I was once married to Manhattan real estate tycoon Julian Sterling, a man whose devotion to his wife was the stuff of legend in New York City.

I was the woman everyone envied.

But then a woman named Ava appeared, and I discovered that Julian's love wasn't as unbreakable as I'd believed.

He tucked Ava away in a seaside villa in the Hamptons and, behind my back, indulged her every whim.

Emboldened by his affection, she grew bolder, constantly taunting me with subtle jabs.

Ava's existence was a constant, painful reminder that I was no longer the only one in Julian's heart.

So, I accepted his silent decision and simply vanished from his world.

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1

After returning from that villa in the Hamptons, I drove aimlessly for hours, until darkness swallowed the city whole.

The housekeeper, Helen, had my daily fertility shot ready, placing it on my vanity.

A cold, medicinal scent lingered in the air. I stared at the syringe in a daze.

Julian and I never had children. The tests had revealed I would have trouble conceiving.

The day I found out, I nearly fell apart. Julian held me and promised he would find the best doctor in the world.

He arranged for an expensive, experimental fertility treatment for me.

He gave up his dream of becoming a professional race car driver just to spend more time with me.

I had been taking these costly injections for five whole years.

I once thought he was just trying to help me conceive, so we could have a child of our own.

I never imagined his "sacrifice" was merely to ensure I could never carry his child.

I couldn’t stop a bitter smile from forming at the thought.

I already had trouble conceiving, so why would he go to such lengths, giving me long-acting birth control shots?

It seemed he truly, truly did not want me to have his child.

When Julian entered the room, I was still staring blankly at the syringe.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, his voice a low murmur. "What's on your mind, baby? Is the injection site sore? Want me to rub it for you?"

His breath, warm and familiar, brushed the side of my neck.

The sight of his affectionate expression made my stomach churn.

I fought back a wave of nausea and calmly moved his hand away. "It's nothing. I must have caught a chill outside; I’m not feeling well."

Julian's brows immediately knitted into a worried line.

"The temperature's dropped these last few days, and you're barely wearing anything. Are you sick? We should go to the hospital right now."

I shook my head.

"No need, I'm already feeling much better."

Seeing my insistence, he didn't press the issue.

I lowered my gaze to the syringe on the vanity, and my eyes began to sting.

Julian truly didn't want me to get pregnant with his child.

If he had really fallen in love with Ava, I could have just stepped aside. He didn't need to scheme against me like this.

After the injection, Julian gently pressed his fingertip to the spot on my arm.

He carried me to the bed, picked up a book of Yeats' poetry, and began to read slowly in his deep voice.

As an architectural designer, I need a quiet environment to focus on my work. Ever since we got married, Julian had read poetry to me every night.

For five years, he had never missed a single night.

I didn't want him to work so hard, so I once told him, "I have your recordings. You're so tired from work every day, you don't have to read to me anymore."

That night, he had gently kissed my forehead, his eyes brimming with tender affection.

“Chloe, I would do this for you for the rest of our lives.”

"I want to be the first voice you hear as you fall asleep and the first face you see when you wake."

For five years, he had always put my needs first. He never so much as glanced at another woman, always making a point to leave business parties early.

Julian was young and successful, the heir to the Sterling Group. Since I hadn't become pregnant, his family had long wanted to set him up with other women.

But each time, he had adamantly refused. For my sake, he even defied the family elders.

During that time, his situation was difficult, and he was ostracized at every turn.

Seeing his increasingly haggard face, I had cried more than once, begging him to divorce me.

But each time, he would just hold me tighter, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We are not separating. Not ever. We will face whatever happens together."

I once believed I was the happiest woman in the world, blessed with a perfect partner like Julian.

The soft mattress beneath me brought me back to the present. I realized Julian had already carried me to bed.

He tucked the covers in for me, his long fingers stroking my brow.

I frowned and turned my head, dodging his touch.

"I'm tired. Don't touch me."

His hand froze in the air before he gently rested it on my head.

"Then sleep."

The moon hung high in the sky. Steady breathing sounded beside me, but sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. I opened my eyes.

Julian's familiar scent enveloped me. His strong arm tightened around my waist in his sleep, pulling me close.

He held me in his sleep; that was real. But his betrayal was also real.

The next day, Julian said he wanted to take me to a newly opened art exhibition.

Before I could answer, the home phone rang.

It was Ava.

Julian picked up the phone. He glanced at me, a flicker of barely concealed panic in his voice.

“I thought I said no business calls today. Can’t this wait for the office?”

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't be angry. It might be something urgent from the company."

I watched his tense profile and knew instantly. It was Ava.

I opened my mouth to question him, but he cut me off. He must have seen the accusation in my eyes because he quickly averted his gaze. "Chloe, I just remembered I have an urgent meeting at the company. I might have to go take care of it. Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can, and we can still go to the exhibition. Okay?"

Hearing this, I suppressed the frustration rising in my chest.

I said firmly, "Since it's business, you should go. Don't worry about me."

With that, he hastily pressed a kiss to my forehead and strode away.

Watching his car speed away, my vision blurred with unshed tears.

This was the first time Julian had broken a promise to me for another woman, and it would be the last.

After he left, the unease in my chest refused to settle. I drove straight to his company, determined to confront him and demand an answer.

Through the one-way glass of the top-floor office, I saw them looking every bit the loving couple.

Julian held Ava in his arms as she leaned softly against him.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from Chloe? Why can’t you listen?”

Plump tears rolled down her delicate face. She pouted, her voice thick with hurt.

"Julian, I just wanted to share the good news with you. I didn't mean for her to find out."

She lowered her gaze to her stomach.

“I went to the hospital... Julian, we’re having a baby! I was so happy, I couldn’t help but call you. Why are you being so harsh? You're scaring me and the baby..."

Julian stood stunned for a long moment before the words registered.

"You're pregnant? Then you can't be running around anymore. It's not good for the baby."

Ava wrapped her arms around his, swinging their joined hands playfully.

"I'll listen to you. Then can you spend the day with me? I don't know why, but ever since I got pregnant, I miss you even more."

Julian's voice turned cold.

"No. I promised Chloe I'd take her to the exhibition today."

Ava bit her lip, unwilling to give up, her eyes welling with pitiful tears.

"Fine, then. I guess the baby and I will just have to sit in that cold villa, waiting for Mr. Sterling to come home."

Conflict flashed in his eyes before he sighed, defeated.

"This is the last time."

Her eyes lit up. She jumped for joy and pressed a giddy kiss on his cheek.

Julian watched her bouncing around and frowned.

"Be careful. You're about to be a mother, how can you still be so reckless?"

Watching their intimate gestures, it felt as if a dull knife was sawing through my heart.

In all our years of marriage, he had only ever looked at me with that kind of gentleness.

In the business world, everyone said he was a cold, decisive titan of industry. Only at home would he show me his tender, affectionate side.

Now, that tenderness was being given to another woman.

His love was no longer mine alone.

Their car sped away, and I gritted my teeth and followed them.

Julian took Ava to many of the art galleries and restaurants we had once visited together.

The places that held our memories were now being tainted with new ones he was making with her.

At dusk, they embraced in Central Park, wrapped in each other’s arms.

I stood quietly in the distance, not knowing how long I watched.

Only when my eyes began to burn did I slowly close them.

Back in the car, I instructed the driver in a cold voice, "Home."