Chapter 3

A flicker of regret crossed Chloe's face.

"It was an accident. Such a tragedy. That poor woman never got to enjoy the life he could have given her."

A few more colleagues arrived.

Chloe's face lit up with that same radiant smile as she greeted them.

She didn't notice the storm raging across my expression.

The women crowded around her, gushing with envy.

Everyone marveled at how lucky she was—landing a rich, devoted husband who adored her.

Just then, Chloe's phone buzzed with a video call.

It was Christian.

Everyone urged her to pick up.

Chloe blushed and giggled, declining the call.

"I want to wait until the ceremony—when he puts the ring on my finger. I want that to be the first moment he sees me like this."

The women squealed in delight.

"Chloe's saving the big reveal for the ceremony! She wants to surprise him!"

Chloe bit her lip, smiling shyly. "I'll let you in on a secret. Christian's first marriage didn't have a wedding."

"No wedding photos. He never even got to see the woman he married in a wedding dress."

"So today, I want to make this unforgettable for him. I want him to be happy."

She wasn't wrong.

Fifteen years ago, when Christian and I got married, he was broke.

We had nothing. It was the definition of a no-frills wedding.

He proposed with a ring from a 25-cent gumball machine.

I used every cent I had to support his startup.

Three months ago, our son suggested that Christian and I get wedding photos taken as a keepsake.

Christian just laughed it off casually. "We're an old married couple. What's the point?"

Then he added, "Maybe we should just take a family portrait instead."

I felt a small pang of disappointment back then, but I didn't make a big deal out of it.

I'd always believed that as long as our family was safe, happy, and together, nothing else mattered.

He had completely forgotten the promise he made on our wedding day, when we were living in that cramped, $200-a-month basement apartment.

He had tears in his eyes when he swore to me:

"Babe, when I make it big, I'm going to give you everything. A real wedding.An engagement ring. Everything you deserve."

But when he finally had everything, what he gave me instead was soul-crushing betrayal.

Someone gasped in shock.

"Wait—he didn't even have a wedding with his dead wife?"

"He said he never loved her. He didn't want to marry her in the first place. His parents forced him into it."

Chloe said this as casually as if she were talking about the weather.

"He told me that when she died, he finally felt free. Like a weight had been lifted."

"He said the sky finally felt bright again."

My heart was being shredded, piece by piece.

I never imagined Christian would humiliate and degrade our love like this in front of his mistress.

He was the one who proposed to me twenty times before I finally said yes.

I kept my face neutral. Emotionless.

Chloe kept talking, then suddenly covered her mouth and gagged.

It looked exactly like morning sickness.

I asked, "Are you pregnant?"

Her eyes sparkled with joy as she nodded.

"Yes. You have such a sharp eye, Eleanor. I just found out. I'm two months along."

The women swarmed her again, showering her with congratulations.

They cooed about how her baby would be the heir to a fortune.

Chloe didn't shy away from the topic.

"Christian already transferred all his assets into my name and the baby's."

"I just started this job, and then I found out I was pregnant. He told me to quit immediately."

"He wants me and the baby to move overseas. He says he wants to give us the best life possible."

More envious squeals erupted.

Meanwhile, my spine turned to ice.

Her child was the heir?

Then what the hell was my son?

My ten-year-old boy—who risked his life at age eight to save Christian from a fire.