He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight I thought the bone might snap.

"Just because I helped Maya, you went behind my back and terminated the pregnancy? Are you insane? You didn't even tell me you were pregnant! Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this child?"

His words made my stomach churn.

Even now, did he still think I would be willing to have his child?

I ignored him and tried to brush past, but he yanked me back.

"I promised you—once we had our own child, I would cut ties with Maya completely. Isn't that enough?"

His audacity was breathtaking. I never knew a person could be so utterly shameless.

I couldn't take it anymore. I slapped him hard across the face.

"I don't care what you promise. I want a divorce! Haven't you always been desperate to be with Maya? My lawyer will be in touch."

With that, I walked out of the gilded cage that had trapped me for five years, and I never once looked back.

Behind me, Blake's furious roars echoed down the hallway.

"If you dare walk out that door, don't even think about coming back!"

How ridiculous. This was a decision I would never regret.

I called a car and headed to Julian's penthouse apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

When I arrived, Julian was already waiting for me at the door, worry etched into his features.

I told him about Maya asking Blake to be the father of her child, and Julian was livid.

"I knew it. He's a shameless bastard. Leave this to me, Charlotte. I'll handle everything."

Being with someone who genuinely cared, I felt a warmth I hadn't experienced in a long time. My defenses crumbled, and I broke down, sobbing in his arms.

Five years ago, I married Blake against everyone's advice. My parents, my brother, my relatives, my friends—not a single person supported it.

Even my childhood friend, Julian, had repeatedly warned me against it.

Back then, I thought they all looked down on Blake because the Ross family was merely "new money," having risen from the tech bubble.

I was so determined to prove my choice was right. I was so wrong.

Five years of my youth, wasted. But I was finally awake.

No matter what he did next, I would never go back.

However, Blake refused to agree to a divorce.

He sent a message: "Fine, we can get a divorce. But I need to talk to you in person."

I replied: "There's nothing left to say. If you don't sign, I'll see you in court."

His reply was nauseating: "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. Maya just wants a child. It has nothing to do with our marriage, why can't you understand?"

Every time her name came up, he painted Maya as some innocent victim.

I was pregnant, yet he was on the phone with her all day. Our anniversary? One call from Maya and he dropped everything to run to her side. He spent the entire day with her, going to various check-ups. He bought her gifts for every holiday.

If I got upset, he would scold me. "Come on, she suffered so much in Los Angeles and came back with huge debts. We grew up together. If I don't take care of her, who will?"

Looking back, I realized my unconditional love had turned a man who knew how to give into one who only knew how to take.