Chapter 3

Earlier today, when Grandpa Arthur handed me this will, my baby boy was giggling in his arms.

The old man was so thrilled that he added another two hundred million dollars to my inheritance on the spot.

"Ethan married a wonderful wife and got a beautiful son."

"Rowan, he's been completely devoted to you for three years and hasn't let you suffer a single grievance. I'm transferring this will to you. I'm sure even when he finds out, he won't be angry."

"Your parents have a harmonious marriage, and you are an only child. A child raised in such a stable family is bound to have a great character and capability."

"Most importantly, you were willing to sacrifice your own career in London for Ethan."

"My health is failing fast. I can rest easy knowing the Vance family's future is in your hands."

I wiped the corners of my mouth, erasing the tears from my face.

See? Sometimes, playing the part of a perfect family has its perks.

At least my father's facade of a "harmonious marriage" did me a favor.

No matter what, I would never let my child grow up the way I did—trapped in a marriage that looked perfect on the outside but was slowly rotting from within.

My sole purpose in gaining power was to ensure my child would never follow in my footsteps.

Just as I tucked the will away, Ethan returned from the family mansion.

Smelling the faint, unpleasant scent of vomit in the room, he didn't show an ounce of disgust.

Instead, he rushed over anxiously, touching my forehead to check my temperature while calling his best friend, Caleb, who was a doctor.

"Why did you throw up? Let me see."

Thinking about how this exact hand had been sliding all over Delilah's body last night, I instinctively frowned and stepped back.

Startled by the disgust in my eyes, Ethan froze for a fraction of a second.

But he quickly recovered his gentle mask. "What's wrong, honey? Did you push yourself too hard today? You look so pale."

Because I valued my appearance, even when I gained weight and broke out during pregnancy, he never used words like "ugly" or "out of shape."

I looked at this familiar yet utterly foreign face.

A sharp, annoying ache flared in my chest.

Actions speak louder than words.

Ethan's care and pampering had indeed made my pregnancy very comfortable.

Even if it was an act, I had genuinely enjoyed it.

If I hadn't genuinely fallen in love with him, perhaps I would have been willing to play along with him forever.

But I was not my mother.

I could not tolerate betrayal.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted. It's all your fault."

Ethan scooped me up in his arms. "I'll clean this up. Go back to bed and rest."

Who would have thought that the arrogant young heir of the Vance family, who had never lifted a finger in his life, would wash my delicate clothes, cook for me, and even hold a trash can while I threw up during pregnancy?

If this wasn't love, what was?

"Delilah will be here in a bit to help you sleep. This is a critical time for your postpartum recovery, so I'm planning to have her stay with us for a while."

"With her around, I'll feel more at peace."

My heart was instantly doused in freezing water.

So, he wanted her to move in just to seek cheap thrills under my nose.

Yet, he still had the audacity to frame it as if he were doing it all for my own good.

"Sure."

Since he wanted to play, I didn't mind gathering more evidence.

When Delilah pushed the door open to enter, Ethan was right beside her.

She handed me a glass of warm milk and smiled at Ethan.

"Rowan, Ethan is so sweet to you. He even added honey to your milk himself."

"Ethan, I heard you two have been married for three years. Do you have any secrets to share on how to keep the spark alive?"

Ethan's eyes softened with a complex gaze.

"Guilt."

"Every time I look at her, I remember that she could have been living a glamorous life studying in London. Instead, she chose to stay with me, managing complicated social circles and keeping our business running flawlessly even while heavily pregnant."

"True love is always feeling like you owe your partner. I guess that's my secret to keeping a marriage alive."

Delilah watched him, her eyes practically sparkling with admiration.

A young, worshipping look like that—no man could resist it.

I smiled and let out a fake yawn.

Once I pretended to fall asleep under Delilah's guidance, the two of them immediately started kissing right in front of me.

Delilah whispered breathlessly, "What you said just now was so beautiful, Ethan. I was almost moved to tears."

"I just wonder... if Rowan knew that all those sweet words you say to her were actually suggested by me, would she die of a broken heart?"

Ethan suddenly grabbed her neck, warning her in a harsh, quiet voice:

"Watch your mouth. If Rowan ever finds out, I will make your life a living hell."

Delilah wasn't scared at all. She smirked. "A living hell... or heaven in your bed?"

With just one sentence, Ethan's anger vanished.

"You little temptress..."

He eagerly picked her up and carried her out of the room.

I opened my eyes and spat the milk into a tissue.

I opened my phone, went to the security app, watched their wild tryst, and took screenshot after screenshot.