Third Person's POV
What Edmond had replied was, “I love you as a person. Whether you're cool and untouchable or alluring and charming, I love you.”
He had even added, “Sure, there are countless women with charm and beauty in the world, but they're not you. That’s why I will never be moved or even spare them a glance.”
In moments of passion, vows like these felt intoxicating—words crafted to sweep someone off their feet. But no matter how sincere they seemed, love could only go so far against the fickleness of the human heart.
'Edmond, you’ve truly rotted to the core,' Haven spat inwardly.
She didn’t know how long she cried that night, but eventually, she wiped her tears and forced herself to move. Returning home, she began gathering everything tied to her ten years with Edmond.
Every item connected to their memories went into piles—valuable ones for donation to charity, the rest destined for the trash.
When her hand brushed the naming rights document for the asteroid "Haven’s Serenity," she paused. But since the sentimental value of it had long since eroded, she packed it away and contacted the relevant organization to sell the rights.
'I don’t want anything you’ve given me, Edmond—not a single thing. Not even you,' she resolved silently.
Later that evening, Edmond stormed into the house, panic etched across his face. Finding Haven in the middle of her skincare routine, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her pillow like a guilty child seeking solace.
“Haven,” he said, his voice trembling with both fear and grievance, “did I do something wrong? Why are you selling the naming rights to the asteroid?”
That asteroid represented his love for her, so how could she bear to transfer it to someone else?
That was why the moment Edmond heard about it, he was overwhelmed with anxiety.
Haven met his frantic and uneasy gaze with an unshaken calm. “It should go to someone more deserving.”
The asteroid’s name, "Haven’s Serenity," no longer fit their fractured and decaying relationship.
However, Edmond couldn’t accept it. His grip on her hand tightened as his voice rose slightly. “Don’t say that. Our love is the perfect match for that asteroid. We’re soulmates! It’s a symbol of us, and it belongs with us forever.”
Without waiting for her response, he grabbed the transfer papers and tore them apart, the pieces falling to the floor like confetti from a celebration long past.
“Don’t ever do this again,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “You have no idea how worried I was when I found out.”
Watching his almost obsessive protectiveness, Haven suppressed the sarcasm bubbling up in her chest and said blandly, “Go take a shower. I’m going to sleep.”
As Edmond retreated to the bathroom, Haven scoffed internally. 'How could he be clean when he just came from someone else’s arms?'
When Edmond emerged, freshly showered, Haven was already lying on the bed, her back turned toward him. Her serene face, even in sleep, felt like an unspoken rejection.
Edmond stood there, staring at her. His eyes overflowed with love so intense it might have overwhelmed her—if only she had been awake to see it.
Just then, a soft knock broke the silence, followed by the housekeeper's low voice. “Mr. Warner, Mr. Reeves and Mr. Cantrell are downstairs. They said they’re here to take you out for drinks. Should I send them away?”
Edmond frowned and crossed to the door, lowering his voice to avoid disturbing Haven. “Send them home. I’m staying in tonight. I don’t have time for their nonsense.”
The housekeeper hesitated, unsure, but before she could act, Walter Reeves and Clifford Cantrell, growing impatient downstairs, called Edmond directly.
Because of that, Haven, a light sleeper, stirred at the sound. Her eyes fluttered open, which Edmond saw.
“I’ll go downstairs and send them off,” he said quickly.
“Okay,” Haven replied indifferently.
Downstairs, Walter and Clifford wasted no time and surrounded Edmond. They draped their arms over his shoulders like rowdy college buddies and urged him to join them for some fun.
However, Edmond brushed off their hands. “You’re not kids anymore. It’s time to settle down, dudes. I'm now married, so I should be home with my wife and daughter at night.”
Walter teased, “Oh, come on, Edmond. That’s no fun. It’s been forever since we hung out! Everyone’s here tonight and we came just for you.”
Third Person's POV
Clifford grinned, “Come on, Edmond, we’re just waiting on you.Getting married doesn’t mean you have to be this tightly managed, right? How about we go talk to your wife instead?”
But Edmond quickly brushed him off with a wave. “She’s already asleep. Don't disturb her.”
Unbeknownst to them, Haven was already up, standing at the top of the staircase. Wrapped in a long coat, she spoke softly, “Go with them, Edmond. They came all this way. You should at least join them for a little while.”
Walter and Clifford’s faces lit up when they saw her.
“Why don’t you come with us, Haven?" Walter asked eagerly. “Let everyone see what the best woman in the world looks like.”
“Exactly!” Clifford chimed in. “Besides, if you don’t come, Edmond probably won’t budge tonight.”
Haven, already set on cutting herself out of Edmond’s life, wasn’t interested in his social circle or their antics. So, she evenly refused, “No need. You all have fun. Edmond, go ahead.”
Edmond, who rarely resisted her wishes, nodded. “Alright, I’ll just change and join you.”
With the latter walking away, Walter and Clifford exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
“We’ve never seen Edmond this obedient before,” Walter remarked.
Clifford laughed. “Yeah, the guy’s been calling the shots since we were kids. No one tells him what to do.”
Walter added with a grin, “He really loves you, Haven.”
Haven offered a polite smile, but inside, her thoughts were cold. 'If only that were true, he wouldn’t have cheated in the first place.'
When Edmond returned, dressed to go out, he walked over and kissed Haven lightly on the forehead. “You go to bed. I’ll be back soon.”
Haven met his gaze with her usual calm. “Alright.”
Edmond lingered for a moment as if reluctant to leave, clinging to her before finally heading out, treating her like the most precious thing in the world.
But half an hour later, as Haven was about to fall asleep, she received a photo sent by Hattie.
The dimly lit image clearly showed Hattie nestling coquettishly in a man’s arms, the two of them about to drink a toast together.
In the corner of the frame, Haven spotted Walter and Clifford, each holding a seductive woman in their arms.
'This is... a club,' she realized.
Haven stared at the photo for a long time, her expression blank.
'So, even if I don’t go, someone else will keep Edmond company,' she thought bitterly.
Acting on impulse, Haven soon found herself at the same club. She stood at the half-open door of a private room.
Inside, the scene was exactly as she expected.
Hattie, now dressed in a bunny costume, was perched comfortably on Edmond’s lap, feeding him wine. He didn’t push her away. Instead, he leaned back lazily, letting her pour the drink into his mouth. The next moment, he pulled her close, transferring the wine from his lips to hers in an exaggerated kiss.
The room erupted in cheers and then Walter’s voice cut through the noise. “Edmond, you’re a whole different guy when Haven’s not around!”
Clifford laughed. “Right? I mean, as great as Haven is, no proper woman could ever compete with a little vixen like Hattie.”
However, at the mention of Haven’s name, Edmond’s expression darkened. “Haven doesn’t belong in a place like this. Don’t drag her into it.”
The sudden shift in his tone left the room awkwardly silent.
Hattie’s eyes flashed with jealousy, but she quickly masked it, wrapping her arms around Edmond’s neck. “Alright, we won’t bring her up anymore,” she said sweetly. “And to make up to you, I’ll do whatever you want me to.”
Edmond’s expression softened at her words. The tension eased, and the others started teasing again.
“Come on, Edmond! Hattie’s throwing herself at you. What are you waiting for?” Clifford called out.
Edmond glanced down at the seductive woman in his lap and smirked. “What? You want a live performance?”
Third Person's POV
The room erupted in whistles and cheers as soon as Edmond’s smug challenge left his lips, egging him on to “put on a show.”
Hattie fluttered her lashes dramatically, her voice dripping with playful annoyance. “You’re all so annoying... You’re making me blush!”
Outside the door, Haven stood silently, her gaze locked on the man she once thought she knew. The Edmond before her was a stranger—draped in decadence, reveling in a lifestyle she couldn’t reconcile with the man she had loved.
Turning away, her heart felt heavy as memories of a younger, devoted Edmond surfaced, clashing with the harsh reality of the man he had become. It was like looking at two completely different people, and she wondered if she’d ever truly known him at all.
That night, Haven didn’t sleep.
The next morning, she sat across from her daughter at the breakfast table, her expression calm despite the dark circles under her eyes.
Leigh, ever observant, tilted her head with concern. “Mommy, are you feeling okay? You look tired.”
Haven shook her head gently, her voice soft. “I’m fine, sweetheart. But I’ve been thinking... How would you feel about moving somewhere new? Just the two of us, starting fresh in a different place?”
Leigh’s young mind didn’t fully grasp the weight of the question, but the love in her mother’s eyes reassured her. She nodded firmly, her tiny hand reaching across the table to hold Haven’s. “Okay! Wherever Mommy goes, I’ll go too.”
Since the day Leigh was born, Haven had been her rock, her constant. Edmond, on the other hand, had been too consumed with work to be involved during Leigh’s early years. And now, his distractions outside the home left little room for fatherhood. So, for Leigh, her mother was her whole world.
Haven smiled, running her fingers through Leigh’s soft curls. “Mommy will always take care of you, my darling. I promise.”
Her thoughts hardened into resolve. 'I won’t let you grow up in a broken home. You deserve joy, freedom, and love—not the shadow of a fractured marriage.'
The sound of the front door opening broke her train of thought. Edmond walked in, still wearing last night’s clothes. Seeing the mother and daughter eating breakfast, he brushed off the fatigue from his night of indulgence and approached the table with a gentle smile. “What’s for breakfast today?”
However, Leigh wrinkled her nose as Edmond came closer. “Daddy, you smell funny.”
Edmond froze mid-step, instinctively sniffing himself. The mix of Hattie's perfume, alcohol, and cigarettes hit him like a slap. In his haste to return, he hadn’t even showered.
Embarrassed, he stopped and looked at Haven. “Last night... I ran into some old friends, had a few drinks, and stayed over. It was late, so I didn’t want to bother you with a call.”
Haven had grown immune to his lies. She merely nodded and said, “Got it. Go shower. Leigh doesn’t like how you smell.”
“Right. I’ll shower now. You two enjoy breakfast,” Edmond replied hurriedly.
As he walked away, he left his phone on the counter.
Moments later, it started ringing incessantly. Haven ignored it, but curious little Leigh, having finished her breakfast, toddled over and picked it up before Haven could stop her.
By the time Haven reached her, Leigh had accidentally answered the call. A woman’s excited voice came through the speaker. “I’m pregnant...”
Haven’s heart sank.
Leigh, unaware of who was speaking, asked in her childish voice, “What does ‘pregnant’ mean?”
There was a brief pause on the other end, and then soon followed by Hattie’s soft laughter. “Pregnant means—”
“Leigh! Don’t touch Daddy’s phone! That’s not very nice, okay?” Edmond’s voice suddenly boomed from the hallway, drowning out Hattie’s words.
He strode over in a bathrobe, snatching the phone from Leigh’s hand before she could respond, then quickly ended the call.
Leigh blinked up at him innocently. “Daddy, what does ‘pregnant’ mean?”
Haven scooped her daughter into her arms, her gaze fixed on Edmond. The stiffness in his posture and the flicker of guilt in his eyes said everything.
Edmond stammered, his voice faltering. “Haven, I... I’ve been meaning to tell you. That girl we’ve been sponsoring—uh, her name’s Lin something—she seems to have started dating someone.”
