After reading the message, my knees gave out. Immediately, I collapsed onto the floor. All my suspicions had just become reality.

Vanessa really had cheated on me.

We had been married for five years, yet her child with Addison was already three years old. That meant she betrayed me barely a year into our marriage. No … it might be even earlier.

My hands trembled as memories surfaced. Three years ago, she left for half a year, claiming she had a business trip overseas. I didn’t question it at the time. Instead, I trusted her completely.

But now, I realized the truth. Vanessa wasn’t away for work. She was pregnant.

During those six months, Vanessa wasn’t in meetings or traveling. Rather, she was giving birth to her affair child. The knowledge of it made my chest tighten, making it hard to breathe.

The truth was Vanessa wasn’t struggling with infertility. She just didn’t want to have my child. I was still trying to process everything when Vanessa walked into the bedroom.

She saw me sitting on the floor and frowned with concern.

"Carl, the floor is cold. Why are you sitting there? Are you feeling unwell?"

Her voice was full of worry, her beautiful eyes soft with concern. It was just like they had been every day for the past eight years. So, I could only clench my phone behind my back and force a smile.

"Maybe I was just too excited about becoming a father. I lost my balance for a second."

Vanessa let out a relieved sigh and carefully helped me to the bed.

"Our little baby," she joked, patting her stomach.

"I can already tell they’re going to be naughty. When they’re born, I’ll have to berate them for making their father so nervous."

Her words were playful and affectionate. In the past, they would have made my heart warm. Now, they only made me sick.

I stared at her and asked quietly, "Vanessa, are you hiding something from me?"

She froze for a second but quickly smiled.

"Carl, we’re husband and wife. What could I possibly hide from you?"

I laughed at myself. What was I expecting?

She didn’t notice my distant expression. Instead, she gently placed a hand over her still flat stomach.

"Tomorrow is my check-up. We’ve waited for this baby for all these years ... I just want to make sure everything is perfect."

Her voice was so tender, so sincere.

If I hadn’t just overheard her conversation, I would have believed her completely.

But now, I wanted to scream. Had she really been waiting for this baby? Or was she just playing another role? Pretending, as always?

I swallowed my emotions and looked away.

"Go to sleep, Vanessa. I’m tired."

The next morning, as I was washing up in the bathroom, my phone buzzed again.

Another message from Addison.

[Addison Blythe: Tell me, Carl. who is more important? My son, or the embryo in her belly that hasn’t even formed yet?]

Before I could even process his words, Vanessa’s phone rang in the living room.

Three minutes later, she stepped into the bathroom and pressed a light kiss on my forehead.

"Carl, something urgent came up at the company. I have to handle it myself."

She smoothed my hair with a gentle smile.

"Don’t worry, I’ll call you when I’m done and we’ll go to the check-up together. I already arranged everything with the doctor. You just have to show up."

Before I could respond, she turned to leave. She didn’t even wait for me to say anything. I clenched my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that burned my throat.

"Vanessa … can you stay? Just this once?"

Vanessa paused. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face. For a moment, I thought she might actually stay. But then, she gave me another smile.

"Be good, Carl. I’ll be back soon. Just listen and wait for me, okay?"

The door closed behind her. After that, the house fell silent. But it was what I needed. Finally, I was able to let the tears fall.

The driver took me to the hospital on time. Two hours later, Vanessa finally arrived. We completed all the examinations together under the doctor’s arrangement.

Just after the examination, Vanessa left in a hurry again. She used the excuse that she had something urgent at the company. Meanwhile, I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, staring at the colored Doppler ultrasound report the doctor had just handed me.

In the black-and-white image, there was a small white dot. It was our baby with the size of a peanut. The doctor said it was my child.

I gently stroked the report, my heart aching with an emotion I couldn’t name.

Then, Addison’s text came again.

[Addison Blythe: I just need to tell her that my child misses his mother. Trust me, she’ll drop everything to come to me. And that includes you.]

Attached to the message was a photo.

Vanessa sat on a sofa, holding a little boy dressed in cow-print pajamas. His small arms wrapped tightly around her neck with his face full of trust and dependence. Vanessa looked down at him with a soft, indulgent expression. It was a tenderness I had never seen before.

A warm family scene. I had imagined this moment countless times. I just never expected to see it like this. Even though I could have blocked Addison, I didn’t.

I kept reading his messages over and over, forcing myself to remember. I reminded myself that the happiness I thought I had in my marriage was nothing but a lie. The only thing I could do was to wipe away my tears and carefully folded the ultrasound report.

Then, I called my driver.

"Go back without me. I have something else to take care of."

I remained seated on the hospital bench, waiting.

I didn’t have to wait long.

Another message from Addison. This time, it wasn’t just messages. It was a video.

[Addison Blythe: Enjoy it. We’ll be at the hospital soon. The child you’ve been waiting for these past five years? She can’t wait to get rid of it.]

My hands trembled as I clicked play.

Vanessa appeared on the screen. Her expression was wild, while her movements were desperate. The room was filled with scattered lingerie and sex toys littered across the bed and floor.

I stared at the screen, taking in every painful detail, forcing myself to see a side of Vanessa I had never known. For five years, she had always been gentle and reserved even in our most intimate moments. I had never seen her like this.

I had no idea of how long I sat there, watching the video of betrayal that was done by my wife.

"Sir, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"

A nurse’s voice pulled me from my trance.

Only then did I realize I had been crying.

My body was trembling, my hands so unsteady I could barely hold my phone. My reflection in the hospital window looked pathetic. I was broken. And yet, even after everything I had seen, I realized something shameful.

I still loved Vanessa.

Vaneesa wasn’t just a woman I could throw away when she betrayed me. She wasn’t something I could simply discard. In the end, she was still my wife.

For five years, people believed she was the one who loved me deeply. But how could they not see? I had loved her just as much. Frankly, I might love her even more.

I couldn’t let go. Not of her. Not of the child growing inside her.

I thought of the tiny life on the ultrasound image and took a shaky breath, wiping my tears. I knew that I wanted to give Vanessa one last chance. So, I dialed her number.

"Vanessa," I said, my voice thick with emotion.

"I don’t feel well. Can you come back? I miss you."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, Vanessa answered. Her voice was strained, breathless.

"Carl, I’m not done yet. Wait a-"

A muffled moan cut through the call. Then, nothing but the cold, mechanical beep of disconnection. It really broke my heart.

It was that moment that made me realize that I had to leave her for good.

I sat there in a daze, holding the phone as if I were still making a call. For a long time, I didn't move. After a while, I looked at the nurse beside me.

"It's okay. I'll leave now."

It was already dark when I got home. As soon as I stepped inside, Vanessa came to meet me.

"Where did you go by yourself? You didn’t even let the driver follow you-"

She stopped talking when she saw my red, swollen eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?"

I looked at her carefully. A deep sadness filled my heart. Her eyes were full of concern for me. Her face showed nothing but worry. How could a woman who seemed so devoted to me be unfaithful?

I lowered my gaze, avoiding her eyes.

"Vanessa, I miss my sister."

Vanessa let out a sigh of relief and gently hugged my waist.

"Aww, my crybaby husband! You're about to become a father, but you're still so childish. It's normal to miss your sister since you two haven't seen each other in a long time."

I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but Vanessa had a faint milky scent. It was the kind usually associated with babies. Somehow, it made me want to vomit.

Soon enough, I pulled away from her embrace.

"I called my sister today. She was very happy to hear that you're pregnant. She also invited me to visit her for a few days. She’s sending a plane to pick me up tomorrow night."

My emotions might have been all over the place. It might be what caused my head to feel heavy. All I wanted now was to rest. Since Vanessa agreed with what I said, I went straight to the bedroom.

"Vanessa, I’m a little tired. I want to rest."

It seemed that I got to be extremely exhausted because when I woke up, it was already almost noon. But I didn’t expect Vanessa to still be home. When she saw me wake up, she kissed my forehead as usual.

"My lazy husband finally woke up. Get up and eat something. There’s a cocktail party this afternoon."

I checked the time. The plane was arriving in the evening, so it wouldn't interfere with the party. To avoid making Vanessa suspicious and to make sure my sister’s plan went smoothly, I nodded.

As soon as we arrived at the hall, all eyes were on us.

"Oh, look at Mr. Harrow. People who are truly loved look different. Miss Hutchinson can’t take her eyes off him."

"That's true. After all these years, Miss Hutchinson still looks at him like he's her whole world. Who in our circle can compare?"

People kept making flattering comments, but then a mocking voice interrupted.

"Mr. Harrow is a grown man. Why is he so clingy to his wife?"

"Are you following Miss Hutchinson so closely because you're afraid someone will steal her?"

The voice belonged to none other than Addison. Everyone could hear the malice in his words. After all, everyone knew that Addison had been chasing Vanessa for years.

"What does he mean by that? Does he think someone can take Miss Hutchinson away? Who? Himself?"

"Has Addison looked in a mirror? He shamelessly chased after Miss Hutchinson and she was so furious that she bankrupted his entire family. And now he dares to provoke Mr. Harrow? Is he tired of living?"

I pretended not to hear what people were saying. Not only that, I also ignored Vanessa’s furious expression and walked straight up to Addison.

"Mr. Blythe, you seem very concerned about my wife. I’m starting to wonder if there’s something between you two."

As soon as I said that, Vanessa's body tensed. Her eyes locked onto Addison with a look that could kill him. Addison was clearly shaken by her glare.

"I was just joking. Mr. Harrow, you wouldn’t be so petty, right? We’re both men …"