After my brother-in-law Marcel Benson passed away, my parents suggested something shocking. They wanted my husband, Jerome Benson, to have a child with my sister, Allison Drouin.

Jerome and I refused outright, but that night, I caught him in bed with her.

Heartbroken, I filed for divorce and made plans to work overseas.

When Jerome knelt, begging for another chance. I smiled and said, "Alright, We can get back together. Wait after I have a child with him."

***

Crystal Drouin and her sister married twin brothers, Jerome and Marcel, at the same time.

Marcel died during a mission, leaving their mother Margret in tears for days.

Devastated, she begged Crystal to let Jerome and Allison have a child together.

***

"I have to give my eldest son an heir!" Margret said, wiping her tears. "Crystal, please, just think about me and Allison. Let them do this for Marcel."

Crystal turned pale, too stunned to respond. Her mother Joan spoke up tearfully. "Crystal, Allison hasn't been herself since Marcel died. She's barely hanging on... I don't know how much longer she can take this"

"Please, Crystal. Let Jerome give Allison a baby. It'll give her something to hold onto," Margret added.

Their words left Crystal feeling like a villain. As if saying no would mean she was personally sending her sister to her doom.

Crystal bit her lip, staying silent. Joan had always favored Allison, Crystal had learned to live with that.

What truly mattered to her was how Jerome felt about all this.

Sandwiched between an older sister and a younger brother, Crystal had always felt overlooked and unloved.

But everything changed when she met Jerome.

He made Crystal feel like she was the center of his world.

If she got sick, her parents would brush her off and tell her to see a doctor herself. But Jerome always dropped everything to take care of her, even for a mild cold.

When they went shopping, he noticed what caught her eye and quietly bought it. Then he left it by her bedside, so she would wake up to the surprise the next morning.

He would get up at dawn and stand in line for hours just to get her favorite trendy snacks.

As a scion, Jerome wasn't expected to humor anyone, but he happily went out of his way to make her smile.

He took care of everything when it came to Crystal—even designing their engagement rings himself.

On the day he proposed, Jerome looked into her eyes with sincerity and affection. "Crystal, I know your parents haven't given you the love you deserve. But from now on, I'll be the one who loves you the most. I understand all your pain and insecurities.

"Once we're married, I promise, I'll always put you first. No one else could ever take your place in my heart."

Crystal was moved and said yes.

When they were dating, Jerome had always protected her, standing tall to shield her from whatever came their way.

Now, once again, he stood before Crystal, firm and resolute.

"Dad, Mom, please stop pushing Crystal. What you're asking is outrageous. It's not just Crystal, I don't agree with it either."

As he spoke, he dropped to his knees before his parents.

"Marcel gave his life to save me, and I feel responsible for Allison... But I won't betray my wife. I'll do anything else for Allison, except this."

Margret cried her heart out, but Jerome remained unmoved. He spent the entire day kneeling silently by Marcel's gravestone.

Crystal was moved to tears.

She felt more certain she married the right person—someone she could trust completely and build a life with.

But in the stillness of the night, Crystal heard muffled moans from upstairs.

Crystal froze, wondering if Allison was cheating on someone.

Then another thought hit her—had Margret found someone else for the plan?

The intermittent moans gnawed at Crystal's thoughts, and her curiosity finally won. She wrapped herself in a coat and crept upstairs.

Allison's bedroom door was slightly ajar, enough for Crystal to peek inside. Amid the scattered clothes, a tall man hunched over Allison. His muscular frame rocked as he thrust.

He was a blur in the dark, but something about him seemed familiar.

Crystal got a bad feeling.

Then, moonlight filtered through the curtains and lit up his face.

She saw clearly—it was Jerome.

He played the perfect husband just hours ago but was now in bed with Allison.

During the day, Jerome didn't budge at all.

His father, Roderick Benson, punished him by making him stay in the hall all night. He was only allowed to leave if he agreed to have a baby with Allison.

Crystal assumed Jerome was still there, but when she went to check, the hall was empty.

Seeing him in bed with Allison brought a bitter smile to Crystal's face.

Allison's bed creaked through the night, stopping only at dawn.

Crystal didn't sleep at all. She had cried until there were no tears left.

In the morning, she wiped her face, pulled herself together, and called a lawyer to draft divorce papers.

Cheating, lies... Her family had played her for a fool with this ridiculous act.

She had misjudged Jerome. This marriage wasn't worth saving.

Then she walked into Jerome's study with the divorce papers.

Calmly, she turned to the last page and placed them in front of him.

"Sign here."

Jerome immediately grabbed a pen and signed his name.

"You didn't even look? What if I just sold you out?" she asked evenly.

"I'm not worried. Whatever you give me, I'll sign. If you sold me out, I'd probably just be happy you got what you wanted," he replied with an affectionate look.

Jerome had a real knack for saying the sweetest things.

Crystal used to believe those words were proof of his love. Now she realized they were just empty talk.

As night fell, Roderick ordered him to stay in the hall again.

"Dad, give it up. I'm not going to agree to have a kid with Allison, even if I end up dying here," Jerome said with a determined look on his face.

Despite his words, Jerome sneaked into Allison's room later that night. Crystal heard the muffled moans coming from upstairs again.

Then her moans turned into screams, raw and unrestrained.

It became a nightly thing over the next few days.

Getting pregnant wasn't guaranteed on the first try. Of course, they had to spend more nights together.

Crystal couldn't sleep at all. Every time she closed her eyes, her mind went to what was happening upstairs.

Her beloved husband was having sex with her sister.

Sleepless nights left Crystal drained and frail, her face pale and gaunt.

Meanwhile, Allison grew more radiant by the day, basking in Jerome's attention and desire.

The house was lively as if Crystal had faded into the background.

None of her family seemed to notice the changes in her—her dark circles, hollow eyes, or pale, thin face.

When Allison had been like this, they were worried sick.

Margaret went out of her way to cook new dishes, hoping Allison would eat more.

Joan stayed with Allison constantly, and even a small frown from her was enough to unsettle Joan.

Jerome did everything he could to surprise her and make her smile.

When they finally noticed Crystal, all she got was criticism. "Why always the sour look? If not for Marcel, you'd be a widow by now!"

"You're heartless. You even refuse to help your sister when she needs you. How ungrateful!"

Crystal realized that they saw her but didn't care.

She didn't bother explaining and quietly prepared her documents. Later, she applied for an overseas job through her company.

Their indifference pushed her to give up on them.

Their baby-making plan kept going, and with Jerome putting in the work every night, Allison soon got pregnant.

The house was full of joy, with a party thrown to celebrate.

Crystal, unfazed, quietly ate her meal. Then, without looking up, she said, "Jerome, Allison's baby is not yours, is it?"

Jerome froze, his expression hardening. "Crystal, seriously? Don't joke about stuff like that.

"I said no to them, and you were there too. I even ended up staying in the hall for a whole month.

"I went against Dad and Mom for you, and now you're doubting me? Come on, you're the one person I need to believe me. You're it for me." Jerome reached out to hug Crystal, his face full of hurt.

Crystal stayed unmoved, continuing to eat.

He glanced at her and let out a soft sigh. "I wasn't planning to tell you, but if I don't, you'll just keep overthinking. Fine, here's the story.

"Mom and Dad found a new guy for Allison—a buddy of Marcel's from the army. Don't tell others, alright?

"Being a single mom isn't easy. I think we need to pitch in where we can. Marcel gave his life for me, you know. Crystal, when the baby comes, I hope you can see it as ours, like your own."

Crystal felt a mix of anger and amusement at Jerome's lies.

This family really thought she was clueless.

They had not only gone behind her back with their plan but were now expecting her to help raise the child.

The night Allison was found pregnant, Jerome got out of his usual punishment and came back to the bedroom.

A few minutes later, Margret's anxious voice rang out. "Jerome, Allison's stomach hurts! Go check on her."

Jerome's face showed hesitation, but he finally went upstairs.

Before leaving, he said, "Crystal, I'll be right back. Allison is a widow, pregnant. She can't handle this on her own."

Crystal didn't care anymore, so she didn't try to stop him.

Later that night, the familiar muffled moans reached her ears.

Allison was already pregnant, yet they were still having sex.

Crystal thought she had run out of tears, but by morning, her pillow was soaked.

At dawn, Jerome came back.

He slipped into bed and wrapped his arms around her, sounding completely drained. "I'm beat, Crystal. Don't go overthinking this, okay? Allison's stomach was hurting, so I stayed to rub it for her. That's it."

The scent of Allison's perfume lingered on him, making Crystal feel sick. She pulled away.

"Why don't you just move in with Allison?" she said coldly. "She's a widow; she needs a man. I don't."

Jerome froze and then his anger flared.

"What are you talking about? Marcel gave his life to save me. Allison's not feeling well, and I'm looking after her for him. What's wrong with that?"

He stared at her with disappointment. "Crystal, you seriously think something is going on between me and Allison? If that's what you believe, I'll stay out of her business.

"And I'll keep my distance, alright?"

With that, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Over the next few days, Jerome kept his word.

When Allison needed to go for her prenatal checkups, he said, "Mom, Dad, you take Allison to the hospital. I'm not going. I don't want Crystal to overthink."

With that, he shifted the blame onto Crystal.

Margret shot Crystal a glare. "I've never seen anyone as petty as you! Jerome's just helping your sister. What's the big deal?

"Since you're so against it, you can take care of her yourself from now on. Her meals, daily needs, checkups, and everything."

Then Margret barked at Crystal to start the car.

Without a word, Crystal grabbed the keys and headed to the garage.

As soon as the car left the garage, Allison collapsed in front of the wheels.

Crystal barely had time to react before Allison's screams came. "Oh, my baby... my baby..."

The rest of the family rushed over, and Jerome was the first to reach her. "Allison! Are you okay?"

"Jerome, I'm scared." She gripped his hand, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts so bad. Do you think my baby's gone?

"Please, save my baby! I don't care what happens to me. Just make sure my baby's okay."

Feeling distressed, he whispered, "Ally, don't worry. I swear I'll do everything to protect you and the baby."

His emotions got the better of him, and he let her nickname slip.

Crystal's eyes welled up with tears, but before her sadness could sink in, Margret pointed at the car and shouted, "Crystal was driving. She hit Allison."

The others rushed to the car and dragged Crystal out.

"How could you do this, Crystal? She's your sister!" Joan yelled, then slapped her hard across the face. "Marcel gave his life for Jerome, and now you're trying to hurt Allison's baby? Do you even care about anyone but yourself?"

The slap split Crystal's lip, but Joan didn't stop.

She grabbed her by the hair and kept hitting her.

Margret joined in, slapping her while wailing. "My poor grandchild! My son's gone, and now you want to kill my grandchild?

"You're vile! How could someone like you even be part of this family?"

Soon, Crystal's face was covered in blood, but Jerome stood by, watching with cold indifference.

Margret shoved Crystal hard. She stumbled, falling against the car door and hitting her head. Blood started to flow. Finally, he said coldly, "Enough. Stop it.

"Allison is hurt. We need to get her to the hospital."

Then he scooped Allison up and got into the car.

Allison kept saying her stomach hurt, though there wasn't a drop of blood.

Meanwhile, Crystal was bleeding badly, but Jerome didn't glance her way.

He drove Allison straight to the hospital.

Crystal collapsed to the ground, feeling hollow and unable to cry.

In the end, she dragged herself to the hospital.

She needed five stitches on her head, her face was swollen beyond recognition, and bruises covered her entire body.

As the nurse applied ointment to her wounds, she hesitated and asked, "Did your husband hit you or something? Should I call the police?"

Crystal gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

Jerome hadn't hit her; the pain came from the entire family.

Just then, he came out of another room, helping Allison walk slowly.

The doctor followed them, saying, "Sir, your wife freaked out. She's fine now. Pregnant women are delicate, so take extra care."

Jerome nodded. "Thanks, Doctor. I'll take good care of her."

He didn't bother correcting the doctor's misunderstanding.

Then the doctor left. Jerome held onto Allison carefully as they walked down the hall. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Jerome, don't you think we look like newlyweds right now?"

He grinned. "Newlyweds with a baby on the way? Guess I'm quite the stallion."

Allison blushed and bopped him on the arm. "Stop it, Jerome!"

Jerome caught her hand, laughing. "Don't you think? You were begging me to stop last night. Remember?"

They were actually flirting in public.

Crystal couldn't stand it and turned away.

Suddenly, the nurse beside her cried out, "Oh no, you're crying.

"Is it the pain? Want me to grab you something for it?"

Crystal was startled to realize her cheeks were wet with tears.

She forced a smile and wiped them away.

Yeah, it was the pain.

Her physical wounds would heal with time and medicine, but the pain in her heart?

That felt impossible to fix.

Although Allison wasn't hurt, she became the queen of the family after coming back from the hospital.

Everyone treated her with extra care, especially Jerome. Whatever she wanted, he would go out of his way to get it for her. If she woke up in the middle of the night craving a strawberry milkshake, he would rush out to get it for her.

"Crystal, don't you get it? The only reason I'm treating Allison like this is because of you!" Jerome always had excuses ready to justify himself. He went on, "I'm trying to make up for your mess.

"Marcel died saving me, so we already owed Allison a life. Then you go and hit her with your car, almost making her lose the baby... We owe her too much.

"That day, I didn't defend you because I didn't want the whole family to hate you. So please, stop stirring things up. I'm doing everything I can to fix this for you. Can't you just leave Allison alone?"

The irony made her laugh. Then she nodded and replied coolly, "Don't worry. I won't cause trouble again."

What she didn't say was, "And I won't shed another tear for you."

"Really?" Jerome's face lit up, and he pulled her into a hug, sounding relieved. "That's great. I knew you'd come around. There's nothing between me and Allison. I'm just looking after her for Marcel.

"If I ever lied to you about that, you would hate me, and Marcel would probably haunt my dreams."

Men often failed to realize that true heartbreak wasn't about shouting or dramatic fights. The heartbroken just walked away in silence.

The arguing and tears came from love, from trying to hold on, from wanting to fix what was broken.

So when she stopped fighting, that was when it was over.

Crystal stayed silent while everyone else was busy keeping Allison happy. She prepared her papers to leave, telling no one.

In a few days, she would be gone. All she wanted was to keep things calm and avoid any drama.

But Allison walked up with a smug smile.

"Crystal, you've figured it out by now, haven't you? Jerome's the father.

"Be smart. Divorce him and let him go. If you do, I'll let you off the hook."

Crystal fought back a laugh and asked, "Allison, are you sure that he'll marry you after divorce?

"You're his brother's wife. If he marries you, that's incest."

Allison got furious and grabbed Crystal by the collar. "Do you think you're better than me just because you have a husband?

"Why are you so smug? You've always been second to me in everything. And do you really believe Jerome loves you?

"Please. Since I got pregnant, he's been sneaking into my room every few nights... He says I'm fun and passionate in bed, unlike you—boring and lifeless."

Unfazed, Crystal said, "Whores are passionate in bed too, but I've never seen any man marry one."

Her words hit Allison like a slap in the face.

Furious, Allison raised her hand to strike but stopped just before it landed.

"Crystal, do you remember that game we used to play as kids?" Allison said with a twisted, cruel smile.

Crystal froze as the words sank in. She reached out to stop Allison.

But it was too late.

With that chilling smile, Allison leaned back and tumbled down the stairs.

"Crystal, let's play a game."

Those words haunted her childhood.

As the middle child, Crystal was always overlooked.

After her younger brother Elroy Drouin was born, her parents' attention shifted entirely to him. So she was left in Allison's care.

At the time, Allison was a rebellious teenager. She felt stuck babysitting when she should have been out living her life.

Frustrated and unable to defy their parents, Allison took her anger out on Crystal. She scolded and hit her.

"Allison, stop it!" Crystal cried, desperate. "I'll tell Mom and Dad if you keep this up!" She was too little to fight back.

Allison just flashed that unsettling smile.

"Crystal, let's play a game."

Then she grabbed one of Crystal's toys, grinned wickedly, and smashed it against her own head.

"This game's called 'Who Do Mom and Dad Believe'?" Allison smiled, blood running down her forehead. "Let's see who they'll side with when we both tell them our stories."

With that, Allison dropped the toy and burst into tears, covering her head with her hands. "Crystal, stop! You can't hit me with your toy. It hurts..."

Terrified, young Crystal froze in place.

The result was always the same. Their parents believed Allison, and Crystal was left to face the punishment.

Allison's success only made her bolder, and she hurt Crystal in secret. Then, with her face bloodied, Allison would run to their parents, crying and blaming Crystal.

This twisted "game" had been Allison's favorite as a kid.

She stopped playing it as they got older.

But now, years later, Allison was at it again.

The only difference was that she was pregnant.

A sharp scream echoed through the house as Allison fell, tumbling down the stairs and landing in a heap at the bottom. She was bleeding a lot.

Jerome rushed over, his face darkening as he saw Allison lying in a pool of blood.

He shot Crystal a look full of malice but said nothing.

Then he scooped Allison into his arms and rushed to the hospital.

His anger could wait; saving Allison was what mattered at the moment.

A while later, Crystal showed up at the hospital.

Joan and Margret had dragged her there, hitting her along the way.

"Jerome, you said Allison lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion, right?" Joan asked, looking worried. As she spoke, she dragged Crystal to the doctor, yanking her ear with one hand.

"If Allison needs blood, take it from her. They've got the same blood type.

"She pushed Allison, so let her do it. Take as much as Allison needs."

The hospital's blood bank had plenty of supply, but Joan wouldn't back down.

Luckily, Joan didn't get the final say.

Everyone turned to Jerome, waiting for his decision.

Jerome looked at Crystal with a mix of sorrow and frustration. "Crystal, why would you do this?

"I've told you so many times that I'm not the father. There's nothing between us at all. Why don't you believe me?"

He paused, his expression hardening. "Crystal, I've tried to stand by you, but you've let me down too many times. I have to punish you this time for Marcel's sake!

"Take her away. Get as much blood from her as Allison needs."

At his command, Crystal was dragged off by several people.

She struggled, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't push her! She fell on her own!

"Jerome, you made a promise when you proposed. You said you'd always believe me, no matter what.

"I'm telling you again, it wasn't me. I'm innocent. Do you believe me?"

Crystal's voice cracked, raw from shouting, but Jerome didn't even glance at her.

He didn't believe her.

He wouldn't stand by her as he promised.

Her tears had dried, but the sting of his cruelty remained. Pinned to the hospital bed, she trembled as the thick needle pierced her skin.

Bright red blood slowly flowed into the tube.

200 milliliters.

400 milliliters.

600 milliliters.

...

The blood loss left her feeling cold.

Everything fell silent, and it felt like she was all alone in the world.

Her mind drifted back to her childhood. Allison dragged her into one of her "games," her father's threat after he fell for Allison's lies, Elroy hurling toys at her head, Joan scolding her for being a bad sister...

Allison had their father's love. Elroy had their mother's care. They both had someone to turn to. But Crystal was always alone, and the place never felt like home.

Crystal thought marriage would change everything.

And she believed Jerome would always be there for her and trust her.

But now, he had pushed her into hell.

The doctors tried their best, but Allison lost the baby.

"Jerome, our baby's gone." Allison collapsed into his arms, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "You promised to protect our baby. How could you let this happen?"

Jerome's face twisted with pain. Then he gently pushed her away.

"Allison, listen. That wasn't our baby. It was yours and Marcel's."

Allison was immediately stunned, looking at Jerome in disbelief. "Jerome, what do you mean?"

"Allison, don't get me wrong," Jerome explained. "You are a charming woman, but I can't betray Marcel.

"Moreover, I have Crystal in my heart. I love her, and I won't divorce her.

"Crystal has indeed done many ridiculous things recently, but that's only because she loves me too much... Maybe she found out something and felt jealous. Then, she went crazy and wanted to hurt you recklessly."

Speaking of this, Jerome couldn't help but smile. It seemed he felt proud that Crystal loved him so much.

"Allison, when you recover, I will try to give you another baby. Please see it as yours and Marcel's, not yours and mine.

"I will leave all the assets of the Benson family to you and the baby. Crystal and I will move out in case Crystal hurts you again because of jealousy."

Crystal just woke up and walked past the ward. She heard everything Jerome had said.

Crystal felt amused. What convincing reasons! What a selfless man!

Jerome wanted to leave Allison all the assets and leave Crystal his cheap love.

What amused Crystal more was that after going through all this, Jerome, who claimed to love Crystal, decided to give Allison another baby.

Crystal gave up on Jerome completely. She turned around and left without looking back.

Jerome could keep his cheap love to himself. Crystal didn't want it.

Crystal went back home and started to pack her stuff. In these years she had been with Jerome, Crystal kept carefully everything Jerome had bought her. She made the first rose from Jerome into a pressed flower bookmark. She stuck the ticket from the first movie they watched in her beautiful private notebook...

The room was almost packed with delicate presents.

It showed how much they used to love each other.

Crystal used to see these presents as treasures, not willing to let anyone else touch them.

But now, Crystal didn't even want to see these things again. She threw them into the backyard and burned them.

In the backyard, there was a peach tree. Jerome and Crystal planted it together when they got married.

Jerome used to say that he hoped their love could grow healthily and beautifully like this peach tree...

Crystal glanced at the peach tree. Then, she raised the ax, cut down the peach tree without hesitance, and burned it as well.

After doing all this, Crystal took out the divorce agreement she had prepared a long time ago and put it on the dresser in the bedroom.

Then, Crystal thought for a while and left a note to Jerome.

"Goodbye, Jerome.

"Don't look for me. I don't want to see you again.

"Fate ends us here. Let's not meet again."

After writing the note, Crystal left with her luggage.

Crystal boarded the flight to another country and left without looking back.

This land had never loved Crystal, so she didn't need to look back.

In the meantime, when Jerome settled Allison down, he went to Crystal's ward.

But it was empty.

"Ms. Drouin has been discharged." The nurse smiled and said, "You are her brother-in-law, right? You and your wife are a sweet couple.

"Everyone in the hospital has heard the story. After your wife lost the baby and fainted, you accompanied her for two days and nights without eating anything!"

Even the nurse thought that Jerome and Allison were a couple and that Crystal was only their younger sister.

Jerome frowned but didn't explain. He asked in displeasure, "When did Crystal leave?"

"This morning," the nurse answered.

Jerome nodded but didn't overthink. He drove back home directly.

Jerome wanted to talk with Crystal.

But when Jerome went back home, he only saw the peach tree that had been cut down, the empty bedroom, and the note and the divorce agreement on the dresser in the bedroom.