Chapter 1

Four years into our marriage, my husband’s mistress deliberately pushed me off the balcony.

I begged her to save my baby.

Instead, she buried her face in my husband’s chest, sobbing like a terrified victim.

And my husband held her, whispering gentle words of comfort.

Neither of them spared a glance for me, lying in a pool of my own blood on the cold ground, slipping in and out of consciousness.

That day, I lost my child. And I lost the man who, it turned out, had never loved me at all.

Years later, I held another man’s arm, smiling radiant as I announced my remarriage to the world.

My ex-husband stood in the shadows, tears streaming down his face:

"Elena... I hope you find happiness."

The sharp, sterile smell of hospital disinfectant stung my nostrils.

I instinctively reached down to touch my stomach. It was flat now, stripped of the gentle curve it once had.

Tears, hot and laced with bloodshot exhaustion, rolled down my cheeks. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as despair suffocated every inch of the room.

Julian Vance walked in just as I was falling apart.

Whatever words of comfort he had prepared caught in his throat. In the end, all he could offer was a dry, hollow sentence:

"Take care of yourself. We can always have another baby."

I shut my eyes, refusing to look at him. I was terrified that if I did, I would lunge forward and tear him apart.

The air froze between us for an eternity before Julian spoke again, his voice low:

"Hailey went too far. I will speak to her."

See? He always knew how to twist the knife with the most casual words.

My best friend, Mia, had made a scene while I was unconscious. When she learned the baby couldn't be saved due to prolonged oxygen deprivation, she flew into a rage, clawed Hailey’s face, and swore to end her acting career.

Even under those circumstances, Julian had stepped in to shield Hailey with everything he had.

The memory snapped something inside me. Ignoring the throbbing agony in my abdomen, I threw off the blanket, lunged forward, and slapped him across the face.

"Get out! Get the hell out of here! I never want to see you again!"

"Julian, who the hell do you think you are? You cheated on me during my pregnancy, and I swallowed it. But Hailey—she knew I was almost due! She knew the balcony railing was right behind me! And she still pushed me!"

"When she threw herself into your arms crying for comfort, did you feel like a hero? Did you feel grand and noble, playing protector to such a delicate little thing?"

"I was covered in blood, bleeding out on the garden lawn, screaming for help! And I saw the two of you playing lovers clear as day!"

"That was your child, Julian! You killed our baby!"

"And I killed him too... for staying with you..."

My voice broke into violent, shuddering sobs. My hands flailed against him, striking his chest over and over—the only way I could bleed out the poison festering in my heart.

Julian didn't say a word. He stood there, silently taking every blow.

It was my mother-in-law, Eleanor, who rushed in with the doctors to hold me back.

Julian’s usual cold, immaculate composure was gone. His cheek was swollen red, marked with stinging scratches that oozed thin lines of blood.

Eleanor let out a shaky sigh. Her eyes were red, brimming with tears as she took my trembling hands.

"Elena, sweetheart, you can't put yourself through this right now. Please, calm down. We will make this right. I promise you."

I closed my eyes, turned away, and pulled the covers over my head. I couldn't bear to face reality. But the tears wouldn't stop soaking into the pillow.

I was so exhausted.

How did we become this, Julian?