The day of my final prenatal checkup, my husband, Aaron Mackey, claimed he had a business trip and couldn’t make it.

So there I was, at the OB-GYN, sitting alone in the waiting room, when I caught sight of Aaron gently kissing Nancy Cross’s pregnant belly, his voice soft and affectionate.

“When our baby is born,” he murmured, “he’s going to be the rightful heir to the Mackey legacy.”

Nancy tilted her head up, pretending to be worried. “Aaron, your wife’s pregnant too… What if she finds out about us? What if she refuses to let our child into the family?”

Aaron scoffed, his tone turning cold. “And who is she to say no? If she gives me trouble, I’ll divorce her. I’ll throw her out with nothing.”

Every word hit me like a brick. My body went stiff.

Aaron had chased me for ten years. Everyone knew he loved me to the bone.

After we got engaged, he gave me three tokens of our love.

The first: a pair of porcelain figurines mixed with his rib bone.

The second: a necklace made of pearls he’d personally dived for.

And the third… the crown of the Mackey matriarch—worth millions. The gem at the top was the key to the family vault. A symbol of power. A symbol of trust. Half the company was tied to it.

He once went diving just to find me a new pearl, only to disappear at sea. When they found him, he had amnesia—and Nancy, a nightclub dancer, was the one who’d “rescued” him.

Once his memories came back, he said he wanted to return to me. I believed he had. What I didn’t know was, he and Nancy never really ended.

She’s pregnant with his child. And now, he’s scheming to kick me out with nothing.

My baby didn’t need a deadbeat dad like him.

And I was sure as hell I didn’t need a love that came in halves.

If he’s so desperate to burn my world down, I’d leave before he got the chance.

Holding my head high, I picked up the phone and called my father.

“Dad, I’m divorcing Aaron. I’m keeping the baby. I’ll come home to take over the Blake Corporation and… I’ll go through with the arranged marriage with the Dalton Family.”

The second I hung up, I booked the earliest flight out.

Two weeks.

That’s all I needed. In two weeks, I’d be gone for good.

——

The second I got home, I picked up my phone and called my father.

“Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I’m keeping the baby and I’ll take over the company. I’ll also agree to engagement with the Daltons.”

There was a pause. “Cassidy, are you sure? You know, words is— the Dalton CEO’s infertile.” 

“I’m sure. That just means my child gets to be the successor for both the Blake and the Dalton.”

He quickly agreed. “Alright, I’ll reach out to the Daltons. You go ahead and apply for immigration.”

I nodded, then turned my attention to the divorce papers.

Looking at the list of property division, it felt like I was watching the distance grow between Aaron and me.

Yesterday at the OB-GYN clinic, I ran into Aaron and Nancy. At first, I didn’t want to believe it.

Then that night, I got a message from Aaron, asking me to meet at our usual spot. With mixed feelings, I went to the private room. Before I even walked in, I saw through the crack in the door—Nancy was sitting on Aaron’s lap. She leaned into his arms so naturally, like she was always meant to be there.

It felt like I’d been struck by lightning when I realized Aaron and Nancy had never really apart.

Through the crack in the door, I heard one of his friends say,

“How long are you going to keep this up? If Cassidy finds out, I’m afraid you won’t be able to win her back.”

Aaron said nothing. He just clutched Nancy tighter, jaw clenched, eyes cold and sharp.

Then came his voice, low and rough, “It’s hard to love only one person forever. Nancy doesn’t ask for much and Cassidy won’t leave me. So why don’t I just have two women at my sides?”

He added, “Besides, Nancy’s carrying my child now. I can’t just walk away from that.”

His friends stared at him in disbelief. Everyone knew how much Aaron had loved me. No one thought he’d actually fall for someone else—let alone a nightclub dancer.

“Are you out of your mind, dude?” one of them said sharply. “Do you remember how hard you fought to win Cassidy over? And now you’re putting her on the same level as a dancer?”

“What if her baby’s not even yours? Don’t be fooled, man!” he added, pointing at Nancy’s belly. It was barely a few seconds past before Aaron punched him, hard. His eyes turned red at the corners as he gently covered Nancy’s ears.

“Don’t you dare talk bad about her! Nancy didn’t choose to become a dancer and all I know is she saved me. So if I ever hear any of you talk down on her again, we’re done being friends.”

With that, he turned around and walked off with Nancy in his arms.

My chest twisted painfully and I instinctively stepped back, ducked into the shadows.

Just as he reached the door, Aaron stopped.

“None of you are to tell Cassidy about this," his voice was cold and firm, “I’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

And then he left, still holding Nancy in his arms.

But Nancy—out of Aaron’s line of sight—shot me a smug, triumphant look.

So she knew I was here all along.

I stared at my palm, where my nails had dug into the skin, leaving bloody crescent marks. The pain in my chest was unbearable. 

Ten years.

Ten years of love, of fire, of devotion—and it took him two months to burn it all to the ground.

Just this morning, Aaron had been kissing my forehead so gently. And now? Now he was ready to throw punches at his own friends for another woman. He’d even gotten her pregnant.

The pain was too much, I almost laughed. It took hours before I could gather the strength to walk back home. 

Snapped out of the memory, I tightened my grip on the divorce papers.

I would never share my man’s heart with another woman. And my child would never need a father who had a child with someone else.

“What’s that in your hand?”

Aaron’s voice cut through the silence.

I froze. He had come back. I took a deep breath and turned around. 

“Perfect timing. I need you to sign…”

Before I could finish, his phone buzzed.

Nancy.

I saw her name flash on the screen.

He shot me a reassuring smile as he picked up. But seconds later, his expression turned dark.

Then, out of nowhere—he slapped me.

Hard.

I looked up, stunned.

Even knowing about him and Nancy, I never imagined he’d hit me.

He raised his hand again, but something in him faltered when he saw the tears on my face. He turned, grabbed the porcelain figurines and smashed them against the floor.

Pieces flew everywhere.

Now he shattered it—for her.

“You had Nancy kidnapped?” he shouted. “She’s pregnant, Cassidy. That could’ve killed her and the baby!”

I stared at the shards, my whole body going cold.

That figurine was us. He’d made it by mixing his own rib into the clay. He said it meant we’d always be together.

But now, for Nancy, he smashed it without a second thought—just to threaten me.

Tears slipped down my cheeks and I felt like the air had been sucked from my lungs. I couldn’t even breathe, let alone speak.

Aaron’s anger didn’t escalate—instead, it cooled into something far more terrifying.

His eyes were razor-sharp, his gaze like steel as he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

He grabbed my chin hard. “Give me her location. I don’t have time for your dramatic play.”

I could hear it in his voice—he wasn’t just furious. He cared about Nancy. Maybe even loved her.

A bitter smile pulled at my lips, my voice hoarse as I whispered, “I didn’t do it.”

My eyes were vacant. I didn’t even know how we’d ended up like this. He used to love me. So deeply. So fiercely. So how could he fall for someone else so easily?

But even though I was telling the truth, Aaron didn’t believe a single word. He shoved me into the corner and his fist slammed into the wall beside me.

“Nancy called me crying. Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? She told me everything. Said you sent someone to kidnap her!”

His eyes were as dark as ink and the words that fell from his mouth were sharper than any blade.

“Think about your parents, your family’s company. Are you sure you want to keep silence and let them ruin?”

I stood there like a puppet with a broken string, my body swaying stiffly, incapable of doing anything but slowly shaking my head under his rage.

His expression turned frigid. Aaron grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip and dragged me down the hallway toward the storage room.

I didn’t even have time to react before he threw me inside and slammed the door shut behind me.

Only then did it dawn on me—what he was trying to do.

I lunged toward the door, panic setting in, but it was too late. The heavy door slammed shut in my face with a sickening thud. I collapsed to the floor, trembling uncontrollably. My whole body felt paralyzed.

Aaron knew I suffered from claustrophobia. He knew I’d been kidnapped when I was a child and that tight, dark spaces made me feel like I was dying. But he locked me up anyway—for Nancy.

My hand trembled as I reached out, scratching weakly at the door.

“Let me out, Aaron. Please... let me out!”

But my cries didn’t move him.

For Nancy, he’d tossed aside my well-being like it meant nothing.

His muffled voice came through the door, heavy with judgment, “You’re crossing the line, Cassidy. Now I want you to feel what Nancy felt. Once I find her, I’ll let you out.”

And with that, his footsteps began to fade.

My tears came fast, falling like rain.

I still remember the night I told Aaron about my childhood trauma. He had been heartbroken.

After we got together, he always made sure every room we entered had open doors. The lamp in this house we lived in were never go out. He told me that it symbolized his love for me—always on, never fading.

Now? That promise meant nothing. Just empty words swept away by time.

Three days later, when I was barely conscious, the butler finally let me out.

I stumbled into the hallway, ignoring the doctor he’d arranged for me.

In my hand, I clutched the signed divorce papers and all the documents I’d quietly prepared. I used the last of my strength to finish everything.

The immigration documents would take two weeks to process.

In two weeks, I’d have a new identity and my son would take my name. Aaron and I would never see each other again.

When it was all done, the butler—who’d been searching for me—took me back to the Mackey estate. Only after hiding away every document did my body gave out and I allow myself to collapse into unconsciousness.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was staring up at a hospital ceiling.

Aaron was sitting beside me, carefully peeling fruit. Next to him sat a vase of irises—my favorite flowers.

When he saw me awake, his eyes lit up and he reached toward me, “You’re awake.”

He looked flawless in a black suit, gaze gentle, his expression full of love—just like the man I used to know.

But I knew better now.

Without a word, I pulled away from his hand. He froze, then looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. I never should’ve locked you up. But you know Nancy once saved my life—I can’t just turn my back on her. Think of this as me repaying a debt, okay? Once this is over, I’ll come right back to you. Just let me take care of her.”

He pulled me into a tight embrace. The scent of roses filled my nose.

I gagged.

Nancy loved roses. The fragrance on him was unmistakable.

I slipped out of his arms, expression flat and nodded.

“Okay,” I said it so easily, it caught him off guard.

He stared into my eyes and something flickered in his expression, like he knew something was different now.

Then his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the message and everything else fell away.

Through the crack between us, I saw the photo clearly. Nancy in red, sheer lace lingerie—barely covering anything.

He sprang to his feet, tossed a small box on my lap without a second glance.

“Cassidy, this is a peace offering—from both of us. Nancy didn’t mean to accuse you. She made a mistake, that’s all. Please, accept it and forgive her.”

I don’t know what else Nancy said over the phone, but whatever it was made Aaron smile.

“Nancy can be a little too emotional sometimes, but she never meant any harm,” he added, almost fondly.

Then he left—just like that.

I opened the box.

Inside was a pair of rose-shaped earrings. The moment I lifted the lid, that heavy, sickly-sweet scent of rose perfume hit me like a wave. I flung the box across the room, my skin already flaring up in hives.

That box was a silent taunt from Nancy.

And Aaron—he knew. He knew I was allergic to roses. He used to be so careful. But now? Now he just went along with whatever Nancy wanted.

Or maybe… maybe he didn’t even remember I was allergic.

My hands clenched so tightly the skin split open. Blood dripped silently onto the white sheets.

Fifteen minutes later, I got a message from him.

[Get some rest. I’ll come pick you up once you’re discharged.]

A tear slid silently down my cheek. I deleted the message and turned off my phone.

***

Three days later, I was discharged. Only the housekeeper came to pick me up.

My phone buzzed. A message from Aaron.

[Nancy’s not feeling well. Hope you understand. I’ll bring you a gift in return.]

I swiped the message away.

Twelve more days.

Back at the estate, I started packing.

Every photo album I once treasured went into the fireplace. Every letter, every note, every dress he’d ever made for me—burned. And when I was finally ready to leave, Aaron walked through the door with Nancy. He saw the suitcase in my hand and his brow furrowed.

“Where are you going?” he asked. 

I didn’t answer. I brushed past him and Nancy, heading toward the door, but he grabbed my wrist tightly.

Nancy’s eyes flashed with something poisonous before she burst into tears.

“Aaron… maybe Cassidy knew I was coming and that’s why she’s leaving. Maybe I should just go back to the club. Sure, men bother me there, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Aaron’s eyes filled with sympathy. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair gently.

“You’re not going anywhere. I’m here now. You don’t have to go back to that life,” he soothe her.

I let out a small, bitter laugh and turned away again.

Then Aaron’s voice rang out behind me.

“Housekeeper, bring the madam back inside. Don’t let her leave the estate.”

I turned back slowly and Aaron looked annoyed.

“Cassidy, don’t make this harder than it has to be. You already agreed back at the hospital, remember?” 

I said nothing and walked into the living room.

From the kitchen, Aaron came out carefully carrying a bowl of soup. He placed it gently into Nancy’s hands.

“This is for you, sweetheart,” he said tenderly. Then he glanced at me, hesitating. “Cassidy… it’s for pregnant women. I’ll make your favorite next time.”

He reached to me but I stepped back. His fists clenched, unease creeping into his eyes.

Everything had started slipping out of his control the moment I left the hospital. His phone rang and he rushed out to take it. But I still caught a few words.

“Mr. Mackey, the estate you requested for your wife is ready. When will you move in?”

I smiled bitterly.

That wife… wasn’t me.

When he was gone, Nancy took her time sipping the soup, then glanced up at me with a sneer, “If a man says he loves two women, the one he loves is always the second. I won’t let my man have two.”

Then, without warning, she tipped the bowl aside and threw herself to the ground, stomach-first.

“Aaron!”

Her scream cut through the air.

Aaron came running in. When he saw the blood beneath her, panic exploded on his face.

“Doctor! Somebody call a doctor!”

Trembling, he picked her up, while she pointed a shaking finger at me.

“Cassidy put irises in my soup,” she choked out, then coughed violently—dark blood splattering from her lips.

Aaron’s eyes snapped to mine—ice cold, sharp enough to cut through bone.

Then suddenly, he kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me crashing to the floor.

Pain exploded through me and I couldn’t even straighten up. I clutched my belly in agony, barely able to breathe.

“Baby… my baby…” I gasped, barely able to speak.

But Aaron just stood over me, eyes cold and full of disgust.

“I can’t believe how cruel you are, Cassidy. I never thought you’d stoop this low. If anything happens to Nancy or that baby, I swear—I’ll make sure you pay for it.”

With that, he turned and carried her out the door.

He didn’t look back. Not once.

And just like that, he turned and rushed off with Nancy in his arms—never once looking back.