Chapter 1

When the Lawson family fell from grace, I was adopted by Caleb Foster. He spoiled me like a princess, envied by everyone. For eighteen years, I secretly harbored feelings for him. On the night of my coming of age, I boldly expressed my love.

He said that since it was my choice, I should bear the consequences of his coldness. Later, he abandoned me while I was pregnant, all for his first love. After losing the baby alone, I chose to leave the country and get away from Caleb Foster.

Caleb panicked, "Aria Lawson, you can't leave me!"

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"Caleb, I slipped and fell. There's a lot of blood."

When I made this call, Caleb was attending a welcome party for his first love, Mia Morgan.

"Can you come back? I'm scared."

Still young, facing pregnancy and impending motherhood, I was silently terrified.

Caleb clicked his tongue impatiently, "Can't come back. Mia's welcome party isn't over yet. Deal with it yourself."

He hung up abruptly before I could respond.

Looking at the pool of blood beneath my dress, I forced a bitter smile through the searing pain in my belly.

Of course, this was all my own doing, wasn't it?

Caleb, as the grandson of my late grandfather's friend, had adopted me, an orphan of the Lawson family.

From age fourteen when I was adopted until eighteen, Caleb spoiled me like a princess envied by all.

But at eighteen, I confessed my love to Caleb.

Caleb said, "You shouldn't have such thoughts."

But in my youthful naivety, I only wanted to win over the man I liked.

His kindness to me went beyond ordinary relationships.

I couldn't believe he felt nothing for me.

So, taking advantage of Caleb's drunkenness after a business dinner, I climbed into his bed.

From that moment on, our relationship could never go back to what it was before.

It was also at this time that Mia Morgan, Caleb's first love from college, returned from abroad.

From then on, Caleb, who was already avoiding me, came home less and less frequently.

I remembered the day we confirmed our relationship, his expression indifferent, "Since it's your choice, you'll have to bear my coldness."

Young as I was then, I thought Caleb, being older, was just not good at expressing affection.

But it wasn't until I saw his ears turning red and his Adam's apple bobbing nervously in Mia's presence that I finally woke up.

Thinking of how Caleb had stayed away from home for three days and nights when he learned of my pregnancy, preferring to sleep at the office, I felt a sense of resignation.

Perhaps a miscarriage was what he secretly hoped for.

I calmly called an ambulance.

As the doctors tried their best to save the baby in my womb, I sighed under their shocked gazes, "Let it go."

Seeing a young girl come alone, the doctor asked about my family.

I reflexively said, "He's busy, he can't come."

Realizing how ridiculous it sounded, I changed my answer: "I'm sorry, I'm widowed."

The abortion was successful. I didn't feel much pain, just an emptiness in my heart, as if something had been carved out.

On the taxi ride back home alone, I saw a familiar car heading towards the hospital.

I thought Caleb was rushing to see me and instinctively wanted to message him.

But then I saw a Instagram post from Caleb's best friend: "They say Boss Foster dotes on that adopted girl, but I think she's just a shadow of Mia."

The picture showed Caleb holding hands with Mia, who was lying in a hospital bed.

That was Caleb's childhood friend group, three guys and one girl, the inseparable four.

In this tight-knit group, Caleb and Mia had been in a serious relationship since high school, aiming for marriage. If Mia hadn't insisted on going abroad, unwilling to marry so young, I would never have had a chance with Caleb.

I felt foolish for my earlier thoughts.

Back home, it wasn't until midnight that Caleb returned, reeking of alcohol.

Seeing me lying in bed, he lifted my clothes.

Thinking of the scent of another woman on him, I turned away.

Caleb sneered drunkenly, "Aria Lawson, what are you playing at? You weren't ashamed to climb into my bed before, and now you're playing hard to get?"

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