I looked at the little charm Hudson kept on his desk, a stuffed bear that was not particularly well-made. I had laughingly asked him when he had started liking cutesy stuff like that.

Hudson had replied that it was a freebie he got with his coffee. I had not thought much of it at the time and even found the contrast kind of adorable.

Thinking back, the day Mia moved into our house, she had a stuffed bunny in the same style hanging from her suitcase. They were a matching set, and I had been too blind to see it.

Then there was last month's company team-building dinner. I had brought Mia along as my plus-one because I did not want her to feel lonely at home. During the meal, they served Cajun crawfish, which was my absolute favorite. Hudson put on gloves and peeled a whole bowl of them.

I was thrilled and ready to take the bowl when he casually pushed it in front of Mia instead.

"Mia hasn't had much of an appetite lately, and it's rare for her to want something spicy. Let her have this bowl first. I'll get more for you in a bit."

Everyone at the table praised him for being such a thoughtful man, taking such good care of even my best friend. Even though I felt a pang of jealousy, I forced myself to be understanding.

I even replied, "You're right. Mia's appetite has been pretty bad, so it's great when she actually wants to eat something."

I wanted to slap myself for being so stupid back then.

After thinking it through, I made my decision. Divorce was inevitable, but now was not the right time. To avoid tipping them off, I swallowed my disgust and came home right on schedule.

When I opened the door, the smell of home-cooked food hit me.

Hudson came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and carrying a pot of soup, while Mia sat at the dining table, sneaking a piece of meat.

"Honey, you're home! Go wash your hands and come eat. I made your favorite minestrone soup today."

Hudson's smile was warm and gentle. He kept putting food on Mia's plate while saying things like, "Mia, eat more. You're eating for two now. Don't worry about saving Charlotte's money, she makes plenty."

Mia shot him a flirtatious look, then turned to me. "Oh my gosh, Hudson is so good to me. Charlotte, you're not jealous, are you?"

Watching her act all innocent after getting what she wanted made me roll my eyes internally.

"Of course not," I said, smiling faintly.

I picked up a juicy piece of meat and dropped it into Mia's plate. "Eat up. You need to put on some weight for the baby."

That evening, I used work as an excuse to stay in the study. I did not come out until late into the night, moving as quietly as possible.

As I passed the guest room, I heard muffled voices inside. "Hudson… I want to…"

Mia's voice was sickeningly sweet. "The doctor said it's okay to have sex during the second trimester…"

"No." Hudson's voice was rough but firm. "What if it hurts the baby? Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

"But I want you so bad… It's been forever since you touched me… Be good now. For our baby's sake, okay? Just a few more months."

I stood outside the door, my whole body ice cold.

After a while, Hudson walked out looking flushed and frustrated.

My heart jumped, and I quickly slipped into the bedroom and got into bed. The next second, he walked in and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

His hands urgently slipped under my nightgown. "Honey… you're still awake?"

I felt sick to my stomach and shoved Hudson away hard.

Hudson froze, his expression darkening. "Honey, what's wrong? It's been half a month since we…"

"I'm exhausted today. I don't feel well." I turned away coldly so he could not see the disgust in my eyes. "Plus, I have to get up early tomorrow to meet a client. I'm not in the mood."

A flash of anger crossed Hudson's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. "Fine. Your work is the most important thing. You've become such a career woman, you don't even care about your husband anymore."

With that, he grabbed his pillow. "I'll sleep in the guest room, so I don't disturb you."

After he left, I peeked through the door crack and saw he did not go to the empty guest room at all. Instead, he went straight into Mia's room.

I laughed bitterly to myself, then locked the bedroom door.

…

Watching Mia's belly grow bigger day by day, and seeing Hudson fuss over her constantly, the hatred inside me snowballed. But on the surface, I became calmer and calmer.

Soon came our seventh wedding anniversary. We had a tradition we never broke: no matter how busy we were, we would go see a movie together on this day every year, reliving our first date.

Hudson had even booked the tickets a week in advance. The screen showed a touching romance. I held the popcorn Hudson had bought, but I felt nothing.

Hudson sat beside me, physically present but his mind already elsewhere. His phone screen lit up every few minutes.

The movie had barely been playing for half an hour when Hudson's phone started buzzing. He glanced at the screen, and his expression changed drastically.

"Hello? Mia? What's wrong? Your stomach hurts?"

My grip on the popcorn tightened.

"What? Okay, don't panic. I'm coming home right now!"

Hudson hung up and turned to me, looking apologetic. "Honey, I'm sorry. Mia's having severe stomach pain. I need to go check on her. It would be bad if something happened."

I looked at his face in the dim glow of the big screen. "Hudson, it's our seventh anniversary. The movie isn't even over yet."

"Come on, honey, we can watch a movie anytime. Why are you being so unreasonable!" Hudson frowned impatiently. Without even waiting for my response, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the theater.

I sat there alone in the darkness, watching the couple on screen kiss, and it all felt painfully ironic.

When I got home, Mia was lounging on the couch, playing with a rose in her hand. She did not look like she suffered any stomach pain at all. She was even wearing my pajamas.

When she saw me come in, she stroked her belly and lazily sat up. "Charlotte, you're back! Your pajama set is really nice, so I borrowed it to wear. You don't mind, do you?"

I frowned. In the past, Mia and I had been close enough to share clothes without a second thought. But now, her wearing my pajamas felt like she was saying she wanted my pajamas and my husband too.

I looked at Mia's bulging belly and thought she probably only had about a month left before giving birth.

I forced down my anger and smiled. "If you like them that much, they're yours."

Without waiting for her reaction, I walked straight into the study and locked the door behind me. Then I called my lawyer, Robert Williams.

"The timing's about right. I'm sending you all the evidence I've collected now. Please put together divorce papers as soon as possible. I want Hudson to leave with nothing."

Before I knew it, the day of Mia's delivery arrived. Hudson had even calculated the timing and taken time off work in advance to stay home and wait, then rushed her to the hospital at the first sign of labor.

When I got there, Hudson was pacing back and forth outside the delivery room, hands clasped together as he prayed nonstop. The moment he saw me, he immediately tried to hide how anxious he had been acting.

"Honey, Mia's inside. The doctor said she's having some complications with the delivery. She's your best friend, so I was really worried…"

I walked up to him with a smile. "It's fine. After all, this is kind of a big moment for us too."

Hudson wiped the sweat from his forehead, avoiding my eyes. "Yeah… The more support she has, the better."

Just then, the delivery room door opened. A loud baby's cry cut through the awkward atmosphere.

A nurse came out carrying a bundle and said, "Congratulations, the mother and baby are both safe. It's a boy, six pounds eight ounces."

Hudson's eyes lit up instantly, and he was overwhelmed with joy. He kept muttering, "That's wonderful… As long as they're safe, that's all that matters."

Mia was wheeled out next. Although her face was pale, she wore a happy and smug smile when she saw Hudson.

"Hudson, look how adorable the baby is…" she said weakly, her eyes glued to Hudson and completely ignoring my presence.

Hudson gently touched the baby's cheek with his finger, his eyes full of tenderness. "He really is adorable. He's perfect…"

He suddenly realized I was still standing there, and his smile stiffened. "H-Honey, look, the baby kind of looks like… like Mia, don't you think?"

I let out a cold laugh. "He is pretty cute."

Then I acted slightly surprised and joked, "Oh wow, Hudson, the baby's eyes and eyebrows look a lot like yours too, don't they?"

Hudson's face went pale, and he forced a smile. "Honey, you must be joking. Newborns are all wrinkly when they're first born. You can't really tell who they look like…"

I smiled and said nothing more.

Mia was moved to a recovery room next door, and Hudson used concern as an excuse to go take care of her.

I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom. A little while later, a doctor handed me a report. It was the paternity test I had paid extra to have rushed.

Standing outside the hospital room, I glanced at Hudson and Mia, who were immersed in their joy, then lowered my eyes to the report.

When I saw the confirmed biological relationship between Hudson and the baby, I felt happier than they did. I could not even suppress the smile spreading across my face.

After tucking away the report, I walked straight into the room. Under Hudson's confused gaze, I pulled out a document and slapped it against his chest.

"Hudson, sign it."

When he saw the divorce papers, Hudson's eyes widened instantly, and his whole body went rigid. "Y-You want a divorce?"