Blurb：
After four years in a coma, Matthew Sutherland awakens to a shocking reality. His wife, Regina Livingston, who tirelessly cared for him, now hides a devastating secret. The mysterious Richard Sutherland and a young boy named Franklin shatter Matthew’s world, revealing a web of lies and betrayal. As Matthew struggles to reclaim his life, he uncovers hidden truths about Regina, Richard, and the child who shares his last name. Dive into this emotional rollercoaster of love, deception, and second chances. Will Matthew uncover the full story behind Regina’s guilt and Richard’s mocking smile?
Content：
I suffered critical injuries that left me in a persistent vegetative state when I tried to rescue my wife, Regina Livingston, from her abductors.
Regina spares no expense, spending millions of dollars to bring in the best medical experts in the country to treat me. She watches over me every single night, never weary of caring for me.
Four years into my coma, I overhear a conversation between Richard Sutherland—a man I don’t know—and Regina.
“You’ve done all you can, Regina,” he says. “You don’t owe him anything anymore.”
Regina remains silent.
Then, a young boy, Franklin Sutherland, suddenly asks, “Mommy, why do you always visit this man? Who is he?”
I’m instantly shocked. Regina and I don’t have a child together. I’m completely bewildered, and just as I try to figure it out, I suddenly wake up from my coma.
Chapter 1
I opened my eyes, feeling as though I had just woken up from a long, drawn-out dream. I tried to move my fingers, which were completely numb, and made an effort to sit up.
It was then that a nurse walked in to check on my vitals. As soon as she saw that I was awake, she turned on her heel and dashed out.
It wasn’t long before my loved ones came rushing into the ward.
Regina Livingston gently wrapped her arms around me, her voice trembling with emotion as she exclaimed, “Oh, thank goodness! You’re finally awake, Matthew!”
Mom and Dad were standing silently to the side, tears streaming down their faces.
Lydia Smith, my mother-in-law, held my hand, her face etched with worry as she said, “It’s truly a miracle. The doctors were even certain that you’d never come out of it.”
I was barely able to process the sudden warmth when the door to the hospital room flew open. It was then that a young boy—around four to five years old—ran in, with a fistful of pebbles in his hand. He hurled them at me, yelling, “You phony! Stay away from Mommy—”
He didn’t even get to finish his sentence, as a man suddenly burst into the hospital room and clamped his hand over the boy’s mouth.
I noticed that the boy was the spitting image of Regina. I then got a good look at that man’s face, and I was stunned to see that his features were very similar to mine.
I was completely dumbfounded, my mind momentarily going blank. I couldn’t help but wonder who those two people were while a sudden wave of dread washed over me.
I cautiously loosened my grip on Regina and looked at her nervously, hoping for some kind of explanation.
She wouldn’t look at me, though. She furrowed her brow and yelled at the man instead, “Richard Sutherland! Get Franklin out of here right now!”
What were the odds that the man actually bore the same last name as me?
Mom and Dad remained silent, while Lydia shot a disapproving look at Regina. “What’s with the attitude?”
I understood immediately that Regina’s anger was a front for her guilt. She was putting on a fierce act, but deep inside, she was actually terrified.
I glanced at the others in the room and figured that they all knew about Richard and Franklin. I was the only one in the dark about them.
Richard scowled, clearly reluctant to go. He eventually took Franklin and walked toward the door. He, however, didn’t see the wet patch on the floor, causing both of them to slip and fall.
Franklin burst out crying, and Lydia was the first to rush forward, scooping him up and comforting him. Mom and Dad hurried to check on Richard. Meanwhile, Regina, who had been holding me, let go and rushed to his side the moment she saw the blood on his palm.
I leaned back against the headboard, watching the scene unfold. My heart felt as if it were being torn apart, the pain so intense that I could hardly breathe.
Richard, with everyone gathered around him, looked up and met my gaze. He flashed a mocking smile at me.
My heart sank as I looked at his face, which was so similar to my own, and I was filled with an indescribable feeling of emptiness and loss.
…
I was all alone when I was discharged from the hospital, as no one came to pick me up.
I lugged my heavy luggage all the way home, but I couldn’t get in. When I pressed my finger on the biometric fingerprint door lock, a notification popped up—”Access Denied”.
A wave of sadness washed over me upon seeing that.
I then heard a soft click as the door opened. Dad stood there, his expression flickering with surprise. It was as though he hadn’t expected me to return home.
Inside, I noticed a group of people gathered around the table, gleefully sharing a cake. There was a beautifully decorated two-tier cake on the table with several lit candles flickering faintly on it. Elegantly wrapped presents were piled high around it.
Chapter 2
It was only when I spotted Richard wearing a birthday hat that I realized that they were celebrating his birthday.
They only came to their senses when they noticed me standing there with my luggage.
Mom, with guilt written all over her face, exclaimed, “Oh, I completely forgot! I was just about to bring some food over to the hospital. I mean, since you’re already discharged, you should join us for the celebration, Matt.”
I looked at Mom and thought back to all the food she had brought me. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew all that cold food was nothing more than their leftovers.
I immediately lowered my gaze, a storm of emotions raging inside me as a bitter, hollow feeling settled deep in my chest.
“Matt…” Regina rose from her seat, offering to pull out a chair for me.
But when I looked around, I noticed that there was no place for me. Richard had already taken my seat, sitting right beside Regina with Franklin.
Those present caught on to the awkwardness of the situation, and embarrassment spread across their expressions.
Regina furrowed her brow and said, “Richard, you and Franklin should head upstairs to make some room for Matt.”
Richard, who was just about to cut the birthday cake, suddenly paused. He gritted his teeth and muttered, “I haven’t even had any cake yet…”
He then placed his hand on Regina’s stomach and raised his voice, clearly trying to make sure I heard him. “And I still have to take care of the baby you’re carrying, Regina.”
His remark immediately left everyone in the room dumbfounded.
Lydia was the first to break the silence, exclaiming with joy, “You’re expecting again, Regina?”
Regina’s serious expression gave way to a blush. She then nodded shyly, replying, “Yeah.”
Richard grinned. “Regina told me that she wants to have a bunch of children with me.”
I reeled from the shock, my face turning deathly pale.
Regina, realizing her slip up, immediately snapped, “What are you even talking about, Richard? Just go upstairs already. You can’t possibly expect Matt to make room for you, right?”
Upon hearing that, Lydia’s expression soured. “Richard is the father of your child, Regina. How can you treat him so harshly? If it’s such a big deal, I’ll give up my seat for Matthew!”
She then got to her feet and guided Richard to another part of the room, as if protecting him.
It was the first time Lydia had ever called me by my first name instead of my nickname. I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of sorrow as I realized that the woman who once doted on me wouldn’t even meet my gaze now.
Mom and Dad sighed, gently patting my back to reassure me. “You should stay here with Regina, Matt. I’ll go check on Richard. You see, he’s just like you—he loses his appetite when he’s upset.”
I met Mom’s worried gaze, my voice cracking as I asked, “Can’t you just stay with me for a while, Mom?”
Dad chuckled and lightly patted me on the shoulder, saying, “You’re grown now, Matt. We’ll have plenty of time together later.”
For the first time, the parents who had always favored me denied my request. They were only worried about Richard being too upset to eat, but they didn’t stop to think that I might not have an appetite either.
They grabbed a few plates of the pastries from the table and said, “Richard really likes these. You and Regina can have the rest.”
I could only stand there and watch as they took away the pastries I loved, unable to do anything about it.
Once everyone was gone, I looked at the leftover cake and smiled wryly.
Regina scooped a spoonful of the frosting from the cake and held it out to me, saying, “I’ll explain everything to you later. You should eat something first.”
“Did you forget I’m lactose intolerant?” I asked coldly.
Upon hearing that, Regina’s hand froze midair. Color drained from her face, and her eyes flashed with panic.
Four years had been too long. Long enough for everyone to forget my preferences. Long enough for the people who once treasured me to stop caring. Long enough for someone else to take my place.
In the end, we finished the rest of the meal in utter silence.
“I’m exhausted, so I’d like to get some rest now.”
Upon hearing that, Regina’s expression stiffened with embarrassment.
I looked at her face under the harsh glare of the light. From the long, awkward silence, I could tell that there was something she wasn’t telling me.
“Is there no place for me here?” I asked with a wry smile, knowing that Richard had probably taken over my room.
Regina remained silent for a moment before replying, “It’s just that you came home out of the blue. If we’d known, we would’ve definitely prepared the guest room for you.”
Chapter 3
I couldn’t help but feel a stinging pain in my chest after hearing Regina mention the guest room. I found it utterly ridiculous that I was relegated to the guest room upon returning to my own home.
When I didn’t say anything, Regina wrapped her arms around me and asked, “Can you bear with it for just tonight, Matt?”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to swear out loud. After a long pause, I looked down at her and asked, “What about you, then? Are you going to stay with me, Regina?”
The question stunned her. She had been treating Richard as a stand-in for me and had become accustomed to sharing a bed with him. My words caught her completely off guard, and she didn’t know how to respond.
I immediately understood everything when I looked at her expression. I felt myself on the verge of losing control as I gritted my teeth and snarled, “Get out!”
I swung my arm and knocked over the chair behind me, causing it to topple to the floor with a resounding thud. It immediately drew everyone out from the other room to see what had happened.
Mom patted my hand and said reassuringly, “It’s only for one night, Matt. I’ll prepare a welcome party for you tomorrow. I’m sure everyone will be thrilled that you’re finally awake.”
I stared at Mom for a moment and then stopped trying to fight it, especially seeing how there was nothing more to say.
I went to the guest room by myself, only to find Richard already waiting inside. Staring coldly at him, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
I was far from being gracious enough to greet the one who replaced me with warmth.
Richard looked at me and replied with a smile, “I really hope Regina has a girl this time so that we can have a son and a daughter.”
With that, he raised his hand, letting his sleeve slide down to reveal the custom Rolex watch on his wrist.
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise, nearly losing my footing in the process.
That watch was the special, limited-edition piece Dad had given to me as my coming-of-age gift. It meant the world to me. He had placed it on my hand with great solemnity, telling me that it was time for me to take responsibility as a Sutherland.
Yet, at this moment, that watch was strapped to Richard’s wrist.
There was no one else in the room, so Richard immediately let go of his pretense. His eyes blazed with fury as he looked at me. “Why did you have to wake up, Matthew? I have already taken your place in the Sutherland family. Why couldn’t you have just died?”
He began to ramble about his efforts over the years, saying he was the son Dad had with another woman and had never felt a sense of belonging. My accident had opened the door for him to return to the Sutherland family and take my role as the heir of Sutherland Group.
I cut him off. “It was never yours to begin with. You stole my life. You’re nothing but an impostor, someone who can’t be shown in the open. You get that now?”
“Is that so? I guess we’ll just have to find out who’s more important to them now!” Richard exclaimed as he fixed me with a provocative stare.
With that, he rushed toward the stairs and threw himself down. There was a series of thumps, followed by a scream of pain that shattered the silence of the night.
Everyone came running to the scene.
I saw how their attention turned to Richard as soon as they came over, their expressions immediately shifting after seeing his injury.
“Get him to the hospital now!” Dad shouted, his face etched with worry.
He then glared at me with a look of pure hatred that I had never seen before and snapped, “Why did you have to come back and turn the whole family upside down? You’ll be in for it if anything happens to Richard!”
I felt my breath catch, my chest tightening with a deep sense of hurt and indignation.
Regina shoved me aside, then helped Richard to his feet and ran toward the door, never once looking back at me.
Mom, on the other hand, lost it and slapped me hard across the face. “Richard has been so unhappy and hasn’t been sleeping since you came back, Matt! Why must you always make things harder for him?”
I slumped on the floor, unable to say a word in my own defense, while Richard flashed a triumphant smile at me.
The moment everyone left, I discreetly took out the phone from my chest pocket. It had been recording our whole conversation.
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