Chapter 3

After dinner, as I mechanically prepared his suit for tomorrow,

He suddenly pinned me beneath him.

"You've been so quiet lately, almost… unlike yourself…"

As a flurry of kisses rained down on my face,

Seraphina's usual gardenia perfume quickly filled my nostrils.

The room's temperature abruptly rose, making the scent even more intense.

A strong wave of nausea suddenly surged in my throat.

I forced myself to hold it back.

But then, at the peak of it all, Kamran whispered *Seraphina's* name.

My mind went blank, my knuckles white as I gripped the pillow.

The next second, I found a surge of strength from somewhere, pushed Kamran away with all my might,

And rushed to the bathroom, dry-heaving over the toilet bowl.

Kamran followed me closely.

Seeing my actions, the lust in his eyes instantly vanished.

He leaned against the doorframe, a slight frown on his brow, his tone impatient.

"What's wrong with you?"

I didn't answer him, the continuous retching echoing through the bathroom.

He lost patience, simply dropping a line:

"Go to the doctor tomorrow for a check-up."

The roar of his car faded downstairs, taking my sleepiness with it.

I curled up in the corner of the bed, desperately trying to suppress the physical discomfort.

But it seemed useless.

So I got out of bed.

Rummaging through drawers, trying to find some medicine,

I found a pearl necklace in the back of the cabinet. It looked cheap, its metal settings faded.

The cold metal in my palm suddenly grew hot, burning me so badly I almost dropped it.

I remembered Kamran's toughest year.

We were twenty-two.

To test his abilities, his family cut off all his financial resources, forcing him to start from the bottom.

The pampered heir who used to blow millions a month was now earning a meager salary, wearing cheap, off-the-rack clothes, squeezed into a crowded employee dorm.

My heart ached for him, and I secretly gave him half of my allowance.

Under the moonlight, his voice choked.

"Angela, it's so good to have you."

To earn money to buy me a birthday present,

He took on every odd job he could, working until he was seeing stars, refusing to stop.

When he handed me a pearl necklace, his face was flushed.

"The quality of this pearl is definitely nothing compared to what you have in your closet, Angela. If you don't like it, you can just say so…"

I didn't refuse.

I took off my latest designer necklace and wore that pearl necklace year after year.

Many times later, that necklace became Kamran's token to soften my heart.

Snapping out of the memory,

I clutched the necklace and walked to the balcony, flinging it forcefully into the air.

The pearl necklace disappeared into the flowerbed, out of sight.

Two months later.

Someone arrived at the door.

Seraphina.

She wore a chic, designer-style suit, and an expensive watch adorned her wrist.

Even her earrings were the ones Kamran had bought at auction for a fortune recently.

I knew she had accepted Kamran's possessive love.

Like many women, she had come to make me step aside from Kamran's marriage.

"He doesn't love you anymore. There's no point in you holding onto this position."

"And I need the title of Mrs. Thorne to shed the label of 'mistress'."

But now, *I* also needed that title.

I only had my brother left.

I could give way on everything else, but not this.

Seeing no reaction from me, a flicker of hatred crossed her eyes. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"Angela, why can't you keep Kamran in check?"

"Why did you let him drive me and my boyfriend to the brink?"

"I'm like this because of your incompetence! You're the one who ruined me!"

"If I'm not happy, then you and Kamran, you won't be either, you disgusting cheats!"

She lunged at me, her full weight pressing down on me.

My lower back slammed against the metal-edged table corner, the intense pain making me momentarily speechless.

I tried to push her away.

But before I could even apply force, she suddenly fell to the floor herself, sending plates and silverware crashing to the floor.

I turned around and saw Seraphina clutching her stomach in pain. The fabric beneath her quickly stained red with blood.

She… was pregnant?

The screams of the house staff echoed in my ears, and Kamran's panicked shouts came from the entryway.

The next second, a swift, brutal slap landed across my face.

The blow was so hard I tasted blood on my lips.

"Angela!"

"I thought bringing you back these past few months meant you'd learned your lesson. I never thought you'd still be so stubborn!"

An indescribable bitterness surged, rising to my throat, thick with the metallic taste of blood.

My voice hoarse, I defended myself:

"I didn't push her…"

Kamran didn't listen to my explanation.

He scooped Seraphina up, holding her close, and bolted out the door, his composure shattered.

The man who usually remained unflappable even at the negotiation table now had a back that trembled subtly with fear.

A week later, I received a call from my brother.

"Angela, can you please ask Kamran why he suddenly disconnected the bank account for repayments?"

"If it's too much trouble, then forget it…"