Everyone in the upper crust knows that I love Sasha Ramirez more than anything in the world. For many years, I have done everything for her silently.

When her mother was sick, I secretly hired all the most famous doctors all over the nation just so they could cure her.

When she started her own company, I invested large amounts of money in order to pave her path to success.

Whenever I came across something nice, I'd always present it to her on a silver platter.

We've been married for 12 years. I've always believed that my love will eventually make her feel moved.

But what I don't expect is that Sasha has been cheating on me with her male secretary, Gavin Shaw, behind my back.

When I see an ultrasound scan of Sasha's pregnancy, as well as countless couple photos that Gavin has sent to me, I feel my heart breaking.

Instead of kicking up a fuss, I calmly call for a shareholders' meeting and dismiss Sasha from her position as the CEO.

I want her to understand that she's nothing without me.

On the day of my birthday, I ordered some premium steak and bought my favorite tiramisu mousse cake, savoring them in the large, yet somewhat empty living room of the house.

After settling the dirty stray dog, Sasha entered the living room with a grave expression on her face.

"Why didn't you make any dinner? You know that I don't eat beef and don't like tiramisu. What am I supposed to eat for dinner?"

I didn't even bother looking at her and said calmly, "There are instant noodles in the kitchen cupboard. You just need to add hot water."

Sasha flew into a rage when she heard that and glared at me with anger in her eyes.

"I purposely rushed back home from abroad to celebrate your birthday with you, and this is your attitude toward me?

"Didn't I already tell you that work got in the way, which is what made me late in the first place? I've already prepared your birthday gift for you. What else are you still dissatisfied about?"

"Are you sure you rushed back to celebrate my birthday?" I asked, bluntly exposing her as I looked into her eyes.

My lips then twitched upward. "I've already seen the photos. You were strolling with Gavin at the park in the afternoon earlier today."

While I was eagerly anticipating a birthday surprise from Sasha, she was leisurely enjoying the company of someone else in the warm sunshine, behaving like they were a couple instead.

If she wasn't married to me, I would have considered the scene harmonious and even beautiful.

Also, the so-called birthday gift she got me was just a random, dirty stray dog that she and Gavin picked up at the park just now.

Sasha's expression hardened at once. She then frowned and said, "Yeah, I got back in the morning. So what? Gavin was feeling sad in the afternoon, so I accompanied him to the park to help him clear his head.

"I am his boss. Should I now care about my subordinates' feelings?"

She then sat down next to me and spoke in her cold tone without a hint of remorse in it.

"I know what you're worried about, Arthur. Stop shifting your anger onto Gavin just because you want a child with me.

"I've already told you many times before that I've only just started my own business, and work will be taking up a lot of my energy. I simply can't afford to have a child now.

"Also, you're already 35 years old. Do you think you're still young and healthy enough to produce high-quality sperm for a child in the first place?"

I might be 35, but I married her when I was 23. And during the past 12 long years of my life, I had been asking her to try for a child countless times, but she always refused, citing her lack of career success.

I kept supporting her career steadfastly and respected her wishes, silently becoming her pillar of support.

She had particularly high self-esteem, and so, I could only secretly use my family's resources to fully support her so that she could succeed in the business world.

I was with her every step of the way, helping her in every way I could to get her to where she was that day.

Yet, now that she was a prominent figure in the business world, being successful and accomplished, she said that I was too old and therefore not worthy of having a child with her.

Sasha noticed the change in my emotions and came over to me, hugging me gently. Her voice was tender as she tried to coax me.

"Artie, I really don't have the time for a kid, and you also don't have that much energy to take care of a kid by yourself. I'm doing this for your sake."

While speaking, Sasha pointed at the stray dog not too far away and said, "This dog may not be perfect, but all living things have souls, so we can just keep it and raise it as our child. Okay?"

I could smell the faint smell of men's cologne on her and felt a wave of nausea churning in my stomach.

I pulled my hand away from her expressionlessly and said coldly, "If every living thing has souls, then why don't you give it to Gavin instead? Or do you think that he deserves way more, like that limited-edition sports car you just bought him?

"You're ultimately saying that he deserves an expensive sports car while I deserve nothing more than a stray dog you picked up from the park?"

Sasha's expression turned ugly at once. She then shouted in my face, "Where did you hear that from? Was it also in the news? Tell me, Arthur Fleming, have you been investigating me or what?

"Do we not have a single speck of privacy and trust in this relationship anymore? What's the point of being husband and wife, then?"

Then, she began defending herself. "I gifted him that sports car because he'd been with me for years, and he was always by my side from when I was a nobody until I reached where I am today. Should I not be grateful toward him at all?"

I looked at her and felt a wave of bitterness spreading in my chest. It felt so uncomfortable, like someone was grabbing me by my throat and slapping me multiple times on my face.

I couldn't help but retort, "Sasha Ramirez! He has only worked for you as your secretary for three years! But I am your husband who's been by your side for 12 years! How could you use my money to buy him a sports car and call it a thank-you gift?"

We had been married for 12 years, and yet, she still couldn't understand that it was not about the flashy sports car or the stray dog she brought home, but rather, her attitude toward me.

Sasha's face turned a bright red color as she screamed, "Why are you being so petty and calculating? I guess they were right when they said wealth makes people arrogant! You're nothing but a house-husband! What's the point of buying a sports car for you? To drive to the grocery store every week?"

Then, she impatiently waved her hand at me and said, "I'm done talking to you. If you keep being unreasonable like this, we are through!"

Her phone rang at that moment.

At once, the anger dissipated from her face. She answered the call and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Gavin? What's the matter? Don't fret, I'm still at home. I'll come over to you as soon as I'm done here."

Gavin's voice then came intermittently from the other end of the line.

"Sasha… I got into an accident… I think I hurt my leg…"

"Okay, wait for me! I'm coming!"

Sasha looked very anxious and bolted out of the door without even bothering to explain anything to me.

A split second later, I received a text message from an unknown number.

Attached within the text message was a pregnancy checkup report with Sasha's name as the patient. It said that she was three months pregnant.

The text message read, "This is Sasha's and my first child together. She purposely bought me that sports car and a private villa to celebrate as soon as she heard the news.

"I guess Sasha is mine tonight. You can jolly well hug that dog to sleep tonight instead. Happy birthday!"

My eyes widened at once. I stared at the report in disbelief and felt as though there was a knife piercing through my heart. I staggered backward and fell to the floor in a limp puddle.

A short while later, I received another text message from Sasha.

"Something urgent came up at the office. I need to meet a business partner at the last minute, and I won't be coming home tonight.

"Sorry for not being able to celebrate your birthday today. I'll make it up to you tomorrow at the business event."

A second text message then came through.

"And don't be mad at me anymore. Rest well tonight."

I looked at the text messages on my phone and smiled bitterly and pathetically.

…

Sasha and I used to be collegemates. I had fallen in love with her at first sight, but she didn't give a damn about me.

She lived with her mother, Karen, from a young age, and later on, Karen was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor and needed to be hospitalized for a prolonged period of time. So, she needed urgent medical expenses as well.

I felt sorry for her and paid all the fees for her, contacting top-tier neurosurgeons in the country to treat Karen.

The surgery was very successful. But to protect Sasha's pride, I told her that the money came from a GoFundMe account I made.

She was devastated at that time, but she still asked me a stubborn question.

"Why are you even doing this for me, Arthur?"

I eagerly replied, "Because I like you, Sasha."

I offered my heart to her on a silver plate.

She went silent for a while and frowned.

"You want to be my boyfriend, but I've only just started out on my career. We can only afford to date in secret. Won't you feel upset about it?

"You're a really good person, Arthur, but I really can't give you anything else…"

My love for her was pure and ardent, and I wasn't afraid of any hardships then. I said, "I don't mind. I'm willing to go through any hardship as long as I can be with you.

"I will help you with your dreams, Sasha. I'll also wait for you to slowly fall in love with me. Can't you just please give me a chance?"

The sunset that day was tinged red, and Sasha stood on tiptoe to gently kiss me on the cheek.

"Okay."

That was the story of how we began dating.

I secretly used my family's resources and networking to pave the way for her in the business industry. She quickly rose to fame with a successful business investment, becoming a hot, up-and-coming, rising star in the business world.

At first, even though her feelings for me didn't run deep, she was still respectful, caring, and understanding toward me. I also always stayed by her side throughout her career struggles.

I even protected her at business social engagements and parties where the other businesspeople would try to make her drink excessively by drinking all of the alcohol meant for her instead, causing me to throw up uncontrollably in the streets late at night.

Once, I suffered from a serious stomach hemorrhage and had to be rushed to the hospital.

That time, she held my hand and spoke in a tender voice tinged with heartache.

"Let's get married, Arthur. I will definitely achieve great success, and even if I can never fall in love with you, I promise that I will never hurt you."

Now, 12 years had passed. We began seeing each other at home less and less. Eventually, she had no more feelings left for me other than disgust.

She often spoke harshly to me, and her hurtful words would pierce into my heart like a sharp knife every single time.

Sasha's pregnancy report was the final nail in the coffin—the final knife that plunged straight through my heart, the very one that had loved her for years but was now riddled with holes.

I smiled with tears in my eyes and replied to her text message.

"Let's get a divorce, Sasha Ramirez."

…

Sasha still never responded to my text the next morning, and I highly suspected that she didn't even bother reading my messages after all.

Meanwhile, Gavin uploaded new photos onto his Instagram stories.

His hair was meticulously styled, revealing his sharp, chiseled jawline, and he wore a bespoke black suit. The emerald watch on his wrist gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

I knew that watch all too well. It was the only keepsake that my mother, Donna Bryant, had left for me after her passing. It was very precious and irreplaceable in my heart.

I felt my heart sinking as I ran over to the safe and opened it. As expected, the emerald watch was missing.

A chill instantly spread all throughout my body. Nobody else knew the combination to that safe aside from Sasha and me.

I grabbed my car keys and immediately sped toward the venue where the business event was being held tonight.

When I reached, I saw Sasha chatting happily with a group of business tycoons, completely unaware of my arrival.

Gavin, however, spotted me immediately.

He strode over to me and purposely waved the watch in front of my face.

"Oh? What brings you here looking like this, Arthur? This is really beneath you."

His words were full of contempt as he continued, "You only became her husband because you coincidentally got to know her just a few years earlier than I did. But now, you're nothing but an old man weathered away by time.

"How dare you show your tired old face in such a high-class event like this? You'd better get out of here, lest you become the laughingstock of the century!"

I was furious when I saw him treating Mom's belongings in such a clumsy, casual manner. Anger surged within me. I then raised my arm and punched him right in the face.

"Give me back my watch!"