While enrolling my son in an elite school, the administrator suddenly tells me my marriage certificate is forged.

"According to our records, your marital status is listed as single."

"But I've been married to my husband, Chandler Leighton, for seven years!"

Behind me, other parents waiting in line burst out laughing mockingly. "Did she just say Chandler Leighton? She must be dreaming."

Amid their ridicule, I leave and head straight to the city hall for a confirmation. And as a wife of seven years, my marital status in the system is stated as "Single".

A cold dread washes over me as I press. "Who is Chandler Leighton's legal wife?"

The clerk flatly spats out a name, "Heather Hammington."

It was that name again!

I rush home, ready to confront Chandler, but pause just outside the door when I hear voices inside.

"It's been seven years, Mr. Leighton. Do you still have no plans to grant Mrs. Leighton a legal status?"

After a lengthy pause, Chandler finally answers, "Just wait a little longer. Heather lost both her parents… I'm the only one who can help her, so she needs this title."

"What if Mrs. Leighton finds out?"

"Danielle loves me too much to leave, even if she finds out. Once Heather has established her foothold in the business industry, I'll make it official with Danielle and give her a true marriage certificate."

He sounds so certain, unaware that I'm standing just outside the door with tears streaming down my face.

"You'll be disappointed, you liar."

I take out my phone and dial a number I haven't called in years. "Mom, I accept the Atwoods' marriage arrangement."

When I registered my son—Alfie Leighton—at an elite school, I discovered that my marriage was nothing but an outrageous farce.

"Apologies, ma'am. Your marital status is single according to our records."

"That can't be right. I've been married to my husband, Chandler Leighton, for seven years!" I protested in disbelief, but the parents behind me started muttering impatiently.

"Chandler Leighton? She's got nerve."

"How naive she is to think that a fake certificate will get her kid into this school."

"Whose mistress is this? Get her out already; I'm in a hurry to register my daughter!"

Clearly annoyed, the staff repeated. "Ma'am, without legal proof of family relations, you can't continue holding up the line."

I had no choice but to leave and head over to the local city hall to check. The records said the same thing—that my marriage status column stated "Single".

Refusing to believe it, I asked, "Who's listed as Chandler Leighton's legal wife?"

The staff glanced at the screen and flatly uttered a name, "Heather Hammington."

My hands clenched around the forged marriage certificate I'd carried for years, my vision swimming as I could barely keep my balance.

Heather Hammington… Of course, I knew that name.

During the third year of my marriage with Chandler, I returned early after a month's business trip and didn't tell him. I'd been planning a surprise, and it never occurred to me that I'd walk in on him kissing an unfamiliar woman in his office.

She was the new intern at his company—Heather Hammington.

When I exploded, Chandler looked stricken and even fell to his knees to beg for forgiveness. He claimed he was drunk and had mistaken her for me.

For six whole months, he pestered me relentlessly and repeatedly swore that he'd have no further contact with Heather. That was when I eventually forgave him.

Later, Heather was fired and went abroad, and I never heard anything about her again.

I thought everything had finally returned to normal, but I never imagined the entire marriage was a lie from the very start.

I drove home as fast as I could, needing to confront Chandler and demand why he'd done this to me. But before I could open the bedroom door, I heard voices inside.

"It's been seven years, Mr. Leighton. Aren't you going to give Mrs. Leighton a legal status?"

My hand froze mid-air. It was the voice of Chandler's most trusted butler, Gordon Dariel.

After a long silence, Chandler's voice finally followed. "Just a little longer. Heather lost both her parents, and I'm the only one who can help her now. She needs this status."

"But what if Mrs. Leighton finds out?"

Chandler replied, "Doesn't matter. Danielle loves me so much, and Alfie's all grown up. She'd never leave me, even if it's just for our son.

"Once Heather has secured her footing in the business world, I'll give Danielle a true marriage certificate."

He spoke with such certainty, never realizing I was standing outside the door, tears streaming down my face. It seemed that every step of it had been calculated. My love for him and Alfie was nothing more than his bargaining chips.

I quietly stepped away, then took out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't touched in years.

"Mom, I accept the Atwoods' marriage arrangement."

I stared at the reflection in the bathroom mirror, my eyes red and swollen from crying. Memories of the past seven years with Chandler flashed through my mind.

When we first got together, he used to wait half an hour in the freezing winter nights just to drive me home from work, often surprising me with macarons I'd once casually mentioned liking.

We started our business from scratch. When funds were tight, he turned our tiny rented apartment into an office. For six months after that, he slept curled up on the couch while insisting I take the only single bed.

After the company went public, life finally got easier. The day he proposed, he rented out an entire theater and prepared a surprise I'd remember for the rest of my life.

When I was pregnant, he never let me lift a finger. All day, he cared for every detail of my life with a private doctor and nutritionist arranged just for me.

I'd never doubted his love or wondered if it was all an act. Now, I understood that his love was genuine, but it was split in two.

The thought of him holding Heather's hand, kissing her, even sharing her bed somewhere out of my sight, filled me with utter disgust. No matter what, I had to leave.

That was when I thought of our son, Alfie. I wasn't sure how I should explain this to him. He'd just started elementary school and was far too young to bear the pain of his parents' divorce because of adult mistakes.

As I turned to leave the bathroom, my foot slipped, and I stumbled backward. The fall I'd braced for never came. Instead, a pair of strong hands caught me around the waist and pulled me firmly against his chest.

It was Chandler. Without a word, he scooped me up, carried me into the bedroom, and gently laid me on the bed.

Noticing my red, puffy eyes, he frowned. "What happened, my love? Why have you been crying?"

I looked away and scrambled for an excuse. "I saw a story on the news about stray cats. It's just so sad that all those animals have no home."

He chuckled dotingly and ruffled my hair. "You're always so kind-hearted, my love."

I pressed my lips together, then tugged gently on his sleeve. "Honey, our marriage certificate got soaked and ruined. Should we get a new one?"

His smile stiffened almost instantly. "I've been really busy lately. I'll have the lawyer handle it."

"But—" I started, only to be cut off by the abrupt ringing of his phone. He quickly answered it, and I noticed a strange flicker in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, my love. There's an emergency at the office, and I have to go. Don't wait up for me tonight." With that, he grabbed his coat and rushed out.

My instincts told me he was lying. I checked my phone, and sure enough, a new post appeared on Instagram. Heather had just announced her return to Osnea, and she'd be landing tonight.

The caption read, "I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to pick me up…"

So that was why Chandler had left in such a rush.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. By all rights, I should have stepped aside the moment I found out that they were the true married couple. Yet I never saw this coming—I'd never expected Chandler to bring Heather home.

"Heather just got back and has nowhere to stay. Since we have spare rooms, I thought she could stay here for a couple of days."

Behind Chandler, Heather stepped inside with her suitcase, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. When she saw me, she immediately put on a sweet, apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry, Danielle. It's peak tourist season, and every hotel nearby is fully booked, so I had no choice but to ask Chandler for help. You don't mind, do you?"

My hand tightened around the stair railing as I forced out the words. "Do whatever you want. Just don't touch anything."

Heather beamed and eagerly pulled her suitcase further inside. From the moment she entered, Chandler never left her side, his eyes following her every move.

An uncomfortable knot tightened in my chest. I was about to retreat to my room when I heard a voice down the hallway. "I want this room, Chandler! I love it!"

Panic surged in my chest as I ran over and shouted to stop them, "No!"

Startled, they both turned to look at me. My eyes were red-rimmed as I blurted out, "This was my grandma's room before she passed. There are plenty of other empty rooms; just pick any of them but this one."

Heather's eyes glinted with mischief at that. She clung to Chandler's arm and whined playfully. "I really want this room, Chandler. I love the decor; you can see the garden from the window!"

Chandler looked at her with clear affection before turning to me with a helpless sigh. "Your grandma's been dead for years, and the room's been empty ever since. No harm done if Heather uses it for a few days."

I was nearly begging as I cried out, "Please, Chandler. We promised we'd always keep this room exactly as it was."

He hesitated because he'd indeed promised me that at Grandma's funeral.

Sensing his reluctance, Heather suddenly released his arm and put on a pitiful act. "I know what, I never should have come here. If Danielle won't even let me stay in a spare room, I should just leave."

She turned to wheel her suitcase out, so Chandler immediately panicked and yanked her back. "Don't be ridiculous. It's late, and I won't let you stay outside alone.

"Danielle, let Heather have this room."

His tone was firm and cold. In all seven years of marriage, he'd never spoken to me in such a sharp, commanding tone, but I stood my ground.

To my surprise, he shoved me aside and led Heather into the room.

I stumbled back and collapsed to the floor in a daze. In the room, Heather twirled around happily before flopping onto the large, soft bed. "Thank you for being so understanding, Danielle. I promise I won't touch anything—Oh!"

Before she could even finish, her arm swung out and "accidentally" knocked over a vase on the bedside table. It was my late grandma's favorite porcelain vase, now shattered into pieces on the floor.

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed forward to shove her hard.

"I'm so sorry, Danielle. It was an accident—" Heather began, but before she was done with her apology, a sharp, stinging pain exploded across my cheek.

It was Chandler, who'd just slapped me for the first time in all seven years of our marriage.

For a moment, an eerie silence hung in the air. He stared at his hands, eyes wide in panic.

I recoiled as he reached out to steady me, and his expression quickly darkened. "Are you done causing a scene? It was just a vase, so was it really necessary to push her?

"Heather's staying in this room tonight. You go back to yours and calm down."

With that, he gripped my wrist firmly and pushed me into my room.

As the door slammed shut, I slid helplessly to the floor, my tears finally breaking free.