Her Love for him was Gone Forever

Five years ago, during the accident that saved Joslyn's life, Kade suffered injuries that left him unable to be intimate.

Whenever they were alone, Joslyn would try to rekindle their connection, seeking comfort in gentle embraces and quiet affection. They spent quiet evenings together-in the living room, the garden, even the hallway-searching for any trace of the connection they once shared.

Yet, no matter how gently she reached for him or how patiently she waited, Kade remained distant-his body unresponsive, his eyes full of sorrow.

Joslyn couldn't bear to meet Kade's regretful and self-blaming gaze.

She suggested they sleep in separate rooms-and quietly accepted that their marriage might never be what she once dreamed of.

However, Kade refused to give up. He held Joslyn's hand and vowed that he would persevere with the treatment for the sake of her happiness in the rest of her life, even though there was only a faint hope.

Kade was supposed to have a check-up that day.

Joslyn, as usual, waited for him in the underground parking lot, but she accidentally found his medical report left in the car.

On a whim, she picked up the report and suddenly noticed a familiar name in the attending physician's column.

It was Scarlett Stevens...

Tracing the elegant handwriting with her fingers, Joslyn felt a mix of emotions.

Scarlett was Kade's childhood sweetheart, whom he couldn't have when he was young.

If Scarlett hadn't insisted on studying abroad back then, Joslyn might not have had her chance of getting married to Kade.

For some reason, Joslyn suddenly felt nervous when she saw the name of her former rival in love.

Lost in thought, she was already making her way upstairs, medical records in hand.

The hallway was silent except for faint, intimate voices coming from the only room with light under the door. Embarrassed, Joslyn turned to leave-she had no wish to intrude on someone else's private moment.

But she suddenly stopped walking as she heard a familiar name mentioned.

"Kade, you keep using this excuse of a doctor's appointment to see me. Aren't you afraid Joslyn might follow you one day?" Scarlett teased Kade with a hint of jealousy.

Joslyn bit her lip hard enough to taste blood in her mouth. She stiffly peered through the crack in the door.

In the dim light, Kade held Scarlett close, their silhouettes entwined in an intimate embrace that left no doubt about their betrayal.

The scene struck Joslyn like lightning.

What was going on?

Kade hadn't lost that ability at all. Had he been deceiving her all along?

The successive shocks left Joslyn dizzy, but what Kade said next nearly caused Joslyn to collapse to the floor.

"Why should I be afraid?" Kade replied coldly. "I've been drugging her milk for years to keep her asleep. And honestly... part of me hopes she finds out."

Milk... sleeping pills...

Joslyn closed her eyes and struggled to hold back her tears.

Since Kade had scheduled check-ups two years ago, Kade had always handed her a bottle of milk. He told her to have a good rest in the car after having some milk, as he didn't want to keep her from getting bored while waiting for him.

Although she hated the taste of milk, she drank it all as she thought it was Kade's love for her.

But it felt like a slap in her face after she heard the truth.

If she hadn't brought him the medical report today and forgotten to drink the milk, she might have been completely fooled by that deceitful pair.

"But I still don't understand-why go to such lengths? Pretending you're broken, avoiding her completely... only to come to me like this. Why?" Scarlett's voice pulled Joslyn back to the moment, and she stared at Kade-his expression intense, almost unrecognizable-as if seeing a stranger.

Joslyn knew Kade well-and couldn't believe he'd shut her out so completely for all these years.

She clenched her fists, and her nails nearly dug into her palms. She held her breath and waited for Kade's answer. She desperately wanted to know why he lied to her.

"Because she's... tainted," Kade finally said, his voice hollow. "It's not that I'm incapable-I just can't stand the thought of being with her. After what happened back then, the very idea makes me sick. With you, Scarlett... I feel whole again. You're the only one I want."

Joslyn's face instantly turned ashen outside the door.

Now she totally understood why Kade's eyes held some emotion that she couldn't comprehend since she returned from the kidnappers' den.

He had been misunderstanding her all along.

Joslyn felt the urge to explain everything to Kade at that moment.

The incident back then was just a misunderstanding, and she had her reasons.

But Scarlett's next words made Joslyn feel like a ridiculous clown.

"You're so ruthless. You refuse to explain things to her and let her live in guilt every day. She must think the car accident, which caused you to be impotent back then, happened due to her. But she never knew that you weren't going to save her that day and that you were just rushing to the airport to pick me up." Scarlett's laughter was like a heavy hammer pounding on Joslyn's heart.

"So what? I always want to marry you. Even if she knows the truth, she won't leave me. Besides, I've used her guilt to make her invest all of Palmer Group's profits into the Lloyd Group. I am killing two birds with one stone."

Joslyn heard no more. She didn't have the strength to.

She stormed out of the hospital, and her chest was nearly splitting from the cold air.

She felt so much pain.

For five years, she had been selflessly devoted to Kade. She was filled only with pity and guilt for him.

She had always blamed his condition on herself.

If it were not for accidentally uncovering their affair today, she would never have realized that the man she loved was nothing but a hypocritical scoundrel.

She trembled all over as she struggled to hold onto her phone. It nearly dropped to the ground several times.

After a long while, she finally gathered the courage to dial that international number.

While it was ringing, she remembered how the kidnappers took her away back then.

Her marriage to Kade was an alliance between two major business families in the city. And it was also because she loved him so much, although he didn't love her.

But after her parents passed away, the Lloyd Group gradually grew stronger than the Palmer Group. And the former even seemed to take over the latter.

Joslyn's uncle, Davin Palmer, had no choice but to move the family's businesses overseas and intended to expand the market there.

In aristocratic families, there was no room for true affection. Davin never thought of Kade as a faithful partner. He believed that it wouldn't be good for her to be with Kade, so Davin advised Joslyn to join him abroad.

But Joslyn stubbornly refused Davin. The latter forced her to get into the airport and head for the airport.

Joslyn hurriedly messaged Kade and asked him to rescue her.

She always believed that Kade had the car accident because he was in a hurry to save her.

Upon hearing the news, she ignored Davin's words and desperately got out of the car to rush back. In her haste, she tumbled down a slope and got disheveled. So the media spread rumors that she had been kidnapped and raped.

She was afraid that Kade would do something bad to Davin after Kade learned that the Palmer family's assets had been moved overseas, so she didn't explain the truth to Kade. She only wished that he believed she wasn't raped.

Kade soon suppressed the media rumors and assured her that he had everything under control.

At that time, Joslyn thought Kade had some affection for her.

But Kade's true concern was always the Palmer family's wealth. And he always loved Scarlett.

He only had suspicion for Joslyn.

During their marriage, only Joslyn fell in love.

"Davin, I've made up my mind. I want to go overseas and take over my parents' business," Joslyn said without hesitation as soon as the call connected.

"Alright, Joslyn. Don't worry. I'll arrange everything for you. Your passport and all the necessary documents will be ready in two weeks."

Joslyn felt both guilt and relief. Her stupid behavior had cost her family and friends. Thankfully, Davin hadn't given up on her and still gave her a way out.

It was late at night.

Joslyn went back home in a daze. She didn't turn on the lights and just collapsed onto the floor. She stared blankly at the large wedding photo hanging on the wall.

In the silence, she finally let her guard down. A flood of emotions overwhelmed her and caused her to burst into tears.

Several times, she felt disoriented. She seemed to see Kade in the photo turn into a ghost, coming out to devour her as a whole.

She shook her head and tried hard to dispel the terrifying illusions from her mind.

She wouldn't deceive herself.

But when it came to Kade, she always lost her composure.

Even though she loved spicy food, she never cooked it because Kade preferred sweet dishes. She even tried to make sweet dishes instead.

She liked bold colors in clothing, but her wardrobe had been reduced to black and white for years, just because Kade once casually remarked that light colors looked good.

She had stepped back and given in to Kade so many times that she no longer recognized herself.

She truly didn't want to endure it any longer this time.

It would be the last time she allowed herself to feel sad over Kade that day.

Joslyn cried her heart out all night and vented all her bitterness and grievances for years.

She cried for a long time and finally fell into a deep sleep.

She was awakened by the sound of Kade unlocking the door.

"Honey, it's so late. Why did you come home alone?" Kade wrapped her in his arms as before. "What should I do? The follow-up results show that I haven't recovered. Honey, if I never get better, will you still be my wife?"

Kade blinked his watery eyes and clung to Joslyn like a lost puppy seeking comfort.

A strong scent of roses wafted into Joslyn's nose. It snapped Joslyn awake from her drowsiness.

She felt nauseous as she remembered the scene from yesterday evening.

What exam took all night? Kade must think she was a fool.

Thinking this way, she didn't give any expression as before naturally.

She instinctively pulled away from Kade's embrace.

"Honey, are you rejecting me?"

Kade's eyes slowly filled with tears. Joslyn had to admit that his acting was impressive.

If it were in the past, she would have immediately held him in her arms and comforted him by promising never to leave him. But she just wanted to leave that house as soon as possible now.

But then she realized that it would surely alert Kade if she acted differently. He still needed the Palmer Group's money, so he wouldn't easily let her go.

Before leaving, Joslyn didn't want to stir up more trouble.

She hesitated for a moment and then resumed her usual gentle demeanor.

It would be Joslyn's birthday seven days later.

Kade planned to accompany her to pick out a gift today.

But just as they set out, Kade received a phone call.

"Kade, what should I do? I just made a mistake in surgery, and the patient's family is surrounding me. They don't let go of me." Scarlett's panicked voice came through the phone.

Joslyn didn't even have time to react before Kade slammed on the brakes and turned the car towards the hospital.

"Joslyn, Scarlett is my attending physician. She recently returned from abroad and doesn't have many friends here, so she called me." Kade tried to explain the situation to Joslyn, but his trembling voice and pale fingers betrayed his inner panic.

Joslyn didn't respond to Kade's explanation. She just suppressed her bitterness in her heart.

She had someone investigate Scarlett yesterday evening.

Although Scarlett had studied cardiology abroad and had a history of skipping classes due to romantic entanglements, she somehow landed a position as an attending physician in andrology at a top hospital in Mexwell.

This position was highly coveted, and the hospital where Scarlett worked was over 60% owned by the Lloyd family.

Joslyn understood everything and just closed her eyes wearily.

Inside the hospital, chaos reigned as the place was packed with agitated family members of a patient.

By the time Kade arrived with security to maintain order, Scarlett was already surrounded by the furious family members of the patient.

"You bitch! You killed my son! A life for a life!!"

They yanked at Scarlett's hair and slapped her face repeatedly.

"What are you doing? Who gave you the right to beat her?" Kade pulled Scarlett behind him, but the family members of the patient were past all reason at this point.

In the chaos, one of them took out a sharp knife and aimed it at Scarlett.

In that critical moment, Joslyn felt a push from behind, a forceful shove that sent her directly toward the knife's point before she could even react.

"Thud!" Time seemed to freeze at that instant, and all Joslyn could hear was the dull sound of the knife piercing through flesh.

Her body went limp as she collapsed heavily to the floor.

Driven by an instinctive fight for survival, she struggled to open her eyes and was desperate to know who had pushed her.

But all she could see was endless darkness.

Yet, Joslyn soon found out who it was.

"Kade, I didn't mean it. I was just so scared just now. I pushed Joslyn without thinking. I never thought she would get hurt like this..." Scarlett cried and deliberately pressed down on Joslyn's stomach, causing blood to gush from Joslyn's wound.

Joslyn was in excruciating pain and even fainted multiple times. But she was unable to utter a word at that moment.

Kade comforted Scarlett for a long time before Scarlett stopped crying.

After that, Joslyn was taken to the operating room.

"Joslyn, don't worry. I've got the best surgeon in Mexwell for you. There won't be any scars." Kade was guilty and made a promise while holding her hand tightly.

But Scarlett was extremely jealous. She picked up the fallen knife and viciously slashed her own hand.

"Kade, my hand is injured. It hurts so much." With a cry of pain from Scarlett, Kade summoned all the hospital's doctors immediately.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Palmer. Miss Stevens insists on a skin graft, and Mr. Lloyd has asked us to proceed without anesthesia to maintain the integrity of the transplant." A doctor's guilty voice reached Joslyn as he returned after being summoned by Kade.

The next moment, the scalpel pierced Joslyn's flesh.

Once again, Joslyn's heart was shattered by Kade.

She trembled in pain and wanted to cry, only to find her tears almost exhausted from crying over Kade. Only a few tears slowly ran down her cheek.

"Kade, how ruthless you are... I hate you so much!"