The first time Lena cheated, she dragged her lover in front of me with tears in her eyes and said I could deal with him however I wished.

Loving her to the bone, I chose to forgive her for this mistake.

The second time she cheated, I sent that man abroad and ordered him never to return.

On the night of our engagement party, Lena grabbed me by the throat and pressed a dagger tightly against my lower abdomen.

With red eyes, she asked, "Where is Owen? Don’t you know he’s the father of the child in my belly? It was me who couldn't control my feelings. If you're angry, take it out on me. Owen is innocent. He doesn't deserve any of this. I'm begging you, as long as the child is safely born, I’ll never see him again for the rest of my life."

She added, "Didn't you lose the ability to have children after the car accident? Let's keep this child, okay? Don’t worry, the child will only acknowledge you as the biological father. That’s my promise to you."

The tip of the blade pierced my lower abdomen and blood began to seep from the skin.

I smiled at her and told her where Owen was.

The sound of the door slamming echoed. Trembling, I pulled out my phone and dialed that number.

"This time, you were right. Can you help me out again?"

——

On the other end of the line, the woman cursed under her breath, her tone helpless. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve already gone abroad, how am I supposed to help you now? Mr. Cross, no offense, but for someone so smart, how did you end up falling for the same woman twice? Did you trade all your emotional intelligence for IQ?"

Pressing hard on the wound in my abdomen, my voice grew increasingly bitter. "I'm sorry. Consider this a debt I owe you. I'll give up thirty percent on our next project. Is that enough?"

The person on the other end perked up instantly, clearly interested. "Send me the time and location. I promise to be there on time. If you ever have this kind of ‘deal’ again, remember to call me! Fair trade, no tricks."

I sent the complete wedding planning proposal to Miya. She quickly replied with an "OK" emoji.

The once-prepared marital home had been smashed to pieces by Lena, a perfect reflection of my current state of mind.

After treating my wound alone, I staggered out of the villa.

Just as I finished checking into a hotel, Lena’s call came in again. The roar of airplane engines was loud, but I still clearly heard the suppressed fury in her voice.

"Gavin, I’m on a plane heading abroad right now, so I can’t be with you tonight. Please get some rest. I’m sorry. I lost control of my emotions earlier. I never meant to hurt you."

"Is your injury serious? Should I send my private doctor over to take a look…"

"No need." I cut her off coldly.

Lena instantly lowered her tone. "Gavin, didn’t I already explain? What happened between Owen and me was just an accident. I was drugged and mistook him for you. Now that it’s happened, I had no choice but to find him. Would you rather let the father of my child die abroad?"

"You forgave me once before, didn’t you? Why must you make such a fuss this time? The wedding is only a week away. Calm down and get some rest tonight."

Staring at the chat history with Miya on my screen, I said coldly, "That won’t be necessary. I’m not going to marry you. Lena, I’ve told you before. I don’t tolerate sand in my eyes."

Just as I was about to hang up, she suddenly burst into anger. "Not marry me? Are you kidding? The engagement party is already over. Now the whole world knows the Greene Family is tying the knot with the Cross Family and you’re saying this now? Are you using our alliance to threaten me?"

"Gavin, we grew up together. You know exactly what kind of person I am. If I hadn’t been set up, I would never have betrayed you! I’ve only made two mistakes. Once the baby is born, I promise Owen will never show up in your life again. Isn’t that enough?"

Tears slid down without warning and a bitter smile curled at the corners of my lips. "So what? You want me to watch you raise another man's child every day? To be reminded every single day of your betrayal? Lena, I can't do it. I'm sorry."

As soon as the words fell, her furious roar came through the phone. "Fine! Remember what you said. Don’t you dare regret it! Who in my position doesn’t have lovers outside? I already handed Owen over to you to deal with. I've done all I can. If you can accept that, then marry me. If not, then get lost. Do whatever the hell you want."

The call ended.

In the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling window, I saw my own wretched silhouette.

She had already forgotten that car accident. She had already forgotten that the only reason I had a penetrating wound in my abdomen was because I had saved her.

Room 13520, the suite that used to be her favorite spot for our dates.

She once said this place was filled with memories of our love.

Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, this room had practically become our exclusive haven.

But now, I was the only one who still remembered.

Lena was the one who told my parents about the canceled engagement. They immediately called, voices full of concern.

"Gavin, what happened? Lena said you're calling off the engagement?"

"This isn’t a joke. You can’t be reckless like this."

Burying myself deep under the covers, my voice choked with emotion. "She’s pregnant. And the child isn’t mine."

"Every woman makes mistakes. Can’t she just get rid of it…?"

"I’m not canceling the wedding," I interrupted. "Just changing the bride. You know her too. Miya."

My father's words of persuasion were swallowed back down. My mother, on the other hand, gasped in shock.

"Miya? Weren’t you two sworn enemies? Have you forgotten how she used to pin you down and beat you up when you were kids?"

I chuckled, trying to keep my tone light. "That’s exactly why I want to marry her, so I can torment her for the rest of her life."

Tossing and turning all night, the pain in my abdomen kept me wide awake.

When morning came, I contacted a real estate agent to start the process of selling the wedding house.

But when I returned to pack my things, I saw Lena’s private jet still parked on the lawn.

I pushed open the door, only to be met with a wall full of warm, intimate photos.

But the figure beside her in every picture wasn’t me. It was Owen.

She had gone again to every place we had once visited together — Arctic glaciers, the Eiffel Tower, the charred remains of Notre-Dame — this time with Owen.

She used to say she hated taking pictures. After all, she was holding a high position. Who knew what the media or her rivals would do with her photos? No matter how much I begged or promised, we never took a single photo together.

But now, Owen had become the exception.

The two of them stood in front of the photo wall.

She gently touched her barely showing belly, smiling sweetly. “Owen, once the baby is born, let’s take him on a trip too, okay? He’ll definitely like these places. Feel this, he’s kicking me already!”

The sound of the door opening caught their attention.

They both turned to see me standing there.

Owen immediately dropped to his knees before me, clutching my waist, begging for forgiveness.

“Gavin, it’s my fault. I didn’t keep my promise to stay abroad. Please don’t blame me, okay? I really like Lena… I swear, once the baby is born, I’ll leave and won’t bother you anymore.”

Before I could say anything, Lena sneered twice.

“No need for you to apologize. You were also drugged and that’s how you met me. In fact, I’m the one who owes you.”

She looked up at me.

“Gavin, I’ve already found out who poisoned us. That company will be shut down within a month. Owen was innocent, forced into making mistakes. You shouldn’t blame him. As for this whole mess, I won’t hold it against you. Just apologize and let it go.”

I looked back coldly, my gaze devoid of any emotion. It all just felt ridiculous to me.

“Apologize? Lena, have you lost your mind?”

The next moment, a hand around my waist suddenly pressed hard, stabbing right into my wound.

Pain shot through me and I gasped sharply, cold sweat soaking my entire body.

I hurriedly pushed the person away.

I didn’t push with much force, but Owen crashed straight into the cabinet.

“What are you doing?”

Lena suddenly shoved me hard, causing my forehead to slam heavily against the door frame.

Blood immediately welled up.

“I think you are the crazy one! Owen has already lowered his head to you and I've explained everything. What more do you want? Apologize to him. Otherwise, you can try me!"

Clenching my teeth and swallowing all my grievances, I said word by word, "No. Way. You want me to apologize to your lover? Lena, you're dreaming!"

"Ungrateful!"

Lena’s eyes turned red with anger. She hurriedly helped Owen into the bedroom to rest.

When she came out, she summoned all the servants in the villa.

"Where are the iron chains? Bring them out."

"Mr. Cross has lost his mind. Make him kneel in the manor and reflect properly!"

"Without my permission, no one is allowed to let him get up!"

My eyes suddenly turned bloodshot as I looked at her in disbelief.

"Lena, you’re insane! He’s just a homewrecker and you dare treat me like this? This is the house I bought!"

"But I’m the lady of the house."

Lena cast me a cold glance and said nothing more.

The servants swiftly dragged me outside.

Blood streaked across the ground, leaving a long, red trail.

The moment the villa's gate shut, a sudden clap of thunder erupted in the once clear sky.

Then came a torrential downpour. It drenched me completely in an instant.

I knelt in the rain, the wounds on my forehead and abdomen beginning to burn.

My consciousness slowly blurred.

Turning to the servant nearby who was keeping watch, I spoke in an almost inaudible voice.

"Let me go... Please go get Lena… I’m begging you..."

The servant gave me a mocking glance, standing under the eaves with a sneer on her face.

"Save it. I’ve seen enough of your ‘pitiful act’ routine."

"Mr. Cross just called for a private doctor. She's busy tending to Mr. Belt’s wounds right now."

I forced my eyes open and looked up. A vague silhouette appeared on the second-floor balcony.

The next second, everything went black and I collapsed completely onto the ground.

In my fading consciousness, I heard the servants shouting anxiously. "Something's wrong! Mr. Cross has fainted! There's blood on the ground. Quick, get the doctor!"

Familiar footsteps approached and an umbrella was opened over my head.

Lena's voice was especially cold. "Had enough of this act? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re the one being bullied. Gavin, it’s time you learned some humility. I'm doing this for your own good."

Her footsteps receded. She stood under the eaves, embracing Owen, both looking in my direction.

Owen held her in his arms, his voice tinged with guilt. "Lena, I don’t think Gavin is faking it… Aren’t we being a bit too harsh? After all, he’s your fiancé. If the Cross Family finds out..."

Lena's expression turned cold. "I’ve worked hard for years. I don’t need to answer to the Cross Family. He was the one being unreasonable first. You still have eight months here. I can’t let you get pushed around all the time. His temper has to be corrected."

A glint of smugness flashed in Owen’s eyes before he quickly replaced it with an innocent expression.

“I’ve heard that marriages between wealthy families lack real feelings. Is that how it is between you and Gavin too?”

The torrential rain showed no mercy, pounding down relentlessly, washing over my pale face again and again.