Chapter 3

The moment she cried, Julian became a ticking time bomb.

He barely suppressed his fury, stepping forward and gripping my wrist fiercely, with enough force to shatter bone.

I cried out in pain.

"Maya, Vivian has tolerated so much from you, and you still deliberately make things difficult for her! Do you have any dignity as the Davies family's eldest daughter-in-law?!"

A heavy stone seemed to weigh down my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

I struggled, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably, and couldn't help but shout.

"Fine! If that's how it is, then give the title of Mrs. Davies to her!"

Julian's face turned frighteningly dark, his chest heaving, his eyes burning as if he wanted to tear me apart.

"You can be as crazy as you want, but if you ruin Vivian's reputation, I'll make your life a living hell!"

He spat the threat, threw my hand away, and, with an arm around Vivian, stormed out.

I collapsed back onto the bed, a bitter ache spreading through my heart.

That night, Vivian posted a picture on Ins.

A man embraced her from behind, his distinctively jointed hands clasped over her lower abdomen.

The caption read: "Anticipating the arrival of a wondrous little life."

I instinctively touched my own empty abdomen.

It had just been cut open by cold blades, scraped and hollowed out, aching with fresh blood.

Then, another update refreshed on my feed - a video.

In the warm hotel lighting, Julian was intently studying a recipe, preparing a special "Five Red Soup" for her "cold uterus."

Vivian lay on the bed, sweetly bragging.

"He said it's his first time cooking personally. He wants to spoil me like a little girl before I become a mom."

But just last month, when I shared pregnancy recipes with Julian.

He had suspected me of tampering with them, inspecting the condoms in our bedroom with a dark expression.

It turned out Julian didn't not want children; he just wanted children with Vivian.

These two years of supposed deep affection, of being a loving couple - it had all been a facade.

Tears soaked my pillow, the heavy ache suffocating me.

I finally drifted off to sleep as dawn broke.

The next morning, Julian came to the hospital with breakfast.

He set up the small table, placing warm milk and a sandwich on it, his expression unusually gentle.

"Maya, I said some harsh things yesterday."

Julian patiently tried to coax me.

"Even though Vivian and I aren't blood relatives, she's still my step-sister by name. There's nothing scandalous going on between us like you imagine."

"Once she has the baby, I'll bring it to live with you, and it will only recognize you as its mother."

"If that child ever dares to treat you poorly in the future, I swear I won't forgive him!"

Listening to Julian's sanctimonious explanations, my heart slowly sank to the bottom.

The milk was leftover from breakfast, still bearing the hotel label from last night.

Even now, his soft words were only meant to manipulate me into accepting Vivian's future child.

Was this truly the same man who once loved me so fiercely he was willing to break ties with the Davies family just to marry me?

Seeing my continued silence, Julian finally grew impatient. He loosened his tie and sat beside me.

"Not talking again? Aren't you tired of this act?"

"Fine, Vivian and I can do IVF, without us even being intimate, and you can be the surrogate! Would that satisfy you?!"

His face was grim, his tone cold.

I looked at him, countless emotions stuck in my throat, finally managing only a self-deprecating smile.

"Julian, let's get a divorce."

A flicker of panic crossed Julian's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Don't pretend."

"You were so desperate to marry into the Davies family, you even agreed to have your parents' final resting place moved to our private family cemetery, essentially erasing your own family's history!"

He scoffed, certain I wouldn't leave.

But he forgot that he had once knelt before my gravely ill parents, begging for their blessing, for my hand.

I had never married into the wealth and prestige of the Davies family.

I had married the Julian who loved me as much as his own life.