kids. She had always been sweet-talking and easy to like. Even her favorite things reflected her personality—sweet, bright, and full of charm. And peach happened to be her favorite flavor. Freddie used to scoff at it. “Gwen isn't five years old anymore. She's still carrying around peach-flavored candy everywhere. Isn't that childish?” But when had he started carrying around the very candy he once despised? I didn't know how much time passed before I finally got up and called my senior in Wexford. “I'm in. I'll take the advanced training program you told me about.” His voice came through the phone, surprised. “Didn't you say you weren't in the best state lately and wanted to stay home and focus on your pregnancy?” I curled my lips into a faint smile. “Never mind. My career is more important.” After hanging up, I noticed a faint ray of sunlight filtering through the window. I took a deep breath and tossed the candy into the trash without hesitation. The next morning, Freddie was already gone. I didn't bother asking where he'd gone. I simply got up and headed to the hospital for my abortion. As I passed Gwen's hospital room... Inside, I saw Freddie feeding Gwen with a bowl in his hands. Dad was playing with the baby using the gold longevity lock, while all kinds of toys were scattered across the floor and new clothes were piled beside the bed. The room was filled with warmth and harmony, like a perfectly ordinary family. As I stood there dazed, the two of them suddenly leaned closer and started talking. I couldn't hear what Gwen said, but whatever it was made Freddie cover his mouth and laugh. That's when I noticed a Hello Kitty sticker stuck to the back of his hand. Still smiling, Freddie gently wiped the food from the corner of Gwen's mouth. The gesture was so natural that I froze for a moment. Freddie had always been a serious germaphobe. He wouldn't even touch someone else's leftover food, let alone wipe it away with his own hands. Even when I had low blood sugar and wanted to eat a piece of candy in his car, he absolutely wouldn't allow it. But now, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. I was simply the one person he had never been willing to make an exception for. My phone chimed with a message. My surgery time was almost here. I closed my eyes and turned to leave when someone suddenly grabbed my hair with tremendous force. I was thrown backward, unable to stop myself. The back of my head slammed against the floor, sending a searing pain through my skull. Blood immediately began pooling beneath me. I forced my eyes open and saw that it was none other than my mother. She shoved me away, her eyes bloodshot with fury. “What are you trying to do?” My throat was dry, and I broke into a violent coughing fit. A trace of impatience flashed in her eyes. “Putting on an act again? Is that it?” She sounded so certain, as if she didn't even notice how badly I'd been hurt. Or perhaps she simply didn't care. After all, my parents had only ever loved my younger sister. No matter how much I accomplished, it meant nothing in their eyes. I was already used to it. So when the truth was once again laid bare before me in all its ugliness, I wasn't even that sad anymore. All I felt was bitter irony. “Shouldn't I be the one asking the questions?” A faint smile tugged at my lips as I asked hoarsely, “My dear little sister wasn't supposed to die protecting me?” “You!” My mother's words caught in her throat. After a moment, she finally spoke, “Fine. Since you already know, I'll be honest with you.” “Yes, we lied to you. But you've figured it out, haven't you?” “Freddie has always loved Gwen. The two of them are the ones who truly belong together.” “Do you know that Freddie's lock screen password is Gwen's name? Did you know he has a whole album on his phone filled with photos of Gwen? Did you know Gwen is actually pinned at the top of his WhatsApp?” As she spoke, she gave me a pitying look. “They only did all that because they didn't want you to find out the truth and get hurt. After all, they both love you.” “And you were never as emotionally strong as Gwen. We were afraid that once you found out, you might...” I couldn't help but laugh at her words. “So that's your excuse for Freddie and Gwen cheating on me and all of you conspiring to deceive me?” I forced myself to stand. My voice trembled, but my words remained firm. “Stop using love as an excuse.” “What gives you the right to assume I'd fall apart? And what gives you the right to destroy the medical career I've spent half my life building, all because you decided that was what was best for me?” I looked at her, my voice firm. “Mom, you and everyone else, including Freddie, have never truly seen me for who I am. I used to hold on to the hope that things might change. But from now on…” I slipped the ring off my finger and threw it out the window without hesitation. “Never again.” With that, I walked past her without looking back. Just before I entered the operating room, I came across Gwen's Instagram account. There was a photo of Mom and Dad, Gwen holding the baby between them, with Freddie's arm wrapped around her shoulders. What a happy family they looked like. I didn't linger on the post. Without hesitation, I blocked the account.

After the procedure, I lay in the hospital bed, my lower abdomen feeling hollow, as if someone had forcibly torn a piece of me away. My whole body ached as though I'd been run over by a truck. I rested a hand on my flat stomach, dazed for a moment. “Baby, don't blame Mommy…” Just then, my phone rang. It was Freddie. “Where are you?” His voice was cold. “Olive, do you even realize you're pregnant? Why aren't you home this late? What are you thinking?” His accusation sounded absurd to me. How could a man split his heart between two women and still act so righteous and completely guiltless when he was with the other one? “I'm at the hospital.” “The hospital?” His voice immediately betrayed his panic. “What happened? Why are you at the hospital? Is something wrong with the baby?” My voice remained calm. “Nothing. I just had an abortion.” Freddie fell silent. After a long silence, when he finally spoke again, his voice was colder than I'd ever heard it. “Olive, do you think lying is funny?” “I just couldn't go with you to your prenatal checkup because something came up at work. Do you really have to take your anger out on me over it?” “Something came up at work?” I laughed. “Freddie, how did I never realize how good you are at lying?” “What?” “The baby is adorable. Looks just like Gwen, doesn't she?” A chair screeched violently against the floor on the other end of the phone. Freddie's voice was impossible to read. “How did you find out?” I didn't answer. Instead, I asked with a hint of laughter in my voice, “Don't you think it's ridiculous that I ended up like this over someone who was never even dead in the first place?” There was a brief silence on the other end. “Come home first, Olive. I'll explain everything to you later.” “Freddie,” I cut him off. “There is no ‘later’ for us.” With that, I hung up. As soon as the call ended, a message from my senior popped up. [Your flight's already booked, Olivia. The project team will cover all your expenses.] I let out a breath, lowered my head, and typed: [Okay. Thank you.] Then, without hesitation, I blocked Freddie, Gwen, and everyone else involved. From that moment on, I would have nothing more to do with any of them. Once I'd done that, I pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand. But just then, the door suddenly flew open. Freddie, Gwen, and the others stood outside. Before I could even react, Mom's hand came swinging across my face. Her voice was hoarse, clearly from crying. “Tell me, where did you hide the baby?”

I was stunned by the slap. “What?” Before I could process what was happening, Gwen suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. She cried out desperately, as though I were some unforgivable criminal. “Olivia, I know it was wrong of me to fake my death and leave you with an injured hand that means you can never perform surgery again. But no matter what, you can't take your anger out on the baby.” “The baby is innocent. Please, for the sake of all the years we've spent as sisters, let her go.” As she spoke, Gwen suddenly began banging her head against the floor. The dull thuds echoed through the room, and blood soon seeped from her forehead. “Gwen!” Freddie hurried over and helped Gwen to her feet. Then he turned to me, his eyes bloodshot. “Olive, how could you be so heartless? This is between you and me. How could you bring an innocent baby who isn't even a few months old into our feud?” “I didn't!” I stubbornly raised my head to look at him, my voice hoarse. “Freddie, I'm a doctor. No matter what happened between us, I would never hurt a child.” “You're lying!” Gwen cut me off, her eyes red as tears streamed down her face. “Who else could possibly hate this baby enough to do something like this besides you?” She grabbed Freddie's arm, her voice trembling. “Freddie, the baby’s so little. She hasn't even had the chance to see much of the world… If anything happens to her, I don't want to live anymore.” With that, she seemed to lose all strength and collapsed to the floor. “Gwen!” Everyone around them rushed over. Dad finally seemed to lose his patience. He grabbed me by the throat and rasped, “Tell me! Where did you hide the baby?” The air around me felt thin. I could barely breathe. I struggled with all my strength, but I'd just had surgery. Against a grown man, my resistance was utterly futile. “I told you, I didn't hide her. I don't even know where the baby is now…” “Olive!” Mom's voice rose sharply as she pulled me away from Dad and grabbed my right hand. The moment I could breathe again, I broke into a violent coughing fit. A faint metallic taste of blood rose in my throat. “After all these years, why are you still so heartless? First, it was your sister's toys, birthday cakes, new dresses…” “Now you won't even spare a baby. Do you really have to destroy her, too? Tell us where she is, and I'll let you off.” My whole body was trembling as I said, “I didn't do any of those things. And I didn't do anything to the baby either.” When I denied everything, she seemed to make up her mind. Gritting her teeth, she said, “You forced me to do this.” A terrible feeling washed over me as I struggled to speak. “What are you going to do?” Suddenly, excruciating pain shot through the hand she was holding. In an instant, cold sweat broke out across my forehead. “Ah!” The searing pain made my ears ring. I could barely hear anything anymore. All I could see was Mom's face, twisted with the force she was using. Meanwhile, Freddie was only concerned with holding Gwen in his arms. The look he gave me was ice-cold, as though I were some irredeemable criminal. That Hello Kitty sticker was still stuck to the back of his hand. For a moment, I was lost in a haze. I suddenly remembered how, years ago, Freddie had looked at my injured right hand with such heartache after I hurt it protecting Gwen. “Olive, as long as I'm here, I'll protect you. I'll never let you get hurt again.” I guess time really could change a person. The boy who had once looked at me with nothing but love could now look at me with nothing but disgust. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my lower abdomen, followed by a warm liquid flowing down my legs. Everyone's expression changed at the sight. Freddie stood up, staring at me in shock. “Olive…” Just then, the door suddenly flew open, and an urgent female voice rang out. “We found the baby. A nurse had taken her to get vaccinated. Come to the nurses' station and see if she's yours.” In an instant, everyone sprang to their feet. Even Gwen, who had been unconscious, woke up. She exchanged a glance with Freddie, their eyes filled with joy. Everyone rushed out of the room, no one paying any attention to my hospital gown, already soaked in blood. The room fell completely silent. I stared at the blood on the floor. There were no tears left in my eyes. All that remained was numbness. A notification popped up on my phone, reminding me that my flight was about to depart. I changed out of my bloodstained clothes, as if I were shedding the relationship that had been tainted beyond repair. Then I grabbed my documents and left the city without looking back. The moment the plane soared high above the clouds, all I felt was freedom. From now on, I would live only for myself. Goodbye, Freddie. I never wanted to see you again. When I stepped off the plane, my senior was waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers. The professor standing beside him came over and shook my hand, smiling warmly. “Welcome to the team.” Meanwhile, the moment Freddie saw the baby, the weight in his heart finally lifted. But in the next instant, my face suddenly flashed through his mind. A terrible feeling came over him. “If the baby is here, then… Olive didn't hide her…” He had wrongfully accused me, and the realization made Freddie's heart pound. But he quickly reassured himself. “No. Olive is strong, and she loves me. Once I apologize, she'll forgive me.” Even so, his feet instinctively carried him toward my room. “Freddie?” Gwen called after him, her voice filled with concern. “What's wrong?” Freddie shook his head instinctively and forced a smile. “Nothing. I'm just going for a walk.” With that, he hurried away. The farther he went, the faster his heart pounded. It wasn't until he reached the door that he finally calmed down. Freddie took a deep breath and pushed the door open, pretending to be casual. “We found the baby. I'm sorry, Olive. We really did misunderstand…” The rest of his sentence caught in Freddie's throat. The hospital room was completely empty. Apart from the pool of blood on the floor, there was no sign of me anywhere. Freddie stared at the blood, panic taking over as he frantically called my name. “Olive?” “Olive!” Then something on the hospital bed caught his attention. It was a document confirming the abortion. With trembling hands, Freddie picked it up. His face turned deathly pale.