Garland’s POV

In the days that followed, Barrett’s existence was no longer a secret.

He had fathered the Prestiss family’s little princess with Cherity—and overnight, he became a hero to the entire family.

Even my once-biased in-laws turned on me, sneering, “You said our daughter couldn’t have children, but how did Barrett manage to get her pregnant then? Sounds more like you’re the one who couldn’t give her a child, hogging the position for nothing.”

I pretended not to hear and walked past them in silence.

After all, in a few more days, I would be leaving this place for good.

“Sign this,” Cherity said flatly, handing me a document.

Across the top, bold letters read [Share Transfer Agreement].

I knew exactly what she meant—she wanted me to hand over part of my shares to Barrett.

When I didn’t respond right away, her voice turned cold.

“The title as the head of the family… That’s been yours. Barrett won’t fight you for it, but these shares—he deserves them. He gave my family an heir. That makes him a contributor. This is also what my parents want,” she stated firmly.

I nodded. “Alright,” I said simply.

After signing, I slipped the divorce agreement underneath the contract before handing the papers back to her.

Just as I expected, she didn’t even glance through them. She just signed without a word and walked out the door.

Only then did I finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

Cherity was always busy with work, yet she somehow made time for Barrett and their daughter.

She would sit beside him to watch the sunrise and sunset. She even built a sturdy crib with her own hands and sang lullabies to their baby at night.

And yet, the truth was—if it hadn’t been for that one night of mistake, the man living that happiness… should have been me.

The sight before me stung my eyes. I couldn’t bear to watch any longer; I turned away and left.

That day, I had just finalized everything with an overseas research team. Tickets were booked. All that was left was for my identification to be canceled before I could leave this life behind.

But just then, something happened to the newborn.

I was packing my suitcase when Cherity stormed in, her eyes red. With one swift kick, she sent the case flying.

“You cause trouble and think you can just sneak off?!” she snapped.

My suitcase hit the wall, and anger surged through me. “What the hell is wrong with you, Cherity?” I shouted.

But the next second, she had me pinned against the wall, her hand tightening around my neck like it had so many times before.

“What’s wrong with me?” she asked back hoarsely. “What the hell did you do to my daughter?!”

Facing her accusation, I was utterly baffled.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

But at the same time, a creeping sense of dread rose in my chest.

Ever since she had moved Barrett and their daughter into her private villa, any time something went wrong over there, she would come straight for me.

All because, in our past lives, I had refused to divorce her.

Even now—after all my compromises—Cherity still saw me through that same twisted lens.

She yanked me down to the first floor, where the nanny stood clutching the crying infant, her expression frantic.

Still trying to make sense of it all, I watched as Cherity pulled back the swaddle and lifted the baby’s sleeve.

I froze.

The child had just turned one month old, yet her delicate skin was covered in red rashes.

Cherity looked like she was about to lose her mind.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is for an infant? One wrong move and she could die!” she screamed.

I stared at her, unable to process. “If she has a rash, why didn’t you take her to the hospital?” I asked, stunned.

“You make it sound so easy, sir!” The nanny, still cradling the baby, shot me a glare full of resentment.

“If it wasn’t for that swaddle you gave Cady, would she even be in this condition? And you seriously want us to believe this wasn’t intentional?” she hissed.

“Sir Barrett has always been kind and gentle to you, sir. He never wanted to fight you. In fact, when he found out about the pregnancy, he begged Miss Cherity to abort the baby just to avoid making things difficult for you,” she continued bitterly.

“But what about you, sir? With all due respect, sir, you’re a man too. Sir Barrett never once tried to take your place in the family. But why do you keep targeting him? And now, are you trying to kill his child too?” she accused, her eyes burning with hatred.

Garland’s POV

I was shaking with fury, rendered speechless by the nanny’s relentless accusations.

“Cherity,” Barrett choked out, stepping in, “don’t listen to Euphemia! I believe this isn’t something Garland would ever do…”

He must’ve heard the commotion and rushed in, tears streaming down his face.

He looked like his heart was breaking at the sight of his daughter crying.

Yet even then, he stood firm in defending me.

Cherity cast him a pained glance. “Someone take him back to his room to rest,” she said quietly.

The moment the housekeeper led Barrett away, Cherity pulled out a pistol and leveled it directly at my right arm.

With a deafening bang, she pulled the trigger.

A searing pain tore through me as I let out a bloodcurdling scream. Everyone around us was startled by the gunshot and immediately backed away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

Breathing hard, I looked up at her. “C-Cherity… You know everything about me… Do you really think… I’d hurt a child who just turned one month old?”

A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes, but she quickly turned her face away with a cold scoff.

“You’re jealous of Barrett. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do,” she believed.

Before walking out, she turned to the driver. “Take him to the hospital,” she ordered.

Without looking back at me, she left.

The pain overwhelmed me, and soon, everything faded to black.

When I came to, I was already in the hospital. The doctors had removed the bullet and stitched the wound with multiple sutures.

I lost count of how many times the nurses threw me looks full of pity.

I wasn’t deaf. I could hear their hushed conversations outside the curtain.

“Did you see? Sir Barrett twisted his ankle, and Ma’am Cherity carried him in herself. She stayed with him the whole day,” one whispered.

“But look at Sir Garland… He’s badly injured, yet his wife hasn’t even come to see him once,” another compared.

Trying to ignore them, I just stared blankly at the ceiling.

The only visitor I had was my brother, who brought me meals. He’d secretly wipe his tears when he thought I wasn’t looking.

That day, his eyes were bloodshot with anger.

“Bro, you never should’ve married that bitch,” he said bitterly.

“When I got here earlier,” he explained, “I saw her lighting fireworks with that guy. She’s completely forgotten who her husband is. You stayed by her side for eight damn years! What the hell was it all for?”

I forced a bitter smile.

“Soon enough, she and I will be nothing more than strangers,” I murmured.

Barrett’s POV

While on a trip on the beach with Cherity, I had tried pleading with her several times, always to the point crying.

“Cherity… Garland is your husband,” I said guiltily. “You injured him. You should go see him. Otherwise, I… I won’t be able to live with myself.”

Ruffling my hair gently, she sighed and said, “You’re really always so kind, my love.”

When she mentioned her husband, her voice turned cold, and she scoffed.

“Garland isn’t that fragile. He can take care of himself. He’s not like you—always needing someone by your side, needing care. Don’t worry about him,” she said firmly.

“And besides, he’s the one who hurt Cady,” she added, her tone turning sharp. “Thank goodness the doctor said she’s fine. If anything had happened to her, that bullet wouldn’t have just hit Garland’s arm.”

She pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly, as if afraid someone would take me away.

“From now on, no one is allowed to hurt you or Cady,” she whispered. “Whoever tries—I’ll make sure they regret it.”

For seven straight days, we traveled together. She stayed by my side, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like the world belonged to just the three of us.

Garland’s POV

On the day I was discharged, I received a text message.

[Your identity cancellation has been successfully processed.]

Ashwyn had already packed my suitcase.

“Your essentials are ready, bro. If anything’s missing, just buy it once you get to Norway,” he said.

I nodded, and the two of us took a cab straight to the airport.

Standing outside the terminal, Ashwyn gave me a long, searching look.

“Bro… if you change your mind, there’s still time,” he said hesitantly.

I shook my head and smiled faintly. “Nah. I’m just wondering… why didn’t I see through it all sooner and leave earlier?”

Then I took a deep breath, snapped my SIM card in half, and tossed it into the trash.

“Let’s go,” I urged.

Boarding passes in hand, we walked straight onto the plane.

Ashwyn and I left New Jersey without looking back.