Chapter 5

Adrian's words cut into my heart like a dull knife.

"The Whitmore family has invested heavily in my startup company over the past few years.I'm tied to her family in too many ways.I have to marry her.But Lenara,I'll take care of you and the baby."

"If you feel guilty staying here with Claire,I'll buy you a house in Eastvale.You can live there with the baby,and I'll visit you both often."

"Adrian,you're so selfish!"

Even as Lenara said that,she didn't push him away.Instead,she buried her face against his chest.

Adrian held her even tighter.

I stood outside the door,my stomach twisting violently.

I clamped a hand over my mouth,refusing to make a sound,and stumbled back to the master bedroom.

The moment I closed the door,my legs gave out.I slid down against the cold door and collapsed onto the floor.

Despair slowly took over me until I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Suddenly,everything made sense.

Adrian had publicly called Lenara his girlfriend the day I returned home.At the restaurant,he had said she couldn't eat the crab because she was pregnant.

When Lenara's father died,Adrian had shielded her with his own body.

And then there was the sleeping pill he'd put in my milk...

I finally understood.A man could keep telling you that he loved you and wanted to marry you while secretly letting another woman carry his child.

And the two people who had betrayed me were the man who had protected me since childhood and the best friend I'd known for ten years.

A wave of nausea suddenly rose in my stomach,and I threw up everything I'd eaten.

I didn't sleep at all that night.

As dawn approached,I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes.

Even if the two of them had become thorns buried deep in my heart,I had to pull them out one by one.I knew it would hurt.I knew I would bleed.But I would endure the pain and remove every last one.

I picked up my phone and sent a message to my father.

[Dad,Mom,you don't need to rush home for my wedding anymore.Adrian cheated on me.]

[Please withdraw our family's investment from Adrian's company.]

At eight that morning,I walked out of the room and found Adrian in the kitchen,making soup.

When he saw me,he gave me a warm smile.

"The sun's already up,and you're still sleeping.I made you some chicken and rice soup."

A sudden ache filled my chest.

Lenara was the one who loved chicken and rice soup.Not me.

Even though Adrian loved me,he had never once gone into the kitchen to make me a bowl of soup.

So today's soup was for her.

"I have something to do.I'm not eating."

I left quickly without looking back.

The cold wind hit my face,and I could no longer hold back my tears.

The private investigator was very efficient.In just one morning,he had finished the investigation and sent me all the evidence and videos.

I finally learned the truth.

In the second month after I went abroad,Adrian had been drugged and slept with Lenara.

From then on,Adrian became addicted to being with Lenara.They spent night after night together,in hotel rooms,cars,bathtubs,hot springs,and even...

There were even a few times when I was on a video call with Adrian,while Lenara was lying in the bed we were supposed to share after our wedding.

As I watched the videos and hotel records on my phone,a cold pain spread from my heart through my entire body.My fingertips went numb from the shock.

Over the next few days,Adrian stayed busy planning our wedding.

Sometimes,when I watched him working so seriously,I almost felt like he had never been with Lenara at all.

Adrian personally arranged every detail of the wedding.He chose the finest classic-style estate,a 6.5-carat pink diamond,and a custom-made classic wedding dress.

Almost everyone envied our childhood-sweetheart love story.

On the day I tried on my wedding dress,Lenara looked at me in the mirror.Her eyes were red.

"Claire,I want you to be happy more than anyone."

She was three months pregnant,and her belly was already starting to show.She wore loose clothes to hide it.

I stared at her beautiful face and slowly spoke,"Are you in love with Adrian?"