The day after that, Jessa got sick.

In her addled haze, she felt like she was trapped in an icy sea, unable to surface no matter how hard she tried.

She seemed to hear Sawyer repeat, over and over again, that he loved her.

He asked her to wait.

But what was she waiting for? Was she supposed to wait until Sawyer’s baby was born?

Gradually, the voice turned into familiar footsteps.

Jessa fought to open her eyes. When she did, she saw the family doctor who had been with her for more than a decade. Her expression was pained, as Vanessa stood before her to block her path.

“Thank you for coming all this way, Dr. Marchand, but your services are not needed. Mr. Pitt hired the best private medical team from Swenara. They’ll be doing a full-body checkup for Mrs. Pitt in a bit.”

Jessa wanted to interject, but her throat was too dry for her to speak.

She could only watch as the medical team did as they liked.

She felt humiliation like she had never before experienced as the foreign coldness of the equipment swept over her body.

That night, Jessa forced herself to call Sawyer.

Through the phone, Sawyer said matter-of-factly, “Your health is extremely important, so you must have the best. Vanessa is more considerate than you when it comes to this.”

Jessa gripped her phone and lost the energy to even argue.

Her illness lasted one week. Throughout the week, Sawyer never came by to visit her. He only sent her three texts every day, saying that he was working overtime, and that he loved her.

However, Jessa knew very well where Sawyer had been that whole week. He never once set foot in the office.

The first day, he had been at a restaurant popular with couples. There was even a promotion where kissing would get you a free meal, and Sawyer had done that with Vanessa.

The second day, he went to an amusement park. Some ice cream had dripped on Vanessa, and he had looked at her with heat in his eyes.

On the third day, Sawyer brought Vanessa to a private archery range. It was a place even Jessa was not allowed. But there, Sawyer was pressed close to Vanessa as he taught her how to shoot.

Vanessa had sent her pictures of their escapades.

Every single picture was proof of Sawyer’s infidelity.

Jessa looked at them for a very long time before saving screenshots of all of those messages.

Jessa’s phone rang. It was an overseas number.

When she picked up, a man’s deep and gentle voice sounded.

“Jessa, are you sure you want to take the Pitt Group for all it’s got and leave Sawyer?”

Jessa calmly made an assenting noise. “We can start our collaboration now, Mr. Grant.”

After she hung up, the screen of her phone went dark. Then, it lit up again with a new text.

[Have you gone to bed? Sawyer said he’s drunk, so he’s resting at mine.]

The attached picture showed Sawyer naked, his back reddened by scratches from long nails.

[By the way. While we were busy earlier, Sawyer said he hates those fake and devious women who are good at negotiating. He prefers someone like me, who could give up her life for him. You should be smart enough to know that your best move is to leave on your own, right?]

Jessa threw her phone away, but it kept ringing with incoming texts from the corner.

Later, Jessa collected all the screenshots and sent them to her lawyer in an encrypted file.

Her plan was already in motion. With another month and all this evidence, she could make sure that she could be rid of Sawyer while walking away with everything under their shared name.

As for the building blocks she was putting together overseas, they would survive any kind of accident that happened from then on.

When Jessa opened her eyes the next morning, she found Sawyer sitting next to her.

“Jessa, I heard that you’re better now? Here, have some food while it’s hot.”

A warm sandwich was shoved into her hand.

Feeling the warmth of the gesture, Jessa looked at Sawyer. How could he be so sincere in his care for her this morning when he had been in Vanessa’s bed just last night? How could he have called her a fake and devious woman?

“Are you still feeling unwell, Jessa? About the negotiation today…”

“I’m fine. I’ll go.”

Jessa put the sandwich aside. When she looked down, her gaze was filled with contempt.

Sawyer had not come home so early out of concern for her. It was because he needed her to be at the negotiation.

The sandwich went cold and limp the moment it left her hand.

On the way to the meeting, Sawyer kept asking about her, but Jessa did not respond. She watched the scenery speed past outside her window. She did not know when they had come to this point in their relationship.

Jessa’s phone buzzed in her bag. [Ms. Darling, Vanessa is going to orchestrate a car accident!]

The message was succinct. It came from the spy she had placed in the upper levels of the Cevina Group.

The attached picture had a car plate circled. The vehicle itself was heading onto a highway. It was the very truck following not far behind them.

“Stop the car!”

Just as Jessa pulled out her knife and put it to Vanessa’s neck, the truck behind them barreled at them.

In a split second, Vanessa hit the steering wheel. Being in the driver’s seat, she got hit the hardest.

There was a great crash.

The force threw Jessa against the door. She let go of the knife. Luckily, it had not hurt anyone.

In the chaos, Jessa forced her head up. She could swear that Vanessa had smiled at knowing she had gotten her way before she fell unconscious.

From the back seat, Sawyer’s voice was frantic.

“Vanessa! Vanessa!”

Sawyer ignored the blood flowing from his forehead and frantically went over to undo Vanessa’s seatbelt.

The sound of ambulance sirens approached.

…

In the hospital, the sharp scent of disinfectant stung the nose.

The doctor looked grim as he walked out of the emergency room. “Who is the patient’s next of kin? The patient has lost a lot of blood. She and her baby are both in serious condition.”

Before the doctor could speak further, Sawyer grabbed him by the collar. “Make sure the baby is safe. You have to make sure my baby is safe, no matter what!”

He did not even look back to see Jessa standing behind him, equally pale-faced.

At that moment, Jessa clearly heard the truth. Whatever hope she had harbored was thoroughly destroyed.

Sawyer sat vigil in the hospital for three days and three nights. That third day was even his and Jessa’s wedding anniversary.

That night, Jessa received a call from Sawyer. Through the line, Jessa could hear Vanessa’s weak voice.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Pitt. Mr. Pitt is expending too much worry for the baby and me. He will have to make it up to you on your anniversary next year.”

Jessa hung up. She glanced at the candlelit dinner arrayed before her, the food having long gone cold.

A few days later, Sawyer came home exhausted. He hugged Jessa from behind and looked at her with deep affection.

“I’m sorry, Jessa. I missed our anniversary. I love you, but I…”

Before he could finish speaking, his phone rang.

It was a call from the hospital with news that Vanessa’s condition had purportedly deteriorated.

Sawyer immediately straightened up to leave again, but Jessa blocked his path. “Vanessa’s baby is yours, is that right?”

Sawyer’s face went white. “It was a mistake, Jessa. You’re the one I love. But the baby is innocent.”

“Alright then. Prove it to me. Prove to me that your love for me is worth more than that mistake.”

Jessa kept her gaze fixed on Sawyer.

Their gazes met for a second before Sawyer shifted it away. “Don’t be unreasonable, Jessa.

“She put herself in danger to save you when the car accident happened. You even threatened her with a knife! Even if you hate her, you should be grateful that she saved you. Besides, you’re the only one I love. Why won’t you believe me?”

Why should she believe him? Should she believe him because of that seven-month promise? Or was she supposed to believe that Vanessa’s baby was not his?

Jessa took out her phone and showed Sawyer all the texts Vanessa had sent her. Then, she played the voice recording from the study.

After that, Sawyer watched as she calmly put a tablet before him.

It showed all the proof of Vanessa’s ties with the Cevina Group. It also laid out their plans in minute detail.

Sawyer’s face was pale. It first showed shock, then disbelief. After that, Sawyer went quiet.

“Where did you get all this?”

“I have my sources.”

After Jessa said this, Sawyer suddenly cornered her. He questioned, “Your sources? Jessa, I am your husband! Why didn’t you tell me there’s a risk to the company at once? Why did you go for outside help?”

“What was I supposed to tell you? Did you believe me when I told you she was lying to you?”

What had Sawyer done when Jessa had raised this matter to him? He had told her that she should pity Vanessa!

As the two were stuck in an impasse, Sawyer’s phone rang.

He frantically hit the speakerphone button. Through the line came the voice of a director at the Cevina Group. It was lazy and mocking.

“I heard there’s been a few issues at home, Sawyer. I thought you and Jessa were deathly devoted to each other. Why are you two in such a huge row over some bodyguard?”

Sawyer suppressed his rage and said coldly, “Vanessa is yours, right?”

Alvin Rucco let out a laugh. “Do you think I’d have the same poor taste as you? A woman like that is not even worth being a pawn of the Cevina Group.

“You shouldn’t suspect that nobody. Why don’t you suspect your wife? But she loves you more than I thought. To clear away a rival in love, she was even willing to come to me for help.

“By the way, Sawyer. Do you think that your wife is a pure and clean woman? You should ask her how she got your stock back from Mejika three years ago. Do you think she really managed it through words alone? You should know your wife’s skills better than that.”