I am well aware of how much Skyler Jackson once loved me. Our families have been close for generations, so we grew up together like childhood sweethearts. Ever since we were little, he dedicated everything he did to me. As a child, I adored the spiced honey cake from a bakery in the north of town, and he went above and beyond to hire the pastry chef just to make it for me.

When we moved to London during middle school, Skyler, who was accustomed to a life of luxury, left his comfort behind to live alone in London, just so he could attend the same school and be with me every day. Later, when it was time for university, he didn’t hesitate to turn down an offer from a Swiss institution and followed me to the Netherlands for my studies.

I remember feeling a pang of guilt and telling him he didn’t have to always stay by my side, that his kindness was something I would never forget. But he would simply say, "Caroline, don’t worry about me. Just go ahead and live your life to the fullest. I'll always be there, right behind you—that's my purpose."

It was during Thanksgiving, with fireworks lighting up the sky, that I gazed upon him, my heart full of gratitude. I whispered a wish, "Caroline and Skyler, forever and always." That was the day I decided to pause and build a joyful life with Skyler Jackson.

The day I accepted his proposal, he was so thrilled he couldn’t sleep all night. He raced around the entire city of London, ensuring every billboard screamed, "Skyler Jackson is marrying the love of his life, CE." His elite friends in London playfully teased him about it, saying that in love, Skyler was like a child in a candy store. They joked that I, Caroline, was the very heartbeat of Skyler Jackson.

When I decided to settle down with him in New York, my dad was strongly opposed. Although he thought Skyler would make a great son-in-law, he didn’t want me to move so far away. Back then, I reassured my parents with conviction, saying, "I'm Skyler's whole world—he can't live without me. I believe he won't let me down."

Looking back now, it all seems rather laughable. Who in this world can’t live without someone? How could it be that Skyler truly couldn’t live without me?

The afternoon coffee gathering dragged on for three hours. When it finally ended, I didn't even need to call Skyler; he was already waiting at the entrance right on time. He hurried over with a kind of reverence, wrapping his arm around my waist and gently clasping my left hand with his right, our rings softly clinking together. Onlookers often praised the unbreakable bond between us, but all I could sense was the sterile smell of hospitals and a cheap cologne.

Once the car started, the driver avoided meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror. Skyler handed me a takeaway coffee, its bag displaying the logo of the café downstairs. He took off the lid and gently blew on it.

"You’ve been wanting coffee lately, haven’t you? It's your favorite flavor," he said. "But just for the baby, hold off. Just take a sip, and I'll finish the rest."

Before I was pregnant, my guilty pleasure was a cappuccino from that café—half sugar. In the early days of my pregnancy, I often craved coffee in the dead of night. Skyler would tirelessly drive to the café late at night to get me a cappuccino, just so I could fall asleep to its rich aroma. Those were probably the times I troubled Skyler the most. I couldn’t control my mood swings, and giving up everything I loved for the baby made me feel aggrieved. When I was unhappy, Skyler would bear the burden with me.

After calming down, I'd apologize to Skyler, but he would hold my hand tightly, tears in his eyes, saying, “If I’d known having a child would cause you so much pain, I would never have asked you to go through with it.”

Thinking about it now, I haven't irrationally lashed out at Skyler in quite some time. When did that change? Probably since I became aware of Miss Lydia’s existence. I chuckled bitterly to myself.

Now, Skyler was actively bringing me cappuccinos, but was it out of sympathy for the struggles of my pregnancy or was he trying to cover up his recent meeting with Miss Lydia behind my back? I closed my eyes, which were stinging, and leaned in closer to the coffee cup, inhaling deeply. The soothing aroma that once brought me comfort was gone, overpowered by the sharp scent of Skyler’s unfamiliar cologne.

I couldn't hold back and gagged. Skyler immediately patted my back gently. He assumed it was just a normal pregnancy reaction and had the driver pull over.

As the acid churned unrelentingly in my stomach, I rubbed at the dull ache in my heart, feeling for the first time with clarity that the stomach is indeed a vessel of emotions. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and with a flushed face, I calmly said, “Skyler, I’m nauseous.”

He looked at me, full of concern. "Caroline, you can't even stand the smell of your favorite cappuccino now?"

I forced a smile and shook my head. "It's not the coffee. It's the smell on you that's making me sick."

Skyler froze, his eyes mirroring the tremor in mine. His voice came out dry, "What smell?"

What Skyler didn't know was that Miss Lydia and I had already secretly met.

Bianca Lewis had just graduated from a top-notch finance program at a university near Skyler Jackson's company. She had the vibrant energy and dreamy naivety typical of young women, along with a practicality that I respected. She had plenty of time to be by Skyler's side during my pregnancy. However, she lacked the perspective and grace that often come from growing up in a privileged environment.

I took the initiative to arrange our meeting. When Bianca first saw me, she was wearing an extravagant Victorian-style dress, a stark contrast to her usual attire. The fabric looked freshly purchased, an obvious sign that she had gotten it specifically for this occasion. Aside from the dress, her appearance was straightforward, reflecting the effort she had put into this encounter.

I sat across from her, noticing the slight tremor in her demeanor throughout our conversation. I took off my wedding ring and placed it on the table between us. I asked if she was aware that Skyler had a family. Her face turned ghostly pale, and after a long pause, she shook her head and claimed she didn't know.

I chuckled softly, choosing not to call out her lie. Before my pregnancy, I often visited Skyler's office after completing my design projects. Everyone there was aware of how Skyler, so authoritative in the business realm, would kneel to help me put on my shoes. Even if Bianca was new to the company, it seemed unlikely she was oblivious to my presence.

Rather than disgrace her, I chose to speak about things unrelated to Skyler and me. I shared stories about my success during my studies in the Netherlands and the business deals I had clinched through my own efforts. I told her that my accomplishments would never allow me to become the woman who destroys a family.

After our conversation, I picked up my bag and got into the car Skyler had arrived in to pick me up. Oblivious to what had transpired, he gently ran his fingers through my hair and asked, “Did you catch up with an old friend?”

Out of Skyler's view, I saved the audio recording of my chat with Bianca. “I was trying to help someone find the right path.”

Skyler stayed focused on the road and muttered, “My Caroline is truly kind.”

I looked at Skyler’s somewhat unfamiliar features. But Skyler, with me, there will be no chance for you to amend your ways. Once I'm fully prepared to make my exit, there will be no room for you in my world.