Chapter 2

Three years ago, the Ashford family faced a crisis.

Stock prices plummeted. Partners withdrew funding one after another.

At that time, as the only daughter of the Hayes family, I proposed a marriage alliance.

Some said I was taking advantage of their misfortune.

Some said the Hayes family was bottom-fishing.

What no one knew was that I liked Frederick.

Since college. For seven years.

To avoid putting pressure on Frederick, I drafted an agreement myself: a marriage term of three years.

During those three years, we would cooperate to handle family matters and attend public events together.

After three years, if either party proposed divorce, the other must agree unconditionally.

This marriage held no benefits for me.

I wanted nothing—just a chance to be with him for three years.

Later I heard that he apparently had a girlfriend he was deeply in love with at the time.

His parents forcibly separated them and made him marry me to save the company.

Over these three years, Frederick had been very good to me.

Genuinely good.

Considerate, gentle, fulfilling his duties as a husband.

He would bring me late-night snacks when returning home from business dinners.

He would bring me gifts when returning from business trips.

He never brushed off any holiday or anniversary.

When I was sick, he would stay by my bedside.

Even in our intimate life, he was attentive.

I thought he was slowly falling for me.

Now I understood. He was just fulfilling contractual obligations.

As for feelings—

Those weren't in the contract.

I turned over, burying my face in the pillow.

Before long, the pillow was wet in one spot.