After working overtime at the company for an entire week, I finally finish the last project on my plate and rush home. Not wanting to wake my sleeping wife, Mia Lawson, I carefully push the door open as quietly as I can.

But the house is nothing like the silence I expected.

A man's unrestrained laughter cuts sharply through the air.

"You're already pregnant and still this bold. Aren't you afraid your husband will catch you?"

"Why would I be? He hasn't been home for almost a week. Besides, once I tell him I'm pregnant, he'll be over the moon. There's no way he'll notice anything."

In an instant, my hands and feet turn ice-cold, and blood rushes to my head. I'm about to charge in and catch them in the act when my phone suddenly vibrates with a follow-up message from the hospital.

"Mr. Brooks, thank you for choosing our hospital for your vasectomy. We wish you and your wife a lifetime of happiness."

A lifetime of happiness?

I stare at those words, let out a cold laugh, and regain my composure. Then I turn around and call my divorce lawyer.

When I came home the next day, my wife, Mia Lawson, was still asleep in bed. At the sound of my voice, she slowly opened her eyes, her face lighting up with exaggerated delight.

"Owen, you're finally back. I missed you so much."

She climbed out of bed and hurried over, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Darling, you've been gone for days. I missed you to death."

Mia was always this passionate whenever I came home, but only now did I realize that her warmth wasn't meant for me alone.

When she puckered her lips and leaned in for a kiss, I quietly turned my head aside. She froze, staring at me in surprise. I had never avoided her affectionate advances before.

Looking at the woman I had loved for three years, I felt as though a dull blade was cutting through my heart.

"Mia, is there anything you want to tell me?"

I took a deep breath as I decided to give her one last chance.

"What is it? Why are you suddenly calling me by name? Did I do something wrong again?" She pouted and tapped my chest lightly. "Is it because I didn't go to see you the past few days? But you know I can't cook. I'd be too embarrassed to visit you empty-handed."

Neither of our families had much money, but after we got married, I never let her suffer through work again. I was the only one out there grinding day and night.

She was a full-time housewife in name, but because I felt sorry for her, I hired help to do all the housework. She hadn't lifted a finger since then.

And it was exactly because of this that she had time to fool around with another man.

The anger I had been holding back surged up all at once. I stared straight into Mia's eyes.

"I'm not joking."

A flicker of panic crossed her face, then vanished almost immediately.

"Oh, come on. What are you talking about? I really don't know."

She nuzzled her head against my neck, the same trick she always used to act cute. In the past, I would have already pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

This time, though, I saw the glaring red marks on her neck.

I swallowed the wave of disgust and gently pushed her away, pointing it out. "Your neck."

Her face went pale for a split second, and she quickly tugged her nightdress up to cover the hickeys.

"Oh, you mean this? I… I accidentally bumped into something yesterday. I didn't even notice it myself."

My heart turned completely cold when she continued to lie to me. I didn't expose her further and simply responded with a flat "Hmm."

"Oh, stop staring at me. You must be hungry. I'll make you breakfast."

She hastily changed the subject, heading into the kitchen to prepare some pancakes and a glass of milk for me.

She acted as if she loved me deeply. That was why I always believed we were one of those couples everyone admired and envied for being so devoted.

As I watched Mia bustle around the room, I almost convinced myself that everything I saw last night was nothing more than a nightmare. But the messy bed and the hickeys on her neck shattered every illusion. This woman had betrayed me, undeniably and completely.

When she went into the kitchen, she forgot to take her phone with her. It vibrated a few times, and the screen showed a message from Jackson Cabot.

"Tsk, such a teasing little jinx. Remember to miss me."

I frowned and locked the screen.

After Mia finished reheating breakfast, she finally realized she had left her phone behind and walked over, clearly nervous. When she saw the dark screen, she quietly let out a sigh of relief.

I watched her every move, sneering inwardly.

As I stared at the pancakes in my hand, hot on the outside and raw within, my thoughts drifted back to the days when Mia and I first got together.

Back then, I was a serious, hardworking senior in college, with good grades and no dating history.

Mia, on the other hand, was the famous social butterfly from the vocational school next door.

When we first started dating, no one believed we would last. Yet I was determined to stay with her. At the time, I thought she was innocent and gentle. I believed all the rumors swirling around her were nothing more than envy-fueled lies.

Every day, when I came home from my internship, a steaming meal would be waiting for me.

It was only after we got married that I learned that those meals had all been ordered in advance as takeout.

Even so, I never complained. Instead, I was moved, convinced that she loved me without holding anything back.

"Owen, I have good news for you."

She suddenly looked at me shyly and held out a pregnancy test.

"You're going to be a dad."

I stared at the two lines on the stick. Thinking of what she had said to Jackson last night, a cold smile tugged at my lips.

I was an orphan. Growing up, I had desperately wanted a family of my own. After marrying Mia, I had actively tried for a baby, but the first pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

I wanted a baby badly, but I could not bear to let her take that risk again. After the miscarriage, I went and had a vasectomy on my own.

I never imagined that she would end up pregnant with another man's baby.

How could she be this cruel?

I clenched the pregnancy test in my hand and curved my lips slightly. "Yes. That really is good news."

"Then when are we going to sign the paperwork?" Mia snatched the test back, looking up at me with a smug look. "You promised before that you'd transfer this apartment in my name."

I froze for a moment. After her miscarriage, I had been beside myself with grief. No matter what she asked for back then, I agreed to everything. That included transferring the apartment I had worked for five years to pay off in her name.

At the time, I believed that if we were spending our lives together, it didn't matter whose name the property was under.

Now it was clear. She was trying to swallow my assets and leave me with nothing.

As the saying went, time would reveal a person's true nature. Perhaps I was finally starting to see what she was really like.

"There's no need to rush. We'll do the paperwork."

I tightened my grip on her wrist and smiled meaningfully. "I just hope that when you see the documents, you'll be just as eager as you are now."

…

That afternoon, I drove to my childhood friend's place.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Brooks, the one I failed to recruit."

Mason Hayes laughed the moment he saw me, slinging an arm over my shoulder.

"Showing up with whiskey out of nowhere. What is it? Finally had a change of heart and decided to join my company?"

A year ago, as the head of another major company in the industry, Mason had tried every possible way to poach me. Back then, I had refused because I couldn't bear to leave Mia.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head, finally laying bare the secrets of my marriage.

"Mia is just unbelievable!" Mason snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "You held nothing back and gave her everything, and she still cheated on you. If you ask me, you should never have gotten together with her in the first place."

I took a hard gulp of whiskey. "I don't even know how it turned out like this. Back then, she was so good to me. Even after the miscarriage, she never blamed me. But now…"

Mason's expression shifted several times. After hesitating for a long while, he pulled his phone out, scrolled through his photo gallery, and placed it in front of me.

It was a consent form for a drug-induced abortion.

And under the section for the accompanying person was a signature—Jackson.

I snatched up the phone, staring at the words in disbelief.

"I always felt something was off," Mason said quietly. "But I only found solid proof recently. I was afraid it would hurt you, so I never dared to say anything."

My eyes locked onto Mia's name on the screen. Rage flooded my chest.

"So both this pregnancy and the last one were Jackson's children."

How dare she go this far?

In that instant, the property transfer documents flashed through my mind. Everything suddenly fell into place.

Mia must have been cheating on me for a long time, and she might have even been pregnant with Jackson's baby back then. But at the time, she was a housewife with no income, and Jackson was just a college student. So she didn't dare to give birth to the baby.

But things were different now—she was about to get my apartment.

Once all my assets were in her hands, she would have nothing to fear. Even if she got pregnant, she would only think about running off with her lover.

Thinking back on it now, I felt like a complete fool.

My breathing turned ragged. My body swayed as I braced myself against the table to keep from collapsing.

"Owen, are you alright?" Mason rushed to steady me. "Don't wreck your health over this. Divorce her. You should just cut ties completely with a woman like that.

"As for Jackson, he's only so arrogant because he's the CEO's illegitimate son. But everyone knows you're the real backbone of that company. Say the word, and I'll help you bring Cabot Corporation down."

"You're right." I clenched the phone in my hand, lowering my voice. "I'm going to make them pay."

…

A few days later, it happened to be Mia's birthday. Using overtime as an excuse, I stayed out late into the night discussing the divorce with my lawyer.

When I returned to the apartment complex, I saw Jackson's luxury car parked downstairs. My blood went cold instantly. I parked my car, hurried upstairs, and pushed the door open.

I walked straight into Jackson as he was about to leave, while Mia leaned against the entryway, gazing at him with clear reluctance.

They both froze for a split second when they saw me.

Mia recovered first. "Owen, you're done with overtime? It's my birthday today. Jackson came by specially to bring me a gift."

A gift? More like he delivered himself to her doorstep.

I looked straight at the man in front of me, meeting his gaze. I had to admit, he did have the looks to charm women.

He sized me up from head to toe, the disdain in his eyes undisguised.

"You work yourself to the bone every single day. You don't even have time to spend your wife's birthday with her," he sneered. "And you only make that small amount of money? How about I talk to my dad and have you fired? That way you can find a new job."

"Fire me?"

I forced myself to hold back from punching him. With a cold smile, I raised a brow and shot back, "Please. In this company, I matter a lot more than you."

Everyone in the company knew it. Jackson was nothing more than the CEO's illegitimate son. Aside from getting his monthly allowance, he held no real power.

I, on the other hand, was responsible for the company's entire underlying framework—its lifeline.