"Why should I agree to that?"

Allison jerked away from his hand as he tried to take hers, anger burning through her voice. "Just because Hollie is pregnant, you think she has the right to take my husband away from me? Did I force her to get pregnant?"

Her hand pressed against her stomach as pain spread through her body. "She made that choice herself. Now, you expect me to deal with the consequences for her? Do you really think I'll just accept that?"

For a moment, Nolan was stunned. Then, fury rose within him.

His mother and grandmother had been right. Allison was nothing more than an orphan. She was short-sighted and naive, and she could never grasp the seriousness of the current situation.

Still, Nolan held back his temper and tried to speak calmly. "Two lives are involved in this matter. The Reid family and the Pearson family have been close for generations. To my parents, Hollie has always been like family. Now that she's in this situation, we can't just stand by and watch."

He reached for Allison's hand again and held it. The moment his fingers touched hers, he noticed how cold her hand felt.

Without thinking, he tightened his hold. "I know I haven't given you much attention since we got married because of my work. But that was never my intention. Allison, you have to trust me. My marriage to Hollie will only exist in name. I won't touch her. Not even once. I just can't let—"

A bitter laugh escaped Allison, cutting him off. "You should feel ashamed of yourself, Nolan," she said. "Since the day we got married, you haven't touched me, either. So tell me something; does that mean our marriage has also been nothing more than a formality?"

Nolan fell silent at that.

During their first year of marriage, the presidential campaign had consumed all his time. He had been exhausted and had no interest in intimacy.

By the second year, he had already taken office. Endless responsibilities filled his days, and he never found the time for that.

This year, things had finally begun to calm down, but then, his grandfather suddenly passed away, and not long after that, his father suffered a stroke brought on by stress. His entire family fell into grief, and he suddenly carried even more responsibility on his shoulders.

Allison let out a silent scoff. Over the past three years, she had seen every struggle he faced, and she had always chosen to be understanding.

Yet she had never imagined that the distance between them existed because of Hollie.

Her attitude made Nolan feel uneasy. He said, "I know you've been through a lot during these three years..."

"So you do know that I've been waiting for you for three years?" Allison replied. "Three full years, Nolan. You promised me a wedding, but instead of that, all I got were divorce papers."

Pain tightened around her chest. "Do you still remember what you promised me when we got married?"

Before they got married, Nolan had only been an ignored member within the Reid family.

During those difficult years, Allison had stood beside him and supported him. She even worried that his pride might suffer, so she secretly helped him under the name "Sage X." Using everything she had, she pushed him forward until he reached the presidency and became the pride of the Reid family.

And now that he held that position, he wanted to remove her from the presidential residence and give Hollie the title of the First Lady?

She could not understand it. Had everything she had given him meant nothing?

"I..." Nolan hesitated. Of course he remembered the promise he had made that day. He had sworn to protect her for the rest of his life, through sickness and health, and never leave her side.

But the situation now was special.

If he refused to marry Hollie, then both she and the child might not survive.

After drawing a slow breath, Nolan pulled Allison into his arms and tried to comfort her, saying, "Allison, I haven't forgotten what I promised you. That will not change. But right now, I have to protect Hollie and the child. That is my responsibility. I will make it up to you in the future. We still have the rest of our lives ahead of us."

Allison shoved against him with all the strength she had, yet Nolan didn't move.

With no other option left, she lifted her foot and stomped down hard on one of his leather shoes.

A pained grunt escaped Nolan, and he finally released her. "Allison!"

When he looked at her, he saw that her eyes were filled with disappointment as tears gathered within them.

"Do you actually believe that coming back to me in the future counts as compensation, or that it's some kind of favor?" Allison asked. "Why would I ever want a man who has been married twice?"

Nolan's jaw tightened as irritation surfaced. "Take a look at yourself now. Do you have any grace and dignity as the First Lady?"

The tears Allison had been holding back finally spilled down her face. "You say that to me, but have you even declared to the public that I am the First Lady?"

Not only had he never acknowledged her as the First Lady to the public, but even inside the presidential residence, he also introduced her as nothing more than his personal secretary. Because of that, people inside the residence all believed they could treat her however they pleased.

"Allison, I—" Nolan started to say something in response, but his phone suddenly rang.

The ringtone made it clear who was calling. He had assigned that sound only to the Reid family. Allison immediately knew it was Diane Reid, Nolan's mother, on the other end of the line.

"What did you say? Hollie tried to slit her wrists again?" Nolan's face was filled with genuine concern—far more earnest than when he had asked earlier if Allison was feeling unwell. "Alright, I understand. I'll go there right now. Stay calm."

The moment he ended the call, Allison felt her heart turn cold.

How foolish she had been before. For the past three months, every time Nolan hurried back to the Reid family estate, she had believed he was going there to look after his father after the stroke.

Now, the truth stood clear. All that time, he had been by Hollie's side.

"Allison, stop being difficult like this," Nolan said. "I'm not asking for your agreement."

He was only informing her of the matter. Whether she agreed or not, she had to sign the divorce papers.

Allison wiped the tears from her face and looked directly at him with swollen eyes. "This divorce will mean we're finished for good. Once I sign, I'm done with you! Do you still want me to sign the divorce papers?"

Allison's firm words caught Nolan off guard and sent a sudden shock through him.

But soon after, a thought followed. Allison had loved him for eight years. She had spoken harshly to him before, yet she never truly walked away from him. She wouldn't be able to do something like that.

Besides, the divorce itself meant little. To him, it was nothing more than a formality. Their relationship would remain the same.

"Be reasonable," Nolan said in a softer tone. "I'm exhausted today. Just try to be a little bit more understanding."

His hand moved to her hair, lightly ruffling it. "Sign the agreement and get some sleep. I won't be coming back tonight."

The anger that had been burning inside Allison suddenly disappeared.

She brushed his hand away without hesitation, then picked up the pen Nolan had prepared for her. Silently, she signed the divorce papers.

Nolan preferred this version of her. When she stopped crying and arguing, everything felt easier. Relief escaped him in a long breath, though a faint sense of unease appeared in his chest.

He disliked that feeling. To brush it aside, he handed Allison a bank card. "Take this. The password is your birthday."

"A reward for me?" Allison replied with a cold laugh. She took the card and threw it straight into the trash. "Since there's no money on it, don't bother using it to insult me."

Nolan grabbed her wrist, his expression turning stern. "What are you talking about?"

Allison pulled her hand away with force. Pain shot through her wrist, but she ignored it.

"Go ask your mother," she said. "Whenever a card passes through her hands, the balance somehow turns to zero. Isn't that impressive?"

After saying that, she turned and walked toward the guest room without hesitation.

Her body had only just gone through surgery. It could not take any more strain. What she needed now was rest.

Nolan watched her as she walked away. After a moment of silence, he gestured toward the butler. "Check the balance on this card."

Allison thought she would not be able to fall asleep tonight. But after Nolan left, exhaustion took over, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

Maybe people only suffered when they feared losing something. Once that thing was already gone, there was only peace left.

Even so, Allison still felt as if something had been torn away from her heart, leaving behind a dull ache that she could not ignore.

At half past five the following morning, a knock sounded on the door.

"Allison, get up and prepare coffee for the President."

This was always the first task assigned to Nolan's secretary each day.

The voice called out three times, yet no reply came from inside the room. Impatient, the female supervisor of the presidential residence pushed the door open and walked in. She then strode to the bed and yanked the blanket away.

The early summer morning still carried a chill, and the thermostat in this guest room had been broken for a long time.

The moment the blanket was removed, Allison shuddered and sat up.

Fever burned through her body. Weakness pressed down on her, and she wanted nothing more than to lie back down to rest again.

She reached toward the thin blanket that had fallen to the floor. But before she could grab it, a wooden baton struck the back of her hand.

The residence supervisor always carried that baton to discipline the staff under her authority.

Yet during the two years Allison had lived here with Nolan, the baton had only ever been used on her.

Because the supervisor was someone planted here by Hollie, even though she knew Allison's identity, she constantly targeted her.

Over the years, Allison's hands had swollen more times than she could count. And Nolan had always ignored it. For his sake, she had endured it again and again.

"What are you staring at?" the supervisor snapped as she lifted the baton once more. "Working here is a privilege, yet you still dare to be lazy!"

Before the baton could fall again, Allison caught the woman's wrist. In one swift motion, she snatched the baton and swung it hard across the supervisor's back.

"Ah!" the supervisor screamed and stumbled toward the door, trying to leave the room.

Allison caught her by the hair, yanked her back, and brought the baton down again.

Before, this woman had taken pleasure in hitting her. Now, she would make her feel that same pain.

Allison meant to return every strike she had endured, yet the baton snapped in two under the force.

Only then did she let go of the supervisor. "Get out!"

The supervisor stumbled toward the door and rushed out. Several servants standing outside had watched the entire scene, and humiliation burned through her.

She kept cursing Allison in her mind. She reminded herself that when Hollie arrived, she would make Allison pay for everything.

After that outburst, Allison's fever seemed to become worse. She drank a full glass of water, wrapped the blanket around herself, and lay down again.

The next time she opened her eyes, several maids were dragging her toward the living room.

They brought her before Nolan. He sat on the sofa with a cold expression.

Hollie sat beside him, quietly crying. "When we were in school, Allison never liked me. I always tolerated it. I never expected her to beat Phyllis just because I was the one who let Phyllis have a job here. She even broke the baton while hitting her. Phyllis must be hurting so much."

Phyllis Gilbert, the supervisor, stood nearby with tears running down her face. "Mr. President, Ms. Pearson, this is all my fault," she said. "I failed to manage the staff here properly."

Seeing Hollie and Phyllis both crying made Nolan pull Hollie closer. "Don't cry," he said gently. "It's not good for the baby."

At the mention of the baby, Hollie's crying grew louder.

"I can't even protect Phyllis," she said through her tears. "How could I protect my baby? Maybe I should just end it all!"

She suddenly stood and reached toward the fruit knife lying on the table.

Alarm crossed Nolan's face at once. He immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms. "Don't do anything rash. Calm down."

"Nolan, let go of me," Hollie said while holding him tightly around the waist. "Allison is watching. She'll get upset and cause trouble again."

While clinging to him, she lifted her tearful eyes toward Allison. A trace of triumph flashed within them.

A strained laugh escaped Allison. The sound carried no joy, and tears gathered in her eyes.

She was Nolan's lawful wife, still sick, and she had not even moved out of the presidential residence.

Yet her shameless husband had already brought his mistress straight into the house.

Hollie and Nolan looked composed and perfectly dressed. While she, on the other hand, stood on the marble floor wearing nothing but a thin nightgown.

When the maid had dragged her out of bed earlier, she had not even allowed her to put on her shoes.

Her body burned with fever. Her bare feet felt the cold of the floor. Heat and chill fought through her body at the same time.

While Allison endured that misery, Hollie clung to Nolan and continued to act innocent right in front of her. The scene was ridiculous.

"What exactly are you laughing at?" Nolan finally spoke. His gaze moved across Allison's flushed face, down to her bare feet, and then to the outline of her body beneath the thin fabric.

Sunlight passed through the tall windows and fell on her. Under that light, she looked like a fairy.

Nolan's throat tightened. He pushed Hollie aside and stood up, planning to place his suit jacket around Allison's shoulders.

"Ah!"

Hollie refused to let him leave her side. She pretended to lose her balance and collapsed onto the sofa.

"My foot..." she murmured. "I twisted it. It hurts..." Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked up at Nolan.

Her expression seemed fragile; she looked as if she could wither if he left her side.

Concern appeared on Nolan's face. He returned to her side and sat down. "Let me see it. Is it serious?"

Hollie did not hesitate. She lifted her foot and placed it on his lap. Phyllis hurried over with a tube of ointment and handed it to Nolan. "I am afraid to hurt Ms. Pearson. You can do it."

Nolan accepted it. He squeezed some ointment onto his palm and began rubbing Hollie's ankle.

Allison remained where she was. Her bare feet pressed against the cold floor. The air around her felt suffocating.

During Nolan's presidential campaign speech back then, an attack had nearly taken his life. At that moment, she had stepped in front of him without hesitation and used her own body to block the bullet.

The scar left by that graze still marked her arm.

But the man she had once risked her life for now felt like a stranger to her.

"Nolan, there's no need for you to do this," Hollie said, pretending to refuse. "I'll handle it myself. Look at Allison. She's about to cry."

She only behaved this boldly because Nolan indulged her.

Earlier that morning, Nolan had already submitted the divorce papers to Congress.

In only a few weeks, Allison would become a discarded ex-wife, and her every connection with the Reid family would disappear.

Hollie's words barely reached Allison. The fever burning through her body continued to rise, and her vision began to grow hazy.

Right now, she needed to return to the hospital.

"Who said you could leave?" Nolan's voice turned firm when Allison moved to go. "Apologize to Phyllis first."

Phyllis had been placed in charge by him. After Allison beat her like that, how could she continue working in the presidential residence without facing ridicule?

All he required was an apology from Allison. He intended to settle the matter with that.

"Are you sure?" Allison asked. Her breathing came out in hot bursts, yet her tone remained cold.

"Can you stop being unreasonable?" Nolan said with a sigh.

In his mind, he had already shown her enough leniency. But she wouldn't even pretend to comply?

"Alright." Allison forced herself forward despite the weakness in her body and stopped in front of Phyllis.

Phyllis looked at her with a satisfied expression, expecting her to lower her head and beg. Instead, Allison spoke calmly. "You claim that I hit you. Do you have proof for that?"

Phyllis stiffened at once. "You hit me inside the guest room. I don't know how I should prove that."

Allison gave a cold smile. "Then I will make sure to let everyone see it right now."

Before Phyllis even realized what she meant, Allison's hand struck her face twice with full force.

Both sides of Phyllis' face swelled instantly. Clear marks appeared on her cheeks.

"Take a good look," Allison said calmly. "That's the strength I usually use when I hit someone."

For two years, Phyllis had tormented her. The two slaps finally felt like getting even.

Since Phyllis insisted on pushing the matter further, Allison believed she didn't have to hold back.

"Phyllis!" Hollie hurried over and shielded the stunned Phyllis, while Nolan strode forward with anger on his face. "What are you doing, Allison?"

"Allison, how could you hit her in front of everyone like this?" Hollie turned to Allison.

Her words had barely left her mouth when Allison's hand struck her face. The slap echoed through the room.

"So you wanted attention, too?" Allison said coldly. "Then take a few slaps as well." She lifted her hand again, but Nolan grabbed her wrist before it could fall.

He stepped in front of Hollie at once, shielding her as if protecting something precious. The sight turned Allison's stomach.

"Allison, have you gone crazy?" Nolan asked, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you just going to attack anyone you see?"

Allison tried to pull her wrist free, but the fever had drained her strength. "Take your dirty hand off me!" she shouted.

After touching Hollie, he had no right to touch her. It disgusted her.

Nolan's expression hardened. "What did you just say? I'm your husband! How could you say something like that to me?"

"Not anymore." Allison met his gaze without hesitation. Her eyes held nothing but cold hatred. "From this moment on, everything I gave you is withdrawn."

She was not only speaking about her feelings for Nolan, but also the support she had once given him that had carried him to where he stood today.

And since she could help him rise, she could also bring him down.

Hollie dreamed of becoming the First Lady, right? She intended to make that dream turn into the biggest joke!