Chapter 2

"What do you mean, my husband is already legally married?"

"We've been married for five years. We just... haven't finalized the legal paperwork yet. You must have made a mistake."

I looked at the insurance clerk standing in my living room, her face solemn. I was still desperately trying to convince myself this was a ridiculous error.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Carter—or rather, Ms. Sterling. We checked the public registry for your joint spousal policy. Mr. Ethan Carter is legally married to a woman named Serena Miller. Do you know her?"

The polite smile on my face instantly froze.

How could I not know that name?

Serena Miller was the girl Ethan could never get over.

Years ago, Serena left the country to pursue her dreams in Europe. Under pressure from Ethan's mother, they were forced to break up.

That was how I got the chance to stand by Ethan's side.

I knew Serena had returned to New York a few weeks ago, but I hadn't thought much of it.

On the day she landed, Ethan had confessed to me.

"Vivian, I failed Serena back then. It was because of my family that she ended up marrying a toxic guy abroad and got abused. Now she's back, and I just want to help her out, like family. Please don't overthink it."

At the time, I was touched by his honesty. I generously told him I didn't mind.

But the moment the clerk left my house, I lost my mind. I grabbed my car keys and drove straight to the Carter Group headquarters.

I needed to hear the truth.

The employees all recognized me, so I walked straight to the executive floor without any interruption.

Just as I reached the door of Ethan's private office, I heard voices coming from inside.

"Ethan, what the hell are you playing at?" It was his best friend, Marcus. "Five years ago, you threw a multi-million dollar commitment ceremony with Vivian but refused to sign the marriage license, claiming you needed a baby first. And now, you secretly went to City Hall and married Serena?"

There was a long silence before Ethan's cold, smooth voice echoed through the door.

"I'm never having a baby with Vivian, Marcus. And I'm definitely not signing a marriage license with her. I had a vasectomy years ago."

"For five years, I've been waiting for Serena to come back."

"Everyone knows Vivian is my wife. I've given her the lifestyle, the title of Mrs. Carter. But the only thing I can give Serena is this piece of paper. It's what I owe her."

Hearing those words, my chest tightened so hard it felt like my heart was being ripped out. I couldn't even breathe.

So, it was all a setup from the very beginning.

Five years ago, right after Serena left, Ethan came to me and proposed.

He said we could have a lavish wedding, but we couldn't register the marriage license yet.

He claimed the Carter family had a strict rule: an heir must be born before the wife is legally registered into the family lineage.

Ethan knew how madly in love with him I was. He knew I wouldn't say no.

On our wedding day, I thought I was the happiest woman alive.

I wore a custom white gown, standing next to the man I had adored for years.

In the five years that followed, I never got pregnant.

But I didn't think it mattered because to the rest of the world, I was the undisputed Mrs. Carter.

Still, I wanted to make it official.

For five years, I went to countless fertility clinics. I endured endless rounds of IVF, took heavy hormone pills, and stabbed my stomach with painful needles every single day, vomiting until I was empty. But nothing worked.

I thought my body was broken. I blamed myself constantly, remembering how fragile my health was as a child.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Ethan had gotten a vasectomy before we even stood at the altar.

No matter how many needles I took, no matter how much pain I endured, it was all a joke.

"Ethan, you're playing with fire here," Marcus warned.

"I'm not," Ethan replied with absolute confidence. "Even if Vivian finds out, I'll just buy her some jewelry and sweet-talk her. She's too obsessed with me to leave. Besides, she already has the title she wants."

My hands shook violently outside the door.

But what Ethan didn't know was that five years ago, his mother made me sign an agreement.

If I couldn't produce an heir within five years, I had to pack my bags and walk away.

And there were only three days left.