It was the night of my husband's and my third anniversary, and I had gotten home early. I caught him in bed with another woman—for the tenth time. But unlike the previous times, I did not throw a tantrum. I even closed the door to the master bedroom quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

In Scott Jameson's eyes, I had no choice but to tolerate his cheating because I became Mrs. Jameson by getting pregnant with his child.

Three months later, he flung divorce papers at me. "My young lover wants me to give her a home and to bear my son. Sign the papers."

I looked into his cold, distant eyes and said with conviction, "All right. All I want is custody of our son. I don't want a cent of the Jamesons' money."

The court proceedings were difficult, and I was accused of being mentally unstable. Many people made fun of me for not knowing my place.

All of Cloverton was waiting for me to humiliate myself, counting the seconds until a nobody like me succumbed to desperation.

However, I fought the case with everything I had. Eventually, I was finally able to leave with my son.

No one knew that Scott suffered from a serious case of asthenozoospermia. His sperm were completely useless. No other woman could have Scott's baby except me, as I happened to be unusually fertile.

My son would be the only heir to the Jameson family legacy.

The doors to the master bedroom opened twenty minutes later. A woman walked out wearing my husband, Scott Jameson's, white shirt. It was Rita Sloane, Scott's latest lover. She was the underprivileged university student he was sponsoring.

Rita was taken aback to see me, but she quickly raised her chin arrogantly and flaunted her attitude as if she were the real mistress of this house. I nodded at her. "You should leave through the side door. Reporters are staking out the house's front door."

She bit her lip and glared at me before quickly leaving the house. Just then, Scott walked out of the room with a loose towel around his waist. He glanced at our son, Connor, in my arms and looked at me with a playful smile. "You've been a really good girl today."

I put the sleeping Connor in bed and tucked him in while Scott lit a cigarette. "If only you always knew your place, Sophie." His face was blurred from the smoke, and for some reason, it reminded me of a night just like this four years ago.

That night, Scott stood below my apartment, holding up a bowl of soup from my favorite diner as rainwater dripped from his hair. "I've been chasing you for three months, Dr. Rivers. How about giving me a chance?" He looked at me brightly with sincerity in his eyes, a look that I would never see again.

His voice pulled me back to reality. "Have you forgotten the reason we got married? I had too much to drink that night and didn't use protection. You were lucky to get pregnant after just one night with me." Scott came over to me and lifted my chin with his finger. "The Jamesons are all about our bloodline. Otherwise, a small-time doctor like you would never be able to marry into our family."

"I know." I tilted my head to dodge his touch. Scott's eyes turned cold as he pulled his hand back and took another puff of his cigarette.

"Good. Fulfill your duty as Mrs. Jameson and bring our son up well, and I promise you will be well compensated. But don't expect me to only have one woman in my life, Sophie."

"I know." I lowered my eyes.

Scott smiled approvingly and turned away while saying, "By the way, it's my parents' birthday party tomorrow. Remember to wear that champagne-colored dress." He closed the door behind him after that. I stood where I was for a long time without moving until my legs grew numb. Then, I slowly went to the baby's cot.

Connor's little lips pouted as he turned in bed, looking like he was having a good dream.

There were many things Scott was unaware of. For example, I was the one who modified our pre-marital medical report. I was able to do it because I was the attending doctor with the highest authority over the patient. The analytical report on his sperm had stated, 'Severe asthenozoospermia with extremely low probability of natural conception', but I secretly deleted that from the report.

I did it because I was in love with him and could not bear for him to learn of his shortcomings. It was only later that I found out from my mentor that I was unusually fertile and Scott would never be able to conceive children if it were not for me.

When I became pregnant, I gained about twenty-two pounds. That was when he stopped coming home regularly. I questioned him the first time I caught a whiff of unfamiliar perfume on his shirt. He had pushed me away impatiently then. "Can you stop being so sensitive about everything, Sophie?"

After that, I started finding lipstick marks, and later, strands of long hair on him. This eventually escalated to him brazenly bringing his lovers back home. I cried and caused a huge scene over everything until six months ago, when I caught him cheating for the third time.

Scott had put on his pants in annoyance and grabbed my chin to say, "You need to know your place, Sophie. You were only able to marry into the Jameson family because you were pregnant. Otherwise, you'd be nothing to me."

That was when something inside me broke. Since then, I no longer made a fuss or caused any scenes. I would even make sure to give him space whenever he brought a woman home. It was not me giving in to my fate. I just understood the rules of the game now.

I leaned over to kiss Connor's soft forehead. He smelled heavenly. His milk-like scent was the only clean scent in this house. I whispered so softly in his ear that it sounded like a sigh, "Don't be impatient, my sweet boy. Everything the Jamesons own will soon be ours."

It was my in-laws' 70th birthday party, and they had reserved the top floor of Cloverton's most expensive hotel for the celebration. I attended the party in the champagne-colored dress Scott wanted me to wear. I was supposed to stand by Scott's side, but Rita had taken my place instead.

She walked into the hall, wearing a white dress that I had wanted but could not bear to buy. Everyone's attention turned to her. "Sorry I'm late, Scott," Rita said sweetly.

Scott kissed her on the cheek. "It's fine. The woman of the hour has to make a grand entrance." My in-laws frowned but said nothing. Several of the family's uncles exchanged knowing glances that were either sarcastic, taunting, or amused by the drama.

My seat was at the very end of the long table, next to several distant relatives who had little to do with the family. After going around toasting several tables, Rita came over to me with a wine glass in her hand. She spoke crisply and loud enough for everyone to hear, "Can you pour me a glass of warm water, Mrs. Jameson? I'm not feeling well."

Everyone turned to look at me, except Scott, who was too busy slicing up his steak to even glance at me. I put my wine glass down and said, "There are waiters behind you."

Rita's smile froze, but she quickly composed herself. "I'd like you to pour me the water."

I replied calmly, "If you'd like something to drink, you can get your boyfriend to help you." A few chuckles could be heard around us, and Rita's eyes turned red instantly.

"Scott…" She turned to where he was sitting, sounding like she was about to cry.

He finally stood up. "Why are you being so petty when all she's asking for is a glass of water, Sophie?" I stared into his cold eyes, got up to pour her a glass of water, and pushed it toward her.

Rita did not accept the water as she cried. "All I wanted was to get close to her, Scott."

Scott's face fell right away. "Apologize!"

The entire hall turned silent. My mother-in-law looked away as my father-in-law sighed. All I did was stand where I was. Everyone's gaze fell onto me. Some looked at me with pity, while others looked at me with taunting, disdain, and even with glee at seeing me in trouble.

One year ago on this day, it was at this very same venue that Scott had held my hand while introducing me to everyone, "This is my wife, Sophie Rivers." He looked like he was proud of me then, even though it was just a little.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you get the waiter yourself."

The party ended on a bad note. That night, Scott came home reeking of alcohol. He slammed the divorce papers on the table, lit a cigarette, and said, "Rita wants to have a family. It isn't easy for a young woman like her to survive in this world. Sign the papers."

I looked at the papers and was reminded of the night he proposed to me. "Marry me, Sophie. I promise to give you happiness for the rest of your life." He had looked serious about his promise, even though it was fleeting.

"Connor leaves with me."

Scott laughed coldly. " You can't afford to bring him up."

I stood up, and despite being a head shorter than him, I made sure to stand up straight. "Then I'll see you in court."

Scott's smile vanished. He stared at me with mixed emotions in his eyes before he ended up bursting with laughter. "Fine. If you insist on humiliating yourself, go ahead. You can't win this, Sophie. The Jamesons have a team of lawyers working for us. What can a doctor like you do to fight against me?"

He closed the door behind him as it started pouring outside. The rain splattered against the windows, its sound echoing throughout the house.

The roses in the garden were ruined by the heavy rain. Scott had planted those roses himself before we got married, and I remembered him telling me, "These roses suit you perfectly." Now, those roses were dying.

I returned to Connor's bedside and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. "My sweet boy," I whispered. "I won't lose." I heard something crashing in the study, and I knew that war was about to begin.

News of Scott and me fighting over Connor's custody spread overnight among Cloverton's upper social circle.

"Did you hear that she doesn't want a cent of the Jamesons' fortune? That's crazy!"

"I bet that's a tactic she's using to get more out of them. I've seen my fair share of women like her."

Even my best friend, Chloe Santos, traveled from out of town to come home and talk sense into me. "Have you gone crazy, Sophie? Scott was the one who cheated, and he's the one in the wrong. You should be taking every cent you can from him! Do you have any idea how much it costs to go to court? Do you know how much it takes to bring up a child?"

It warmed my heart to see her eyes redden because of me. I still had someone in this world who was truly worried for me. I held her hand and said, "I have a plan, Chloe."

On the day we met in court, Scott's lawyers presented a bunch of evidence. They said that as a doctor, I had to work overtime regularly and could not guarantee I would have enough time to raise Connor well. I only had a small apartment I bought before getting married, and my savings were no more than a hundred thousand, while Scott had a net worth of several billion. They even found records of my visits to a psychiatrist for three months. I had seen the psychiatrist when I was facing too much stress studying at university.

The judge looked at me sympathetically. Scott looked at ease in his suit, seated in the defendant's seat. He would occasionally throw me condescending looks.

When the court was adjourned, I bumped into Scott and Rita in the corridor. Rita smiled sweetly. "I heard you're insistent about getting custody for Connor, Dr. Rivers. Why go to all that trouble? It would be such hard work to bring up a child as a single mother."

"You haven't even married into the Jamesons yet, and you're already poking your nose into their family affairs, Miss Sloane." I then ignored her and turned to Scott. "I want Connor."

He replied coldly, "You can't afford to bring him up. One year of his school fees alone is worth several years of your annual income!"

"That's my business."

Scott stared at me for a long time before suddenly smiling. "All right. I'll see you in court."

The next time we went to court, my lawyer looked at me grimly. "They found your medical records from three years ago." I was stunned at his words. Back then, I had done everything I could to save my patient, but I ultimately failed. However, the disciplinary hearing had determined that I was not responsible for his death.

My lawyer sighed. "There is nothing the Jamesons can't find out. They even found the patient's family, who made a scene at the back then. They're paying them to stand witness in court to accuse you of malpractice and having no sense of responsibility." My hand shook slightly as I held some documents. However, it was not because of fear. I felt a chill run through my heart.

Scott was determined to push me to the brink. Not only was he planning to win, but he also wanted to ruin my reputation. When we went to court for the third time, I stood up. "I'm willing to give up all financial compensation. All I want is Connor's custody."

Mixed emotions flashed in Scott's eyes, while Rita's gleeful expression vanished and was replaced by a puzzled one. She probably could not understand why someone would be willing to give up the Jamesons' fortune.

The judge eventually granted me custody, but I had to guarantee Connor's quality of life, while Scott reserved the right to visit him at any time. When we walked out of the courthouse, Rita said with a smile, "It's going to be a hard life for you, Dr. Rivers. Feel free to come to us if you face any problems."

All Scott did was look at me, not saying anything. Chloe was the one who drove her worn-out car to take Connor and me home. Connor played with his toys in the backseat and asked, "Where are we going, Mom?"

"We're going home," I replied as I kissed him on the forehead. I looked at the rearview mirror and saw the Jamesons' Rolls-Royce getting further and further away from us. Scott and Rita eventually became two dark dots in the distance.

Chloe wiped her tears as she drove. "Didn't you bring anything with you, Sophie? Where are your clothes? What about those purses in your closet? Any one of them is worth tens of thousands."