As a woman, Cassandra had proposed to Samuel three times.

The first time was at 18. He told her he didn't like dating students and then publicly announced his relationship with the school's campus belle. The second time was at 20. He claimed he was too focused on his career to think about love, yet he kept bringing different women home. The third time was at 22. Cassandra thought he would reject her again this time, but he surprisingly agreed. The catch? It was a secret marriage.

Now, at 23, she was asking for a divorce. In the dimly lit room, Cassandra held her phone to her ear, her eyes fixed on the wedding photo on the wall. In the picture, only she was smiling.

"Dad, I'm ready to come home and inherit the family fortune, but I need to repay the Nolan family's kindness before I leave."

She was an orphan the Nolans had sponsored and adopted, but a month ago, her biological parents found her. They told her there had been a mix-up at birth. After years of searching, they finally found her and wanted to bring her home. Back then, she refused. Now, she had changed her mind—just like she regretted marrying Samuel.

On the other end of the call, her father sounded overjoyed. "Really? You didn't want to come back before. What made you change your mind?"

"Because here, I feel like I don't belong," Cassandra said with a bitter smile.

Cassandra began gathering her belongings after hanging up when she felt a strong pain in her stomach and beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. She knew it was her period.

Samuel had taken her to the hospital for a painkiller shot every time this happened for the past 12 years. Still, he was now most likely with his first love, Francesca Stewart.

Cassandra took out her phone to call her best friend, only to find that her contacts list contained only Samuel's number. The man deleted everyone else from her contacts when they were deeply in love, making her world revolve solely around him. "Baby, you only need me for the rest of your life. You don't need anyone else. Just come to me if you need anything."

Cassandra's fingers moved faster than her brain, and before she knew it, she had dialed his number. The call connected. "Sam, I … my stomach hurts. Can you take me to the hospital?"

Samuel's voice was impatient. "I don't have time. Going to the hospital again? What's wrong with you this time?"

Cassandra's already pale face turned even more bitter. "My stomach hurts."

"Cassandra, you're not a teenager anymore. Stop using the same old tricks. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Then, he hung up.

Cassandra let out a cold laugh. He used to say, "Baby, you're so fragile. Seeing you in pain makes me wish I could take it for you."

Now, he just thought she was being dramatic and making a fuss. In the end, she had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

After a series of tests, Cassandra found out she wasn't just having her period. She was pregnant. Two months ago, they hadn't used protection. While Cassandra was still in shock, someone called out to her from behind. "Cassandra, what are you doing here?"

Cassandra spun around to see Francesca with her husband, Samuel, by her side. No wonder he was "busy." It turned out that he was with his first love.

Cassandra's eyes fell on the good luck charm around Francesca's neck. She had one, too. It was a trend for boyfriends to go to temples to pray for a good luck charm for their girlfriends. She had pestered Samuel for a whole month before he agreed to go.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Francesca took the initiative to explain, "Sam gave me this. He said it would keep me safe. You know I don't believe in these things, but Sam insisted on getting it for me."

Cassandra knew she was being provoked. She didn't want to engage, but Francesca wasn't done. "Cassandra, are you here at the obstetrics and gynecology department? Do you have some kind of illness?"

She put on a concerned face. "You're still young, be careful not to let some bad man take advantage of you. You're the one who'll suffer in the end."

Cassandra frowned. She hated Francesca's condescending tone. Before she could respond, Samuel cut in. "Wait … are you really sick?"

Cassandra scoffed. "If I am not sick, why am I at the hospital?"

Samuel initially felt a little guilty, but her sharp tone instantly irritated him. "Cassandra, what's with the attitude? You're acting like you're on drugs!"

Francesca immediately pinched Samuel's arm and feigned anger. "That's enough. Cassandra is still young, why are you being so mean to her?"

Samuel always cared about his image and never allowed anyone to go against him in public. Yet, he didn't react at all to Francesca openly embarrassing him. That's the difference between a lovesick fool and a true love.

"Cassandra, don't take it to heart," Francesca said gently. "Sam is just upset because my pregnancy test results weren't great."

Cassandra ignored her and turned to Samuel instead, her tone full of mockery. "It's not even your child, yet you're taking such good care of it. If it were yours, would you treat it the same way?"

She had planned to leave in half a month. However, with a baby on the way, she hesitated. What if he changed his mind?

"Cassandra, Sam isn't even married. Where would he get a child from?"

Cassandra raised an eyebrow, flashing a dazzling smile. "Who said he's not married? I'm his wife."

Francesca's expression froze. "Aren't you two siblings?"

"We're not related by blood," Cassandra said indifferently.

She could feel Samuel's cold, piercing gaze on her, but she acted as if she didn't notice. Since Francesca was already pushing her limits, Cassandra did not need to hold back either.

"Sam, why didn't you tell me you were married to Cassandra? I would never have let you stay by my side if I had known. Now I just feel like the other woman ruining someone else's marriage." With her eyes brimming with tears, anyone who didn't know better would think she was the one being cheated on.

Samuel had already been unhappy that Cassandra revealed their marriage. He became even more enraged after witnessing Francesca cry like way. "Cassandra, I warned you not to upset Francesca! She's pregnant! If something happens, it'll be two lives lost! When did you become so cruel?"

Hearing Samuel blame her over and over, Cassandra felt dazed. He used to tell her that if she ever got pregnant, he would make sure she was the happiest mother in the world. That he would never let anything hurt her, that he would always be by her side. He kept his word, but just not for her.

The last bit of hope she had was now shattered. She silently told herself. "It's fine. If he doesn't love me, then he doesn't love me. I have a billion-dollar inheritance waiting for me anyway. Love is the least of my concerns."

Her heart bled, but her voice remained firm. "I was just telling the truth. If you don't want to admit it, we can get a divorce."

A flicker of hope flashed in Francesca's eyes, but she quickly masked it with guilt. "Cassandra, don't blame Sam. If you want to be mad, be mad at me. Sam, don't be so harsh on Cassandra. I'll be fine. You should go with her. You don't have to worry about me anymore. Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you."

Samuel suddenly grabbed Cassandra's wrist. His grip was so tight that red marks appeared on her fair skin. "Enough, Cassandra. I won't hold it against you for exposing our marriage, but stop being so dramatic. I never even believed in marriage, yet I still married you. What more do you want? Just don't come crawling back to me crying when you realize you made a mistake!"

Cassandra didn't cry when she was in so much pain from her pregnancy at home. She didn't cry when Francesca humiliated her, but she did cry when she heard Samuel say these things. She cried for wasting her love on someone who didn't deserve it.

Perhaps because he noticed her tears, Samuel frowned slightly. "Francesca's baby isn't even mine. Francesca lost her husband so young. What's wrong with me helping her? It's not like I cheated or slept with her. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Samuel didn't understand. To him, Cassandra was just being jealous and petty. His mother had always warned him that marrying a woman from a small, insignificant family would be trouble, and she was right.

Cassandra wiped away her tears and said, "The child isn't yours, but everyone thinks it is. And I, as your wife, look like a homewrecker who came between you two."

Cassandra didn't even know how she managed to walk out. She only knew she was exhausted, physically and emotionally drained. Cassandra stared blankly out the taxi window.

She recalled what happened half a month ago at the birthday party of Samuel's close friend. Someone offered Francesca a toast during the party, but Samuel stepped in and drank on her behalf. When the others protested, he casually said it was because Francesca was pregnant. Rumours circulated that the child was Samuel's because her husband had died a few months earlier and he had been caring for her ever since. People even joked about it.

"Sam, is the baby yours?" someone teased.

Samuel simply smiled and replied, "It wouldn't be wrong to say that."

After the party, Cassandra confronted him, demanding to know why he would say such a thing. Samuel claimed that Francesca's child was his godson and there was nothing wrong with saying it that way. Besides, he hadn't married Francesca, so people would naturally assume he meant it that way.

Everyone knew that Samuel had harbored feelings for Francesca for five years. Still, in the end, she chose to marry a wealthy man in his forties instead. It was only after that that Samuel finally agreed to Cassandra's proposal. They got their marriage certificate and had a happy life together for a time.

They didn't hold a wedding, so the only people who knew about their marriage were the two of them and Samuel's parents.

After Francesca's husband died, she was forced out of her home. Samuel had been taking care of her ever since. To outsiders, Cassandra was the third party who ruined Samuel and Francesca's supposed love story.

***

Back home, Cassandra took off the jade safety pendant around her neck and placed it in the safe, along with her pregnancy test results. Her mind echoed the doctor's words, "Your body is weak. Getting pregnant this time was pure luck. If you don't keep this baby, you might never get another chance. Think carefully."

The timing couldn't be worse. She should terminate the pregnancy, but if she did, she might lose the chance to be a mother forever. She knew exactly why her health was so fragile.

Years ago, Samuel took her and his friends on a mountain camping trip. When it suddenly started raining, they had to evacuate quickly. On the way down, Francesca slipped and almost fell off a cliff. Cassandra instinctively reached out to save her. In the end, Francesca was fine, but Cassandra fell instead.

She barely survived. A rock had struck her stomach, damaging her uterus. The doctors had warned her that having children in the future would be extremely difficult.

After finally getting pregnant, she lost everything to Francesca again. No, Francesca didn't even have to take anything. All she had to do was lift a finger and Samuel would go to her willingly.

Cassandra shook her head, refusing to dwell on it. She could be a single mother. She had money, and her parents would dote on the child, too. With that thought, she comforted herself and drifted off to sleep.

At two o'clock in the morning, Samuel returned home and went to bed. Cassandra was a light sleeper. He often came home late because of his demanding job and she had gotten used to waiting for him. Habits indeed were hard to break.

At first, whenever he returned, he would hold her from behind, kiss her and share intimate moments with her. Ever since Francesca's divorce, he spent most of his time caring for that woman. He always said that he was tired every time he came home. Even so, he still hugged Cassandra. Unfortunately, she felt that the hug was half-hearted.

Then he just never came home; if he did, he would turn his back to her like now, and they no longer had any communication. She had long told herself to give up. Still, her breathing couldn't help but quicken after feeling his change.

Samuel heard the sound of her breathing and turned on the light, staring at her. "You're awake."

Cassandra met his gaze directly. "Yeah."

"Perfect. Francesca's health was awful. The doctor said she should drink some chicken soup for nourishment. She's picky and doesn't like restaurant food. She only likes the way you make it. Stay home tomorrow and make some for her. Bring it to the villa in the Westone Villa."

That villa was the place where she and Samuel had shared their happiest moments. Now, even that had been tainted.

Cassandra closed her eyes, her voice cold. "I don't have time."

Samuel frowned, displeased. "Why are you being so difficult? You're a housewife. Your time is the least valuable."

Cassandra felt her blood turn ice-cold. Her fists clenched tightly. When they first married, Samuel told her, "My woman doesn't need to work. You just need to enjoy life at home."

"But that makes me a housewife. I don't want to be one, I want to create my own value," she replied.

Samuel had playfully pinched her nose and said, "What's wrong with being a housewife? It's a real job, just a different kind of value. Besides, I make more than enough money for you. If you work, it'll make me look incompetent."

His charming words had totally deceived her. She even rejected an offer from a top-tier law firm to stay home for him, and now, he dismissed her so easily.

Suddenly, she thought of a popular saying on the internet. Before marriage, it's 'I'll support you', after marriage, it's 'I'm supporting you'.

"No matter how worthless my time is, I have no interest in raising someone else's child. If you want to be a stepfather, go ahead. I won't be a stepmother."

Samuel clenched his jaw. "You … " Then his eyes landed on her bare neck. "Where's the jade pendant I gave you? Why aren't you wearing it?"

Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze. Her voice was calm but distant. "It no longer keeps me safe."