My husband, Ronan Kade, and his best friend, Brynn Halcyon, were far too intimate for my liking. At a celebration party, Brynn openly bragged that he was so obedient that he did whatever she asked.

When I accused her of not having boundaries, Ronan defended her at every turn and accused me of overreacting.

The moment I turned and walked away, he was driven mad with regret.

After several rounds of drinks, my husband Ronan Kade’s childhood best friend, Brynn Halcyon, suddenly slipped her hand inside his shirt.

"Ronan, after all these years, you’ve still kept yourself in great shape!"

Standing on the couch in her heels, Brynn Halcyon gestured animatedly toward me.

"Calista, you should be thanking me. Back then, I went ten rounds with him in one night. I trained him so well that he’s incredibly useful now."

My face instantly went cold.

Brynn noticed my expression and hurried to explain, "Calista, don’t misunderstand. Ronan and I are like brothers. Doing that kind of thing with him is like touching your own arm. There’s no feeling at all.

"If he ever doesn’t satisfy you in bed, just come to me. I’ll personally whip him into shape for you."

Laughter exploded around the room.

I grabbed the cake and smashed it straight into her face, fury boiling over. "What exactly are you implying? Are you trying to claim him in front of me?"

Ronan shoved me aside, grabbed her hand, and strode out with her without looking back.

I collapsed onto the floor. From the hallway, I heard him boasting that he ruled the household and that tomorrow I would be kneeling to apologize.

I turned away and called my brother, Cassian Virel.

"Stop all cooperation with Ronan immediately. I want him ruined."

…

When Ronan saw me smear cake across Brynn’s face, he instinctively pushed me away.

"Calista, have you lost your mind? It’s supposed to be a happy occasion. Did you really have to ruin it for everyone?"

I struggled to steady myself so I wouldn’t fall. He didn’t spare a single glance for my safety, or for the baby inside me.

Instead, he pulled out tissues and gently wiped Brynn’s face. "Ignore her. Women are always so dramatic. You know I’ll always put us first."

Brynn wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, smiling magnanimously. "This is nothing. Remember my birthday? I shoved cake straight into your pants. That look on your face! I still laugh until my stomach hurts when I think about it."

Ronan’s ears turned bright red as the men around them burst into teasing laughter.

After cleaning her up, he took her hand and headed for the door.

Before it closed, he turned back impatiently. "Stay home and reflect on your behavior. The guys and I are going out to celebrate.

"Don’t think being pregnant gives you the right to throw your weight around. Who else would even want a woman with a big belly besides me?"

When the door slammed shut, something inside me shattered completely.

I immediately called Cassian and told him to terminate every business partnership with Ronan. I also asked him to draft a divorce agreement. I wanted him to walk away with nothing.

Cassian didn’t ask a single question. After agreeing to everything, he said gently, "Home will always be your harbor. You can come back anytime."

After hanging up, tears filled my eyes. I hated myself for not listening to my parents back then and ended up like this.

For Ronan, I had rejected the arranged marriage my family set up. Afraid he would feel inferior, I had hidden my identity as the daughter of a powerful family.

Instead, I secretly had my family invest in his company, helping him climb step by step until he became its president.

Yet ever since Brynn returned from overseas, I could no longer find myself in his gaze. His attention was no longer mine alone.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Ronan rushed inside.

For a moment, I thought he had come back because he was worried about me and the baby.

However, he walked right past me.

Picking up a phone from the couch, he muttered, "Good thing Brynn left her phone here. If she lost it, that guy would go crazy."

He left immediately after grabbing it, never even noticing I existed.

A while later, Brynn sent me a video.

Ronan was crawling on the floor with a dog collar fastened around his neck.

Her whip struck his bare back again and again as she sneered, "Good boy. Do you like that?"

Then she sent a message: "Calista, if this dog misbehaves again, I’ll discipline him for you."

Ronan didn’t come home until after midnight. After showering, he stepped out with the whip marks on his back still vivid and raw.

I asked how he got the injuries.

He said it was just roughhousing with the guys.

I stayed silent for a long moment.

Then, in a cold voice, I said, "Ronan, let’s get divorced."

Ronan stopped drying his hair and stared at me in disbelief. "Calista, what’s wrong with you? Is this really about what happened earlier?

"Brynn just likes to joke around. Besides, you threw cake at her, and she didn’t even hold it against you. Don’t push your luck just because you’re pregnant."

He turned as if to get into bed. I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.

"I’m not joking. You shoved me today. I almost lost my life and the baby. If Brynn matters more to you than your wife and child, then fine. I’ll step aside and let you have each other."

I turned away, twisting my body so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore.

He was silent for a moment, then walked over and gently stroked my hair. "Calista, don’t be mad. I’m a CEO now. You embarrassed me in front of my friends. That hurt too. Tell you what, I’ll take you out tomorrow to relax. Let our son get out and see the world a little."

I had just opened my mouth to respond when his lips suddenly pressed against mine.

His eyes were gentle as he said, "It’s late. Get some rest. Staying up is bad for you and the baby."

Drowsy, I drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night, a noise from the bathroom woke me. I crept over quietly and heard a conversation that made my skin crawl.

"Good boy, sneaking a video call with me. Aren’t you afraid your wife will find out?"

Ronan sounded completely unconcerned. "Women are easy. Just say a few sweet things, and they calm down. I’ve got her wrapped around my finger now. I say jump, she asks how high."

Laughter came from the other end.

"No matter how impressive you act in front of others, you’re still just a well-behaved little pet for Daddy."

To my horror, Ronan actually barked—a low, obedient "woof, woof"—sending chills down my spine. It was like he was a completely different person from the serious, dignified husband I knew.

I didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

Early the next morning, Ronan woke me. After breakfast, he said he was taking me out.

The moment I got into the car, a sharp scent hit me, and I couldn’t help sneezing. I noticed a lily-scented air freshener clipped to the vent. Since I was allergic to lilies, I reached out instinctively to throw it away.

Ronan reacted instantly and grabbed my wrist. "Don’t touch that! Brynn put it there because she said my car stinks. If she notices it’s gone next time, she’ll never let me hear the end of it."

Clearly, he had forgotten all about my allergy. Right now, Brynn was the only thing on his mind. He must have noticed my expression, because he put the air freshener back in place and tried to reassure me.

"It expires in a month anyway. We can throw it out then."

He drove me to a basketball court, parked, and led me inside hand in hand.

When Brynn saw us, she ran over and pinched Ronan’s chest.

"Looks like you've been training hard. Those pecs are rock hard. Get on the court and play with me. Let’s wipe the floor with these losers today."

Ronan immediately pulled clothes from his bag and changed on the spot, then guided me to sit down on the bench.

"Calista, let our son watch my skills. Think of it as prenatal education."

After a while, hives began spreading across my body. It had to be the fragrance from earlier.

I shouted desperately, "Ronan, I think I’m having an allergic reaction. Take me to the hospital!"

Brynn yelled across the court instead, "Ronan, pass the ball! Hurry! Daddy’s going to show you a monster dunk!"

Focused on the game, Ronan didn’t hear me at all.

Even as my eyelids grew heavy and slowly closed, he never once looked in my direction.

When I woke again, I was already lying in a hospital bed.

The doctor walked over, removed his mask, and said with regret, "Your allergic reaction was severe. During treatment, the baby couldn’t tolerate the medication… We couldn’t save your child."

It felt like my heart plunged into ice. I placed a hand over my stomach as tears streamed down my face.

'I’m sorry, baby. I couldn’t protect you.'

At that moment, my phone rang.

Breathless, Ronan said, "I couldn’t leave the game earlier, so I had security send you to the hospital. How are you? Are you and the baby okay?"

So playing basketball with Brynn mattered more to him than our child.

I said nothing.

Suddenly, Brynn's voice came through the phone. "Good boy, what are you standing there for? Hurry back. It’s your turn.

"Calista just fainted because pregnancy makes her sleepy. You know she can fall asleep anywhere. If you ruin the mood again like last time, I won’t play with you anymore."

He quickly ended the call.

"Calista, since you’re awake, you must be fine. I’ll finish the game first and come to the hospital later."

The call disconnected. Each beep felt like something inside me breaking.

When no one loves you, even dying wouldn’t matter to anyone.

By the time I left the hospital, it was already evening. I called Ronan, wanting to talk about the divorce.

He didn’t answer.

Then suddenly my phone flooded with notifications from a group chat.

I opened it.

Brynn had posted a video. Ronan was at a karaoke bar named Nocturne, singing a love song to her.

Their friends flooded the comments.

"Just get together already!"

"Forget women. Bros are better. Say you’ll be my new sister-in-law!"

"Totally! Brynn’s way better than his wife. At least she doesn’t kill the mood by doing something stupid like throwing cake."

She replied with a smirking emoji: "You idiots, stop talking nonsense. Ronan is only fit to be my obedient son for life, got it?"

My hands trembled as I exited the group.

I went straight to Nocturne. When I reached the entrance of the private room, I saw Ronan inside wearing nothing but his underwear.

Brynn was dressed just as revealing in nothing but a bra and panties, like a makeshift bikini. She looked annoyed.

"My luck sucks tonight. I keep losing. If this keeps up, I’ll be completely naked." She walked over and slapped his backside. "Good thing my obedient son is here to keep me company. Daddy doesn’t have to humiliate herself alone."

One of the men joked, "Hey, why do you two have matching tattoos on your backs? Couple tattoos, huh?"

That was when I saw it—the wing tattoo on Brynn's back matched Ronan's perfectly.

He had once told me he got it when he was young and foolish. So he had already given his heart away long ago. I was the only one left in the dark.

She insisted on another round and lost again.

Someone teased, "So what’s it going to be this time? Top or bottom?"

Ronan suddenly rushed forward and shielded her behind him.

"I’ll take the punishment for her!"