The Lie Detector Proved He Never Loved Me

A friend of Theodore Shaws had gotten his hands on a micro-expression polygraph from overseas and egged everyone on to test who Theodore loved most right there in the private room.

Everyone thought that after I had lowered myself and played the obedient fiancee at Theodores side for four years, even a stone should have warmed by now. At the very least, his heart should have stirred a little.

But when my photo appeared on the big screen, the green line on the polygraph stayed as flat as a dead pond.

And when Lily Vances photo appeared, his heart rate shot straight up to 150.

His friends mocked me one after another. The second the one who got away comes back, the stand-in is scrapped on the spot!

I sat in the corner, perfectly calm.

They thought I was swallowing humiliation for love, but they had no idea there was a translucent panel hanging above my head that only I could see.

[Countdown: 30 days.]

Ethan Cole, wait for me.

If I endure just 30 more days, I can take the mission reward and go back to save you.

Jocelyn Reeds POV

Beep

The sharp alert from the machine rang out inside the VIP private room, sounding especially piercing to my ears.

Heart rate sixty-five. Not even a ripple, Theodore!

The rich heirs around him stared at the polygraph and burst into undisguised laughter.

I looked toward Theodore Shaw, who was sitting in the center of the sofa. He tugged at his tie, his deep-set brows and eyes carrying a careless arrogance.

Polygraph sensor pads were still stuck to his skin, and my portrait filled the large display screen.

Someone who apparently had no fear of death kept stirring things up. Then switch to another photo and try again?

The image on the big screen flashed. My photo disappeared, replaced by a picture of a girl with a bright, radiant smile.

Lily Vance. Theodores first love. The woman who had gone abroad for further studies for a full three years.

She was also the one who got away, the woman he had always kept at the very tip of his heart.

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

The alarm instantly became rapid. The heart-rate number on the screen soared all the way from 65 to 120.

The red peaks jumped violently, exposing the test subjects uncontrollable heartbeat at that moment.

The private room fell eerily silent for one second. Then even harsher whistles erupted.

Holy hell, this polygraph doesnt lie! Theodore, your hearts screaming what you refuse to say out loud.

I told you, didnt I? Jocelyn Reed has been running herself ragged at Theodores side as his fiancee and free nanny for four years, and in the end, she still cant compare to a single photo of Lily Vance!

Theodore did not get angry. Instead, he let out a low laugh.

He casually tore the patches off his body and tossed them onto the coffee table, then turned to look at me, who had been standing quietly in the shadows the whole time.

I was still holding a cup of freshly poured warm water, ready to soothe Theodores throat after he finished drinking.

Not a flicker crossed my face, not even a flutter of my lashesas if the woman being mocked in front of everyone was a stranger, not me.

I knew Theodore hated this dead-water look of mine the most.

He leaned back against the leather sofa, legs crossed, his gaze like he was assessing a useful object. Did you hear that? The machine is honest.

In the most casual tone, he said the cruelest words. Jocelyn Reed, you really have been obedient these past four years, and Im used to having you around to handle everything. But habit is not a heartbeat.

But dont worry. Our wedding is next month. Since I promised to marry you, Ill still give you the position of Mrs. Shaw. After all, I need a sensible wife.

As soon as he said that, the way everyone around us looked at me filled with ridicule and contempt.

I had been publicly labeled as nothing more than an emotionless ornament.

A shameless, pathetic woman who clung to him for the status of his wife. If it were any other woman, she would have slammed the door and left by now.

But I did not.

I walked forward and gently set the cup of warm water, exactly forty degrees, beside Theodores hand. My voice was mild. Your stomach isnt good. Drink less iced wine.

The people in the room looked at one another. Then even louder laughter burst out.

Holy shit, she really is the ultimate ninja turtle.

Theodore, you trained her so well. She wont hit back or talk back no matter what!

Theodore seemed very satisfied with my reaction. He picked up the cup and took a sip. Just as he was about to speak, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

The screen flashed: Lily Vance.

Theodores expression changed instantly.

He shot to his feet. Because he moved too abruptly, he knocked over the cup of water I had just placed on the table.

Warm water splashed all over me, but Theodore did not even glance at me. He answered the call and strode outside.

Lily? You returned to the country? Wait for me at the airport. Im coming right now!

The door to the private room slammed shut with a bang.

To pick up Lily, Theodore left me behind in the private room without a second thought.

The real woman he loved is back. Looks like the good days are over for certain stand-ins.

The crowd mocked me mercilessly as they left.

I pulled out a tissue and unhurriedly wiped the water stains from my clothes.

I did not feel even the slightest bit sad.

I merely lifted my head quietly and looked at the translucent countdown panel in midair, visible only to me.

[System Alert: 30 days until the wedding mission checkpoint.]

Thirty days. I tugged coldly at the corner of my mouth and repeated silently in my heart, If I endure 30 more days, I can take the mission reward and go back to save my Ethan Cole.

Jocelyn Reeds POV

On the first day after Lily Vance returned to the country,

Theodore summoned me with a phone call to a deep-diving club downtown.

The moment I pushed open the door to the private deep-diving area, the damp air rushing toward me made my breathing abruptly seize.

Ahead was an extreme deep-diving pool fifteen meters deep.

My body trembled slightly beyond my control.

I had severe underwater claustrophobia.

Because in my world, the man I loved most, Ethan Cole, had lifted me onto the shore during a flood. He himself had been swept into a whirlpool, and to this day he still lay in the ICU in a vegetative state.

How long are you going to stand there?

Theodores impatient voice cut through my instinctive terror.

I looked up and saw Theodore sitting on a lounge chair by the pool, his arm around the graceful Lily Vance.

The group of rich heirs who had laughed at me in the private room last night were all gathered nearby, ready to watch the show.

Lily nestled against Theodores chest, eyes glistening with feigned tears. She gestured toward the pitch-black pool bottom in a whiny, sugary tone. The custom diamond earrings you gifted me two years ago slipped out of my hand down there. Theyre your very first present to meI cant bear to lose them.

The water pressure at the bottom of the deep-diving pool was enormous. Normally, anyone going down had to wear professional scuba gear.

But Theodore did not call a lifeguard. Instead, he looked straight at me.

Jocelyn Reed, arent you always saying that to marry me, youd be willing to do anything?

Theodore pointed to the bottom of the pool, fifteen meters down. Lilys earrings fell in. Go down without a wetsuit and without an oxygen tank, and retrieve them.

The people around us sucked in a breath.

Holy shit, Theodore is going this far? Diving fifteen meters bare-handed? If she hasnt had professional training, her lungs could burst, right?

This isnt about finding something. This is Theodore laying down the rules for Lily!

I bit hard on my paling lower lip, my nails nearly digging into my palms.

I looked at Theodores arrogant face, my voice a little hoarse. I dont know how to dive.

You dont know how to dive? Lily gave a soft laugh from the side. If Ms. Reed doesnt want to retrieve them, then forget it. After all, theyre only a pair of earrings worth a few million. Its just a shame Theodore told me yesterday that next months wedding is going to be held on an island. If Ms. Reed is even afraid of this little bit of water, Im afraid the wedding cant happen, can it?

She was using the wedding to threaten me.

That was my greatest weakness.

Without the wedding, my mission would fail completely, and Ethan Cole would never wake up.

Theodore looked at my rigid body, and a trace of mockery flashed through his eyes. Exactly. If you cant retrieve them, next months wedding will be postponed indefinitely. In any case, Theodore Shaws wife cannot be a useless woman who isnt even willing to do this tiny thing for me.

In Theodores eyes, I loved him to the bone. As long as he said the word, I would even throw away my life, let alone get into some water.

I looked at the blood-red countdown on the panel and closed my eyes.

Fine. Ill retrieve them.

I did not even take off my coat. I went in wearing my white shirt and suit pants.

Under the shocked, eager-to-watch stares of the crowd, I jumped without hesitation into the fifteen-meter-deep pool.

Splash!

The icy water instantly swallowed me over my head. The violent sensation of weightlessness crushed my chest like madness.

I almost convulsed underwater. My ears screamed with sharp pain from the water pressure.

The air in my lungs was squeezed out bit by bit, and a strong taste of blood rose in my throat.

I could not die. I could not fail.

Ethan Cole was still waiting for me.

Forcing myself to hold on to my last breath, I found the glittering earring at the bottom of the pool.

Splash!

I broke through the surface and grabbed the handrail at the edge, climbing onto shore.

I was in a miserable state. My soaked clothes clung tightly to my body. I shook all over from the cold and coughed violently.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment. Even that group of rich heirs was frightened by my ruthless, life-risking resolve.

With a trembling hand, I held the earring out to Theodore.

Word by word, I asked, The wedding will go on as planned, right?

Theodore looked at my bloodless face, and his expression shifted.

But he quickly suppressed that strange feeling. He took the earring, turned around, and gently put it on Lily.

Of course. After all, youre so obedient.

Theodore did not even hand me a towel. He only cast a cold glance at the water dripping beneath my feet, his brows tightly furrowed, his tone full of disgust.

You made the floor filthy. Go dry your clothes yourself.

After saying that, he wrapped an arm around Lily and, surrounded by the crowd, left the deep-diving area without looking back.

In the empty venue, a cold wind blew through.

I collapsed onto the floor tiles, clutching my arms tightly, my head filling with wave after wave of dizziness so intense it felt like it would split open.

[System Alert: Wedding progress remains unaffected. Countdown: 28 days.]

Listening to the voice in my mind, I pulled a weak smile at the corner of my mouth.

Then my vision went completely black, and I lost consciousness.

Jocelyn Reeds POV

When I woke again, I was already lying in a hospital.

The mild pulmonary edema from deep diving and the high fever caused by near-drowning had drained almost all my strength.

I struggled to open my eyes, only to discover, unexpectedly, that the man sitting beside the bed and reading documents was Theodore.

Hearing the movement, Theodore closed the tablet in his hands. His deep, cold eyes locked onto me.

The pressure in the hospital room was extremely low, as if the air itself had congealed.

Theodore did not ask how I was feeling. He simply spoke in a gloomy voice.

Who is Ethan Cole?

My body stiffened violently, and my heart missed a beat.

The background information the system had forged for me in this world was flawless. Ethan Coles name should never have appeared.

Your fever reached thirty-nine point five degrees Celsius. You were unconscious for a full day and night. Theodore stood up and approached me, carrying an intense sense of pressure. During that entire day and night, you didnt say anything except cry and keep calling Ethan Coles name, telling him not to leave.

Theodores long fingers suddenly gripped my chin, forcing me to lift my head and meet his gaze.

Jocelyn Reed, Theodore Shaws fiancee, crying her heart out in her dreams for another man. Dont you plan to explain?

There was no pity in his eyes for his seriously ill fiancee. Instead, there was a jealousy he himself had not even noticed.

I knew what he was thinking. He believed that for the past four years, my entire heart and world had been filled with him.

How could I, how dare I, think of another mans name when I was at my weakest?

Inside, my heart was in turmoil.

But on the surface, my eyes remained completely calm.

Hes no one important.

My voice was hoarse as I lied without a ripple. When I was in college, I used to take private translation jobs in my spare time. I translated a foreign tragedy novel once. The supporting male character was named Ethan Cole. He drowned in a flood saving the female lead. I was only dreaming.

A dead supporting character in a novel? Theodore narrowed his eyes dangerously, clearly only half believing this answer.

Yes.

I looked at him coldly, and there was even a self-mocking curve at the corner of my mouth. Or did Mr. Shaw think that a woman like me, who will do anything to climb into the Shaw family, could still have some unforgettable one who got away in her heart?

That sentence greatly pleased Theodore.

The hand gripping my chin let go.

Theodore wiped his hand with a disinfectant wet wipe in disgust. Whether that Ethan Cole is someone from a novel or something else, since you want to be Mrs. Shaw, there can only be one person in your mind. Me.

I dont allow my things to be tainted with the slightest trace of anyone else.

Just then, the door to the hospital room was pushed open, and Lily Vance walked in.

She glanced at me lying weakly in the hospital bed.

A trace of unconcealed smugness flashed through her eyes. Then she sweetly hooked her arm through Theodores.

Theodore, why are you still here? Didnt you promise to go with me to choose the bridesmaid dress for the wedding? Lily pouted and acted spoiled. Since Ms. Reed is awake, she probably wont die. Lets go.

I had been hospitalized with a high fever because of him, yet he was going to accompany his first love to pick out a bridesmaid dress.

Fine. Lets go. Theodore did not hesitate in the slightest and clasped Lilys hand in return.

When he reached the doorway, his footsteps paused. Without turning back, he left me with one cold, hard sentence.

Lily is holding a welcome-home banquet next week. As my fiancee, youll be in charge of organizing it.

The door closed.

I looked at the empty hospital room and listened to the sound pulsing from the system panel.

[Countdown: 27 days.]

I slowly closed my eyes. At last, one warm tear slid from the corner of my eye.

It was the first tear I had shed in the four years since I came to this world.

Ethan Cole I silently called to him in my heart. Wait for me another twenty-seven days. After twenty-seven days, I will bring you home.

Jocelyn Reeds POV

As soon as my high fever subsided, I forced myself to return to Theodores villa and began preparing Lilys welcome-home banquet.

Three days later, inside the villas private fitting room,

Lily held a measuring tape and put on an act as she measured around my body.

Im tired of all those haute couture gowns from top luxury brands. This time, I want to personally design a suit for Theodore, and then make myself a matching gown.

Lily smiled sweetly toward Theodore, who was sitting on the sofa not far away and handling documents. Theodore, I just havent been able to find a draping model with the right measurements. Ms. Reeds figure is rather similar to mine. Why not let her be my human fitting mannequin for a few days?

Theodore did not even lift his head. His fingers flew across the laptop keyboard, his tone casual. Do whatever makes you happy. As long as she doesnt make you angry.

I was told to take off my coat and stand ramrod straight on the round platform in the center of the fitting room wearing only a thin, fitted silk blouse.

Lily took a box of straight pins and began draping fabric on me.

Hold perfectly still, Ms. Reed. Fabric draping demands flawless precision. The tiniest shift will ruin every fold Ive laid out.

A malicious light glittered in Lilys eyes.

She drove the dress pin straight through the fabric and my thin silk top, sinking the sharp metal deep into my left shoulder.

Hiss

The pain made me suck in a sharp breath, and my body instinctively shrank back.

Oh my, why is Ms. Reed so delicate?

Lily cried out in surprise. Not only did she fail to pull the pin out, she pressed it in even deeper. I told you not to move. Look, the fabric is crooked now!

For the next full three hours,

Lily deliberately stabbed straight pins into my shoulder, my waist, and my arm again and again.

My legs went numb from standing. Cold sweat poured from my entire body. On my white silk blouse, faint dots of crimson blood had already seeped through, like red plum blossoms blooming one after another.

I bit through my lip and forced myself not to move.

Because the bottom line of the system mission was this: before the wedding, I absolutely could not anger Theodore and cause the wedding to be canceled.

I looked coldly at Theodore on the sofa ahead of me.

He could clearly see the bloodstains on my blouse.

He could clearly hear the breaths I was swallowing back in pain.

But he merely turned a page of his document and spoke flatly.

Bear with it. Lily has an artists temper. Once this gown is finished, for your wedding next month, Ill order you that wedding dress brand you like the most.

Finally, Lily seemed to grow tired of playing and clapped her hands. Thats enough for today.

I stepped down from the platform, ignored the bloody punctures on my body, and began expressionlessly cleaning up the scraps of fabric on the floor.

Lily Vance looked at my lifeless expression and suddenly seemed to lose interest. Then her eyes shifted, and another idea came to her.

Theodore, I remember theres a private kitchen in the southern suburbs whose truffle congee is amazing. I want that.

The southern suburbs were a full forty kilometers from the hillside villa. A round trip would take at least two hours.

If it snowed heavily tonight, the roads would be extremely dangerous.

Theodore frowned. He looked at me, and I knew he thought it was going too far too.

But his need for control still won out.

Jocelyn Reed, Theodore ordered. Go buy it. Lily wants it hot.

I stopped what I was doing. The straight pins still stuck in my shoulder throbbed faintly.

I knew Lily was deliberately making things difficult for me, but I only nodded calmly. Okay.

I picked up the car keys and did not even change out of the bloodstained shirt before walking straight out of the villa.

Watching me leave, Lily leaned smugly into Theodores arms. Theodore, look at her. She really is so obedient. If you told her to go eat snow, she wouldnt even hesitate, would she?

I looked back once. Theodore was not looking at me. He was staring at the darkening sky outside the door, his brows tightly furrowed, as if he felt irritated.

But in the end, he only gave a cold laugh. She went to such lengths to become Mrs. Shaw. Of course she has to pay the price. Shell get used to it.

Two hours later, the wind howled, and the heavy snow arrived right on schedule.

I was driving across an empty suburban overpass when I heard a dull, abnormal sound from the engine.

The car broke down completely, stopping on a stretch of road with nothing in front of me and nothing behind me.

And at that moment, my phone had only 2% battery left.

Jocelyn Reeds POV

The snowstorm outside the car window grew stronger and stronger, the goose-feather flakes nearly blotting out my vision.

Temperatures plummeted to ten below zero Fahrenheit.

I sat in the broken-down car, every breath I exhaled turning into white mist.

The wounds left by the straight pins had already scabbed over, but under the freezing wind pouring in, they turned purple from the cold.

In the upper-right corner of my phone screen, the battery flashed a glaring red 1% warning.

I took a deep breath and called Theodore.

Beep beep

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

What came from the other end was not Theodores voice, but Lilys sweet, flirtatious laugh and the elegant sound of violins in a French restaurant.

Ms. Reed? Did you get the salad? Im really sorry. I suddenly felt that places salad was too bland, so I pestered Theodore into taking me out for French cuisine.

Lilys voice carried unconcealed triumph. Then, faintly, Theodores low voice came through the phone. Who is it? Eat the foie gras first. Itll taste fishy once it gets cold.

My fingers tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.

I had gone to the southern suburbs on this blizzard night to buy salad.

And they were already sitting in a warm, luxurious restaurant, enjoying French cuisine.

Wheres Theodore? My voice was strangely calm, without a trace of resentment. My car broke down on the South Ring Elevated Road. Theres a blizzard outside, and the temperature is too low. I need help.

The other end went quiet for one second. Then Theodore took the phone.

His tone was full of obvious impatience. Jocelyn Reed, if your car broke down, call a tow truck yourself. Im still having dinner with Lily. I dont have time to deal with you.

I cant get through to the towing company. The snow is too heavy. They may not be able to come out. I stated the facts calmly. My phone has almost no battery left. Theodore, can you come pick me up? Or send your driver.

Theodore gave a cold laugh on the other end.

Jocelyn Reed, once is enough for a self-inflicted pity act. The South Ring Elevated Road is thirty kilometers from the restaurant. You want me to abandon Lily and run over there for the sake of your car?

Figure out a way to get yourself back. If you really think its cold, get out and walk back.

Beepbeepbeep

The call was hung up without mercy.

The next second, my phone screen went completely black.

The temperature inside the car had already dropped until it was almost no different from outside.

If I kept sitting in the car, I would definitely freeze to death tonight.

System Alert: Countdown: 24 days. Vital signs are declining. Host, please take self-rescue measures.

I silently glanced at the black phone screen.

Then I made up my mind, pushed open the car door, and stepped onto the elevated road against the raging snowstorm.

The South Ring Elevated Road was more than thirty kilometers long. There were no streetlights and nowhere to take shelter from the wind.

All I had on was that thin shirt and a light trench coat that could not keep out the cold at all.

I took my first shaky step onto the ice-slick pavement, wind slicing across my cheeks like razor blades.

My heels slipped on the ice. I fell countless times, my knees bruised purple, my hands scraped open by the rough ice and snow. Blood mixed with icy water and froze on my fingertips.

I did not know how long I walked. The blisters on the soles of my feet burst and were rubbed raw, then burst again. Every step felt like I was treading on knife points.

But even that could not compare to the despairing pain I had felt when Ethan Coles heart stopped in the emergency room.

For Ethan, I could endure anything.

Four full hours.

When I limped to the gate of the hillside villa, the sky had already begun to lighten.

The villa was brightly lit.

I pushed the door open and walked into the living room with the cold and the scent of blood clinging to me.

Theodore was sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of hot coffee. When he heard the movement, he looked up at me, and his entire body suddenly froze.

He looked at the woman before him, soaked through from head to toe, leaving bloody footprints on the carpet with every step, and his brows drew tightly together. A flash of shock crossed his eyes.

I knew what he was shocked by.

He thought I had said the car broke down to act spoiled. He thought I had said my phone was out of battery as an excuse.

He thought I had taken a taxi back long ago, that I had merely found somewhere to hide outside so he would feel sorry for me.

He had never imagined that I would really walk for four hours through a blizzard.

Are you insane? Theodore abruptly stood up, a trace of panic in his voice that even he did not notice. Jocelyn Reed, did you really walk back the whole way? Didnt you know to find a convenience store and ask for help?!

I stood where I was and did not take a single step closer to him.

My purple, frozen lips curved slightly. My eyes were empty and calm as I looked at him. Theodore, you forgot. There are no convenience stores on the South Ring Elevated Road.

You told me to figure out a way to get myself back. I got myself back. My voice was very soft, yet it struck Theodores heart like a heavy hammer. As long as the wedding happens as scheduled, it doesnt matter even if I die on the road.

Theodores pupils suddenly contracted. He parted his lips, just about to say something.

But a cry of surprise came from the stairs.

Oh my god! Theodore!

Jocelyn Reeds POV

Lily ran down the second-floor stairs wrapped in Theodores robe.

When she saw the state I was in, shock flashed through her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by thick jealousy and malice.

I knew what she was thinking. She would never allow Theodore to feel even the slightest guilt toward me.

Ms. Reed, what happened to you? Didnt Theodore tell you to take a taxi yourself? You didnt have to walk back, did you?

Lily rushed down the stairs hypocritically and reached out to pull my arm. Hurry and take a hot shower. Youre getting the carpet all dirty

The instant Lilys hand touched me, my body instinctively flinched from weakness, and I took half a step back.

That step back did not touch Lily at all.

But Lily seized the moment and let out a shrill scream. Ah!

Her whole body flew like a kite with its string cut, tumbling straight down the last few steps.

Her forehead slammed hard into the marble floor, and crimson blood instantly seeped out.

Lily!

All of Theodores panic and that tiny bit of guilt that had just begun to form vanished in an instant.

He rushed over like a madman and pulled Lily into his arms. Lily, how are you?

Lily leaned weakly in Theodores arms, blood running down from her forehead, making her look all the more pitiful.

Her eyes reddened as she pointed at me, her voice trembling. Theodore I only wanted to take her to shower. Why did she push me? It hurts so much

I stood quietly where I was, watching her clumsy performance.

I did not even have the desire to explain, because I knew Theodores eyes were blind, and his heart was biased.

Sure enough.

After Theodore settled Lily down, he suddenly stood up, strode to me in a few steps, and slammed me hard against the wall.

A sense of suffocation swept over me instantly.

I was already weak to the extreme. Now, with Theodore gripping me like he was holding a chick, I did not even have the strength to resist.

Jocelyn Reed! How did you grow such a vicious heart?

Theodores eyes were bloodshot, his handsome face turning savage with rage.

He stared at me through gritted teeth. When your self-inflicted pity act doesnt work, you start trying to kill people, is that it? What did Lily ever do to you that you would hurt her like this?!

I didnt. I forced the three words out from between my teeth, my voice hoarse beyond recognition.

Youre still arguing!

Theodores grip suddenly tightened. I saw you push her with my own eyes! That scheming mind of yours, willing to do anything to climb up, is absolutely disgusting!

He suddenly released his hand.

I slid to the floor like a piece of torn cloth, coughing violently and gulping down the freezing air. A shocking ring of blue-purple bruises immediately appeared around my neck.

Theodore looked down at me from above, his gaze as cold as ice.

Jocelyn Reed, do you think using such low, dirty methods will let you sit securely in the position of Mrs. Shaw?

Next months wedding is postponed indefinitely! Get out of my house. Without my permission, dont even dream of stepping through the doors of Shaw Group again in this lifetime!

System Warning: A major change has occurred at the wedding mission checkpoint! If the wedding is completely canceled, the mission will be directly judged a failure! Countdown: 23 days.

The piercing alarm echoed wildly in my mind.

I sat collapsed on the icy floor, watching Theodore carry Lily away in long strides.

Postponed indefinitely.

That sentence was the same as sentencing Ethan Cole to death.

My hands clenched the edge of the carpet so hard that my nails even snapped off at the roots, and blood seeped into the carpet.

No. My eyes turned ruthless.

The wedding must happen as scheduled!