After five years of marriage, my husband, Abel Brooks goes on a business trip that lasts half a year. When he returns, he brings his first love, Cora Garrett, back.

She's already three months pregnant. Abel says that life is tough for her and wants her to move in with us temporarily.

I object, and he tells me to know my place. His tone is scornful—it seems he's forgotten that the villa we live in was one of my wedding gifts.

He and his family have leeched off me all this while. This time, I'm going to stop providing for them.

I smile and call my assistant. "Draft a divorce agreement for me now. To think a live-in son-in-law would have the nerve to bring his mistress home like this."

When I learned that my husband, Abel Brooks, was returning to the country today, I got up early and laid out the little trinkets I had collected for him over the past six months from various places.

I even instructed the housekeeper, Eve Goods, to prepare a table full of his favorite dishes.

At that moment, the door opened, and Abel appeared before me. I was completely taken aback when I saw him holding his first love in his arms.

Cora Garrett walked toward me with a smile, gently stroking her slightly rounded belly as she greeted me. "Hey, Aspen! Long time no see," she said.

I glanced at her small bump, and a surge of anger overwhelmed me.

Cora seemed to notice the change in my expression and quickly came to my side. She delicately grabbed my wrist and said, "Aspen, please don't get upset. This is entirely my fault.

"If you must blame someone, blame me. Don't take it out on Abel."

Cora left me thunderstruck with just one simple sentence. I hadn't said a word, but Cora had already revealed everything.

Meanwhile, Abel stood to the side, observing my every move. He seemed ready to protect Cora at any moment.

I clenched my fists and glared at Abel. "Don't you have anything to explain?"

He sighed, took Cora's hand, and said gently, "Let me take you to choose a room first. I'll handle everything else."

That gentle tone of his left me stunned. Abel had never spoken to me that way in the five years we'd been married. He then helped Cora upstairs under my watchful gaze.

Shortly after, the driver arrived with three large suitcases. It seemed Cora had moved half of her entire life's belongings here.

Though Cora appeared healthier and more radiant than I did, Abel treated her like a fragile doll, shielding her in every way. I collapsed onto the couch as I waited for Abel to settle Cora in and give me an explanation.

Just as I was about to rush upstairs after hearing their laughter echoing from above, the doorbell rang. Abel's parents entered with grim faces. They simply pushed past me as if I didn't exist, heading straight upstairs.

I followed them, only to see Abel sincerely addressing his parents. "I wasn't intentionally hiding this from you. Cora's progesterone levels were unstable earlier in her pregnancy, and I didn't want to risk anything going wrong.

"I hope you can understand. Cora and I truly love each other, and the baby she's carrying is your grandchild. Please don't blame her for this."

I then thought back to the five years I'd been married to Abel. Abel would always tell me her mother, Vivian Sadberry, was older and that I should tolerate her more whenever we had a disagreement. He had never once stood up for me.

I had always assumed that was just his nature. Yet today, I realized what a fool I had been as I watched him protect Cora at every turn.

Cora held Vivian's hand and chimed in, "I truly didn't mean to ruin Abel's marriage. We're just genuinely in love. I hope you can understand, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks."

Vivian's frown gradually eased as she glanced at me standing outside the door. I could see her hesitation.

I had wired her living expenses every month without fail over the past five years. It was obvious to everyone that Cora couldn't possibly compare to me in terms of financial stability.

My heart felt like it had sunk into icy waters. As my husband, Abel not only failed to inform me about this situation beforehand but also chose to humiliate me in public.

Did he truly think I had no temper and no self-respect?

As the room fell silent, Cora's eyes reddened, and she began to sob. "The child I'm carrying is innocent, and I will give birth to him, no matter the circumstances.

"You can say whatever you want about me, but I hope my child won't be dragged into this."

Large teardrops rolled down her cheeks, painting a picture of vulnerability and pity.

Abel's face was full of anguish as he wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. His voice carried a note of blame as he spoke, "Mom, please say something. You know a pregnant woman needs to stay emotionally stable."

After Abel and I got married, his parents had immediately started pressuring us to have children. Even so, I hadn't been able to conceive for five years, and I was well aware of the hurtful comments they made behind my back.

Abel's father, Tatum Brooks, was busy considering the importance of having an heir. He, who had been silent until now, finally chose to speak up, saying, "Cora is carrying the Brooks family's bloodline, after all. Everyone should try to control their tempers for the next few months."

As soon as the words left his mouth, all eyes turned to me. They stood together as a unified front, and I felt like an outsider for a moment.

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Does anyone even care about my opinion?"

When he noticed my displeasure, Abel angrily positioned himself in front of Cora and snapped, "Aspen Larkin, are you deaf?

"We've already explained everything to your face. What more do you want to know?"

I let out another cold laugh. My dear husband had been away on business for half a year, and he had returned home with such a shocking surprise.

Now, not only did he refuse to offer a proper explanation, but he also treated me with such an overbearing attitude.

Seeing me remain silent, Cora began crying again. She clung to Abel's wrist and sobbed. "Abel, if Aspen is truly upset, maybe I should just leave."

Vivian quickly interjected upon hearing this, "You're carrying our grandchild. How could we possibly let you leave?"

Abel glared at me and demanded, "Say something! Look at how scared Cora is. The child in her womb is mine, after all. If you have any objections, you can vent them to me in private, but I will not allow you to harm her."

Cora gripped Abel's wrist tightly and spoke anxiously, "No, Abel. I don't want you to bear any resentment, either. It would break my heart."

That single sentence from Cora brought tears to Abel's eyes.

His parents exchanged smiles and nodded in approval. They seemed clearly satisfied with Cora.

I couldn't bear to hear another word, so I turned and walked away. I locked myself in the master bedroom for the rest of the afternoon, refusing to come out.

The laughter echoing from the living room felt unbearably grating.

…

Later in the day, Eve knocked on the door and came in to tell me something. Cora had initially intended to move into the master bedroom, but Vivian had stopped her.

"She said that they're still getting supported by the Larkins and that the family still relies on you to handle important matters. They can't afford to provoke you completely. She also mentioned…"

Eve had watched me grow up and knew my temperament well. She paused to gauge my reaction, and when I didn't interrupt her, she continued, "She also said that all pregnancy expenses should be covered by you.

"After all, since you can't have children, you might as well get involved and experience it for yourself."

My face darkened when I heard this. I straightened my sleeves and asked, "Anything else?"

Eve added, "She also mentioned that since you don't have children, all your assets will eventually belong to this child."

I couldn't help but laugh. What a masterful plan this family had concocted! I kept my composure, despite the anger that bubbled within me. I knew this wasn't the time to act.

When Eve asked how I planned to respond, I simply smiled and told her to carry on as usual.

She then brought me lunch, and I sat by the bedroom window after eating, gazing at the scene below. At the moment, Abel was escorting Cora out of the house.

Memories rushed back to me. It was also an afternoon like this when I returned to my parents in tears five years ago. I had adamantly declared that I would marry no one but Abel.

At the time, my parents already had someone else in mind for me—Andre Schmidt, the only son of the Schmidt family.

Schmidt Corp was one of the top companies in Jonesburg, and Andre and I had been neighbors since childhood. My parents adored him and frequently invited him over for meals.

However, I never saw Andre in that light. My entire heart was set on Abel after meeting him, and I had no interest in marrying into the Schmidt family.

I argued with my parents, saying that our generation should have the freedom to choose our own spouses. Besides, I was sure Andre didn't have feelings for me, either.

But my parents insisted that if Andre didn't like me, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to pick me up and drop me home so many times after my outings. It was just that I didn't care whether Andre liked me or not at the time.

The day I met Abel was during the student council recruitment event on the first day of university. We both reached for the same application form at the exact moment.

He was incredibly polite. He apologized and offered the form to me. I still remembered that he wore a gray tracksuit that day. His eyes were clear as day, and his smile was warm and radiant.

In addition, he was tall, and his hands were strikingly attractive—a detail that captivated me as someone who admired hands.

Later, I got his phone number, and he casually replied as soon as I introduced myself, "Ah, Ms. Larkin, I've heard so much about you."

From that moment on, I found myself hoping to bump into him on campus. I even went out of my way to join the student council just to spend more time with him.

It was love at first sight, and I willingly followed in his shadow ever since.

After we got married, Abel suggested managing my company so I could live a leisurely life as a stay-at-home wife.

I didn't refuse. I believed that as a couple, we should be of one mind. Plus, Abel's family wasn't well-off, and I thought it was only right to support his ambitions.

Both my parents and my close friends had advised me to think it through.

Even before the wedding, my parents had warned me that Abel wasn't marrying me solely out of love but was also drawn to the financial security our family provided. I dismissed their concerns and said it didn't matter as long as Abel truly loved me.

After our marriage, Abel's parents began enjoying a much more comfortable life. They quit their factory jobs and lived contentedly on the monthly allowance Abel sent them.