I've gone on a business trip. It's 3:00 am when my best friend suddenly calls me.

He asks me why I didn't tell him that I already have a baby, seeing as we haven't met for a year.

That question takes me by surprise.

Josephine Bennett and I have been married for many years, but we've been using contraception all this time. Since when do we have a baby together?

My best friend then sends me a screenshot of Josephine's social media feed.

The caption shows, "This marks our 100th day together, my darling baby! I love you so much!"

My heart goes tense when I see the screenshot.

Immediately, I call Josephine to ask her what's going on. Her reaction is very cool and collected, though.

"That's a relative's baby. I found the baby super adorable, so I decided to share the post. I didn't think I'd end up sharing the caption too."

I just smile when I hear Josephine's answer. Later on, I call my older brother, Leonard Sterling.

"Cut the funding for Josephine's research project. Turns out she's been cheating on me."

After I finished speaking, I handed off the last of my work to a colleague. Without even packing my bags, I went straight home.

As the car neared my neighborhood, I spotted colorful balloons drifting above the rooftops. The entire area buzzed with noise and excitement.

The villa's parking lot was packed to the brim, and a massive banner hung over the entrance.

On it was a photo of my wife, Josephine Bennett, and a man holding a baby, their cheeks pressed together. What a perfect family of three, huh?

Seeing that, I gritted my teeth and got out of the car, charging straight toward the villa.

But before I could reach the door, a man in uniform stopped me. "May I see your invitation?"

Why would I need an invitation to enter my home?

I glared at the man.

He studied me warily, as if I were some criminal. "Today, Sterling Group's CEO is holding a celebration for his newborn son. For security reasons, everyone must show an invitation."

The CEO of Sterling Group? That was me.

Back when my brother, Leonard Sterling, took over as chairman, he insisted I hold a title in the company. So, he was the chairman, while I was the CEO.

But I didn't even know I had a son.

While I was lost in thought, the man had already lost his patience. "Sorry, but you can't enter without an invitation. You need to leave now."

After saying that, he shot me a sidelong glance.

"Seriously, today's already busy enough, and now some random person thinks they can stir up trouble. Don't they even know who they are?" he mocked loudly.

I suppressed my anger and explained, "My name is Frederick Sterling, and I'm the owner of this house. I just got back from a business trip—"

"Enough!"

The man waved his hand impatiently and sneered. "Owner, huh? Then, I must be the chairman. What a lunatic! How dare you pretend to be the homeowner! Should I call the police?"

I couldn't be bothered to argue further. So, I pulled out my phone and showed him a photo of the property deed.

Yet, his contempt only grew after he glanced at it. "You think taking a photo of a deed makes you the owner? You've lost your mind!"

Without wasting another second, he grabbed his walkie-talkie and said, "Someone's causing trouble at the entrance. Send a few people over to throw him out."

In no time, several security guards came running from inside the villa.

The man looked at me smugly. "Well? Still not leaving? You'll regret this."

I smirked. The first to arrive was my butler, Nigel Fletcher. We had lived under the same roof for years. There was no way he couldn't recognize me.

I took a deep breath, forcing down my anger. "Nigel, tell him. Am I the owner of this villa or not?"

To my shock, Nigel's eyes flickered when he saw me.

"This villa was assigned to Ms. Bennett by the research institute. Her husband, Mr. Sterling, is inside with guests," he said with a frown.

Then, Nigel addressed the security guards, "Kick out anyone not invited!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than two men came up behind me, grabbing my arms on either side and trying to drag me away.

Rage surged through me, and I yelled, "Nigel, three years ago, your son owed huge gambling debts, and loan sharks were after him. I was the one who paid them and saved his life! Don't you dare say you don't know who I am!"

Sweat beaded on Nigel's forehead, and his face turned ashen as he clenched his jaw. "Yes, I know you. You're the pathetic loser who's been harassing Ms. Bennett!

"Too bad. You've been throwing yourself at her, yet she doesn't want you. She only has eyes for Mr. Sterling. Do yourself a favor and just give up!"

Nearby, one of the security guards added with a sneer, "So, he's just a shameless boy toy trying to muscle in as the third party. He even has the nerve to show up here and cause trouble for Mr. Serling. Guys, get him out of here!"

As he spoke, he grabbed me by the collar and dragged me off.

I gritted my teeth through the pain and kicked him where it hurt most.

The security guard let out a muffled groan and doubled over, legs clamping together.

I took the chance to break free from his grip.

"Damn it! You've got a death wish!" he roared.

Just as he was about to lunge at me, the door swung open, and heavy, deliberate footsteps approached us.

"What's going on here?" Andrew Sterling asked, impatience written all over his face.

He added, "This celebration is for my newborn son. What are you making a scene for?"

In an instant, everyone lowered their heads respectfully and greeted him.

The guard who had hit me lowered his fist before hurrying over to Andrew.

"Mr. Sterling, you came at the perfect time. This guy kept insisting he owned the place and tried to force his way in," he explained with an obsequious smile. "Even after Nigel exposed him, he refused to leave. When we tried to throw him out, he had the nerve to fight back!"

After hearing what had happened, Andrew lifted his chin and looked down at me.

I stared straight at him. One look was all it took for me to clench my fists. On his wrist was a watch—the very one Leonard had given me for my 18th birthday.

I had always been focused on my research and never cared much for such things, so those luxury items had stayed locked away in the safe at home. Even Josephine had never seen that watch. How could Andrew be wearing it?

I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and forced the words out, asking, "Where's Josephine? Get her out here!"

In the next instant, Andrew slapped me hard.

"Who do you think you are, calling my wife by her name?" he asked with a sneer. "Get lost! It's my son's celebration. I don't have time to argue with you."

The blow jolted my head to the side. Blood trickled from my nose, and my face burned with pain.

My eyes were bloodshot with rage as I roared, "I'm her husband!"

Yet, no one believed me, and laughter rippled through the crowd instead.

My eyes darted around, searching desperately.

After I married Josephine, her mother, Monica Lawson, stayed with us. She had always treated me like her own son. If she spoke up, everyone would know who I really was.

Right then, my eyes lit up with joy. "Monica!"

I rushed toward her, relief flooding through me.

But before my fingers even reached the hem of her shirt, she shoved me hard. Caught off guard, I was knocked to the ground, my forehead slamming into the corner of a table.

I hissed in pain.

I hadn't even gotten to my feet when Monica's voice rang out, dripping with contempt. "Don't pretend we are family! I don't have a shameless son-in-law like you! Stop trying to latch onto us!"

I looked up in shock, only to see Monica standing protectively in front of Andrew. Beside her, a housekeeper held a baby.

Monica glared at me. "The Bennetts' son-in-law is the younger brother of Sterling Group's chairman! You're nothing but a mere researcher. How dare you cause trouble here!"

My mind went blank. A moment later, I cried out, "Monica! It's me! Two years ago, when you were hospitalized for surgery and Josephine was away, I stayed with you for over two weeks. Don't you recognize me?"

Monica didn't even glance at me. Instead, she smiled ingratiatingly at Andrew. "Don't mind him. He's just a loser who thinks he can land someone out of his league. He's been pestering Josephine for ages.

"But don't worry. I know her better than anyone. She'd never fall for a jerk like him. You're the only man worthy of being her husband. I'll have someone throw him out right now!"

Just then, the baby in the housekeeper's arms started crying loudly.

Monica hurriedly took the child over, cooing, "Oh, sweetie, you're awake. Don't be afraid. It's all this loser's fault. I'll give him what he deserves!"

I was trembling with rage as I grabbed my phone and called Josephine. "What the hell is going on at home with the man and the baby? Come home right now and explain yourself!"

On the other end, Josephine's breath caught.

"Wasn't your project still going on? Why are you back already?" she asked, flustered. "I'll explain everything to you. I'm coming over now!"

I hung up and glared at Monica and Andrew. I was dying to see how Josephine would explain herself when she arrived.

Across from me, Andrew snickered. "Oh, right. I remember now. Josephine told me about you. So, you're the ex who left her cold in bed, huh?"

As he spoke, he smacked my cheek lightly, his eyes glinting with provocation.

"She said you only knew one position. You couldn't satisfy her, so she had to fake it every time. You two barely slept together. Just once or twice a month, right?"

Andrew clicked his tongue. "No wonder she was starving. She hadn't known what it meant to truly be a woman until she met me. She even said she'd be happy to die in my bed."

I shook with fury. In the next instant, I lost control and shouted, "You're full of bullshit!"

Without thinking, I punched him hard.

Andrew clutched his cheek, screaming, "How dare you hit me!"

In a flash, several security guards surrounded me.

Andrew's face contorted with rage while pointing at me. "Beat this lunatic to death! Strip him! I'll film it and post it online so everyone can see what an impotent man looks like!"

Before I knew it, my shirt was torn open. Buttons flew in every direction, and my belt was wrenched from my waist.

I struggled desperately, but their strength overwhelmed me. In the end, I was pinned to the ground.

Andrew grinned cruelly, grabbed my jaw, and spat in my face. "Nothing's working down there, is it? Let's just cut it off and be done with it."

I looked up at Monica, hoping she'd help. To my horror, she had her phone out, recording me with delight.

Despair washed over me. I clutched my smartwatch with everything I had and pressed the emergency alert button.

The next instant, they yanked my arms apart, forcing me into a spread-eagle.

Several security guards brandished knives, leering at my groin with wicked smiles.

Just as they were about to rip the rest of my clothes off, a car screeched to a stop right in front of the entrance. It was Josephine.

"Everyone, stop right now!"

The crowd froze. Then, one by one, they released me.

I curled into a ball, trembling uncontrollably with humiliation and rage.

Josephine rushed over, but she didn't spare me so much as a glance. Instead, she went straight to Andrew, cupping his face and blowing on his cheek. "Darling! What happened to your face? Who hit you?"

After that, she turned anxiously to the housekeeper holding the baby and asked, "Is he okay? Was he scared?"

Andrew wrapped an arm around Josephine, looking every bit like the victim as he whined, "He barged in and beat me up! He even called me a homewrecker and scared our baby into crying!"