Three years ago, Vincent Harlow slept with a college student.

When I found out, I was ready to walk away from the marriage with nothing if it meant I could divorce him.

The day we were supposed to finalize the paperwork, Vincent jumped off a high-rise building. Tree branches broke his fall partway down. He survived, but his leg was shattered. Now, he was in a hospital bed and sobbing through apologies, begging me to give him one more chance.

In this world of wealthy families where affairs had become an unspoken rule, my husband was supposed to be the exception.

For five years of marriage, from the smallest things like choosing my clothes and styling my hair to every aspect of my daily life, he insisted on handling everything himself. However, no one knew that his devotion to me was bought with a betrayal from three years ago.

Vincent Harlow and I were childhood sweethearts, and we married young.

When I heard he had jumped from that building, I softened in the end. I cared for him for six months until he recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

After that, Vincent really did change. He handed off all his business engagements to his assistant and stayed by my side constantly.

On our fifth anniversary, Vincent spent a fortune to charter an entire cruise ship. Fireworks lit up the sky for me.

Surrounded by such extravagant romance, I felt grateful that I had not let one mistake make me lose him completely.

If there was one regret, it was that we had no children.

The hospital tests said I had difficulty conceiving.

Even though Vincent reassured me we could adopt a child later, I went to hospital after hospital for treatment. I took over a hundred injections.

When nothing worked, I went abroad for treatment without telling Vincent. The moment the test results came back, I froze in place.

There was nothing wrong with me! Then why did every domestic hospital say the problem was mine? I took the test results and flew back overnight to find Vincent.

Instead, I saw him carrying a child around three years old as he ran out of Oasis Group headquarters, heading straight for the hospital building across the street.

I did not have time to think. I followed him.

The moment I reached the pediatric clinic, I heard Vincent's angry voice. "It's been so long and you can't even diagnose a fever. What good are any of you? Just get out, all of you!"

The other doctors were drenched in cold sweat. Only the head of pediatrics stepped forward, patting him soothingly. "Vincent, you've been a father for almost three years now. Can you rein in that temper? The diagnosis isn't even out yet."

A father for almost three years? For a moment, I could not believe what I was hearing.

"Vincent, how's our baby doing?" A delicate, anxious voice suddenly rang out.

The voice came from behind me. She shoved me aside, crying as she threw herself into Vincent's arms.

It was Kiara Underwood. She was the college student Vincent had his one-night stand with all those years ago!

That was their child!

Vincent wiped away her tears, rubbing her head soothingly. "Don't worry. The baby will be fine."

The pediatrician sighed helplessly. "Goodness, you parents are all the same. So anxious! Relax. With me here, the child will be fine.

"I remember since the baby was born, you two have been bringing the child in together for shots and checkups. Every single time, you both cry harder than the kid does.

"But speaking of which, Vincent, Elena left back then because you slept with Kiara by accident. You even broke your leg trying to win her back. If she ever found out you and Kiara have a child together..."

Before he could finish, Vincent's expression darkened. "So everyone here better keep their mouths shut. If I find out anyone leaked this, don't blame me for what happens."

The medical staff immediately nodded.

I let out a cold laugh, walking toward them step by step. "So am I interrupting your little family outing to the hospital?"

Everyone went silent.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" Vincent's expression changed abruptly. He shoved Kiara aside. She tried to reach for him, but he dodged her.

I looked at him. "If I hadn't come, how would I have found out you're still in contact with this woman? That you even have a child together?"

"Honey, you've got it wrong." Vincent scrambled to explain. "The child is almost three now. I didn't betray you. Kiara and I only slept together that one time, and she got pregnant from it.

"I didn't want her to have the baby, but my parents said I needed an heir, so they allowed her to give birth.

"Honey, you have to believe me. Kiara and I are just co-parenting a child. Nothing else has happened between us. The person I love is you. I'll only ever love you. Besides, with this child, you won't have to go through pregnancy. When he's a bit older, I'll transfer custody to you. Then the three of us will be a family. We'll be so happy."

Happy? The three of us as a family?

How could he even say these things? Was he not disgusted?

I looked up at him. "No need. Let's just get divorced. I'll step aside so Kiara can stand by your side openly, and your child can have his proper place."

"No!" Vincent grabbed my shoulders violently, rage and pain roiling in his eyes. "Do you even know what you're saying? I'm telling you, unless one of us dies, I won't divorce you!"

Kiara stepped forward with reddened eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "Elena, please don't divorce Vincent. This is all my fault."

I swept a cold glance over her. "Do you have the right to speak here?"

Kiara flinched, lowering her head with red eyes, not daring to say another word.

Vincent's brow furrowed slightly as he moved in front of her. "She's still young and in college. Why are you scaring her?"

My heart twisted. Was raising a child really all there was between them?

Fine. I did not want to dwell on it anymore.

I turned to leave, but the test results in my hand suddenly fell to the ground.

Vincent snatched them up. When he saw what they were, his expression turned ugly. "I guess I couldn't hide it from you, after all. The truth is, after this child was born, I secretly got a vasectomy three years ago. I even bribed every hospital to mark your test results as problematic."

I felt like I had plunged into an icy pit. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. He said he got a vasectomy three years ago?

Then what about all those needle marks that had covered my body for the past three years? What about all the bitter medicine I choked down, dose after dose?

"Elena, I was wrong to do this to you. But look, I already have a child. Kiara isn't qualified to be his mother. Only you can be. So from now on, we can just raise him together, okay?"

When I did not respond, Vincent reached out to hug me, sounding somewhat aggrieved. "Say something, Elena. I don't like it when you don't talk."

I shoved him away violently, my voice coming out in a scream. "Vincent Harlow, you're disgusting from the inside out!"

Vincent's expression grew even uglier. "Elena, how can you say that about me? Aren't you usually the one who cares about me the most?

"Besides, my child is your child. What's the difference? You're my wife. Kiara is nothing." Then, he suddenly seemed to remember something. "To be safe, why don't you get your tubes tied too? Then we'll be the same."

I laughed bitterly.

"If I want a child, I'll have one with another man. And I won't get my tubes tied. Vincent, let's just get divo..."

Before I could finish the word, Vincent bit down on my lips and ground against them viciously. A trace of madness crept into his eyes.

"I told you! Unless one of us dies, I won't divorce you!

"You want to have a child with another man?" Fury flashed in his eyes as he sneered. "Keep dreaming. I'm taking you to get your tubes tied right now. I'll make sure no hospital will ever reverse it. Let's see how you have a child with another man then.

"As for wanting a child, the baby is your child. After the procedure, I'll have him change his surname right away. You can raise him."

With that, he dragged me toward the surgical department.

"I'm not going! Let go of me! Vincent, what gives you the right to decide for me? I won't do it!"

My tears seemed to sting him. He refused to look at me as he forcibly pushed me into the operating room.

The doctors pinned me down on the bed. I screamed toward Vincent at the door. "Vincent Harlow, I hate you! I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"

Vincent looked at me with pain in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Kiara's weak voice sounded from behind him. "Vincent, the baby's results are out. Come look, quick."

Vincent did not dare delay. He turned and ran downstairs.

When I emerged from the operating room, my face looked even paler under the fluorescent lights. At that moment, the past three years felt like nothing but a joke.

I forced myself through the physical discomfort, leaning against the wall as I walked step by step toward the exit.

As I passed a hospital room, I heard the sound of laughter as someone played with a child.

"If you don't cry when you get your shot in a bit, Daddy will grant you one wish, okay?"

I turned back and saw Vincent, the man who commanded respect in the business world, now holding a child who looked just like him. His expression was tender and focused as his fingertips tickled the child's chin.

Kiara sat beside them, smiling as she took their photo, as if they were the family of three and I was the outsider.

"Then I want Mommy to kiss Daddy."

The child's sweet, babyish voice rang out.

Kiara's face flushed bright red. "Sweetheart, that's not..."

Before she could finish, Vincent kissed her.

Vincent smiled at the child. "Daddy already kissed Mommy."

Kiara's face turned even redder. I looked away and walked toward the exit, dialing a number as I went.

"James, I should've listened to you from the start and never remarried him."

There was a second of silence on the other end before a hoarse voice spoke. "Get divorced. Come home."