Eight months into her pregnancy, Cory caught her husband having an affair with the secretary in the company’s underground parking lot.

“You need a partner for a marriage alliance. I need a father figure for my child. What do you say—shall we help each other?” she asked.

A soft chuckle answered from the other end of the phone.

“Pleasure doing business with you, my future wife.”

After hanging up, Cory glanced at the romantic scene inside the car in front of her.

“Babe… slower…”

Jenelle McVicker’s breathy moans went on as Marius leaned back in his seat, one hand still resting on her thigh, his breathing heavy.

“Once Cory gives birth, I’ll divorce her and marry you, alright?” he promised.

“You’re the one I’ve always wanted to spend my life with, you know. Cory?” He scoffed. “She just got the suitable womb.”

“If only I could have children…” Jenelle said, full of regret. “I wouldn’t have had to push you toward another woman just to carry on your family line.”

She leaned into him, her voice sweet yet vicious underneath.

“But what if I don’t want to raise someone else’s child?” she asked.

“Don’t worry. The child’s just a means to an end. Once it’s born, I’ll send it off to my parents,” Marius answered.

After hearing that, Cory’s nails dug so hard into her palms that they drew blood trickling between her fingers.

Jenelle was Marius’s ex, the one he had once loved so passionately in college.

It turned out, they had never truly ended things. Right under Cory’s nose, they had picked up right where they left off.

At that moment, she saw everything clearly.

Marius never loved her.

He only wanted her womb—a tool to make sure the Braithwaites’ bloodline lived on!

With shaking hands, Cory lowered her head, pulled out her phone, pressed record, and captured everything.

She didn’t confront them just yet.

After all, the baby was almost due. And she refused to let her child become a pawn in the Braithwaites’s game.

If Marius wanted to play dirty, Cory would beat him at it.

She would use his infidelity to strip him of any right to fight for custody!

He had never seen her as a wife, anyway—only as a surrogate.

But she refused to let things go his way.

She would take the child and leave the father behind!

The friendship they once shared as kids? She’d pretend it never existed.

Later that afternoon, as she exited the building after sending some documents, she spotted Jenelle waiting at the door, clutching a cup of water.

“Vice President Brantley.” Jenelle greeted her loudly as she walked past.

Cory stopped, looking at the secretary indifferently. “Do you need something?”

“Not really,” Jenelle replied. “Just wanted to remind you—women shouldn’t be too greedy. You’ve already got the position, and now you want love too? How ridiculous!”

She curled her lips and lowered her voice. “You think having a child can tie a man down?”

Cory frowned and was about to respond when Jenelle suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard.

“Ah!”

She collapsed at Cory’s feet, spilling water across the floor.

“VP! Why did you suddenly hit me? I was just worried about your pregnancy and wanted to say a few more words! How could you call me cheap and slap me like that?!”

Her cheek turned visibly red and swollen.

Cory’s expression turned cold, and before she could clarify things, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.

Marius stormed in, his face thunderous. He rushed to Jenelle’s side and helped her up.

“Jenelle! Are you okay?” he asked, his worry evident in his tone.

When he saw the red mark on her face, his expression turned even more terrifying.

Jenelle bit her lip, covering her face and shaking her head. “I’m fine… Don’t blame the VP. She’s just emotional because of the pregnancy. I understand.”

“I didn’t—” Cory tried to explain.

“Shut up!” Marius’s voice lashed like a whip.

“You’re eight months pregnant. What are you even doing here?” he yelled. “Do you think being pregnant means everyone has to treat you like royalty?! Jenelle’s not in a good condition. If anything happens to her, can you take responsibility, huh?”

He protected Jenelle so naturally it sent a chill through Cory.

She stared at him, her face draining of color.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea rose in her throat, forcing her to bolt for the restroom.

Inside, she covered her mouth and dry-heaved for a long time.

Tears and stomach acid poured out together, leaving her too weak to stand.

Just then, the door clicked open.

In the mirror, she saw Marius walk in.

“Cory,” he said gently. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice earlier. But there were staff watching, and you know how it was—we cannot let anyone here suspect we are married.”

He moved closer, reaching out as if to comfort her.

“I know you’re upset. But you did scare Jenelle earlier. Her body isn’t in a great condition, so please, don’t let this happen again, okay?”

Cory looked up at him, and then, she smiled. It was a cold, distant smile he had never seen before.

“Understood, President Braithwaite.”

He stiffened, not expecting her to address him that way.

She had never called him that.

She’d always clung to him, calling him “babe,” or “hubby.” She would say it in a voice so sweet it could melt his heart.

But now, those two words—President Braithwaite—landed between them like glaciers.

He stood stunned, wanting to coax her. But at that moment, some employees’ chatter outside snapped him back to reality.

He instantly let go of her hand, his face hardening as he stepped away.

“Vice President Brantley,” he said too formally, “be mindful of where you are. You are in a workplace, not your home.”

His tone was as sharp as a blade as he went on to say, “You can act sweet to your husband, but not to me. Go home and focus on your pregnancy!”

With that, he turned and left in a hurry, afraid anyone would trace intimacy between them.

Cory stood frozen in place.

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her.

She wrapped her arms around her swollen belly—too heartbroken to even cry.

Marius had never once told anyone that Cory was his wife.

Even though they had been together for five whole years, in the eyes of outsiders, he was still that noble and aloof heir of the Braithwaites—calm, composed, and untouchable—always appearing in public as a single man.

Cory was disappointed, of course. But she never pushed for him to make things official in public. To her, simply being by his side was enough to make her happy.

She had loved him ever since that day, as a child, when he risked his life to shield her from a kidnapper and brought her home.

From then until just moments ago, her feelings had never once wavered.

The two of them had grown up almost inseparably until after the SATs.

She went abroad for university while he stayed in Nebraska.

What she didn’t know back then was that, during those years, Marius had fallen into a passionate love with Jenelle.

All she knew was that the moment she came back, the man she loved greeted her at the airport with a bouquet in his arms and a confession on his lips.

“Cory, let’s be together.”

She’d said yes, dizzy with happiness—only to later realize that Marius probably never truly loved her.

Still, she didn’t give up. She believed that as long as she was good enough, someday, he’d come to love her the way she loved him.

But she was wrong—so terribly, painfully wrong.

That was the moment she stepped right into the abyss.

She had been in a secret relationship for five years, always waiting for the day he’d finally acknowledge her.

But now, she was done waiting.

That night, Marius didn’t come home.

Almost on instinct, Cory tapped into Jenelle’s Facebook page, where a new vlog had just gone up.

The video showed a recent company outing. Jenelle was laughing into the camera as she said, “Today, my boss helped me move stuff all afternoon, even the heavy file boxes I couldn’t carry. Come on, if my ex is this sweet, isn’t he basically chasing me again?”

Then the camera panned to Marius, who was crouching down, helping her tie the straps of her heels. His profile was gentle, his voice even gentler.

“Next time, don’t wear heels this high,” he said.

A colleague off-camera teased, “Whoah, President Braithwaite cares so much about Secretary McVicker. Is there still hope for you two?”

Jenelle giggled, blushing, but didn’t reply.

Cory’s fingers clenched. Her eyes were blank as she stared at the video looping again and again.

In front of the employees, Marius always kept a formal and distant relationship with her. But with Jenelle, he was indulgent, affectionate, and didn’t bother correcting anyone who misinterpreted their relationship.

So why did he keep his marriage a secret? Was he really trying to avoid workplace gossip—or did he just think Cory wasn’t good enough to flaunt publicly?

She refreshed the page, only to see Jenelle’s newest post—a photo of her collarbone, marked with what looked like kiss marks.

There was no need to ask where Marius had spent the night.

Suddenly, a sharp, tearing pain shot through Cory’s belly. She looked away, and one by one, she began screenshotting all the evidence of his affair.

When she had gathered more than enough, she sent them all to her divorce lawyer with a request.

[Draft a divorce agreement for me. Be ready to go to court.]

The lawyer responded promptly.

[Understood, Ma’am. I’ll have the papers ready in about three days.]

With that settled, Cory stood up and began quietly packing up the villa.

The matching toothbrushes she had picked out, the baby clothes she and Marius had bought together, the Lego sets they once built side by side—she tossed them all into garbage bags without hesitation.

She didn’t want the memories anymore. She didn’t want Marius either!

Just as she was bending down to tie up one of the trash bags, the front door opened.

Marius walked in and frowned slightly. “Aren’t these things you used to treasure? Why are you throwing them out?”

She kept her eyes lowered, forcing a smile. “They’re old. I don’t want to keep them anymore.”

Fortunately, he didn’t press.

To him, those things had never mattered anyway.

He simply walked over to her and placed his palm gently over her slightly rounded belly, murmuring, “Were you good today, baby? Daddy’s home!”

Once upon a time, Cory would’ve been moved by these little moments. She would’ve thought he wasn’t unloving—just bad at expressing it.

But now she understood—his tenderness was never for her. It was for his heir.

In other words, loving the baby didn’t mean loving her, too.

“Are you still upset about Jenelle?” he asked, sensing her cold treatment. His voice softened as he tried to coax her. “Don’t overthink it. She’s just working for me temporarily. She couldn’t find a job suitable for her, so I brought her into the company. She’ll be gone soon.”

Cory didn’t respond. She just looked at him with a cold gaze.

Marius seemed to think she was just being jealous, so his tone turned even more gentle.

“Sure, she’s my ex, but that’s all in the past. I have you now. How could I still have feelings for her?”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek—a rare display of affection.

In the past, Cory would’ve melted in an instant.

But now, she didn’t react at all and even turned her face away to avoid him.

If she hadn’t caught him having an affair with his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot that day, she might’ve really believed his lies.

But now, his every attempt to be tender just felt like chocolate mixed with shit—disgusting and impossible to swallow!

The truth was, with Marius’s capabilities, if he had truly wanted to keep Jenelle a secret, he could’ve hidden it from Cory for so long.

He let it slip on purpose—thinking the baby was almost due, and even if Cory found out the truth, she wouldn’t leave.

But she was utterly exhausted.

She had waited for him since she was a teen until she was twenty-six. From a secret crush to marriage, she had endured a secret love the whole time—all for a single moment of certainty from him.

She thought she was waiting to be loved back. But in reality, all he ever wanted was the child. All he needed from her was to quietly fulfill the role of the so-called lady of the house.

Three days later, as promised, the lawyer sent her the finalized divorce agreement.

She had barely finished reading it when a former department intern called. There was an issue at a temporary exhibition and they needed her to step in and help coordinate.

Without thinking much of it, she went.

It was a brand-sponsored art exhibit—not something she usually oversaw. But due to a reshuffling of personnel, things had gone sideways, and she was the only one left to clean up the mess.

She had just stepped into the exhibit when a familiar, deep voice floated over from ahead.

“The lighting in this section is too flat. No depth. Have the lead curator come over and rework the ‘Reverie’ series. I just happened to pass by today, but I didn’t expect there to be this many issues!”

Cory froze in her tracks.

She hadn’t expected Marius to show up at the exhibit, openly dressed in matching outfits with Jenelle, as if on a date.

“Well, well, Vice President Braithwaite! What a coincidence!”

Jenelle spotted Cory and flashed an overly friendly smile. She clung tightly to Marius’s arm, eyes brimming with smug nonchalance.

She snapped her fingers at a nearby staff member and asked softly, “Is the VP overseeing this exhibit?”

“Yes, Mrs. Braithwaite,” the staff replied.

The moment that title fell, all three faces changed.

Cory let out a breathless laugh of disbelief. Apparently, Marius, the man who had never once acknowledged her publicly, was already declaring Jenelle as his wife before their divorce was even finalized.

Marius looked visibly uncomfortable. He frowned and glanced at her, giving a subtle wink, as if asking her not to embarrass him.

Jenelle giggled triumphantly, clearly proud of herself. “Oh, don’t call me that yet. No one knows I’m dating President Braithwaite. We’re still waiting until after the wedding to make a formal announcement.”

Her words pierced Cory’s heart like a silent blade.

Meanwhile, Marius didn’t speak. He stood there frozen, his expression clouded—whether from guilt or regret, it was hard to tell.

On the other hand, Jenelle seemed completely unfazed. She strolled over and leaned in beside Cory like they were the closest friends.

“VP, you came alone? Where’s your husband?” she asked.

Cory’s tone was flat when she replied, “He’s dead.”

After all, she was planning to bring up the divorce tonight. What did it matter who her husband was anymore?

“Hey—” Marius’s face darkened, but before he could continue what he wanted to say, an employee pulled him away to deal with something urgent.

Jenelle immediately latched onto Cory’s arm like an old friend. “Come on, walk with me, will you? It’s boring by myself.”

Cory turned her head, coldly meeting her gaze. “Let go of me.”

“Oh, don’t be mean,” Jenelle replied.

Her smile faltered, but she didn’t release her grip. Instead, she leaned in and whispered softly into her ear.

“You really should be more sensible. You’re pregnant now, after all. Leave with dignity, won’t you? After all…”

She paused, then added in a lower voice, “Let’s be clear: I was never the other woman. I was with Marius first. If you had any decency, you’d carry the baby to term and then quietly get out of our way.”

Cory clenched her fists, her eyes flashing sharp with fury.

She was just about to break free when Jenelle suddenly stumbled backward, as if someone had shoved her, and crashed to the floor.

“Oh my god—!”

Jenelle tumbled near a display piece, accidentally colliding with a nearby woman visiting the exhibit with her child. The young boy—no more than five or six—fell down hard and started wailing, the toy in his hand clattering to the floor and snapping in half.

In an instant, chaos broke out in the exhibit.

The mother scooped up her son, furiously shouting, “Are you crazy?! Being pregnant doesn’t give you the right to push people! You hurt my child—you better pay for this!”

Cory stood stunned, still processing what had happened.

But before she could explain, Jenelle had already started dramatically crying.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault… The Vice President didn’t mean it—she’s just been under a lot of stress lately… Please don’t blame her. She’s just under a lot of pressure…” she apologized.

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s me! It’s my fault! I upset her and made her lose control, so she pushed me…”