Unwanted Goods

Hugo Laurent is determined to have me as his wife. He pursues me for a decade, resolute in winning my heart.

But the night before our wedding, I overhear his conversation with his friends.

"Are you going to marry Katherine just like that? What about your secret girlfriend?"

Hugo is silent. Then, he says, "She's just a stand-in. She can't compare to Katherine. I'll consider keeping her by my side if she doesn't kick up a fuss. Katherine's generous—she won't mind."

The following day, his secret girlfriend crashes our wedding and causes a stir. She shoves me off the stage, but Hugo darts toward her to protect her—she holds a jagged shard of glass to her neck and threatens suicide.

"Are you going to choose me or her?"

Hugo panics. He shoves me aside despite my injuries and snaps, "Get out of the way—I need to take her to the hospital! I'll make you pay if anything happens to her!"

My heart dies in that instant.

That very night, I purchase a flight ticket out of the country and leave him behind.

"Katherine Blake, can't you just sign the surgery consent form yourself? Do you really need to call me so many times for this?

"Just because Sophia got hurt, does that mean you had to go and break your own bones too? I'm exhausted enough as it is—stop adding to my troubles, will you?"

Hugo Laurent's voice came through the phone, carrying an unmistakable hint of irritation and impatience.

Since Sophia Mendes had caused a scene at our wedding, he had disappeared with her for half a day.

This was my 20th call to him. The first 19 had all been declined without exception.

His cold tone made me pause for a moment before I said softly, "Sophia pushed me.

"Dr. Beckett says a family member has to sign the consent form. You're already at the hospital—could you really not take just a few minutes to come and do it?"

But all I got in response was the sharp sound of the call being cut off.

I had expected as much, so I simply sighed. "Bring me the consent form. I'll sign it myself."

Adrian hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to try contacting Mr. Laurent again? Maybe he just didn't hear you properly?

"Just yesterday, he ordered all the doctors in the hospital to be on standby, in case Sophia refused to accept the breakup and tried to cause trouble at the wedding—he wanted to make sure you'd be treated immediately if anything happened.

"In the past, even if you only had a mild cold, Mr. Laurent would insist on a full medical consultation and personally stay by your bedside for three days and nights.

"If he knew you had a fracture—especially if Sophia was the one who caused it—he'd be furious. After all, you're the most important person in his heart."

I let out a bitter chuckle. I used to believe that, too.

But now, it