Truth Came After My Death

I'm a fake heiress who fell in love with the true heir.

When I was ten, Damien Cross said he would marry me.

When I was sixteen, Damien kissed me and told me, You're my only one.

When I was eighteen, I gave myself to Damien, thinking we were truly in love.

After that blissful night, when dawn broke, Damien suddenly grew disgusted with me.

"Get out. I don't have a sister as filthy as you."

From that day on, he never looked at me again.

Later, the true heiress Luna Cross returned.

She hated me, and effortlessly crushed everything I had.

Until she framed me for leaking military secrets, which led to Father's failed mission and eventual death from grief.

Damien came to completely despise me:

"The Cross family has no daughter like you, and I have no sister like you. For the rest of this life, don't let me see you again!"

Three years after being driven from the Cross family, and in my first year of being kept by River Kane, I saw Damien again.

This was a charity gala hosted by the Cross family.

I knew I shouldn't come. I didn't want to come.

But it was River's decision, and he was my patronI had no right to refuse.

I lowered my eyes, my voice trembling:

"River, I don't want to go over there..."

River patted my face. The touch wasn't heavy, but the humiliation was palpable.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid of seeing Damien, afraid he'll see what you've become?"

"Aria, you know how it works. When you do something wrong, there's always a price to pay. I've been good to you. Why did you secretly take birth control pills behind my back? You think I didn't know?"

All the blood in my body instantly went cold.

Then I laughed bitterly at myself, actively hooking my arms around his neck with a seductive smile, carrying a sort of numb recklessness.

"Then you'll have to pay me more. Give me fifty thousand, and I'll go to the gala with you."

My medication was almost gone.

Fifty thousand would buy me three more bottles, three more months of life.

River froze for a moment.

His expression shifted from shock to amusement, and finally he laughed lowly:

"Fifty thousand?"

"Aria, when did you start valuing yourself so low? I'll give you a hundred thousand."

He leaned close, his lips almost touching my ear. Malice poured out:

"Remember to control your eyes. I'm your man."

"You, Aria White, were already thrown away by him. Rotten, stinking. Now I'm the one who paid to pick you back up. Understand?"

I lowered my lashes and answered docilely:

"I understand, River."

I followed closely behind River.

He seemed somewhat dissatisfied and actively wrapped his arm around my waist, heading toward the center.

Damien also noticed our approach.

He turned around, facing us directly.

River extended his hand, greeting him proactively:

"Mr. Cross, it's an honor to meet you. My father often mentions you, saying you're the most admirable young military officer of this generation."

Damien responded politely.

His voice was still the same as in my memories, carrying a metallic coldness:

"You flatter me. River is the true young hero. You secured that South Harbor project so effortlessly."

River smiled.

He didn't release his arm from my waist. Instead, he patted it with a hint of showing off:

"This is Aria. She's been with me for some time now."

River paused maliciously, waiting for my reaction.

My throat tightened, each word feeling like it was scraped from sandpaper:

"Mr. Cross."

Damien gave me a cold glance, which counted as acknowledgment.

Just then, Luna Cross from not far away let out a soft "oh," as if just noticing me.

She walked toward me proactively, her smile cutting:

"Aria? It really is you!"

"I never imagined I'd run into you here. So you're... with River now? How fortunate for you. Even though you're just a mistress, life must be better than before."

"You should be more obedient, Aria. Serve River well. Don't do those shameless things you used to do again."

I listened quietly, not even attempting to defend myself.

Luna hated me to the bone. If I said anything more, she would only humiliate me worse.

Only my heart ached terriblymy heart failure was probably worsening again.

At least with the money, I could buy a few more bottles of medication later.

River was initially enjoying my misery with interest, but seeing my face grow paler and paler.

Just as he was frowning, about to interrupt, Damien spoke first.

"Luna! Mom's been waiting for us over there for a while. Let's go."

Damien had spoken.

Even though Luna was in the middle of her tirade, she could only reluctantly stop.

But still unsatisfied, she directly cursed as she left:

"Disgusting!"

Damien had no reaction, letting Luna finish cursing before leading her away.

I remained silent throughout.

Quietly listening to the gossip spreading from all directions because of Luna's insults.

"Miss Cross really hit the nail on the head. With that kind of character, she's only fit to be someone's plaything."

"I heard Old Mr. Cross died of grief because of her. So ungrateful! Back then at the Cross house she wasn't decent, shamelessly climbing into Young Mr. Cross's bed. Now she's latched onto this one from the Kane family... Her skills really are impressive."

"What skills? Just good in bed. That slutty energy is exactly what men love."

...

The buzzing in my ears grew louder, and the squeezing pain in my chest began to intensify.

I couldn't tell if it was because of Damien's coldness or because of my illness.

My vision began to sway, and my body collapsed backward uncontrollably.

Fortunately, River caught me.

His harsh voice swept across, and the surroundings instantly quieted.

His movements weren't gentle as he leaned close and mocked:

"What's wrong?"

"Saw your old flame and it's already too painful to bear?"

I knew River was about to get angry.

I wanted to explain, but the severe pain from my heart strangled my throat, making even breathing shallow and weak.

I could only plead with a gasping voice:

"Medicine... my medicine..."

Only then did River notice that I was breaking out in cold sweat, unable to even stand steadily.

His expression changed instantly. He scooped me up and headed outside.

At the center of the banquet hall, Damien, who had been nodding in conversation with others, felt something and turned his head.

Watching River's back as he hurried away carrying me.

Luna followed his gaze:

"Oh my, what a skillful act. Seducing River even at the gala, he just can't hold back anymore."

"Damien, when she was seducing you back then..."

CRASH!

A sharp sound of shattering glass suddenly exploded.

Luna looked at the wine glass crushed in Damien's hand, too frightened to say anything more.

In the parking lot, River practically burst open the car door, roughly placing me in the passenger seat, and began rummaging through my bag for my emergency medication. He poured out the last two pills, twisted open a bottle of water, and pressed it to my lips.

The medicine entered my system.

After resting for fifteen minutes, my complexion gradually improved.

River's expression only grew darker. He asked me anxiously:

"What's really going on with your stomach problem?"

"You've been treating it for a year and it's still not better. Tomorrow I'm taking you to the hospital for a full physical exam!"

I didn't respond, my eyes somewhat unfocused.

Initially, I stayed with River because I wanted to survive, to investigate the truth from back then.

To tell Damien personally that I wasn't the one who leaked the secrets.

But today, seeing Damien's cold eyes and hearing the poisonous insults from Luna and others, nothing seemed to matter anymore.

I just felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest.

Wind whistling through, my whole body cold.

It couldn't be healed.

I raised my head again, looking at River:

"River, I don't want to stay with you anymore."

"Let me go."

River stared at me for several seconds, then suddenly scoffed.

He stroked my face soothingly:

"Throwing a tantrum? I know, tonight was hard on you."

"I promise you, from now on, if you don't want to go to these events, I won't take you. If you want money, I'll give you another five hundred thousand. Is that okay?"

I dodged his reaching hand, still insisting.

"No."

"River, I don't want to stay with you anymore."

River said nothing more, just darkened his face, helped me fasten my seatbelt, and drove away.

I thought he'd take me home, but soon I realized we were going the wrong direction.

"Where are we going?"

River snorted coldly, his voice hard.

"The hospital."

"You're not feeling well and throwing tantrums at me. I'm not going to argue with you. Once the doctor fixes you up, we'll talk about other things."

I smiled lightly, hearing the concern in River's words.

"River, thank you."

I said it very seriously.

Perhaps the most heartfelt thing I'd said to him in these three years together.

River raised his eyebrows proudly, a smile just forming at the corner of his mouth.

Then he heard me slowly accept my fate:

"But there's no need. I probably... don't have long to live."

The instant those words fell, the sound of screeching brakes suddenly erupted.

River's throat rolled, his voice hoarse.

"What did you say?"

He suddenly grabbed me, eyes wide as he demanded:

"What do you mean you don't have long to live? How could... it's not a stomach problem, is it? You lied to me?"

I looked into River's eyes.

Strangely, saying it out loud brought a bizarre sense of relief.

"Do you know... about heart failure? The average survival time doctors give is three years. This year is the third year."

I lowered my eyes and saw warm wetness falling on the back of my handfirst a few drops, then torrential like a rainstorm.

Those weren't my tears.

River was crying.

A crazy thought surged to mind. I couldn't help but exploit River's sympathy.

This was my last chance.

"Could you... help me find out the truth about the leaked Cross family secrets from back then? I don't want to die being wrongly accused. River, I'm begging you."

River agreed to my request. His only condition was that I cooperate with the treatment he arranged.

This was a deal too good to pass up for me.

What I didn't expect was that Damien would actively want to see me.

"Leave River. Return to the Cross family. Go to Father's grave, kneel down and confess. Tell everything you did back then, every single detail."

"As long as you confess and sincerely repent, you're still the eldest daughter of the Cross family."

I raised my head, looking at Damien's irritated eyes.

Word by word, I replied:

"What happened back then wasn't my doing. I did nothing wrong."

Damien repeated, his voice suddenly rising.

"It wasn't you?"

"Do you think everyone in the entire Cross family is blind? Butler Lucas, the maids Claire and Amy, even Luna and Mother can all testify! Only you were frequently going in and out of Father's study during that time. What else do you have to say!"

"Unless you're going to tell me that even Mother is framing you?"

His hoarse shouting made my vision darken in waves.

I gripped the edge of the tablecloth tightly, my fingertips white with pressure, barely able to keep myself from collapsing.

Still, I insisted:

"I did nothing wrong! I won't go back. I'll prove to you..."

Damien's expression completely darkened.

His words became unfiltered.

"Enough! You won't return to the Cross family to be the eldest daughter, but you'd rather follow River as his shameful mistress. Aria, how can you be so cheap!"

I froze.

Raised my head and stared at him blankly.

The face before me, written with contempt and disgust, overlapped infinitely with the man in my memories who had cupped my face and kissed me.

Only that man had been so gentle. He would tell me:

"Aria is my only little moon."

Later, nothing remained.

My gaze suddenly extinguished, and that last trace of faint love was crushed too.

I murmured:

"Damien, back then I thought you loved me."

Hearing my words, Damien laughed in extreme anger.

"Aria, you don't actually think I wanted to see you because I still can't let you go, do you?"

"If it weren't for Mother seeing you humiliated by everyone at last night's gala and taking pity on you, willing to give you a way out, do you think I'd want to see you?"

I pulled my lips slightly.

Bitterness overflowed from my heart as I murmured:

"Mother took pity on me? Is it pity... or guilt?"

I didn't want to say anything more.

Supporting myself on the table edge, I slowly stood up and walked toward the door.

"Aria, if you dare walk out today, I'll never forgive you!"

Damien's voice was trembling for some reason.

But I didn't look back or stop. I pushed open the door and walked out.

The Kane family's car was waiting for me at the roadside.

Just as I was about to get in, a tearful voice rang out not far away:

"Aria..."

My movements stopped.

It was Mother's voice. She was crying, her eyes red.

"Aria, you've gotten so thin."

"You must have suffered so much out there. Come home with me."

I looked at her quietly.

No resentment, no grievance, no expectation.

As if genuinely puzzled:

"Mother, why are you crying? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Finished speaking, I bent down and sat in the car. In the rearview mirror, Mother looked as if struck by a heavy blow, crying until she broke down.

The driver took me away. He respectfully spoke:

"Miss White, River just boarded his flight. He asked me to tell you that the Mayer Clinic abroad is excellent at treating heart failure. He's already rushed over there, and will notify you immediately if there's good news."

"For any needs you have, you can contact me directly or reach out to Assistant Xu."

"Also, your case is already being investigated. River asked you to focus on recovery. He guarantees he'll find the truth for you."

I acknowledged with a sound.

During the days River was away, Mother's contact became relentless.

First text messages, then phone calls. These past two days she'd actually sent people to the villa with messages.

Until this afternoon, when she texted me:

[Aria, Mother is sick. Very sick. The doctor said many frightening things.]

[Mother knows she wronged you, doesn't dare ask for forgiveness. I only ask... before I go, to see you one more time. Come home, please? Consider it Mother's dying wish.]

I sat frozen for a long time.

Maybe I still couldn't let go of that little remaining warmth. I had the driver take me to the Cross estate.

Butler Lucas led me into the hallpitch black, with no lights on.

I instinctively sensed something wrong and wanted to leave.

But from the second floor center, a woman's figure slowly emerged.

It wasn't my critically ill mother.

It was Luna.

"Aria, you finally came. I've been waiting for you for so long!"