My hand remained on the divorce agreement, my fingertips cold. For a brief moment, I could not even respond to what I had heard.

“What did you say?”

Clayton frowned, as if thinking I was making too much of it.

“Don’t worry, wife. I already asked someone to clean it up. The attic is quiet and bright, good for Verity to recover. She won’t disturb us, she’ll stay a few days and then leave.”

In that instant, it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over me from head to toe.

The attic was where Clayton had proposed to me.

It held a unique meaning for us; we used to spend time there talking and dating in the attic.

I bit down hard on the inside of my mouth. The noises from the dressing room earlier still seemed to ring in my ears. My chest tightened again and again, and even breathing felt hard.

I stared at Clayton, my voice hoarse. “Haven’t you already made up your mind? She has already moved in. Why are you asking me now?”

As soon as the sentence ended, he suddenly reached out and held my hand.

“Wife, don’t put it that way.”

Clayton’s brows drew together slightly, as if he had been wrongly accused. “I brought Verity home today because her heart problem suddenly worsened. It wasn’t safe outside, and I had no time to inform you beforehand.”

“But if you don’t want her to live here, I’ll send her away right away.”

Clayton’s words were calm and thoughtful.

As though, at that moment, all authority to decide had seriously been handed to me.

Yet my heart abruptly grew cold.

After knowing the truth, the reason that had once disappeared because of blind love returned.

I understood that if I shook my head now, if I simply said I was unwilling, tomorrow, every relative and friend would know that I had treated my fiancé’s ill cousin cruelly, that I was petty, harsh, and jealous.

I hadn’t understood it before.

On the evening of the thirteenth ruined wedding, he had also held my hand like this, lifting me to a higher position and giving me the power to decide.

I had been upset and refused to let him go to Verity, and Clayton had quickly agreed.

On the second day, the company circulated a rumor that I was jealous, that I could not even endure my fiancé’s cousin.

At that time, I sat at my workstation every day feeling restless and uneasy.

In the end, Clayton rose and explained before everyone, saying I was not that type of person, that I had never been unable to accept the cousin, that they had misunderstood me.

In private, he comforted me repeatedly, telling me not to dwell on it, saying it was only a misunderstanding.

At that moment, I was deeply touched.

I even felt guilty for misjudging his relationship with Verity.

Only now did I see that perhaps the entire situation had been arranged by him from beginning to end.

So that later I would never again dare to reject his closeness with Verity.

For Verity, Clayton truly gave everything he had.

Thinking of this, my eyes grew warm instantly, yet my heart hurt with emptiness.

“Do as you please,” I said in a tone of surrender.

No matter whether I agreed or not, she had already settled into the attic and already tainted that place.

In a few days, I would leave this house, so whoever stayed here would no longer concern me.

Clayton clearly breathed out in relief.

“Wife, you’re truly kind.”

“I knew you would understand me.”

I lowered my gaze to the divorce papers on the table, my heart aching.

Twenty-one days of memory clearing.

Nineteen ruined weddings.

I would count the debt as repaid nineteen times.

Clayton.

There were still two times remaining.

Once I returned your favor fully, we would owe each other nothing and have no further ties.

I placed the agreement into my bag, turned, returned to the room, locked the door, and sent the electronic copy I had already prepared to the lawyer.

The lawyer sent a message. [In about seven days, the process will be finished.]

I looked at that sentence for a long while, my heart still tightening.

I blinked hard, holding back the tears.

At night, I lay on the bed, yet I could not shut my eyes.

From upstairs came sounds that could not be overlooked.

Throughout the entire night, Clayton hardly rested properly.

Either Verity claimed she was hungry, or said she was thirsty, or mentioned that her chest felt slightly uncomfortable; excuses came one after another.

Time and again, I heard him rise from the bed, and time and again, his steps moved toward the attic.

In the past, I had always thought Clayton was already attentive enough to me.

When I craved something to eat at midnight, he would put on his coat and head downstairs. Even if he had to travel across half the city, he would return with the snack I wanted.

But when Verity said she was hungry, Clayton immediately went into the kitchen.

“You shouldn’t eat outside food right now. I’ll prepare something light for you. Outside food isn’t healthy.”

Before, when I accidentally hurt my foot, Clayton would calmly soothe me and examine the injury.

However, when Verity knocked her foot, Clayton directly carried her to the couch, carefully rubbed ointment on her, and, because she was scared of pain, he gently coaxed her while doing it.

I lay in bed, my palm tightly covering my stomach, my chest feeling heavy.

So the gap between being loved and not being loved was this clear.

It was very late before Clayton returned to the room.

The mattress sank, and he reached out to draw me into his arms.

“Verity is very sensitive. It’s her first time living in someone else’s home, so she isn’t quite comfortable. Wife, don’t be angry with her.”

I stayed silent and only turned away.

Clayton bent his head and placed his hand over my belly, his tone gentle.

“Wife, are you feeling jealous? Don’t be mad. I’m simply caring for my younger sister. Being angry isn’t good for the baby in your belly.”

“Verity even prepared a small gold lock for the child. She said she wishes the baby to arrive safely. She’s from the countryside and doesn’t earn much; she saved for a long time to buy that gold lock.”

“She also wanted to apologize to you, saying she had troubled you for a long time.”

Clayton spoke with such honesty.

If I had not discovered them cheating today, I might truly have believed Verity was sincere, and I might even have felt glad that the child would have another aunt who cared for her.

I abruptly pushed him away and said in a cold voice, “I don’t want anything from her.”

Clayton was surprised.

“Celestine…”

“My child.”

I stared at him and said slowly, “I will provide her with the best myself.”

Just as Clayton was about to pull me into his arms and continue speaking, Verity’s restrained sobbing suddenly came from the attic.

“Brother… I’m a little afraid…”

Clayton’s face changed instantly. He shoved me aside and rushed out while shouting upstairs, “Don’t be scared, brother is here!”

With a loud sound, I lost my footing from the push, and my back hit the headboard heavily, the pain darkening my sight.

I gripped my stomach, panting heavily. At that instant, I could not decide whether my body ached more or my heart suffered more.

Early the following morning, I saw Clayton wearing an apron in front of the stove, his actions smooth and patient. Verity looked up at him with gentle brows, carefully dabbing away his sweat.

If strangers had seen this moment, they would think they were the true family, and I was simply an extra presence.

I held back the urge to vomit and walked over to take a seat.

When Clayton noticed me, he spoke softly, “Wife, you’re awake? I made seafood. It’s your favorite shrimp and grits. Try some.”

I lowered my gaze to the shrimp and grits inside the bowl, my mind slightly blank.

I clearly remembered that before Clayton and I officially got together, because my stomach was weak, he cooked shrimp and grits for me daily. At that time, I often skipped meals due to work, and he was the one who watched over me and would not let me go hungry.

Was that tenderness only a performance?

Were those ten years of love only an act?

While my mind was still in a mess, Verity took the lead to ladle a bowl of shrimp and grits for me and carefully passed it over.

“Sister-in-law, thank you for allowing me to stay here. Last night, I truly caused trouble for my brother. He kept looking after me, and you’re pregnant, yet had to sleep alone. I feel very sorry about that.”

My heart tightened, and the small warmth that had risen because of the shrimp and grits faded instantly.

Every sentence Verity spoke sounded apologetic, yet each word seemed to purposely remind me that last night Clayton chose her over me.

I did not want to answer her.

Yet suddenly her wrist tipped, and the whole bowl of steaming shrimp and grits in her hand spilled in my direction.

I backed away in panic and watched helplessly as the hot porridge scattered over the table and onto the floor.

She cried out as if startled and stumbled backward.

Immediately, Clayton had already hurried over and pulled her close.

“Verity, did you get burned?”

His voice was clearly anxious as he lowered his head and repeatedly examined her hands.

And I, the pregnant woman who should have received more care, did not even get a single glance from him.

My heart dropped.

Verity’s eyes quickly turned red, her voice shaking.

“I’m alright… brother, if sister-in-law is unhappy, I can leave… don’t waste the shrimp and grits you made yourself.”

She glanced at me timidly, as if afraid I would create a scene.

Before I could speak, Clayton had already knitted his brows.

“Celestine.”

His voice held restrained anger and blame. “No matter how upset you are or how much you dislike Verity, you shouldn’t bully her like this.”

My eyes widened, staring at him in shock, yet Clayton kept accusing me.

“The shrimp and grits are so hot. What if it had splashed on Verity’s hand and left a scar? You’re pregnant, so I tolerate you in everything, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat Verity this way.”

Suppressing the pain in my chest, I gritted my teeth and answered, “What nonsense is that? I never did such a thing. I would never stoop to that kind of behavior to bully someone!”

As soon as I finished speaking, Verity quickly shook her head and spoke up for me.

“It wasn’t sister-in-law. My hand slipped, and I didn’t hold the bowl firmly, so it spilled. It’s my fault.”

She stepped forward to take the blame, yet I felt disgusted, as though I had eaten something dirty. I had not done it at all, but after she spoke, it sounded as though she had endured all the injustice.

Clayton’s expression darkened.

“Celestine, are you still trying to put the blame on Verity? She is sensible enough to take responsibility for you, but as her sister-in-law, you shouldn’t treat a patient this way!”

I could not believe he would speak to me that way. A bitter taste rose in my throat, and I was unable to reply for a moment.

In Clayton’s eyes, had I already become the type who would set others up?

“Clayton, you don’t trust me?”

I heard myself ask with difficulty, word by word.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Clayton’s voice lowered. “It’s just that I clearly know what kind of person Verity is.”

What kind of person was Verity?

And what kind of person was I?

I laughed out of anger and raised my hand to point at the surveillance overhead.

“There’s surveillance at home. If you want to see what really happened, you can check it right now!”

The moment I spoke about the surveillance, my heart trembled.

Since I became pregnant, Clayton had been worried about leaving me alone, so he had installed surveillance in the living room, saying it would make me feel safer.

Now it had become the means for me to defend myself.

As Clayton was about to respond, Verity cried and interrupted.

“Brother, sister-in-law, please stop fighting.”

She wiped her eyes. “It’s my fault. I made my sister-in-law misunderstand. Brother, I’m truly okay. Let’s eat quickly, or the shrimp and grits will get cold.”

Clayton exhaled slowly, seeming to regain control. He looked at me, his tone gentler.

“Sorry, wife. I misunderstood you earlier. I was only panicked because I was worried.”

I watched them perform together so smoothly, and a strong feeling of weakness filled my heart. Finally, I said in a flat tone, “Whatever you want.”

My strange reaction made Clayton hesitate. He reached over and caught my hand, trying to comfort me.

“Wife, didn’t we plan to visit the mall today to buy things for the baby? I’ll go with you.”

I almost refused right away.

But the words stopped at my mouth and went back down.

The divorce papers were not yet officially effective. I could not break things openly with Clayton at this moment.

And I worried that if he found out about the divorce, he would fight me over the child. It was better to be careful.

So I nodded.

Still, a thought remained in my heart that I did not want to face.

Maybe Clayton did not love me.

But he loved the baby.

If it were possible, I still wished that after the child was born, there would be complete love from a father.

But when I finished preparing and stepped outside, I saw Verity also standing by the door.

Before I could say anything, Clayton had already explained, “I was worried Verity would feel bored staying home alone, so I brought her with us.”

I did not respond and simply opened the door and walked out.

Behind me, Clayton seemed unused to my reaction.

The former me, even when upset or jealous, would pull him aside to talk things through, or act soft and seek his comfort.

I had never treated him as invisible like this.

Clayton looked at my back and lightly shook his head.

He only assumed I was unusually angry this time.

As he followed, he was already thinking about what presents to buy later.

After all, I had loved him deeply; if he comforted me a little, I would give in again.

At the mall, the mood between us at first could still be called peaceful.

Clayton pushed the shopping cart, lowered his head, and carefully checked the fabric of the baby clothes on the shelves. His fingers touched each piece as he asked whether this material might irritate the skin or whether that color was too dark.

He selected everything with great care, not even glancing at the price tags. Toys, feeding bottles, tiny socks, he placed them into the cart one by one, choosing only the best.

Along the way, he barely noticed Verity, fully showing an attitude of trying to make things up to me.

This was a picture I had once dreamed of many times, yet now it felt like ginger mixed into a meatball, hard to swallow.

Yet I still could not help believing that even if Clayton had wronged me and neglected this marriage, he at least sincerely expected this child and would be a responsible father.

After all, in these ten years, I had also seen that Clayton was very capable of caring for others.

Just then, the familiar and embarrassing need to use the restroom during pregnancy came again.

I told Clayton I was heading to the restroom and asked him to go to the jewelry shop to pick up the custom safety lock prepared for the baby.

Clayton agreed with a smile.

But when I left the restroom and walked toward the gold shop, I saw a scene that hurt my eyes.

Standing before the gold shop counter, just below Verity’s collarbone, hung a familiar item.

It was the safety lock I had personally selected the design for, adjusted the size for, and waited half a month to have crafted for the baby.

Blood rushed to my head, and my stomach rolled violently.

I nearly ran forward to snatch the safety lock back.

Before I could reach the lock, someone grabbed my wrist hard. I lost my balance and stumbled back a step.

Clayton stood in front of me, his brows drawn tight. “Wife, what are you doing?”

I stared at him, my voice shaking. “Clayton, I should be asking you that. Why did you give the safety lock I prepared for the baby to Verity?”

Verity seemed shocked and leaned closer into Clayton’s arms, but her fingers clutched the lock tightly, her eyes reddening instantly.

She spoke in a soft and gentle tone. “Sister-in-law, please don’t be angry. I’ve never had a safety lock before. Earlier, my chest felt a little uncomfortable. After wearing it, I suddenly felt better. Maybe… this lock and I are meant to be.”

“If you mind, I can pay for it. Please let me keep this lock, alright?”

I looked at the lock on her chest and coldly laughed. “This was prepared for my child, not something for you to use to treat illness!”

Clayton softened his voice and told me, “Wife, alright, don’t cause a scene. I’ll buy you an even better one, okay? Let Verity have this one. It’s rare to have such a fate.”

I looked up at him and suddenly felt that the man before me was like a stranger.

“Fate? Does it have fate just because you say it does?”

I questioned him, word by word. “This belongs to my child. She isn’t qualified to take it!”

I shook off Clayton’s hand and reached toward the red cord to untie it.

Before my fingers could touch it, Verity suddenly clutched her chest. Her face grew white, and her body seemed unable to support itself as she slid down.

“Brother…” she said weakly, tears dropping immediately, “my heart feels very uncomfortable.”

Clayton almost instinctively caught her in his arms, his face changing sharply, his voice anxious. “Don’t speak. I’ll take you to the hospital!”

I remained where I was, watching him carry her away, my heart feeling tightly squeezed by something invisible.

“Stop.”

I said it, but my voice trembled beyond control.

Clayton turned around, impatience and anger written across his face.

“What more do you want? Verity is already having an episode, and you’re still standing here arguing out of jealousy for what? Do you realize you look like a mad, jealous woman right now? Celestine, when did you become like this?”

“You used to be thoughtful and fair!”

Jealous woman?

I stared at the man before me with deep disappointment, but inside I was strangely calm, no longer controlled by him.

I inhaled deeply, my nails digging into my skin. “If you want to leave, then go. Give back the safety lock.”

His expression went completely cold. “Celestine, you’ve gone too far. Can’t you even let go of such a small item? She’s having a heart attack, and you’re still arguing over this. How can you be so heartless?”

“You’re being completely unreasonable!”

The baby had not even been born, yet Clayton was already able to hand over the baby’s belongings to Verity just because she felt unwell.

Then, after the child was born?

If Verity felt upset, would the child be beaten and scolded as she pleased?

That thought made my entire body go cold.

I did not move forward to stop him again and slowly released my grip.

At that moment, I completely made my decision.

Clayton was no longer qualified to have any connection with my child.

After I left, I would cut all ties with Clayton and find a new father for the baby, so she could receive full fatherly love, but it would not be Clayton.

Clayton’s steps slowed, and for no clear reason, unease crossed his heart. His grip on Verity tightened, and he hesitated slightly.

As he was about to speak, Verity softly called out to him, her tone weak and relying on him.

He immediately regained his focus and walked away faster.