That night, Jessica was tormented by nightmares.

In her dreams, her parents' stern voices clashed with Anthony's tender words, a cacophony at the edge of her consciousness.

"If you marry Anthony, you'll never be welcome in the Sullivan family home again."

"Jess, I'll never let you down. From now on, I'll be the closest person to you in this world."

…

Five years earlier, she had courageously defied her parents. She broke off the engagement they had arranged since her childhood, determined to marry Anthony.

Her father was so enraged by her decision that he suffered a heart attack, and her mother bitterly cursed, "You'll regret this one day."

However, Jessica chose to believe in love. She packed her bags and left Hudson City for Capital City, all on her own.

Anthony's love for her had not faded in the slightest over the years. In fact, it had only grown stronger.

His friends would joke, "If Jess pointed to a star and said she liked it, you'd climb up there and pluck it from the sky for her."

Jessica would just laugh when she heard that because Anthony had, in a way, plucked a star for her.

One day, she had casually admired a blue star in an astronomy magazine, calling it 'very special'.

On their anniversary, she received a certificate from the Britannia Star Name Registry. That twinkling blue star in the cosmos was then hers alone.

Anthony had installed a powerful telescope on their bedroom balcony.

Nearly every night, Jessica gazed through it, watching her star sparkle.

With her joyful marriage, she showed her parents that she had made the right choice, that Anthony was the person she was meant to trust all along.

If marriage were a high-stakes game, then the flawless fake marriage certificate was the undeniable proof of her loss.

Amid the turmoil, Linda materialized before her.

"Jessica, you're an impostor. I'm the one and only Mrs. Harris!"

Jessica frantically shook her head, her voice tinged with panic, "No! I can't believe it!"

Then, out of nowhere, Anthony appeared behind Linda, his eyes icy and distant as he observed the scene.

Seizing what felt like her last hope, Jessica pleaded, "Anthony, tell her, please, I'm Mrs. Harris."

However, Anthony did not even glance her way. He clasped Linda's hand and they turned to walk away together.

"Anthony!" she called out, her voice echoing with desperation.

Startled awake, Jessica found herself back in reality.

"I'm right here, Jess. Bad dream?" Anthony's voice was full of concern as he soothingly rubbed her back.

Tears welled up in Jessica's eyes. "Anthony, who am I?"

For a moment, Anthony looked surprised, then he smiled warmly and playfully pinched her nose.

"You're Jessica, the love of my life, my Mrs. Harris."

Really?

She wanted to confront him, to ask why—if she meant so much to him—he felt the need to create a sham marriage certificate.

"Anthony, about the marriage certificate..."

Just then, Anthony's phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Jessica caught a glimpse of the screen. The caller ID displayed 'Linda'.

Anthony gently tapped her hand and said with a hint of distraction, "I'll get the lawyer to sort out our marriage certificate as soon as possible. There's an emergency at work I have to take care of."

He barely stepped out of the bedroom before he snatched up the phone with urgency.

"Linda, hang tight, I'm on it," he said.

Meanwhile, Jessica got a call from the head of the welfare center where she had been helping out.

"Jessica, a couple's interested in adopting Tracy. Mr. Harris said you were considering it too. Can you swing by to discuss it?"

Quickly changing, Jessica drove to the welfare center.

She spotted Anthony at the stairwell, about to wave, when a figure darted past her and into his embrace.

"Anthony, you're here! Please, we have to save Tracy!"

Holding Linda close, Anthony reassured her, "Don't worry. No one is taking our girl."

Linda was back in the country?

Through her tears, Linda said, "Anthony, I can't bear the thought of Tracy calling anyone else 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

Anthony whispered in her ear, "I promise, Tracy will be a Harris, officially and forever."

Her tears gave way to laughter.

"Anthony, when you think about it, legally, we're the ones who are married. Jessica..."

Anthony's brow creased with worry. "I only registered our marriage before the wedding to protect you from being pushed around overseas.

"I can offer you the world, just not the Harris name. Jess is innocent, so leave her be," he implored.

Linda's frown betrayed her irritation, yet she knew they had to focus on Tracy for then, so she shelved her feelings.

"You needn't worry about me vying for the title of Mrs. Harris. I'm not even worthy."

Anthony sensed his earlier words had been too cutting and quickly knelt to soothe her.

"What are you saying? If you're not worthy, then who is? You're the one who blessed the Harris family with Tracy. My mom hasn't stopped thinking about you."

Jessica's balance wavered. Anthony's mother was aware of his affair with Linda!

She envisioned her mother-in-law, haughty and aloof.

The Harris family had looked down on her because her parents refused to provide financial support for the marriage, and her mother-in-law had been especially harsh, never once offering a smile.

Jessica had clung to the naive hope that her earnest efforts to please her mother-in-law would win her acceptance.

At this moment, it dawned on her that her mother-in-law had already welcomed another woman into the family. How could Jessica matter to her then?

Her legs turned to lead as she trailed behind Anthony and Linda up the stairs.

Anthony had maintained a gentlemanly facade, but as soon as they were out of sight, he yanked Linda close and pinned her to him.

"Let's put Tracy's situation aside for now. Shouldn't we focus on resolving my issue?"

He pressed against her, sending a wave of heat across Linda's cheeks.

He and Linda slipped into the empty storeroom. It was not long before the muffled cries of passion, broken and sporadic, seeped into Jessica's ears.

Just a wall away, she trembled, sliding down against the cool surface to the floor.

Anthony's breath came in ragged gasps. "Linda, after having a kid, how are you still so...?"

Linda's breathy response followed, "Oh, and Jessica isn't?"

The sounds of their encounter grew more intense, culminating in Anthony's low roar. "Jess is too buttoned-up, nothing like you—so free-spirited from your time overseas."

Jessica's nails bit into her palm, the pain a sharp contrast to the shock coursing through her. She had always seen the president of Harris Group as a paragon of virtue, one who looked down on any woman who dared to approach him, except for her. Then she knew he was nothing but a libertine.

As the moans started anew, Jessica pushed off the wall and staggered away.

The director was already waiting in her office. "We need to confirm, Jessica. Are you and Mr. Harris still planning to adopt Tracy?"

Jessica did not answer right away. Instead, she asked to see Tracy's personal file.

The file revealed that Tracy was born in the spring five years earlier, just six months after Jessica and Anthony had married, around the time he had proposed. Rage and bitterness surged within her.

Handing back the file, Jessica's voice was steady. "I've decided not to adopt Tracy. You can proceed with her adoption."

The director gave a pensive nod.

"Jess!"

Anthony barged in, grabbing Tracy's file from the desk.

"Since when did I back out of adopting Tracy? Who said you could decide for me?"

Jessica's gaze was icy as she met him. "And you were going to adopt Tracy without asking me, right?"

Anthony was speechless.

Linda popped up from behind him with a grin. "Hey, Jess, it's been ages."

Sweat dotted Anthony's brow as he gestured toward Linda and explained, "Linda is an investor in this orphanage. I just bumped into her today."

"So? What's that got to do with adopting Tracy?" Jessica shot back.

Anthony scowled. "How could I not have seen it before? You're so aloof, so unfeeling. Tracy's a sweetheart. Doesn't she tug at your heartstrings?"

Aloof? Unfeeling?

She was the one betrayed, let down, and then she was the bad guy?

Linda stepped closer and smilingly took Jessica's hand. "Jess, Anthony told me you're adopting Tracy. That's wonderful news! Tracy is an angel, the sweetest kid we've got."

Jessica could not resist. "If Tracy's such a treasure, why don't you adopt her?"

Caught off-guard, Linda felt her smile waver.

Anthony jumped to her defense, positioning himself between them. "What are you implying? Linda is single. What would people think if she adopted a child on her own?"

Jessica's heart ached as if pierced by a thousand needles.

Anthony had empathy for Linda, but he seemed blind to the whispers that would swirl around Jessica if they adopted Tracy.

For five years of marriage, Anthony had kept her from getting pregnant, using his 'career in its rising phase' as an excuse.

The rumor mill churned relentlessly.

Some whispered that Jessica's wild youth and numerous abortions had left her barren. Others speculated she was infertile by nature.

Even her mother-in-law's barbs cut deep, mocking her as an 'infertile hen'.

Whenever Jessica poured out her heart, Anthony's answer was to shower her with luxury gifts, never once standing up to clear her name.

If he truly loved her, would he not speak out against the slander?

Adopting a child would only cement the rumors of her infertility, would it not?

Clutching at a final hope, Jessica trembled and said, "Anthony, don't you want a child of our own?"

Anthony's gaze fell. "Let's wait a few more years, okay? You know the company is expanding..."

"Fine, I'll follow your lead," Jessica cut him off.

Her heart had gone numb. She might as well go along with it.

Anthony wrapped her in a joyful hug, "Jess, I always knew you had the biggest heart."

As her hair brushed his ear, Jessica caught the envious glint in Linda's eye.

In that instant, she realized Linda was no longer satisfied being the unseen wife on a marriage certificate. She was after the title of Mrs. Harris for all to see.

A line from Alicia Keys' 'Try Again' suddenly played in Jessica's head.

'I could try again, however, I would rather let you go.'

She was ready to ditch that mess of a relationship. Who picked up the pieces was none of her business.

Anthony had gone off with the director to sort out some paperwork, leaving Jessica and Linda by the staircase.

"Jess, don't you think Tracy and Anthony could pass for father and daughter? To the untrained eye, they might as well be related."

Jessica caught the hint in Linda's voice. "Really? What a coincidence."

Linda pressed on, a sly tone in her voice. "And Tracy's mom, whoever she is, must be quite the looker."

She tossed her hair back, not-so-subtly showing off a love bite on her collarbone.

"Oops, my husband can be a bit eager. Does Anthony ever get like that with you?"

Jessica took a deep breath. "Ever heard of someone biting when they're pushed too far?"

Linda's expression changed, and she was about to retort when she caught sight of a figure at the corner.

"Well, let's see if they're just putting on a show or if they're actually capable of biting."

Before Jessica could process her words, Linda suddenly stumbled backward, away from the staircase.