EVELYN'S POV.

"Did you have to stab me like this, Matthew?"

I fully felt like a fool.

Four years of marriage. I sacrificed my wealth, my career success, and gave everything to Matthew. During that time I had nothing left, except for my belief that Matthew would love me.

"Did you have to make out with Kayla, my own sister, in this house-in our master suite?" I asked again, my tone starting to soften.

But my trust was shattered now.

I could barely breathe as my chest was filled with pain. It was as if a thousand sharp thorns were stabbing me.

Is this what betrayal feels like?

Is this how people say their hearts are pierced after giving all of themselves, only to have their man end up with another woman?

"Evelyn, I really have had enough of you."

I was dumbfounded, unable to believe Matthew's words. My entire mind was filled with questions: how could all this have happened? Since when had Matthew been in a relationship with Kayla?

And, why didn't I realize that the woman Matthew loved was not me, but Kayla?

"What? What are you sick of?" I asked, then looked at Kayla-my sister-who Matthew was holding.

Shouldn't I be the one there?

I was the one who was hurting more here, but why was Matthew protecting her more?

"Over and over again, I've told you that I can't love you," Matthew replied, his words calm, but he was affirming.

I couldn't digest what he was saying. Instantly, I replayed the four years of our marriage. All this time Matthew had always fled to me when he had nothing, he had me to lean on.

I thought it was a sign that Matthew wouldn't be able to let me go. Or, perhaps, in a little while he would be able to love me because he relied on me.

"How can you say you can't love me? So, why... why have you been relying on me?" I asked.

I paused for a moment on my words.

"Why do you seem unable to let go of me, if it turns out that you love Kayla?" I continued my question.

"Because you're stupid, Evelyn," Matthew replied. "When I ask you for something, you give it to me. Then, you endlessly give me everything I want."

"You're just using me?" I caught the meaning of his words.

Matthew, without hesitation, nodded his head. He grasped Kayla's hand tighter, in front of my eyes, and he lifted the grip of their hands as if to show his love for me.

"I only love Kayla, but my parents actually forced me to marry you because you got the inheritance," Matthew revealed again.

I still didn't move. The more I heard Matthew's words, the more I imagined everything I gave him.

"I know you didn't love me at the beginning of our marriage, Matthew. But... after I gave you this house because your house was confiscated to pay debts, I also gave you money even though all the money disappeared because you were cheated on investments..."

I paused my words again. My chest was getting tight. I still couldn't believe all my sacrifices would end like this.

"...You still can't love me? Even after four years of marriage-after we had sex several times?" I asked.

Matthew was rubbing his face as he exhaled. He sounded exasperated.

"You expect me to love you? Evelyn, people's feelings don't change that easily. Do you think, because you gave me everything, you can make me love you?"

"Why can't you love me?" Then I was silent for a split second. "What am I lacking? You should have told me so I could-"

"No, Evelyn, no matter what you do, I still won't love you because I don't want to love you," Matthew retorted.

"Evelyn, you should accept what happened. No matter how much you try to make Matthew love you, you're just an adopted child of the Cony family."

My gaze shifted to Kayla who looked very satisfied. I didn't understand why there was no guilt visible from her.

What? Adopted child?

I was indeed an adopted child who was raised by my mother, my grandfather's daughter, and then my mother married my father. I got a bigger inheritance because I was the son of my grandfather's biological daughter.

Whereas Kayla was the daughter of my father's second wife-which, by the way, was not my grandfather's daughter. Therefore, Kayla didn't get an inheritance comparable to mine.

If Kayla hadn't been my father's biological daughter, or my mother had taken pity on her, perhaps my grandfather wouldn't have given her the inheritance.

"I'm not talking to you, Kayla. You're... similar to your mother," I told her firmly yet sarcastically.

Kayla widened in exasperation after hearing my words.

"What do you mean? Hey, watch your language. I didn't take Matthew. You took him from me," Kayla retorted.

"You, your mom-well, don't you know that dad actually married your mom for the inheritance? Father only loved my mother, long before he married your mother," Kayla emphasized her words.

"Just like what happened to you, Evelyn, you took Matthew away from me because you had the inheritance. If you didn't exist, Matthew's parents wouldn't have told him to marry you," Kayla ended her words.

I didn't move as long as I heard what Kayla said. Part of me refused to believe Kayla's words about our father.

My mom told me that Dad had a relationship with Kayla's mom before they got married. I thought Dad loved my mom.

Was that why, when mom was in a coma right now, he never cared about her?

"You're the fool for never heeding my words, Evelyn. I really feel sorry for you because you're too easy to fool," Matthew said without guilt.

Matthew and Kayla laughed. They mocked me like they were stepping on my pride.

My chest was getting tight. I didn't expect to face something like this. It was even more painful because Kayla was my own sister.

I didn't know Kayla had that much hatred for me. Has Kayla been pretending in front of grandfather that she cares about me?

My eyes welled up. As much as possible I held back my tears from falling. I still have the pride not to cry in front of them.

"Do you feel very satisfied after hurting me?" I asked, looking at them in turn.

"You better think about how to survive, Evelyn," Matthew said, after which he picked up a document.

Matthew threw the document at me with a glare.

"We're divorced," Matthew said confidently.

I was no longer surprised. I didn't offer any rebuttal.

"Fine, I'll part ways with you," I replied firmly. "I hope you'll regret this, Matthew. I'm not coming back to you."

Just as I was turning over, carrying my pain, I felt my cell phone vibrate. There was an incoming call.

I hurriedly took the phone out of my pocket before seeing Dad's name. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, but I listened to what Father had to say.

"Grandfather passed away."