Chapter 4

On my way home, I walked in a daze, Vanessa's words echoing relentlessly in my head.

"Only by marrying me can Ethan fully secure his grip on Vance Corporation. A divorce is inevitable. Why drag it out?"

"If you truly love him, I don't mind if he keeps you on the side as his little secret. All I need is the legal status with the Vance family. What he does behind closed doors is his business."

...

It was early fall. People on the street were still wearing light skirts, but I felt frozen to the marrow. My hand instinctively slid into my pocket.

My fingers brushed against the test strip.

Looking at those two bright red lines, I took a deep breath and tried to steady my shattered nerves.

*Chloe, photos can be staged, and conversations can be manipulated. You shouldn't just take Vanessa's word for it.*

*You've been with Ethan for eight years. You at least owe him a chance to explain—and you owe this baby a chance.*

Right then, my phone buzzed. A message popped up on SnapChat from an unknown number:

[If you don't believe me, trust your own eyes. Tonight at 8 PM, The Velvet Lounge, Private Room 909.]

I stared at the screen. Less than two minutes later, the message was unsent.

Calculated.

At 6 PM, right around Vance Corporation's quitting time, Ethan called.

"Babe, I have to pull an all-nighter at the office tonight. The tech department is rolling out a major update, and we need to run stress tests until morning."

I hadn't gone home. I was sitting inside a convenience store directly across from the corporate tower.

Through the window, I watched Ethan slide into the backseat of a town car heading straight toward The Velvet Lounge.

"You're not even in tech. Do you really have to stay? I want you to come home early. I have something important to tell you."

Ethan sighed. "What is it? Can't you just tell me over the phone?"

"I want to tell you in person. It's really important!"

Ethan replied impatiently, "Let's do it tomorrow. This rollout is critical; our entire second-half revenue depends on it."

I blinked back the stinging tears. "Just tonight. I just want you home with me tonight. Please?"

In eight years of dating and marriage, this was the very first time I had ever pleaded with him so stubbornly.

Ethan was clearly annoyed. "What is wrong with you, Chloe? I don't expect you to understand the pressure I'm under, but the least you can do is not hold me back."

He hung up before I could reply.

The tears finally broke through, streaming down my cheeks.

After composing myself, I pulled up a contact saved deep in my phone and hit dial.

"What you proposed last time... I accept."