"Come to think of it, Corey’s the one who’s out of his mind. Why insist on a child-free marriage for no reason?"

As the people around them mocked me, Darren, who had always taken my side no matter what since we were kids, let out a scornful laugh and actually chimed in, "He’s been spoiled. That’s why he doesn’t know how to think about anyone else."

Deanna held Darren’s hand as she smiled at him with unmistakable affection. "Darren, by giving me this child, you’re not just my savior, you’re a hero to my entire family. From now on, our lives will be even more tightly connected. We’ll never be apart."

Hearing her say that, tears slipped down my face. I almost couldn’t stay standing.

Back then, when my mother had given birth to me, there were complications. She hemorrhaged and died before she ever got the chance to hold me.

Because of that, I had always been afraid of childbirth. From the very beginning of our relationship, I told Deanna that I planned to remain child-free for the rest of my life. If she couldn’t accept that, we should end things right there.

At the time, Deanna had held me tightly, whispering into my ear with emotion, "Being able to meet you in this life is already enough for me. Having children or not doesn’t matter. My love for you won’t lessen by even a fraction."

I had been deeply moved. I thought I had found a woman who loved me beyond instinct, beyond biology—a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.

Only now, seeing the way Deanna looked at Darren, did I realize just how wrong I had been.

Someone in the room asked, "So what, are you two planning to keep this from Corey forever? Now that there’s a baby, why not just tell him the truth? Get the divorce over with, and then you can be together openly."

Everyone turned to look at the two of them.

Deanna shook her head immediately. "That’s not possible. Darren and Corey have been best friends for over twenty years. I couldn’t bear to let him lose his closest friend because of me.

"And besides, my career is deeply tied to the Grahams. There’s no way I can completely fall out with Corey.

"So from the very beginning, Darren and I agreed that no matter what, we could never let Corey find out about our relationship. Divorce was never an option."

So she knew it too. She knew that everything she had now, including her wealth and status, came from my support and investment. The only reason she stayed with me was for the benefits.

A wave of sighs rippled through the room. Someone looked at Darren with sympathy. "Darren, you’re such a proud person. Are you really okay with you and your child staying in the shadows forever?"

Darren let out a low laugh. He tilted Deanna’s face toward him and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

"Marriage is just a piece of paper. I don’t care about that.

"Sneaking around right under Corey’s nose for a lifetime? Just thinking about it is exciting."

If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed those words could come from the best friend I had known for over twenty years.

The room was filled with laughter, and I felt like I had fallen straight into hell. Overnight, I had gone from the happiest man in the world to a complete joke, betrayed by both love and friendship.

What was even more pathetic was that I was the last one in our entire circle to find out.

The friends I thought were closest to me had all been helping them cover it up. They watched as I was played for a fool, and not a single one of them warned me.

With tears streaming down my face, I walked out of Blackline Club and dialed the legal department.

"Prepare the divorce papers. I want Deanna to leave with nothing. And there’s something else I need you to do for me…"

The next day was Harold Cunningham, Deanna’s grandfather’s 80th birthday.

The Cunninghams had been preparing for this celebration for a long time. Early that morning, the estate I had bought for them was already decorated from top to bottom. Streamers hung everywhere, flowers filled every corner, and they had even hired a live orchestra to perform.

The moment I stepped through the front gate, I saw Darren already seated at the main table inside.

Lydia Cunningham, my mother-in-law who had always treated me coldly, was now holding his hand with warmth, fussing over him with concern, "Darren, as a man working hard out there, you need to take care of your nutrition.

"You’re too thin. It hurts just looking at you. Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about Deanna and her unborn baby as well. From now on, I’ll prepare your three meals a day and have Deanna bring them to you."

Darren smiled, composed and perfectly at ease. When he saw me walk in, there wasn’t even a flicker of panic.

"Corey, on a day this important, why are you only just getting here? I’ve been waiting for you for a while."

If this had been before, I would have taken it as nothing more than polite conversation.

Now, I could clearly hear the subtle jab beneath his words—a quiet way of putting me down, implying that I didn’t even take my own family’s important events seriously.

Sure enough, the expressions of the Cunninghams at the table, which were already far from welcoming, grew even colder.

"Well, he maintains an exceptionally demanding schedule. The fact that he showed up at all is already something. What more can we expect?"

Mrs. Cunningham’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Then, as if flipping a switch, she turned with a bright smile and handed Darren a plate of strawberries. "Darren, this is your favorite. Deanna flew them in this morning."

Darren gestured for me to sit beside him.

I ignored it and took a seat farthest from him.

"When did Deanna get pregnant?" I asked calmly. "Lydia already knows, yet I’m the only one still in the dark."

A flicker of guilt crossed Darren’s face, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "We just found out. We were planning to tell you today. Didn’t expect Mrs. Cunningham to notice first."

"Of course I noticed," Mrs. Cunningham chimed in. "How could you, Darren? You should have told us such wonderful news sooner!"

She added, not forgetting to take a jab at me, "Corey, you can't father a child with my daughter. How dare you stand in the way of someone continuing the Cunningham family line?"

I didn’t respond to her. My eyes remained fixed on Darren. "Where’s Deanna? When is she planning to marry you?"

Hearing the chill in my tone, the smile at the corner of Darren’s lips faded slightly.

"I don’t believe in marriage," he said. "No plans for that. Once the child is born, someone will raise it. No need for all the formalities."

I let out a small laugh. "You’re pretty carefree for a father. Most people do everything they can for their children, but you’d rather let yours grow up as an illegitimate child with no name, no status."

I emphasized the words "illegitimate child".

The entire room fell silent.

Darren’s face shifted between pale and flushed. He glared at me but couldn’t get a word out.

At that moment, Deanna finally appeared, helping her grandfather into the room. The second she saw Darren at the table, her expression changed instantly.

"Darren? Why are you here? Who invited you?"

"I did!" Mrs. Cunningham suddenly stood up, pointing at me as she snapped. "The old man is already 80 and still hasn’t held a great-grandchild, all because of this useless chap right here!

"Now that Darren finally got you pregnant with our family’s precious grandson, how could I possibly neglect him? Of course, I invited him to the celebration!"

Her words, though triggered by my provocation, tore away the last shred of Deanna’s pretense.

Deanna was so angry she nearly jumped. "Mom, what are you saying? Darren and I are completely innocent. How could the child I’m carrying be his?!"

She shot her mother frantic looks, but Mrs. Cunningham shoved her aside.

"What’s there to hide? If you couldn’t have children, that’s Corey’s fault to begin with. And now he even has the nerve to call my grandson illegitimate! I’ve waited so long for this child. How could I let anyone insult him like that?"

Deanna looked on the verge of tears, about to explain, but Darren stood up first and looked straight at me.

"Corey, you already knew, didn’t you? Since that’s the case, I won’t hide it anymore. Deanna is carrying my child.

"Over the years, I’ve seen everything she’s done for you. I envied you, and I resented you for not appreciating what you had. You wouldn’t even give her a child. A woman this good… If you don’t want her, plenty of other men do."

Right in front of me, he grabbed Deanna’s hand and declared firmly, "Deanna, whatever Corey can give you, I can give you too. I’m done hiding. Today, I’m going to be with you openly."

Deanna’s gaze flickered, as if weighing her options, but soon, she tightened her grip around his hand and looked at me with resolve.

"Since everything’s out in the open, Corey, let’s end this cleanly. Let’s get a divorce. I won’t take a single thing that belongs to you. But Cunningham Group is something I built with my own hands, so you’re not getting any part of it."

Seeing the audacity on her face, I actually laughed.

Without me, how would a broke student have secured funding right after graduation, built a company from nothing, landed hundreds of high-quality clients, and climbed into the top ranks of the wealthy in just ten years?

Well, it didn’t matter. Compared to dealing with her, there was something far more interesting I could do at the same time.

Right in front of Darren and Deanna, I took out my phone.

"It’s me. Corey Graham. Begin the capital takedown of Blackburn Group and Cunningham Group."