She continued before I could answer. "Every day you walk around with that expression on your face. What exactly are you unhappy about?"

I lowered my eyes.

Mr. Farrington scoffed. "You should be grateful."

His voice was sharp.

"If Anthony hadn't sacrificed himself protecting Maverick years ago, your husband would've been the one in that grave."

The room fell silent.

Then Mrs. Farrington added bitterly, "Your sister is suffering and all you can think about is yourself."

I stood there quietly. What was I supposed to say? That I was hurting too? That my marriage was falling apart right in front of me? Nobody would've cared.

...

After that, I stopped trying. I quietly gathered my documents. I finalized the divorce paperwork. And I submitted an application for an overseas assignment through one of Synergy Bio-Pharma's international branches.

If nobody wanted me here, then why was I still staying? I didn't tell anyone, not even Maverick.

A few weeks later, the news everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.

Maxine was pregnant.

The entire mansion erupted in celebration, and the family held a banquet.

Champagne flowed.

Firecrackers exploded outside the estate gates.

Even some of Maverick's top executives from Synergy Bio-Pharma and several high-ranking members of the Iron Crown Cartel came to offer congratulations.

It felt like the whole world was celebrating.

I sat quietly at the breakfast table the next morning, eating porridge while everyone discussed baby names.

Then I looked up and my eyes landed on Maverick.

"Maverick."

He immediately turned toward me. "What is it, sweetheart?"

I stared at him for several seconds. "That baby, is that yours?"

The room instantly fell silent.

Maverick froze. For a split second, something flashed across his face.

"Sandra!" His brows furrowed. "What kind of question is that?"

I held his gaze.

He pushed his chair back. "Are you seriously questioning me right now?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight to make everyone tense.

"I've done everything I can for this family and for you. I never betrayed you. Why would I be the father of Maxine's baby?" His jaw tightened. "And after all these years together, that's what you think of me?"

Mrs. Farrington immediately jumped in. "How could you ask something like that? Now that Maxine is pregnant, you're looking miserable again. Whether the baby is Maverick's or not, you should be happy for your sister!"

Mr. Farrington looked furious. "Sandra is just jealous because she couldn't get pregnant. She's a barren cursed, that's all."

"Mother, Father, please don't be hard on my sister," Maxine said softly. "She's just used to being the center of attention, but now I've taken all the love and attention because I'm pregnant. Sister, trust me, the father of my baby is not my brother-in-law. We would never do such a thing and betray you. I love you more than anything else."

Mrs. Farrington scoffed. "See? Your sister is so understanding and kind. If only Maverick had been Maxine's husband in the first place. And you should've been Anthony's wife."

"My appetite is ruined now. Tss." Mr. Farrington shook his head.

"Enough!" Maverick cut them off. He reached for my hand. "Sandra… Look at me."

I didn't move.

"I love you." The words came easily to him. "I would never betray you."

I almost laughed and not because it was funny, but because it hurt.

During those weeks, Maverick had intentionally spent several nights in our bedroom. Anyone watching would've thought we were a perfectly normal married couple. But every time he touched me, I found myself pulling away.

…

One night, I drank too much at a family gathering.

Everyone assumed I was drunk enough to forget everything.

Maybe Maverick assumed that too.

But even through the haze of alcohol, I remembered one thing very clearly.

I remembered that nothing happened between us.

And I remembered him and Maxine making out on the same bed we used to share.

The next morning, Maverick acted as if nothing had happened.

At breakfast, he sat beside me, casually poured me a glass of juice, and placed it in front of me as though we were still the same couple we'd always been.

Then he suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist. “Still upset with me? You've barely spoken to me these past few days. I know things haven't been easy lately, but you're making me feel like I've committed some terrible crime.”

I looked at him without saying anything.

“Sandra, I know I haven't been spending enough time with you lately. I've been dealing with family problems from every direction. But you can't start doubting me because of that.”

He pulled me closer.

“You know exactly why I've been away every night. You know what kind of pressure my parents have been putting on me. I've been trying to protect us the entire time.”

I almost laughed.

Did I?

Maverick lowered his voice.

“My father kept punishing me. Every night he made me stay in the family mausoleum and reflect. He said I was being selfish and dishonoring Anthony's memory.”

He sighed dramatically.

“I was practically being tortured because I refused to agree to their ridiculous plan. They wanted me to put the family's wishes above my marriage, and I wouldn't do it.”

His expression became wounded.

“I stood against my own family for you. I fought with them for you. And now you're looking at me like I'm the bad guy?”

The grievance in his eyes looked almost real.

Almost.

“Anyone else can doubt me, Sandra. My parents can misunderstand me. The entire world can question me if they want.”

His fingers tightened around mine.

“But not you. You're the one person who knows me better than anyone else. You're supposed to be on my side. I love you. I'm only ever going to love you. Nothing about that has changed.”

I stared at my porridge.

Suddenly, I felt exhausted.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Maverick hesitated.

“Fine. I wasn't going to tell you this because it's family business. But if I don't explain things, you're going to keep worrying and imagining things that aren't true.”

I finally looked up.

Maverick lowered his voice even further.

“Dad found someone for Maxine. One of Anthony's closest friends. The family wants an heir, so they've allowed him to spend a lot of time with her every night.”

He paused before continuing.

“I even caught them making out once. Honestly, I was relieved. It meant Maxine was finally moving on instead of living in the past.”

Maverick reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

“This stays between us. You can't tell anyone I told you. If my parents find out, they'll be furious.”

Then he smiled.

“Now do you understand? You don't need to worry anymore. Someone else is helping Maxine. Nobody's asking anything from us now.”

His eyes softened.

“Sandra, all I care about is us. All I care about is fixing whatever distance has grown between us. That's what matters to me.”

His voice became almost pleading.

“Promise me something.”

“What?”

“Stop assuming the worst every time something happens. Just trust me the way you used to.”

I nearly choked on the bitterness rising in my throat. How could he say that with a straight face?

The lies came so naturally to him.

Did he really think I was that stupid?

Or had everyone simply spent so many years treating me like I didn't matter that they'd started believing it themselves?

...

A few days later, Maxine's pregnancy became the center of the entire household. Since she was expecting, Mr. Farrington stopped punishing Maverick.

At least publicly.

Maverick also stopped disappearing upstairs every night. Instead, he started returning to our room.

Anyone looking from the outside would've thought our marriage was improving.

But the cracks were already there.

Nothing could fix them.

That evening, Maverick had only been in our room for about twenty minutes when someone knocked on the door.

Mrs. Farrington sounded frantic.

“Maverick! Come quickly. Maxine isn't feeling well. She's been uncomfortable all evening and keeps saying something doesn't feel right!”

She pushed the door open.

“You need to go check on her. She's carrying the family's future now, and I don't want to take any chances.”

Maverick immediately stood. For a brief moment, conflict flashed across his face then it disappeared.

“Mom, what happened? Did she call a doctor? Is she in pain?”

“She says her stomach hurts and she looks pale,” Mrs. Farrington replied anxiously. “I don't know if it's serious, but she's frightened. You should go see her immediately.”

Maverick glanced at me. “Sandra... I just want to make sure she's okay. She's pregnant and everyone is worried about her.” He walked closer.

“I won't be long. The moment I know she's fine, I'll come straight back. I promise.”

I didn't stop him. What was the point?

I was tired of begging for a place in my own marriage. Tired of competing with ghosts and lies.

So I simply nodded.

“Go. She's the one everyone wants you with anyway. It wouldn't make much difference whether I asked you to stay or not.”

For a moment, something flickered across his face but still he left.

That night, I lay awake again.

The mansion was quiet.

Then sometime after midnight, I heard movement upstairs. Faint sounds. Barely audible.

I closed my eyes. Even though I couldn't hear much, I knew exactly where Maverick was.

A sharp pain settled in my chest.

I thought I'd already cried enough, I thought there were no tears left.

Yet when morning came, my pillow was damp.

Maverick didn't return until dawn.

The bedroom door opened softly. He slipped into bed behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

His voice sounded tired. “I'm exhausted. She was uncomfortable all night and refused to sleep. Everyone was worried, so I stayed there to make sure nothing happened.”

I didn't answer.

He buried his face against my shoulder.

“Don't overthink things, Sandra. Maxine wasn't feeling well and she got scared. That's all this was.” His voice remained calm. “She had stomach pains all night. I stayed because she needed reassurance. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.”

I closed my eyes.

The expensive cologne on his clothes wasn't his usual scent... it belonged to another room.

Another life.

Another choice.

Suddenly, I felt sick.

I pulled away from him.

Maverick frowned. “Sandra?”

“If you're that worried about Maxine,” I said quietly, “then maybe you should just stay with her from now on. It would save everyone the trouble of pretending.”

The room instantly became silent.

“What?”

I finally turned toward him. “She's a widow. She's carrying a child. She's clearly the person who matters most to everyone in this house.” My voice remained calm.

“She needs someone. I don't.”

Maverick stared at me as if I'd slapped him.

Then his face darkened. “Sandra, what exactly are you trying to say? Stop speaking in riddles and tell me directly. What is it that you think is happening?”

“Nothing.”

“No.” He stood abruptly. “Say it. If you're accusing me of something, then say it to my face.” His eyes hardened. "Do you think there's something inappropriate going on? Do you honestly believe I'd do something like that?”

I laughed softly.

Not because anything was funny.

Because I couldn't believe we were still pretending.

Maverick clenched his jaw.

“Anthony died protecting me. Maxine lost her husband because of that tragedy. She's carrying a child and trying to survive the worst period of her life.”

His voice grew sharper.

“She has nobody. If she's struggling and I help her, what's wrong with that? Since when did basic decency become something suspicious?”

He looked genuinely disappointed.

Or maybe he was just a very good actor.

“Tell me honestly. After everything we've been through together, do you really think I'd betray you?”

His gaze locked onto mine.

I remained silent.

That seemed to anger him even more.

Finally, he stepped back.

“Fine. If that's how you see me, then maybe I should keep my distance. Maybe that's the only way to stop these ridiculous accusations.”

His expression turned distant.

“At least then nobody can accuse me of crossing boundaries.”

The irony almost made me laugh.

He was talking about boundaries after destroying every one of them.

Without another word, Maverick grabbed his coat.

Then he slammed the bedroom door behind him.

The sound echoed through the room long after he'd gone.

And once again, I was left alone.

…

For the next few days, Maverick really did keep his distance from Maxine.

At least in front of everyone.

Whenever Maxine needed something, he acted restrained and careful. Even when she complained about feeling unwell, he refused to be alone with her.

One morning, Maxine mentioned that she wasn't feeling well and needed to go to the hospital.

Before anyone could say anything, Maverick immediately stepped back.

“Dad, Mom, you should take her yourselves. I'm not going. No matter what I do lately, it gets misunderstood, and I'd rather avoid creating any more problems.”

Mrs. Farrington frowned.

“Maverick, what are you talking about? Maxine is pregnant and not feeling well. Why would you suddenly refuse to help her now?”

Maverick sighed heavily and glanced in my direction.

“What choice do I have? Sandra already thinks I'm crossing boundaries. If I take Maxine to the hospital, she'll overthink it even more, and then we'll be right back where we started.”

His voice sounded helpless.

“I don't want any more misunderstandings. No matter how worried I am, I have to keep my distance. Apparently, even trying to help is wrong now.”

The moment those words left his mouth, every pair of eyes turned toward me.

As if I were the problem.

As if I were the unreasonable one.

Mrs. Farrington's expression darkened instantly.

“Sandra, are you happy now? Is this what you wanted? You've turned this family upside down with your jealousy and made everyone walk on eggshells around you.”

She slammed her teacup onto the table.

“Maxine is carrying Anthony's only child. She's family. What's wrong with Maverick helping take care of her when she's vulnerable and needs support?”

Mr. Farrington nodded coldly.

“Since you're so uncomfortable with it, then you can take responsibility. If you think everyone else is handling things incorrectly, then you can do it yourself.”

He pointed directly at me.

“From now on, you'll handle Maxine's daily needs. If she's sick, you take her to the hospital. Maybe then you'll understand how ridiculous you've been acting all this time.”

I lowered my head.

What was there to explain?

Nobody would've listened anyway.

“Okay,” I said quietly.

That only seemed to make them angrier.

As if my silence was proof of guilt.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Farrington tossed the car keys toward me.

“Go get the car. Stop standing there looking pitiful and do something useful for once. Everyone is waiting on you.”

I caught the keys and walked outside without arguing.

The estate's garage was massive, filled with armored luxury vehicles used by the Iron Crown Cartel. I climbed into one of the SUVs and started the engine.

The gates slowly opened.

I had barely driven a few feet out of the garage when everything happened.

A figure suddenly stumbled in front of the vehicle.

I slammed on the brakes.

The tires screeched.

Then I heard a scream.

“Ah! My leg! My leg hurts!”

My heart nearly stopped.

Maxine was lying on the ground beside the SUV while tears streamed down her face.

She clutched one leg dramatically. “It hurts so much. I think my leg is broken! The pain is unbearable.”

The entire household rushed outside.

Maverick was the first one there.

The moment he saw Maxine on the ground, his face changed.

“Maxine!” He dropped to his knees beside her and immediately reached for her. “Where does it hurt? Tell me exactly where. Don't panic, just look at me and breathe.”

His hands carefully checked her leg.

“Don't be scared. I'm here. Nothing is going to happen to you, so stay calm and let me help you.”

Maxine grabbed his sleeve tightly.

“Maverick... what if something happened to the baby? What if I lose my child? What if I did something wrong?” Her voice trembled. “I can't lose this baby. It's all I have left on this world.”

Maverick's eyes instantly filled with panic.

“No. Stop thinking like that. Nothing's going to happen to you, and nothing is going to happen to the baby either.” His voice became unusually gentle. “Do you hear me? You're going to be fine. I won't let anything happen to either of you.”

For a moment, they seemed to forget everyone else existed.

Forget that I was standing there.

Forget that I was his wife.

Then suddenly Mrs. Farrington pointed directly at me.

Her voice became shrill. “Sandra did this! She was driving! She hit Maxine with the car!”

The accusation exploded through the courtyard.

“She never wanted this pregnancy. She has been resentful from the very beginning. Who knows what she was thinking when she got behind that wheel?”

Before I could even react, people surged toward me. The bodyguards. The servants. The family.

The SUV door was yanked open, and rough hands dragged me outside.

“Sandra!” Mr. Farrington's face twisted with rage. “How could you do something so vicious? Have you completely lost your mind?!” His voice shook with anger. “She is your sister. She is carrying Anthony's child. How could you even think of harming her?”

The slap came before I could answer and pain exploded across my face. I staggered backward and blood immediately filled my mouth.

“I didn't...” I whispered.

But nobody cared.

“You didn't what?” Mr. Farrington grabbed my hair. “You didn't try to hurt her? You expect us to believe that after what we just saw?” His hand struck me again. “You think we're blind? You think we're all fools?”

The force made my ears ring.

Nearby, Mrs. Farrington was crying hysterically.

“My son is already dead! Anthony is gone, and now you want to hurt the woman carrying his baby?!”

Her voice cracked with grief. “What kind of monster are you? You hated this pregnancy from the beginning. You wanted this child gone because you couldn't stand seeing Maxine happy.”

Another slap landed, then another and another.

The world became blurry. I didn't fight back. Somewhere deep down, I kept hoping someone would stop them, but nobody did. Not even Maverick.

I looked toward him. The man who once promised to protect me. The man who controlled entire cities through fear and influence. The man who could stop this with a single word.

He just stood there, while his arm wrapped protectively around Maxine. His attention never left her.

Then Mr. Farrington shoved me hard. I lost my balance. My foot slipped against the pavement. The side of my head slammed into the SUV door.

A sharp crack echoed through my skull and warm blood immediately ran down my face.

The crowd gasped.

Only then did Maverick finally speak.

“Enough. Stop this right now. Standing here arguing isn't going to solve anything, and we're wasting precious time.” His voice was cold. “Everyone calm down.”

Relief almost washed over me. For one foolish second, I thought he was defending me. Then Maverick stood and helped Maxine to her feet. His gaze never even landed on me. “The priority right now is Maxine. She needs a doctor immediately, and that's where our attention should be. Nothing else matters until we know she's okay.”

My heart went completely numb.

Maxine continued crying. “My leg hurts so much. Maverick, I can't walk. I don't think I can even stand.”

Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her waist.“It's okay. I've got you. Lean on me and don't force yourself.” He carefully guided her forward. “You'll be fine. We'll get you checked immediately.”

I stared at her leg. There wasn't a single drop of blood.

Not one scratch.

Meanwhile blood dripped from my face onto the pavement. Yet nobody seemed to notice. Or maybe they noticed and simply didn't care.

Maverick guided Maxine into the vehicle. He closed the door carefully, and got into the driver's seat.

The engine started. And without looking back once, he drove away.

…

In the end, I went to the hospital alone.

Nobody came with me. Nobody asked if I was hurt. Nobody even checked whether I was okay.

The doctor gave me five stitches in my head. One side of my face was swollen beyond recognition. Dark bruises covered my arms, shoulders, and back.

Every movement hurt.

My in laws— they'd grabbed, shoved, slapped, and hit me so many times that there was barely any uninjured skin left on my body.

As the nurse carefully applied medicine to my wounds, she kept glancing at me.

Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Miss Sandra...” the nurse said gently. “Can I ask you something?”

I smiled weakly. “Of course.”

The nurse hesitated, then lowered her voice. “Is your husband hurting you? If he is, we can help. I can contact the police and connect you with people who know how to handle situations like this.”

For a moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I slowly shook my head.

“Thank you,” I said hoarsely. “But it's not my husband.”

The nurse looked confused but I didn't explain further. How could I? The truth was even more ridiculous. I wasn't being hurt by one person. I was being hurt by an entire family.

Just then, voices drifted in from the hallway.

I looked up instinctively.

And there they were.

Maverick and Maxine.

They were walking out of another examination room together while the doctor followed behind them.

“There's no need to worry,” the doctor said with a smile. “your wife's injury is extremely minor. Just a small scrape. A few days of rest and she'll be completely fine.”

Maverick immediately nodded. “Thank you, doctor, I appreciate everything. I'll personally take care of her until she's fully recovered.”

The doctor smiled and walked away.

Not once did Maverick explain that Maxine wasn't his wife. Not once did he correct the misunderstanding.

...

After the doctor left, he carefully supported Maxine as they walked through the hallway.

The sight made my chest ache.

Then Maxine suddenly laughed. “Maverick, look at us,” Maxine said playfully, tilting her head. “Don't we look like a married couple right now?”

Maverick chuckled. “Maybe we do." His eyes softened as he looked at her. “Especially now that you're carrying my baby.”

Maxine's smile widened. “Well, if that's the case, then someone must've been very hardworking,” she teased, resting a hand on her stomach. “After all, I got pregnant pretty quickly.”

Maverick laughed.

The sound echoed through the corridor.

“Is that your way of complimenting me?” he asked.

Maxine pretended to think.

“Maybe,” she replied. “Or maybe I'm just impressed.”

Maverick leaned closer.

“Impressed?”

“Very,” Maxine said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “You should be proud of yourself.”

The flirtation was shameless… Like neither of them cared who saw. I immediately looked away. I couldn't bear to watch anymore.

A few seconds later, the nurse beside me suddenly gasped.

“Oh no.” She crouched beside me. “Miss Sandra, why are you crying?” the nurse asked. “I didn't even notice until now.”

I blinked. Only then did I realize tears had already slipped down my face.

When did that happen? I didn't even know.

The nurse looked worried.“Are your injuries hurting that badly?” she asked. “Should I ask the doctor for stronger pain medication?”

I touched my cheek, then I laughed softly— a broken laugh.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “They hurt a lot.”