On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband dragged me out of bed and forced me to the hospital to deliver his mistress's baby.

"You're the most renowned obstetrician in this hospital. You're the only one I trust."

"It's Delilah's first time giving birth, and I can't let anything happen to her."

Because of those words, I had no choice but to put on a sterile surgical gown and quietly walk into the operating room.

By the time the surgery was over and the baby's cries echoed through the room, my legs had already gone weak, and cold sweat had soaked through the back of my scrubs.

Carrying the newborn wrapped in a sterile blanket, my voice had become hoarse.

"Sir, congratulations. The baby boy is very healthy."

I said those words to my husband, Alaric Vaughn.

And in my arms was the son of him and his mistress, Delilah Voss.

Alaric didn't notice the unfamiliar formality in the way I addressed him. He simply stepped forward with obvious joy and carefully took the baby into his arms.

He gazed at the tiny child for a long time, the corners of his lips lifting into the satisfied smile of a man becoming a father for the first time.

His eyes had even reddened slightly, as though he were deeply moved.

I lowered my gaze and gently rested a hand over my own slightly rounded stomach, unable to tell what I was feeling.

"Where's my sweetie?"

As soon as Alaric finished speaking, the nurses pushed Delilah out of the operating room.

She lay on the hospital bed, looking frail and pale, her face drained of color and covered in cold sweat.

Alaric's eyes lit up instantly. Holding the baby in his arms, he hurried past me to get to Delilah's side, bumping hard into me in the process.

My stomach slammed against the wall with such force that I could barely remain standing. Darkness flashed before my eyes.

But all of Alaric's attention was on Delilah.

One moment, he was gently stroking her hair. Next, he lowered his voice to ask after her.

"Sweetie, are you tired?"

"You did great. Our son is adorable..."

Bracing myself against the wall, I forced myself upright and slowly made my way back to the room. I changed out of my surgical scrubs and into a simple shirt and jeans.

Just as I finished, the door swung open.

Alaric walked in.

The gentleness he had shown moments ago was gone. His expression was somewhat indifferent.

He tossed the document in his hand onto the table, his voice lazy and casual.

"Sign it."

"It's only to make my sweetie happy. She said she doesn't want to be involved with a married man."

The moment my eyes landed on the words on the paper, my entire body froze, and my relaxed fingers abruptly tightened.

A divorce agreement. Alaric's signature was already there. It had even clearly stated in the agreement that I would leave with nothing, and that all assets would belong to Alaric.

I looked up at the man standing before me as if I were seeing him for the very first time. My eyes reddened, but I fought to keep my emotions under control.

We had been in love for nine years and married for seven.

Once, when he had been kidnapped, I had rushed to save him despite being pregnant. I had fought desperately against the kidnappers, only to be beaten so badly that I miscarried.

Once, for my sake, he had endured one hundred lashes from his mother. He had even agreed to give up his inheritance, insisting that he would marry me no matter what.

On the day we got married, Alaric's hot tears fell onto the back of my hand.

His solemn vow still seemed to echo in my ears.

"Darling, I will stay by your side until death separates us."

And now, he was the one breaking that promise.

The marriage we had once sacrificed everything to obtain had ended up like this.

Perhaps noticing the pain in my eyes, Alaric frowned and explained.

“Don’t worry. We’re not truly getting divorced. It's only to make Delilah feel better."

“You know how stubborn she’s been lately. She keeps pushing me to divorce you.”

“I only need the signed papers so I can take a picture and show her. I won’t submit them to the lawyer.”

Alaric spoke as casually as if he was discussing today’s weather, as though my feelings meant nothing.

“Once I’ve comforted her, I’ll come back to you.”

Hearing that, I only found it laughable. So laughable that my eyes began to sting. In his eyes, our marriage was apparently something that could be taken out and toyed with whenever he pleased.

“Besides, you’ve always been such an obedient wife. You won’t be difficult this time either, right?”

The smug curve of his lips made the question sound almost careless. In his eyes, I was probably nothing more than a fool who would give him whatever he wanted, no matter how unreasonable the request.

If he wanted to, he could sign divorce papers and stay with his mistress. If he wanted to, he could return to me afterward.

And I, no matter what happened, would remain exactly where I was, waiting for him forever.

“Fine. I’ll sign.”

My fingers trembled, yet I still forced myself to grip the pen and sign the divorce papers.

Then I handed them back to Alaric.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He seemed not to have expected that I wouldn't cry, make a scene, or desperately try to stop him the way I always had before.

After all, over the years, whenever I saw Alaric with another woman, I had always behaved like a madwoman.

But this time, I was truly tired.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Alaric quickly took a photo of the signed divorce papers and sent it to Delilah.

"Alright. Get some rest. I'll go check on Delilah."

Only then did he lazily glance at me. Bending down, he reached out, intending to pat my head the way he always did.

“Don’t worry. No one will ever take your place as Mrs. Vaughn.”

“Once Delilah calms down, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Haven’t you always wanted to see the Northern Lights? When I have time, I’ll take you there.”

The cloying scent of sweet roses lingering on his body made my stomach churn violently.

I bent over slightly, avoiding his hand.

"I'm a little tired. You should go."

My voice came out hoarse.

Alaric merely reminded me to drink more warm water before turning around and leaving the room.

Click.

The room fell silent once more.

I lifted my head and looked at the divorce papers lying on the table, my eyes gradually darkening.

The future? Was Alaric talking about the future?

There would never be a future for us again. We’re over.

He said he wouldn't submit the papers to the lawyer? Then I would.

Running my fingers lightly over the divorce agreement, I sent it to my personal lawyer and asked him to proceed with the divorce process with Alaric within a week.

Finally, I picked up my phone and called the director of the Obstetrics Department.

"Mrs. Jessica Monroe, I've decided to accept the invitation to join ‘The Dream’ Obstetrics Training Program in the United States."

Hearing my words, Mrs. Monroe let out an excited squeal.

“Oh my God, Estelle, you've finally come to your senses. Even if you're married, your career is just as important.”

“This obstetrics training program will take your career to the next level and significantly expand your experience. After two years of training, you might even have the opportunity to be promoted to deputy director..."

I knew all of this perfectly well. Mrs. Monroe had told me the same thing so many times in the past that I could practically recite it by heart.

The problem was that the program would take place in the United States and last for two years. I had never been willing to leave Alaric behind, so I kept turning it down.

Now, reality had finally slapped me awake.

Alaric's heart had never truly belonged to me. The love he once had for me had long since begun to crack.

And I no longer needed to keep standing still, waiting for someone who would never come back.

Mrs. Monroe happily told me that she would help me with the application process and that everything would be completed within seven days at the latest. By then, I would have to leave for the United States immediately to begin the training program.

“By the way, I'm two months pregnant. Will that affect the program?”

I asked the question that mattered most to me at that moment.

Even though I had completely lost hope in Alaric, I had no intention of giving up my child.

After all, the baby had done nothing wrong.

Moreover, even if Alaric truly intended to leave me and be with his mistress, I was more than capable of raising my son on my own.

Mrs. Monroe replied almost immediately.

“Don't worry, Estelle. The Dream has a maternity leave policy for physicians participating in the program. If you want to take leave during the later stages of your pregnancy, I can help arrange that for you.”

“Once your maternity leave is over, you'll simply continue the training program as usual.”

Mrs. Monroe reassured me patiently before adding.

“You're one of the most talented obstetricians I've met in all my years in this profession. Don't give up this opportunity for anything, dearie.”

My eyes burned. A hot tear slipped down and landed on the back of my hand.

My voice trembled as I said.

“Mrs. Monroe, I'll cherish this opportunity.”

“But during this time, please help me keep it confidential. Don't let anyone find out.”

Hearing the emotion in my voice, Mrs. Monroe didn't ask any further questions. She simply reminded me to take good care of myself and try to keep my emotions under control.

After ending the call, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

I wasn't on duty that afternoon, so I returned to my own apartment and slept until I woke up naturally.

When I finally opened my eyes, exhaustion still weighed heavily on my body.

Thinking about the belongings at the Vaughn estate, I took a taxi there to pack them up.

Now that Alaric and I were divorced, there was no reason for me to leave any of my things there anymore.

Originally, I had planned to quietly pack my things and leave before Alaric returned.

However, the moment I unlocked the door and stepped into the living room, Delilah's cheerful laughter drifted into my ears.

“Get rid of this ugly table. It looks so old-fashioned. Replace it with the imported wooden table from France I mentioned earlier.”

“And these light blue curtains look completely outdated. Change them too.”

Delilah, who should have been resting in the hospital, was reclining on the sofa with a thin blanket draped over her body.

Her complexion was still somewhat pale, yet she enthusiastically directed the maids around as if she were the true mistress of the house.

Alaric sat beside her, and throughout it all, he never once objected to anything she said.

I watched as one piece after another was carried away.

Every item had been carefully chosen by me.

Every item held memories of the happiness Alaric and I had once shared in this estate.

My heart tightened painfully.

Estelle, stop caring about these things. You and Alaric are over!

Just as I was about to turn around and leave, Delilah suddenly looked over and spotted me immediately.

“Estelle..."

Like a frightened little rabbit, she shrank into Alaric's embrace. The panic in her eyes made it seem as though I were some kind of monster.

“Estelle, please don't blame me. I just felt that these things were a little out of style, so I wanted to replace them.”

“Besides, I'll be staying here for quite a while during my postpartum recovery, so I'd like to arrange the estate according to my own preferences.”

“Alaric agreed to it as well.”

As she spoke, her brows lifted slightly, the provocation in her eyes impossible to miss.

Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she let out a soft gasp.

“Oh, right, Estelle. Alaric said you've already signed the divorce papers. Surely you're not shameless enough to keep staying at the Vaughn estate, are you?”

“You came back to pack your things and leave, didn't you?”

Hearing Delilah's taunting words, I lifted my head and looked straight at Alaric, waiting to see how he would respond.

Deep down, there was even a trace of hope that I hadn't realized was still there.

But he did nothing. He merely lowered his gaze and quietly avoided my eyes.

My nails dug deep into my palms. The sharp pain made my heart ache even more.

Since I had already decided to let go, there was no point arguing with Delilah anymore.

“Yes. I'm here to pack my things. Once I'm done, I'll leave.”

My voice was hoarse.

Something flickered across Alaric's face, and he seemed about to say something. But Delilah reacted even faster.

“That's good.”

“I thought you were going to act like one of those crazy ex-wives who refuse to let go of their former husbands, but you're more decisive than I expected.”

After saying that, she smiled sweetly.

“Oh, right, Estelle. Thank you for delivering my baby.”

“If you're willing, my little Jamie can even call you his godmother someday.”

“Oh, you didn't know, did you? Alaric personally chose our son's name. James. Jamie is his nickname.”

Delilah giggled teasingly. Meanwhile, I stood frozen in place after hearing that name.

The blood in my veins seemed to turn to ice, a chill spreading from head to toe.

James. Jamie.

It was the name Alaric, and I had once spent countless days choosing it for our first child.

It was also the name of the baby we had lost the night I rushed to save him and ended up being tortured by his kidnappers.

Stunned, I lifted my head and looked at Alaric, searching desperately for even the slightest trace of guilt in his eyes.

But all I saw was him busy pulling the blanket back over Delilah's shoulders after it had slipped down.

So he had forgotten. Forgotten the name of our first child.

Or perhaps, he had even forgotten that we had once had a child together at all.

How cruel could he be?

Thinking of that, I took a deep breath and became even more certain of my decision.

Alaric no longer loved me, and I no longer needed to cling to him.

I loved him, but I loved myself and the child growing inside me even more.

I didn't want to keep tormenting myself or make my son suffer because of him anymore.

Looking at the triumphant expression on Delilah's face, I replied.

“No need. I have no interest in becoming the godmother of my husband's mistress's illegitimate child.”

My voice was ice-cold as I turned and headed back to my room.

Delilah immediately put on a wounded, fragile expression. Alaric seemed to say something to me in a stern voice, but I couldn't care less.

Quietly closing the bedroom door behind me, I began packing my belongings, taking only the things that truly belonged to me.

Everything Alaric had given me, from jewelry and clothes to shoes from luxury brands, I no longer wanted any of it.

In the past, those gifts had been proof of Alaric's love, evidence of how happy I had once been.

Now, they only served as reminders of how foolish I had been in love.

I packed everything into cardboard boxes, intending to have the maids throw them away later.

Click.

The sound of the door opening broke the silence.

Someone walked in and casually sat down beside me.

“Why are you throwing all these away, darling? Weren't these your favorite things?”

Looking at the gifts he had once given me now piled carelessly inside the boxes, Alaric frowned, and his voice turned slightly colder.

My hands never stopped moving. Nor did I spare him a single glance.

“Oh, those things are old now. I don't want them anymore. I'll donate them to an orphanage later.”

The scent that belonged to Delilah grew even stronger in the air as Alaric sat down beside me.

“Stop being so stubborn over Delilah. Estelle, haven't you always been reasonable? Why have you suddenly become like this?”

“You were deliberately mocking Delilah, and he'll be very hurt by that.”

Reasonable.

Again, it was that word.

Because I had been reasonable, I had forgiven Alaric for countless affairs.

Because I had been reasonable, I had personally delivered his mistress's baby and watched her move into our estate as though she were the true mistress of the house.

I was tired of being a reasonable fool.

Pretending not to hear him, I continued packing my belongings.

“You don't actually have to move out of the Vaughn estate. I'll talk to Delilah for you..."

“I can move out, Alaric. It's good for all three of us.”

I interrupted him coldly.

In response, I only heard a quiet sigh.

“Alright, darling. Then you'll have to endure some hardship for now. I'll make it up to you later.”

Make it up to me.

He had said those words so many times that I had lost count.

I bit down hard on my lip.

Suddenly, a gentle force caught my chin. Alaric leaned closer, intending to kiss me as he always did.

But the moment I thought about how many times those lips had kissed Delilah, all I felt was disgust.

My stomach twisted violently.

Clapping a hand over my mouth, I rushed into the bathroom and retched into the sink.

“Urgh... urgh...”

The bitter, acidic taste lingering in my throat only made me feel worse.

I retched for a long time, but nothing came up. My throat burned as though it had been set on fire.

“Darling, are you okay? Why has your morning sickness been getting so severe lately?”

Alaric hurried over and gently patted my back, his voice filled with concern as he patiently checked on me.

Exhausted, I shook off his hand and walked out of the room.

Heading downstairs, I intended to find one of the maids and ask about several keepsakes belonging to my late grandfather, which I had previously entrusted to them for maintenance.

But before I could do so, a sharp smell of something burning suddenly drifted into the air.

A warning bell rang in my mind. Without a second thought, I ran barefoot toward the source of the burning smell, straight into the garden.

Amid the flickering crimson flames, I caught sight of the red cover of my late grandfather's diary, along with part of a watch that had nearly been burned to ashes. Scattered within the fire were several other belongings that had once belonged to my grandfather.

My breathing seemed to stop. The blood in my veins turned cold, and my mind went completely blank.

Then, refusing to let myself stand there in shock any longer, I rushed to grab the watering can the maids kept in the garden and frantically poured water over the flames.

My tears mingled with the water streaming from the can as the fire gradually weakened, then finally died out.

All that remained were blackened objects, some of them already reduced to ash.

I hurriedly picked up my late grandfather's watch. The scorching heat radiating from the metal instantly burned my palm, but I clenched it tightly as if I could no longer feel the pain.

Only then did the panic raging inside me finally begin to settle.

I spun around abruptly, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at Delilah, who was standing nearby with a look of satisfaction on her face.

“Are you crazy? Why did you burn my things?”

“Who gave you permission to touch them? Who gave you permission to go through my belongings?”

I had only entrusted the watch and a pendant to the maids for maintenance. As for my grandfather's diary and several of his clothes, I had always kept them neatly stored away in my closet.

So the moment I saw them in the fire, I knew it had been Delilah who had gone through my things.

“Were you never taught that you shouldn't touch other people's belongings?”

As I gathered up the remaining items and clutched them tightly in my arms, I shouted at Delilah through gritted teeth.

Delilah merely crossed her arms and casually rubbed her still-flat stomach.

“Estelle, I was only helping you get rid of some old junk. Why are you getting so worked up?”

She let out a faint laugh.

“Besides, I just gave birth. The doctor said my health is weak, and I shouldn't be around dirty things.”

“I heard your grandfather used to be a waste picker to raise you. I was worried that the things he left behind might be dirty too..."

Smack!

Before she could finish speaking, I completely lost control and swung my hand across her face with all my strength.

A bright red handprint instantly appeared on Delilah's cheek, streaked with a few smudges of black ash.

She glared at me resentfully, her eyes burning with hatred.

“You bitch..."

She screamed through clenched teeth and strode toward me.

Just as she was about to raise her hand to strike me back, she suddenly dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

“Estelle, I'm sorry. I didn't know those were your grandfather's keepsakes. I just thought they were things nobody wanted, so I burned them.”

“It's fine if you're angry, but why did you have to hit me?”

Delilah's sobbing left me momentarily stunned.

Before I could understand what was happening, a powerful slap landed squarely across my face, sending me stumbling to the ground.