"I was wrong just now. You go take care of her. I’m going home."

Julian froze. He suddenly realized that Jade’s eyes held nothing but cold, burnt-out embers.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he opened his mouth to say something, but a doctor called him away to pay the fees.

By the time he looked back, Jade was already gone.

On the way home, Jade’s grief fermented into a deep, burning hatred.

She hated herself for being weak, for not being decisive enough, and for causing the death of her child once again.

If she had left earlier, would her baby have been saved?

Suddenly, a message popped up on her phone.

Selina had sent a series of login credentials. "Log in. You’ll see a surprise."

With trembling, pale fingers, Jade logged into Julian’s secret account, "Thinking of Selina."

The latest post was a photo of Selina’s stomach.

"Selina is pregnant. Today is the happiest day of my life."

Chapter 8

In an instant, the warm air from the car’s heater made Jade’s eyes burn red.

Her child was gone, yet it hadn't left a single mark on Julian’s heart.

The most painful day of her life had become the happiest day of his.

Jade’s knuckles turned white as she scrolled through the posts.

There were 999 entries in total—all of them documenting their daily romance.

Countless memories crashed over her like a tsunami.

The first time she won Best Actress, she had stood on stage with tears in her eyes, thanking Julian. But Julian had been staring at his phone with a smile.

Later, he explained he was taking photos of her, and she hadn't given it a second thought.

But he had been watching Selina’s live stream.

When Jade was filming abroad, Julian had flown out to see her, saying he missed her.

But he had actually been on vacation with Selina and had only stopped by to see her as an afterthought.

As the anesthesia fully wore off, the physical pain became overwhelming.

Jade couldn't hold it back any longer. She clutched her phone and sobbed uncontrollably in the backseat.

Startled, the driver tried to comfort her. "Mrs. Grant, you can always have another child."

"As long as you're with Mr. Grant, there's no difficulty you can't overcome."

Outside, heavy snow fell. Inside the car, Jade was drenched in tears and cold sweat.

She spoke each word with a heart that was bleeding. "No. There won't be another one."

Once the beautiful illusion was shattered, there was no going back.

For the next five days, Julian didn't return home.

There were no calls, no messages.

Jade forced herself through the grief, slowly preparing her final gift for Julian.

That evening, the familiar roar of an engine finally sounded outside the window.

Selina helped a drunken Julian out of the car, smiling sweetly. "I’m sorry, Sister Jade. Since you weren't around these past few days, Julian had to take me to the events instead."

Dior, Bvlgari, Gucci... these were all invitations intended for Jade.

Even Selina’s radiant, high-fashion look was the work of Jade’s exclusive styling team.

Jade didn't even blink. She called the housekeeper to help Julian inside.

As soon as the door closed, Julian grabbed Jade’s wrist. "Jade... I have a gift for you."

Jade watched him in silence.

Seeing her reaction, Julian pulled out a velvet box and opened it. An emerald necklace worth tens of millions lay quietly inside.

He personally took it out and fastened it around Jade’s neck, his warm breath brushing against her skin.

"Look. Do you like it?"

Was the child they lost only worth a single necklace?

Most likely, this necklace didn't even cost a fraction of what Julian had spent on Selina’s gifts over the last few days.

Jade took a deep breath, steadying her emotions as she stood up. "I have a gift for you, too."

She led Julian to the study door.

"It’s inside. You can't open it until the Golden Dragon Awards are over."

Beneath his drunken state, Julian’s dismissal was clear. "What’s inside?"

Jade forced a smile. "You’ll find out then."

The next morning, at Ruifeng Entertainment.

A staff member was processing the termination papers while grumbling under their breath. "These influencers nowadays are so indecent. Instead of improving their skills, they just use dirty tricks."

"Jade, don't believe a word of the nonsense on the trending topics. We all know how much Mr. Grant loves you."

Jade froze and opened social media.

The top trending topic was: [Pure Image Crumbles! Selina Song Caught Seducing Married Man Julian Grant in Hospital!]

At the same time, inside the conference room.

The Chief PR Officer pushed up his glasses. "...And that is my proposal."

"The best way forward is to leak a bigger scandal involving a more famous actress to divert public attention. Jade Yu is the perfect candidate."

Julian’s heart twinged for some unknown reason. He rubbed his temples. "Is this the only way?"

Selina turned pale and bit her lip. "Julian, I know I’m no match for Sister Jade. Just blacklist me. I can take the baby to another country by myself."

Julian’s expression changed instantly. He turned to the PR Chief. "Go ahead with your plan."

Ten minutes later, the trending topics were flooded with Jade’s name.

[Jade Yu’s Private Videos Leaked! Chaotic Personal Life Revealed: 11 Bottles of Birth Control in One Year!]

When Jade was notified, her face remained expressionless.

Julian looked at her, confused. "Jade, aren't you going to ask why?"

What was the point in asking?

The trending topic would only exist for a day. And in one day, Jade Yu would no longer exist in this world.

Chapter 9

Jade Yu shook her head gently. "Those who believe in me don't need an explanation, and for those who don't, no amount of words will suffice."

Julian Grant knew she was referring to her fans, but his heart twinged nonetheless. He felt as though there was something behind Jade's calm expression that he could no longer penetrate. Before he could grasp what it was, Jade had already turned and walked away.

Online, the tide of public opinion shifted abruptly from condemning Selina Song to attacking Jade.

"Eleven bottles in a year? How many men is Jade Yu sleeping with? Watching her movies makes me feel like my eyes are getting dirty."

"Even a perfect husband like Julian Grant got cheated on. It’s rare to see a woman as filthy as Jade Yu."

"I actually hope Julian cheats and stays with Selina. Jade Yu doesn't deserve him at all."

The scandal continued to ferment. By noon, rumors had escalated, claiming Jade had started her career as an adult model and was now pimping out newcomers to directors. Her past interviews were scrutinized; a simple quote like "I often stay up late studying to deliver the best performance" was reinterpreted as a different kind of "overtime." Some even fabricated stories, claiming they had bought a night with her.

In less than twenty-four hours, Jade lost half of her followers. Malicious comments and curses flooded her social media.

Clara, her agent, was pacing frantically. "Go talk to Julian again! You've been with him for ten years. How can he be so heartless as to use a Best Actress like you as a shield for an influencer?!"

Jade remained deaf to the chaos. During the fitting for the Golden Dragon Awards, she stood before Julian as she always did, helping him adjust his tie. However, there was a noticeable distance in her every movement.

Julian looked down at her. "Selina is pregnant; she can't handle any emotional stress. You don't care about these online rumors anyway. Let’s postpone the clarification for another two months until her pregnancy stabilizes."

At the mention of the pregnancy, the suppressed emotions in Jade’s heart flared. So he did know that a pregnant woman shouldn't be stressed. Yet, in front of her, he had acted deaf and dumb, never once considering her own fragile state when she was carrying his child.

The line between love and indifference was so painfully clear. Their ten-year relationship and the child she had just lost meant nothing compared to Selina.

Seeing that Jade didn't respond, Julian felt a strange tightness in his chest. "Where do you want to go for a vacation after the awards? The Maldives? The South Seas?"

He had promised that if Jade won, he would take her to a celebratory dinner and then on a trip. It was a day he treated with the same importance as their anniversary.

Jade looked up, finally utilizing her skills as a Best Actress to offer a gentle smile. "Whatever you decide is fine."

As long as Julian wasn't there, anywhere was fine.

Without even realizing it, Julian breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself that Jade was still the same Jade he knew.

At the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony, Jade sat in the audience, watching the familiar scenes unfold. Even the warmth of Julian’s hand stroking her palm felt identical to the past. However, the couple's gown that was supposed to match Julian’s was now on Selina, and the suit jacket Julian usually draped over Jade’s shoulders was now wrapped around Selina.