“Thomas, when did the project I worked day and night for become yours?”

I stared him down, fists clenched at my sides, fury boiling beneath my skin.

The bastard didn’t even flinch at first—but the moment our eyes locked, and he saw the fire in mine, he faltered.

Guilt flickered across his face. Then, just like a coward, he slipped behind Lorena, using her as a shield.

“Miss Lorena,” he said, feigning innocence, “this project was my work. Director Parker must be exhausted from taking care of the baby—he’s confused, trying to claim credit for something he didn’t do.”

Lorena turned to me, her expression filled with quiet contempt.

She didn’t ask a single question. Didn’t hesitate to doubt me.

Instead, she smiled politely at the confused business partner and said, “Don’t mind him. Since I announced the company would reward anyone who brings in an exceptional project, some people are trying to seize the opportunity—by any means.”

Then she added without blinking, “I believe this project belongs to my assistant, Thomas.”

The partner’s face darkened. He gave me a look of disgust, like I was some kind of pest crawling out of the woodwork.

“I didn’t expect to see someone stoop this low. All that effort… just to steal a little credit?” he sneered.

His words sparked a wave of laughter.

“Director Parker really fooled us all…”

“You truly can’t judge a person by their appearance.”

“Maybe it’s revenge… because of what happened…”

“Shhh! That’s too much, keep it down!”

I stood there—frozen in place, humiliated, a thousand eyes digging into my back.

Like a clown in a tragedy, I was the last one to realize the joke was on me.

I snapped.

With no hesitation, I stepped forward and punched Thomas square in the face.

The sound of the impact was deafening. He staggered, clutching his nose, his mask of innocence shattered.

“I did the damn project!” I shouted, voice hoarse. “You just stole it the moment I passed out from exhaustion. You think I’d let that slide?”

The room erupted into chaos.

Lorena’s expression twisted into a frown. She turned to the staff and said coldly, “Take the partner out. Now.”

She didn’t want clients to see the company’s dirty laundry. Once the doors shut behind them, she turned on me with fire in her eyes—and without warning, slapped me across the face.

The sting was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

She froze the moment her palm made contact, visibly shaken by what she’d done. Her hand trembled as she pulled it back, but the damage was done.

In all our years together—marriage, parenthood, everything—we’d never fought like this.

Never hit each other.

Never even raised our voices.

And now, for the first time, she chose him.

“Have you lost your mind?” she snapped. “Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me today?”

Her voice cracked with fury. “If you need money that badly, just say so. Don’t act like a child stealing credit from others.”

Even now, she didn’t believe me.

Even now, she didn’t bother to ask.

Thomas stepped in with a show of false humility, his voice sickeningly soft. “Miss Lorena, please don’t blame Director Parker. I don’t want to come between you two.”

You already have, I thought bitterly.

You slithered in between us the moment her heart left mine.

I let out a laugh—dry, broken, hollow.

Tears welled in my eyes, not from the slap, but from the crushing weight of betrayal.

Lorena’s eyes flickered with hesitation when she saw me like that. She looked as if she wanted to say something—maybe an apology, maybe a lie—but I didn’t give her the chance.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my employee badge, and tossed it on the floor.

“Lorena, I’ll send you both the divorce papers and my resignation later today.”

With that, I turned and walked out, leaving everything—my dignity, my love, and that hollow shell of a marriage—behind me.

She stood frozen, stunned. She hadn’t expected me to be the one to end it.

Just as she started toward me, Thomas caught her wrist.

“Lorie, let’s go. Your mom called just now. The baby’s been crying nonstop.”

“I think… he misses his mother.”

That was all it took. The thought of his child—their child—was enough to make her forget me entirely.

She didn’t chase after me.

She didn’t call out my name.

She turned her back and left with him.

I stood outside, watching her disappear down the corridor. My heart hardened.

So there really was a child waiting for her.

She had a son crying for her, hoping for his mother’s arms—and it wasn’t mine.

It wasn’t ours.

The moment I got home, I heard my son crying in the next room.

The sound broke me.

I rushed in and held him close, his tiny body trembling in my arms.

His cries were filled with confusion and pain, too young to understand abandonment—but old enough to feel it.

His mother was out there, cuddling someone else’s baby.

And she hadn’t called once to ask about him.

I picked up my son gently, holding him close as I softly comforted him.

“It’s okay, baby. Daddy’s here…”

His cries slowly quieted, and soon he drifted off to sleep in my arms, his breath steady and warm against my chest.

Just as I laid him down, my phone buzzed—a video call from Thomas.

Before I could stop myself, my finger brushed the screen, and the call connected.

A moment later, the wails started again. My son, startled by the sudden sound, began crying once more.

But I barely heard him.

My eyes were locked on the screen.

There, in the video, a man and woman were tangled in each other’s arms—naked, breathless, and flushed with lust.

“Thomas, be gentle... I just finished confinement,” Lorena whispered, her voice tender.

“Don’t worry,” Thomas murmured, kissing her neck. “I’ll be careful.”

“Let’s indulge one last time. After tomorrow, I’ll go back,” she said breathlessly. “Lately… I’ve ignored him so much because of you. When I think about the disappointment in his eyes, I’m so scared I’ll lose him.”

She paused, then added with a bitter smile, “Tell me again… why did you have to steal his project and make me frame him?”

Lorena weakly slapped his chest, but her hands lingered. A few more playful hits and she melted into his arms again—sinking into Thomas' warmth like it was her home.

I stood frozen, the glow of the screen illuminating my numb face.

Then rage consumed me.

I shouted at the screen, screaming curses—vile, hateful things—but no one heard me.

Only I was on this side. Only I was watching. Only I was breaking.

A fool.

A fool too late to see the truth.

She knew. Lorena knew I was the one who did the project. She framed me anyway—to protect Thomas.

That single moment shattered something inside me.

I hurled the phone across the room. It crashed against the wall, splintering into silence.

The house felt suffocating now. Every corner reeked of betrayal.

And it wasn’t even mine to begin with. This house was her premarital property. I had never truly belonged here.

I remembered the whispers at our wedding—her so-called friends sneering behind painted smiles.

“He’s just clinging to her for money.”

“What a pitiful match. She could do so much better.”

“Poor guy doesn’t know his place.”

But I endured. For her, I endured.

I poured myself into that project like a man possessed—trying to prove I was worthy.

In the end, I was just making a wedding dress for someone else.

The next morning, I packed everything I needed. No hesitation. No looking back.

I signed the divorce papers and placed them neatly on the coffee table.

Then, carrying my son in my arms, I opened the door to leave—

And came face to face with Lorena, holding Thomas' child.

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw me.

“Blake, I’m back!” she beamed. “I know you and our son must have missed us, right?”

Miss you?

I didn’t say a word. My expression was like ice as I pushed her aside and walked past her.

The memory of her betrayal still burned behind my eyes. I didn’t want to hear her voice. I didn’t even want to see her.

“Blake?” she called after me, confused. “What’s wrong? Are you still upset about the project?”

I stayed silent. Let her squirm.

Then Thomas' baby began to cry.

Her eyes lit up, and she stepped forward, holding the infant out to me.

“Look,” she said eagerly. “You haven’t met Clifford yet. Come on, hold him.”

I turned and slapped her.

The sound rang through the hallway like thunder.

She stared at me, stunned.

“I’ve been gone for so long, and not once did you ask about the son we had together,” I said coldly. “But now you want me to hold your lover’s child?”

I laughed bitterly. “Still pretending, Lorena?”

“This baby isn’t mine. He’s the bastard son of you and Thomas. Why the hell would I want to touch him?”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“You… you know?”

I stepped closer, my voice low and sharp. “The truth doesn’t stay buried forever.”

Then I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and tossed it in her face.

“It’s over. You and Thomas deserve each other. Be the miserable couple you were always meant to be.”

I turned to leave.

But Lorena collapsed onto her knees and hugged me from behind, sobbing.

“No! I won’t divorce you,” she cried. “Please, Blake… I made a mistake, I know I did—but I can fix it!”

“To make it up to you, I’ve decided to host a full-month celebration for my child. I’ll make an announcement there—I’ll transfer all my assets to our son. Please… don’t leave.”

I froze. Not because her words moved me. But because of the desperation in them.

Even now, she was bargaining. Not apologizing. Not taking responsibility.

Just trying to trade guilt for redemption.

When I didn’t respond, she panicked. She clutched our son from my arms, her own eyes turning red as she pleaded.

As soon as the child saw his mother, he giggled joyfully.

I hesitated.

Maybe, just maybe… for the sake of our child, I could give Lorena one more chance.

So I stayed.

That night, she came to my room dressed in a revealing silk gown, her perfume thick in the air as she quietly slipped under the covers.

But I didn’t touch her. I couldn’t.

I got up and coldly told her to leave.

She didn’t get angry. Instead, she gave me a bitter smile and turned to walk away—only to pause when her phone rang.

It was Thomas.

Her expression changed instantly—shock, panic, then urgency. She didn’t say a word to me as she rushed to change and left in a hurry.

I watched her go, and any flicker of hope I had was extinguished.

The next day arrived—her child’s full-month banquet.

Lorena had already arranged for her new assistant to escort me and my son to the main table, seating us in a place of prominence.

But it was nothing more than a performance.

Soon after, she entered the hall holding Thomas' child in one arm and Thomas' hand in the other.

She smiled and laughed as she mingled with the high-profile guests, radiating grace and charm—leaving me and my son completely ignored, like props she had no more use for.

People stared. Whispers spread. Some even laughed.

When the time came for the official announcement, the air shifted. Lorena stepped onto the stage, but couldn’t even look in our direction.

She cleared her throat.

“Today is a special day. My child has turned one month old—and I want to share a piece of good news,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“I’ve decided… to pass on all of my company’s shares and assets to the child in my arms.”

Cheers erupted from the guests. Smiles, applause, congratulations.

But I sat frozen, numb. Then I quietly stood, picked up my son, and walked out.

Lorena.

Why did you make a promise you couldn’t keep?

You gave us hope—again and again—only to crush it under your heel every time.

That was the moment I finally let go.

No more pain. No more begging. No more illusions.

I packed our things, and that very night, I took my son and left the city behind.

Somewhere far away, we could start over—without her.

Back at the banquet, Lorena was still smiling for the cameras when she turned to glance at our table… and froze.

We were gone.

Her heart skipped. Panic bloomed in her chest.

“Where did they go?” she asked the assistant beside her.

Before the assistant could answer, she came rushing back—face pale, voice trembling.

“Miss Lorena, we have a problem!”

“What now?”

“The partner just called. The design draft Thomas submitted—it’s a fake, an unfinished version. They’re threatening to terminate the contract and sue for fraud if we don’t deliver the real one immediately!”