Divorce?

Aaron visibly froze. His eyes flickered-just for a split second-but he quickly masked it with his usual calm.

"That's not a word you should throw around lightly."

He thought she was just being emotional, saying something she didn't really mean. He reached out, trying to touch her cheek.

"DON'T touch me."

Emily leaned back against the headboard, jerking her head away from his hand. Her gaze locked onto the bed sheets.

Yeah... in the past three years, they'd barely fought. A few small arguments here and there, but he'd always been the first to make peace. She never imagined it would spiral to something like this-divorce.

Was it her?

Was she overreacting? Saying something that serious over just one incident?

But the truth was-

The moment the word left her lips, it was like a massive weight lifted off her chest. For the first time that night, she could actually breathe.

Aaron's fingers slowly curled into a fist, then dropped to his side. Emily didn't even look at him. The tension between them thickened.

After a long silence, he sighed-tired, maybe even a little helpless.

"Yeah... I didn't tell you Amelia was back. She came to talk to me about letting our company use her designs. I haven't agreed to anything yet. If you're not okay with it, I... I can turn her down."

Emily's expression didn't budge. She just sat there, her face like stone.

Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again-his voice quieter now, a little rough around the edges.

"She got married years ago. Whatever you're worried about... it's not happening."

Emily's long lashes quivered.

WHAT KIND of a married woman sits in another man's lap like that?

But that wasn't the point anymore. Amelia wouldn't have dared if Aaron hadn't let her. And the look in Amelia's eyes-like she was staring down an enemy-that wasn't innocent.

"So what-her relationship falling apart, and she suddenly remembers you exist?"

The words hit Aaron like a punch to the chest. His head snapped up, eyes sharpening instantly.

Gotcha.

Emily saw it in his face-his parted lips, that flash of guilt. She pieced it together.

He'd loved Amelia before, hadn't he? Loved and lost. She married someone else, broke his heart-

And then one day, he met someone who looked just like Amelia.

So he projected all that unfinished love onto the lookalike.

Her.

Three years of marriage... and she'd been nothing but a stand-in.

What he called "love" was just a reflection. A shadow. It was never truly for her.

Even now, Emily felt it-Aaron didn't want to let her go, not because of love, but because he wasn't ready to lose the illusion.

"YOU're being ridiculous," he snapped, all softness gone. "She's married. Don't INSULT her like that."

So that was it.

He had meetings all day, skipped out on a social event just to come home and explain-and this was how she reacted?

What more did she want?

Emily looked at him calmly now, the light completely gone from her eyes, "I know you too well, Aaron. That's why this hurts so much."

Aaron was known for his cold, distant nature. Not many could get close to him. Even before they got married-especially after-they never had scandal, never had drama. He never flirted, never let other women near. He carried himself with discipline.

She used to think it was loyalty.

But after today-catching him like that with Amelia-it shattered everything she believed in.

And the more she thought about it, the more she realized-Without his permission, Amelia would've never dared sit in his lap.

This wasn't just on Amelia. That kind of intimacy only happens when two people allow it.

Now he was back, trying to explain-But all he really cared about was protecting Amelia's image. Making sure no one thought anything scandalous about a married woman?

Aaron's face darkened. He shot up from the bed.

"If you really knew me," he said coldly, "you'd know I don't do divorce."

He stood over her, voice commanding, like a final verdict.

Even now, all he wanted was control.

No room for questions.

No space for her voice.

He just wanted her to accept it all.

Emily felt her heart sink, deeper and deeper.

Of course.

If he divorced her right after Amelia showed up, what would people say? To the outside world, he still needed her-his wife,his perfect little cover.

A thousand thoughts raced through Emily's mind.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her. The room spun wildly around her, and she pressed her fingertips hard against her temples, trying to steady herself-Probably because she hadn't eaten all day.

Her body gave out. She slumped back against the pillows, completely drained.

Aaron glanced at her, "You're probably starving-low blood sugar," he said flatly.

Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room. He flung the door open and called downstairs, "Mia, bring the food up!"

Emily's face had gone completely pale. She didn't have the strength to say another word to him. She just shut her eyes.

She heard the door open and close again. Then, gradually, the scent of something creamy and warm filled the air-food.

"Eat."

Emily opened her eyes slowly. A tray of food had been set down in front of her, with a small table popped open across her legs so she could eat comfortably. Aaron handed her a fork.

She stared at the plate-creamy mushroom pasta-and frowned. After a few seconds of mental tug-of-war, she forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat, reached out, and took the fork.

She twirled a bit of the pasta halfheartedly.

Aaron didn't leave. He stood right beside the bed, watching her.

One bite. Then another.

Emily forced herself to eat, not for him-but for the baby. Even though the smell of cream had been making her nauseous lately, she managed to get a few bites down.

But after the third, she just couldn't do it anymore.She put the fork down and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

"That's all?" Aaron asked, sighing, "No matter how mad you are at me, don't take it out on your body."

The food helped a little, but Emily's voice was still soft and tired, "I'm not."

There was barely a dent in the portion-just one corner of the plate missing. Aaron stared at it for a moment, then let out a breath like he was dealing with something helpless.

He walked back to her side, sat down, picked up the fork, and gently spun it through the pasta, twisting up a bite-sized portion.

Emily watched his movements, momentarily dazed.

If she hadn't gone to his office today...If she hadn't seen it herself...Would things still feel normal?

Would he have made a good dad?

"Come on, one more bite."

She looked at him, "I really can't."

He didn't stop, "You need to take care of yourself. Tomorrow, we'll go see your grandma at the hospital."

The words themselves were tender-but the way he said them? Cold. Mechanical.

Emily blinked, stunned. His words echoed in her mind.

"...Are you threatening me?"

She turned her head away, rejecting the bite he held out.

"Eat first," he said again, unmoved.

Emily bit down on her lip so hard it almost broke skin. He didn't even deny it.

That little softness she'd felt just moments ago-Gone. Evaporated.

She shoved his hand away. The fork-and the pasta tangled around it-went flying. It hit the floor with a harsh clatter, the metal echoing against the silence that followed.

The room went dead quiet.

Back when Emily had just graduated, she landed a job at Aaron's fashion brand. As a junior employee, there was no reason she'd ever cross paths with the CEO-

But six months in, at a company anniversary party, she accidentally ran straight into him... and spilled a glass of red wine all over his suit.

Emily was fresh out of school and nearly scared to death. If he asked her to pay for it, there was no way her tiny paycheck could cover the cost of that custom, high-end suit.

But Aaron didn't get mad.

He just asked her to leave her contact info-clearly just an excuse. When he did reach out later, he never mentioned compensation. Instead, he started asking her out to dinner, taught her how to play golf, and even took her out on his yacht.

What did she know back then? Only that a successful, good-looking man-five years older, charming and mature-was showing interest in her. Her heart didn't stand a chance.

Later, when her grandma suddenly fell critically ill and needed emergency heart surgery, Aaron didn't hesitate. He had her transferred to the best suite at a private hospital and flew in one of the top specialists from overseas.

That same year, she said yes to his proposal. She stopped wondering if she was "good enough" for him. When a man does that much for you... what's left to question?

She was completely swept away by LOVE.

And with her grandma needing long-term care-which Aaron took full responsibility for-

she willingly let herself become his porcelain doll.

But that dream? It shattered yesterday.

If she wasn't someone's replacement, maybe she could've kept lying to herself. Maybe she could've kept living in the fantasy.

Looking back over the past month, Aaron had been coming home late way more than usual. He told her he was busy launching a new fashion line at work, and she hadn't doubted him.

But now that she thought about it...Amelia probably came back a month ago. She just didn't find out until yesterday.

So stupid.

After their fight, Aaron had slammed the door and stormed out. He didn't return to their room all night. The maid had told her that morning he'd slept in the study.

"You don't need to tell me next time," Emily said coldly.

Mia blinked, caught off guard, but nodded. "Okay."

Emily looked down at the breakfast on the table. She was starving-stomach practically eating itself-but she couldn't bring herself to pick up the fork.

"Oh, and going forward... keep it low-oil. And no cream-based stuff."

"Ma'am, are you not feeling well?"

Emily lowered her gaze, "Just some stomach issues. No need to tell him."

Of course, chances were it'd reach Aaron before noon. He had a grip on everything. Big or small, nothing in the house escaped his control.

Was that called being attentive... or just obsessive?

But with changes in her body...he hadn't noticed a thing.

She finished the fresh avocado toast Mia had brought over. The maid took her plate but left the usual glass of milk behind.

That glass of milk had become one of Aaron's habits of control too. He always said it was for her health. 

Back when he was still home in the mornings, he'd sit and watch her drink it. But ever since his schedule changed, the job fell to the maid-who now had to gently encourage her to drink it instead.

Emily didn't hate milk...But somewhere along the way, it started tasting bitter. Maybe it was the pregnancy-Not just cream, but anything dairy made her queasy now.

Still, she didn't want to make things difficult for Mia.

"I'll take it upstairs."

Mia looked like she wanted to say something. After all, Mr. Lopez had personally instructed her to crush up a vitamin B tablet every morning and mix it into the milk-saying it was for stress and fatigue.

And if he wasn't around, it was her job to make sure his wife drank it. That rule had been in place since Mia first started working here.

But if Mrs. Lopez said she'd drink it in her room, there was no room to argue. She'd been doing it this way for weeks now, and nothing had happened.

Later, just like always, Mia would go up to collect the empty glass from her room.

Emily carried the glass of milk upstairs, poured it down the sink, then set the empty cup aside. 

She changed her clothes, and when she glanced up at the mirror, she noticed her face looked a little sunken. She ran her fingers through her hair-the same brown shade that resembled Amelia's-and felt a wave of disgust.

Too bad she couldn't dye it. In the first trimester of pregnancy, it's best to avoid hair dye-hormones make the skin more sensitive. She could only endure it for now.

She put on a long-sleeved dress. It was still a bit chilly in February, so she threw on a coat. After slipping into flat shoes, she stepped outside-only to be stopped by security at the gate.

"SORRY, ma'am. Mr. Lopez said you can't leave the house without his permission."

Emily didn't even bother to lift her eyes. She kept walking.

"Please, ma'am," one of the guards said, clearly uneasy, "don't make this harder on us."

She let out a cold scoff. "What, I need approval now just to visit my grandma?"

The guards looked awkward but stayed silent.

"FINE, you want his permission? I'll call him right now." She pulled out her phone and dialed.

Unlike yesterday, the call connected quickly.

"Em? What's going on?"

The background was quiet. His voice echoed slightly-it sounded like he was in a meeting. Still, he picked up. And this time, his tone wasn't as stiff as yesterday.

"I'm going to see my grandmother. Tell your people to let me out." Emily wasn't in the mood to circle around the point-she said it straight.

There was a beat of silence. Then she heard the scrape of a chair, the sound of a door opening, then closing.

"I said I'd go with you, but I'm tied up today. Tomorrow-"

"AARON." She cut him off, voice rising. "Is it really that hard to just let me leave the house? You seriously want to control even where I go now?"

"Em, I don't want to argue with you." His voice was tight, like he was holding back frustration.

"Great. Neither do I. So just one thing-let me leave."

"NOT today."

The second the words left his mouth, Emily hung up.

Absolutely absurd. 

He just wanted to keep her like some caged canary, locked away from the world.

This wasn't a life-it was a prison. They weren't even speaking like people anymore. Just anger. Just control.

Emily walked back into the house, her hand drifting instinctively to her belly. She couldn't just think about herself anymore-she had someone else to protect now.

Pulling out her phone, she typed a message to Aaron:

"Come home earlier tonight. There's something important I need to tell you."

At 6:30, she heard the front door open. Aaron stepped in, draping his coat over his arm. He showed up earlier than she expected.

Emily was already seated on the couch, waiting for him.

Even though he was still pissed about being hung up on earlier, he honored her message and came back sooner than usual. 

He walked over, long strides steady, and sat down beside her.

"What did you want to tell me?" he asked.

SUDDENLY, she felt nervous. 

She'd meant to tell him yesterday. But after everything-the way they spoke to each other, the way they fought-whatever joy she once had about this news was long gone.

Still, she'd thought it through.

No matter what happens between them-whether they stay together or not-he's still the baby's father. He deserves to know.

And maybe, just maybe, if he found out... he'd loosen his grip on her a little.

Emily clutched the fabric of her dress, licked her dry lips, and looked up at him.

"I'M PREGNANT."

Her heart pounded in her chest. She stared into his eyes, watched his pupils widen-just a fraction-then shrink right back down. Like nothing happened. Like it meant nothing.

Then, suddenly, his lips curved.

A quiet laugh followed.

"That's NOT possible."

Not possible?

Emily felt the blood in her veins freeze. It was like being dropped into a snowstorm-her ears went numb, her mind blanked out. Nothing registered.

She stared at him in disbelief. WHY was he so sure?

Sure, her health had always been fragile, but that didn't mean she couldn't get pregnant. They'd been sleeping together regularly, and since they'd both agreed to try for a baby, they hadn't used protection...

For a second, she questioned her own memory. But she had just seen the doctor yesterday.

There was no way she could be wrong.

Then his hand gently covered hers, resting on her skirt. His voice still carried that soft, almost teasing tone.

"I know you're trying to fix things, but you don't have to pull something like this just to get my attention."

Pull something like this?

To get his attention?

Emily felt like her whole world cracked open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

She had thought about their three years of marriage. Thought carefully before deciding to tell him about the baby-because she didn't want to make this choice alone.

But this... this was what she got in return?

Aaron seemed to notice her blank expression, finally realizing she wasn't playing coy. His smile faded a bit as he shifted his tone to something more "concerned."

"WHAT'S WRONG? Are you not feeling well? Maybe that's why you're thinking like this?"

Emily couldn't even process it. She shook her head instinctively.

"Didn't your period just end, like, a week ago? Even if you were pregnant, there's no way you'd be feeling anything this soon."

Aaron reached out and ruffled her hair like he always did, like she was just his clueless little wife making silly mistakes.

Her dull, lifeless eyes stared straight at him.

That was the kind of husband he was-attentive to a fault. He even remembered her cycle. But this time, he got it wrong.

Her period hadn't come.

She was usually like clockwork. That's why she'd tested so early. Just to be sure, she'd even waited a few extra days before going to the doctor-she hadn't wanted to cause a fuss if it turned out to be nothing.

Maybe he mixed up the dates because he'd been out so much lately. Or... maybe there was another reason. Emily felt her breath catch in her throat. She didn't want to keep thinking.

Right then, she had the urge to pull out the report and slap it in front of him. Prove to him that he was the one who was wrong.

But something inside her held her back. Some instinct stopped her.

Aaron noticed how long she'd gone silent, saw how hollow her expression had become. His brows furrowed.

"Should I go with you to the hospital tomorrow? Just to make sure?"

"NO NEED." Her voice was drained, flat. 

His touch suddenly made her feel sick. She turned her head away from his hand.

His arm hovered awkwardly in the air before he pulled it back and rested it on his thigh, his face twitching for a second before going blank again.

Emily took a quiet breath, staring at her nails, trying to pull herself back together.

"You promised to go with me to visit my grandma tomorrow."

Aaron looked up, like he'd forgotten. After a beat, he nodded, "Right. I'll come back at lunch and we'll go together, okay?"

"No," she cut in, voice hard.

The tension in the room thickened instantly.

Catching the shift in his mood, she added casually, "You're busy. No point running back and forth. I'll just meet you at the hospital."

That seemed to calm him a little.

"Alright. Whatever you want."

Trying to smooth things over, he reached out again, lacing his fingers with hers, "It's been a while since we had dinner together. Come on, let's eat."

Something about his touch made her skin crawl. Emily bit the inside of her cheek and pushed down the wave of revulsion. She let him lead her to the dining room.

She just wanted to see her grandma-soon.

Maybe to avoid repeating the awkwardness from earlier, Aaron didn't say anything about how little she ate. After dinner, she excused herself, saying she felt dizzy, and headed back to the bedroom.

Before he could come upstairs, Emily pulled the medical report from her purse and tucked it deep into the bottom of her lingerie drawer.

After her shower, she lay in bed, pretending to sleep, leaving only one small lamp on. She heard Aaron's quiet footsteps enter the room.

He came to her side, close enough that she could feel his breath. Then he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair off her face. 

After a moment, when he seemed convinced she was really asleep, he turned and walked to the closet.

The walk-in closet had been designed with an entrance on her side of the room, for convenience.

Even the softest sound carried-and Emily heard it clearly.

Aaron was going through her purse.

A minute passed, the noise stopped. Then came his footsteps again. He paused at her bedside for a moment... before finally leaving the room.

Emily had planted the seed of doubt the moment he reacted the way he did downstairs. That's when she decided to keep the pregnancy to herself-for now.

She knew Aaron.

Even if he said he didn't believe her, someone as suspicious as him wouldn't just let it go. He'd definitely try to find proof.

But she'd already moved the report. He wouldn't find anything.

Still...What about in another month?

The next day at noon, when she headed out again, the bodyguards didn't stop her this time. One of them followed her car as it pulled away, trailing behind as they made their way to the hospital.

Traffic was light, and they arrived ten minutes earlier than expected. Her grandma had been placed in a private room in this hospital, receiving top-tier care. Emily knew full well-on her own, there's no way she could've afforded this kind of medical treatment for her grandma.

She took off her sunglasses and pushed them up onto her head, then headed toward the reception desk like she always did.

VIP rooms didn't have strict visitation limits, but every visit still had to be registered-no exceptions. The log sheet was filled mostly with her and Aaron's names. The rest were rare, barely one or two visits each.

Her useless brother, Francie, had only shown up once in the past six months. She sighed and shook her head, signed her name, then handed the sheet back to the nurse.

"Mrs. Lopez, please wait here for a moment." The nurse gestured to a nearby chair.

Emily frowned. "I can't go in?"

Registration was usually just a formality. She came by so often that nearly every staff member here knew her-she never had to wait. But today, she caught a flicker of hesitation in the nurse's eyes.

"What is it? Is something wrong with my grandma?" she asked, voice suddenly tense.

"She's doing well, physically. It's just that..."

"What?" Emily cut in, brows knitting-just as a familiar voice spoke above her head.

"What's going on?" Aaron's voice came from behind, his large hand settling on her shoulder.

Emily's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and noticed the nurse immediately stiffen.

"No issue," the nurse said quickly. "You can both go in now. Mr. Lopez, please just come back and sign the register afterward."

"But earlier you said-" Emily started to protest.

Aaron gently patted her arm, cutting her off,  "Your grandma's probably been waiting a while. Go on, she'll be happy to see you."