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."

I looked at my small luggage bag, which contained only a few pieces of clothing and my medical license. "I have enough for now," I said softly while looking out the window. "Did you know, Chloe? Sometimes you have to give up everything to get what you really want in life."

Chloe sniffled. "I just hope you won't regret your decision."

I would never regret it, because I had taken away the only heir to the Jamesons' fortune and legacy.

Many things could change in two years. Connor and I were now living in a small apartment in East Cloverton. I would take him to kindergarten during the day and then head to the hospital for work. When nighttime came, I would cook and play with him, then tuck him into bed. Life was hard, but it was peaceful.

Scott and Rita got married three months after our divorce. It was a grand wedding, described by the media as 'a celebration of true love'. In their wedding photo, Rita wore a gown worth millions, while Scott looked at her tenderly, his hand resting on her waist. It was a tenderness that I had not seen for a long time.

Rita could not wait to get pregnant after their wedding. She thought that having a child would cement her position as Mrs. Jameson, so she could finally celebrate her victory over me, the ex-wife.

She constantly posted pregnancy supplements on her social media with the caption: [Looking forward to having our future baby!]

Comments would pour in with blessings and flattering words, but all I did was smile. I never reacted to her posts.

A year went by, and Rita still had not gotten pregnant. The Jamesons started to get anxious. My former mother-in-law started to hint at a grandchild both openly and privately, and Scott tried to play his part by quitting smoking and drinking. However, another year passed by, and Rita still could not get pregnant.

Rita began visiting the most expensive private hospital in Cloverton regularly for full health checkups, but the results were always the same. She was normal and healthy, yet she was still failing to get pregnant. Even Scott started to get anxious about it.

The Jamesons had only one son, and his parents had been looking forward to a second grandchild. His mother was especially insistent and constantly pressured them for one. What was even stranger about the situation was that none of Scott's kept lovers managed to get pregnant either.

Rumors started to spread like wildfire. Scott scoffed when he first heard them. Scott had conducted a paternity test when Connor was born, and the results confirmed they were father and son. How could he be the one with the health issue?

However, his relatives began looking at him strangely during family gatherings, and one late night, Scott's father confronted him in the study with an ultimatum. He said grimly, "Scott, the Jamesons can't have only one child. You should look into those rumors and make everyone shut up." That night, Scott stayed in his study alone the entire night.

When I received my department's call, I was preparing breakfast for Connor. "Dr. Rivers, we have a patient in the VIP room asking for you. It's Mr. Jameson from the Jameson Corporation."

I put down the spatula I was using to fry an egg and replied, "All right. I'll be there in thirty minutes." When I arrived at the hospital, Scott was already waiting for me in the consultation room.

He was seated across from me with his back straightened, as if trying to maintain the last of his dignity in front of me. "I want a semen analysis done on me. Run every test you have." His voice was hoarse as he got straight to the point.

I nodded and turned on my computer to enter the request. "Is this urgent?"

"Yes, it is."

The checkup lasted the entire day, with me personally checking every procedure. When the samples were sent for testing, my colleague working in the laboratory asked me in a whisper, "Dr. Rivers, isn't Mr. Jameson your…"

"He's my ex-husband," I replied calmly.

The report came out three days later. When I entered the consultation room with the sealed envelope, Scott was already waiting for me. There were dark rings beneath his eyes. "Tell me the results." He was direct, but his fingers gripped his knees nervously.

I did not reply right away. All I did was place the envelope on the desk and push it toward him. "You should read it for yourself."