He Stood at Memory's End

When she married Harry Slate, she was 22 years old while he was 32. During their three years of marriage, he showered her with endless tenderness and would give her anything she wanted. He said he could pick the stars for her if she wanted, even the moon if she so wished. He spoiled her like she was a precious treasure. The only thing was that he had insatiable demands every night. He would chuckle and refuse to let her go, even when she cried and begged for mercy. She knew Harry had a lot of money and a lot of love—and all of it belonged to her. The day her father passed away, she called him 99 times, yet he declined every single one. The next second, she received a photo taken by her best friend. [Celine, is this your man? I saw him hugging a woman on the streets of Palto.] After tapping the photo and seeing the man and the woman, Celine Quest felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss. The man was Harry, and the woman was her aunt. Chapter 1 Three days after Celine Quest's father, Tobias Quest, passed away, Harry Slate finally returned home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Celine sitting on the couch. Her eyes were sunken, her figure thin and frail. The guilt in his heart peaked. He quickly walked up to her and hugged her. "Celine, I flew to Palto for a meeting at the last minute. Due to the time difference, I didn't receive your call. That's why I couldn't accompany you to the funeral. It's my fault. What compensation do you want? I'll give it to you, okay?" Celine quietly listened to him. Her expression was blank, showing no emotion. She said nothing and just took out two documents from her bag. She opened the last page for both of them before handing it to him. "I want these two things. Sign them." Harry let out a sigh of relief and quickly picked up a pen to sign his name. Seeing his unhesitating action, Celine's eyes began to well up with tears. "You didn't even look at the papers. Aren't you worried that the things I want from you are very expensive?" Harry helplessly held the woman in his arms. "Celine, we're husband and wife. What's mine is yours. Once the baby is born, it'll belong to you and the baby. You can have whatever you want, do you understand?" Then, he bent over to listen to the movement of the baby in her belly. "Are you going for a prenatal checkup today? Is the baby restless? How about I go with you?" Celine remained silent, neither saying yes nor no. Harry took it as her agreement and helped her get into the car. Throughout the journey, the atmosphere in the car was grim. Neither one of them spoke. Harry tried to find a topic, but his phone suddenly rang. "Harry, I'm back in the country, and I want to see you." As they were sitting close together, Celine could hear Juniper Jenner's voice on the other end of the line. Her hand unconsciously clenched, and she soon saw Harry hang up. "Celine, I have some work to take care of. Can you go to your prenatal checkup by yourself?" Celine did not expose his lie and opened the car door. Amidst the chilly wind, she hailed a cab, and memories flooded her mind as the street scenes fleeted outside the window. Celine got into a car accident years ago. The driver fled the scene, and passersby dared not help her as they were afraid of getting into trouble. As she lay dying in a pool of blood, Harry, who was passing by, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and picked her up. That day, she fell in love at first sight with Harry, who was ten years older than her. Fortunately, the mature and steady Harry was also fond of her. After dating for a year, they got married. Perhaps because of his age, he seemed to have unlimited patience. After they wed, they never argued, and he never missed a gift or anniversary. He always considered her feelings, except in bed. She had no idea why he was still so energetic even at 32. Many nights, she would sob and cry, begging him to stop, but he would just smile and kiss her again and again. "My silly girl, I love you. That's why I'm like this. If we do more of this, my baby can give me a little baby." Thus, she finally got pregnant in the third year. Three days ago, Tobias suffered a sudden stroke. Celine rushed to his side, only to hear her father repeatedly mentioning Harry, asking when he would come. Tobias wanted to see his son-in-law. Everyone knew he wanted to entrust Celine to Harry before he died, and everyone tried to contact Harry. Despite everyone's best efforts—Celine even almost crashed her phone from making so many calls—they could not get through to Harry. Tobias passed away with regret and resentment. Celine initially thought he was busy, but shortly after she finished handling Tobias' funeral arrangements, she received a photo from her best friend. She could not figure out why Harry would be embracing her aunt. Her mind was in turmoil, and she finally mustered the courage to enter Harry's study, where she was never allowed to enter. The moment the door opened, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice pit. It was filled with things related to her aunt—a wall covered in photos, carefully preserved love letters, countless unsent gifts, and a thick ongoing love diary. Through this diary, Celine learned everything. He had only been in two relationships in his life. One was with her; the other was with her aunt, Juniper. They were college sweethearts, and his relationship with her lasted a decade—passionate and intense. At the peak of their love, he accompanied her across Atolia, took her through the Amazine rainforest, and shared a passionate kiss beneath the golden sunrise on the snow-capped mountains. At their lowest point, he smashed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of jewelry for her, abandoned his pride to travel abroad to win her back after their breakup, and even drowned his sorrows in alcohol until he suffered a stomach hemorrhage after learning she had started a new relationship. All the joys and sorrows of his early life seemed to be closely related to Juniper. The only reason he was with her was that he wanted a substitute who resembled Juniper after breaking up with her. Thus, he set his sights on her niece, Celine. After all, her face was strikingly similar to her aunt's! Thus, he orchestrated a hit-and-run accident, making her fall for him at first sight. That was also why he slept with her day and night just to get her pregnant. However, he did not want a child like hers; he wanted a child who looked like Juniper. The moment Celine learned the truth, she was struck dumb and utterly devastated. His affection was fake, his love was fake, and even his sincerity was fake. He deceived her completely! Although she was young, she knew one's heart had to be vacant before letting in someone new. Besides, she was never a substitute for anyone. She was Celine Quest, the one and only Celine Quest. However, he had been deceiving her from the very beginning, so she decided to deceive him in return. Celine deliberately did not tell him that he had signed a divorce agreement and an abortion form. She was not a substitute for anyone, and she would not want a man who had no feelings for her... Celine walked into the hospital and handed the abortion consent form to the attending physician. "Hello, I want to abort this child." Chapter 2 Three hours later, Celine returned home while clutching her belly. After resting for a day, she looked at her pale face in the mirror and tremblingly picked up her lipstick. After doing a simple makeup look, her complexion returned to normal, but she was still sweating coldly due to the pain. She wrapped herself in a blanket and lay on the couch. She called the housekeeper over. "Sort out all the jewelry and bags in the display cabinet and send them to the auction house for sale. All proceeds will be donated to the impoverished mountainous areas." Harry heard that just as he pushed the door open and froze instantly. "Celine, why do you suddenly want to sell these things?" Celine lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze, "I want to donate them because I don't like them. Consider it as doing a good deed for the baby's sake." Fortunately, Harry did not think much of it and walked over, hugging her and soothing her. "That's good. I'll take you to an auction in a couple of days, you can pick out things you like, and we'll gradually fill the empty display cabinets, okay?" His tone sounded like comforting a child. Celine did not reply but changed the topic. "Have you finished your work?" "Yes, I know you've been working hard recently. How about I stay home and accompany you and the baby for the coming week?" Harry reached out to touch her belly, yet she promptly held his hand. He looked down and noticed her belly seemed a little flatter. His brows furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to ask, Celine's phone rang. Seeing the word 'Uncle' on the phone screen, she answered. "Celine, your aunt came back yesterday. Everyone's discussing having a meal at the old house. Are you coming?" "I'm not feeling well, so I'll pass..." Before she could finish, Harry snatched the phone from her. "I'll be there on time with Celine." Seeing his eagerness to agree to the dinner, Celine's heart skipped a beat. She could not help but think of the 99 failed phone calls she made on the day her father died. It turned out he seized every opportunity to see the person he truly loved when it came to her. He disregarded her wishes, nor did he care about her recent grief. He simply followed his heart to love and meet the person he loved. After hanging up, Harry saw the expression on Celine's face and realized he had just lost his composure. He held her cold hand and explained, "Celine, I know you're upset, but you're pregnant after all. You can't wallow in pain. I'll accompany you back to the old house to see your family and clear your head." Celine forced a smile but said nothing. The couple arrived at the old house at 7:00 pm. Before entering, Harry handed Celine a gift. "Your uncle said you and your Aunt Juniper haven't seen each other for years, so we should prepare a gift." In the past, Celine would have thought him considerate. Now, she knew he just wanted to use her to give a gift to someone he liked. She did not expose him and stepped into the bustling hall. Hearing the voice, Juniper, who was chatting with someone, turned around and saw Celine and Harry, who was holding Celine's hand. She paused for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Celine, who's this?" Celine did not answer, unsure how to respond. Harry remained silent, but the relatives nearby warmly introduced them, "Juniper, you've been abroad for three years and didn't come back for the wedding, so it's normal you don't know him. This is Celine's husband, Harry Slate, the president of Slate Group..." Juniper swayed slightly, a flash of shock in her eyes. However, having seen many grand occasions, she quickly came to herself and stepped forward to shake his hand. The two exchanged polite greetings as if it were their first meeting. Only Celine could see the subtle tension between them. She handed the gift to Juniper, saying only one sentence, "Aunt Juniper, welcome back." "I'm only back for a month. I'll go back to Palto after this." Harry's expression visibly turned grim. Juniper pretended not to notice and smiled as she unwrapped the gift. When she saw the dazzling gemstone necklace, admiration appeared in her eyes. "Celine, you have such good taste! I've had my eye on this necklace for ages." Celine took in both of their expressions, her tone indifferent. "Harry picked it out. He has always had good taste." Harry barely ate anything during the meal, spending most of his time drinking and helping Celine with the food. Relatives and friends smiled dotingly and teased, "Celine is so lucky to have married such a good husband. Look how loving they are!" Celine forced a smile, looking at the beef and lamb in her bowl without touching her cutlery. After she became pregnant, she suffered from severe nausea and could not eat any meat. Harry knew this and had been on a vegetarian diet with her for a month. Today, he forgot all about it. He was busy changing plates to bring all the fish and shrimp on the table to Juniper. Juniper had loved seafood since she was a child. Chapter 3 After the meal, Harry was completely drunk. Their relatives and friends were worried about them going back in such a state, so they asked them to stay. Celine called the housekeeper to help him back to a room. After washing up, she turned off the lights in the bedroom and only left the one beside the bed on. After a while, Harry opened his eyes drowsily and reached out to hold her in his arms. "Juniper, you came back for me, right?" Celine froze completely, but she did not tell him that he had mistaken her for someone else. She paused for a long time before asking in reply, "What about you? Who did you get drunk for today?" "It's you, Juniper. It's only you. Don't you understand?" Although she had already expected the outcome, hearing it with her own ears still caused her agony. She finally understood why those who buy alcohol to drown their sorrows would pretend never to drink liquor in front of her. It was because he was afraid of revealing his true feelings, like he did today, and was afraid of being discovered by her. She clutched her hands tightly and could not breathe. She had no choice but to break free from his embrace. She sat in the bathroom for two hours before calming down. When she came out again, Harry was no longer in bed. Celine opened the bedroom door and saw the voice-controlled light on the balcony turn off. She walked silently over and saw through the window Harry and Juniper standing outside. The darkness concealed his expression, but Celine could hear his suppressed voice. "Didn't you tell me yesterday you weren't going back to Euronia? Why did you change your mind today?" "What about you? Why did you marry Celine without telling me?" Hearing Juniper's calm tone, Harry felt his fury burning brighter. His remaining rationality crumbled instantly, and he gripped Juniper's hand. "Don't you know why I married her? She looks so much like you, and she's your blood relative. Only by being with her can I see you openly! Instead of flying to Palto and waiting downstairs alone for dozens of hours just to sneak a glimpse of you, like what happened a few days ago!" It turned out he had gone to Paris for Juniper, which was why he had not answered a single phone call. Celine was terribly shocked, and her fingers dug deeply into her palm. Juniper had not expected him to come up with such a plan and murmured, "You're insane!" "I am insane! I've been insane since the day you insisted on breaking up with me, don't you know? I want you by my side. Even a substitute who looks like you is enough for me to cherish for the rest of my life!" His unvented pain stunned Juniper. After a long silence, she finally managed to squeeze out an equally agonizing reply. "Harry, what do you take Celine for? You've been married for three years. She's even pregnant with your baby. Don't you feel anything for her?" Harry laughed immediately. "Juniper, she's just a substitute. How do you expect me to feel anything? Even if I did, all I can think about is you when I look at her face that looks like yours! "Celine and I are having a baby soon. I've already chosen a name—Harper Slate. It's a combination of our names. This way, we'll be together forever!" Hearing that, a chill ran through Celine, and her tears could not help but stream down. Harper Slate. What a good name. She closed her eyes, recalling his insatiable behavior in bed after their marriage and his nervous attitude during her pregnancy. She bit her lip hard, swallowing the desperate cries of pain. Having exhausted her last bit of strength, she leaned against the wall. Her steps faltered as she turned away. The sounds of their argument faded. Before the bedroom door closed, she heard Juniper ask, "Aren't you afraid Celine will find out the truth?" Harry said, "She'll never know. Even if she did, she loves me so much that she'll never leave!" Never? Celine touched her flat belly and showed a bitter smile. She would personally smash the cage he built and fly toward the sky of freedom, never looking back. Harry did not return that night. Celine got up at daybreak. Without disturbing anyone, she went home alone and completed her immigration procedures with her documents. Just as she finished, she received a call from Juniper. "Celine, could you come with me to the cemetery today? I want to pay my respects to your father and also visit my sister's grave." Celine's mother passed away a long time ago, so she had little contact with her maternal grandmother's side of the family. Although she and Juniper were only five years apart, they were not particularly close. However, since Juniper was going to pay her respects to her parents, Celine could only agree. She bought a bouquet. She saw a sports car parked not far away as soon as she arrived at the cemetery entrance. It was Harry. He saw her and immediately got out of the car. He walked to her side. "Why didn't you let me accompany you to the cemetery?" Chapter 4 Celine looked at Harry intently. "Didn't you leave in the middle of the night? Harry, I didn't say I was going to pay my respects. How did you know I would be here?" Harry took her hand. "My stomach wasn't feeling well yesterday. I saw you in the bathroom and went to the hospital by myself. I heard your Aunt Juniper say she wanted to pay her respects with you when I came back this morning. So, I followed her here." His lie was almost perfect. She gave a soft hum in reply and remained silent. When she arrived at the cemetery and saw the two tombstones side by side, Celine felt a wave of sadness well up in her heart. The two people who loved her the most were gone. Seeing the tears in her eyes, Juniper walked over and gently patted her shoulder. "Celine, your parents are no longer here, but Harry will take care of you for the rest of your life. Your baby is about to be born, and you will have a new family." She spoke so earnestly as if she had already determined for Harry that their marriage would last forever. After she finished speaking, Harry quickly answered, "Yes, I will take good care of you and the baby. Don't be sad." Celine only felt irony when she heard this. Harry promised to take care of her for the rest of her life, not because of love, nor because of responsibility, but for another woman and his unspeakable desires. Celine swallowed her emotions and looked up at the photos of her parents. "Yes, I will have a new family." However, it would have nothing to do with Harry anymore. After the memorial service, a light rain began to fall. Juniper and Celine sat in the back seat while Harry drove. Feeling the awkward atmosphere in the car, Juniper started a conversation. "I heard an Itolian restaurant opened in the south of the city. How about we try it for lunch?" Harry immediately changed directions. "I heard the owner is Itolian, and the food is really authentic." "Really? The pizza I had in Palto..." The two chatted about Itolian food to Scandinian food, and then about their recent experiences. No matter what the other said, the other could quickly chime in, never letting the atmosphere become awkward. Their rapport was like that of a couple who had been together for years, sharing everything. After this thought flashed through her mind, Celine smiled self-deprecatingly. They had indeed been together for many years. The places they had been together, the things they had done for each other, and their familiarity with one another were far beyond what a substitute like her could compare to. Once they arrived at the restaurant, Harry habitually handed the menu to Juniper. She took it and was about to open it when she remembered something and instead handed it to Celine. "Pregnant women must have many dietary restrictions. Celine, you do the ordering." Celine casually ordered a few dishes, but Harry frowned when they arrived. "You can't eat any of these. Have you forgotten the doctor's orders?" Juniper turned to look at Celine's belly, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "Celine, aren't you four months pregnant? Why does your belly not look like it belongs to this stage of pregnancy?" Harry immediately stood up, wanting to check, but he accidentally bumped into a waiter delivering the food. The food cart overturned, spilling all the dishes. Harry instinctively shielded Juniper, protecting her from the spilled soup and cold dishes. Celine was not so lucky. The freshly made hot soup splattered all over her legs, instantly causing blisters. Her face contorted in pain as cold sweat covered her forehead. Steam surged, and she gripped the tablecloth as she watched Harry pick up Juniper and hurriedly leave. In that instant, Celine's heart sank. The scene was chaotic, and the waiter quickly helped her to a safe area. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Juniper and Harry arguing. "I told you I'm fine! You should go back and take care of Celine!" "Your hand is all red from the burn. Why do you act so tough? Let me send you to the hospital first. I'll come back for her later. Juniper, why are you so stubborn? You were worried about me just now, afraid I'd get burned. You still care about me, right?" "So what if I do? So what if I don't? Harry, we've broken up. You've married Celine, and she's pregnant with your child!" Hearing Juniper's agonized screams, Harry's eyes instantly reddened. "You know perfectly well that she will never be as important as you!" Juniper paused for a few seconds and was about to speak when she looked up and saw Celine at the door. Her pupils contracted sharply, her voice filled with unprecedented panic. "Celine, why did you come out?" Chapter 5 Harry's heart skipped a beat as he abruptly turned around to see Celine lying unconscious with a pale face. He immediately turned around and rushed toward her, picking her up and heading for the hospital. Amid the commotion, Celine slowly opened her eyes in pain and saw Harry instructing the doctor, "My wife is pregnant. She's four months along. Be careful when you administer the medicine." After being pushed into the treatment room, the nurse lifted her clothes and saw her flat belly. She gasped. "Four months? He must have remembered it wrong! This doesn't look like she's pregnant at all!" While she was doubting and turning around to confirm it, Celine endured the pain and stopped her. "Miss, my baby has miscarried. Please keep it a secret. I want to tell my husband myself." Although the nurse did not know the reason, it was still not a good thing for a married couple to suffer a miscarriage, so the nurse respected Celine's wish. As there was no anesthetic, Celine was in so much pain that she nearly fainted when cleaning the wound and applying the medicine. The burning sensation from the wound pulled at her nerves, making her breathing extremely difficult. She was soaked in sweat, and every second felt extremely agonizing. After the medicine was applied, Celine was sent to a ward. Harry stayed by Celine's bedside, repeatedly apologizing, "Celine, you're burned so badly. Why didn't you call me?" Celine's clenched teeth ached, and her legs felt like they were on fire. Her body temperature rose, and she could only manage to squeeze out a sentence. "You left too quickly." "It's my fault. I'm sorry." Harry's guilt deepened, and he placed his hand in Celine's tightly clenched palm. Her sharp nails scratched the back of his hand, drawing blood. Watching the blood droplets mingle, Celine grew increasingly drowsy, and she drifted off to sleep. … It was late at night when Celine woke up again. She groggily opened her eyes and saw Juniper's back. "You got burned too. Go get your wound treated now. I'll take care of Celine." "No, I'm afraid she'll be upset if she wakes up and can't see me. I'll treat it tomorrow." Juniper's voice abruptly rose several octaves. "I asked you to go now! Harry, don't gamble with your health!" Hearing that, Harry's furrowed brows instantly relaxed. He grabbed Juniper's hand. "Juniper, don't deny it. You've always had feelings for me, haven't you? If you admit it, I'll drop everything right now. How about we get back together?" Juniper realized her mistake and quickly withdrew her hand. Seeing her panicked expression, Harry could not help but laugh. "Alright, I'll stop pressuring you. I have plenty of time to wait for you to relent. I'll do what you say and treat my wounds now." With that said, he left with light steps. In Celine's memory of their three years together, Harry had always been the one in control of everything. No matter how angry she was or how outrageous her jokes were, he would always soothe her like she was a child. He was always rational and mature. It was as though he wore a mask, never showing his true self. She thought it was just his nature, but she never imagined he would lose control of his emotions. He could become furious and lose control over Juniper's indifferent words, be overjoyed by her concern, and unconditionally obey his lover like a boy experiencing first love. Celine had never seen Harry like this before, so she was somewhat dazed. She met Juniper's gaze when she came to her senses. Celine noticed the fleeting panic in her eyes and asked, "Aunt Juniper, where's Harry?" Seeing that she seemed not to have heard their previous conversation, Juniper breathed a sigh of relief. "He went to treat his wounds. Let me know if you're feeling uncomfortable." The burning pain still tormented Celine, but she endured it and shook her head. "I'm fine, go and rest." Juniper did not leave. She poured Celine a glass of water. After asking a few more questions, she asked Celine a question, "Celine, did you hear anything before you fainted yesterday?" Celine's hand holding the glass paused as she calmly met the probing gaze. "I didn't hear anything." She lied without batting an eye. It was partly to dispel Juniper's suspicions, and partly to tell herself to forget what they had said. After all, she was about to disappear completely from their lives. Chapter 6 After ten days in the hospital, Celine's wound healed. During this time, Harry was always by her side, bringing her water and changing her bandages, showing great concern. She gradually recovered, but he fell ill and had a fever for several days. Seeing as both of them were patients, Juniper came to help. She drove them both back home. She watched the kitchen and helped Celine change the bandages—bustling around non-stop. "Take good care of yourself, and the medicine for the baby will be delivered soon. Remember to take it." Celine agreed. After the medicine was delivered, she poured it down the toilet instead of taking it. After a few days of rest, she managed to get out of bed. She carried the empty medicine bottle, wanting to drop it off downstairs and then head outside to get some sun. When passing by the study, she heard something breaking. The door was slightly ajar. Celine glanced inside and saw Juniper. Juniper stared blankly at the photos on the wall, her hands shaking constantly, while she had complex emotions on her face. After a while, she came to her senses and tore off the photos. Then, she threw everything in the cabinet into the box. Seeing that she was about to come out, Celine quickly moved to the balcony at the end of the corridor. A moment later, Juniper appeared in front of the trash can by the door. She threw all the gifts in and tore up the photos, love letters, and diary to shreds. After doing all this, she made a phone call and summoned Harry downstairs. The two of them had a huge argument about the contents of the trash can, and Celine only vaguely heard the last few sentences because they were too far away. "These things shouldn't be in the study. What if Celine goes in and sees them one day?" "She doesn't have a key to the study, and she wouldn't barge in without my permission." "Are you so sure? What if she goes in? Have you considered how heartbroken she'd be if she saw these things, given how much she loves you?" "So what if she's heartbroken? Does that change the fact that you're the one I loved all along? Juniper, don't worry about others. I'll just ask you one question—do you still have feelings for me? If you say yes, I'll divorce her immediately!" Hearing that, Juniper's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly hailed a cab and left. Watching the two part on bad terms, Celine silently raised her hand and clutched her chest. Her heart was pounding faster, as if it would burst out of her chest. It felt slightly numb, but the pain had subsided. It seemed the wound in her heart was gradually healing. Great. Downstairs, Harry retrieved the items Juniper had thrown away from the trash can and took them back to his study. He then locked the door and stayed in it for three days. Celine knew he was piecing together the fragments and did not disturb him, simply having someone deliver food to him regularly. … After her legs could move like usual, Celine met up with her friends. After the meal, she passed the largest private room and heard a familiar name when she went to pay the bill. "Harry, you're always so busy. We thought you wouldn't be able to join the class reunion, so we didn't invite you. Please forgive us." "What are you saying? Juniper is here. Do you think Harry would be absent? Their relationship was the talk of the town at Slova University back then. You don't know that?" "How is that possible? I witnessed Harry confessing his love on the field with tens of thousands of roses! I can still hum the songs he wrote for Juniper..." Celine listened quietly for a while, and suddenly the image of Harry in a suit, playing guitar and confessing his love flashed through her mind. However, it felt awfully off, no matter how she looked at it. She thought for a moment before realizing what was wrong. The people in the room were describing the 20-year-old Harry, and the person he loved was Juniper. It had nothing to do with her. Of course, it felt off. Chapter 7 Celine gave a silent smile. She lost all desire to listen any further. Turning around, she saw Juniper, who had just come out of the bathroom. Her eyelids twitched, and Celine subconsciously turned and headed toward the stairs. After taking merely a few steps, she heard Juniper's hesitant voice. "Celine?" Celine ignored her and quickened her pace. Just as she was about to turn the corner, Juniper caught up and grabbed her hand. Celine did not want to run into her here and tried to leave, but she refused to let go. Juniper said anxiously, "I know it's you. Did you misunderstand something? Let me explain." The two were entangled, and Celine struggled to break free. However, she swayed and was about to fall due to the excessive force. Juniper's expression changed instantly, and she hurriedly grabbed Celine. Celine leaned against the stairs and managed to steady herself. However, Juniper rolled down the stairs and lay in a pool of blood due to the loss of weight. Celine's mind went blank for a moment, and she rushed down to help. She had just reached out her hand and was violently shoved to the ground. Her forehead hit the corner of the wall, and blood gushed out, quickly staining her face red. She gasped in pain, forced her eyes open, and saw Harry's murderous glare. He gritted his teeth, uttering a single sentence before scooping up Juniper and rushing out frantically. "If anything happens to Juniper today, I'll make you pay tenfold!" The hurried footsteps faded into the distance. Celine could no longer hear anything, and her vision blurred. A sharp pain throbbed in her head as if a nerve was being pulled. The blood pooled, and her consciousness grew increasingly hazy. An endless darkness enveloped her. She felt lightheaded as she slowly lost consciousness... An unknown amount of time had passed when Celine groggily opened her eyes and saw the doctor let out a long sigh of relief. "It's a good thing that you have a strong will, or you might have fallen into a vegetative state and never woken up again." She thanked the doctor and picked up her constantly vibrating phone from the table. After tapping on the answer button, she heard Harry's anxious voice. "Celine, where are you?" Celine was silent for a long time before giving the name of the hospital and ward. Ten minutes later, the ward door was pushed open. Harry rushed in, looking flustered. The first thing he did was ask about her health. "Are you badly hurt? How's the baby? I thought you pushed your Aunt Juniper, and that's why I was so angry... "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have laid a hand on you without knowing what happened. Will you forgive me?" Celine guessed from his statement that Juniper must have woken up and explained what had happened. Otherwise, he would not have looked so guilty and uneasy. She lowered her gaze and answered his question in a weak, feeble voice. "I'm fine. The doctor said I just need a few days of rest." Harry assumed that the baby was fine too, and his anxiety finally subsided. He knelt, wanting to touch her belly to make sure everything was alright. Celine interrupted him with a single question, "Were you and Aunt Juniper classmates in college?" Harry's hand froze in mid-air. "Yes, in the same department but different courses. What's the matter?" Seeing his hand retract, Celine's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she flatly replied, "Nothing, I just saw you two attending the same class reunion." Harry's throat bobbed a few times, and he abruptly changed the subject. "Are you hungry? I'll go buy you breakfast." Watching him flee, Celine opened her calendar and counted the time. With only ten days left, the cooling-off period for divorce would end. She would soon be able to escape the marriage built entirely on lies. Chapter 8 In the past week, Harry did not come to visit Celine in the hospital as frequently as before, just once every few days. Celine knew he had to run back and forth to take care of Juniper and did not show any dissatisfaction. On the day of her discharge, he came to pick her up, but he hurriedly left just as he reached their home. After watching his car disappear from sight, Celine received a call from the immigration office, informing her that the procedures were completed. She retrieved her documents and went to cancel her passport and ID. After doing all that, she returned home and started packing her luggage. During this process, she sorted out many matching items, photos, and children's clothes and toys she had bought previously, and threw them all away. When she was throwing away these things, Harry happened to come back, carrying a trunk full of luxury bags. He hurried over to show her, but his gaze fell upon the things in the trash can, and his expression became grim. "Babe, are you still angry with me that you threw all these away? I bought you so many bags. How about we forget about those unpleasant things in the past?" If it were so easy to forget, Celine would not have been in so much pain for so long. Looking at the piles of gift boxes, she sounded tired. "I'm not angry. No need for gifts either." Seeing her unusual attitude, Harry grabbed her hand. "What's wrong with you lately? Is there something I haven't done well enough? Tell me. Can we resolve this peacefully?" Celine was speechless and could only remain silent. Harry frowned deeper. Her phone rang just as he was about to press her for more information. "Celine, come to the hospital quickly! Your Aunt Juniper suddenly collapsed. The doctor said it's acute kidney failure after examining her!" Hearing that, Harry instantly panicked, losing all his composure. All color drained from his face, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Seeing him so flustered yet still trying to drive, Celine quickly grabbed the car keys and drove him there. At the hospital, every member of the Jenner family was gathered there, undergoing kidney matching. The doctors were busy and sighing with emotion. "She's only 27 years old, yet she already has such a disease. I don't see many family members. The chances of a match seem extremely slim!" Harry's hand trembled violently, and veins bulged on his forehead. He looked at Juniper, unconscious on the hospital bed, turned around, and gripped Celine's shoulder. He said anxiously, "Celine, you should get a matching test too." Hearing that, Celine's uncle was immediately shocked and tried to stop him. "No, Celine is pregnant. She can't do a matching test." However, Harry insisted on letting her do the match. Celine could not bear it any longer. She shook off his hand and looked up at him intently. "Even if I'm a match, what about the baby?" Harry's mind went blank, and he blurted out his true feelings, "Saving lives is the priority here, Celine. You're young. We'll have other children together. She's your aunt, your mother's sister. How can you watch her die?" Hearing that, Celine's eyes immediately reddened. A moment later, she lowered her head and smiled. She was suddenly somewhat glad she had aborted the child. She did not ask any more questions and went into the matching room. It was not to save his lover but to save her aunt. Chapter 9 Three days later, the matching results were released. The bad news was that all the members of the Jenner family did not meet the requirements. The good news was that a matching kidney source was found, and the other person had agreed to donate. After learning this news, Celine called Harry, but he did not answer. She knew he must have been tirelessly searching for a suitable kidney source all over the world these days, so she went to the company headquarters herself. As soon as she reached the office entrance, she heard several urgent voices inside. "Harry, are you really going to donate a kidney to Juniper? You're now married to her niece, and Celine is pregnant with your child. You should let go of the past and cherish the present." "Yeah, Juniper doesn't deserve all this from you. Have you considered the side effects after donating a kidney? Can't you think about Celine and the child about to be born?" 'Is it Harry who's donating a kidney to Juniper?' Celine's mind went blank for a moment, and she was almost unable to recover. "No need to persuade me anymore. I'll donate this kidney. Not just one kidney, I'm even willing to donate my heart as long as it can save Juniper. As for Celine, she won't know about this. You need to keep it a secret and say that I went to Euronia for a project." Celine's hand, which was about to knock on the door, gradually drooped. 'Harry, you… You're such a romantic. Don't worry, I'll completely back off. I wish you both a long and happy life together!' After thinking that, she took a deep breath and silently turned around to leave. … After getting home, she booked a flight to Aussen. The next day, she woke up early because her divorce from Harry would finally be processed today. She took a cab to the Civil Affairs Bureau, quickly retrieved her divorce certificate, and bought a gift box, placing the divorce certificate and the abortion surgery notice inside. Then, carrying the gift box and dragging her suitcase, she went to the hospital. As soon as she arrived outside the VIP ward, she saw Harry looking at Juniper through the window. His eyes held complex emotions—joy, tears, pain, and endless love. Celine stood behind him, staring at him for a long time before calling out hoarsely, "When does the surgery start?" Harry turned around, and all the emotions on his face vanished when he saw that it was her. Only a gentle smile remained, and it was almost identical to his usual expression. "The doctor said it would be in three hours, but I have to go on a business trip and won't be back for about a month. Celine, I'm sorry I can't be with you during this time." This time, Celine still did not expose his lie. She calmly replied, "It's okay. I'll get used to it." "Get used to what?" Harry found her words weird and could not help but ask again. Instead of replying, Celine thought to herself, 'I'll get used to you not loving me, to you ignoring me, and to a life without you.' Before she could speak, the doctor called. Harry answered the phone and headed for the elevator. Celine stopped him and handed him the box. "Your birthday is in two weeks. This is your birthday present." Harry did not open it but casually handed it to his assistant. "I'll open it on my birthday." Celine said nothing but watched him walk away. Then, she turned away too. While he was wheeled into the operating room to donate a kidney to Juniper, she went to the airport with her suitcase. While he was under anesthesia and the surgery was about to begin, she waited to board her flight, deleting and clearing all her social media accounts, SIM card, and photo album. While his surgery ended, her plane slowly took off. Looking at the white clouds outside the window, she slowly smiled and thought, 'Harry, we'll be far apart from now on, never to meet again.'