Chapter 1

Keith Prescott claimed he had severe infertility, and in order to carry on his family line, I agreed to IVF.

After a grueling year of physical torment, followed by a massive postpartum hemorrhage that nearly took my life, I finally gave birth to twins.

Forty years went by. On his deathbed, he revealed a shocking truth.

The two children I had nearly died to deliver and poured my soul into raising were actually his and his true love's, Chelsea Cross.

"Her family background wasn't good enough, so she couldn't stand beside me. Her health was fragile, so she couldn't bear her own children."

"I owed her everything."

"You were lucky enough to marry me, which is already far more than she ever got. Don't be so petty about it."

As it turned out, there was never any infertility. I was merely an unpaid surrogate.

I don't want this so-called luck!

Heartbroken, I watched as my children crowded around Chelsea, refusing to give me even a glance.

They were the real family all along.

In the deepest depths of despair, a ray of light broke through. I was reborn...

1.

Keith had long lost the handsome charm of his youth.

After spitting out his secret, he looked utterly repulsive.

"Tori, I'm telling you this now because I want Chelsea to live openly with her biological children."

He held my hand, yet his eyes were fixed on Chelsea.

"Don't make things hard for her. If my mother hadn't insisted on you, I would never have stayed married to you for decades."

A bone-chilling cold washed over me.

Chelsea stroked the children's heads, tears pooling in her eyes.

The heirs I had spent blood, sweat, and tears grooming were already calling her Mom.

So they knew. They knew everything all along.

Back then, as the only son of the Prescott family, Keith claimed he had low fertility.

He desperately wanted an heir, so I endured the agonizing pain of IVF to give him twins.

The entire family hovered over the newborns, completely ignoring me as I bled out on the hospital bed.

Because of my poor postpartum recovery, I was left with chronic ailments for life.

And now, they stood proudly by Chelsea's side.

Chelsea seemed to notice my gaze and spoke with a tragic, gentle tone.

"Tori, please, let me stay by his side for his final moments, okay?"

"I don't need the status of Mrs. Prescott. I only want him."

Her words sounded so heartbreakingly noble.

If old Mrs. Prescott hadn't already passed away, Chelsea would never have dared to act so bold in front of me.

Seeing me remain silent, my son Sam stepped forward. "Mom Tori, please respect Dad's wishes. My mother has suffered in silence for too long."

My daughter Natalie held Chelsea's hand as well.

"Once Dad is gone, she'll have nothing left. There's no need to tear people apart over petty grudges."

My own son was calling me Mom Tori...

Choking down the metallic taste of blood in my throat, I rushed out of the hospital room.

Indeed, in this lifetime, besides the empty title of Mrs. Prescott, I had gained nothing at all.