I had no idea what was going through Vivian's head as she watched me leave, but it definitely wasn't anything good. Still, I knew her well enough to be sure of one thing—with her willful personality, she wouldn't give up that easily.

Exhausted, I dragged my tired body back to the Sutton residence. I'd been busy with a project for the past few days, working overtime almost every night until the middle of the night.

I walked into the house while rubbing the space between my brows.

An hour ago, I'd gotten a message from my parents saying Vivian was back. My whole body froze the moment I saw it. I'd always known Vivian would come back someday, but when the day actually arrived, I still couldn't help going blank for a moment.

I hung my bag on the coat rack and looked down to see a pair of men's shoes on the floor. I paused for a second, then immediately put on a perfectly polite smile.

"You're back." A warm, gentle voice rang out.

I turned around. Adrian stood there in solid black pajamas. Even in something so simple and conservative, it was easy to see that he had a great body—broad shoulders, a trim waist, and long legs. He had chiseled features, and gold-rimmed glasses rested above gentle eyes.

He frowned slightly and looked at me with concern. "Why do you look so drained? Haven't you been resting well these past few days?"

I smiled. "There's just been too much going on at the company. How have you been the last few days? Did you have fun? How's Rowan?"

He walked over and gently pulled me into his arms. His chin rested on my shoulder, and I could feel his warm breath on the side of my neck.

His long, defined fingers slowly stroked my back as he said softly, "Rowan had a great time. He was so tired that he fell right asleep. His only regret was that you weren't there. Next time, when we get the chance, we can all go together.

"I missed you," he added. His voice carried a teasing, intimate warmth.

I could feel the heat of his chest against me, but inside, I was freezing cold. Something soft brushed against the side of my neck, and my whole body went rigid. My mind was full of what Vivian had said earlier.

I didn't respond to Adrian the way I used to. Instead, I pressed my hands to his chest, instinctively putting a bit of distance between us.

"I…" I didn't say any more. I clearly felt Adrian's body stiffen for a moment, and I sensed he was unhappy.

After a pause, he smiled and picked up where I'd left off. "You've been exhausted lately. Go take a shower and get some real sleep."

He'd already come up with an excuse on my behalf. He even leaned down and pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

I nodded and headed upstairs.

Behind me, hidden in the shadows, Adrian's expression was dark and unreadable. The air around him was almost suffocating as his gaze stayed locked on my tense, preoccupied figure.

…

The next day, I went to work as usual. Just as I drove out of the neighborhood, I spotted a familiar figure. My hands tightened on the steering wheel, and my brows drew together.

Vivian saw my car, too. She suddenly rushed right in front of it, and I was forced to slam on the brakes. The driver in the car behind me immediately laid on the horn in frustration.

It was peak rush hour. The security guard hurried over, trying to drag Vivian away, but she wouldn't budge. Even as he pulled at her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Noelle Cavendish, stop playing dead! How shameless can you be to cling to your brother-in-law?"

Her shrill, grating voice drew the attention of everyone nearby.

I pulled my car over to the side, making sure I wasn't blocking anyone's way. Then, I got out.

I looked at Vivian coldly. She gave a satisfied little smile and casually smoothed back her messy hair. She sneered and asked, "What's wrong? Embarrassed? Or are you scared that once Adrian finds out I'm back, he'll dump you?"

My voice was frosty. "Vivian, you're seriously disrupting my life right now. This is my final warning. Leave me alone and stop harassing me."

She clearly didn't take my warning seriously. Instead, she smiled like victory was already in her hands.

"Drop the act. You're terrified, and you know it. You've lived in my shadow since we were kids. Being jealous of me and wanting to replace me is perfectly normal for someone like you."

She paused for a beat, then stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Unfortunately for you, people who steal someone else's place will eventually get kicked out. I'll wait right here for Adrian. Once I see him, I'll explain everything. He'll forgive me. I know he will.

"Rowan, too. He's my child—I gave birth to him. We're bound by blood. You can forget about ever truly taking my place!"

I didn't respond. I simply turned around and got back in the car.

This time, Vivian didn't try to stop me. In the rearview mirror, I could see her standing there, watching my car with a faint, smug smile.

A chill crept over my whole body.

Vivian had been spoiled rotten since she was a child. She never followed rules, and the moment something didn't go her way, she would throw a tantrum like an overgrown baby, causing a scene for the whole world to see.

I took a deep breath, trying hard to pull my thoughts away from her. All these years, I'd poured my heart into maintaining this marriage and building my career. If Adrian and I divorced, I wouldn't be the only one affected. He would take a hit, too. Both our interests would be dealt a blow.

Even then, he still had ways out. As for me, the only person who was truly in my corner… was myself.

I sat in my office, and my thoughts drifted far away.

Back in elementary school, every winter and summer break, Vivian would run wild and lose her mind having fun. By the time school started, she wouldn't have touched a single page of her homework.

Afraid the teacher would scold her, she would try to pass off my completed homework as her own. My parents even came up with a "reasonable" explanation—I had good grades, so the teachers wouldn't get mad at me, even if I didn't turn in homework.

However, Vivian was different. If she didn't hand in her homework, the teachers would definitely call her out and scold her in front of the whole class.

To protect her pride, my work could be taken away without a second thought. Since then, every school break, I became smart and just did two sets of homework.

In high school, Vivian started dating. She went all out pursuing the school heartthrob, got into fights, and cozied up to every teacher. She had poor grades, but she was outgoing and cheerful, so she had tons of friends.

Since we were kids, someone was always there to clean up her messes. However, I had to live carefully. I had to watch my every step and weigh my every decision.

In college, she met Adrian at an outdoor music festival. They performed at a small bar together and formed a temporary band. In those two months, while I was bouncing from one part-time job to another just to scrape together my tuition, they were up on stage, burning through their youth like it would last forever.

I used to think that after graduation, I would save up some money and escape my family for good.

Then, that fateful night happened. Vivian stayed out late and stumbled home in heavy makeup, a crop top that showed her waist, and tiny shorts. She'd had way too much to drink.

She started feeling sick the moment she walked through the door. Mom and Dad panicked and rushed her to the hospital in the middle of the night. When the test results came back, we found out she was pregnant.

In those days, the whole house felt terrifyingly quiet. Mom and Dad were completely thrown off by the news and ran around like headless chickens. I was busy using my break to work part-time jobs and save for my tuition. The only one who seemed relaxed was Vivian. She didn't even seem to sense that a new life was growing inside her.

As she was pregnant, Mom and Dad made her stay home and rest so the baby could grow properly, feeding her nothing but supplements and fresh fruit every day. She lounged around at home all day.

Meanwhile, our family sat down with the Suttons to discuss the marriage. The plan was to do a paternity test after the baby was born and, once everything was confirmed, hold the wedding.

Everything was settled nicely on paper. With no other choice, the Sutton family had to accept the marriage. If this scandal went public, their reputation would be ruined, and it would even affect their company's stock.

The night before the wedding, I took a four-hour train ride to get home. However, the next day, when the bridal convoy arrived to pick the bride up, Vivian was gone.

All that was left at home were Rowan, still wrapped in his baby blanket, and the Suttons, who all wore dark, stormy expressions.

Adrian's expression was cold and bitter. Mom and Dad stood there, awkward and frantic. Then, their eyes slowly drifted toward me.

Mom suddenly looked like she'd grabbed onto a lifeline. "We still have another daughter! She's never even dated anyone!"

Dad immediately chimed in. "That's right! Noelle, hurry! With your sister gone, you're the only one who can step in now!"

I stood there frozen. My mind was blank from the shock. Before I could react, Mom and Dad had already grabbed one of my arms each and started dragging me into the dressing room to change into the wedding gown.

I struggled with all my might, feeling a deep, icy cold spread through me. Anger and disbelief crashed over me in waves. For the first 20 years of my life, I'd lived in Vivian's shadow. Now, they wanted me to sacrifice the rest of my life for her, too.

Hurt and disbelief filled me, and my nose burned with the urge to cry.

That was the first time I had a complete meltdown. I yanked my hands free and shouted at Mom and Dad. "Why? Why should I pay for her recklessness? It's always been like this since we were kids!"

A sour look crept onto Dad's face at my words, and he slapped me hard across the face. "She's your sister!"

I staggered back a few steps, and my cheek burned with pain.

Tears streamed down Mom's face as she wailed, "Vivian did go too far this time, but you can't just stand by and watch our family go down! All the guests are waiting for the bride right now!"

My face turned ashen. In the end, I forced out a few words through gritted teeth. "I'm not getting married!"

No matter how they tried to persuade me, or even when they put their hands on me, I refused to give in. I grabbed a fruit knife and pressed it against my own neck. My eyes were red as I snarled, "If anyone tries to force me into this, I'll just kill myself!"

The moment I said that, everyone in the room froze. I didn't know if they were afraid that I would truly end my life, or if they just didn't want the trouble of having a dead body on their hands.

Either way, I didn't care anymore. I'd already graduated. Once I found a job, I would finally have my freedom.

We were at a stalemate. In the end, it was Adrian who suggested talking to me alone. Everyone else cleared out, leaving just the two of us in the dressing room.

Half an hour later, the dressing room door opened. I had changed into the wedding gown and placed my hand on Adrian's arm. My face was devoid of emotion. Then, I pasted the ugliest smile ever on my face and went through the entire wedding ceremony.

My thoughts snapped back to the present. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the stories below. The position I held was one I'd clawed and scraped my way up to over the past ten years.

A chill ran through me, and suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind. I jumped, but the familiar sandalwood scent that wafted into my nose made me relax.

"Penny for your thoughts? You didn't even notice when I came in," Adrian said. His lips were at my ear, and his voice was magnetic.

I smiled faintly. "I was thinking about tomorrow's investment conference."

He held my shoulders and turned me around to face him. "I have faith in you. Everyone has seen what you're capable of."

The corners of my lips lifted as I asked, "What brings you here? Isn't it busy at headquarters?"

"There wasn't much to do today, so I came to pick you up from work. I also wanted to tell you that Rowan wants to see that new movie tomorrow."

I nodded absent-mindedly.

Adrian dipped his head and brushed a kiss against my lips. I gave him a sweet smile in return.

…

When we got home that night, I didn't see any sign of Vivian anywhere. She was being a little too quiet. I figured Mom and Dad were probably keeping her at home to protect their company's interests.

For the past few days, I had been constantly exhausted, both physically and mentally. And so, the moment my head hit the pillow that night, I was out cold.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I felt a strong arm wrap around me and pull me into a warm embrace. I let out a few sleepy murmurs of protest, but my eyelids were so heavy that I couldn't open them.

The next day, the investment conference was in full swing. Power players mingled, clinking glasses and trading business cards. I worked the room, smiling, toasting, and making small talk. When I finally managed to steal a brief moment of rest, I slipped into the lounge backstage.

Rowan was sitting obediently on the couch, waiting for me. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up.

"Mommy, after this is over, will we still go to the movies?" he asked.

I gave him an indulgent smile and gently tapped his nose. "Of course. Have your dad and I ever broken a promise to you?"

My answer sent him into a fit of happy giggles.

Seeing Rowan steadied me a little. Ever since the conference began, I'd had this constant, gnawing sense that something was about to go wrong.

I took a deep breath and left the lounge. Back in the ballroom, my gaze landed on a familiar figure, and my body went rigid.

Not far from me, Vivian was holding onto Adrian and saying something to him. His back was to me, so I couldn't see his expression.

A second later, she spotted me. She pointed at me and screamed, "I'm your actual wife! She's the shameless one who stole you and our son from me!"

In an instant, all eyes in the room turned on me.